2010 GMC Terrain: Yeah ... About That Power Hatch Thingy

I noticed this in the ladder pic, but I just assumed it was road dirt that had washed down the crevice in the rain or something.

It's so ugly it's crying.

No, the system still works, technically. But nothing that leaks this much oil is long for this world.

When it comes to cars, less is more. The more gizmos it has, the more it will break.

got it.

"When it comes to cars, less is more. The more gizmos it has, the more it will break."

Very true. I love a car that will do exactly what you want it to, nothing more, nothing less. Cars that try to do too much often end up being needlessly over-complicated and even problematic.

Good to see the power of jinx is still alive and well. /sadlol

power liftgates are common. This thing just needs to be sealed properly. There is no reason to think such a feature should be skipped because it might break. It shouldnt be leaking, especially this soon.

I'd investigate if any of the users of the vehicle were doing chinups from the tailgate while it was open. In case you think this is unlikely possiblity, I recommend you watch "Over The Top", staring Sylvester Stallone. He had a dashing physique from exercising with his truck on the side of the highway. :)

So not only Dodge can properly make a Power Failgate.

The Terrain it bleeds!

So the Terrain also gets the dubious honor of having a Power Failgate.

Edmunds has had bad luck with these - the LT R500 had problems with the latch and the LT Grand Caravan's would get stuck on the warped bumper pad, plus the arm broke off and scraped the hell out of an interior panel.

I was going to comment in the other post about how this strut-integrated mechanism was innovative, but it's disappointing to see it fail after only 1900 miles. It would be interesting to know if it is a design flaw or a manufacturing defect.

Everyone repeat it with me: reduce weight, and simplify.

@stov001: So you're saying that modern automakers could benefit from a Colin-oscopy?

Wonder if the hatch will stay open if one side completely fails. If not, break out the broom stick / prop rod.

I agree that simplicity and less things to break appeals to me (as does a solid feeling but low-curb weight, A la Porsche & Corvette).

My only real comment is: every car gets one. One thing that can go wrong within the first year of ownership before I get at all concerned. Once you hit two in one year, I start being concerned. By 3 or 4, I'm very worried about what years 3+ would bring.

My 2 year old, 40k mile Subaru Legacy GT had a brake light burn out. I considered that unacceptable, but it gets 1 too :)

stupid stuff like this goes wrong with the first model year of virtually every new car line. unfortunate, but it happens.

Hmmm.... I don't think I would be too concerned. However, if the bumper cover warps, the steering panel pops off, the door trim comes unglued, the roof panel starts falling, the transimission fails, and the power steering also springs a leak... well, I might be a bit concerned.

Disappointing, yes, but hardly the end of the world. No matter what it does, it won't suddenly become as ugly as the Accord Crosstour. Who the hell chose THAT for the next long-term test car anyway?

let the best car win.

It could be worse. It could have a gap between the moonroof shade and the rest of the headliner.

I think IL broke it on purpose to make GM look bad.

Everyone I've ever talked to with a power tailgate (or sliding door) has complained about it failing.

Whether it's a Dodge or Honda (or now GM) it doesn't seem to matter. It doesn't take any great effort to open a door youself, skip the weight and and don't waste your money on lame options.

It's not like these pneumatic struts are new technology or anything, but they do fail from time-to-time. And when they fail, they all ooze goo. Whenever you see a hatch held up with a board, this is why.

"Everyone I've ever talked to with a power tailgate (or sliding door) has complained about it failing.

Whether it's a Dodge or Honda (or now GM) it doesn't seem to matter. It doesn't take any great effort to open a door youself, skip the weight and and don't waste your money on lame options."

The one on the Flex has not had any problems. But I agree it is kind of a lame option.....like keyless go and factory nav......

Looks like nothing more than a faulty seal. Should be an easy fix for the service department and I do also agree that it is first-model-year teething troubles.

My B7 press loaner had a power trunk lid. It was a fun gadget to play with but it was totally unnecessary.

Gotta love the turning events.
As the oil drains, the drama unfolds.
Looks very bad, having a new car with all that oil dripping, mmmmm
But I wanna see how is handled by the stealership.

Ahh yes......I stick to Acuras for a reason.

"Ahh yes......I stick to Acuras for a reason."

This would not be enough to convince me to buy an unsightly Acura.

"Ahh yes......I stick to Acuras for a reason."

Funny how people used to say the same thing about Toyotas....

PS- having an allegiance to a particular company for reasons of superior quality is simply no longer valid. Cost cutting is apparent all over the place and more and more cars that we wouldn't think would have build quality issues are in fact experiencing them. Cars simply aren't what they used to be in my opinion. The ones that used to be bulletproof are sinking and the ones that used to be junk are improving so, I feel the playing field is as even as it has ever been.

It's similar to Apple products- you used to be able to depend on them to be delivered with the near perfect quality but my how times are changing.

This is exactly why these stupid car companies need a return back to basics. We should be able to still buy a car that has power nothing, no tcs or esc, and MAYBE a radio or an A/C. The airbags of course stay as they save lives. Not only would less things break, but the cars would be so amazingly cheap again. Seriously, think of a 2011 5.0 with no radio/navigation setup, no heavy A/C unit, no power windows or locks (power brakes and steering are kind of a lifesaver on a car so fast), and no tcs or esc. A true car. I bet it wouldnt cost any more than 15k either.

@calspecial68,

Basic models with no A/C, power accessories or conveniences sell in so few numbers. I saw a breakdown of trim-level sales from a US manufacturer a few years back and the stripped base model sold less than 3% of the total line, hence it was later discontinued.

It actually costs money to strip out equipment when majority of cars are sold with it. Factories need more build configurations, more variations of components are needed (i.e. a crank window/no power lock door panel vs. a full-power panel), more R&D is needed to test the different configurations, additional safety testing may be needed, and so on. What you're suggesting literally saves only hundreds, not thousands of dollars. The only way to REALLY save money is to go the Tata Nano route, and build the car to be cheap from the ground up. And unfortunately there isn't a big enough market in the U.S. for stripped cars to make it profitable for anyone. Otherwise it would already be done.

To put it another way, the majority of the cost of the cars comes in the form of raw materials (steel, plastic, glass, etc), assembly/factory overhead, R&D and corporate overhead, and major component sourcing costs. The soft features like power door locks actually cost a small fraction of the overall pie (what options are priced at or the parts on the open market is an entirely different matter).