diff --git a/changelogs/fragments/1632-using_check_rc_in_terraform.yml b/changelogs/fragments/1632-using_check_rc_in_terraform.yml
new file mode 100644
index 0000000000..481becb763
--- /dev/null
+++ b/changelogs/fragments/1632-using_check_rc_in_terraform.yml
@@ -0,0 +1,2 @@
+bugfixes:
+- terraform - improve result code checking when executing terraform commands (https://github.com/ansible-collections/community.general/pull/1632).
diff --git a/plugins/modules/cloud/misc/terraform.py b/plugins/modules/cloud/misc/terraform.py
index 9e8834821c..680bab9aed 100644
--- a/plugins/modules/cloud/misc/terraform.py
+++ b/plugins/modules/cloud/misc/terraform.py
@@ -194,9 +194,7 @@ def preflight_validation(bin_path, project_path, variables_args=None, plan_file=
     if not os.path.isdir(project_path):
         module.fail_json(msg="Path for Terraform project '{0}' doesn't exist on this host - check the path and try again please.".format(project_path))
 
-    rc, out, err = module.run_command([bin_path, 'validate'] + variables_args, cwd=project_path, use_unsafe_shell=True)
-    if rc != 0:
-        module.fail_json(msg="Failed to validate Terraform configuration files:\r\n{0}".format(err))
+    rc, out, err = module.run_command([bin_path, 'validate'] + variables_args, check_rc=True, cwd=project_path, use_unsafe_shell=True)
 
 
 def _state_args(state_file):
@@ -220,9 +218,7 @@ def init_plugins(bin_path, project_path, backend_config, backend_config_files, i
             command.extend(['-backend-config', f])
     if init_reconfigure:
         command.extend(['-reconfigure'])
-    rc, out, err = module.run_command(command, cwd=project_path)
-    if rc != 0:
-        module.fail_json(msg="Failed to initialize Terraform modules:\r\n{0}".format(err))
+    rc, out, err = module.run_command(command, check_rc=True, cwd=project_path)
 
 
 def get_workspace_context(bin_path, project_path):
@@ -244,9 +240,7 @@ def get_workspace_context(bin_path, project_path):
 
 def _workspace_cmd(bin_path, project_path, action, workspace):
     command = [bin_path, 'workspace', action, workspace, '-no-color']
-    rc, out, err = module.run_command(command, cwd=project_path)
-    if rc != 0:
-        module.fail_json(msg="Failed to {0} workspace:\r\n{1}".format(action, err))
+    rc, out, err = module.run_command(command, check_rc=True, cwd=project_path)
     return rc, out, err
 
 
@@ -388,15 +382,10 @@ def main():
         command.append(plan_file)
 
     if needs_application and not module.check_mode and not state == 'planned':
-        rc, out, err = module.run_command(command, cwd=project_path)
+        rc, out, err = module.run_command(command, check_rc=True, cwd=project_path)
         # checks out to decide if changes were made during execution
         if ' 0 added, 0 changed' not in out and not state == "absent" or ' 0 destroyed' not in out:
             changed = True
-        if rc != 0:
-            module.fail_json(
-                msg="Failure when executing Terraform command. Exited {0}.\nstdout: {1}\nstderr: {2}".format(rc, out, err),
-                command=' '.join(command)
-            )
 
     outputs_command = [command[0], 'output', '-no-color', '-json'] + _state_args(state_file)
     rc, outputs_text, outputs_err = module.run_command(outputs_command, cwd=project_path)