Model record
GMC Terrain Years to Avoid: Reliability and Recalls
Every GMC Terrain model year in NHTSA's owner complaint file, 2010 to 2025: how many complaints each year drew, the problem owners named most, and the recalls to check before you buy.
NHTSA owner complaintsChecked Oct 3, 20263,053 complaints16 model years
The GMC Terrain years with the most owner complaints are 2011, 2012 and 2013. Owners named the engine most for 2011, 2012 and 2013.
It's a count of reports, not a failure rate, and the newest years have had less time on the road to collect them.
Most of the complaints fall on the first Terrain, and they peak at 386 for 2011.
GMC Terrain complaints by model year
Every GMC Terrain model year in NHTSA's owner complaint file, 2010 to 2025. Years with 2,000 or more complaints are dark; beside each bar is the system owners named most that year.
- 2010Engine37%290
- 2011Engine46%386
- 2012Engine46%364
- 2013Engine54%364
- 2014Engine42%296
- 2015Wiper system34%297
- 2016Engine30%152
- 2017Engine58%133
- 2018Braking system31%216
- 2019Engine36%181
- 2020Braking system33%191
- 2021Engine24%34
- 2022Fuel and power delivery44%52
- 2023Engine38%37
- 2024Powertrain40%48
- 2025Electrical system33%12
Best GMC Terrain years by complaint count
Of the years with at least five years on the road, these drew the fewest owner complaints. Fewer reports is not a clean bill of health: check the recalls for the exact car, and remember 2022, 2023, 2024 and 2025 have had less time to collect complaints.
- 2021Engine · 2 recalls34
- 2017Engine · 1 recall133
- 2016Engine · 2 recalls152
Most common GMC Terrain problems
The systems owners named most across all 16 model years, counted from each year's six most-named systems.
- EngineNamed most in 10 of 16 years1,196
- PowertrainNamed most in 1 of 16 years443
- Wiper systemNamed most in 1 of 16 years413
- Electrical systemNamed most in 1 of 16 years319
- Braking systemNamed most in 2 of 16 years199
Our guides for these problems
GMC Terrain years to avoid by generation
GMC called the 2010 and the 2018 Terrain all-new, so the years in the file fall into two groups. NHTSA's file has the Terrain from 2010 to 2025; we could not read GM's own page on the 2025, so it stays in the second group.
2010–2017
All-new for 2010
2011 most complaints · engine
- 2010290
- 2011386
- 2012364
- 2013364
- 2014296
- 2015297
- 2016152
- 2017133
2,282 complaints · 8 model years
2018–2025
All-new for 2018
2018 most complaints · braking system
- 2018216
- 2019181
- 2020191
- 202134
- 202252
- 202337
- 202448
- 202512
771 complaints · 8 model years
GMC Terrain recalls by year
Recall campaigns NHTSA lists for each model year, read Oct 3, 2026. A campaign that covers several years counts in each of them. NHTSA's recall service returned no answer for 2025, so that year is not counted. Recall repairs are free at the dealer; check one car with its VIN.
- 2010Most often: seat3
- 2011Most often: electrical system4
- 2012Most often: electrical system4
- 2013Most often: visibility3
- 2014Most often: exterior lighting2
- 2015Most often: airbag system3
- 2016Most often: equipment2
- 2017Most often: exterior lighting1
- 2018Most often: powertrain5
- 2019Most often: hydraulic braking3
- 2020Most often: powertrain2
- 2021Most often: tires2
- 2022Most often: seat2
- 2023Most often: airbag system2
- 2024Most often: body structure1
- 2025No answer from NHTSA—
GMC Terrain crash test ratings by year
NHTSA's overall star rating for each model year, with the frontal, side and rollover stars beside it.
- 2010No overall rating—
- 2011Frontal 4 · Side 5 · Rollover 44/5
- 2012Frontal 4 · Side 5 · Rollover 44/5
- 2013Frontal 4 · Side 5 · Rollover 44/5
- 2014Frontal 4 · Side 5 · Rollover 44/5
- 2015Frontal 4 · Side 5 · Rollover 44/5
- 2016Frontal 4 · Side 5 · Rollover 44/5
- 2017Frontal 4 · Side 5 · Rollover 44/5
- 2018Frontal 5 · Side 4–5 · Rollover 44–5/5
- 2019Frontal 5 · Side 5 · Rollover 45/5
- 2020Frontal 5 · Side 5 · Rollover 45/5
- 2021Frontal 5 · Side 5 · Rollover 45/5
- 2022Frontal 5 · Side 5 · Rollover 45/5
- 2023Frontal 5 · Side 5 · Rollover 45/5
- 2024Frontal 5 · Side 5 · Rollover 45/5
- 2025No overall rating—
Federal investigations
NHTSA's defect office has opened 3 investigations into 3 problems that cover GMC Terrain model years from 2010 to 2025. An investigation looks into a possible defect; it is not a finding.
Common questions
What are the GMC Terrain years to avoid?
The years with the most owner complaints are 2011, 2012 and 2013. Treat them as the years to inspect hardest, not as a verdict on every car: run the VIN for open recalls and have the systems owners named checked before you buy.
What year is the most reliable GMC Terrain?
Complaints can't name a most reliable year, because the file counts reports, not failures per car sold. Of the years with at least five years on the road, 2021 drew the fewest complaints: 34. Newer years have fewer still, but they have had less time to collect them.
What is the most common problem with the GMC Terrain?
Across every year in the file, owners named the engine most, in 1,196 complaints, then the powertrain, in 443.
Which GMC Terrain years have the most recalls?
2018, 2011 and 2012, with 5, 4 and 4 recall campaigns.
Terrain year pages
2012364What the complaint record can't tell you
Sources
Show all 4 sources
Counts by system and year cover vehicles with at least 10 complaints.