GMC
GMC Canyon years to avoid
Years to avoid: 2015, 2016 and 2024. Best years: 2019, 2020 and 2021.
The 2015, 2016 and 2024 GMC Canyon draw the most owner complaints for their age: 2015 has 303 complaints (25 for each year on the road), 2016 has 268 complaints (24 for each year on the road) and 2024 has 206 complaints (69 for each year on the road), against a median of 6 a year across the 10 model years old enough to judge. The most reported problem on the 2024 is headlights (148 reports).
- 777complaints
- 13recall campaigns
- 3model years with a page
Newest report Sep 23, 2026 · checked Oct 2, 2026
Pick your model year
Owner complaints on file for each year.
Years to avoid
2015
Most reported: power steering loss (198 reports, median 67,528 miles) and traction control light (38 reports, median 62,000 miles).
2016
Most reported: power steering loss (159 reports, median 65,000 miles) and stalling (16 reports, median 47,216 miles).
2024
Most reported: headlights (148 reports) and brake wear (13 reports).
Best years
2019
Too few complaints for a page of its own.
2020
Too few complaints for a page of its own.
2021
Too few complaints for a page of its own.
Complaints for each year on the road
Each model year's NHTSA complaints divided by the calendar years it has been on sale, counting this one (a 2018 model has had 9). Older cars have had longer to collect complaints, so raw totals flatter the new ones. Blue bars are the years to avoid.
Within one model, sales change less from year to year than they do between models, so a jump here is mostly a jump in problems. The call: the years to avoid are the (up to three) highest at 1.5 times the model's median rate or more, and the best are the (up to three) lowest at two thirds of it or less, from 2016 on.
Guide How much should a years-to-avoid list decide? What these lists get wrong
At a glance
- Where the complaints sit
- The 2015 has the most complaints of any GMC Canyon year here: 303 of 777 (39%).
- Problem across the years
- The top problem moves around from year to year. Power steering loss leads in 2 of the 3 model years and has the most reports overall, 357. Pooled across the years, half of the 201 owners who gave a mileage for power steering loss were under about 67,000 miles.
- Crash, fire and injury reports
- 3% of GMC Canyon complaints report a crash, a fire or an injury, against 6% for the typical vehicle on this site. The highest share is on the 2016, 10 of its 268 complaints.
- Recalls on the top problem
- 1 of the 2 model years where owners report power steering loss have a recall on the same system: 2015. A recall on the same system doesn't always cover the failure owners describe, so compare its summary with the complaints.
- When owners filed
- Filings jumped in 2024, with 217 complaints, 2.7 times the next busiest year. So far in 2026, 35 more have come in. Filings on record start in 2015.
Photo: Kevauto, Wikimedia Commons, CC BY-SA 4.0
Photo: deathpallie325, Wikimedia Commons, CC BY-SA 4.0
Model years with too few complaints for a page of their own: 2017 (66), 2018 (52), 2019 (16), 2020 (14), 2021 (11), 2022 (26), 2023 (62).
Year by year
2024 GMC Canyon avoid
206 owner complaints, 69 for each year on the road (11.1 times the model median). Most reported: headlights (148 reports) and brake wear (13 reports). 3 recalls, including 24V-673 on the exterior lighting and 25V-856 on the airbags.
2016 GMC Canyon avoid
268 owner complaints, 24 for each year on the road (3.9 times the model median). Most reported: power steering loss (159 reports, median 65,000 miles), stalling (16 reports, median 47,216 miles) and transmission shudder (14 reports, median 9,200 miles). 8 reports involved a crash and 4 people were hurt. 4 recalls, including 18V-358 on the fuel system and 17V-621 on the airbags.
2015 GMC Canyon avoid
303 owner complaints, 25 for each year on the road (4.1 times the model median). Most reported: power steering loss (198 reports, median 67,528 miles), traction control light (38 reports, median 62,000 miles) and stalling (22 reports, median 48,000 miles). 7 reports involved a crash and 4 people were hurt. 8 recalls, including 21V-213 on the steering system and 16V-054 on the steering system.
Recalls that cover several model years
The high pressure fuel pump may detach from its mounting flange, possibly resulting in the pump damaging the high pressure fuel line.
The driver's frontal air bag may improperly inflate during second-stage deployment in the event of a high speed crash.
Compare the Canyon with its rivals
Side by side over the model years both have on file: what owners complain about, the mileage problems start at, recalls, investigations and crash reports.
- Canyon vs Chevrolet Colorado2015 to 2024
- Canyon vs Toyota Tacoma2015 to 2024
Questions
What GMC Canyon years should you avoid?
The 2015, 2016 and 2024 GMC Canyon draw the most owner complaints for their age: 2015 has 303 complaints (25 for each year on the road), 2016 has 268 complaints (24 for each year on the road) and 2024 has 206 complaints (69 for each year on the road), against a median of 6 a year across the 10 model years old enough to judge. The most reported problem on the 2024 is headlights (148 reports).
What are the best years for the GMC Canyon?
The 2019, 2020 and 2021 draw the fewest complaints for their age: 2019 has 16 (2 a year), 2020 has 14 (2 a year) and 2021 has 11 (2 a year). Model years before 2016 aren't called best, because complaints filed before 2015 aren't in the files this site reads and their counts run short.
What is the most common problem on the GMC Canyon?
Power steering loss, with 357 reports across the 3 model years that have a page here. It's the single most reported problem on the 2015 and 2016.
How many recalls does the GMC Canyon have?
13 recall campaigns cover the GMC Canyon model years 2015 to 2024 on this site. The widest, 17V-621 on the airbags, covers 2 model years.
How many GMC Canyon complaints involve a crash, fire or injury?
3% of them, against 6% for the typical vehicle on this site. The 2016 has the highest share.
Is there a recall for power steering loss on the GMC Canyon?
On 1 of the 2 model years where owners report it: 2015.