GMC
GMC Terrain years to avoid
Years to avoid: 2015, 2018 and 2020. Best years: 2021 and 2023.
The 2015, 2018 and 2020 GMC Terrain draw the most owner complaints for their age: 2015 has 297 complaints (25 for each year on the road), 2018 has 222 complaints (25 for each year on the road) and 2020 has 197 complaints (28 for each year on the road), against a median of 16 a year across the 11 model years old enough to judge. The most reported problem on the 2020 is brake wear (72 reports).
- 1,503complaints
- 12recall campaigns
- 8model years with a page
Newest report Sep 29, 2026 · checked Oct 2, 2026
Pick your model year
Owner complaints on file for each year.
Years to avoid
2015
Most reported: wiper failure (98 reports, median 72,000 miles) and windshield (74 reports, median 69,000 miles).
2018
Most reported: brake wear (81 reports, median 66,084 miles) and stalling (25 reports, median 22,000 miles).
2020
Most reported: brake wear (72 reports, median 86,000 miles) and stalling (31 reports, median 71,000 miles).
Best years
2021
Too few complaints for a page of its own.
2023
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. Too new to judge: 2025 and 2026.
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
- No single year holds most of the file. The busiest, the 2015, has 20% of the 1,503 complaints across 8 model years.
- Problem across the years
- The top problem moves around from year to year. Brake wear leads in 3 of the 8 model years and has the most reports overall, 247. Pooled across the years, half of the 94 owners who gave a mileage for brake wear were under about 66,000 miles.
- Crash, fire and injury reports
- 6% of GMC Terrain complaints report a crash, a fire or an injury, against 6% for the typical vehicle on this site. The highest share is on the 2017, 12 of its 134 complaints.
- Recalls on the top problem
- 2 of the 6 model years where owners report brake wear have a recall on the same system: 2018 and 2019. 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 peaked in 2022 at 210 (full calendar years only). In 2025 there were 188. So far in 2026, 156 more have come in. Filings on record start in 2015.
Photo: HJUdall, Wikimedia Commons, CC0
Photo: Kevauto, Wikimedia Commons, CC BY-SA 4.0
Photo: Deathpallie325, Wikimedia Commons, CC BY 4.0
Model years with too few complaints for a page of their own: 2021 (36), 2022 (60), 2023 (39), 2024 (49), 2025 (13).
Year by year
2026 GMC Terrain
33 owner complaints so far; too new to call. 1 report involved a crash and 1 person was hurt. 1 recall: 26V-114 on the equipment.
2020 GMC Terrain avoid
197 owner complaints, 28 for each year on the road (1.7 times the model median). Most reported: brake wear (72 reports, median 86,000 miles), stalling (31 reports, median 71,000 miles) and infotainment (25 reports, median 53,500 miles). 7 reports involved a crash and 5 people were hurt. 2 recalls, including 23V-339 on the child seat and 20V-668 on the transmission and drivetrain.
2019 GMC Terrain
185 owner complaints, 23 for each year on the road (1.4 times the model median). Most reported: brake wear (71 reports, median 60,000 miles), stalling (25 reports, median 17,000 miles) and infotainment (22 reports, median 50,000 miles). 7 reports involved a crash and 12 people were hurt. 3 recalls, including 18V-576 on the brakes and 20V-668 on the transmission and drivetrain.
2018 GMC Terrain avoid
222 owner complaints, 25 for each year on the road (1.5 times the model median). Most reported: brake wear (81 reports, median 66,084 miles), stalling (25 reports, median 22,000 miles) and infotainment (18 reports, median 25,000 miles). 14 reports involved a crash and 12 people were hurt. 5 recalls, including 18V-576 on the brakes and 20V-668 on the transmission and drivetrain.
2017 GMC Terrain
134 owner complaints, 13 for each year on the road (0.8 times the model median). Most reported: engine failure (31 reports, median 88,000 miles), stalling (23 reports, median 88,000 miles) and oil consumption (23 reports, median 80,000 miles). 11 reports involved a crash and 7 people were hurt. 1 recall: 22V-137 on the exterior lighting.
2016 GMC Terrain
152 owner complaints, 14 for each year on the road (0.8 times the model median). Most reported: wiper failure (45 reports, median 54,000 miles), windshield (35 reports, median 58,000 miles) and engine failure (17 reports, median 75,000 miles). 9 reports involved a crash and 9 people were hurt. 2 recalls, including 22V-137 on the exterior lighting and 16V-449 on the equipment.
2015 GMC Terrain avoid
297 owner complaints, 25 for each year on the road (1.5 times the model median). Most reported: wiper failure (98 reports, median 72,000 miles), windshield (74 reports, median 69,000 miles) and stalling (40 reports, median 63,000 miles). 9 reports involved a crash and 6 people were hurt. 3 recalls, including 22V-165 on the visibility and 22V-137 on the exterior lighting.
2014 GMC Terrain
283 owner complaints, 22 for each year on the road (1.3 times the model median). Most reported: wiper failure (72 reports, median 78,000 miles), stalling (49 reports, median 85,000 miles) and windshield (49 reports, median 94,000 miles). 7 reports involved a crash and 8 people were hurt. 2 recalls, including 22V-165 on the visibility and 22V-137 on the exterior lighting.
Recalls that cover several model years
A reflection caused by the headlight housings may illuminate areas above the vehicle and outside of the driver's view with excessively bright light.
The start/stop accumulator endcap may have missing bolts.
The ball joints in the windshield wiper module may corrode, causing one or both windshield wipers to fail.
The rear brake caliper pistons may have an insufficient coating causing gas pockets to form, potentially reducing rear brake performance.
Compare the Terrain 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.
- Terrain vs Chevrolet Equinox2014 to 2026
Questions
What GMC Terrain years should you avoid?
The 2015, 2018 and 2020 GMC Terrain draw the most owner complaints for their age: 2015 has 297 complaints (25 for each year on the road), 2018 has 222 complaints (25 for each year on the road) and 2020 has 197 complaints (28 for each year on the road), against a median of 16 a year across the 11 model years old enough to judge. The most reported problem on the 2020 is brake wear (72 reports).
What are the best years for the GMC Terrain?
The 2021 and 2023 draw the fewest complaints for their age: 2021 has 36 (6 a year) and 2023 has 39 (10 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 Terrain?
Brake wear, with 247 reports across the 8 model years that have a page here. It's the single most reported problem on the 2018, 2019 and 2020.
How many recalls does the GMC Terrain have?
12 recall campaigns cover the GMC Terrain model years 2014 to 2026 on this site. The widest, 22V-137 on the exterior lighting, covers 4 model years.
How many GMC Terrain complaints involve a crash, fire or injury?
6% of them, against 6% for the typical vehicle on this site. The 2017 has the highest share.
Is there a recall for brake wear on the GMC Terrain?
On 2 of the 6 model years where owners report it: 2018 and 2019.