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2015 GMC Terrain

Owner reports · Recalls · Investigations

Similar to other model years

Owner complaints for the 2015 GMC Terrain do not stand out strongly from the model-year median of 182.

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When problems were reported

Mileage at the reported incident

171 reports with mileage · 126 unknown

NHTSA’s mileage field refers to the reported incident, not necessarily the filing date. This shows report counts, not the likelihood of a failure.

What to inspect

Issues worth paying extra attention to based on owner reports.

  • Visibility/wiper. Review the 101 owner reports in this category and discuss these concerns during a pre-purchase inspection. Read reports →
  • Engine. Review the 80 owner reports in this category and discuss these concerns during a pre-purchase inspection. Read reports →
  • Electrical System. Review the 31 owner reports in this category and discuss these concerns during a pre-purchase inspection. Read reports →

NHTSA owner reports · September 18, 2026 snapshot.

9 crash reports1 fire reports6 injury reports

Electrical System complaints

31 reports
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Mileage unknown · Nov 4, 2021
Electrical SystemVisibility/wiper

As I was navigating my way home on Nov. 3, 2021 the windshield wipers stop working and it was dark and pouring down raining. There was no warning. Then the radio started acting weird the bluetooth went away and I could not get it back on the screen to connect. I tried turning on and off the radio but it would not turn off.…

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As I was navigating my way home on Nov. 3, 2021 the windshield wipers stop working and it was dark and pouring down raining. There was no warning. Then the radio started acting weird the bluetooth went away and I could not get it back on the screen to connect. I tried turning on and off the radio but it would not turn off. The biggest danger to my life was that I could not see so I had to keep pulling on side streets to wipe the windshield so I could make it home in the dark and pouring rain. When the bluetooth stopped connecting I had to pull over again and pipe the directions through my phone to continue to navigate home. The windshield wiper can be confirmed by the dealer because it still did not turn on today. The radio turned on and off today and the bluetooth icon was back.

NHTSA ODI #11439432

70,000 miles · Aug 27, 2021
Electrical SystemEngine

The contact owns a 2015 GMC Terrain. The contact stated that her vehicle was consuming oil excessively which led to three separate engine failures. The contact also stated that the check oil light would illuminate on the instrument panel prior to the failure. An independent mechanic had replaced the engine all three times due to…

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The contact owns a 2015 GMC Terrain. The contact stated that her vehicle was consuming oil excessively which led to three separate engine failures. The contact also stated that the check oil light would illuminate on the instrument panel prior to the failure. An independent mechanic had replaced the engine all three times due to the oil consumption. Prior to the latest failure, the contact mentioned that while driving at various speeds, the power steering assists failed as the power steering failure warning message was displayed on the instrument panel. The independent mechanic informed her that the power steering had received too much electricity which would cause both the power steering and the wheels to lock up. The dealer nor the manufacturer had yet to be notified of the failure. The vehicle had yet to be repaired. The failure mileage was approximately 70,000.

NHTSA ODI #11430759

97,811 miles · Dec 14, 2020
Electrical SystemPower Train

VEHICLE RANDOMLY SAYS SERVICE STABILITRACK AND TRACTION CONTROL. SERVICE ENGINE LIGHT, TRACTION CONTROL LIGHT COME ON. RPM GUAGE, SPEEDOMETER, DIGITAL SPEEDOMETER, TEMP GAUGE ALL WILL BOUNCE AND GO TO 0. VEHICLE STRUGGLES TO ACCELERATE WHILE THIS IS HAPPENING. WHEN IT KICKS BACK IN VEHICLE JOLTS. I CANNOT REPLICATE IT, DOES THIS…

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VEHICLE RANDOMLY SAYS SERVICE STABILITRACK AND TRACTION CONTROL. SERVICE ENGINE LIGHT, TRACTION CONTROL LIGHT COME ON. RPM GUAGE, SPEEDOMETER, DIGITAL SPEEDOMETER, TEMP GAUGE ALL WILL BOUNCE AND GO TO 0. VEHICLE STRUGGLES TO ACCELERATE WHILE THIS IS HAPPENING. WHEN IT KICKS BACK IN VEHICLE JOLTS. I CANNOT REPLICATE IT, DOES THIS RANDOMLY. HAS BEEN TO THE DEALER MULTIPLE TIMES AND THEY CANNOT REPLICATE THE PROBLEM OR DIAGNOSE IT. ALWAYS HAPPENS WHILE DRIVING

NHTSA ODI #11383275

Mileage unknown · Nov 29, 2020
Electrical System

INTELLILINK SYSTEM, ENTERTAINMENT CENTER, BACK UP CAMERA, USB CHARGING . ENTIRE SYSTEM FAILURE. BATTERY DRAINS WHEN PARKED FOR MORE THAN 2 DAYS.

NHTSA ODI #11376950

48,474 miles · Aug 30, 2020
Electrical SystemExterior LightingSeats

VEHICLE WAS BEING DRIVEN ON RURAL STATE HIGHWAY CONTAINING HILLS AND CURVES TO GET SERVICED FOR LOW TIRES. ABOUT 20 MINUTES INTO DRIVE THE SEAT HEATER WAS TURNED ON. ABOUT 5 MINUTES LATER THE RADIO, SPEEDOMETER, TACHOMETER, FUEL, TEMPERATURE GAUGES AND TURN SIGNALS QUIT WORKING. A TOOL SYMBOL SHOWED UP ON THE OPTIONS SCREEN. DUR…

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VEHICLE WAS BEING DRIVEN ON RURAL STATE HIGHWAY CONTAINING HILLS AND CURVES TO GET SERVICED FOR LOW TIRES. ABOUT 20 MINUTES INTO DRIVE THE SEAT HEATER WAS TURNED ON. ABOUT 5 MINUTES LATER THE RADIO, SPEEDOMETER, TACHOMETER, FUEL, TEMPERATURE GAUGES AND TURN SIGNALS QUIT WORKING. A TOOL SYMBOL SHOWED UP ON THE OPTIONS SCREEN. DURING THE REST OF THE DRIVE THE RADIO WOULD COME ON INTERMITTENTLY. AT THE SERVICE CENTER A CODE SCANNER SHOWED NO CODES. THE VEHICLE BATTERY (NEW) WAS CHECKED AND CABLES WERE CHECKED FOR LOOSE CONNECTIONS AND CORROSION. THE ISSUE CONTINUED THROUGHOUT THE SERVICE. AFTER SERVICE THE VEHICLE WAS PARKED FOR SEVERAL HOURS. AT STARTUP FOR THE RETURN DRIVE THE ISSUE HAD SELF CORRECTED AND DID NOT RETURN.

NHTSA ODI #11352070

Mileage unknown · Aug 25, 2020
Electrical SystemElectronic Stability Control (esc)

1. WHILE DRIVING, THE COLLISION ALERT WILL RANDOMLY GO OFF AND DECELERATE THE VEHICLE, EVEN IF THERE ARE NO OTHER VEHICLES AROUND. THIS HAS BEEN HAPPENING PERIODICALLY FOR THE LAST COUPLE YEARS, BUT IS GETTING WORSE AND MORE FREQUENT. IT FEELS LIKE IT SHIFTS TO NEUTRAL AND ENGAGES THE BRAKES. THIS HAS ALMOST CAUSED US TO BE HI…

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1. WHILE DRIVING, THE COLLISION ALERT WILL RANDOMLY GO OFF AND DECELERATE THE VEHICLE, EVEN IF THERE ARE NO OTHER VEHICLES AROUND. THIS HAS BEEN HAPPENING PERIODICALLY FOR THE LAST COUPLE YEARS, BUT IS GETTING WORSE AND MORE FREQUENT. IT FEELS LIKE IT SHIFTS TO NEUTRAL AND ENGAGES THE BRAKES. THIS HAS ALMOST CAUSED US TO BE HIT BY CARS BEHIND US ON THE INTERSTATE. 2. FOR THE LAST FEW YEARS THERE IS ABSOLUTELY NO WAY TO TELL THE MILAGE ON THE CAR IS. THAT SENSOR WENT OUT AND THE GMC MECHANIC THAT I HAD FIXING A DIFFERENT ISSUE WITH THE CAR STALLING RANDOMLY (WHICH I NOW DISCOVER IS A VERY COMMON OCCURRENCE WITH THIS VEHICLE, BUT NOT COVERED BY WARRANTY AS IT HAPPENS A FEW THOUSAND MILES AFTER FULL WARRANTY EXPIRES-THIS WAS 2017) THAT THIS IS A COMMON ISSUE WITH TERRAINS AND WAS NOT COVERED UNDER WARRANTY (SHOCKER). AND I'M NOT WILLING TO BUT THE HUNDREDS OF DOLLARS NECESSARY TO FIX THE PROBLEM.

NHTSA ODI #11351112

65,000 miles · Jun 9, 2020
Electrical SystemCrash

I OWN A 2015 GMC TERRAIN. THE RADIO AND ALL OTHER FUNCTIONS RELATED TO THE TOUCH SCREEN HAVE FAILED RESULTING IN A BLACK SCREEN. THIS INCLUDES THE BACK UP CAMERA. THIS HAS ALSO CONTRIBUTED TO A MINOR ACCIDENT WHERE I BACK INTO A UTILITY POLE. GM STATES A NEW RADIO IS NECESSARY AT A COST OF $1287. THIS IS UNACCEPTABLE FOR A VITA…

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I OWN A 2015 GMC TERRAIN. THE RADIO AND ALL OTHER FUNCTIONS RELATED TO THE TOUCH SCREEN HAVE FAILED RESULTING IN A BLACK SCREEN. THIS INCLUDES THE BACK UP CAMERA. THIS HAS ALSO CONTRIBUTED TO A MINOR ACCIDENT WHERE I BACK INTO A UTILITY POLE. GM STATES A NEW RADIO IS NECESSARY AT A COST OF $1287. THIS IS UNACCEPTABLE FOR A VITAL PART OF THE VEHICLES OPERATION. WHAT WILL IT TAKE FOR GM TO ADDRESS THIS ISSUE? SOMEONE BACKING OVER A CHILD IN A DRIVEWAY? *TR

NHTSA ODI #11327916

Mileage unknown · Dec 1, 2019
Electrical System

MY SCREEN WENT TOTALLY BLACK, I HAVE NO RADIO NO BACK UP CAMERAS. TOOK IT TO DEALER AND THEY THOUGHT IT WAS SCREEN. THE REPLACED THE SCREEN AND THE RADIO STILL WANT COME ON NOR THE BACK UP CAMERA. THE DEALERSHIP SAID IT IS THE RADIO AND THEY ARE GOING TO CHARGE ME $2000.00 TO FIX IT. MY CAR IS A 2015 GMC TERRAIN DENALI WITH 43,0…

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MY SCREEN WENT TOTALLY BLACK, I HAVE NO RADIO NO BACK UP CAMERAS. TOOK IT TO DEALER AND THEY THOUGHT IT WAS SCREEN. THE REPLACED THE SCREEN AND THE RADIO STILL WANT COME ON NOR THE BACK UP CAMERA. THE DEALERSHIP SAID IT IS THE RADIO AND THEY ARE GOING TO CHARGE ME $2000.00 TO FIX IT. MY CAR IS A 2015 GMC TERRAIN DENALI WITH 43,000 MILES ON IT. IT HAS TO BE A FACTORY DEFECT FOR IT TO HAPPEN. MY CAR HAS NEVER HAD TO HAVE ANYTHING DONE TO IT EXCEPT OIL CHANGES. PLEASE HELP ME I CAN'T AFFORD THIS KIND OF MONEY. WHEN I STARTED IT ONE MORNING THAT'S WHEN THE SCREEN WAS BLACK WITH NO RADIO OR BACK UP CAMERAS.

NHTSA ODI #11283185

60,000 miles · Sep 13, 2019
Electrical System

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2015 GMC TERRAIN. WHILE DRIVING APPROXIMATELY 20 MPH, THE VEHICLE STALLED WITHOUT WARNING. THE CONTACT WAS ABLE TO RESTART THE VEHICLE. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO VANDEVERE CHEVROLET (LOCATED AT 1490 VERNON ODOM BLVD, AKRON, OH 44320, (330) 800-0230) TO BE DIAGNOSED, BUT THE MECHANIC WAS UNABLE TO DUPLICATE …

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TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2015 GMC TERRAIN. WHILE DRIVING APPROXIMATELY 20 MPH, THE VEHICLE STALLED WITHOUT WARNING. THE CONTACT WAS ABLE TO RESTART THE VEHICLE. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO VANDEVERE CHEVROLET (LOCATED AT 1490 VERNON ODOM BLVD, AKRON, OH 44320, (330) 800-0230) TO BE DIAGNOSED, BUT THE MECHANIC WAS UNABLE TO DUPLICATE THE FAILURE OR RETRIEVE A FAULT CODE. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT REPAIRED. THE CONTACT STATED THAT THE FAILURE RECURRED ON SEVERAL OCCASIONS. THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOT CONTACTED. THE APPROXIMATE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 60,000.

NHTSA ODI #11255340

53,000 miles · Sep 6, 2019
Electrical System

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2015 GMC TERRAIN. THE CONTACT STATED THAT THE RADIO AND BACK-UP CAMERA DID NOT WORK. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO GREEN BUICK GMC (563-484-5147, LOCATED AT 3210 E KIMBERLY RD, DAVENPORT, IA 52807) WHERE IT WAS DIAGNOSED THAT THE RADIO UNIT NEEDED TO BE REPLACED. THE CONTACT WAS INFORMED THAT THE UNIT WAS ON BA…

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TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2015 GMC TERRAIN. THE CONTACT STATED THAT THE RADIO AND BACK-UP CAMERA DID NOT WORK. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO GREEN BUICK GMC (563-484-5147, LOCATED AT 3210 E KIMBERLY RD, DAVENPORT, IA 52807) WHERE IT WAS DIAGNOSED THAT THE RADIO UNIT NEEDED TO BE REPLACED. THE CONTACT WAS INFORMED THAT THE UNIT WAS ON BACKORDER. THE MANUFACTURER WAS MADE AWARE OF THE FAILURE AND REFERRED THE CONTACT TO THE DEALER. THE CONTACT WAS ALSO INFORMED THAT THE VEHICLE WAS OUT OF WARRANTY AND THERE WAS NO RECALL. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT REPAIRED. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS APPROXIMATELY 53,000.

NHTSA ODI #11253680

Official recalls

3

22V165000 · Visibility:windshield Wiper/washer:motor

Mar 17, 2022

General Motors, LLC (GM) is recalling certain 2014-2015 Chevrolet Equinox and GMC Terrain vehicles. The ball joints in the windshield wiper module may corrode, causing one or both windshield wipers to fail.

Consequence & remedy

Consequence: Inoperative windshield wipers can reduce visibility in certain driving conditions, increasing the risk of a crash.

Remedy: Dealers will inspect the wiper module, and repair or replace it as necessary, free of charge. Interim owner notification letters informing owners of the safety risk were mailed on April 21, 2022. Owner notification letters were mailed on October 25, 2022. Owners may contact Chevrolet customer service at 1-800-222-1020 and GMC customer service at 1-800-462-8782. GM's number for this recall is N212352530.

22V137000 · Exterior Lighting:headlights

Mar 8, 2022

General Motors, LLC (GM) is recalling certain 2010-2017 GMC Terrain vehicles. A reflection caused by the headlight housings may illuminate areas above the vehicle and outside of the driver's view with excessively bright light. As such, these vehicles fail to comply with the requirements of Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standard number 108, "Lamps, Reflective Devices, and Associated Equipment."

Consequence & remedy

Consequence: The bright reflection may cause a glare for other drivers, reducing their visibility and increasing the risk of a crash.

Remedy: Dealers will install headlamp appliques, free of charge. Owner notification letters were mailed September 8, 2022. Owners may contact GMC customer service at 1-800-462-8782. GM's number for this recall is N222363740.

15V666000 · Air Bags:side/window

Oct 16, 2015

General Motors LLC (GM) is recalling certain model year 2015 Buick LaCrosse, Cadillac XTS, Chevrolet Camaro, Equinox, Malibu, and GMC Terrain vehicles. The affected vehicles have front seat-mounted side impact air bags whose inflator may rupture upon its deployment.

Consequence & remedy

Consequence: In the event of a crash necessitating deployment of one or both of the side impact air bags, the air bag's inflator may rupture and the air bag may not properly inflate. The rupture could cause metal fragments to strike the vehicle occupants, potentially resulting in serious injury or death. Additionally, if the air bag does not properly inflate, the driver or passenger is at an increased risk of injury.

Remedy: GM will notify owners, and dealers will replace the side impact air bag modules, free of charge. The recall began on October 19, 2015. Owners may contact Buick customer service at 1-800-521-7300, Chevrolet customer service at 1-800-222-1020, Cadillac customer service at 1-800-458-8006, or GMC customer service at 1-800-462-8782. GM's number for this recall is 01320.

Model-level recall history does not show whether a particular VIN is affected or has received a repair. Check a VIN with NHTSA ↗

NHTSA investigations

2

EA19005 · Front Wiper Transmission Inoperative

Opened Dec 13, 2019 · Closed Nov 28, 2022

Status: closed (inferred from source dates) · Visibility; Visibility/wiper; Visibility:windshield Wiper/washer:linkages

On December 13, 2019, the Office of Defects Investigation (ODI) upgraded RQ18-002 to an Engineering Analysis (EA19-005) to further assess the MY2010-2016 Chevrolet Equinox and GMC Terrain windshield wiper failures. Due to a prior recall, 16V-582, addressing this issue in the MY2013 subject vehicles, MY2013 was not included in the analysis. To date, ODI had received 998 complaints with allegations of the front windshield wiper failing in adverse whether conditions, while the vehicle was in motion.General Motors (GM) initiated Safety Recall 16V-582 on August 3, 2016 to address windshield wiper failure in the Model Year (MY) 2013 Chevrolet Equinox and GMC Terrain. Failures were attributed to water and debris intruding into the windshield wiper assembly ball joints, leading to excessive wear and eventual detachment of the affected ball joint resulting in loss of windshield wiper function. ODI?s review focused on 2010-2012 and 2014-2016 Equinox and Terrain vehicles. Owners were reporting a high rate of failures of the windshield wiper system. These failures were the same as that addressed by recall 16V-582. ODI's review of data supplied by GM as well as its own confirmed a high failure rate in model years 2014 and 2015. On March 17, 2022, GM filed a defect information report recalling all MY2014-2015 Chevrolet Equinox and GMC Terrain vehicles to remedy the potential failure of the front windshield wiper transmission assembly.General Motors is also conducting a special coverage program, N192266181, for MY2010-2012 and MY2016-2017 Chevrolet Equinox and GMC Terrain vehicles. The special coverage is for a period of 15 years or 200,000 miles, whichever comes first.Both the recall, 22V-165, and the special coverage program, N192266181, address windshield wiper system failures on the subject vehicles. The dealership will inspect the front wiper assembly for ball joint wear. Depending on the degree of wear, the wiper links will be replaced, and a water shield installed or the entire module will be replaced.In view of the recall and special coverage, ODI is closing this Engineering Analysis (EA). NHTSA reserves the right to take additional action if warranted by future circumstances.The ODI complaints cited above can be viewed at www.nhtsa.gov under the following ODI identification numbers in a separate attachment.

Additional source detail variants (3)

Visibility

On December 13, 2019, the Office of Defects Investigation (ODI) upgraded RQ18-002 to an Engineering Analysis (EA19-005) to further assess the MY2010-2016 Chevrolet Equinox and GMC Terrain windshield wiper failures. Due to a prior recall, 16V-582, addressing this issue in the MY2013 subject vehicles, MY2013 was not included in the analysis. To date, ODI had received 998 complaints with allegations of the front windshield wiper failing in adverse whether conditions, while the vehicle was in motion.General Motors (GM) initiated Safety Recall 16V-582 on August 3, 2016 to address windshield wiper failure in the Model Year (MY) 2013 Chevrolet Equinox and GMC Terrain. Failures were attributed to water and debris intruding into the windshield wiper assembly ball joints, leading to excessive wear and eventual detachment of the affected ball joint resulting in loss of windshield wiper function. ODI?s review focused on 2010-2012 and 2014-2016 Equinox and Terrain vehicles. Owners were reporting a high rate of failures of the windshield wiper system. These failures were the same as that addressed by recall 16V-582. ODI's review of data supplied by GM as well as its own confirmed a high failure rate in model years 2014 and 2015. On March 17, 2022, GM filed a defect information report recalling all MY2014-2015 Chevrolet Equinox and GMC Terrain vehicles to remedy the potential failure of the front windshield wiper transmission assembly.General Motors is also conducting a special coverage program, N192266181, for MY2010-2012 and MY2016-2017 Chevrolet Equinox and GMC Terrain vehicles. The special coverage is for a period of 15 years or 200,000 miles, whichever comes first.Both the recall, 22V-165, and the special coverage program, N192266181, address windshield wiper system failures on the subject vehicles. The dealership will inspect the front wiper assembly for ball joint wear. Depending on the degree of wear, the wiper links will be replaced, and a water shield installed or the entire module will be replaced.In view of the recall and special coverage, ODI is closing this Engineering Analysis (EA). NHTSA reserves the right to take additional action if warranted by future circumstances.The ODI complaints cited above can be viewed at www.nhtsa.gov under the following ODI identification numbers in a separate attachment.

Visibility:windshield Wiper/washer:linkages

On December 13, 2019, the Office of Defects Investigation (ODI) upgraded RQ18-002 to an Engineering Analysis (EA19-005) to further assess the MY2010-2016 Chevrolet Equinox and GMC Terrain windshield wiper failures. Due to a prior recall, 16V-582, addressing this issue in the MY2013 subject vehicles, MY2013 was not included in the analysis. To date, ODI had received 998 complaints with allegations of the front windshield wiper failing in adverse whether conditions, while the vehicle was in motion.General Motors (GM) initiated Safety Recall 16V-582 on August 3, 2016 to address windshield wiper failure in the Model Year (MY) 2013 Chevrolet Equinox and GMC Terrain. Failures were attributed to water and debris intruding into the windshield wiper assembly ball joints, leading to excessive wear and eventual detachment of the affected ball joint resulting in loss of windshield wiper function. ODI?s review focused on 2010-2012 and 2014-2016 Equinox and Terrain vehicles. Owners were reporting a high rate of failures of the windshield wiper system. These failures were the same as that addressed by recall 16V-582. ODI's review of data supplied by GM as well as its own confirmed a high failure rate in model years 2014 and 2015. On March 17, 2022, GM filed a defect information report recalling all MY2014-2015 Chevrolet Equinox and GMC Terrain vehicles to remedy the potential failure of the front windshield wiper transmission assembly.General Motors is also conducting a special coverage program, N192266181, for MY2010-2012 and MY2016-2017 Chevrolet Equinox and GMC Terrain vehicles. The special coverage is for a period of 15 years or 200,000 miles, whichever comes first.Both the recall, 22V-165, and the special coverage program, N192266181, address windshield wiper system failures on the subject vehicles. The dealership will inspect the front wiper assembly for ball joint wear. Depending on the degree of wear, the wiper links will be replaced, and a water shield installed or the entire module will be replaced.In view of the recall and special coverage, ODI is closing this Engineering Analysis (EA). NHTSA reserves the right to take additional action if warranted by future circumstances.The ODI complaints cited above can be viewed at www.nhtsa.gov under the following ODI identification numbers in a separate attachment.

Visibility/wiper

On December 13, 2019, the Office of Defects Investigation (ODI) upgraded RQ18-002 to an Engineering Analysis (EA19-005) to further assess the MY2010-2016 Chevrolet Equinox and GMC Terrain windshield wiper failures. Due to a prior recall, 16V-582, addressing this issue in the MY2013 subject vehicles, MY2013 was not included in the analysis. To date, ODI had received 998 complaints with allegations of the front windshield wiper failing in adverse whether conditions, while the vehicle was in motion.General Motors (GM) initiated Safety Recall 16V-582 on August 3, 2016 to address windshield wiper failure in the Model Year (MY) 2013 Chevrolet Equinox and GMC Terrain. Failures were attributed to water and debris intruding into the windshield wiper assembly ball joints, leading to excessive wear and eventual detachment of the affected ball joint resulting in loss of windshield wiper function. ODI?s review focused on 2010-2012 and 2014-2016 Equinox and Terrain vehicles. Owners were reporting a high rate of failures of the windshield wiper system. These failures were the same as that addressed by recall 16V-582. ODI's review of data supplied by GM as well as its own confirmed a high failure rate in model years 2014 and 2015. On March 17, 2022, GM filed a defect information report recalling all MY2014-2015 Chevrolet Equinox and GMC Terrain vehicles to remedy the potential failure of the front windshield wiper transmission assembly.General Motors is also conducting a special coverage program, N192266181, for MY2010-2012 and MY2016-2017 Chevrolet Equinox and GMC Terrain vehicles. The special coverage is for a period of 15 years or 200,000 miles, whichever comes first.Both the recall, 22V-165, and the special coverage program, N192266181, address windshield wiper system failures on the subject vehicles. The dealership will inspect the front wiper assembly for ball joint wear. Depending on the degree of wear, the wiper links will be replaced, and a water shield installed or the entire module will be replaced.In view of the recall and special coverage, ODI is closing this Engineering Analysis (EA). NHTSA reserves the right to take additional action if warranted by future circumstances.The ODI complaints cited above can be viewed at www.nhtsa.gov under the following ODI identification numbers in a separate attachment.

RQ18002 · Windshield Wiper Transmission Failure

Opened Nov 2, 2018 · Closed Dec 19, 2019

Status: closed (inferred from source dates) · Visibility; Visibility/wiper; Visibility:windshield Wiper/washer; Visibility:windshield Wiper/washer:linkages; Visibility:windshield Wiper/washer:motor

On November 2, 2018, the Office of Defects Investigation (ODI) opened a Recall Query (RQ18-002) to assess the scope of Recall 16V-582.General Motors (GM) initiated Safety Recall 16V-582 on August 3, 2016 to address windshield wiper failure in the Model Year (MY) 2013 Chevrolet Equinox and GMC Terrain. Failures were attributed to water and debris intrusion into the windshield wiper assembly ball joints, leading to excessive wear and eventual detachment of the affected ball joint with an attendant loss of windshield wiper function. The recall remedy addressed these conditions with the installation of an improved windshield wiper motor/transmission assembly and the relocation of a drain hole on the Air Inlet Panel at the base of the windshield.RQ18-002 was opened to assess windshield wiper failure rates in the MY 2010-2012 and MY 2014 - 2016 Equinox and Terrain (subject vehicles).During the course of the investigation, ODI received additional consumer complaint traffic bringing its total to 602 concerning the alleged defect in the subject vehicles. In their December 20, 2018 response to ODI's Information Request (IR) Letter, GM reported 1,303 complaints related to the alleged defect in the subject vehicles. Together, these bodies of data correspond to 1,905 unique Vehicle Identification Numbers (VIN).GM stated the recalled vehicles exhibited double the warranty rate and five times the complaint rate of the subject vehicles and that continuing complaint traffic concerning the alleged defect in the subject vehicles stemmed from publicity surrounding Recall 16V-582.ODI's review of GM's data confirms the stated difference in failure rates between the recalled and subject vehicles. However, ODI believes that the subject vehicle failure rates are nevertheless elevated and that publicity alone cannot account for the continued consumer complaint traffic concerning the alleged defect in the subject vehicles. ODI is upgrading to RQ18-002 to an Engineering Analysis to compare subject vehicle failure rates and engineering practices to those in peer vehicles.The 602 ODI complaints cited can be viewed in a separate attachment.

Additional source detail variants (5)

Visibility

On November 2, 2018, the Office of Defects Investigation (ODI) opened a Recall Query (RQ18-002) to assess the scope of Recall 16V-582.General Motors (GM) initiated Safety Recall 16V-582 on August 3, 2016 to address windshield wiper failure in the Model Year (MY) 2013 Chevrolet Equinox and GMC Terrain. Failures were attributed to water and debris intrusion into the windshield wiper assembly ball joints, leading to excessive wear and eventual detachment of the affected ball joint with an attendant loss of windshield wiper function. The recall remedy addressed these conditions with the installation of an improved windshield wiper motor/transmission assembly and the relocation of a drain hole on the Air Inlet Panel at the base of the windshield.RQ18-002 was opened to assess windshield wiper failure rates in the MY 2010-2012 and MY 2014 - 2016 Equinox and Terrain (subject vehicles).During the course of the investigation, ODI received additional consumer complaint traffic bringing its total to 602 concerning the alleged defect in the subject vehicles. In their December 20, 2018 response to ODI's Information Request (IR) Letter, GM reported 1,303 complaints related to the alleged defect in the subject vehicles. Together, these bodies of data correspond to 1,905 unique Vehicle Identification Numbers (VIN).GM stated the recalled vehicles exhibited double the warranty rate and five times the complaint rate of the subject vehicles and that continuing complaint traffic concerning the alleged defect in the subject vehicles stemmed from publicity surrounding Recall 16V-582.ODI's review of GM's data confirms the stated difference in failure rates between the recalled and subject vehicles. However, ODI believes that the subject vehicle failure rates are nevertheless elevated and that publicity alone cannot account for the continued consumer complaint traffic concerning the alleged defect in the subject vehicles. ODI is upgrading to RQ18-002 to an Engineering Analysis to compare subject vehicle failure rates and engineering practices to those in peer vehicles.The 602 ODI complaints cited can be viewed in a separate attachment.

Visibility:windshield Wiper/washer

On November 2, 2018, the Office of Defects Investigation (ODI) opened a Recall Query (RQ18-002) to assess the scope of Recall 16V-582.General Motors (GM) initiated Safety Recall 16V-582 on August 3, 2016 to address windshield wiper failure in the Model Year (MY) 2013 Chevrolet Equinox and GMC Terrain. Failures were attributed to water and debris intrusion into the windshield wiper assembly ball joints, leading to excessive wear and eventual detachment of the affected ball joint with an attendant loss of windshield wiper function. The recall remedy addressed these conditions with the installation of an improved windshield wiper motor/transmission assembly and the relocation of a drain hole on the Air Inlet Panel at the base of the windshield.RQ18-002 was opened to assess windshield wiper failure rates in the MY 2010-2012 and MY 2014 - 2016 Equinox and Terrain (subject vehicles).During the course of the investigation, ODI received additional consumer complaint traffic bringing its total to 602 concerning the alleged defect in the subject vehicles. In their December 20, 2018 response to ODI's Information Request (IR) Letter, GM reported 1,303 complaints related to the alleged defect in the subject vehicles. Together, these bodies of data correspond to 1,905 unique Vehicle Identification Numbers (VIN).GM stated the recalled vehicles exhibited double the warranty rate and five times the complaint rate of the subject vehicles and that continuing complaint traffic concerning the alleged defect in the subject vehicles stemmed from publicity surrounding Recall 16V-582.ODI's review of GM's data confirms the stated difference in failure rates between the recalled and subject vehicles. However, ODI believes that the subject vehicle failure rates are nevertheless elevated and that publicity alone cannot account for the continued consumer complaint traffic concerning the alleged defect in the subject vehicles. ODI is upgrading to RQ18-002 to an Engineering Analysis to compare subject vehicle failure rates and engineering practices to those in peer vehicles.The 602 ODI complaints cited can be viewed in a separate attachment.

Visibility:windshield Wiper/washer:linkages

On November 2, 2018, the Office of Defects Investigation (ODI) opened a Recall Query (RQ18-002) to assess the scope of Recall 16V-582.General Motors (GM) initiated Safety Recall 16V-582 on August 3, 2016 to address windshield wiper failure in the Model Year (MY) 2013 Chevrolet Equinox and GMC Terrain. Failures were attributed to water and debris intrusion into the windshield wiper assembly ball joints, leading to excessive wear and eventual detachment of the affected ball joint with an attendant loss of windshield wiper function. The recall remedy addressed these conditions with the installation of an improved windshield wiper motor/transmission assembly and the relocation of a drain hole on the Air Inlet Panel at the base of the windshield.RQ18-002 was opened to assess windshield wiper failure rates in the MY 2010-2012 and MY 2014 - 2016 Equinox and Terrain (subject vehicles).During the course of the investigation, ODI received additional consumer complaint traffic bringing its total to 602 concerning the alleged defect in the subject vehicles. In their December 20, 2018 response to ODI's Information Request (IR) Letter, GM reported 1,303 complaints related to the alleged defect in the subject vehicles. Together, these bodies of data correspond to 1,905 unique Vehicle Identification Numbers (VIN).GM stated the recalled vehicles exhibited double the warranty rate and five times the complaint rate of the subject vehicles and that continuing complaint traffic concerning the alleged defect in the subject vehicles stemmed from publicity surrounding Recall 16V-582.ODI's review of GM's data confirms the stated difference in failure rates between the recalled and subject vehicles. However, ODI believes that the subject vehicle failure rates are nevertheless elevated and that publicity alone cannot account for the continued consumer complaint traffic concerning the alleged defect in the subject vehicles. ODI is upgrading to RQ18-002 to an Engineering Analysis to compare subject vehicle failure rates and engineering practices to those in peer vehicles.The 602 ODI complaints cited can be viewed in a separate attachment.

Visibility:windshield Wiper/washer:motor

On November 2, 2018, the Office of Defects Investigation (ODI) opened a Recall Query (RQ18-002) to assess the scope of Recall 16V-582.General Motors (GM) initiated Safety Recall 16V-582 on August 3, 2016 to address windshield wiper failure in the Model Year (MY) 2013 Chevrolet Equinox and GMC Terrain. Failures were attributed to water and debris intrusion into the windshield wiper assembly ball joints, leading to excessive wear and eventual detachment of the affected ball joint with an attendant loss of windshield wiper function. The recall remedy addressed these conditions with the installation of an improved windshield wiper motor/transmission assembly and the relocation of a drain hole on the Air Inlet Panel at the base of the windshield.RQ18-002 was opened to assess windshield wiper failure rates in the MY 2010-2012 and MY 2014 - 2016 Equinox and Terrain (subject vehicles).During the course of the investigation, ODI received additional consumer complaint traffic bringing its total to 602 concerning the alleged defect in the subject vehicles. In their December 20, 2018 response to ODI's Information Request (IR) Letter, GM reported 1,303 complaints related to the alleged defect in the subject vehicles. Together, these bodies of data correspond to 1,905 unique Vehicle Identification Numbers (VIN).GM stated the recalled vehicles exhibited double the warranty rate and five times the complaint rate of the subject vehicles and that continuing complaint traffic concerning the alleged defect in the subject vehicles stemmed from publicity surrounding Recall 16V-582.ODI's review of GM's data confirms the stated difference in failure rates between the recalled and subject vehicles. However, ODI believes that the subject vehicle failure rates are nevertheless elevated and that publicity alone cannot account for the continued consumer complaint traffic concerning the alleged defect in the subject vehicles. ODI is upgrading to RQ18-002 to an Engineering Analysis to compare subject vehicle failure rates and engineering practices to those in peer vehicles.The 602 ODI complaints cited can be viewed in a separate attachment.

Visibility/wiper

On November 2, 2018, the Office of Defects Investigation (ODI) opened a Recall Query (RQ18-002) to assess the scope of Recall 16V-582.General Motors (GM) initiated Safety Recall 16V-582 on August 3, 2016 to address windshield wiper failure in the Model Year (MY) 2013 Chevrolet Equinox and GMC Terrain. Failures were attributed to water and debris intrusion into the windshield wiper assembly ball joints, leading to excessive wear and eventual detachment of the affected ball joint with an attendant loss of windshield wiper function. The recall remedy addressed these conditions with the installation of an improved windshield wiper motor/transmission assembly and the relocation of a drain hole on the Air Inlet Panel at the base of the windshield.RQ18-002 was opened to assess windshield wiper failure rates in the MY 2010-2012 and MY 2014 - 2016 Equinox and Terrain (subject vehicles).During the course of the investigation, ODI received additional consumer complaint traffic bringing its total to 602 concerning the alleged defect in the subject vehicles. In their December 20, 2018 response to ODI's Information Request (IR) Letter, GM reported 1,303 complaints related to the alleged defect in the subject vehicles. Together, these bodies of data correspond to 1,905 unique Vehicle Identification Numbers (VIN).GM stated the recalled vehicles exhibited double the warranty rate and five times the complaint rate of the subject vehicles and that continuing complaint traffic concerning the alleged defect in the subject vehicles stemmed from publicity surrounding Recall 16V-582.ODI's review of GM's data confirms the stated difference in failure rates between the recalled and subject vehicles. However, ODI believes that the subject vehicle failure rates are nevertheless elevated and that publicity alone cannot account for the continued consumer complaint traffic concerning the alleged defect in the subject vehicles. ODI is upgrading to RQ18-002 to an Engineering Analysis to compare subject vehicle failure rates and engineering practices to those in peer vehicles.The 602 ODI complaints cited can be viewed in a separate attachment.