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2017 GMC Terrain

Owner reports · Recalls · Investigations

Similar to other model years

Owner complaints for the 2017 GMC Terrain do not stand out strongly from the model-year median of 182.

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How this year compares

Owner complaints by model year

Compare all Terrain years →

Counts vary with age, sales and reporting. They are not failure rates.

What owners reported most

All reported categories

Tap a category to read its complaints. One report may name several components.

When problems were reported

Mileage at the reported incident

37 reports with mileage · 96 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.

  • Engine. Review the 77 owner reports in this category and discuss these concerns during a pre-purchase inspection. Read reports →
  • Power Train. Review the 23 owner reports in this category and discuss these concerns during a pre-purchase inspection. Read reports →
  • Air Bags. Review the 12 owner reports in this category and discuss these concerns during a pre-purchase inspection. Read reports →

NHTSA owner reports · September 18, 2026 snapshot.

11 crash reports2 fire reports7 injury reports

Engine complaints

77 reports
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Mileage unknown · May 6, 2023
Engine

The engine burns oils twice as fast as it should and gives no warning of a problem. I am 3 years into payments on this vehicle and the engine is shot due to this issue. I have under 80,000 miles but this is a major problem that GMC is not addressing its very frustrating I will have to pay off a damage car they sold and now buy a…

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The engine burns oils twice as fast as it should and gives no warning of a problem. I am 3 years into payments on this vehicle and the engine is shot due to this issue. I have under 80,000 miles but this is a major problem that GMC is not addressing its very frustrating I will have to pay off a damage car they sold and now buy a new for an obvious problem they won’t acknowledge

NHTSA ODI #11520764

Mileage unknown · Apr 17, 2023
EnginePower Train

Due to cold weather the PCV froze which caused pressure to build up in the vehicle’s crankcase which caused the rear main engine seal to pop out. Results in losing all engine oil without and warning driving down the highway. I was lucky enough to get off the highway but currently without a vehicle due to possible engine damage

NHTSA ODI #11517397

Mileage unknown · Feb 25, 2023
Engine

Engine seizing at highway speeds cause oil to blow out the rear main seal…

NHTSA ODI #11509043

Mileage unknown · Feb 15, 2023
Engine

In 10 degree weather after warming the car up and driving 15 miles began noticing exhaust smell but wasn't sure it was my car. No warning lights. Arrived at destination parking lot and car began to run rough and stall out and only then did engine light and oil pressure light come on. Strong exhaust/gas smell. Stranded in frigid…

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In 10 degree weather after warming the car up and driving 15 miles began noticing exhaust smell but wasn't sure it was my car. No warning lights. Arrived at destination parking lot and car began to run rough and stall out and only then did engine light and oil pressure light come on. Strong exhaust/gas smell. Stranded in frigid weather with passenger in a wheelchair. Had car towed to dealer- pvc port plugged causing oil pressure to blow out rear main seal losing all oil causing damage to the engine and components. Warning lights did not come on until damage was done. Discovered it was a known issue with this engine and class action lawsuit has been filed. Was fortunate we were not on the road when this happened.

NHTSA ODI #11507532

79,000 miles · Feb 10, 2023
Engine

The contact owns a 2017 GMC Terrain. The contact stated while driving 5 MPH and merging into traffic, the vehicle stalled. The contact stated that the check engine warning light was illuminated. The vehicle was not drivable. The contact towed the vehicle to an independent mechanic and was informed that the timing chain had fract…

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The contact owns a 2017 GMC Terrain. The contact stated while driving 5 MPH and merging into traffic, the vehicle stalled. The contact stated that the check engine warning light was illuminated. The vehicle was not drivable. The contact towed the vehicle to an independent mechanic and was informed that the timing chain had fractured, and the engine needed to be replaced. The vehicle was not repaired. A dealer was not contacted. The manufacturer had not been informed of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 79,000.

NHTSA ODI #11506605

Mileage unknown · Feb 4, 2023
Engine

Vehicle has 37,000 on it and the timing belt/chain is bad causing value problems.

NHTSA ODI #11505590

Mileage unknown · Jan 31, 2023
Engine

They’re a class action law suit going on now, about the pcv orifice on my car. This is what happened with my car the pcv orifice clogged and frozen then causing my rear main seal to break and loose oil. No oil lights come on when the car is low on oil. Also even if you fix the pcv orifice it could still happen again.. which mean…

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They’re a class action law suit going on now, about the pcv orifice on my car. This is what happened with my car the pcv orifice clogged and frozen then causing my rear main seal to break and loose oil. No oil lights come on when the car is low on oil. Also even if you fix the pcv orifice it could still happen again.. which means it could leave me and my young daughter stranded on the side of a road hi way or interstate and I’m not comfortable with this and the car dealership needs to get a permanent fix so this doesn’t happen repeatedly… I don’t even feel comfortable driving the car anywhere I’m afraid I will be left on the side of the road.

NHTSA ODI #11504590

Mileage unknown · Jan 26, 2023
Engine

Car died out of nowhere. Towed to dealership. Upon inspection we were told that the engine needs to be replaced. Had a 3rd party come to investigate and gave a diagnostic report. GM has notices and there are articles outlining the defect/failure of the engine due to excessive oil consumption and issues with PCV and rear main sea…

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Car died out of nowhere. Towed to dealership. Upon inspection we were told that the engine needs to be replaced. Had a 3rd party come to investigate and gave a diagnostic report. GM has notices and there are articles outlining the defect/failure of the engine due to excessive oil consumption and issues with PCV and rear main seal.

NHTSA ODI #11503805

Mileage unknown · Jan 20, 2023
Engine

On Christmas Eve, I was driving home from the Northpark Mall in Joplin, MO during a record winter storm passing through my area. I was 2 miles from my house when the car went into what I can describe as a "fail-safe" mode and I was able to make it home safely. When the weather cleared up and I felt comfortable going outside agai…

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On Christmas Eve, I was driving home from the Northpark Mall in Joplin, MO during a record winter storm passing through my area. I was 2 miles from my house when the car went into what I can describe as a "fail-safe" mode and I was able to make it home safely. When the weather cleared up and I felt comfortable going outside again, I checked the oil and nothing was in there. It had leaked the rest of the way home. When I was doing a full inspection, I noticed the PVC Evac system valve was full of water from being frozen. When I called the dealership I originally bought my car from, he laughed and said he had the exact complaint come through for another GMC vehicle. I've looked online for options to fix it, but the solutions I found are costly and time-consuming. I live in an eight-person household and would like to be able to drive my own vehicle again. Thank you.

NHTSA ODI #11502814

Mileage unknown · Jan 5, 2023
EnginePower TrainUnknown Or Other

The rear main seal is out, which is causing an oil leak. The intake manifold failed because the pvc system has a clog which has caused too much pressure to build up and caused the rear main seal to blow out. (PVC pipe is freezing over in cold temperatures which causes the failure of the main seal to blow out subsequently leading…

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The rear main seal is out, which is causing an oil leak. The intake manifold failed because the pvc system has a clog which has caused too much pressure to build up and caused the rear main seal to blow out. (PVC pipe is freezing over in cold temperatures which causes the failure of the main seal to blow out subsequently leading to additional major issues and parts failure. This issue has occurred in an overwhelming amount of vehicles.)

NHTSA ODI #11500269

Official recalls

1

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.

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

0

No exact-year investigations in this snapshot.