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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.

About this comparison →

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

Unknown Or Other complaints

20 reports
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Mileage unknown · Jan 24, 2022
EngineUnknown Or Other

The rear main seal broke. Causing oil to leave the reservoir and empty the engine. This was due to a frozen pvc from cold temperatures. My vehicles engine light came on and I pulled over immediately noticing there was no oil. but there was never an indication of low oil. My vehicle is ervex with gmc every 5k miles for oil. Only…

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The rear main seal broke. Causing oil to leave the reservoir and empty the engine. This was due to a frozen pvc from cold temperatures. My vehicles engine light came on and I pulled over immediately noticing there was no oil. but there was never an indication of low oil. My vehicle is ervex with gmc every 5k miles for oil. Only 74,000 miles on a 2017 terrain. This is a manufacturers faulty equipment.

NHTSA ODI #11448634

Mileage unknown · Jun 8, 2021
Unknown Or Other

OnStar - I've had OnStar for several years and paid the bill annually by check. The company never sent a renewal bill this year. I contacted them via phone on 1-23-2021, 2-8-2021, 2-22-2021 and 3-9-2021. I used phone numbers 1-866-891-1233, 1-866-579-0028, and the OnStar button to talk to representatives. I also wrote letters t…

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OnStar - I've had OnStar for several years and paid the bill annually by check. The company never sent a renewal bill this year. I contacted them via phone on 1-23-2021, 2-8-2021, 2-22-2021 and 3-9-2021. I used phone numbers 1-866-891-1233, 1-866-579-0028, and the OnStar button to talk to representatives. I also wrote letters to OnStar dated March 9 and March 27, 2021 without results. I had a confirmation # CN4175174. I never received a bill and now the safety device is cut off in my car.

NHTSA ODI #11420215

37,000 miles · Feb 24, 2021
Air BagsStructureUnknown Or OtherCrashInjury

PURCHASED GMC 2017 TERRAIN 1 MONTH AGO TODAY. THE FIRST WEEK I HAD IT THE ENGINE KEPT STALLING WHILE IDLING. I TOOK IT TO THE DEALERSHIP FOR THEM TO FIX. I GOT IT BACK AND IT SEEMED TO RUN HARD. 3 DAYS LATER I FOUND THAT NOT ONE BUT BOTH KEY FOBS WOULD NOT WORK. THE BATTERY IS BRAND NEW. WHEN I SPOKE TO SERVICE MAN AT DEALERSHIP…

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PURCHASED GMC 2017 TERRAIN 1 MONTH AGO TODAY. THE FIRST WEEK I HAD IT THE ENGINE KEPT STALLING WHILE IDLING. I TOOK IT TO THE DEALERSHIP FOR THEM TO FIX. I GOT IT BACK AND IT SEEMED TO RUN HARD. 3 DAYS LATER I FOUND THAT NOT ONE BUT BOTH KEY FOBS WOULD NOT WORK. THE BATTERY IS BRAND NEW. WHEN I SPOKE TO SERVICE MAN AT DEALERSHIP, HE STATED THAT ONE FOB WAS FAULTY AND THEY WOULD ORDER A NEW ONE. I HAVEN'T HEARD BACK FROM THEM...TODAY I GOT INTO A FRONT END COLLISION WHERE THE AIR BAGS DID NOT DEPLOY CAUSING ME INJURY. ONLY AFTER THE FACT DID THE ALARM SOUND AND DASH MESSAGE CAME ON STATING SERVICE AIRBAG. THE FOUR WAY LIGHTS WOULD NOT STAY ON AND THE INTERIOR LIGHTS WOULD NOT TURN OFF. AND THERE WAS A SMELL OF SOMETHING BURNING.. NO RETURN CALL FROM GMC.

NHTSA ODI #11397678

45,000 miles · Apr 7, 2020
Air BagsStructureUnknown Or OtherCrashInjury

I WAS MAKING A LEFT TURN DURING A GREEN LIGHT MY CAR WAS IN MOTION. A WHITE VAN WAS SPEEDING TOWARDS ME FROM THE DRIVERS SIDE GOING STRAIGHT AT ME AT HIGH SPEED WITH A RED LIGHT. THEY HIT THE FRONT DRIVERS END OF MY CAR WHICH MADE MY CAR SPIN OUT. THE AIRBAGS DID NOT DEPLOY. THE WHOLE FRONT END OF MY CAR WAS RUINED.

NHTSA ODI #11320468

Mileage unknown · Mar 17, 2018
Unknown Or OtherCrash

VEHICLE WAS PARKED WITH THE MOTOR RUNNING. REACHED OVER FROM THE PASSENGER SEAT AND TURNED THE MOTOR OFF. VEHICLE BEGAN TO ROLL BACKWARDS. WAS ABLE TO TURN VEHICLE BUT UNFORTUNATELY BACKED INTO THE DOOR OF A PARKED TRUCK TURNING THE IGNITION OFF SHOULDN'T START THE VEHICLE TO MOVE.

NHTSA ODI #11079902

11,000 miles · Jan 23, 2018
Unknown Or Other

I WAS DRIVING AND INSIDE ALARM CAME ON SOUNDED LIKE A FIRE ALARM. HOWEVER NO LIGHTS IN THE CAR CAME ON INDICATION SOMETHING WAS WRONG, TIRE PRESSURE WAS GOOD, EVERYTHING AS FAR AS MY EYES COULD SEE IT WAS FINE EXCEPT THAT AN ALARM KEPT GOING OFF COMING THRU THE SPEAKERS. I PULLED OVER GOT OUT LOOKED AROUND THE VEHICLE. NOTHING…

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I WAS DRIVING AND INSIDE ALARM CAME ON SOUNDED LIKE A FIRE ALARM. HOWEVER NO LIGHTS IN THE CAR CAME ON INDICATION SOMETHING WAS WRONG, TIRE PRESSURE WAS GOOD, EVERYTHING AS FAR AS MY EYES COULD SEE IT WAS FINE EXCEPT THAT AN ALARM KEPT GOING OFF COMING THRU THE SPEAKERS. I PULLED OVER GOT OUT LOOKED AROUND THE VEHICLE. NOTHING! MADE SURE ALL DOORS WHERE LOCKED AND EVERYTHING GOOD ALARM STILL GOING OFF. NOT THE CAR THEFT ALARM AN INTERNAL ALARM THRU THE SPEAKERS OF THE CAR. PLEASE HELP AS I AM SCARED TO DRIVE MY VEHICLE BECAUSE MAYBE IT WAS TRYING TO TELL ME SOMETHING IS WRONG. IT EVENTUALLY WENT OFF AND I PULLED OFF VEHICLE DROVE FINE.

NHTSA ODI #11064325

3,400 miles · Dec 22, 2017
Unknown Or Other

I'VE HAD MY TERRAIN FOR 3 MONTHS. CAR HAD 3400 MILES AT THE TIME OF THE ISSUE. BACKED OUT OF MY DRIVEWAY, PUT THE CAR IN DRIVE AND IT WOULDN'T GO. THE CAR WOULD REV UP BUT WOULDN'T MOVE FORWARD. HAD TO PUT THE CAR IN NEUTRAL AND PUSH OUT OF THE MIDDLE OF THE STREET. CAR WAS STRANDED IN THE STREET FOR THREE DAYS DUE TO THE DEALER…

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I'VE HAD MY TERRAIN FOR 3 MONTHS. CAR HAD 3400 MILES AT THE TIME OF THE ISSUE. BACKED OUT OF MY DRIVEWAY, PUT THE CAR IN DRIVE AND IT WOULDN'T GO. THE CAR WOULD REV UP BUT WOULDN'T MOVE FORWARD. HAD TO PUT THE CAR IN NEUTRAL AND PUSH OUT OF THE MIDDLE OF THE STREET. CAR WAS STRANDED IN THE STREET FOR THREE DAYS DUE TO THE DEALERSHIP SERVICE DEPARTMENT BEING CLOSED. EACH DAY I TRIED TO PUT THE CAR IN DRIVE AND IT STILL WOULDN'T GO WHEN PUT IN DRIVE OR MANUAL ONLY REVERSE. CAR WAS TOWED TO THE DEALERSHIP AND SAT FOR ANOTHER DAY BEFORE THE DEALERSHIP COULD GET TO IT. DEALERSHIP CALLED AND THE CAR WOULD DRIVE WITH NO ISSUE. ASKED IF SOMETHING COULD HAVE SHIFTED WHEN THE CAR WAS TOWED SO THEY KEPT THE CAR ONE MORE DAY TO RUN SOME DIAGNOSTIC TESTS WHICH STILL RESULTED IN NOTHING BEING FOUND.

NHTSA ODI #11056018

7,500 miles · Jun 21, 2017
Electrical SystemUnknown Or Other

BLIND SIDE ALERT ACTIVATES WHEN IT IS RAINING AND THERE ARE NO CARS NEARBY. THIS ONLY OCCURS WHEN RAINING. NO CODES ARE THROWN SO DEALER SERVICE WON'T TROUBLESHOOT. THIS CAN ONLY BE REPRODUCED ON A HIGHWAY OR PARKWAY, WHEN IT IS RAINING AND NO OTHER CARS ARE NEARBY. CANNOT BE REPRODUCED ON REGULAR STREETS WITH OTHER CARS AROUND.…

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BLIND SIDE ALERT ACTIVATES WHEN IT IS RAINING AND THERE ARE NO CARS NEARBY. THIS ONLY OCCURS WHEN RAINING. NO CODES ARE THROWN SO DEALER SERVICE WON'T TROUBLESHOOT. THIS CAN ONLY BE REPRODUCED ON A HIGHWAY OR PARKWAY, WHEN IT IS RAINING AND NO OTHER CARS ARE NEARBY. CANNOT BE REPRODUCED ON REGULAR STREETS WITH OTHER CARS AROUND. I'VE HAD MY CAR IN TO THE DEALER SERVICE 3 TIMES, ALL WITH THE SAME RESULTS. NO CODES IN THE COMPUTER AND CANNOT REPRODUCE. THE SERVICE DEPARTMENT ONLY TESTS ON THE LOCAL STREETS. THERE ARE OTHER CARS AROUND, SO HOW CAN THIS BE AN ACCURATE TEST???

NHTSA ODI #11000349

3,700 miles · Mar 7, 2017
Unknown Or Other

SIDE BLIND SPOT ALERT COMES ON AND OFF WHEN RAINING OR SNOWING WITH NOTHING THERE, THEY SHOULD TELL YOU THIS WILL HAPPEN BEFORE YOU PAY EXTRA FOR THIS PACKAGE, HOW DO YOU KNOW IF IT WORKS OR NOT WHEN DRIVING DOWN HIGHWAY

NHTSA ODI #10959182

1,400 miles · Feb 11, 2017
Unknown Or Other

OUR NEW TERRAIN HAS "VEHICLE IN FRONT" VISUAL WARNING SYSTEMS. WE WERE FOLLOWING A TANKER TYPE SEMI ON THE INTERSTATE AND PULLED ALL THE WAY UP BEHIND THE TANKER SEMI (WITHIN 25 FT) AND THE VEHICLE IN FRONT LIGHT NEVER CAME ON. WE TESTED THIS ON ALL TYPES OF CARS AND TRUCKS AS WELL AS STANDARD BOX TYPE SEMI AND IT WORKED PERFE…

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OUR NEW TERRAIN HAS "VEHICLE IN FRONT" VISUAL WARNING SYSTEMS. WE WERE FOLLOWING A TANKER TYPE SEMI ON THE INTERSTATE AND PULLED ALL THE WAY UP BEHIND THE TANKER SEMI (WITHIN 25 FT) AND THE VEHICLE IN FRONT LIGHT NEVER CAME ON. WE TESTED THIS ON ALL TYPES OF CARS AND TRUCKS AS WELL AS STANDARD BOX TYPE SEMI AND IT WORKED PERFECTLY. I HAVE PICTURES OF THE REAR END OF THE TANKER SEMI IN WHICH IT DID NOT DETECT AT ALL.

NHTSA ODI #10954016

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.