Problems · NHTSA complaints

2017 GMC Terrain problems

Owners filed 135 complaints about the 2017 GMC Terrain with NHTSA between Feb 2017 and Oct 2026. The most-cited component is engine (79).

Complaints
135
Filed with NHTSA
Crashes
11
Reported by owners
Fires
2
Reported by owners
Injuries
7
People reported injured
Deaths
0
Reported to NHTSA
01 —By component

Complaints by component

One complaint can cite several components
  1. Engine79
  2. Power train24
  3. Air bags12
  4. Electrical system9
  5. Exterior lighting7
  6. Structure7
  7. Fuel/propulsion system4
  8. Seat belts4
  9. Visibility/wiper3
  10. Steering2
  11. Vehicle speed control2
  12. Equipment2
  13. Service brakes2
  14. Engine and engine cooling2

Complaints are unverified owner reports to NHTSA and are not normalized for sales volume. One complaint can cite several components.

Data from NHTSA Complaints API · synced Nov 8, 2026NHTSA vehicle page
02 —Trend

When complaints were filed

Does it get worse with age? Complaints per calendar year filed
View as table
Model yearComplaints filed per calendar year
20174
20185
20198
20204
20217
202223
202324
202425
202521
202614

Mileage at failure isn’t a structured field in NHTSA complaint data, so we don’t chart it. Some owners mention it in their reports below.

03 —Owner reports

Top problems in owners’ words

Verbatim from NHTSA complaints, newest first

Engine

79 reports1 fire
“I bought this 2017 used on XXX I have had to put 1 quart of oil in the car every 500 miles. Because it burns oil like crazy. And now at this point, the transmission has just quit. I believe they call it the drive train. I am taking it to D and D auto repair in [XXX] on Thursday of this week. GMC knows about the drive train problem as it is common well known problem”
Owner complaint to NHTSAFiled Sep 28, 2026Power train, EngineODI 11767582

Power train

24 reports
“I am filing this complaint to report a catastrophic engine failure involving my 2017 GMC Terrain equipped with the 2.4L Ecotec engine, which I believe is the result of a known manufacturing defect related to excessive oil consumption and premature internal engine wear. At approximately 88,000 miles, my vehicle experienced severe engine failure, including excessive oil consumption, timing chain failure, and complete engine failure, which has been confirmed in writing by a licensed repair facility. The shop determined that the engine failure was caused by oil starvation resulting from excessive oil consumption, leading to internal engine damage and timing chain failure. This failure occurred without warning and rendered the vehicle unsafe to operate. Sudden engine failure creates a serious safety risk, including loss of power while driving, inability to accelerate, and increased risk of collision. This engine failure matches a well-documented defect pattern involving General Motors’ 2.4L Ecotec engines, which have been the subject of class-action lawsuits, settlements, and jury verdicts related to premature piston ring wear, excessive oil consumption, and…”
Owner complaint to NHTSAFiled Jan 21, 2026Power train, Electrical system, EngineODI 11712537

Air bags

12 reports9 crashes1 fire
“I was driving back home when I suddenly heard a loud pop and my car seat belt immediately tightened up. I saw smoke inside the car and the screen in my dashboard said "airbag service" There was no air bag physical deployed in the car so I believe it happened internally. Now my driver seatbelt will not retract and the front passenger seatbelt will not come out.”
Owner complaint to NHTSAFiled Oct 2, 2024Air bags, Seat beltsODI 11617757

Electrical system

9 reports1 crash1 fire
“The head unit quit working around 98k. The head unit is the radio, and screen which includes the back up camera. From what we have been told and find online, this is a known problem with them and affects other models as well. For the most part the head unit doesn't work but once in a while, once a month, it comes on but shows the Chevy logo on the screen which is odd because it is a GMC. Once you turn the car off, it will be gone again until it decides to come back. We took it into a dealer who tried to hook up to it and reprogram or update it, but he had no luck. Now we are without a backup camera that is a safety issue. I do not know why this isn't a recall as it is well known about issue.”
Owner complaint to NHTSAFiled Apr 22, 2026Electrical system, Back over preventionODI 11733049

Exterior lighting

7 reports1 related recall
“The contact owns a 2017 GMC Terrain. The contact stated that the vehicle was taken to the local dealer to be serviced under NHTSA Campaign Number: 22V137000 (Exterior Lighting). After the recall repair was performed, the contact discovered that while driving at night, the low-beam headlights illumination was extremely low, creating a visibility hazard for the driver. The vehicle was taken back to the dealer who indicated that no failure was found, and that the headlights operated as intended. The manufacturer was notified of the failure. The failure mileage was 54,000.”
Owner complaint to NHTSAFiled Jan 24, 2023Exterior lightingODI 11503333

Structure

7 reports4 crashes
“The latch for the rear hatch/door does not release every time. There have been instances when itmes have been in the cargo area and when the button is pressed, it will not release the latch. This causes someone to have to crawl over the back seat to retrieve the items from the cargo area. This also is causing my son to have to store items, that would normally be in the crgo area, on his back seat. I owned a 2015 terrain and had this same issue. The latch was replaced but still did not operate correctly.”
Owner complaint to NHTSAFiled Dec 28, 2023StructureODI 11562235
Data from NHTSA Complaints API (owner reports, unverified) · synced Nov 8, 2026

Complaints are unverified owner reports to NHTSA and are not normalized for sales volume. One complaint can cite several components.