2016 GMC Terrain
Common Problems
Ranked from 68 federal NHTSA complaints and 1 recalls. Every problem links to the complaint IDs behind it.
11 Common Problems
Ordered by how often owners reported each one to NHTSA. The bar shows how common a problem is relative to the most-reported on this vehicle. Expand any problem to see the federal complaint IDs.
- 1
Windshield Wiper Mechanism Failure
19complaintsHigh severityOtherWindshield wipers suddenly stop working during heavy rain, leading to poor visibility.
Related recall: 16V449000
- 2
Excessive Oil Consumption Leading to Engine Failure
13complaintsHigh severityEngineThe engine experiences excessive oil consumption without warning, leading to engine failure.
$4,000–$8,000est. engine replacement · 12–20 hrs laborGet local quotes - 3
Air Bag Deployment Failure
8complaintsSafety riskElectricalThe air bags fail to deploy during a collision, increasing the risk of injury.
- 4
Brake Failure Causing Accidents
7complaintsSafety riskBrakesThe brakes fail, causing accidents and potential injury.
$150–$1,000est. brake system diagnosis + repair · 1–4 hrs laborGet local quotes - 5
Transmission Failure Causing Power Loss
6complaintsHigh severityTransmissionThe transmission fails, causing the vehicle to lose power and stall.
$2,500–$5,500est. transmission rebuild/replacement · 8–16 hrs laborGet local quotes - 6
Windshield wiper motor failure
6complaintsHigh severityElectricalThe windshield wiper motor stops working, leading to loss of visibility during rain or snow.
- 7
Engine stalling
5complaintsMedium severityEngineThe engine stalls or fails to start, often due to wiring damage caused by rodents, leading to inconvenience and potential safety risks.
$150–$1,200est. stalling / shutdown diagnosis + repair · 1–5 hrs laborGet local quotes - 8
Exterior lighting recall issues
5complaintsLow severityOtherRecall repairs for exterior lighting are delayed, causing inconvenience and potential safety risks.
$100–$900est. lighting assembly repair · 0.5–2 hrs laborGet local quotesRelated recall: 16V449000
- 9
Electronic Stability Control (ESC) malfunction
2complaintsMedium severityElectricalThe electronic stability control system malfunctions, leading to reduced vehicle stability and increased risk of accidents.
- 10
Engine light on with no apparent fault
2complaintsMedium severityEngineThe check engine light illuminates without a clear cause, leading to unnecessary service visits.
- 11
Timing chain failure
2complaintsHigh severityEngineThe timing chain fails, causing the engine to stall and potentially leading to severe damage.
$900–$2,500est. timing chain/phaser service · 5–12 hrs laborGet local quotes
Other years & sources
Data source: U.S. National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) owner complaints and recalls. Problems are clustered and ranked from the complaint record; occurrence counts reflect corroborating complaints, not total incidence. Vehicle image is illustrative. Repair-cost figures are typical U.S. independent-shop ranges (parts + labor) for the class of repair shown — actual quotes vary by region, engine, and diagnosis; always confirm with a local shop.