MODELYEARINDEX

Which GMC Terrain years to avoid

Across 12 scored model years, the 2011 and 2018 model years carry the highest severity-weighted complaint rates.

Ownership label · GMC Terrain Full report
D
Grade 2010–2021
2011 vs model median 1.6×
Model median3× median
Engine 36
Body & Interior 19
Fuel System 17
Avoid

2011 · 2018

Best

2016 · 2021

Year by year

Severity-weighted complaints filed in each model year’s first 60 months on the road, so every year is measured over an identical window.

Year Complaint volume vs median Reports Grade
2010
0.85× 103 B
2011
1.62× 152 D
2012
0.97× 75 C
2013
1.02× 115 C
2014
0.73× 85 B
2015
1.08× 117 C
2016
0.41× 53 B
2017
0.58× 40 B
2018
1.51× 154 D
2019
1.33× 139 C
2020
1.13× 140 C
2021
0.38× 38 A
2022 P
0.58× 66 B
2023 P
0.79× 69 B
2024 P
0.63× 74 B
2025 P
0.27× 26 A

P — provisional. These years have not completed 60 months on the road, so their totals are incomplete and they are excluded from the verdict.

What owners report

The component groups most often named, with one representative report. These are unverified — allegations, not findings.

2011 D 152 reports · median 17,690 mi

  1. Engine 36

    The contact owns a 2011 gmc terrain. The contact turned the ignition to start the vehicle and heard a loud bang coming from the engine compartment. owner complaint filed with NHTSA

  2. Body & Interior 19

    On 11-21-10 my five year old son bumped his head on a hard surface that was not safely designed or padded properly. This happens when the brakes are applied strongly. Nothing was done by gm to correct this issue. owner complaint filed with NHTSA

  3. Fuel System 17

    My 2011 gmc terrain has a 2.4l 4 cylinder front wheel drive. It is rated at 32 MPG highway. Since day 1 I have not even gotten close to this. I drive 100 miles a day and maybe 5 miles of it is considered city driving. owner complaint filed with NHTSA

11 crash · 1 fire · 16 injuries

2018 D 154 reports · median 10,000 mi

  1. Electrical 24

    The contact owns a 2018 gmc terrain. While driving various speeds, the driver's alert warning system failed to operate as intended. owner complaint filed with NHTSA

  2. Brakes 21

    The first time while driving at 60 MPH, the vehicle instrument panel warning lights activated and gauges fluctuated followed by acceleration, braking and steering movement. owner complaint filed with NHTSA

  3. Drivetrain 21

    Addition to report 11091743. The vehicle was serviced for warning of transmission, stabilitrak, parking assist and notification that vehicle was unsafe to drive (may 2, 2018). owner complaint filed with NHTSA

14 crash · 2 fire · 6 injuries

The best year for the Terrain

Ranked by overall score among years with a full 60 months on the road.

2021 is the best-scoring Terrain model year with a full 60 months on the road, at 85.5 out of 100 — a score that combines complaint rate, recall campaigns and open investigations.

Yearvs medianReportsGrade
2021 0.38× 38 A
2016 0.41× 53 B
2017 0.58× 40 B

Recalls

21 campaigns on record.

Campaign Component Model years Units affected
22V137000 EXTERIOR LIGHTING:HEADLIGHTS 2010–2017 740,581
22V165000 VISIBILITY:WINDSHIELD WIPER/WASHER:MOTOR 2014, 2015 681,509
23V339000 CHILD SEAT:VEHICLE LATCH ANCHOR 2020–2023 668,187
14V447000 SEATS:FRONT ASSEMBLY:POWER ADJUST 2010–2012 414,333
16V582000 VISIBILITY:WINDSHIELD WIPER/WASHER:MOTOR 2013 367,808
18V576000 SERVICE BRAKES, HYDRAULIC:FOUNDATION COMPONENTS:DISC:CALIPER 2018, 2019 210,628
20V668000 POWER TRAIN:AUTOMATIC TRANSMISSION 2018–2020 194,105
10V623000 SEAT BELTS:FRONT:BUCKLE ASSEMBLY 2011 97,843
18V340000 AIR BAGS: AIR BAG/RESTRAINT CONTROL MODULE 2018 88,503
09V489000 VISIBILITY:DEFROSTER/DEFOGGER/HVAC SYSTEM 2010 59,031
11V511000 TIRES:PRESSURE MONITORING AND REGULATING SYSTEMS 2012 33,964
21V612000 TIRES 2021 9,597

+ 9 further campaigns

How long do they last?

Complaint records show when problems get reported, not how long a car survives. Where owners gave an odometer reading, faults on the 2011 were reported at a median of 17,690 miles. Treat that as the point problems start being noticed, not a lifespan.

Common questions

Answered directly from this model’s record.

Which GMC Terrain years should you avoid?
2011, 2018 carry the highest severity-weighted complaint rates of any GMC Terrain model year measured over an identical 60-month window.
What is the best year for the GMC Terrain?
2021 is the best-scoring GMC Terrain model year with a full 60 months on the road, at 85.5 out of 100. The score combines complaint rate, recall campaigns and open investigations.
How many recalls does the GMC Terrain have?
21 distinct recall campaigns are on record across all scored GMC Terrain model years. A recall is a matter of record: the manufacturer filed a defect report with NHTSA.

How this was calculated

Every model year is scored over an identical window: complaints filed with NHTSA during the first 60 months after that model year went on sale. Without this, older cars look worse purely because they have had longer to accumulate reports.

Limitations. Complaints are unverified reports submitted voluntarily by owners; they are allegations, not findings, and reporting rates vary between models. Model years with fewer than 60 months on the road are marked provisional and excluded from verdicts. Cross-model comparison is withheld pending production-volume data.

Full methodology · Sources · Data vintage August 9, 2026

Working 2011 Terrain
Complaints in window
152
Severity-weighted
273
Model median (weighted)
168
vs model median
1.62×
Recall campaigns (weighted)
4
Open investigations
0
Score 49.4 D