AI Damage2016 GMC Terrain: common problems
Owners of the 2016 GMC Terrain filed 153 complaints with NHTSA, most often about visibility and engine. The maker issued 883 service bulletins for this year. Details by component below, with sources.
Key figures
- Owner complaints
- 153
- involving a crash
- 10
- Technical service bulletins (TSB)
- 883
What fails most often
- 1 Visibility 32% of all complaints
- 2 Engine 30% of all complaints
- 3 Powertrain 7% of all complaints
- 4 Exterior lighting 7% of all complaints
- 5 Air bags 7% of all complaints
- 6 Electrical system 6% of all complaints
- 7 Steering 4% of all complaints
- 8 Service brakes 3% of all complaints
- Visibility: 49 complaints (32% of all); manufacturer bulletins for this component: 27.
- Engine: 46 complaints (30% of all); manufacturer bulletins for this component: 99.
- Powertrain: 11 complaints (7% of all); manufacturer bulletins for this component: 70.
- Exterior lighting: 10 complaints (7% of all), 2 of them with a crash reported by the owner; manufacturer bulletins for this component: 9.
- Air bags: 10 complaints (7% of all), 6 of them with a crash reported by the owner; manufacturer bulletins for this component: 5.
Engines and transmissions
US-market versions per EPA. On the right: how many NHTSA complaints name this engine or transmission type.
- 2.4 L · petrol · 4 cylnamed in 5 complaints
- 3.6 L · petrol · 6 cyl
- automatic, 6-speed
Drive: FWD, AWD
Symptoms owners describe
How many of the 153 NHTSA complaints mention each symptom (automatic count from complaint text; one complaint can mention several).
Components owners complain about
| Component | Owner complaints | involving a crash | Technical service bulletins (TSB) |
|---|---|---|---|
| Visibility | 49 | 0 | 27 |
| Engine | 46 | 0 | 99 |
| Powertrain | 11 | 0 | 70 |
| Exterior lighting | 10 | 2 | 9 |
| Air bags | 10 | 6 | 5 |
| Electrical system | 9 | 0 | 169 |
| Steering | 6 | 0 | 27 |
| Service brakes | 5 | 2 | 19 |
| Vehicle speed control | 4 | 0 | 1 |
| Wheels | 3 | 0 | 40 |
| Structure | 3 | 0 | 36 |
| Fuel/propulsion system | 3 | 0 | 5 |
| Seat belts | 3 | 2 | 5 |
| Seats | 2 | 0 | 4 |
What owners report
Short excerpts of NHTSA complaints in the original wording. These are owner statements not verified by NHTSA; personal data removed.
I was pressing the brakes and the brakes failed to engage which caused me to hit a car in front of me. I did not have any warnings that the brakes were defective. The warning on the dash did not indicate that there was anything wrong with brakes.
The air bags failed to deploy. The contact's daughter arrived at the scene and transported him to the local hospital to be evaluated for brain, neck, left-hand fingers, swollen right leg, and back pain injuries that required medical attention. A police report was filed but the police report number was not available.
The contact stated while the wife was driving approximately 45 MPH she accidentally hit an animal due to visibility issues with the headlights. There were no warning lights. The police arrived on the scene; however, no reports were filed.
The contact was unable to see the vehicle in front of him due to the glare of headlights. The air bags did deploy. There were no warning lights. The vehicle was damaged in the front, but drivable. The vehicle was not diagnosed with a failure. The manufacturer was notified of the failure.
The front driver side seatbelt did not retract however the front passenger side did function as designed during the impact. In addition, the driver hit their head on the steering wheel during the impact. After the impact, the "reset airbag" warning message was displayed.
Husband was traveling under 25 mph up hill and two vehicles ahead of him abruptly stopped for unknown reason which resulted in the vehicle in front doing the same causing my husband having to hard brake. As he tried to stop the vehicle the brakes wouldn't respond and car kept rolling resulting in an accident.
This low speed impact caused almost 17000 dollars of damage and the seat belt or air bags never went off. I would like to know if this is normal or is gm covering up faulty safety equipment.
We took it in for its oil change, brought it home, went to dinner 4 days after and the very next day it wouldn't start. We thought it was most likely the starter/solenoid, but the mechanic said those were both fine and that's when we got the bad news that the motor was shot because the timing chain broke which caused…
When owners complained
NHTSA complaints by filing year. The peak shows at what age the problems show up most.
Comparison
By complaint count this model year ranks 419 of 2,102 model years in the NHTSA data (top 20% most complained about).
On average one model year of the Terrain has 94 complaints (12 years in the data). This year has 153, above average.
What to check before buying
- Visibility. Wipers, mirrors, defrosters, cracked glass.
- Engine. Cold start, unusual noises, oil leaks and engine codes.
- Powertrain. Shift quality under load, harsh shifts, transmission codes, CV joints.
- Exterior lighting. Headlamps, leveling, sensors and mounts after a frontal hit.
Manufacturer service bulletins
Bulletin titles as filed with NHTSA.
- This PI provides Diagnostics tips on how the LIN bus works and how to diagnosis it
- This preliminary information advises a dealer on how to email GDS2 session logs into Technical Assistance
- PI to help diagnose A/C concern
- This document provides the technician with a diagnostic tip if the vehicle stalls and set diagnostic…
This document provides the technician with a diagnostic tip if the vehicle stalls and set diagnostic trouble code P0191 and may also set P0172. The diagnostic tip has the technician inspect the high pressure fuel pump…
- This preliminary information communicates information about how to determine if a wheel and tires size…
- This Preliminary information communicates the steps on how to save a GDS2 Session Log and upload to a…
This Preliminary information communicates the steps on how to save a GDS2 Session Log and upload to a Technical Assistance Case in CX Connect.
- This service bulletin provides information on Tire Sidewall Irregularities
- This service bulletin provides information on replacing the intake manifold when the engine is replaced…
This service bulletin provides information on replacing the intake manifold when the engine is replaced after severe internal engine damage.
- This Preliminary Information communication provides information to the technician about vehicles that have…
This Preliminary Information communication provides information to the technician about vehicles that have had multiple repair attempts that are being performed on customer’s vehicles that exhibit vibration conditions…
- The service bulletin advises the tech of a normal transmission shift condition and the delay in throttle…
The service bulletin advises the tech of a normal transmission shift condition and the delay in throttle response when the throttle plate is opened rapidly and advises the customer that it is normal for the delay.
- New Vehicle Monitoring Programs Section in IVH
- This Preliminary Information communication provides information to the technician about vehicles that have…
This Preliminary Information communication provides information to the technician about vehicles that have an intermittent no crank, no start, or start stall concern with the security light coming on. Technician may…
NHTSA lists 883 bulletins for this year; the 12 newest are shown here.
Other years of this model
Questions and answers
What are the most common problems with the 2016 GMC Terrain?
Owner complaints to NHTSA most often mention: visibility, engine, powertrain. Total complaints: 153. The most frequent symptoms in complaint texts: warning lights, check engine (21%), oil leak or consumption (8%), loss of power / limp mode (7%).
How many service bulletins (TSB) were issued for the 2016 GMC Terrain?
NHTSA lists 883 manufacturer service bulletins for this year. A bulletin tells dealers how to diagnose or fix a known issue; it is not a recall.
Should I buy a 2016 GMC Terrain from a US auction?
Owner complaints describe defects, not crash damage. Before bidding, check the components listed above and review the lot photos: VinWind builds a report of visible and hidden damage by VIN.
Other 2016 models
Read also
Sources: public NHTSA data (USA): service bulletins and owner complaints; YouTube: links to videos credited to their authors. Complaints are owner statements not verified by NHTSA, and describe defects rather than crash damage. Data updated 2026-11-04.