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The 2016 GMC Terrain has 152 NHTSA owner complaints and 2 active recall campaigns on file. Here's the breakdown — what's serious, what's noise, and what a working mechanic would actually do about it.
The 2016 GMC Terrain has 152 NHTSA owner complaints and 2 recalls on file (U.S. federal records, as of September 2026). The most-reported system is visibility at 49 complaints (~$350 to repair). Source: NHTSA Office of Defects Investigation.
| Model year | Owner complaints | Recalls |
|---|---|---|
| 2013 Terrain | 364 | 3 |
| 2014 Terrain | 296 | 2 |
| 2015 Terrain | 297 | 3 |
| 2016 Terrain (this page) | 152 | 2 |
| 2017 Terrain | 133 | 1 |
| 2018 Terrain | 219 | 5 |
| 2019 Terrain | 182 | 3 |
Solid reliability overall. Common issues are concentrated in a few systems.
Worth owning if you verify the specific issues below before you buy.
Our read of the federal NHTSA complaint and recall record for this exact year and model — not a substitute for a pre-purchase inspection. How we score.
Driver-assist features on the tested model: Electronic stability control: Standard · Forward collision warning: Optional · Lane departure warning: Optional
Source: NHTSA New Car Assessment Program — tested configuration: 2016 GMC Terrain SUV AWD. Stars rate crash protection in NHTSA's tests, not overall reliability — see the owner-complaint data below for what actually goes wrong.
Here's what this model is known to do — so you can inspect for it, price it in, or make the seller fix it before you sign.
⚠ The one to take seriously: airbags is flagged severe on this model . Inspect it closely on a test drive.
Run the VIN from the listing — 2 active recalls on this model. Recall repairs are always free.
Verdict for buyers: 7.2/10 model. The priciest documented failure is engine (~$3,100) — get the seller's service records for it or inspect closely. Otherwise an average-risk used buy at a fair price.
We tell you what this model is known for and what to inspect — a vehicle-history report tells you what this exact car has been through. Smart buyers get both.
See the full pre-purchase inspection checklist →A noise, a warning light, a repair quote, "should I buy this?" — get an answer grounded in this vehicle's actual NHTSA record, not generic advice.
Answers use this vehicle's NHTSA complaint & recall record — owner-reported and unverified, not a diagnosis. Verify anything safety-critical with a mechanic.
My wife was driving on the highway to work when it was raining. Both of the wipers stopped working all of a sudden causing her to not be able to see out of the windshield. When she got home that night I could see that the linkage arm had came off the ball joint.
Windshield wipers stopped working. I can hear the motor working but the arms dod not move.
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…
The contact owns a 2016 GMC Terrain. The contact stated that while driving approximately 20 MPH, a second vehicle crashed into the front passenger side of the vehicle. During the crash, the vehicle sustained severe damage to the front passenger side, but no air bags inside the…
Drag to your current mileage. Numbers are derived from this vehicle's complaint history.
The bright reflection may cause a glare for other drivers, reducing their visibility and increasing the risk of a crash.
If the information on the certification labels is incorrect, the operator may install incorrectly sized tires or rims or may improperly inflate the tires, increasing the risk of a crash.
Mostly yes. With a reliability score of 7.2 out of 10 based on 152 owner complaints filed with NHTSA, the 2016 GMC Terrain is generally a sound vehicle. The areas to watch are listed in the top problem section above — most are budget items, not deal-breakers.
The 2016 GMC Terrain is acceptable, with specific caveats. Worth owning if you verify the specific issues below before you buy. The record behind that call: Reliability score 7.2/10 — around the segment average; 2 recall campaigns on file. This is our read of the federal complaint and recall data — not a substitute for a pre-purchase inspection.
Inspect the visibility first — it's the most-reported issue on this model, with 49 owner complaints filed. Average repair cost runs about $350 at an independent shop. Also confirm any open recalls have been completed by running the VIN, and ask for service records covering the problem areas listed above.
It scores 7.2 out of 10 on our NHTSA-based read of 152 owner complaints. The main thing to watch is visibility. Priced fairly and clean on inspection, it's a reasonable used buy. Our data covers what this model is known for — pair it with a vehicle-history report on the VIN to see what that specific car has been through.
Based on NHTSA records, the most-reported issue is visibility, with 49 complaints filed. Average repair cost runs about $350 at an independent shop.
The visibility is one of the costlier repair items. Average repair cost runs about $350 at an independent shop. Catching early warning signs can sometimes extend life by 20–30,000 miles.
Paste your VIN into the decoder at the top of this page. We pull live from NHTSA, so you'll see exactly which campaigns apply to your vehicle and whether the dealer has logged the fix. Recall repairs are always free regardless of mileage or warranty status.
Math is straightforward: a quality service contract runs $1,800–3,500 over 3 years. With 152 complaints on file and the costliest repair averaging $350, one major failure more than pays for it. The catch is reading the contract — many providers exclude wear items and require pre-authorization, so cheaper plans are not always better value.