2017 GMC Terrain: what breaks, and at what mileage
What breaks on the 2017 GMC Terrain
On the 2017 GMC Terrain, the failure owners report most often is oil leak, with 30 reports on file. Across every failure mode on this year, half the dated reports were filed before 47,500 miles. Overall it scores 68 out of 100, high risk for a 2017.
High risk for a 2017 — 210th riskiest of the 263 2017 vehicles we can rate. 181 owner reports; fleet size estimated from this year's own recall paperwork.
What owners report breaking
Owners have reported 36 named failure modes on the 2017 GMC Terrain, and the three most-reported carry 36% of everything filed.
Oil leak leads with 30 reports and about 0.3 per 1,000 vehicles.
Other engine problem follows with 22 reports, median 50,000 miles.
Timing chain, belt or tensioner failure follows with 13 reports, median 80,000 miles.
By system, the reports fall mostly into engine (90), transmission (15) and airbag (15).
The mileage the reports cluster at
52 of the reports on the 2017 GMC Terrain came with an odometer reading, and half of those were filed before 47,500 miles.
Cumulatively, 60% by 50,000 miles and 90% by 100,000 miles of the dated reports had been filed.
The busiest stretch is between 40,000 and 50,000 miles, which alone holds 25% of the dated reports.
27% of the dated reports were filed below 36,000 miles.
Tick median reported mileage Solid middle half of reports Faint 10th to 90th percentile Colour how bad the failure is when it happens
Showing the 12 most-reported failure modes of 36. The full list is in the table below.
How reports accumulate
Every report with an odometer reading, cumulative, from 0 to 200,000 miles. A curve that climbs early is a car with early problems, whatever its total.
- Line share of reports filed by that mileage
- Dashed the median reported mileage
How bad it is when it goes
Across the named modes, 14 mention a crash, 5 a fire and 6 an injury. Those are the words owners used in their own complaints, and NHTSA does not verify them, but they are the closest thing in this data to a measure of what a failure actually did.
The average severity weight across every report on this year is 4.86, where a stalled engine or a failed airbag weighs many times more than a rattling trim panel, and a figure this high means the reports are dominated by failures with safety consequences rather than annoyances. The weighting is set out in full on the methodology page.
What the top failures cost to put right, as editorial estimates for an independent US shop rather than figures from NHTSA: oil leak at $250–$2,200, other engine problem at $300–$4,000, timing chain, belt or tensioner failure at $1,200–$4,500 and other powertrain problem at $400–$4,500. Dealer labour, a seized bolt or a part that is no longer made can push any of these past the top of its range.
61% of the reports on this year sit in the engine, transmission, drivetrain or cooling systems — the four where a repair bill is usually four figures, so more than half of what owners complained about here is expensive.
Every reported failure mode
| Failure mode | System | Reports | With reading | 25th | Median | 75th | Per 1,000 | Typical repair | Severity |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Oil leak | engine | 30 | 4 | — | 87k | — | 0.3 | $250–$2,200 | Moderate |
| Other engine problem | engine | 22 | 3 | — | 49k | — | 0.2 | $300–$4,000 | High |
| Timing chain, belt or tensioner failure | engine | 13 | 2 | — | 82k | — | 0.1 | $1,200–$4,500 | Critical |
| Other powertrain problem | transmission | 13 | 3 | — | 47k | — | 0.1 | $400–$4,500 | High |
| Excessive oil consumption | engine | 12 | 2 | — | 115k | — | 0.1 | $900–$6,500 | High |
| Complete engine failure or seizure | engine | 11 | 1 | — | 68k | — | 0.1 | $4,500–$12,000 | Critical |
| Seat belt or retractor failure | airbag | 8 | 3 | — | 58k | — | 0.1 | $200–$900 | High |
| Other lighting problem | lighting | 6 | 2 | — | 37k | — | 0.1 | $120–$1,200 | Moderate |
| Airbag failed to deploy in a crash | airbag | 4 | 4 | — | 37k | — | 0.0 | $1,000–$5,000 | Critical |
| Other electrical problem | electrical | 4 | 1 | — | 8k | — | 0.0 | $250–$2,000 | Moderate |
| Other body or interior problem | body | 4 | 3 | — | 45k | — | 0.0 | $200–$2,000 | Moderate |
| Tail light, brake light or signal failure | lighting | 3 | 3 | — | 42k | — | 0.0 | $100–$900 | Moderate |
| Other fuel system problem | fuel | 3 | 0 | — | — | — | 0.0 | $300–$2,200 | High |
| Other brake problem | brakes | 3 | 2 | — | 69k | — | 0.0 | $300–$1,800 | High |
| Radiator or coolant leak | cooling | 2 | 2 | — | 27k | — | 0.0 | $350–$1,900 | High |
| Complete transmission failure | transmission | 2 | 0 | — | — | — | 0.0 | $2,800–$8,000 | Critical |
| Differential or transfer case failure | drivetrain | 2 | 2 | — | 63k | — | 0.0 | $900–$4,200 | High |
| Ignition switch, key fob or immobilizer failure | electrical | 2 | 2 | — | 76k | — | 0.0 | $250–$1,500 | High |
| Infotainment screen failure | infotainment | 2 | 0 | — | — | — | 0.0 | $400–$2,600 | Low |
| Backup camera failure | infotainment | 2 | 1 | — | 49k | — | 0.0 | $250–$1,200 | Moderate |
| Airbag warning light or occupant sensor fault | airbag | 2 | 0 | — | — | — | 0.0 | $300–$1,600 | High |
| Engine bay fire | engine | 1 | 0 | — | — | — | 0.0 | $4,000–$20,000 | Critical |
| Misfire or rough idle | engine | 1 | 0 | — | — | — | 0.0 | $250–$1,600 | Moderate |
| CV axle or driveshaft failure | drivetrain | 1 | 0 | — | — | — | 0.0 | $450–$2,200 | High |
| Alternator or charging system failure | electrical | 1 | 0 | — | — | — | 0.0 | $450–$1,600 | High |
| Loss of braking | brakes | 1 | 0 | — | — | — | 0.0 | $400–$3,000 | Critical |
| ABS module or sensor failure | brakes | 1 | 0 | — | — | — | 0.0 | $500–$2,400 | High |
| Airbag inflator rupture | airbag | 1 | 1 | — | 13k | — | 0.0 | $0–$0 | Critical |
| Cruise control failure | adas | 1 | 0 | — | — | — | 0.0 | $200–$1,400 | High |
| Rust or structural corrosion | body | 1 | 0 | — | — | — | 0.0 | $500–$6,000 | High |
| Liftgate, tailgate or trunk failure | body | 1 | 0 | — | — | — | 0.0 | $250–$1,500 | Moderate |
| Wiper or washer failure | glass | 1 | 0 | — | — | — | 0.0 | $120–$800 | Moderate |
| Other steering problem | steering | 1 | 0 | — | — | — | 0.0 | $350–$2,400 | High |
| Other wheel or tire problem | wheels | 1 | 1 | — | 47k | — | 0.0 | $200–$1,500 | High |
| Other speed control problem | adas | 1 | 0 | — | — | — | 0.0 | $250–$2,000 | Critical |
| Other visibility problem | glass | 1 | 1 | — | 22k | — | 0.0 | $150–$1,400 | Moderate |
| Unclassified problem | other | 16 | 9 | 4k | 11k | 45k | 0.2 | — | Moderate |
Rate per 1,000 uses a fleet-size estimate derived from recall paperwork for this exact model year. It is a lower bound. Repair costs are typical independent-shop ranges for the failure, not figures from these reports.
How often, against how many were built
Scaled by an estimate of how many of these cars exist, the 2017 GMC Terrain draws about 2.0 per 1,000 vehicles, which puts it in the 77th percentile of complaint rates among 2017 vehicles we can rate.
That denominator is the weakest number on the page and it is fair to say so plainly. Rate per 1,000 uses a fleet-size estimate derived from recall paperwork for this exact model year. It is a lower bound.
The working figure is 92,572 vehicles. If the true number is twice that, every rate on this page is half what it says; the ranking against other 2017 vehicles, which is what the risk score uses, is far more robust than the rate itself.
Recalls on the 2017 model year
NHTSA has issued 1 recall campaign covering the 2017 GMC Terrain, affecting an estimated 92,572 vehicles. A recall is a different kind of evidence from a complaint: it is the regulator and the manufacturer agreeing that something has to be fixed, and the fix is free for as long as the car exists.
The campaigns cover exterior lighting:headlights. Whether the work was actually done on the car in front of you is a question only the VIN can answer, and the manufacturer or NHTSA will answer it free.
Recalls also distort complaint counts. Publicity about a campaign reminds owners that complaining is possible, so reports for a recalled component often spike after the recall rather than before it.
EXTERIOR LIGHTING:HEADLIGHTS
740,581 vehicles 2022-03-08- Defect
- General Motors, LLC (GM) is recalling certain 2010-2017 GMC Terrain vehicles. A reflection caused by the headlight housings may illuminate areas above the vehicle and outside of the driver's view with excessively bright light. As such, these vehicles fail to comply with the requirements of Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standard number 108, "Lamps, Reflective Devices, and Associated Equipment."
- Consequence
- The bright reflection may cause a glare for other drivers, reducing their visibility and increasing the risk of a crash.
- Remedy
- Dealers will install headlamp appliques, free of charge. Owner notification letters were mailed September 8, 2022. Owners may contact GMC customer service at 1-800-462-8782. GM's number for this recall is N222363740.
Recall work is free at a franchised dealer regardless of the car's age. Check the VIN at nhtsa.gov/recalls before assuming it was done.
How it ranks in the 2017 field
The score at the top of the page, placed among its peers. The zones are the same thresholds the scorer applies, read out of the scorer itself, so the picture and the band word cannot disagree.
Scores are ranked within the model year, never across years, because an older car has had longer to accumulate reports.
- Left fewer and less serious reports
- Right more, or worse
- Marker this vehicle
How 2017 compares with the other years
High risk for a 2017 — 210th riskiest of the 263 2017 vehicles we can rate. Because the ranking is against the same model year only, age cancels out of it.
Across the 17 model years of this car that carry enough reports to score, 2021 comes out best at 62 and 2019 worst at 80, with 2017 itself at 68.
If the model year is negotiable, 2021, 2016, 2015 and 2022 score lower than 2017 by a margin worth acting on. Same body, same engines, different luck — usually a supplier change or a mid-cycle fix, which the complaint data can show but never explain.
Within the 2010–2017 generation specifically, 2016 is the strongest year at 63 and 2011 the weakest at 74.
Scores compare each year against other cars of the same model year, so a low number on an older car is a real result and not an artefact of age.
Shorter is better. Years with too few reports to score are shown without a bar rather than as a zero, because no data is not good news.
Within the 2010-2017 generation, 2016 GMC Terrain scores best at 63 and 2011 GMC Terrain worst at 74.
What this page cannot tell you
181 owner reports; fleet size estimated from this year's own recall paperwork. Every count on this page is therefore a floor: it is the number of owners who went to the trouble of filing with a federal agency, which is a small and self-selected fraction of the owners who had the fault.
Of those 181 reports, 52 carried an odometer reading, so the mileages here describe 29% of the sample rather than all of it. Owners also round: readings pile up on multiples of ten thousand, which is why this site publishes "about 90,000 miles" and not "91,438".
Named failure modes come from matching phrases in the complaint text, so a badly worded complaint can land in the wrong bucket. The effect washes out across hundreds of reports and does not wash out across five.
And nothing here predicts what one car will do. These are other people's complaints, filed years apart, on cars maintained by strangers. Read the page as a map of where this model year has previously gone wrong, then have the specific car in front of you inspected.
Questions this page answers
What are the most common problems with the 2017 GMC Terrain?
The most-reported failures are oil leak (30 reports, median 85,000 miles), other engine problem (22 reports, median 50,000 miles) and timing chain, belt or tensioner failure (13 reports, median 80,000 miles). Counts come from owner complaints filed with NHTSA, which are voluntary, so they show what owners bothered to report rather than every fault that occurred.
Is the 2017 GMC Terrain reliable?
It scores 68 out of 100 on our risk index, which is high — 210th riskiest of the 263 2017 vehicles we can rate. The score is a comparison against other 2017 vehicles, not a prediction about any individual car, and it is built from complaint rates, severity and how early failures appear.
Which year of the GMC Terrain is best?
Within the 2010–2017 generation, 2016 scores best at 63 out of 100 and 2011 worst at 74. Same body, same engines, different luck.
Where this comes from. Every figure above is computed from NHTSA owner complaints and recall records for this exact make, model and year. Complaints are voluntary and self-selected, so treat counts as a floor. The methodology page writes out each formula, and the same numbers are available as JSON.
What breaks at my mileage Compare with another car
Source Owner complaints and recall records published by the US National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, model years 1996–2027 Figures rebuilt Published by AtWhatMileage How every figure is computed