2015 GMC Terrain Problems, Complaints & Recalls
- Compared with other Terrain years
- More complaints than other years 4th of 17 for complaints
- Safety recalls
- 3 recalls: check your VIN
- NHTSA crash rating
- 4 out of 5 stars
Owners have filed 298 complaints with NHTSA about the 2015 GMC Terrain. That ranks 4th out of 17 Terrain model years for complaints. The most reported problem area is visibility/wiper (101 complaints, 34%), typically at around 70,000 miles. Complaints mention 9 crashes, 1 fire, 6 injuries. There are 3 safety recalls covering this model year. NHTSA has opened 2 defect investigations involving it.
- 298owner complaints
- 3safety recalls
- 2NHTSA investigations
- 9complaints mentioning a crash
Complaints are unverified owner reports and are not adjusted for sales volume.
Most common 2015 GMC Terrain problems
Complaints grouped by the part of the car owners reported, with the median mileage when the problem happened.
| Problem area | Complaints | Share | Median miles | Owners mention most | Typical repair cost |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Visibility/wiper problems | 101 | 34% | 70,000 | “windshield wipers” (48%) | — |
| Engine problems | 80 | 27% | 83,000 | “timing chain” (23%) | $3,550 |
| Electrical System | 31 | 10% | 47,000 | — | — |
| Exterior Lighting | 24 | 8% | 48,474 | — | — |
| Power Train | 21 | 7% | 31,431 | — | — |
| Unknown or Other | 21 | 7% | 49,302 | — | — |
| Visibility | 20 | 7% | 87,500 | — | — |
| Air Bags | 16 | 5% | 55,000 | — | — |
| Fuel/propulsion System | 15 | 5% | 56,700 | — | — |
| Structure | 14 | 5% | 49,000 | — | — |
| Electronic Stability Control (esc) | 8 | 3% | 48,000 | — | — |
| Service Brakes | 8 | 3% | 43,200 | — | — |
| Engine and Engine Cooling | 4 | 1% | 127,000 | — | — |
| Vehicle Speed Control | 3 | 1% | 31,500 | — | — |
| Fuel System, Gasoline | 2 | 1% | 128,500 | — | — |
| Lane Departure | 2 | 1% | — | — | — |
| Seat Belts | 2 | 1% | 6,810 | — | — |
| Seats | 2 | 1% | 48,474 | — | — |
| Steering | 2 | 1% | 26,109 | — | — |
| Tires | 2 | 1% | 30,500 | — | — |
| Wheels | 2 | 1% | 70,000 | — | — |
| Back Over Prevention | 1 | 0% | — | — | — |
| Forward Collision Avoidance | 1 | 0% | — | — | — |
| Service Brakes, Hydraulic | 1 | 0% | 167,446 | — | — |
| Suspension | 1 | 0% | — | — | — |
One complaint can list several problem areas, so shares can add up to more than 100%.
Complaints by year received
2015 GMC Terrain recalls (3)
Tap a recall to see the problem, the risk and the fix.
Visibility:windshield wiper/washer:motor
Problem: General Motors, LLC (GM) is recalling certain 2014-2015 Chevrolet Equinox and GMC Terrain vehicles. The ball joints in the windshield wiper module may corrode, causing one or both windshield wipers to fail.
Risk: Inoperative windshield wipers can reduce visibility in certain driving conditions, increasing the risk of a crash.
Fix: Dealers will inspect the wiper module, and repair or replace it as necessary, free of charge. Interim owner notification letters informing owners of the safety risk were mailed on April 21, 2022. Owner notification letters were mailed on October 25, 2022. Owners may contact Chevrolet customer service at 1-800-222-1020 and GMC customer service at 1-800-462-8782. GM's number for this recall is N212352530.
Exterior lighting:headlights
Problem: 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."
Risk: The bright reflection may cause a glare for other drivers, reducing their visibility and increasing the risk of a crash.
Fix: 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.
Air bags:side/window
Problem: General Motors LLC (GM) is recalling certain model year 2015 Buick LaCrosse, Cadillac XTS, Chevrolet Camaro, Equinox, Malibu, and GMC Terrain vehicles. The affected vehicles have front seat-mounted side impact air bags whose inflator may rupture upon its deployment.
Risk: In the event of a crash necessitating deployment of one or both of the side impact air bags, the air bag's inflator may rupture and the air bag may not properly inflate. The rupture could cause metal fragments to strike the vehicle occupants, potentially resulting in serious injury or death. Additionally, if the air bag does not properly inflate, the driver or passenger is at an increased risk of injury.
Fix: GM will notify owners, and dealers will replace the side impact air bag modules, free of charge. The recall began on October 19, 2015. Owners may contact Buick customer service at 1-800-521-7300, Chevrolet customer service at 1-800-222-1020, Cadillac customer service at 1-800-458-8006, or GMC customer service at 1-800-462-8782. GM's number for this recall is 01320.
To see whether a specific car still has an open recall, enter its VIN on NHTSA's official recall lookup. You can also decode a VIN here.
NHTSA defect investigations
- Front Wiper Transmission Inoperative (EA19005) — opened Dec 13, 2019, closed Nov 28, 2022, led to recall 22V165000.
- Windshield Wiper Transmission Failure (RQ18002) — opened Nov 2, 2018, closed Dec 19, 2019.
Recent owner reports
Short excerpts of the latest complaints filed with NHTSA, with personal details removed. Full reports can be searched on NHTSA.gov.
Tailgate lifts by itself
I am submitting this complaint regarding the engine timing chain failure in my 2015 GMC Terrain because I believe it presents a serious safety hazard. Before the failure, the vehicle began experiencing intermittent symptoms, including engine jerking, shaking, rough operation, abnormal engine…
The contact owns a 2015 GMC Terrain. The contact stated that while driving 5 MPH, the brake, ABS, and stabili-trak warning lights were illuminated. The dealer was contacted and diagnosed the vehicle with an Electronic Brake Control Module failure. The dealer stated that the manufacturer no longer…
I hit a deer and it totaled my vehicle and the Airbags did not deploy
See attached document for complaint.
Other GMC Terrain years
← 2014 Terrain · 2016 Terrain →
| Year | Complaints | Recalls |
|---|---|---|
| 2026 Terrain | 33 | 1 |
| 2025 Terrain | 13 | 0 |
| 2024 Terrain | 52 | 1 |
| 2023 Terrain | 40 | 2 |
| 2022 Terrain | 60 | 2 |
| 2021 Terrain | 36 | 2 |
| 2020 Terrain | 197 | 2 |
| 2019 Terrain | 186 | 3 |
| 2018 Terrain | 223 | 5 |
| 2017 Terrain | 135 | 1 |
| 2016 Terrain | 152 | 2 |
| 2015 | 298 | 3 |
| 2014 Terrain | 297 | 2 |
| 2013 Terrain | 364 | 3 |
| 2012 Terrain | 364 | 4 |
| 2011 Terrain | 386 | 4 |
| 2010 Terrain | 290 | 3 |
See all GMC Terrain problems by year, every GMC model, or the GMC VIN decoder.
Similar GMC models
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Frequently asked questions
What are the most common problems with the 2015 GMC Terrain?
Owners most often report visibility/wiper, engine, electrical system problems. The top one, visibility/wiper, accounts for 101 complaints.
Was there a recall on the 2015 GMC Terrain?
Yes, 3 safety recalls. Enter your VIN at NHTSA.gov to check whether the repairs were done on your car.
Was the 2015 GMC Terrain a good year?
Complaint data can't fully answer that, because counts aren't adjusted for sales. Compared with other Terrain model years, the 2015 has more complaints than most years, and NHTSA rates it 4 out of 5 stars overall in crash tests. Always get a pre-purchase inspection and check the VIN for open recalls.