GMC Terrain Best and Worst Years

Counting owner complaints filed in each model year's first three years, the 2018 GMC Terrain drew the most (65; most described: the check engine light coming on, then loss of power or limp mode) and the 2021 the fewest (13).

Data: US EPA and NHTSAUpdated Sep 28, 2026

Every model year since 2016 in one place: EPA fuel economy, NHTSA recalls, owner complaints and crash test ratings. The best fuel economy rating, 32 mpg combined, arrived in 2018.

Best and worst years, by owner complaints

Model years ranked by owner complaints filed with NHTSA in their first three years (model year Y: filed by the end of Y+2), so every year is measured over the same time on the road. Years without three full years of data, and launch or final years with very few sold, are left out. Counts are not adjusted for how many were sold.

Model year	First 3 years	All complaints	Recalls
2018 Terrain Most described: the check engine light coming on, then loss of power or limp mode	65	220	5
2019 Terrain Most described: the check engine light coming on, then brake failure or a soft or hard pedal	50	185	3
2020 Terrain Most described: brake failure or a soft or hard pedal	38	196	2
2022 Terrain Most described: stalling or shutting off while driving	35	88	4
2023 Terrain Most described: loss of power or limp mode	18	39	2
2017 Terrain Most described: engine failure or replacement	17	133	1
2016 Terrain Most described: wiper failures	15	152	2
2021 Terrain Most described: shaking, shuddering or vibration	13	35	2

Year by year

Model year	Best rating	Recalls	Complaints	Crash test
2026 MPG · Recalls and problems	27 mpg Gas	1	33	Not rated
2025 MPG · Recalls and problems	27 mpg Gas	0	13	Not rated
2024 MPG · Recalls and problems	26 mpg Gas	1	49
2023 MPG · Recalls and problems	26 mpg Gas	2	39
2022 MPG · Recalls and problems	27 mpg Gas	4	88
2021 MPG · Recalls and problems	27 mpg Gas	2	35
2020 MPG · Recalls and problems	27 mpg Gas	2	196
2019 MPG · Recalls and problems	32 mpg Diesel	3	185
2018 MPG · Recalls and problems	32 mpg Diesel	5	220	4 to 5 stars
2017 MPG · Recalls and problems	25 mpg Gas	1	133
2016 MPG · Recalls and problems	26 mpg Gas	2	152

Owner complaints by model year

All complaints filed so far. Counts rise with sales volume and with time on the road, so recent years look better than they may turn out. The highlighted bar is the model year with the most complaints in its first three years.

2018: 220 complaints

Show as a table

Owner complaints by model year, GMC Terrain
Model year	Complaints
2016	152
2017	133
2018	220
2019	185
2020	196
2021	35
2022	88
2023	39
2024	49
2025	13
2026	33

Best combined rating by model year

The best-rated version in each model year. Gas: 25 to 28 mpg (every year from 2016 to 2026); highest in 2018. Diesel: 32 mpg (2018 to 2019).

Best gas version
Best diesel version

2026: gas 27 mpg · diesel not offered

Show as a table

GMC Terrain best combined mpg by model year
Model year	Best gas version	Best diesel version
2016	26	–
2017	25	–
2018	28	32
2019	28	32
2020	27	–
2021	27	–
2022	27	–
2023	26	–
2024	26	–
2025	27	–
2026	27	–

Questions

Which GMC Terrain years have the most problems?

Counting owner complaints filed with NHTSA in each model year's first three years, the 2018 (65) drew the most, then the 2019 (50). Owners of the 2018 most often describe the check engine light coming on, then loss of power or limp mode.

Which GMC Terrain years have the fewest problems?

The 2021 (13) drew the fewest complaints in its first three years. The 2024, 2025, and 2026 are not ranked yet: they have had fewer than three full years on the road.

Which GMC Terrain years should you avoid?

Complaint counts can't tell you whether a particular car is sound, but they show where owners reported the most trouble: the 2018, against 26 complaints in a typical GMC Terrain year. Whatever the year, check the car's open recalls by VIN at nhtsa.gov/recalls before you buy. Safety recall repairs are free at GMC dealers.

Which GMC Terrain years have the most recalls?

The 2018 has the most safety recalls in NHTSA's file (5), then the 2022 (4). A recall can cover a problem that affects only a few cars, so open a year's page to see what each one covers. No recall for 2016 to 2026 models tells owners not to drive the car or to park it outside.

What are the most common GMC Terrain problems?

In the 1,143 owner complaints NHTSA lists for 2016 to 2026 models, apart from warning lights, owners most often describe stalling or shutting off while driving (137 complaints); loss of power or limp mode (125 complaints); and brake failure or a soft or hard pedal (86 complaints, most of them for the 2019 and 2020). One complaint can describe several problems. Each year's recalls and problems page lists what owners describe for that year.

Which GMC Terrain year has the best MPG?

The best EPA fuel economy is 32 mpg combined, first reached by the 2018 diesel version.

Sources and method

US EPA fuel economy data (fueleconomy.gov), file dated Sep 18, 2026.
NHTSA recall file dated Sep 29, 2026 and owner complaint file dated Sep 28, 2026; NHTSA 5-Star Safety Ratings.

Complaint counts are unverified owner reports and are not adjusted for sales volume. How we build these pages. Spotted an error? Tell us.