2010 GMC Terrain Recalls and Problems

NHTSA lists 3 safety recalls and 290 owner complaints for the 2010 GMC Terrain.

Recalled components: exterior lighting, seats, and visibility. Most-described problem: the check engine light coming on (41 complaints, 14%), then timing chain or belt problems (37). Most-reported area: engine (107 complaints, 37%; median mileage when it happened: 79,800).

Data: NHTSA recall, complaint and investigation filesUpdated Oct 2, 2026

Best year

3 safety recalls for the 2010 GMC Terrain

Newest first. Summaries are NHTSA's own wording. Open a recall for the fix and the full notice.

Questions about any of these recalls: call NHTSA's Vehicle Safety Hotline at 888-327-4236 (TTY 888-275-9171) or check your VIN at nhtsa.gov/recalls.

NHTSA investigations

NHTSA has opened 3 investigations that name the 2010 GMC Terrain; all 3 are closed. An investigation means NHTSA is reviewing reports of a problem. It is not a finding that the vehicle has a defect.

A preliminary evaluation is NHTSA's first step, to gather information and decide whether to look further. An engineering analysis is a deeper review, usually opened after a preliminary evaluation. A recall query is a review of whether a recall covered the right vehicles or whether its fix works. NHTSA lists investigations by make, model and model year only, so one can apply to only some versions of a model, such as one engine; its summary says which.

What owners report

Owners have filed 290 complaints with NHTSA about the 2010 Terrain. Below, they are sorted by the problems owners describe and by the areas NHTSA files them under. NHTSA does not verify complaints.

Problems owners describe

• Check engine light41 · 14%
  Median 77,600 miles at failure, from 34 reports with mileage
• Timing chain or belt problems37 · 13%
  Median 81,000 miles at failure, from 28 reports with mileage
• Wiper failures29 · 10%
  Median 104,400 miles at failure, from 27 reports with mileage
• Excessive oil consumption28 · 10%
  Median 86,500 miles at failure, from 20 reports with mileage
• Stalling or shutting off26 · 9%
  Median 61,900 miles at failure, from 22 reports with mileage
• Loss of power or limp mode23 · 8%
  Median 63,500 miles at failure, from 18 reports with mileage
• Engine failure or replacement20 · 7%
  Median 90,000 miles at failure, from 17 reports with mileage
• Air conditioning or heater failures18 · 6%

Counted from the complaint text: a complaint counts once for each problem it describes (how we match them). Some complaints describe none of these. Compare other models in the problem owners report most for every model year.

Areas named in complaints

• Engine107 · 37%
  Median 79,800 miles at failure, from 82 reports with mileage
• Powertrain51 · 18%
  Median 70,100 miles at failure, from 40 reports with mileage
• Electrical system48 · 17%
  Median 71,600 miles at failure, from 34 reports with mileage
• Visibility/wiper40 · 14%
  Median 97,200 miles at failure, from 33 reports with mileage
• Air bags24 · 8%
  Median 44,200 miles at failure, from 23 reports with mileage
• Stability control21 · 7%
  Median 72,000 miles at failure, from 19 reports with mileage
• Speed control17 · 6%
  Median 48,000 miles at failure, from 15 reports with mileage
• Unknown or other16 · 6%

A complaint can name more than one area, so shares add up to more than 100%. Mileage is shown where at least 15 owners reported it.

GMC Terrain recalls and complaints by model year

The highlighted bars are the 2010 model year. Newer model years have had less time on the road, so their counts are lower. Counting complaints filed in each model year's first three years, the 2018 Terrain drew the most (65) and the 2010 drew 34.

Crash test ratings

NHTSA's 5-Star Safety Ratings for each version it tested. Rollover risk is NHTSA's estimate of the chance of rolling over in a single-vehicle crash.

2010 Terrain MPG

Questions