NHTSA lists 3 safety recalls and 297 owner complaints for the 2015 GMC Terrain.
Recalled components: visibility, exterior lighting, and air bags. Most-described problem: wiper failures (100 complaints, 34%). Most-reported area: visibility/wiper (101 complaints, 34%; median mileage when it happened: 70,000).
Fewer complaints than a typical Terrain year
The 2015 drew 26 owner complaints in its first three years, against 34 for a typical Terrain year. Best years are picked only from 2016 on, since counts for older years say less: owners filed fewer complaints in the early 2010s.
No Terrain year stands out enough to avoid; best years: 2016, 2017, and 2021. Based on owner complaints, not adjusted for sales.
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.
The fix and full notice
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.
General Motors, LLC (GM) is recalling certain 2014-2015 Chevrolet Equinox and 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.
The fix and full notice
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.
General Motors, LLC (GM) is recalling certain 2010-2017 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.
The fix and full notice
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.
General Motors LLC (GM) is recalling certain model year 2015 Buick LaCrosse, Cadillac XTS, Chevrolet Camaro, Equinox, Malibu, and GMC Terrain vehicles.
NHTSA listing: TERRAIN. GMC campaign 01320.
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 2 investigations that name the 2015 GMC Terrain; both are closed. An investigation means NHTSA is reviewing reports of a problem. It is not a finding that the vehicle has a defect.
Front wiper transmission inoperative
Engineering analysis EA19005Closed Nov 28, 2022 (opened Dec 13, 2019)
On December 13, 2019, the Office of Defects Investigation (ODI) upgraded RQ18-002 to an Engineering Analysis (EA19-005) to further assess the MY2010-2016 Chevrolet Equinox and GMC Terrain windshield wiper failures.
NHTSA ties this investigation to recall 22V-165, listed above.
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 297 complaints with NHTSA about the 2015 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
Wiper failures100 · 34%
Median 72,000 miles at failure, from 73 reports with mileage
Stalling or shutting off35 · 12%
Median 61,500 miles at failure, from 18 reports with mileage
Check engine light29 · 10%
Median 61,200 miles at failure, from 18 reports with mileage
Median 70,000 miles at failure, from 72 reports with mileage
Engine80 · 27%
Median 83,000 miles at failure, from 30 reports with mileage
Electrical system31 · 10%
Median 47,000 miles at failure, from 16 reports with mileage
Exterior lighting24 · 8%
Powertrain21 · 7%
Visibility20 · 7%
Air bags16 · 5%
Unknown or other21 · 7%
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 2015 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 2015 drew 26.
Owner complaints
2015: 297 complaintsTap or drag across the chart for other years.
Show as a table
Owner complaints by model year, GMC Terrain
Model year
Complaints
2010
290
2011
386
2012
364
2013
364
2014
296
2015
297
2016
152
2017
134
2018
223
2019
185
2020
197
2021
36
2022
88
2023
39
2024
49
2025
13
2026
33
Safety recalls
2015: 3 recallsTap or drag across the chart for other years.
Show as a table
Safety recalls by model year, GMC Terrain
Model year
Recalls
2010
3
2011
4
2012
4
2013
3
2014
2
2015
3
2016
2
2017
1
2018
5
2019
3
2020
2
2021
2
2022
4
2023
2
2024
1
2025
0
2026
1
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.
In the 297 owner complaints filed with NHTSA for the 2015 GMC Terrain, the problems described most are wiper failures (100), stalling or shutting off (35), and the check engine light coming on (29). NHTSA does not verify complaints, and one complaint can describe several problems.
Is the 2015 GMC Terrain safe?
In NHTSA crash tests every tested version of the 2015 GMC Terrain earns 4 stars overall. The table above lists each tested version.
Is NHTSA investigating the 2015 GMC Terrain?
No. NHTSA's investigations file, dated Oct 2, 2026, lists no open investigations for the 2015 GMC Terrain. It lists 2 closed ones; the most recent closed on Nov 28, 2022.
How do I check if my Terrain has an open recall?
Enter the 17-character VIN from your dashboard, door jamb or registration at nhtsa.gov/recalls. The lookup lists unrepaired recalls for that exact vehicle. Safety recall repairs are free at GMC dealers.
Sources and method
NHTSA recalls file (NHTSA datasets), dated Oct 2, 2026; every campaign checked against NHTSA's recalls API.
NHTSA owner complaints file, dated Oct 2, 2026. Counted by complaint number, so a complaint naming three components counts once in the total.
NHTSA investigations file, dated Oct 2, 2026. Defect petitions, which ask NHTSA to open an investigation, are listed apart and only while open. Audit queries, which check whether a company met its recall and reporting duties rather than whether a vehicle has a problem, are not listed.
NHTSA 5-Star Safety Ratings (NCAP).
NHTSA model names covered: TERRAIN.
Complaint counts are unverified owner reports. They rise with sales volume and time on the road, so compare model years with care. How we build these pages. Spotted an error? Tell us.