2010 GMC Terrain Problems, Recalls & Reliability
426 owner complaints sit in the federal file for the 2010 GMC Terrain, alongside 3 recall campaigns and 3 defect investigations. It scores 74/100 on the trouble index — one of the years to avoid for this model. Engine leads the reports, typically around 77,000 miles.
Avoid this year if you can. The 2010 GMC Terrain sits at the top of this model's complaint rankings. Quieter picks in the same family: 2021–2022.
Avoid
Where 2010 sits among all Terrain years
What owners report
“Stalling when turning, coming up to stop lights and going down hills, engine making loud noises and excessive oil changes. Engine is now unoperable”— owner report to NHTSA, 2010 Terrain
“Dashboard lighting fading on and off at radio portion, including time, temp, and station. At same time, noise coming from right front side of vehicle.”— owner report to NHTSA, 2010 Terrain
“Windshield wipers stopped functioning while driving in very heavy down poor on the highway during rush hour traffic.”— owner report to NHTSA, 2010 Terrain
“Gmc terrain have a recall 2010-2014 on a high pressure fuel pump that is faulty and the ecm unit is not accurate that cause the transmission to fail.”— owner report to NHTSA, 2010 Terrain
“Service stabilitrak light comes on and the engine power is reduced. Happens while driving at any speed or stopped as well as on clear dry roads. Have to shut off and restart car multiple times to get full engine power.”— owner report to NHTSA, 2010 Terrain
Mileage when trouble shows up
Among the 325 reports that include an odometer reading, problems most often appear around 74,000 miles. Half of those reports fall between 46,234 and 100,000 miles — a useful range to weigh against the mileage of the exact car you're looking at.
Recalls (3)
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…
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…
General Motors LLC (GM) is recalling certain model year 2011-2012 Buick LaCrosse, Regal and Chevrolet Camaro, as well as certain 2010-2012 Cadillac SRX, Chevrolet Equinox and GMC Terrain vehicles, equipped with power height adjustable driver and passenger…
Fix: GM will notify owners, and dealers will replace the height adjuster shoulder bolts, free of charge. The manufacturer distributed interim letters to owners on September 11, 2014. The recall began on…
GENERAL MOTORS IS RECALLING CERTAIN MODEL YEAR 2010 CHEVROLET EQUINOX AND GMC TERRAIN VEHICLES FOR FAILING TO COMPLY WITH THE REQUIREMENTS OF FEDERAL MOTOR VEHICLE SAFETY STANDARD NO. 103, "WINDSHIELD DEFROSTING AND DEFOGGING SYSTEMS AND WITH FEDERAL MOTOR…
Fix: DEALERS WILL REPLACE THE COMPUTER MODULE IN THE CENTER INSTRUMENT PANEL FREE OF CHARGE. THE SAFETY RECALL IS EXPECTED TO BEGIN DURING JANUARY 2010. OWNERS MAY CONTACT CHEVROLET AT 1-800-630-2438,…
Federal defect investigations
Led to recall campaign 22V165000.
Technical service bulletins
1,651 manufacturer communications — service bulletins, the biggest share on engine and electrical — are on file for the 2010 GMC Terrain. A TSB is factory repair guidance, not a recall — the repair is not automatically free.
See the 2010 Terrain TSB list →
Complaint history for this model year
When owners filed their reports — a long tail means problems kept surfacing for years.
Questions buyers ask
Is the 2010 GMC Terrain reliable?
The 2010 GMC Terrain drew 426 complaints in federal safety records — one of the years to avoid for this model. Its trouble index is 74/100, scored against the model's worst year (2011).
What are the most common 2010 GMC Terrain problems?
The top reported problems for the 2010 GMC Terrain are engine (119 complaints), electrical (57), and visibility & wipers (54).
At what mileage do 2010 GMC Terrain problems show up?
Owners most often report 2010 GMC Terrain problems around 74,000 miles. Half of all reports that include an odometer reading fall between 46,234 and 100,000 miles.
Does the 2010 GMC Terrain have recalls?
3 recall campaigns apply to the 2010 GMC Terrain. Recall repairs are free at any franchised dealer.
Every number on this page is a count of records in the federal complaint, recall, and investigation files published by NHTSA's Office of Defects Investigation. Check any specific vehicle's open recalls by VIN at nhtsa.gov/recalls.