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2017 GMC Terrain

Gas

Small Sport Utility Vehicle 2WD
5 EPA-rated configurations
Data refreshed 2026-10-26

Safety Signal

97 / 100 from the NHTSA recall record

RecallsNHTSA campaigns 1

Complaints11 crash · 2 fire · 7 injured reported 135

Crash ratingNHTSA overall 4★

Fuel economybest combined, EPA 25 mpg

2027 2026 2025 2024 2023 2022 2021 2020 2019 2018 2017 2016

The 2017 GMC Terrain is sold in the U.S. as a gas compact SUV with 5 EPA-rated configurations. The most efficient version, the Terrain FWD, is EPA-rated at 25 mpg combined. NHTSA lists 1 recall campaign for this model year, which gives it a Safety Signal grade of A. Owners have filed 135 complaints, most often about the engine. NHTSA crash-tested it at 4 stars overall.

GMC Terrain — photograph via Wikimedia Commons — GMC Terrain · Photo: Kevauto · CC BY-SA 4.0 · Wikimedia Commons

Specs & fuel economy

Source: EPA fueleconomy.gov

Configuration	Powertrain	Drive	Engine / motor	City	Hwy	Comb	Annual fuel*
Terrain FWD	Gas	FWD	2.4L 4-cyl	21	31	25	$2,700
Terrain FWD	Gas	FWD	2.4L 4-cyl	21	31	25	$2,700
Terrain AWD	Gas	AWD	2.4L 4-cyl	20	28	23	$2,900
Terrain FWD	Gas	FWD	3.6L 6-cyl	17	24	20	$3,350
Terrain AWD	Gas	AWD	3.6L 6-cyl	16	23	18	$3,700

*EPA estimate at 15,000 miles/year at EPA reference fuel and electricity prices. fueleconomy.gov record ids: 37502, 37504, 37465, 37503, 37507.

Emissions & certification

Source: EPA emission certificates

Configuration	Smog rating	Emission standard	Where it can be sold new	SmartWay
Terrain AWD, Terrain FWD	6 / 10	Federal Tier 3 Transitional Bin 110	All 50 states (federal, all altitudes); California and states following California standards	—

Certified for all fifty states, so it can be registered new anywhere in the U.S.

The smog rating scores tailpipe pollutants other than greenhouse gases, 1 (worst) to 10 (best), and is comparable only within a model year. The standard is the federal bin or California tier the configuration was certified to. Both come from the EPA certificate behind the window sticker.

Specifications filed with NHTSA

Source: NHTSA vPIC

Dimensions Exterior

Body style	Sport Utility Vehicle [SUV]/Multipurpose Vehicle [MPV]
Doors	4
GVWR class	Class 1C: 4,001 - 5,000 lb (1,814 - 2,268 kg)

Engine Basics

Cylinders	4
Displacement	2.4 L

Fuel Economy

Fuel	Gasoline

Seating

Seat rows	2
Seating capacity	5 seats

Transmission

Drivetrain

FWD/Front-Wheel Drive

Driver assistance

Standard: Anti-lock brakes, Backup camera, Blind-spot monitoring, Electronic stability control, Forward collision warning, Lane departure warning

Filed by the manufacturer with NHTSA under the federal vehicle-identification rule and decoded from the VIN pattern — not a manufacturer press kit, so it describes the configurations we could identify rather than every trim (seen: Denali, SLE 1, SLE 2, SLT). Figures for the trim you are looking at may differ.

Dimensions & weight

Source: Transport Canada

Length	185.4 in
Width (body, without mirrors)	72.8 in
Height	66.5 in
Wheelbase	112.6 in
Track, front	63.0 in
Track, rear	62.2 in
Curb weight	3,854–4,019 lb
Weight distribution, front/rear	56/44 to 57/43

Measured by Transport Canada for its Canadian Vehicle Specifications database, which covers the North American versions of each model — here 2 configurations: 4-door SUV AWD, 4-door SUV FWD. Where a range is shown, those versions differ. Width is the body without mirrors, which is why it can read narrower than a brochure figure. Before we used it we checked it against the US manufacturer press kits we hold (27 Sep 2026): wheelbase agreed within 1% on every vehicle we could compare, length on 98%, and the curb weight fell inside the manufacturer's range on 96%. Source dataset. Contains information licensed under the Open Government Licence – Canada. Licence.

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Recalls (1)

Source: NHTSA recall database

○minor

Exterior Lighting

N222363740

740,581 vehicles 39% reported repaired

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.

Filed with NHTSADefect report PDF Owner letter PDF

NHTSA campaign 22V137000 reported Mar 8, 2022 General Motors, LLC the full filing, and every vehicle covered →

These are vehicle campaigns — the ones the automaker filed against this model. NHTSA also records equipment recalls, filed by a parts maker against a component (a tyre, a child seat, an aftermarket part), and those are not listed here or counted above. nhtsa.gov/recalls shows both for a VIN.

Whether any of this applies to one specific Terrain

A campaign covers a build range, not a model year, so two identical-looking cars from 2017 can differ. Both of these check a VIN against the manufacturer’s own list, free, in about ten seconds. GMC publishes its own lookup because federal rule 49 CFR 573.15 requires it to, and to keep it current to within seven days.

NHTSA VIN check →GMC’s own VIN lookup →

Hear about a recall before the letter does

The manufacturer’s letter is the last step of a recall: it has up to 60 days after filing to mail owners, at the address on the registration. We email you the day NHTSA posts a recall on the 2017 GMC Terrain, with what to do next. Nothing else, ever — no newsletter, no marketing, one-click unsubscribe in every message.

Owner complaints

Source: NHTSA complaint database

135complaints filed

11 involved a crash · 2 a fire · 7 injuries · 0 deaths reported

14 per 10,000 built · GMC reported 97,361 Terrain built (its Early Warning production report to NHTSA)

Filed per year: 2017: 4 · 2018: 5 · 2019: 8 · 2020: 4 · 2021: 7 · 2022: 23 · 2023: 24 · 2024: 25 · 2025: 21 · 2026: 14

Most-cited components

Engine → 81

Power Train 24

Unspecified 20

Air Bags 13

Electrical System 9

Exterior Lighting 7

In depth: engine problems →

In owners' own words

Filed with NHTSA by the people who own these cars, one per problem area. Quoted as written, with anything identifying removed.

The contact owns a 2017 GMC Terrain. The contact stated while driving 30 MPH, the "Low Oil Pressure - Shut Engine Off" message was displayed. The contact was able to pull into his driveway and parked the vehicle.

Engine at 66,000 miles Jan 21, 2022 NHTSA owner report · ODI 11448339

Driver side head curtain airbags failed to properly deploy during rollover accident Not my vehicle, this is vehicle accident I responded to, Captain Fire Dept

Air Bags Dec 23, 2021 NHTSA owner report · ODI 11444837

The contact owns a 2017 GMC Terrain. The contact stated that whenever it would rainwater would leak into the vehicle underneath the dashboard on the passenger side of the vehicle causing water to leak onto the occupant's feet and onto the carpet. The contact had taken the vehicle to the dealer who resealed the area.

Structure at 48,000 miles Aug 11, 2021 NHTSA owner report · ODI 11428640

I AM the owner of a 2017 Gmc Terrain. Yesterday, I was involved in a car accident in this vehicle. Some person pulled out in front of me and I slammed on my brakes to avoid a car accident. His vehicle continued through an intersection in which he did not have the right away causing me to hit the front end of his truck.

Service Brakes at 50,000 miles Oct 3, 2020 NHTSA owner report · ODI 11362597

At around 20 miles per hour, while accelerating, all torque is lost and the vehicle engine revs high. It takes a few seconds, then the transmission finally shifts into the next gear. This causes a big jolt. It is dangerous, all power is lost, then suddenly too much power is applied. This has happened since I purchased the vehicle.

Power Train at 5,000 miles Nov 25, 2019 NHTSA owner report · ODI 11282165

When I started my vehicle the radio did not power on. The reverse camera is not working nor the bluetooth or any other function with the radio

Electrical System at 49,000 miles Aug 27, 2019 NHTSA owner report · ODI 11251849

Complaint counts are raw owner reports to NHTSA, not verified defects, and scale with how many were sold. Use them to spot patterns, not to rank.

Reported by GMC itself: 51 death-or-injury claims on this model year in its quarterly Early Warning reports to NHTSA (49 CFR 579.21): 1 killed, 66 injured, as claimed, not verified — about 52 per 100,000 built. Every Terrain model year, by year and system → Dated and by system, they are exhibit F of the defect dossier.

When owners reported it

Reported at 49k

miles, typically

Half the 37 owner reports with an odometer reading on file fall between 27,000 and 80,000 miles. That is when problems get reported, which is not the same as when they start — and not a failure rate, because nobody knows how many of these cars never had a problem at all.

under 10k 6

10k–20k 1

20k–30k 3

30k–40k 3

40k–50k 7

50k–60k 4

60k–70k 2

70k–80k 2

80k–90k 2

90k–100k 1

100k–150k 6

150k + 0

Median mileage by component

Component	Reports	Median miles	Vs same age
Engine	12	85,000	1.47×

Vs same age is this model year’s median for the system divided by the median of every 2017-model-year complaint about the same system, all makes: under 1× means owners of this car reported it at lower mileage. Which systems go early across the whole fleet: the component study.

Odometer readings as filed by owners with NHTSA. Readings under 100 or over 400,000 miles are dropped as data entry rather than history, and a component needs at least 12 readings before a median is shown for it.

Crash ratings

Source: NHTSA NCAP

Configuration	Overall	Frontal	Side	Rollover	Rollover risk
SUV AWD	★★★★☆	★★★★☆	★★★★★	★★★★☆	17%
SUV FWD	★★★★☆	★★★★☆	★★★★★	★★★★☆	19%

NHTSA New Car Assessment Program.

Service bulletins & campaigns

Source: NHTSA manufacturer communications

Extended coverage on file 1 filing by the manufacturer with NHTSA naming this model year

Term not in NHTSA’s summary · GM warranty extension 22-NA-244This warranty administration service bulletin provides information about GM Accessories - Dealer-Installed, Repaired or Replaced During Warranty Coverage Period.

The term and the vehicles it covers are the manufacturer’s, as NHTSA’s summary of each filing states them; a dealer checks one particular car by its VIN. Every GM warranty extension (33) → · Every warranty extension on file, all makes →

Communicationsfiled with NHTSA 1,065

Most recentmanufacturer date 2026-09-26

Kindsas classified by NHTSA 1062 service bulletins, 1 warranty extension, 1 service campaign

Most often about: Equipment, Engine, Electrical System, Power Train, Fuel/Propulsion System.

PIT5698F Service bulletin
2026-09-26 · Unknown Or Other
This PI provides Diagnostics tips on how the LIN bus works and how to diagnosis it.
PIP4902W Service bulletin
2026-09-04 · Unknown Or Other
This preliminary information advises a dealer on how to email GDS2 session logs into Technical Assistance.
PIT5099J Service bulletin
2026-07-21 · Unknown Or Other
PI to help diagnose A/C concern
PIP6113 Service bulletin
2026-05-19 · Unknown Or Other
This document provides the technician with a diagnostic tip if the vehicle stalls and set diagnostic trouble code P0191 and may also set P0172. The diagnostic tip has the technician inspect the high pressure fuel pump body markings to confirm it is an original manufacture part. If it is not an original manufacture part, they should install one and evaluate the vehicle.
PIT3271Q Service bulletin
2026-04-01 · Unknown Or Other
This preliminary information communicates information about how to determine if a wheel and tires size change is available.
PIP6104 Service bulletin
2026-03-09 · Unknown Or Other
This Preliminary information communicates the steps on how to save a GDS2 Session Log and upload to a Technical Assistance Case in CX Connect.
PIP4902V Service bulletin
2026-03-09 · Unknown Or Other
This preliminary information advises a dealer on how to email GDS2 session logs into Technical Assistance.
PIP4902U Service bulletin
2026-01-08 · Unknown Or Other
This preliminary information advises a dealer on how to email GDS2 session logs into Technical Assistance.

A service bulletin is the manufacturer telling its dealers how to diagnose or repair a known condition. It is not a recall, not a finding that the vehicle is defective, and the work is not automatically free — though a bulletin is often what a dealer works from when you describe a symptom, so quoting the document number can save a diagnosis. The count is every communication filed; the list shows the most recent, one entry per campaign, because a single campaign is usually filed as several documents on the same day. The summaries are NHTSA's; the full documents come from the manufacturer.

Diagnostic trouble codes on file

Source: NHTSA manufacturer communications and complaints

Codes documented against this model year in the federal record. A code appearing here does not mean this vehicle will set it — it means the code is part of this nameplate-year's documented history.

Code	What it means	Most often filed under	Where it appears
P0300 P0300 on GMC →	Misfire detected, but not isolated to one cylinder.	Engine · Ignition coils →	11 bulletins
B3055 B3055 on GMC →	Manufacturer-defined — the meaning is set by the automaker, not the standard.	Electrical System · Battery →	10 bulletins
B3060 B3060 on GMC →	Manufacturer-defined — the meaning is set by the automaker, not the standard.	Electrical System · Battery →	10 bulletins
B3935 B3935 on GMC →	Manufacturer-defined — the meaning is set by the automaker, not the standard.	Electrical System · Battery →	10 bulletins
P0308 P0308 on GMC →	Cylinder 8 is misfiring.	Engine · Ignition coils →	7 bulletins
P050D P050D on GMC →	Manufacturer-defined — the meaning is set by the automaker, not the standard.	Engine	7 bulletins
C0010 C0010 on GMC →	Manufacturer-defined — the meaning is set by the automaker, not the standard.	Service Brakes · Brake pads →	5 bulletins
P0171 P0171 on GMC →	The engine is running lean on bank 1: too much air, or not enough fuel, for the mixture the computer wants.	Fuel/Propulsion System · Mass air flow sensor →	5 bulletins
P0174 P0174 on GMC →	The engine is running lean on bank 2.	Fuel/Propulsion System · Mass air flow sensor →	5 bulletins
P05CE	Manufacturer-defined — the meaning is set by the automaker, not the standard.	Electrical System · Battery →	5 bulletins
P228C	Manufacturer-defined — the meaning is set by the automaker, not the standard.	Fuel/Propulsion System · Fuel pump →	4 bulletins
B101D B101D on GMC →	Manufacturer-defined — the meaning is set by the automaker, not the standard.	Electrical System · Battery →	3 bulletins

Generic codes (the second character is 0 or 2) mean the same thing on every vehicle sold in the United States. Manufacturer-specific codes (1 or 3) mean whatever the automaker assigned, and no honest source can define them for you — which is why the ones here carry the evidence instead of a definition. A code is a link when enough separate federal documents name it across the catalogue to be worth a page of its own; the rest are listed here, where the vehicle is the context that makes them mean something.

At the New York inspection station

Source: New York State DMV

New York inspections 4.5%

failed emissions

2,390 initial inspections of 2,332 vehicles.

Measure	The 2017 Terrain	Every 2017 vehicle	Behind it
Failed the emissions check	4.5%	3.7%	2,384
Failed the safety inspection	2.3%	2.1%	2,390
Air-bag warning lamp stayed lit	0.21%	0.25%	2,390
Miles driven a year	10,025	10,048	odometer at inspection
Average odometer	93,096	93,238	odometer at inspection

New York’s emissions test on these model years is an on-board diagnostics check: it fails a car whose check-engine light is on or whose self-tests have not finished. First inspections only, so a car that failed and came back is counted once; private and special plates, not taxis, livery or commercial plates. A rate appears only where at least 200 inspections stand behind it. “Every 2017 vehicle” is every 2017 model-year car, SUV and pickup inspected in the same window, all makes. This is the state’s record of test results, not a reliability score by itself. Source: New York State Department of Motor Vehicles, Vehicle Inspections (data.ny.gov, Open NY terms).

Terrain by model year

all years, side by side →

Year Safety Recalls Complaints

2027 A 0 1 26 mpg 2026 A 1 33 27 mpg 2025 A 0 13 27 mpg 2024 A 1 53 26 mpg 2023 B 2 41 26 mpg 2022 C 4 88 27 mpg 2021 B 2 36 27 mpg 2020 B 2 197 27 mpg 2019 C 3 186 32 mpg 2018 C 5 225 32 mpg 2017 this page A 1 135 25 mpg 2016 A 2 153 26 mpg

Common questions about the 2017 Terrain

Source: EPA, NHTSA and manufacturer press kits

Does the 2017 GMC Terrain have any recalls?

NHTSA has posted 1 recall campaign for the 2017 GMC Terrain. The most serious on file is 22V137000, covering Exterior Lighting. Check your own VIN at nhtsa.gov/recalls; a recall applies to specific build ranges, not every car.

How safe is the 2017 GMC Terrain?

NHTSA gave the 2017 GMC Terrain 4 stars overall in its New Car Assessment Program tests — 4-star frontal crash, 5-star side crash, 4-star rollover. WhichTrim also grades it A (97/100) on its recall record, which is a different question from crash protection.

What is the fuel economy of the 2017 GMC Terrain?

Across the 5 EPA-rated configurations of the 2017 GMC Terrain, the best EPA combined figure is 25 mpg. Figures are the EPA's own, per configuration, and every one is listed above.

What are the dimensions of the 2017 GMC Terrain?

Transport Canada measured it at 185.4 in long, 72.8 in wide (body, without mirrors), 66.5 in tall, on a 112.6 in wheelbase. Curb weight: 3,854–4,019 lb depending on configuration. Those are its measurements of the North American versions; every figure is in the table above.

What do owners complain about on the 2017 GMC Terrain?

Owners have filed 135 complaints with NHTSA about the 2017 GMC Terrain, most often about engine, power train, unspecified. Of those, 11 involved a crash, 2 a fire, 7 reported injuries. Complaints are unverified owner reports, so treat the pattern as a signal and the individual report as an anecdote.

How clean is the 2017 GMC Terrain?

The EPA smog rating for the 2017 GMC Terrain is 6 out of 10. That score covers tailpipe pollutants other than greenhouse gases, and it only compares vehicles within the same model year. It is certified for all fifty states, so it can be registered new anywhere in the U.S. The certificate names the standard as Federal Tier 3 Transitional Bin 110.

Are there service bulletins for the 2017 GMC Terrain?

The manufacturer has filed 1065 service bulletins and related communications with NHTSA for the 2017 GMC Terrain, most often covering equipment, engine, electrical system. The most recent is dated 2026-09-26. A bulletin is not a recall: it is the repair procedure a manufacturer sends its dealers for a condition it knows about, and the work is not automatically paid for. It is still worth knowing — if the symptom matches, quoting the bulletin number at the service desk can save a diagnosis. The document numbers and summaries are listed above.

How does the 2017 GMC Terrain do at state inspection?

In New York’s inspection lanes over the 12 months to Oct 10, 2026, the 2017 GMC Terrain failed the emissions check on 4.5% of first inspections — close to the 3.7% for every 2017 model-year vehicle inspected; and the safety inspection on 2.3% (every 2017 vehicle: 2.1%). The figures are New York State DMV’s own inspection records, first inspections only, and the table above sets each one against every vehicle of the same model year.

What we hold, and what an empty row means

Paid vehicle-history reports will not tell you the difference between “nothing happened to this car” and “we never received that record” — both of the big two say as much in their own help pages. Most of what is on this page comes from complete federal registers, so we can tell you which is which, row by row.

Data	Held	Source	What it covers — or what empty means
Fuel economy & configurations	5 configurations	EPA certification records	Every configuration the EPA certified for sale, with its own test figures.
Emission certificates	5 configurations	EPA emission certificates	Smog rating, standard and the sales area that decides where the car can be sold new.
Recalls	1	NHTSA recall campaigns	A complete federal register: every campaign covering this model year, with severity and advisory flags.
Owner complaints	135	NHTSA complaint database	Also complete, but unverified: these are reports owners filed, not findings. Counts scale with how many were sold.
Crash ratings	2 tested	NHTSA NCAP	Only the configurations NHTSA chose to crash-test, which is never all of them.
Service bulletins	1065	NHTSA manufacturer communications	Everything the manufacturer told its dealers about a defect or malfunction, short of a recall.
Investigations	none	NHTSA Office of Defects Investigation	No defect investigation has been opened.
Driver-assist crash reports	none	NHTSA Standing General Order 2021-01	No report has been filed. Only entities named in the order report, and only crashes they hear of — so this is also what an unequipped car, or a manufacturer without telematics, looks like.
Specifications filed with NHTSA	9 fields	NHTSA vPIC, decoded from VIN patterns	What the manufacturer filed under the federal VIN rule — a configuration, not the full trim ladder.
Measured dimensions	7 fields	Transport Canada, Canadian Vehicle Specifications	Length, width, height, wheelbase, track and curb weight, measured on the North American versions.
Trims, pricing & equipment	none	Manufacturer press kit	We have not transcribed a press kit for this model year yet. This is our gap, not the manufacturer's — the one row here where an empty cell means we are behind.

Rebuilt nightly; this page was generated 2026-10-26. Every figure above is traceable to the source named beside it, and the JSON for this page carries the same values with their identifiers.

Sources & method

Safety Signal starts every model-year at 100 and subtracts points per open NHTSA recall campaign by severity: critical 15 (fire risk, park-outside or do-not-drive advisories), high 8 (brakes, steering, airbags, loss of drive power, structure, battery), moderate 6, minor 3 (software, labels, lighting fixed by an update). The most serious recall counts in full and each further one counts 85% of the one before, because a vehicle sold in millions is recalled more often than a rare one without being more dangerous — and because a flat subtraction bottomed the scale out, scoring a vehicle with 22 recalls within a point of one with six. A ≥ 90, B ≥ 80, C ≥ 70, D ≥ 60, otherwise F. Read it as what it counts: recall campaigns on the federal record, weighted by severity. The damping reduces the sales bias by roughly 40% but does not remove it: like our complaint counts, this is not normalized by how many were sold, so a best-seller still scores somewhat worse than an obscure model with the same real risk. NHTSA crash ratings, do-not-drive and park-outside advisories, and the crash, fire, injury and death counts in owner complaints are reported separately on every page and never blended into the letter — a vehicle can hold five stars and a poor letter at once, and where that happens we say so rather than leave you to notice. Because the scale subtracts from a clean sheet, a model year too new to have been recalled, complained about or bulletined scores full marks on an empty record; we label those grades provisional rather than present them as earned.

EPA figures come from fueleconomy.gov vehicle records. Recalls, complaints, investigations and crash ratings come from NHTSA's public flat files, refreshed nightly.

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