Vehicle report

2010 GMC Terrain

Free recalls, owner complaints, and NHTSA safety ratings for the 2010 GMC Terrain, plus how to check this specific vehicle before you buy.

The 2010 GMC Terrain has 3 NHTSA recalls on record and 15 owner complaints filed with NHTSA. Its overall NHTSA crash-test rating is not rated. Below is the full breakdown, plus how to check this specific vehicle by VIN before you buy in Alberta.

3

Open recalls

15

Complaints

Not Rated

Overall safety

Get the full vehicle history report

SPONSORED

Accident & damage records, liens, title brands, ownership history, and odometer verification.

Get full report →

Provided by our vehicle-history partner. We may earn a commission at no extra cost to you.

2010 GMC Terrain recalls (3)

  • SEATS:FRONT ASSEMBLY:POWER ADJUST

    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 seats. In the affected vehicles, the bolt that secures the driver's and passenger's power front seat height adjuster may fall out causing the seat to drop suddenly to the lowest vertical position.

    Remedy: 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 December 26, 2014. Owners may contact GM customer service at 1-800-521-7300 (Buick), 1-800-458-8006 (Cadillac), 1-800-222-1020 (Chevrolet), or 1-800-462-8782 (GMC). GM's number for this recall is 14271.

  • VISIBILITY:DEFROSTER/DEFOGGER/HVAC SYSTEM

    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 VEHICLE SAFETY STANDARD NO. 101, CONTROLS AND DISPLAYS". THE SOFTWARE IN THE CENTER INSTRUMENT PANEL CAN CAUSE THE HEATING, AIR CONDITIONING, DEFROST, AND RADIO CONTROLS, AS WELL AS THE PANEL ILLUMINATION TO BECOME INOPERATIVE.

    Remedy: 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, GMC AT 1-866-996-9463 OR AT WWW.GMOWNERCENTER.COM.

  • EXTERIOR LIGHTING:HEADLIGHTS

    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."

    Remedy: 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.

2010 GMC Terrain safety ratings

Not Rated

Overall

Not Rated

Front

Not Rated

Side

4

Rollover

Source: NHTSA NCAP ratings.

2010 GMC Terrain owner complaints (15)

  • UNKNOWN OR OTHER

    I am reporting an auto dealership and its finance company for contract fraud, electronic profile manipulation, and using illegal repossession threats to cover it up. During my vehicle purchase, the dealership used deceptive bait-and-switch tactics. They altered my final contract numbers without my consent, hid account ledgers, and changed how my down payment was applied. Crucially, they entered falsified financial metrics and manipulated personal tracking data within the electronic underwriting systems and lending networks to force a loan approval that never should have happened. The business records prove the companies have known about this active fraud dispute since March 31st, when I placed a formal cease-and-desist call to management. Instead of stopping collection activities to investigate the fraud, they ignored my notices, hid my payment histories, and completely refused to cooperate. Now, even though these companies are actively being sued in state court for these exact consumer protection violations, they are weaponizing aggressive repossession threats to try and bypass judicial oversight. The dealership sent a physical letter threatening immediate repossession while openly admitting my dispute flags had been active since March 31st. Shortly after, on the exact same day their legal counsel received the court lawsuit papers, the finance company mailed an aggressive notice threatening a live repossession of my vehicle by a strict deadline of July 2nd. They are deliberately using extrajudicial intimidation to seize the physical vehicle and cover their tracks before a state court judge can audit their electronic fraud. I request that NHTSA investigate this dealership and finance company for predatory marketplace practices and falsifying transaction information in electronic auto systems.

  • ENGINE

    I bought this car and the mileage said 120K, but the title says when it was tagged 157K. the car has been tampered with and the some of the lights for the car on the dash are missing, such as the check engine light. Also, it misses so bad that it will die at times

  • UNKNOWN OR OTHER

    Got everything under the hood done n still have the same problem with it shut off while driving

  • ELECTRICAL SYSTEM,VISIBILITY

    The contact owns a 2010 GMC Terrain. The contact stated that while operating the vehicle, the center console display intermittently malfunctioned and became inoperable. During the failure, the HVAC system was no longer blowing hot air, and the front windshield could not be defrosted, creating a visibility hazard for the driver. Additionally, the radio had become inoperable, and the audible clicking from the turn signal was muted. The cause of the failures was not yet determined. The manufacturer was notified of the failures and informed the contact that the VIN was not included in NHTSA Campaign Number: 09V489000 (VISIBILITY). The contact stated that the vehicle had experienced the failure listed in the recall. The local dealer was not contacted. The failure mileage was 114,000.

  • ENGINE

    The contact owns a 2010 GMC Terrain. The contact stated that while driving at an undisclosed speed, the service stabili-trak and check engine warning lights were illuminated. The vehicle was taken to O’Reilly Auto Parts, where it was diagnosed with a misfire in cylinder #3. The vehicle was then towed to an independent mechanic and the contact was informed that there was no compression in cylinder #3. The vehicle was diagnosed with engine failure. The contact was informed that the engine needed to be replaced. The vehicle was not repaired. The vehicle was towed to the dealer, where it was diagnosed with engine failure. The contact was informed that the engine needed to be replaced. The vehicle was not repaired. In addition, the contact stated that several oil consumption tests were performed by the dealer over the past three years. The contact stated that after each oil consumption test was performed, the oil pressure was always a quart or more lower when checked; however, the contact was informed that it was not an issue. The manufacturer was not made aware of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 120,000.

  • ELECTRICAL SYSTEM,ENGINE,FUEL/PROPULSION SYSTEM

    Reduce spreed unknown if related to fuel pressure regulator since repaired twice told could be to service bulletin. Warning lights keeps appearing while driving at a speed of 40 to 50 mph.

  • ELECTRICAL SYSTEM,ENGINE

    Twice had to have wiring repaired because animals ate the wiring. Both were caused by GM using soy based insulation on wiring that made it a delicacy to the animals and caused them to eat through two wiring harnesses, one of which GM no longer makes. The other complaint is the timing belt has stretched and is now in need of replacement at a cost of $4500 to $5000.

  • VISIBILITY/WIPER

    Wipers stop working

  • ELECTRICAL SYSTEM

    The contact owns a 2010 GMC Terrain. The contact stated that upon attempting to start the vehicle, the vehicle failed to start as intended; however, the contact was able to jumpstart the vehicle. After a visual inspection of the engine compartment, the contact observed excessive corrosion on and around the battery terminals and the presence of battery acid coming from the battery casing. The contact stated that while driving at an undisclosed speed, several unknown electronics and instrument panel gauges failed to work properly. No warning lights were illuminated. The vehicle was not taken to the dealer or an independent mechanic. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was not notified of the failure. The failure mileage was 58,000. The VIN was not available.

  • POWER TRAIN

    The transmission stoped working after the second shift.

  • POWER TRAIN

    The contact owns a 2010 GMC Terrain. The contact stated that while driving at various speeds, the vehicle stalled without warning. The contact had taken the vehicle to the dealer; however, the mechanic was unable to determine the cause of the failure. The manufacturer was not notified of the failure. The vehicle was not repaired. The failure mileage was approximately 160,000.

  • POWER TRAIN

    Faulty timing chain

  • ELECTRICAL SYSTEM,VISIBILITY/WIPER

    My defrost system doesn't work. As I drive down the road my windshield fogs up andni can't get it to un fog at all or fast enough. Almost caused me to have an accident before Christmas

  • ELECTRICAL SYSTEM,VISIBILITY/WIPER

    The defroster/ radio control/ heating area stopped working. Upon visiting a mechanic was told they never seen this or heard of this happening before and quoted me over $1,000.00 dollars to fix stating that due to Federal Law they have to give an estimate but this problem not being in their system they came up with an estimate based on parts and labor. Upon searching online I found a recall for this issue dating back to 2009 recall number was 09V489000 but was never informed about this and while looking up my car it’s not listed but being a safety issue should still be current which it is not.

  • POWER TRAIN,UNKNOWN OR OTHER,VISIBILITY/WIPER

    As i went to drive my terrain we bought back in June or July. But for the absolute first time we needed to use the defrost/defogger button last week on OCTOBER 20, 2022 and it wouldn't work. No lights came on to say it was defaulty. It also started to make our radio screen flicker when i tried to turn defrost on and it's continuously flickering and defrost doesn't engage on front windshield at all won't even melt snow or help defog when it's been raining or it's cold out. I almost wrecked my terrain due to this problem. Now on my instrument panel says camshaft/crankshaft sensor says service stabilitrack and something about my AWD System. All these happened within a week from trying to use my defrost. Also my instrument panel where it shows how fast i go flickers and it flickers on the RPM side as well. Noone has touched or looked it over since i have owned my 2010 terrain. Everything was just fine up till i pushed my defrost button and then all the other stuff happened

Checking a used GMC Terrain before you buy

The recall, complaint, and safety data above describes the 2010 Terrain in general. To know the condition and history of the specific vehicle you're looking at, check it by VIN. A VIN check shows whether this particular Terrain's recalls are still outstanding, and a full history report adds accident, title, and ownership records the data above can't show.

Before you buy a 2010 GMC Terrain in Alberta:

See other model years of the GMC Terrain, or browse more GMC models.

2010 GMC Terrain — questions and answers

Does the 2010 GMC Terrain have any recalls?+

Our check found 3 NHTSA recalls associated with the 2010 GMC Terrain. Check the specific vehicle by VIN to see which remain outstanding, since some may already have been repaired. Recall repairs are free at a franchised dealer.

How many complaints does the 2010 GMC Terrain have?+

NHTSA lists 15 owner complaints for the 2010 GMC Terrain in our results. Complaints are problems reported by owners and don't always lead to a recall, but a pattern of similar complaints is worth weighing before you buy.

Is the 2010 GMC Terrain safe?+

The 2010 GMC Terrain has an overall NHTSA crash-test rating of not rated. Review the front-crash, side-crash, and rollover ratings above, and pair safety ratings with a mechanical inspection of the specific vehicle.

How do I check a 2010 GMC Terrain VIN?+

Enter the vehicle's 17-character VIN into our free VIN check to see recalls, complaints, and safety ratings for that exact vehicle, then run an Alberta Personal Property Registry (PPR) lien search before you pay.

Are recall repairs on a GMC free?+

Yes. Safety recall repairs are performed at no cost by a franchised GMC dealer, even for a used vehicle and even if you're not the original owner. Confirm the required parts are in stock before relying on the fix.

Get the full vehicle history report

SPONSORED

Accident & damage records, liens, title brands, ownership history, and odometer verification.

Get full report →

Provided by our vehicle-history partner. We may earn a commission at no extra cost to you.