2016 Gmc Terrain Safety Report
2016 GMC Terrain Safety Report
Safety Decision Cockpit for the 2016 Gmc Terrain
This page is the hub for deciding what to inspect next on the 2016 Gmc Terrain. It connects recall campaigns, owner complaint patterns, service bulletins, sibling model years, component issue hubs, and the model buying guide so a shopper or owner can move from a single report into the wider safety graph.
| Signal | Value | What to inspect next |
|---|---|---|
| Recall burden | Moderate (2) | Review campaign numbers, affected components, and dealer remedies below. |
| Owner complaints | High (144) | Scan complaint narratives for recurring symptoms, mileage, crashes, fires, injuries, and dates. |
| Crash and fire reports | 9 | Treat any crash, fire, injury, or fatality-linked pattern as a priority pre-purchase inspection item. |
| Primary component hub | Visibility/Wiper | Compare visibility/wiper issues across vehicles. |
| Cleaner nearby model year | 2021 | Compare against the 2021 Gmc Terrain with 30 complaints and 2 recalls. |
| Riskier nearby model year | 2015 | Check the 2015 Gmc Terrain before buying across this generation. |
Gmc Terrain Year-by-Year Comparison
The safest purchase decision usually comes from comparing neighboring model years, not reading a single page in isolation. The table below uses only validated Gmc Terrain years already present in the cleaned NHTSA dataset, so each comparison links to a real vehicle safety report rather than a generated combination.
| Model Year | Complaints | Recalls | Use case |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2017 Gmc Terrain | 131 | 1 | Compare as a potentially cleaner alternative. |
| 2015 Gmc Terrain | 309 | 3 | Inspect as a potentially higher-complaint year. |
| 2018 Gmc Terrain | 208 | 5 | Inspect as a potentially higher-complaint year. |
| 2019 Gmc Terrain | 167 | 3 | Inspect as a potentially higher-complaint year. |
| 2020 Gmc Terrain | 164 | 2 | Inspect as a potentially higher-complaint year. |
| 2021 Gmc Terrain | 30 | 2 | Compare as a potentially cleaner alternative. |
2016 Gmc Terrain Complaint Theme Map
Complaint counts become more useful when they are grouped into inspection themes. For the 2016 Gmc Terrain, these are the component areas with the clearest NHTSA complaint signals. Use each link to jump from this single vehicle into broader component hubs and make-specific issue pages.
Visibility/Wiper
44 owner complaints mention this component in the current safety profile.
All Visibility/Wiper issues Gmc onlyEngine
31 owner complaints mention this component in the current safety profile.
All Engine issues Gmc onlyExterior Lighting
9 owner complaints mention this component in the current safety profile.
All Exterior Lighting issues Gmc onlyUnknown Or Other
7 owner complaints mention this component in the current safety profile.
All Unknown Or Other issues Gmc onlyAir Bags
5 owner complaints mention this component in the current safety profile.
All Air Bags issues Gmc onlyPower Train
4 owner complaints mention this component in the current safety profile.
All Power Train issues Gmc onlyAI Safety Analysis for the 2016 Gmc Terrain
Reliability Score
The 2016 Gmc Terrain receives a reliability score of 85 out of 100 based on analysis of NHTSA complaint data, recall history, crash reports, and safety ratings. This indicates above-average reliability relative to comparable vehicles.
NHTSA Safety Ratings for the 2016 Gmc Terrain
The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) evaluates vehicles through controlled crash tests and assigns star ratings from 1 to 5, with 5 being the safest.
Known Issues for the 2016 Gmc Terrain
The following issues have been identified from NHTSA complaint data and owner reports for the 2016 Gmc Terrain:
| Issue | Severity | Frequency | Typical Mileage |
|---|---|---|---|
| Windshield Wipers Windshield wipers have failed during heavy rain, causing reduced visibility and potential safety hazards. |
Medium | Occasional | 30k-60k miles |
| Engine Oil Consumption Excessive oil consumption has been reported, leading to engine failure and unexpected breakdowns. |
Medium | Occasional | 30k-60k miles |
| Visibility Visibility issues, including foggy windshields, have been reported, affecting driver visibility and safety. |
Medium | Occasional | 30k-60k miles |
| Steering There have been occasional reports of steering issues, but they are less frequent. |
Low | Occasional | 30k-60k miles |
Common Problems Reported by Owners
Based on NHTSA complaint data, the following components account for the majority of reported issues with the 2016 Gmc Terrain:
Windshield wipers have failed during heavy rain, causing reduced visibility and potential safety hazards.
Excessive oil consumption has been reported, leading to engine failure and unexpected breakdowns.
Visibility issues, including foggy windshields, have been reported, affecting driver visibility and safety.
There have been occasional reports of steering issues, but they are less frequent.
Recall Details for the 2016 Gmc Terrain
The following 2 recalls have been issued for the 2016 Gmc Terrain by NHTSA:
Summary: 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."
Consequence: The bright reflection may cause a glare for other drivers, reducing their visibility and increasing the risk of a crash.
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.
Summary: General Motors LLC (GM) is recalling certain model year 2016 Chevrolet Equinox and GMC Terrain vehicles manufactured October 16, 2015. The certification labels may have incorrect tire/rim size and cold tire pressure information. As such, these vehicles fail to comply with the requirements of Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standard (FMVSS) number 110, "Tire Selection and Rims."
Consequence: If the information on the certification labels is incorrect, the operator may install incorrectly sized tires or rims or may improperly inflate the tires, increasing the risk of a crash.
Remedy: GM will notify owners, and dealers will inspect and replace the certification label, free of charge. The recall began on July 14, 2016. Owners may contact Chevrolet customer service at 1-800-222-1050, or GMC customer service at 1-800-462-8782. GM's number for this recall is 46600.
NHTSA Complaint Summaries for the 2016 Gmc Terrain
Below are complaint narratives filed by owners of the 2016 Gmc Terrain with the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration. 3 complaints involved crashes. 3 reported injuries or fatalities.
Carr paused, and then stopped in the middle of the highway, without any warning lights or identifiers. Other vehicles had to come to abrupt stops or even veer to avoid hitting me the manufacturer is aware, and has had a large lawsuit settlement due to a faulty rear seal causes massive internal oil consumption without any warning to the operator of of the vehicle. My research has shown that it is a...
excessive oil consumption....caused engine to fail....yes, car is available for inspection ...caused the car to lag and initially break down without any warning lights ...confirmed form dealer new engine needed...law suits in other states have proven that this seal problem has been known to GMC for years and they haven't repaired these faulty parts...again, no warning lights came on...please assis...
I bought the vehicle in November of 2025. No warning lights or problems running. Check the engine oil upon purchase and have the dealership sticker showing oil change was recently done and oil showed that it was full. Approximately 3 weeks after purchasing, the car starting idling rough and stalled a few times during my commute to work. The check engine light came on and it showed that the vvt was...
the car is having stability control issues
The contact owns a 2016 GMC Terrain. The contact stated that while driving approximately 20 MPH, a second vehicle crashed into the front passenger side of the vehicle. During the crash, the vehicle sustained severe damage to the front passenger side, but no air bags inside the cabin of the vehicle deployed. The driver of the other vehicle reported no injuries, and the air bags in her vehicle did d...
The windshield wipers quit working while driving during a down pour; some piece to the motor broke. This can cause severe injuries and even death due to the fact that it caused me to not be able to see where I was going and what was around me and could have driven off a high ramp. It hasn’t been inspected by anyone yet. There were no signs, warnings, or messages stating a failure may occur. This i...
I was driving my morning commute to work, when I came upon a stop light. I was pressing the brakes and the brakes failed to engage which caused me to hit a car in front of me. I did not have any warnings that the brakes were defective. The warning on the dash did not indicate that there was anything wrong with brakes. I had my set belt, was going the speed limit and my brakes just gave out. I have...
On or around August 15th I was in traffic and my 2016 GMC TERRAIN just shut off in the middle off traffic almost causing the car behind me to hit me is the rear. I got it started and then slowed down for a car that was turning in frount of me and it shut off again almost causing another car to rear end me. There where no warning light no warning at all just shut off I called a flat bed and it was ...
The contact owns a 2016 GMC Terrain. The contact stated that while her husband was driving at an undisclosed speed, the front windshield became foggy. The driver rolled down the windows to clear the windshield and the glass; however, the windshield became foggier. The driver was able to pull over to the shoulder of the roadway and clear the windshield by hand. The vehicle returned to normal functi...
The windshield wipers became inoperable due to a ball joint failure within the wipers. The parts are available for inspection. The safety of myself and others were put at risk as it was raining heavily after sundown and I could no longer see through my windshield due to the rain not being cleared off by windshield wipers. The visibility issue could have caused an accident, especially if the car i...
Excess Oil consumption
I was driving on an interstate highway. I entered a construction zone restricted to two lanes.(one each way). It began to rain very hard, after a short time of starting the front windshield wipers; both stopped. There was a total failure of both wipers with out any warning and a total loss of vision due to a rain covered windshield. Due to the restricted traffic lanes in the interstate constructi...
Windshield wipers stopped working during a downpour. Lucky I was able to make it home safely but took time. Checked fuses, nothing wrong there. Can hear something running so assume motor is OK, but linkage may have broken. Will have to take to mechanic
The front windshield wipers suddenly stopped working while I was driving on the freeway in moderate rainfall on [XXX]. I wasn't able to see through the windshield. I will call GMC in Roseville MN on Monday, June 9, 2025 to request a service date. I waited until the rain was lighter, so I could drive from Willow River Rest Area to Moose Lake, 19 miles. It was inspected at the repair shop, Federa...
WHILE DRIVING IN A HEAVY RAIN IN A CONSTUCTION ZONE, WIPER QUIT WORKING. Never notified vehicle had a wiper linkage failure issue. Paid for repairs out of pocket and GM won't compensate because a GM Dealer didn't perform repair. See Service Bulletin N192266180-01, thank you!
My vehicle started shaking & stalling really badly out of nowhere on April 18, 2025. Had to have it towed to GMC dealership. They said the engine was showing low compression. Got timely oil changes and everything on this engine. The check engine light nor any other warning light ever came on when this happened. After some research, the engine in my car, the 2.4 L engine on the 2014 - 2017 mod...
I am reporting excessive oil consumption in my 2016 GMC Terrain with the 2.4L Ecotec engine. The vehicle burns through an abnormal amount of oil between routine oil changes, often requiring additional oil changes without any visible leaks or dashboard warnings until the oil level is dangerously low. This issue has been diagnosed by a certified GMC dealership, but the repair was not covered under ...
My 2016 GMC Terrain exhibited the excessive oil consumption outlined in both of the following Special Coverage Adjustment bulletins. In addition to the excessive oil consumption, the oil light and oil pressure warnings never gave any indication that there was an issue or that the oil was low. This ended in the engine shaking the whole car, jerking it forward when stopped, and causing the engine to...
consumption of oil! I got my oil changed January 1, 2025. It is now February 1. I have driven less than 500 miles. I had no oil. I have no Leaks or anything wrong. The car just consumes . I have had to have 6 oil changes in the past 3 months. Shop after shop. Has said it just consumes oil and this vehicle is trash. I noticed there was also a lawsuit against it. If you do not put a recall out on m...
I was driving my vehicle to the gym when I noticed it was driving weird, it would not accelerate like normal, was having a hard time getting going and was making a weird noise. I had just put some oil in the car because we had known for a little while that it had a problem with burning oil because of the make and model (as told by other mechanics previously), when I got to the gym I heard a pop no...
Showing 20 of 144 complaints. Additional complaints are available via the NHTSA database.
NHTSA Defect Investigations for the 2016 Gmc Terrain
NHTSA defect investigations are higher-signal than ordinary complaints because they indicate the agency opened a formal review of a potential safety defect. Some investigations later connect to recall campaigns; others close without a recall after review.
Component: Visibility
Opened 2018-11-02 · Closed 2019-12-19
On November 2, 2018, the Office of Defects Investigation (ODI) opened a Recall Query (RQ18-002) to assess the scope of Recall 16V-582.General Motors (GM) initiated Safety Recall 16V-582 on August 3, 2016 to address windshield wiper failure in the Model Year (MY) 2013 Chevrolet Equinox and GMC Terrain. Failures were attributed to water and debris intrusion into the windshield wiper assembly ball joints, leading to excessive wear and eventual detachment of the affected ball joint with an attendant...
Component: Visibility
Opened 2019-12-13 · Closed 2022-11-28
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. Due to a prior recall, 16V-582, addressing this issue in the MY2013 subject vehicles, MY2013 was not included in the analysis. To date, ODI had received 998 complaints with allegations of the front windshield wiper failing in adverse whether conditions, while the vehicle was in motion...
Frequently Asked Questions About the 2016 Gmc Terrain
Has the 2016 GMC TERRAIN been recalled?
Yes, the 2016 GMC TERRAIN has 2 recalls on record with NHTSA. Each recall addresses a specific safety defect identified by the manufacturer or NHTSA.
How many complaints does the 2016 GMC TERRAIN have?
The 2016 GMC TERRAIN has 144 complaints filed with NHTSA. Of these, 9 involved crashes. 9 injuries and 0 deaths have been reported.
What is the safety rating for the 2016 GMC TERRAIN?
The 2016 GMC TERRAIN received an overall NHTSA safety rating of good (4/5). Frontal crash: 4/5. Side crash: 5/5. Rollover: 4/5.
What are the most common problems with the 2016 GMC TERRAIN?
The most commonly reported problems with the 2016 GMC TERRAIN involve visibility/wiper (44 complaints), engine (31 complaints), exterior lighting (9 complaints). Other affected components include unknown or other, air bags, power train.
How many crash reports does the 2016 GMC TERRAIN have?
There are 9 crash reports associated with the 2016 GMC TERRAIN out of 144 total complaints (6.3% of complaints involved crashes).
How many fire reports does the 2016 GMC TERRAIN have?
There are no fire reports for the 2016 GMC TERRAIN in the NHTSA database.
Are there any deaths reported for the 2016 GMC TERRAIN?
No deaths have been reported in NHTSA complaints for the 2016 GMC TERRAIN.
How many injuries are reported for the 2016 GMC TERRAIN?
9 injuries have been reported in NHTSA complaints for the 2016 GMC TERRAIN. These are self-reported by vehicle owners as part of their safety complaints.
Should I buy a 2016 GMC TERRAIN?
Based on NHTSA data, the 2016 GMC TERRAIN is acceptable with caveats. It has 144 complaints, 2 recalls, and a good (4/5) safety rating. Always have a pre-purchase inspection done by a qualified mechanic.
What components fail most on the 2016 GMC TERRAIN?
The components with the most failures on the 2016 GMC TERRAIN are: 1. VISIBILITY/WIPER (44 complaints), 2. ENGINE (31 complaints), 3. EXTERIOR LIGHTING (9 complaints), 4. UNKNOWN OR OTHER (7 complaints), 5. AIR BAGS (5 complaints). VISIBILITY/WIPER is the single most-reported problem area with 44 complaints.
What should I know before buying a 2016 GMC TERRAIN?
Inspect the engine oil and windshield wipers regularly, especially before long trips or in adverse weather conditions. The 2016 GMC TERRAIN has 144 NHTSA complaints and 2 recalls on record. NHTSA rates it good (4/5).
How reliable is the 2016 GMC TERRAIN?
The 2016 GMC TERRAIN receives a reliability score of 85/100, indicating above-average reliability. This is based on 144 owner complaints, 2 recalls, and 9 crash/fire reports in the NHTSA database. Key known issues include Windshield Wipers and Engine Oil Consumption.
What are the known issues with the 2016 GMC TERRAIN?
Known issues with the 2016 GMC TERRAIN include: Windshield Wipers, Engine Oil Consumption, Visibility, Steering. These are based on patterns found across 144 NHTSA complaints. 2 of these patterns resulted in formal recalls.
What are the most common issues with the 2016 GMC Terrain?
The most common issues are windshield wiper failures and engine oil consumption leading to engine failure.
Are there any recalls for the 2016 GMC Terrain?
Yes, there are recalls for exterior lighting and equipment labels.
What should I do if I experience steering issues?
Report the issue to the dealership and have it inspected to ensure safe operation.
Buyer Advice
Our recommendation: Inspect the engine oil and windshield wipers regularly, especially before long trips or in adverse weather conditions.
NHTSA Data Summary for 2016 Gmc Terrain
This safety report is based on a comprehensive analysis of data from the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) for the 2016 Gmc Terrain. The data includes 144 consumer complaints filed by vehicle owners, 2 manufacturer-initiated safety recalls, 9 reported crashes, 9 reported injuries, and safety rating assessments associated with this vehicle.
The NHTSA has assigned the 2016 Gmc Terrain an overall safety rating of 4 out of 5 stars, with a frontal crash rating of 4 stars, a side crash rating of 5 stars, and a rollover rating of 4 stars. These ratings are determined through controlled crash testing conducted by the NHTSA.
All data presented in this report is sourced from public NHTSA databases. Our AI analysis identifies patterns across complaint narratives, correlates them with recall history, and produces the safety assessment above. This analysis is updated as new complaints and recalls are filed with the NHTSA.
Consumers are encouraged to report vehicle safety problems to the NHTSA at nhtsa.gov. If your vehicle is subject to a recall, contact your dealer to schedule the free repair.
Disclaimer: This analysis is AI-generated from NHTSA public data and does not constitute professional automotive or safety advice. Always verify recall status at NHTSA.gov and consult a qualified mechanic.
Analysis last updated: 2026-05-16