The 2016 GMC Terrain is associated with 152 official NHTSA owner defect complaints and 2 safety recall campaigns in the federal safety database. The most frequently reported component area is Visibility & Wipers, accounting for 46 reports (30% of total complaints). EPA testing covers 5 certified vehicle configurations spanning 2.4l 4-cyl and 3.6l 6-cyl configurations. Gasoline and hybrid variants deliver 18 to 26 MPG combined.

Key Data Findings
  • • NHTSA Owner Complaints: 152 reports
  • • Safety Recall Campaigns: 2 campaigns
  • • Top Reported Defect Area: Visibility & Wipers (46 / 30%)
  • • Safety Incident Signals: 9 crash / 0 fire / 8 injury reports
  • • NHTSA Overall Safety Rating: 4 / 5 Stars
  • • EPA Efficiency: 18–26 MPG (5 variants)
Data Note: Compiled directly from official NHTSA Office of Defects Investigation (ODI), NHTSA 5-Star Safety Ratings, and EPA FuelEconomy.gov databases.
Fuel Economy
18–26MPG
5 EPA certified variants (2.4l 4-cyl and 3.6l 6-cyl configurations)
Reported Complaints
152
152 submitted owner reports
Safety Recalls
2
2 official NHTSA recalls
NCAP Safety Rating
4 / 5 Stars Overall

What is the fuel economy and range of the 2016 GMC Terrain?

Official EPA laboratory test ratings, electric driving range, and annual energy cost estimates by certified vehicle variant

Variant Engine Drivetrain Transmission City Highway Combined EV Range Est. Annual Fuel Cost
Terrain FWD 2.4L 4-Cyl Front-Wheel Drive Automatic 6-spd 22 MPG 31 MPG 26 MPG — $2,350 / yr
Terrain FWD 2.4L 4-Cyl Front-Wheel Drive Automatic 6-spd 22 MPG 31 MPG 26 MPG — $2,350 / yr
Terrain AWD 2.4L 4-Cyl All-Wheel Drive Automatic 6-spd 20 MPG 28 MPG 23 MPG — $2,650 / yr
Terrain FWD 3.6L 6-Cyl Front-Wheel Drive Automatic 6-spd 17 MPG 24 MPG 20 MPG — $3,100 / yr
Terrain AWD 3.6L 6-Cyl All-Wheel Drive Automatic 6-spd 16 MPG 23 MPG 18 MPG — $3,400 / yr
Data Boundary Note: EPA specifications are shown by certified vehicle configuration. NHTSA complaints and recall totals are recorded at the model-year level across all configurations.

What are the crash test safety ratings for the 2016 GMC Terrain?

Official 5-Star Safety Ratings evaluated by the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration

Tested Drivetrain / Cab Variant Overall Rating Frontal Crash Side Crash Rollover Rating Rollover Risk
SUV FWD 19.1%
SUV AWD 17.4%
Active Driver Assistance Systems (NHTSA Recorded): Forward Collision Warning (FCW) is documented as Optional and Lane Departure Warning (LDW) is documented as Optional in official NHTSA records for tested 2016 GMC Terrain models.
View complete 2016 GMC Terrain crash test & safety breakdown →

What defect complaints are reported for the 2016 GMC Terrain?

Summary of 152 verified consumer defect submissions filed with the NHTSA Office of Defects Investigation (ODI)

Total Complaints
152
Crash Reports
9
Fire Reports
0
Complaints w/ Injury
8
Total Injuries
9

Top Reported Problem Categories

Ranked by total consumer complaint submissions recorded by NHTSA

Visibility & Wipers 46 complaints
Engine 34 complaints
EXTERIOR LIGHTING 9 complaints (2 crashes)
Air Bags 5 complaints (3 crashes)
Powertrain 4 complaints

Data Attribution & Context: Complaints are self-reported by vehicle owners to NHTSA and represent unverified consumer submissions. Complaint volume does not equal a statistically controlled failure rate and is not adjusted for total vehicles sold or cumulative mileage driven.

View all 2016 GMC Terrain problems & component breakdown (34 categories) →

Are there open safety recalls on the 2016 GMC Terrain?

Manufacturer safety recall campaigns monitored and recorded by NHTSA

NHTSA Campaign #22V137000 Active Recall
Affected Component: EXTERIOR LIGHTING:HEADLIGHTS

Defect 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."

Free Manufacturer 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.
NHTSA Campaign #16V449000 Active Recall
Affected Component: EQUIPMENT:OTHER:LABELS

Defect 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."

Free Manufacturer 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.
View all 2016 GMC Terrain recalls & campaign history (2 campaigns) →
Official US Government Data Provenance

The specifications, safety ratings, defect reports, and recall campaigns published on this page are retrieved directly from official United States Government agency databases:

  • NHTSA Office of Defects Investigation (ODI): Consumer complaints and defect reports.
  • NHTSA New Car Assessment Program (NCAP): Frontal, side, and rollover 5-Star crash safety test ratings.
  • U.S. EPA / FuelEconomy.gov: Standardized multi-cycle dynamometer fuel economy, MPGe, and electric driving range ratings.

Local Production Store Compiled: August 2026 • Deterministic Audited Dataset • Zero Dynamic External API Runtime Latency.