Owner complaints, recalls, fuel economy and safety ratings from public NHTSA and EPA data, updated Oct 17, 2026.
Fuel economy
18–23 mpgcombined; city 16–20, highway 22–30; every version of this model year
Five years of fuel
$14,760–$21,060U.S. average; Ohio $13,190–$21,340 at local prices; every version of this model year; fuel only, not other costs of owning it; 15,000 miles a year, at EIA fuel prices for the week of Oct 12, 2026
NHTSA's VIN data lists these trims for the 2021 Canyon. A trim's engine and numbers are shown as its own only where EPA names versions after the trim and no other version could be it; "seen with" means a source shows that engine on the trim, not that it was the only one. Recalls and complaints cover the whole model year: whether a recall applies to a car depends on its VIN, on NHTSA's recall lookup.
Owners have filed 12 complaints with NHTSA about the 2021 Canyon. These are unverified owner reports, counted by the part of the car they name; one complaint can name several parts. Counts aren't adjusted for how many were sold, so they don't show how reliable a car is.
Complaints by part of the car
Part
Complaints
Crashes
Fires
Injuries
Air bags
2
2
0
5
Power train
2
0
0
0
Steering
2
0
0
0
Unknown or other
2
0
0
0
Back over prevention
1
0
0
0
Electrical system
1
0
1
0
Engine and engine cooling
1
0
0
0
Exterior lighting
1
0
0
0
Forward collision avoidance
1
1
0
4
Lane departure
1
0
0
0
Seat belts
1
0
0
0
Service brakes, hydraulic
1
0
0
0
Complaints by model year
Newer years have had less time to collect complaints, and counts aren't adjusted for sales, so a shorter bar doesn't mean a more reliable year.
NHTSA lists 2 recall campaigns for the 2021 Canyon over its history. Campaigns are matched by model and year, so each one may apply to a given car, and its repair may already be done: check a VIN on NHTSA's recall lookup for the open recalls on that exact car.
General Motors, LLC (GM) is recalling certain 2021 GMC Canyon vehicles. The load carrying capacity printed on the Tire and Loading Information placard is 22.5 kg (51 lbs.) more than intended. As such, these vehicles fail to comply with the requirements of Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standard number 110, "Tire Selection and Rims."
Risk: An incorrect label may lead to unintentionally overloading the vehicle, increasing the risk of a crash.
Remedy: GM will mail owners a new B-pillar label, free of charge. Owners may apply the label, or bring it to a dealer for installation. Owner notification letters were mailed on August 17, 2021. Owners may contact GMC customer service at 1-800-462-8782. GM's number for this recall is N212340735.
General Motors, LLC (GM) is recalling certain 2020 Chevrolet Bolt EV and 2021 GMC Canyon and Sierra 1500, 2500 and 3500, Yukon, Yukon XL, Cadillac Escalade and Escalade ESV and Chevrolet Blazer, Camaro, Colorado, Equinox, Silverado 1500, 2500 and 3500, Suburban and Tahoe vehicles. Incorrect bolts may have been used at one or more fastening locations to secure the seat belts to the vehicle. If an incorrect bolt was used, the seat belt may not be properly attached to the vehicle.
Risk: If a seat belt assembly is not properly attached to the vehicle, the seat belt may not properly restrain an occupant in the event of a crash, increasing the risk of injury.
Remedy: GM will notify owners, and dealers will replace the suspect bolts, free of charge. The recall began January 29, 2021. Owners may contact GMC customer service at 1-800-462-8785, Cadillac customer service at 1-800-458-8006, or Chevrolet customer service at 1-800-222-1020. GM's number for this recall is N202322230.
Carmakers sent NHTSA 747 service bulletins and notices that cover the 2021 Canyon, the latest on Sep 26, 2026. They tell dealers how to fix known issues.
The parts they mention most: equipment (200), electrical system (144), engine and engine cooling (135), unknown or other (109), power train (97).
NHTSA hasn't opened a defect investigation that covers this model year.
Maintenance
Oil
The owner's manual gives the oil and how often to change it. We show oil facts only once we've checked them against the manual, and we haven't yet for the 2021 Canyon.
These are searches on those sites; we don't copy or check their listings. Your ZIP is used for these links and never kept.
Specs
EPA class: small pickup trucks. EPA greenhouse gas score: 3–4 out of 10. Each version EPA tested:
Swipe the table sideways for more columns.
Version
Engine
Transmission
Fuel
City / hwy / comb
Canyon Rear-Wheel Drive
2.8 L, 4 cyl, turbo
Automatic 6-spd
Diesel
20 / 30 / 23
Canyon Rear-Wheel Drive
2.5 L, 4 cyl
Automatic 6-spd
Regular Gasoline
19 / 25 / 22
Canyon 4-Wheel Drive
2.8 L, 4 cyl, turbo
Automatic 6-spd
Diesel
19 / 28 / 22
Canyon Rear-Wheel Drive
3.6 L, 6 cyl
Automatic 8-spd
Regular Gasoline
18 / 25 / 21
Canyon 4-Wheel Drive
2.5 L, 4 cyl
Automatic 6-spd
Regular Gasoline
19 / 24 / 21
Canyon 4-Wheel Drive
3.6 L, 6 cyl
Automatic 8-spd
Regular Gasoline
16 / 22 / 18
Sources and dates
U.S. EPA fuel economy data, file of Sep 29, 2026
NHTSA owner complaints, file of Oct 17, 2026
NHTSA recalls, file of Oct 17, 2026
NHTSA manufacturer communications, file of Oct 17, 2026
NHTSA defect investigations, file of Oct 17, 2026
NHTSA 5-Star Safety Ratings, file of Aug 7, 2026
U.S. Energy Information Administration, file of Oct 12, 2026
Fuel cost: EPA mpg with fuel prices for the week of Oct 12, 2026 and electricity prices for Jul 2026. Source: U.S. Energy Information Administration (Oct 2026). Complaints are unverified reports owners filed with NHTSA. About the data