Owner complaints, recalls, fuel economy and safety ratings from public NHTSA and EPA data, updated Oct 17, 2026.
The 2015 GMC Terrain has 298 owner complaints filed with NHTSA, the most for windows, mirrors and wipers at 101, followed by engine at 80. Its combined fuel economy is 19 to 26 mpg, with a 5-year fuel cost of $12,490 to $17,100 at U.S. average prices, based on 15,000 miles a year. NHTSA gives it 4 stars overall. There are 3 recall campaigns covering windows, mirrors and wipers, lights, and air bags, and these may apply to this car.
Written by AI from public EPA and NHTSA data. Not a review.
Fuel economy
19–26 mpgcombined; city 16–22, highway 23–31; every version of this model year
Five years of fuel
$12,490–$17,100U.S. average; Ohio $11,160–$15,280 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 2015 Terrain. 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 298 complaints with NHTSA about the 2015 Terrain. 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
Visibility/wiper
101
0
0
0
Engine
80
1
1
0
Electrical system
31
1
0
0
Exterior lighting
24
0
0
0
Power train
21
0
0
0
Unknown or other
21
2
0
1
Visibility
20
0
0
0
Air bags
16
6
0
4
Fuel/propulsion system
15
0
0
0
Structure
14
2
0
3
Electronic stability control (ESC)
8
0
0
0
Service brakes
8
0
0
0
13 more parts
Engine and engine cooling
4
0
0
0
Vehicle speed control
3
1
0
0
Fuel system, gasoline
2
0
0
0
Lane departure
2
0
0
0
Seat belts
2
0
0
0
Seats
2
0
0
0
Steering
2
0
0
0
Tires
2
0
0
0
Wheels
2
0
0
0
Back over prevention
1
0
0
0
Forward collision avoidance
1
0
0
0
Service brakes, hydraulic
1
0
0
0
Suspension
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 3 recall campaigns for the 2015 Terrain 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 2014-2015 Chevrolet Equinox and GMC Terrain vehicles. The ball joints in the windshield wiper module may corrode, causing one or both windshield wipers to fail.
Risk: Inoperative windshield wipers can reduce visibility in certain driving conditions, increasing the risk of a crash.
Remedy: Dealers will inspect the wiper module, and repair or replace it as necessary, free of charge. Interim owner notification letters informing owners of the safety risk were mailed on April 21, 2022. Owner notification letters were mailed on October 25, 2022. Owners may contact Chevrolet customer service at 1-800-222-1020 and GMC customer service at 1-800-462-8782. GM's number for this recall is N212352530.
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.
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.
General Motors LLC (GM) is recalling certain model year 2015 Buick LaCrosse, Cadillac XTS, Chevrolet Camaro, Equinox, Malibu, and GMC Terrain vehicles. The affected vehicles have front seat-mounted side impact air bags whose inflator may rupture upon its deployment.
Risk: In the event of a crash necessitating deployment of one or both of the side impact air bags, the air bag's inflator may rupture and the air bag may not properly inflate. The rupture could cause metal fragments to strike the vehicle occupants, potentially resulting in serious injury or death. Additionally, if the air bag does not properly inflate, the driver or passenger is at an increased risk of injury.
Remedy: GM will notify owners, and dealers will replace the side impact air bag modules, free of charge. The recall began on October 19, 2015. Owners may contact Buick customer service at 1-800-521-7300, Chevrolet customer service at 1-800-222-1020, Cadillac customer service at 1-800-458-8006, or GMC customer service at 1-800-462-8782. GM's number for this recall is 01320.
Carmakers sent NHTSA 1,573 service bulletins and notices that cover the 2015 Terrain, the latest on Sep 26, 2026. They tell dealers how to fix known issues.
The parts they mention most: equipment (666), electrical system (319), engine and engine cooling (164), engine (152), equipment adaptive/mobility (113).
NHTSA defect investigations
Opening an investigation isn't a finding of a defect. Outcomes are as NHTSA's summary states them. A recall is shown as an investigation's outcome only where NHTSA's summary names it; other recalls NHTSA's file lists with it are marked as listed, not caused.
Investigation
Part
Opened
Status
Engineering analysis EA19005 Front Wiper Transmission Inoperative · covers 2 makes
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 2015 Terrain.
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 sport utility vehicle. EPA greenhouse gas score: 4–6 out of 10. Each version EPA tested:
Swipe the table sideways for more columns.
Version
Engine
Transmission
Fuel
City / hwy / comb
Terrain Front-Wheel Drive
2.4 L, 4 cyl
Automatic 6-spd
Regular Gasoline or E85
22 / 31 / 26
Terrain Front-Wheel Drive
2.4 L, 4 cyl
Automatic 6-spd
Regular Gasoline
22 / 31 / 26
Terrain All-Wheel Drive
2.4 L, 4 cyl
Automatic 6-spd
Regular Gasoline
20 / 28 / 23
Terrain Front-Wheel Drive
3.6 L, 6 cyl
Automatic 6-spd
Regular Gasoline
17 / 24 / 19
Terrain All-Wheel Drive
3.6 L, 6 cyl
Automatic 6-spd
Regular Gasoline
16 / 23 / 19
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