Model year 2026 · Small Sport Utility Vehicle 4WD, Small Sport Utility Vehicle 2WD

2026 GMC Terrain: recalls, fuel economy and safety ratings

EPA rates the 2026 GMC Terrain at 25–27 mpg combined across 3 versions. NHTSA lists 1 safety recall and 33 owner complaints for this model year. Its best NHTSA overall crash-test rating is 5 out of 5 stars.

Safety recalls

1

EPA combined mpg

25–27

NHTSA overall rating

5/5

Recall file dated Oct 27, 2026 · EPA file dated Sep 29, 2026 · updated Oct 27, 2026, 7:34 AM EDT

Check your own car: enter your 17-character VIN at nhtsa.gov/recalls to see open recalls for that exact vehicle, and contact a GMC dealer to schedule the repair — safety recall repairs are free. The list below covers the whole model year, so not every recall applies to every car.

2026 GMC Terrain recalls

NHTSA's recall file lists 1 safety recall for the 2026 GMC Terrain, newest first.

Equipment: Other: Owners/service/other manual

NHTSA 26V114000 Reported Feb 26, 2026
Filed by
General Motors, LLC (manufacturer recall no. N252540430)
Units affected
5,861 (estimate)
Problem
General Motors has decided that certain 2027 Chevrolet Bolt EV, 2025-2026 Cadillac OPTIQ, Chevrolet Colorado, Equinox EV, GMC Canyon, 2026 Buick Enclave, Envision, Cadillac CT5, Escalade, Escalade ESV, Escalade IQ, Escalade IQL, LYRIQ, VISTIQ, Chevrolet Blazer EV, Corvette Convertible, Corvette Coupe, Corvette Convertible E-Ray, Equinox, Silverado 1500, 2500, 3500, Silverado EV, Suburban 1500, Tahoe, Traverse, GMC Acadia, Hummer EV Pickup, Hummer EV SUV, Sierra 1500, 2500, 3500, Sierra EV, Terrain, Yukon, and Yukon XL vehicles. The radio may not have been set to the correct status to download the electronic owner's manual during production. As such, these vehicles fail to comply with the requirements of Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standard number 208, “Occupant Protection.”
Risk
Without an owner's manual to consult, owners may not know how to safely use and operate the vehicle, increasing the risk of injury in a crash.
Remedy
Dealers will reset the vehicle radio, which will facilitate automatic download of the electronic owner’s manual, free of charge. Owner notification letters were mailed April 16, 2026. Owners may contact GM customer service at 1-866-467-9700, Chevrolet customer service at 1-800-222-1020 or Cadillac customer service at 1-800-333-4223. The manufacturer's number for this recall is N252540430. Vehicle Identification Numbers (VINs) involved in this recall became searchable on NHTSA.gov on February 26, 2026.

Full recall record on nhtsa.gov

Recall summaries are written by NHTSA from manufacturers' defect reports. Dates are when NHTSA received the report.

2026 GMC Terrain fuel economy by version

EPA city/highway/combined estimates for each engine, transmission and drive combination. Annual fuel cost is EPA's estimate for 15,000 miles a year (55% city, 45% highway) at EPA's current fuel-price assumptions; your cost will vary.

2026 GMC Terrain EPA fuel economy
VersionEngineTransmissionDriveFuelCity/Hwy/CombFuel cost/yrCO2 g/mi
Terrain AWD1.5L 4-cyl turboAutomatic 8-spdAll-Wheel DriveRegular24/28/25 mpg$2,700356
Terrain AWD Denali/AT41.5L 4-cyl turboAutomatic 8-spdAll-Wheel DriveRegular24/26/25 mpg$2,700358
Terrain FWD1.5L 4-cyl turboAutomaticFront-Wheel DriveRegular26/28/27 mpg$2,500329

Source: FuelEconomy.gov (U.S. DOE and EPA), file dated Sep 29, 2026. Each version links to its FuelEconomy.gov record.

EPA estimates come from standardized lab tests so cars can be compared fairly; real-world mileage depends on speed, weather, load, tires and driving style.

2026 GMC Terrain crash-test ratings

NHTSA 5-Star Safety Ratings for the tested versions. More stars mean a lower chance of serious injury in that type of crash. Rollover risk is NHTSA's estimated chance of rolling over in a single-vehicle crash.

2026 GMC Terrain NHTSA 5-Star Safety Ratings
Tested vehicleOverallFrontalSideRolloverRollover riskForward collision warning
2026 GMC TERRAIN SUV N/A AWD5 stars4 stars5 stars4 stars17.4%Standard
2026 GMC TERRAIN SUV N/A FWD5 stars4 stars5 stars4 stars18.5%Standard

Source: NHTSA 5-Star Safety Ratings (New Car Assessment Program), checked Oct 26, 2026.

Star ratings compare vehicles of similar size and weight; a frontal rating for a large pickup is not directly comparable with one for a small car.

2026 GMC Terrain owner complaints

Owners have filed 33 complaints with NHTSA about the 2026 GMC Terrain, most recently on Sep 23, 2026. 1 mention a crash, 2 a fire, 1 injured people and 0 deaths. These are unverified reports; a complaint is not proof of a defect.

Most-cited components in 2026 GMC Terrain complaints
Component named in complaintsMentions
Unknown or other9
Forward collision avoidance: Automatic emergency braking6
Power train5
Suspension5
Electrical system4
Service brakes4
Wheels4
Forward collision avoidance: Warnings3
Steering3
Back over prevention: Warnings1

Source: NHTSA consumer complaint files (complaints received since January 1, 2015). One complaint can name several components.

Had a safety problem with your vehicle? You can report it to NHTSA at nhtsa.gov/report-a-safety-problem.

Other GMC Terrain model years

GMC Terrain by model year
YearCombinedRecallsComplaintsOverall rating
2027 Terrain25–26 mpg01—
2025 Terrain25–27 mpg013—
2024 Terrain25–26 mpg1535/5
2023 Terrain26 mpg2415/5
2022 Terrain26–27 mpg4885/5
2021 Terrain26–27 mpg2365/5
2020 Terrain23–27 mpg21975/5
2019 Terrain23–32 mpg31875/5
2018 Terrain23–32 mpg52265/5
2017 Terrain18–25 mpg11354/5
2016 Terrain18–26 mpg21534/5
2015 Terrain19–26 mpg32994/5

All GMC Terrain years compared · Decode a VIN

Other 2026 GMC models

2026 GMC Acadia2026 GMC Canyon2026 GMC Sierra2026 GMC Yukon

Sources

  • Recalls: NHTSA recall flat file (FLAT_RCL_POST_2010), dated Oct 27, 2026, plus a live check of api.nhtsa.gov in your browser.
  • Complaints: NHTSA consumer complaint flat files (COMPLAINTS_RECEIVED), counts only — we do not republish complaint text.
  • Crash tests: NHTSA 5-Star Safety Ratings API.
  • Fuel economy: FuelEconomy.gov vehicles file (U.S. DOE and EPA), dated Sep 29, 2026.
  • NHTSA, EPA and DOE do not endorse OpenVIN. Vehicle names identify vehicles only; OpenVIN is not affiliated with GMC.