2015 GMC Terrain: engine and transmission complaints
HIGH COMPLAINT SIGNAL
40%
108 of 269 relevant owner complaints are about the engine, transmission or fuel system
40% of relevant owner complaints filed with NHTSA on the 2015 GMC Terrain are about the engine, transmission or fuel system. That is a model-level pattern, not bad luck.
Better than 53% of the 1,230 model years we track (2010–2023).
Excludes 46 airbag, lighting and seat-belt recall complaints that would otherwise mask the signal (unadjusted: 34%).
The percentage is each model year's drivetrain complaint share. No elevated signal describes the model year, not any one car; a well-kept example of a flagged model can still be the right buy, and any of these still needs an inspection.
What owners reported
ENGINE07/22/2026
I am submitting this complaint regarding the engine timing chain failure in my 2015 GMC Terrain because I believe it presents a serious safety hazard. Before the failure, the vehicle began experiencing intermittent symptoms, including engine jerking, shaking, rough operation, abnormal engine noises, and an intermitten…
ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING06/10/2026
See attached document for complaint.
ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING04/14/2026
The contact owns a 2015 GMC Terrain. The contact stated that while driving approximately 40 MPH, there was an abnormal rattling sound coming from the engine compartment. The vehicle was taken to the residence. The contact stated that when the vehicle was started the following day, the rattling sound from the engine com…
Three of 108 drivetrain complaints. The full report shows more, with quotes about the engine in the car you are looking at first.
Recall campaigns on this model year (3)
AIR BAGS:SIDE/WINDOW
General Motors LLC (GM) is recalling certain model year 2015 Buick LaCrosse, Cadillac XTS, Chevrolet Camaro, Equinox, Malibu, and GMC Terrain vehicles. The affected vehi…
EXTERIOR LIGHTING:HEADLIGHTS
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 ou…
VISIBILITY:WINDSHIELD WIPER/WASHER:MOTOR
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 o…
This does not say whether a particular car has an open, unrepaired recall. That depends on the VIN.
Before you buy a 2015 GMC Terrain
Ask the seller whether the engine has ever been repaired or replaced, and whether the car has shown stalling, loss of power, rough idle, oil consumption or a check-engine light.
Drive it from a cold start and long enough to warm up. Many engine faults hide once the car is warm.
Get an independent pre-purchase inspection from a mechanic you choose, and tell them to focus on the engine.
3 recall campaigns on this model year. Whether a specific car still has one open depends on the VIN; the report checks that.
Ask for service records. A engine already replaced under warranty is a different car from one that was not.
Have the VIN?Paste it and get the full report for that car. First report free, then a 30-day pass covers a whole car search.
Experimental model-level information. This is not a vehicle inspection, vehicle-history
report, financial advice or purchase recommendation. It describes patterns across a model year, not the condition
of any individual vehicle.
