Crash Test Rating
Source   NHTSA
MPG (up to)
17 -20 City / 24 -29 HWY
Horsepower
182 -264
Seats
5
Front passenger 3/4 w/ wheels turned.

Positive Owner Reviews

accountCircle Christian C
How reliable and how the mpg is in it.
I don't have any complaints. I love this vehicle. Everything is awesome. Would buy again. Hope they continue it.
accountCircle Champagne B
2010 GMC terrain but try it for yourself first.
The GMC terrain has a beautiful interior. The a/c and heating units are one of the best I have seen by far it gets hot or cold in no time. The safety features are very effective. Driving is a breeze and effortless with the cruise control setting. Absolutely in love.
accountCircle Holly H
This SUV is the smoothest and most reliable SUV that I have owned thus far.
My terrain currently has over 100, 000 miles on it and so far I have not had any difficulties or problems with it. Along with the vehicle being reliable, I also enjoy the way that it drives. The car runs so smoothly and the interior is comfortable as well. The leather of the seats is very durable and the technology in the car (so far) has been nothing less than perfect. I highly recommend this make and model to anyone who is in the market for a SUV. I have driven other SUVs but this one by far is my favorite and I am looking to drive it until it cannot run anymore.
accountCircle Mark M
Great sounding all terrain vehicle
Make car is very great. I love taking on long car rides because it runs very smoothly on the open road.
accountCircle John R
Not the best for your money
Because of a fault in the motor, I had to replace the motor with a 2015 motor. Because of a fault with the wiper transmission, it failed and had to be fixed. The change in the motor was a positive change. This engine is a much better engine with more horsepower.
accountCircle Kim W
I (still) love my 2010 GMC terrain.
I have had this car for over 10 years and still love it. It is reliable, very few issues. It has held up well. It has a rear view camera built into the rear view mirror. Seats are cloth and comfortable. Gauges are simple. It still rides smooth, gets good gas mileage and I really enjoy driving it.
accountCircle Stephanie S
Great family vehicle for the everyday mom!
My vehicle is a 2010 GMC terrain, it is burgundy in color. Things I love about my vehicle include but are not limited to the backup camera which is an amazing feature to have and helps the most at night when it is hard to see. Also I love the lift gate options for the trunk, how I can either open from the key, the button on the back or even open it from inside the car for someone to simply put something in back and then I can just close it and be on my way. It gets pretty good gas mileage for the age of the car and the size. It is very comfortable when it comes to taking long car trips, my family and I have done many long distance trips with a family of 5 and there is always enough room to be comfortable and have all items needed for the trip.
accountCircle Lynn T
Its dependable and handles winter wear the great.
I like the dependability. I like how it handles in the snow. Do not like that I didn't get navigation and back up alarm.

Negative Owner Reviews

accountCircle Jessica L
Heated leather seats, Sirius XM.
It has been trouble since day one. Cracked exhaust manifold that gm failed to report until several people had issues already. I have been a faithful gm fan but this car is the worst one I have owned. For the luxury model it should not have the issues with o2 sensors, manifold and hoses that it does. I regret buying this car.
accountCircle Nita Midler
Catalytic Converters Fail!
Absolutely NOT! I have had repeated problems with all 3 of the catalytic converters. Original warranty/dealer took care of the first, extended warranty refused the second time, but dealer repaired at no charge. Unfortunately that catalytic converter also failed, causing the other two to breakdown! No longer under warranty the cost to replace them is ridiculously high, a whopping $3800, and the labor cost is only $115. I have come to learn that MANY people have suffered from catalytic converter failures on 2010 GMC Terrain's.
accountCircle Amanda B
I really love the backup camera, XM radio, TV in the headrest.
Didn't know when I bought it that the sunroof motor quit working, wash fluid container had a hole. The radio antenna is missing. Other than that it a pretty good car. Good gas mileage, good grocery getter. I like that TV and the back up camera in it.
accountCircle Summer D
It sucks and I would never own another.
The GMC terrain is the worst car I have ever owned. I have spent more money repairing this car. Its in the shop every other month. I have even put a new engine in it and I am still having issues. I wish I could trade it in but I owe to much at the current time.
accountCircle Brenda Nelson
Lemon
No I would not recommend this vehicle. If you do have one make sure you change the timing belt before it hits 100,000 km or the plastic clips will break off and go throughout your engine & seize it!
accountCircle Nina P
Lots of storage comfortable and easy to maneuver rear-view camera.
My vehicle has a lot of problems I bought it about 2 years ago and I noticed that it has problems with an oil leak that causes the vehicle to sputter out and sometimes the key does not like to turn and the defrost does not work so well I heard that a lot of people have a lot of problems with the starter and the track stability on the vehicle as well as I have had.
accountCircle John D
Comfortable car, terrible engine.
The engine on this car has a design flaw that makes it burn oil, gm has rebuilt it at 90k miles under warranty but it will fail again as it is already burning oil again at 110,000 miles. Not reliable long term as it burns a lot of oil. Other than the engine we have had to replace the muffler, as well as the front passenger cv joints. It is a comfortable car overall but I worry on long trips.
accountCircle Jackie H
The gas mileage is not supreme.
The vehicle is slow mostly because it is too heavy to move. The space inside the SUV is super small. At first it seemed large but you can 'tell there's not enough space after you're in it for a while.

GMC Terrain Models

Models also known as Trim Levels, are used to identify a vehicle's level of equipment or special features.

car
SLE-1
182 HP 20-23 MPG 5 Seats
car
SLE-2
182-264 HP 20-23 MPG 5 Seats
car
SLT-1
182-264 HP 20-23 MPG 5 Seats
car
SLT-2
182-264 HP 20-23 MPG 5 Seats
Photos may not match model

2010 GMC Terrain Owner Reviews

4.09
138 Reviews
close Write Review
5 stars 42%
4 stars 36%
3 stars 15%
2 stars 4%
1 star 4%
accountCircle Eileen R on May 30, 2021
Family car and mom friendly.
Terrain is wonderful family car. It is easy for children to get in and out of and big enough to pile things in the back for trips. My littles have car seats and there is plenty of room for the cup holder to come down and they just love it. Mom likes the style and look of the vehicle. Makes me feel not like a teenager but not like a grandma.
accountCircle Summer D on April 23, 2021
It sucks and I would never own another.
The GMC terrain is the worst car I have ever owned. I have spent more money repairing this car. Its in the shop every other month. I have even put a new engine in it and I am still having issues. I wish I could trade it in but I owe to much at the current time.

Pros from Owners

likeFilled Megan V.

It is small, but roomy. Plenty of room for groceries and larger purchases. Also nice for weekend trips/luggage/etc. I have had major engine problems with this vehicle, including substantial warranty work. The engine was poorly made. The engine is not large enough for the size of the vehicle.

likeFilled Bri T.

Big & Safe on the road. Easy to get kids in and out of. Seat warmers, moonroof, backup camera, Bluetooth, USB ports, durable leather seats make cleanup easy, and back seat DVD players are all an extra luxury that my whole family enjoys.

likeFilled Daisy A.

I love my car, there are issues with it only because of age and it has held up really well. My sunroof currently does not work and we used to have issues with the aux cord, but fixed the aux and now I just have one more repair and then my baby will be perf again!

likeFilled Mackenzie B.

The terrain is a reliable vehicle, which I have owned for many years. I have driven many miles and it is still going strong. The terrain gets pretty decent gas mileage, especially if I am driving on the highway. It is also spacious and has plenty of room for myself and other passengers.

Cons from Owners

dislikeFilled Megan V.

I have had major engine problems with this vehicle, including extensive warranty work. It is not well-made, especially for what I paid for it brand new. I have extremely low mileage on the vehicle. It will not live to see 100,000 miles.

dislikeFilled Bri T.

Bigger car means a wider turning radius. Also it takes a lot of oil that needs to be regularly checked in case it is running low. Electrical sensors seem to be a bit sensitive with engine temp, and tire pressure.

dislikeFilled Daisy A.

Certain things not working over time but honestly she's held up very well and I don't really have any complaints. I would say that sometimes when it is cold my car takes a minute to work right but that would be it.

dislikeFilled Mackenzie B.

I have not had any glaring issues with this vehicle, or none of note that I can think of right now. I suppose the gas mileage for city driving could be better, but it is not a huge problem for me. I bought this vehicle specifically for my needs and it has served me very well over the many years I have owned it.

Ranks #16 Compact SUV by Owners

The 2010 GMC Terrain has an average owner rating of 4.16 out of 5 which ranks it #16 of 27 other Compact SUVs.

1
car
4.83
2
car
4.58
16
Tie
car
4.09

Ranks #7 Compact SUV by Fuel Economy

The 2010 GMC Terrain has a combined MPG of 28 which ranks it #7 of 27 other Compact SUVs.

1
Tie
car
31 MPG
1
Tie
car
31 MPG
7
Tie
car
24 MPG

Is The 2010 GMC Terrain A Good Car?

Yes, it drives very smooth and gets me to where I need to be with no troubles at all. I might not know much about vehicles but I know that I will not be getting a new car for a while.
J L.
It is an excellent vehicle. I have had no problems with it. Very dependable and comfortable. Wonderful electronics and seat warmers are a plus.
Kathy J.
Yes good fuel mileage and handling the only bad thing I can think of is when windows are down you can hear thumping and whining of tires
Kelly M.
It is a great vehicle! Minimal problems with it. Enjoy it very much! Very dependable. Enjoy all the extras that are installed.
Shannon M.
Yes it is a good vehicle because it is big enough for a family but saves money on gas. It is economic for families and also luxury is a plus with this GMC
Patty W.
Yes, it is a smooth ride. I love all of the accessories. The sunroof is awesome, and I love the integrated Bluetooth.
Kevin F.
It’s great! The only complaint is that the back seats do not have a great way for air conditioning or heat so it can get pretty hot
Ansia. That is my name G.

How Reliable Is The 2010 GMC Terrain?

I believe that this vehicle is very reliable to get to place to place, I will not change it for a long while.
J L.
GMC terrain is very reliable. I have not had any problems with it. The only glitch early on was with the clock and radio. This was a common problem and was covered in a recall.
Kathy J.
As I stated earlier the only real problem is whining of tires but also once you get to 10% on oil change gauge runs rough till you get oil changed
Dennis S.
Yes it is reliable. Love the sensors that notify if there is trouble before something happens. The only trouble beyond wear and tear was covered by a recall.
Cindy L.
It has not had any problems so far just some flat tires and little issue with the battery but other than that it’s an amazing vehicle to have
Kayla R.
It is pretty reliable. The only problem is the tire system seems to mess up a lot. The light is always coming on.
Alize’ D.
I have had no problems with the reliability. I regularly get oil changes and have maintenance done when and if necessary
Scott R.

Is The 2010 GMC Terrain A Good Value?

It cost about 30,000 dollars to get the terrain, it wasn't very much especially in payments for a college student to get and pay it monthly.
J L.
I am not sure what the GMC terrain 2010 costs today. However, I believe it is a good value. The amount of money invested in it was worth w h.C at I got.
Kathy J.
The value of the vehicle is great with the performance and fuel mileage only paid 15,000 and think it is the best vehicle I ever bought
Eli T.
Currently I have no idea what it costs. However, it is worth every penny that was paid for it. Sometimes you pay for what you get.
Lisa V.
It is in a good price range it cost me 12,000 in a used dealership. Payments were of 426 plus insurance but it seems right with the quality of the car
Amanda S.
It cost me $12000 used. It was an alright value. It came with a lot of stuff, but I hate that it is already having problems.
Taylor M.
I believe is was around $24,000 for it when it was bought new in 2010. It has been very reliable and has recruited little to know maintenance, so it has been a great value for being almost 10 years... Read More
Daniel P.

Related Articles for 2010 GMC Terrain

From the Vehicle History blog

car
2021 GMC Terrain Review: Reasonably Dependable Small SUV With Some Higher Ownership Costs
car
2017 GMC Terrain Review: Unreliable Small SUV With Very High Repair Costs
car
2020 GMC Terrain Review: Reliable Small SUV With Some More Expensive Ownership Costs
car
2019 GMC Terrain Review: Reliable & Comfortable Small SUV With No Serious Issues
car
2018 GMC Terrain Review: Well-Made Compact SUV With Improved Reliability Ratings

Frequently Asked Questions

What's the 2010 GMC Terrain 3.0 Crankshaft sensor location?

Answer: The 2010 GMC Terrain 3 0 crankshaft sensor location is found by watching: https://www.Youtube.com/watch?v=39rHOq0XwZo The spark plugs need to be replaced every 100,000 miles unless it's a copper one. A cooper...

2010 GMC Terrain: What is the oil type and capacity?

Answer: The 2010 GMC Terrain had a standard 2.4L 4Cylinder engine but additionally there was an upgrade available to a 3.0L V6 engine. The standard motor will have a capacity of 5 US quarts while the V6 will heed to...

How much oil does the 2010 GMC Terrain take?

Answer: If You would like to know what the oil capacity is on the 2010 GMC Terrain, it will depend on the size of the engine. The 2.4L engine, has a capacity of 5 US quarts with a filter. The 3.0L can take up to 6 US...

Answers are provided by third parties. We do not guarantee accuracy of responses

Safety & Reliability

NHTSA Logo
NHTSA Crash Test

Overall

Front

Rollover

Side

*National Highway Traffic Safety Administration
IIHS Logo
IIHS Crash Test

Moderate Overlap Front

Side

Roof Strength

Driver-side Overlap Front

Not Rated
*Insurance Institute for Highway Safety