GMC Canyon
Reliability, NHTSA Complaints & Recall History
10 model years analyzed (2017–2026). All data sourced directly from the NHTSA public complaints and recall database — the same data used by federal regulators.
Checking a specific GMC Canyon? Run a VIN check for its exact history.
⭐ NHTSA NCAP Crash Test Ratings
New Car Assessment ProgramNCAP crash tests measure how well a vehicle protects occupants in controlled frontal crash, side crash, and rollover scenarios. Stars are awarded per category (5 = safest). These laboratory results are independent of owner complaints and are performed by NHTSA engineers on new production vehicles.
AI Interpretation
High ConfidenceBelow AverageNHTSA complaint data for the GMC Canyon (2017–2026) shows a high volume of reports concentrated in exterior lighting and electrical system components, with a notable spike in 2024. While crash-related complaints are relatively low, the data suggests potential quality concerns in lighting and electrical systems that buyers should investigate.
- Exterior lighting accounts for the largest share of complaints (168 out of 442 total).
- Electrical system complaints are the second most common (83 complaints).
- Complaints are heavily concentrated in the 2024 model year (204 complaints).
- Exterior lighting issues, including failures and malfunctions.
- Electrical system problems, such as wiring or component failures.
- Power train complaints, including transmission or driveline issues.
The 2024 model year has the highest complaint count (204), driven largely by exterior lighting and electrical system issues. The 2017 model year also has elevated complaints (65), with power train and engine concerns prominent.
The 2025 and 2026 model years show very few complaints (8 and 2 respectively), which may indicate improved quality or low sample size. The 2021 model year also has relatively few complaints (10).
- Inspect exterior lighting for proper operation and check for any service bulletins.
- Verify all open recalls at nhtsa.gov/recalls, especially for electrical system and power train.
- Request service records for reported components like lighting, electrical, and transmission.
- Have a mechanic inspect the vehicle, focusing on power train and electrical systems.
🔔 NHTSA Safety Recalls
15 recalls foundSafety recalls are mandatory repair campaigns ordered by NHTSA when a vehicle defect poses an unreasonable risk to safety. Manufacturers are required to fix recalled vehicles free of charge. Always verify open recalls before buying a used car.
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Source: NHTSA Recalls Database. Data covers model years 2017–2026. Always run a VIN-specific check below for the most up-to-date open recall status.
🔧 Most-Reported Problem Areas
Based on component keywords extracted from all 442 NHTSA complaints.
📋 NHTSA Complaint Reports
442 totalThese are consumer-submitted safety complaints filed directly with NHTSA. Each complaint describes a real owner's experience. Complaints flagged as crash-related or fire-related are highlighted.
With 94 Miles my brand new GMC Canyon AT4 I leased had a catastrophic failure while i was driving it, the front axle essentially exploded. The findings were that their was no oil/lubricant installed in it from the factory which made this happen. I now have to wait many months for the dealership to repair my vehicle while i have a "loaner" with a bunch of restrictions on it. And i have to pay my lease the entire time it is being worked on because of a factory fault. If i had been going more than 25 mph this would have resulted in a crash/injury.
when apply GM update V661.10. tire pressure sensors are wipe out. resulting in 4 flat tire being indicated on the display. GM has no answers for this. this is a safety system that should not be disabled
At various times key can not be removed from the ignition. I understand this to be a common problem on these trucks, but dealer does not agree.
The contact owns a 2022 GMC Canyon. The contact stated that after starting the vehicle, the instrument cluster failed operate as designed and the speedometer, tachometer, fuel gauge, and turn signals failed to display as intended. The contact stated that a message to service several systems was displayed. The radio screen was blank, and the back over prevention system was inoperable. The vehicle was taken to the local dealer to be diagnosed, and it was determined that several software updates were needed; however, it was then determined that all the software was up to date. A software refresh was performed, and the vehicle was repaired. The manufacturer was notified of the failure. The failure mileage was 39,500
To Whom It May Concern, This letter is submitted to report a safety-related defect involving an airbag sensor failure on a 2022 GMC Canyon. The vehicle experienced a failure of an airbag sensor that is part of the Supplemental Restraint System (SRS). The sensor is required for proper airbag deployment and system readiness. Failure of this component compromises the operation of the airbag system and presents a potential safety risk to vehicle occupants. The failure occurred on a vehicle approximately four years in service and was diagnosed as an airbag sensor defect. The sensor assembly includes an integral gasket, and the failure of that gasket resulted in sensor malfunction and airbag system fault indications. General Motors and the administrator of the GMC Platinum Protection Plan were notified of the defect. Coverage for the repair was refused on the basis that a component of the sensor assembly was allegedly excluded, despite the fact that the gasket is integral to the sensor and the failure affects a federally regulated safety system. As a result of this refusal, a safety-related defect involving an airbag system was not repaired. The matter was treated as a contractual coverage issue rather than addressed as a potential defect impacting occupant protection. This submission is intended to notify NHTSA of a failure involving an SRS component that may affect other similarly manufactured vehicles. An airbag sensor failure raises concerns regarding component durability, system reliability, and compliance with applicable Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standards (FMVSS). This complaint is submitted for logging, review, and any action the Office of Defects Investigation deems appropriate.
I have been dealing with a sweet/Christmas-like smell in my car occasionally for the last several months. This is a health & safety concern for me involving ethylene glycol fumes in the cabin. These fumes could be linked to why I have experienced increased sinus headaches over the past several month. I took it into CarMax (where I purchased the vehicle) and they were able to diagnose the issue and state that my heater core needed to be replaced. However, since my vehicle was under 36,000 miles, it needed to go to the dealer. The dealer that has been working on the vehicle is Hendrick Hoover Chevrolet. I have taken the vehicle to the dealer twice already and they have not been able to diagnose it the same as CarMax nor recreate the smell. Both times I have picked up the vehicle, I smelled the same thing within 1 day of having the vehicle back. Today (1/22/26) I took the vehicle back to CarMax to have them take it to the dealer for the THIRD because I have not only smelled the same smell, I have 2 new issues that need to be addressed. They are not the reason for this complaint, however. But for documentation purposes, it involves servicing the safety restraint system and error codes P0018 and P0021. I do not have any records of the first time I took the vehicle to CarMax/Dealer in November of 2025, but I have attached the records from the latest visit where I dropped the vehicle off on 12/10/25 and picked it up on 1/14/26.
The contact called on behalf of her son who owned a 2022 GMC Canyon. The contact stated while her son was driving at an undisclosed speed, the brake pedal was depressed, and the brakes failed to engage. Additionally, the infotainment screen was inoperable. The front camera module warning light was illuminated. The vehicle was taken to an independent mechanic where it was diagnosed and determined that the front camera module needed to be replaced. The dealer made the contact aware of NHTSA Campaign Number: 24V133000 (ELECTRICAL SYSTEM, FORWARD COLLISION AVOIDANCE); however, the VIN was not included in the recal. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was notified of the failure and referred the contact to the NHTSA Hotline to report the failure. The failure mileage was unknown.
The ignition key intermittently will not extract. I'm seeing a number of complaints on-line regarding this. I have to often restart the truck back up or forward, turn the steering wheel hard left and right, then put in park to extract the key. I believe this is a danger as you would have to leave the key in the ignition of you cannot extract it. This happens multiple times a week.
After driving vehicle and parking vehicle turn key off key will not turn all the way off to pull key out of ignition switch. The vehicle had 35,750 miles when brought to dealership I had told them this has happened multiple times I had to restart vehicle move vehicle shift vehicle manually or drive around block park again and then key would turn all the way off and come out, When I was contacted from the GMC dealership they said they could not duplicate the problem but I have paperwork from them and the mileage during drop off which was 35,750 miles and pickup at 35,751 miles I also told them to drive the truck it is not going to happen sitting in the dealership parking lot but they only went 1 mile, The warranty for this problem will be up at 36,000 miles. I drove the vehicle 8 miles from the dealership to my house no problems drove another drove another 6 miles to the car wash and went through the car wash went to park to vacuum and wipe exterior the key would not turn all the way off stuck in the accessory position had to back up and move vehicle to another spot park and then the key turned all the way off so I could get key out
The ECU electric control model has now burned up 3 times and the dealership just keeps replacing it the only thing they keep saying not to fill up the gas tank all the way? The gas gauge just goes dead
Error code p0494 conducted upon check engine light coming on.
At first start the first gear slips this has been going on for 2 years. Is been serviced 3 times and no one seems to know what the problem is. The services tech did discover the issue but couldn't figure out what the problem is. I only have 19,000 mile and its on warranty I'm hoping this matter can be resolved. Thanks, [XXX] INFORMATION REDACTED PURSUANT TO THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT (FOIA), 5 U.S.C. 552(B)(6)
The fuel gauge on the vehicle does not appear to read accurately. The distance to empty reading varies on every refuel regardless if the same amount of fuel is filled in the vehicle. I believe this is a safety issue because a driver can run out of gas causing an accident due to inaccurate fuel gauge readings. I’ve taken to the dealership and have been told they cannot reproduce the complaint and it remains defective. I’m hoping if others experience the same complaint then a recall may be activated.
While driving out of a parking lot, my power steering stopped working and I had to regain control to manually steer the vehicle. After stopping and turning off the engine to check the serpentine belt, the power steering came back on, but the lane departure assist function was no longer working. It appears to be the same problem that some of the 2015 and other GMC Canyon models had. Took it to my GMC dealer for warranty evaluation.
Key gets stuck in ignition when attempting to turn off vehicle. This leaves people stranded with their vehicles in hot/cold weather, dangerous areas, etc... Many people have been bypassing this problem by removing steering column and disconnecting a wire that allows the key to be released. But disconnection of said wire allows the key to be removed and shut off at any time, including driving down the highway at 70mph, serious safety hazard for driver and those on the road. Dealer has confirmed this issue and currently working on repairing my vehicle but it is a widespread issue with certain GM vehicles to include the canyon, colorado, camaro, and equinox.
Service Power Steering, Drive with care warning comes on, vehicle looses all power steering. First time it happen was around November 2023. This will happen randomly, at various speeds, sometimes going straight, sometimes turning. Power steering will come back after a few minutes sometimes, a few times vehicle had to be turned off for a hour, but was out for over 3 days one time. During that incident we ran OBD scanner, C0800 code was showing for Power Steering Control Module, recommended repair was the replace battery, even though the battery was good. We went ahead and replaced the battery anyways, issue was not immediately resolved but after running the truck for an hour and then going for a test drive power steering returned a mile down the road. That was around May 11th. Issue hadn’t returned until today, June 22nd where it’s went on and off a handful of time before totally loosing power steering for over 5 hours now. 2015 model years had an issue the power steering rack wiring, dealer said they assume it could be same issue. Connections to the steering rack where check and corrosion was found but they won’t fix because it’s not a recall even though it’s the same corrosion issue the 2015 models had.
The contact owns a 2022 GMC Canyon. The contact stated that while attempting to start the vehicle, the contact became aware of a failure by removing the key from the ignition. The contact stated that in 15 to 20 minutes he was able to remove the key. The contact had to restart the vehicle several times and switch gears until the key was removed. There was no warning light illuminated. The vehicle was taken to the dealer where the diagnostic result was undisclosed. The contact was informed that the ignition switch needed to be replaced. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was made aware of the failure and referred the contact to the NHSTA Hotline for assistance. The failure mileage was approximately 36,746.
The contact owns a 2022 GMC Canyon. The contact stated that while driving at 45–50 MPH, he was blinded by the sun and crashed into the rear of a 2010 Volkswagen Jetta. The air bags did not deploy. The contact noticed that the service air bag message was displayed on his app after the crash. The contact sustained injuries to his head and cervical spine, and medical attention was provided. A police report was filed. There was no reported fire. The vehicle was towed to a tow lot. The local dealer was not contacted. The manufacturer was not notified. The failure mileage was approximately 14,000.
The contact owns a 2022 GMC Canyon. The contact stated that while driving approximately 5 MPH and making a right turn, the steering wheel became inoperable. The service power steering message was displayed. There were no warning lights illuminated. The vehicle was towed to the local dealer, where it was diagnosed that there was water intrusion into the electrical connector. The vehicle was repaired. The manufacturer was not notified of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 14,424.
8 Speed auto transmission slipping on first gear. Truck was serviced on 2 attempts with know resolution and still currant.
Showing 20 of 442 total NHTSA complaints. Source: NHTSA Complaints Database
Check a Specific GMC Canyon
This page shows fleet averages across all 10 model years. Enter a VIN to see the exact accident history, odometer records, title brands, and open recall status for a specific car.
📖 Understanding This Data
What is an NHTSA Complaint?
An NHTSA safety complaint is a report filed directly by a vehicle owner or driver describing a safety-related issue. Anyone can submit a complaint at NHTSA.gov. The number of complaints is a signal of how common a problem is — but complaints per model-year matter more than raw totals, since popular vehicles naturally receive more reports. The GMC Canyon has 442 complaints on record across 10 model years.
What is a Safety Recall?
A safety recall is a mandatory campaign issued by NHTSA when a vehicle component poses an unreasonable risk to safety or does not comply with federal motor vehicle safety standards. Unlike complaints (which are owner-reported), recalls are formally investigated and confirmed by regulators. Manufacturers must fix recalled vehicles free of charge. The GMC Canyon has 15 recall campaigns in the NHTSA database.
What Are Crash Complaints?
Crash complaints are NHTSA filings where the owner indicates a crash occurred as part of the incident. 9 of the GMC Canyon's 442 complaints involved a crash. This metric is particularly important because it indicates how often defects resulted in actual collisions — a key safety signal beyond general reliability.
How Is the AI Rating Calculated?
The AI reliability rating (Below Average) is generated by analyzing the vehicle's total complaints, recall history, crash complaint ratio, fire complaint ratio, and top component failures relative to class averages. The rating provides a plain-English summary for buyers who want a quick verdict without parsing raw numbers. It is one input in your buying decision — always verify with a VIN-specific report.
Why Do Newer Years Have Fewer Complaints?
Newer model years appear to have fewer complaints because there has been less time for owners to file them. Complaints accumulate over years of ownership. A 2020 model year vehicle will typically show fewer complaints than a 2015 model year even if it is less reliable — simply because fewer owners have had time to report issues. Focus on complaints per year of market presence when comparing across model years.
Fleet Data vs. Individual VIN
Everything on this page reflects aggregated data across all GMC Canyon vehicles on the road — not any specific car. Two GMC Canyon vehicles of the same year can have very different histories: one may have been in three accidents and have an open recall; another may be clean. A VIN check gives you the individual car's history: accidents, title brands, odometer records, service history, and real-time recall status.
What Are NHTSA Investigations?
When NHTSA receives a pattern of related safety complaints, it opens a formal investigation. A Preliminary Evaluation (PE) is the first stage — NHTSA determines if a safety defect may exist. If evidence is strong, it escalates to an Engineering Analysis (EA), which can result in a mandatory recall. The GMC Canyon has 0 investigations on record (0 active). Investigations listed above may have already led to the recalls shown on this page.