Which parts fail
Components named in complaints (front, side and curtain air bags, sensors and inflators).
Mileage when the problem started
Owner reports
Selected complaints filed with NHTSA by 2010 GMC Terrain owners, lightly cleaned up (personal details are redacted by NHTSA).
Takata recall - bought vehicle used,in past 2 years have gone to start truck an it stutters when trying to turn ignition over.all lights on dash flash and upon starting a 2nd time engine light comes on. I work in auto collision industry and read with my scan tool. Every time its listed as faulty start.didn't think any major wrong,till I rear ended someone at about 35 direct hit. I hit my chest hard on steering wheel & have wanted to get rid of truck since. I knew the bags should've deployed an felt unsafe since they did not. No recall listed,but then I saw cobalt major recall and it seems identical to my vehicles issue. Contacted GMC to fix,not covered. But since we do so much business and it seems connected they will be repairing tomorrow however cobalts recall requires. Unfortunately others might not be so lucky as I.
Tl* the contact owned a 2010 GMC Terrain. While driving 45 MPH, the contact crashed into the rear of another vehicle and the air bags failed to deploy. A police report was filed. The contact sustained facial injuries that required medical attention. The vehicle was destroyed. The manufacturer was not notified of the failure. The VIN was invalid. The approximate failure mileage was 51,000.
Tl* the contact owns a 2010 GMC Terrain. The contact stated that the while making a left turn, another vehicle crashed into the front passenger's side door. The air bags failed to deploy. The driver suffered back, neck and leg injuries. The front seat passenger suffered neck and back injuries, and both occupants were transported to the hospital for treatment. The vehicle was destroyed. A police report was not filed of the incident. The vehicle was inspected by an authorized dealer and the contact was informed that the vehicle operated normally during the crash. No defects was detected. The failure mileage was 9,600.
Tl* the contact owns a 2010 GMC Terrain. The contact stated that there was an abnormal noise that progressed within the first thirty days of owning the vehicle. The vehicle was taken to the dealer where the vehicle was purchased and kept for longer than three weeks. The contact did not receive an invoice to confirm what the dealer diagnosed and repaired. The contact also noticed that the air bag warning light remained illuminated. The contact was unable to determine if a dealer would repair the vehicle or a mechanic the approximate failure mileage was 86,000.
Tl* the contact owns a 2010 GMC Terrain. While driving various speeds, there was an abnormal noise coming from the steering wheel air bag, the front passenger side air bag, and the front passenger side curtain air bag. The failure was intermittent. The vehicle was taken to a dealer where the cause of the failure was undetermined; however, the technician advised that the radio needed to be repaired. The vehicle was repaired, but the failure persisted. The manufacturer was notified of the failure. The approximate failure mileage was 8,000.
Involved in a 21 car pile up in the upper peninsula during a complete white out. We were only traveling approximately 25 miles per hour but, we did have serious impact in the front, after hitting a trailer and also serious impact from behind when hit by a truck and trailer. No airbags deployed. The truck traveling ahead of us, that we hit, the airbags did deploy. My father and brother, who were also both driving Chevy trucks, and also had serious front end damage during the same accident, their airbags did not deploy either.
The airbag indicator on the dash along with the warning "ding ding ding" goes off constantly. I am concerned there is something wrong with the airbags. I would like to know the manufacturer of the airbags and I would like to know if those airbags are being recalled in other vehicles. I bought this vehicle used in April of 2015.
Tl* the contact owns a 2010 GMC Terrain. The contact stated that while driving on several occasions, the air bag warning light illuminated. The contact stated that the failure was intermittent. The vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired. The manufacturer was not made aware of the failure. The approximate failure mileage was 86,000.
I have 41,000 miles - should I need a left pretension buckle (part failure) and timing chain - oil was changed in December, checked in January and GMC dealer states I have no oil and need a timing chain where did the oil go? Is this a factor defect? Car stalled at stop signs and red lights.
Faulty driver window motor, heated seat drivers side, blinking cd on dash, noises coming from cd player, heater core and thermostat,airbags,relays and fuses. All went out including lumbar back pad on drivers side. While in motion
Airbag complaints in other Terrain years
Frequently asked questions
How common are airbag problems on the 2010 GMC Terrain?
NHTSA has 24 complaints about the air bags of the 2010 GMC Terrain, 8% of the model year's 290 complaints. The component named most often is frontal (2 mentions).
Is there a recall for 2010 GMC Terrain airbag problems?
No. NHTSA lists no air bags recall for the 2010 GMC Terrain, though it has 3 recalls for other components. If the problem is widespread, a repair may still be covered by an extended warranty or a manufacturer service bulletin — ask a dealer.
At what mileage do 2010 GMC Terrain airbag problems start?
Half of the complaints with a recorded mileage happened before about 44,000 miles, and 35% before 25,000 miles.
Is it dangerous?
Owners linked 5 crashes, 0 fires and 8 injuries to air bags problems on this model year. If you notice symptoms, have the car checked before driving further.
Source: U.S. National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) — owner complaints through October 20, 2026, recalls and defect investigations; fuel economy from the EPA. Complaints are unverified reports and are not proof of a defect. How we rate model years.