GMC Terrain Recalled Due to Headlight Glare Concerns

The small SUV does not conform to federal standards and may distract other drivers

General Motors announced a recall action that involves 740,581 GMC Terrain SUVs from the 2010 to 2017 model years because the low-beam headlights do not conform to federal safety standards and may cause glare to oncoming traffic. The light may be brighter than allowed, causing a potential distraction and creating the risk of a crash.

The Terrain was redesigned for 2018, with different headlights, and that second-generation model is not affected by this recall.

There is no fix at this time. However, GM is motivated to develop one, as the automaker advised dealers: “It is a violation of federal law for a dealer to deliver a new motor vehicle or any new or used item of motor vehicle equipment (including a tire) covered by this notification until the noncompliance is remedied.”

This means involved Terrains that are in dealers’ possession (new or used vehicle inventory, GM Certified Used, courtesy transportation vehicles, dealer shuttle vehicles, etc.) must be held and not delivered to customers, dealer-traded, released to auction, used for demonstration purposes or any other dealer use.

Owner notification letters are expected to be mailed April 23, 2022.

Vehicles recalled: 2010-2017 GMC Terrain

The problem: The SUVs fail to conform, in part, to S10.15.6 of Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standard (FMVSS) No. 108 and consequently may shine brighter than regulations permit.

The fix: The remedy is still being developed.

How to contact the manufacturer: Owners may contact GMC customer service at 800-462-8782. GM’s number for this recall is N222363740.

NHTSA campaign number: 22V137000

Check to see whether your vehicle has an open recall: NHTSA’s website will tell you whether your vehicle has any open recalls that need to be addressed.

If you plug your car’s 17-digit vehicle identification number (VIN) into NHTSA’s website and a recall doesn’t appear, it means your vehicle doesn’t currently have any open recalls. Because automakers issue recalls often, and for many older vehicles, we recommend checking back regularly to see whether your vehicle has had a recall issued.

Jeff S. Bartlett

Jeff S. Bartlett is the managing editor for the autos team at Consumer Reports. He has been with CR since 2005. Previously, Jeff served as the online editorial director of Motor Trend for 11 years. Throughout his career, Jeff has driven thousands of cars, many on racetracks around the globe. Follow him on Twitter @JeffSBartlett.