GMC CANYON · model year

2017 GMC CANYON

89 NHTSA complaints, 3 crash reports, and 1 active recall for this specific cohort.

NHTSA overall rating

4 / 5 ★

New Car Assessment Program

The 2017GMCCANYON carries 89 consumer safety complaints in NHTSA's Office of Defects Investigation database for this specific model-year cohort. Within that volume, owners reported 3 crashes, 0 fires, 4 injuries, and 0 fatalities. For crash performance, NHTSA's New Car Assessment Program gave this cohort an overall 4/5 rating, with 4/5 front crash, 5/5 side crash, and 3/5 rollover scores derived from standardized barrier and dynamic tests.

Component-level analysis is where model-year complaints become actionable: the top complaint category for the 2017 CANYON is power train with 17 filings, followed by engine (14) and unknown or other (12). Concentration in one or two component groups is the classic signature of a systemic defect; a flat distribution usually reflects normal aging, warranty complaints, or isolated build-plant variability. This model year has 1 active recall campaign, which means the manufacturer is obligated to remedy the covered defect at no charge for the life of the vehicle — the full NHTSA campaign numbers are listed below.

NHTSA currently has 2 investigation files overlapping the 2017 CANYON. Owners comparing this cohort against neighboring years should pair the counters above with the complaint-by-year trend on the parent model page — a spike in a single year often tracks to a platform refresh, a new transmission supplier, or an updated ECU calibration. Use the related-complaint feed below to read raw owner narratives before deciding whether any pattern here affects your specific use case.

89
Complaints
3
Crashes
0
Fires
4
Injuries
0
Deaths
2017 GMC CANYON — NHTSA crash-test profile NHTSA NCAP crash-test star ratings for the 2017 GMC CANYON. Overall composite: 4.0 of 5 stars across 3 safety dimensions. Front CrashSide CrashRollover 4.0 NHTSA NCAP of 5 stars
  • Front Crash 4.0 ★
  • Side Crash 5.0 ★
  • Rollover 3.0 ★
NHTSA overall 4.0/5 stars, with front-crash, side-crash and rollover ratings from standardized NCAP barrier and dynamic tests.

Total Complaints

89 filings

Crashes Reported

3 reports

Source

NHTSA ODI

Federal complaints database

Complaints vs. fleet median (215)

At or below the fleet median complaint volume.

NHTSA NCAP overall: 4/5 — Strong NCAP rating · Front: 4/5 · Side: 5/5 · Rollover: 3/5

Complaints by Component

ComponentCount
POWER TRAIN17
ENGINE14
UNKNOWN OR OTHER12
ELECTRICAL SYSTEM10
STEERING8
FUEL/PROPULSION SYSTEM5
AIR BAGS3
SERVICE BRAKES3
VISIBILITY/WIPER2
ELECTRONIC STABILITY CONTROL (ESC)2
FUEL SYSTEM, GASOLINE2
SUSPENSION2
TRACTION CONTROL SYSTEM1
EQUIPMENT1
SEATS1

Recalls (1)

18V35800031/05/2018

FUEL SYSTEM, GASOLINE:DELIVERY:FUEL PUMP

General Motors LLC (GM) is recalling certain 2015-2018 GMC Canyon, 2016-2017 Buick Envision, 2016-2018 Chevrolet Colorado and Malibu, 2017-2018 GMC Acadia, 2018 Buick LaCrosse, Cadillac ATS, Chevrolet Equinox, and GMC Terrain vehicles. The high pressure fuel pump may detach from its mounting flange

Recent Complaints

20250925POWER TRAIN

The contact owns a 2017 GMC Canyon. The contact stated that while driving at an undisclosed speed, the vehicle shuddered abnormally. The vehicle was taken to the dealer, and the engine oil was changed several times, but the failure persisted. The vehicle was taken to an independent mechanic, who replaced the serial gateway module, but the failure recurred. The vehicle was then taken to a transmission specialist, who determined that the transmission had failed and needed to be replaced; however, the transmission was on backorder. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was made aware of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 96,000.

Mileage: 96,000

20250718POWER TRAIN

there seems to be electrical issue. the fan won't stop running even when shut off. the thermostat stop working with pretty low milage along with the tire sensors. Fixed the previous issues. Furthermore, while driving the vehicle stop working and had to use the momentum to park on the side of the road causing a unexpected break down. The vehicle won't start. This again seems electrical and the dealership want to charge for this. The vehicle is damaged since the manufacture and huge safety issue. Please urge to get a recall for all this items since it seems immersive expensive and unsafe to have to repair all this issues.

20250718VEHICLE SPEED CONTROL

there seems to be electrical issue. the fan won't stop running even when shut off. the thermostat stop working with pretty low milage along with the tire sensors. Fixed the previous issues. Furthermore, while driving the vehicle stop working and had to use the momentum to park on the side of the road causing a unexpected break down. The vehicle won't start. This again seems electrical and the dealership want to charge for this. The vehicle is damaged since the manufacture and huge safety issue. Please urge to get a recall for all this items since it seems immersive expensive and unsafe to have to repair all this issues.

20250718ELECTRICAL SYSTEM

there seems to be electrical issue. the fan won't stop running even when shut off. the thermostat stop working with pretty low milage along with the tire sensors. Fixed the previous issues. Furthermore, while driving the vehicle stop working and had to use the momentum to park on the side of the road causing a unexpected break down. The vehicle won't start. This again seems electrical and the dealership want to charge for this. The vehicle is damaged since the manufacture and huge safety issue. Please urge to get a recall for all this items since it seems immersive expensive and unsafe to have to repair all this issues.

20250402CrashUNKNOWN OR OTHER

I backed into a parked car in a parking lot.

20241228ELECTRICAL SYSTEM

Check engine light came on, had it looked into, the radiator active shutter grille was stuck and wouldn't close. It had to be replaced. No causation or incident to have caused this. Bottomline, it had to be replaced to avoid further damage and from becoming a safety issue.

20241228UNKNOWN OR OTHER

Check engine light came on, had it looked into, the radiator active shutter grille was stuck and wouldn't close. It had to be replaced. No causation or incident to have caused this. Bottomline, it had to be replaced to avoid further damage and from becoming a safety issue.

20240430UNKNOWN OR OTHER

I can not remove my key from ignition . Sometimes it takes up to 30 minutes to get it to release. Have taken to multiple places they all have different answer and no one knows how to fix it . Getting worse everyday. Today was told to contact you that they could not help me

20231031ENGINE

Catastrophic engine failure. Piston #1 damage after a fuel injector issue. The truck just hit 100k miles. This left my husband stranded over an hour away. No check engine light or warning other than a loud pop and smoke. No warranty on the truck, I’ve been quoted $12k for a new engine. I have read MULTIPLE forums (one thread of 77 posts) of the same thing/similar thing happening.

20230913AIR BAGS

The contact owns a 2017 GMC Canyon. The contact stated while driving 50 MPH, the check engine warning illuminated. The vehicle was diagnosed, and the diagnosis was that that evaporative emission control system purge control had malfunctioned. The dealer was not contacted. The vehicle was not repaired. On another occasion, the contact noticed that the air bag warning light was illuminated. The vehicle was diagnosed, and the diagnosis was that the front driver side air bag had malfunctioned. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was not contacted. The failure mileage was 25,000.

Mileage: 25,000

20230913FUEL SYSTEM, GASOLINE

The contact owns a 2017 GMC Canyon. The contact stated while driving 50 MPH, the check engine warning illuminated. The vehicle was diagnosed, and the diagnosis was that that evaporative emission control system purge control had malfunctioned. The dealer was not contacted. The vehicle was not repaired. On another occasion, the contact noticed that the air bag warning light was illuminated. The vehicle was diagnosed, and the diagnosis was that the front driver side air bag had malfunctioned. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was not contacted. The failure mileage was 25,000.

Mileage: 25,000

20230531STEERING

The contact owns a 2017 GMC Canyon. The contact stated that while driving at an undisclosed speed, the steering wheel became firm and difficult to maneuver. The power steering assist warning light was illuminated. The vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired. Neither the dealer nor the manufacturer was notified of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 35,400.

Mileage: 35,400

20230406ENGINE

The transmission shudders terribly. It is available for inspection. It is unsafe because while in traffic situations, it doesn't get up to speed correctly. It is as if it can't find the gear, it feels like it is about to stall. It is not dependable to stay at a speed, or increase speed. The dealership said that changing the transmission fluid would help, and it did for a while. The problem came back, we had the fluid changed again. The problem came right back again.

20230406UNKNOWN OR OTHER

The transmission shudders terribly. It is available for inspection. It is unsafe because while in traffic situations, it doesn't get up to speed correctly. It is as if it can't find the gear, it feels like it is about to stall. It is not dependable to stay at a speed, or increase speed. The dealership said that changing the transmission fluid would help, and it did for a while. The problem came back, we had the fluid changed again. The problem came right back again.

20230315UNKNOWN OR OTHER

I was driving down the road when all of a sudden I received a warning “power steering” drive with care and something called “stabilitrack” my power steering had shut off. I was driving down a highway going about 65 around Walker lake no with turns. Coming around one of the turns the power steering kicked back on and I almost jerked off the road. The trucks power steering continues to go in and out making is extremely scary to drive. I have parked it since

20230203ELECTRICAL SYSTEM

The central control screen goes through a rapid, seemingly random series of "ghost touch" control changes. It cannot be stopped or shut down. It often changes the language of all screens in the vehicle (I cannot read French), shifts the instrument panel screen from speedometer to any of a large number of random screens, changes rear camera settings or deactivates it, changes bluetooth and telephone settings, and any of dozens of other actions many of which have a direct and immediate impact on vehicle safety. It serves as a terrible driver distraction because the driver has to do whatever they can to keep the screen from making unsafe changes to the vehicle settings. The driver's attention is divided between whatever the screen is doing and what is happening on the road.

20221213ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING:EXHAUST SYSTEM:EMISSION CONTROL

The contact owns a 2017 GMC Canon. The contact stated while driving 70 MPH, the check engine warning light illuminated along with the following displayed message "ISSUE WITH EXHAUST SYSTEM REDUCE ENGINE POWER TAKE TO THE DEALER IMMEDIATELY", as the vehicle slowed down drastically not allowing the driver to accelerate over 20 MPH. The contact stated that the vehicle was towed to the dealer where the failure was diagnosed as the diesel particulate filter would not complete a burn. A manual regeneration was completed. The contact stated that the failure recurred after 2,500 miles in November 2022 and the vehicle was taken to the dealer, Kelley Buick GMC (255 W Van Fleet Dr, Bartow, FL 33830) where another manual regeneration was completed. The contact stated that the dealer informed him that if the failure reoccurred, he would need to purchase a filter for $2,000. The contact stated that the vehicle failed to inform when a burn was needed as other diesel vehicles were equipped with the bu

Mileage: 3,000

20220913ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING:EXHAUST SYSTEM

The contact owns a 2017 GMC Canyon. The contact stated that while operating the vehicle, the temperature gauge would not operate and the vehicle would not properly accelerate while pressing the accelerator pedal. Also while operating the vehicle the contact had become ill with headaches and dizziness which required medical attention. Upon inspection, it was discovered that a hair-like fiber was present coming from the exhaust pipes. The vehicle was taken to the local dealer who informed that the temperature gauge and exhaust system was faulty and needed to be replaced. The hair-like fibers were not identified. The contact was concerned that the hair-like fibers had clogged the exhaust system causing carbon monoxide to enter the cabin of the vehicle. The manufacturer was notified of the failures. The vehicle was not yet repaired. The failure mileage was 52,000.

Mileage: 52,000

20220817POWER TRAIN

After 5 years and 2 months of ownership of this vehicle, at ~52,000 miles it began to develop a shudder in the driveline, that I originally ascribed to an imbalanced rear wheel. After checking the rear wheels for balance, that cause was ruled out. I took the vehicle back to the GMC dealer where I had purchased it new. They claimed that the cause of the problem was a defective transmission fluid that somehow became contaminated with water. They offered to flush the entire transmission and install new 100% synthetic transmission fluid for a cost of $770. When I complained about a vehicle with 52,000 miles developing transmission problems the dealer consulted with GMC, and then agreed to flush and replace the allegedly defective fluid without cost. Upon further investigation, it appears as though the origin of the issue is not due to the nature of the fluid, but rather the use of an undersized torque convertor in this 8-speed transmission, which began in the 2017 model year. The sm

20220813ELECTRICAL SYSTEM

Constantly getting a message and beeping to service my trailer brake system while in park and driving. I’ve never used this before for towing any trailers or anything. This message and beeping cause a distraction and i find it to be dangerous. And the fact I’ve never used this is quite annoying.

Compare 2017GMCCANYON to Similar Vehicles

NHTSA Investigations

Frequently Asked Questions

How many complaints does the 2017 GMC CANYON have?
The 2017 GMC CANYON has 89 NHTSA complaints, 3 crashes, 0 fires, 4 injuries, and 0 deaths reported.
What is the safety rating for the 2017 GMC CANYON?
The 2017 GMC CANYON received an overall NHTSA safety rating of 4/5, front crash rating of 4/5, side crash rating of 5/5, and rollover rating of 3/5.
Are there any recalls for the 2017 GMC CANYON?
Yes, the 2017 GMC CANYON has 1 recall(s). The most common affected component is FUEL SYSTEM, GASOLINE:DELIVERY:FUEL PUMP. Recalls are issued by NHTSA and manufacturers must provide a free remedy.
What are the most common problems with the 2017 GMC CANYON?
The most-complained component for the 2017 GMC CANYON is POWER TRAIN with 17 complaints. Other frequently reported areas include ENGINE and UNKNOWN OR OTHER.
Is the 2017 GMC CANYON safe to buy?
Review the complaint history, crash and fire reports, safety ratings, and recall status on this page to make an informed decision. The 2017 GMC CANYON has an NHTSA safety rating of 4/5. Compare with other model years using the links above.
Where does this data come from?
All complaint, recall, and safety rating data is sourced from the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA). Complaints are filed by vehicle owners through NHTSA's Office of Defects Investigation.

Vehicle Safety Guides

Data as of 2025. Sources: NHTSA Office of Defects Investigation (ODI) complaints database, NHTSA recall campaign API, NHTSA NCAP crash-test ratings, and NHTSA FARS for fatality cross-reference.