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What 318 owners told NHTSA about the 2015 GMC Canyon

These are the actual owner complaints behind this car’s reliability verdict, filed with the federal government, unedited. They’re unverified reports, not confirmed defects: read them as leads for your pre-purchase inspection, not a diagnosis.

All (318)Crash / fire / injury (11)Steering (225)Transmission & drivetrain (43)Electronic Stability Control (esc) (37)Electrical system (36)Engine (14)Brakes (12)Lights (9)Airbags (7)Visibility & wipers (7)Fuel system (6)

1 of 318 complaints match · Engine · crash/fire/injury only · clear filters

Jul 22, 2015Transmission & drivetrainElectrical systemEngineFire

I PURCHASED THIS TRUCK 3 MONTHS AGO AND IT HAD AROUND 9000 MILES ON IT AT THE TIME OF THE INCIDENT. I WAS DRIVING AT AROUND 25 MPH WHEN I NOTICED SMOKE COMING FROM UNDER MY HOOD. I PULLED OVER, SHUT THE ENGINE OFF, AND POPPED THE HOOD. I OPENED THE HOOD AND NOTICED THE ENGINE WAS ON FIRE. OPENING THE HOOD JUST ENRAGED IT MORE. I SLAMMED THE HOOD SHUT, AND GOT TO A SAFE DISTANCE AND CALLED 911. WITHIN MINUTES THE TRUCK WAS ENGULFED IN FLAMES. AFTER THE FIRE WAS PUT OUT, THE FIREMEN SAID IT APPEARED TO HAVE STARTED IN THE VICINITY OF THE ALTERNATOR. THE BRACKET WAS MELTED OFF AND ALL THAT WAS LEFT OF THE ALTERNATOR WAS A BASKET OF COPPER. EVERYTHING MINUS THE BED WAS ON FIRE.

NHTSA ODI 10735909

Working with the data? Download all 318 complaints as CSV · fetched from NHTSA July 10, 2026

How to use these: a complaint is one owner’s report, filed voluntarily and published unverified. Patterns matter more than any single story. If several owners describe the same failure at similar mileage, put that system at the top of your pre-purchase inspection list. Back to the full 2015 GMC Canyon verdict →