Here Is GM’s Fix For The GMC Terrain Excessive Headlamp Glare Recall
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Last March, GM was denied a dismissal and forced to recall more than 727,000 units of the 2010-2017 GMC Terrain over concerns of a violation of Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standards (FMVSS) regarding the headlights. General Motors has since issued a fix for the recall, using a headlamp appliqué to dampen the luminosity of the headlights. For obvious reasons, this was ridiculed by some owners of affected GMC Terrain models, blasting it ineffective and unnecessary. Today, we take a deeper dive into this fix.
In order to resolve this violation, GM developed a headlamp appliqué that will cover the headlamps to ensure they do not exceed the 125 cd (Candela) limit. Many owners describe the fix as just a simple piece of tape stuck to the outside of the headlight, with one saying “This in not a permeant fix, it’s unprofessional and ridiculous.”
However, in all fairness, GM Techs do have a procedure to follow when performing this “remedy”, including cleaning the headlamp with an alcohol-based solution and applying a template in order to ensure the appliqué is applied in the proper orientation. GMC says the repair will only takes Techs 0.12 hours, or 12 minutes, to perform. Regardless of opinions, the sticker works and has been approved by the NHTSA, so it is considered a fix for the recall.
Some owners have decided to forgo the repair regardless of its effectiveness. It’s important to be aware that this issue is still considered a recall, and as such, government agencies like the DMV/BMV track recall repair compliance on vehicle registration information.
Additionally, if an owner of an affected GMC Terrain model is involved in an accident, the owner could be deemed at fault if the following conditions are met:
- The Terrain’s low-beams were a major contributing factor
- Owner was informed of the recall
- Owner didn’t get the recall repair performed in a reasonable amount of time
It’s worth noting that there is little evidence to suggest that the headlamps have been responsible for any crashes or deaths involving affect GMC Terrain models.
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This is the closest I have ever seen to a car manufacturer putting a band-aid on a problem. I can almost hear Phil Swift advertising Flex Tape Clear as I read this article.
“It’ll even fix your GMC Terrain’s headlight glare!”
My question is why did the NHTSA wait five years to contact GM about the problem that was non-compliant with these headlights? Should have been an issue with the 2011 model and dealt with then.
Get the “repair” to close the recall then peel the sticker off and trash it. All the 1st gen Terrains around here already have oxidized headlights anyways.
I own a 2020 GMC Sierra 1500 SLT and am experiencing the same problem with low beam headlight glare. Is there a repair or recall for this vehicle. By the way I noticed the headlights were changed on later models.
Glare is a common issue on many headlamp.
No one up will change assemblies as the cost is off the chart.
90% of these will never get the tape anyways.
The greater trouble are Jeep wranglers with lifts no one adjust the light on them or trucks with leveling kits and no adjustments.
Everything appears to have a lift kit in it coming in the opposite direction when you are in a Corvette. Their beams hit you directly in the eyes because the Corvette is so low.
Yes but that is something you accept buying the car that is that low.
Sitting in my car I see the door emblem on the lower door next to me. But I accept the issues due to the nature of the car.
when i see a vehicle coming my way that has bright headlamps i glance to the right till it passes. i have been driving corvettes since the 60s.
They teach to look at the line at the side of the road or the berm.
I’ve owned my 2015 Terrain since new. It has a sharp beam cutoff and not once have I been flashed for blinding oncoming traffic. Quite frankly, I blame the NHTSA for this ridiculousness more than GM. I never expected new headlamps out of this recall, nor should GM have decided to do that. In fact kudos to GM for finding the cheapest and easiest fix for this issue and not wasting money on a vehicle out production that had no serious implications while in use.
I has a 2012 with 19” wheels and we got flashed often.
I at least know why now. But even at that these were far from the most offensive headlamps out there.
I’ve owned a 2016 Terrain since new and no one ever flashes their brights at me. This whole thing is absurd.
.12 of an hour is 7.2 minutes, not 12.
Flat rate is measured in tenths of an hour, and each is six minutes. You’re correct. It just goes to show you just how much the author does not know about the automobile business.
So be it. GM is I-A-W the ruling, comply with the recall and peal them off when you get home if you choose.
BTW….12 MINUTES IS 0.2 HOURS NOT 0.12.
Still doesn’t eliminate possible liability in an accident if an owner peels them
off the headlights.
Alot do not realize how much big government entities are to blame ! Stop the @nal probing !
What will happen to that cute tape when we, from freezing states or countries, have to take out a layer of ice from the headlamps? Will GMC provide us with a supply of de-icer?
What a well thought correction from GMC, and such a good job from the NHTSA!
It is much like the tape clear protection for head lamps it is not coming off. this is not duct tape.
now you know that the fed. govt. had more to do with the design of your vehicle than the engineers at the car company. be careful who you vote for in the next election.
Just look. The Cadillac XT6 has the new head lamps that have been engineered to move the light around. Even on high beam it moves it from the on coming car.
Yet Cadillac has had it disabled and only recently has the DOT approved it. GM has plans for an update to activate it.
The major issue has always been we had politicians making auto regulations. Now we have appointed activist doing the regulating.
The EPA activist in charge are reinterpreting the laws to fit their agenda.
I hate to say it I am not sure elections are going to change much. Automakers can’t afford to keep going back and fourth on regulations that keep costing them more money.
I hate to say they have given up but you can’t just turn designs and production every election cycle.
Also ESG ratings have most global companies held hostage. Much of what GM is doing is effected by ESG
The link below show what it is and how it impact companies. The more global the heavier the impact.
https://www.fool.com/investing/stock-market/types-of-stocks/esg-investing/esg-rating/
This is merely a technical failure to meet the rules. It’s not generated by accidents or even complaints. i blame NHTSA for no flexibility.
Got my recall notice last week and it went straight to the trash can.
Sounds to me like the head lamps work too well and the government just needed to fix something that wasn’t broken…just like they fixed our economy.
Is the tape hard to remove? My wife has a ’15. We’ve never been flashed either but I’ve met her on the road and there is a glare just as you’re meeting. No time to flash. It is not that bad and far less obnoxious than all the super bright fog lights in clear weather. Delete that nonsense.
Here are some factors here.
#1 there is a glare as we got flashed often in our Terrain.
#2 many lens are not as clear now as in the past do it may be gone anyways.
#3 not all terrains sat at the same level. Ours was a SLTvwith the 19” wheel option. It sat higher up than other models.
I suspect these were more an issue than a FWD SLE with 17” wheels.
Also unless you drive much out of town the glare issue was not a issue where there are street lights.
The fact GM was singled out to begin with was ridiculous, when there are so many other vehicles out there with even more egregiously bad headlights from the factory. The auto dimming feature on some of the newer Acura’s is hideous…by the time they auto dim you are already blinded. And why did they wait 12 years to take action on these headlights when they’ve been around so long? This seems like just trying to go after the big brand in hopes to sending a message to the other manufacturers.
The vehicles that annoy me the most are the people in Jeeps and F-250 Super Duty’s. Jeep owners love those aftermarket LEDs and the Super Duty drivers stick LEDs in those reflector headlights that use FOUR bulbs, not just two, along with the fog lights…so you get six LEDs in reflector style housings blinding you.
Overly-bright headlights have become a daily problem. Then too, I recently drove a 2022 Chevy Malibu with the worst low-beam headlights I have encountered: Worse than a pre-sealed beam headlights. This is a huge dilemma, especially with different vehicle ride-heights.
I think that Gmc has bigger problems to fix on the 13 to 15 terrains maybe they should step up and fix those first