GMC Canyon Years to SKIP - and the Years That Last Forever!

Four GMC Canyon years are going to drain your wallet, while four others will be running past 300,000 miles. If you are shopping for a used midsize truck, the wrong year is going to cost you thousands in repairs. Most buyers believe a newer truck is always the safer bet, but a 2012 Canyon is going to outlast a 2017 with half the headaches. We are starting with the troublemakers, the four years that should stay off your shopping list. 4. 2007 GMC Canyon Picture a cold morning, a key in the ignition, and a truck that is refusing to start. Nothing is broken under the hood, but the truck simply isn't recognizing its own key. That's the Passlock anti-theft sensor in the 2007 Canyon. It is going to misread a valid key, cut off the fuel pump, and leave you stranded. The electrical troubles aren't stopping there. The blower motor resistor harness is going to overheat and melt. Therefore heating and air conditioning will quit together. Fuel level sensors are corroding too, so the gauge will be dropping to empty on a half-full tank. But the most expensive flaw is hiding inside the engine. Both the 2.9-liter four-cylinder and the 3.7-liter five-cylinder are using soft valve seats. Those seats are wearing down, therefore compression is going to drop and misfires will follow. The usual ending is a cylinder head replacement. Add a brake lamp switch recall, and frame rust in salt-belt states. This one is an easy pass. So, the oldest truck here is failing in old-fashioned ways, but a clean sheet redesign should be fixing all that. That isn't going to, and the next year is proving it with eight recalls. 3. 2015 GMC Canyon Few things are scarier than a steering wheel that suddenly turns heavy in the middle of a curve. That's exactly what the 2015 Canyon is going to do. Poor electrical connections inside the steering gear are cutting the signal from the torque sensor, therefore power assist will disappear without any warning. GM recalled tens of thousands of trucks, but many owners are still reporting the same cutouts after the dealer visit, and this was only one of eight safety recalls. backed by nearly 400 owner complaints. Porous front brake calipers are leaking fluid, so stopping distances are getting longer. The six-speed automatic is jerking through its shifts, and some trucks will even roll while sitting in park. Others are going to lock themselves in four-wheel drive low. Heater core leaks and failed blower resistors are completing the picture. J.D. Power gave it only 74 out of 100, and we are not surprised. A heavy steering wheel is bad enough, but at least the dashboard is still telling you what's wrong. One year later, even that is going to disappear number two 2016 GMC Canyon imagine driving at highway speed while the whole instrument panel is going dark in the 2016 Canyon that's going to come with a service Stabilitrak warning and a loss of power steering loose battery terminal crimps painted ground points and chafed wiring are causing voltage drops therefore the truck's computers are resetting while you're driving many owners will be pulling over and restarting the truck or even wiggling battery cables by hand. This was also the year of the 2.8-liter Duramax diesel. Its torque and fuel economy are impressive, but early engines are bringing touchy emission sensors, constant particulate filter regenerations, and clogged EGR valves. The result is going to be limp mode, usually at the worst possible moment. Meanwhile, the gas V6 is still hunting for gears and shuddering, and software updates aren't curing it. The IntelliLink touchscreen is freezing, rebooting, and dropping Bluetooth as well, so the 2016 is staying on the skip list. By now, GM knows the 6-speed is a problem, therefore a brand new 8-speed is on the way. But that replacement is about to trigger class-action lawsuits. 1. 2017 GMC Canyon You're accelerating gently on a smooth road, but the truck is vibrating like it's crossing rumble strips. That's the 8-speed shudder, and it will define the 2017 Canyon. The factory transmission fluid is absorbing moisture over time, therefore the torque converter clutch is going to slip and grab over and over. The fallout included service bulletins, a triple flush procedure with synthetic fluid, and class-action lawsuits against General Motors. But the gearbox isn't the only weak point. Steering columns are binding, and some steering gears will fail completely at low mileage. Missing or misaligned C-clips are letting the rear axle shafts move sideways, so brake squeal and differential grinding are going to follow. And water is getting in, too. Bad seals around the third brake light will soak the headliner and pool on the floor. Unless the paperwork is proving every recall and the fluids swap, we are walking away. So four years are off the list, but the Canyon story isn't ending there. That same troubled eight-speed is about to become a strength which brings us to the years worth buying. 4. 2020 GMC Canyon Most buyers want a modern truck with modern tech, but nobody wants to pay for a manufacturer's experiments. The 2020 Canyon is going to give you the first without the second. GM switched the factory fill to fully synthetic Mobil 1 fluid and rewrote the transmission's lock-up logic. Therefore, the shudder is gone for good. The 308-horsepower 3.6-liter V6 and the 8-speed are finally working together with smooth and crisp shifts, and capability isn't suffering at all. With the Duramax diesel and its 369 pound-feet of torque, this truck is going to tow 7,700 pounds. It will also return up to 26 miles per gallon on the highway. Inside, the 8-inch screen is running Apple CarPlay and Android Auto without the old freezes. It was ranked the number one midsize pickup that year, and complaint numbers are staying remarkably low. So the 2020 is the safe modern pick, but it's also carrying a modern price. If the budget is half of that, an older Canyon with a V8 is going to do the job. 3. 2009 GMC Canyon A cheap work truck is only a bargain if the engine is going to survive the work. That's why 2009 is such a turning point. GM hardened the valve seats on the 2.9 and 3.7-liter engines, so the old compression loss will not be coming back. Owners are reporting 275,000 to 300,000 miles on original internals. But the bigger news is sitting at the top of the lineup. For the first time, the Canyon is getting a 5.3-liter V8 with 300 horsepower and 320 pound-feet. Even better, it is skipping cylinder deactivation. Therefore, the collapsed lifters of bigger GM trucks are not going to appear here. A V8 and 300,000-mile engines are hard to beat, but three more years of factory fixes are going to do exactly that. 2. 2012 GMC Canyon Anyone who has owned a truck out of warranty knows the fear of the next repair invoice. With the 2012 Canyon, that invoice is going to stay small. RepairPal is putting average yearly costs at just $548, well below the segment average. J.D. Power scored it 82 out of 100, the peak result for the truck. The reason is simple. This is the final year of the first generation. Nearly a decade of fixes is going into every truck, but the hardware is staying basic. All three engines are pairing with the proven 4L60E four-speed automatic. It isn't quick and it isn't modern, but it is going to keep working. Only two minor recalls exist, both for a hood latch inspection. SLT trims are also bringing off-road suspension, skid plates, and a locking rear differential. For buyers who want pure mechanical longevity, this is the one. So, the 2012 is winning on simplicity, but it can't offer modern safety tech or 7,700 pounds of towing. Only one Canyon is combining both worlds, and it's taking the top spot. 1. 2021 GMC Canyon The ideal used truck is new enough to feel current, but old enough to have its bugs fixed. The 2021 Canyon is sitting right in that sweet spot. Several years of refinement are standing behind its platform. Therefore, the electrical faults and transmission troubles of the early years are history. Recalls are limited to small things like a misprinted tire placard. This is also the year the AT4 is arriving. It is bringing standard four-wheel drive, an Autotrac two-speed transfer case, and an Eaton locking rear differential. Off-road suspension, skid plates, and 31-inch Goodyear Duratrac tires are included as well. The Denali is going the other way, with open-pore ash wood and ventilated seats. But here's the real reason for the top spot. The next generation is switching to turbocharged four-cylinders only. Therefore, the 2021 is one of the last chances to get the V6 or the diesel. Resale values are already reflecting that. In the end, the Canyon is rewarding patience and punishing early adopters. The 2007 is going to strand you with pass-lock lockouts and wear out its soft-valve seats. The 2015 is dropping its power steering and leaking brake fluid across eight recalls. The 2016 is blacking out its dashboard and sending the new diesel into limp mode. The 2017 is shuddering through its eight-speed while water is soaking the headliner, but the 2020 is curing that gearbox with synthetic fluid and towing 7,700 pounds. The 2009 is bringing hardened engines and the 5.3-liter V8, while the 2012 is holding repairs to $548 a year. And the 2021 is adding the AT4 to the most mature Canyon of the generation. Therefore, the model year is going to matter far more than the mileage on the odometer. With the right model year choice, the Canyon is one of the most well-rounded options in the segment. For those who prioritize refinement and comfort, the Honda Ridgeline is a natural choice, but make sure to check out our next video. Despite Honda's impeccable reputation, some years can be quite problematic.