2024 GMC Canyon: What to check before buying

Headlights flicker off and on by themselves, often every minute or two, and some reports include the daytime running lights. No warning light comes on. Most cases start almost at delivery, between 20 and 600 miles. Other drivers read the flicker as being flashed, and reports describe brake checks, cars pulling out in front, and fear of road rage. Dealers confirm the problem, but many reports say no fix exists and parts are delayed. A smaller pattern: after a right turn, the left signal blinks for a few seconds.

Headlight flicker makes up most of these reports, with dealers able to reproduce it but unable to repair it. A second pattern is a battery that dies, sometimes during a software update. After a jump start, the brakes may not work normally and the dash limits speed for a while. Other reports describe infotainment audio cutting out, trailer brake and stability control shutting off while towing, and wiring faults that set warning lights. One describes a back-ordered anti-lock brake module that kept the truck off the road.

Coolant leaks where the upper radiator hose connects to the radiator, and reports blame a failed O-ring or gasket. Leaks start as early as about 10,000 miles, and several reports come from trucks past 31,000 miles. The low coolant warning often comes late, after the reservoir is nearly or fully empty, so the engine risks overheating without notice. Replacement parts are often back-ordered, and some owners report warranty coverage disputes at higher mileage. Separate reports describe sudden loss of power with a reduced-power message while pulling into traffic.

Two problems stand out. Brake system faults trigger brake failure or ABS warnings, a stiff pedal, and a truck that will not slow properly, sometimes with a speed limit warning on the dash. Repairs include a replaced brake module, and one case at 250 miles involved the master cylinder and ABS module. Wear complaints describe warped rotors, pulsing stops, and uneven pad wear between 15,000 and 21,000 miles, with coverage denied as normal wear. Adaptive cruise also brakes hard with nothing ahead.

Sticky or erratic steering is the main concern. One rack and pinion failed at 2,200 miles, forcing the driver to pull on the wheel to finish turns on the highway. Others report a service power steering message along with reduced power and a check engine light at highway speed, and the truck jerked hard enough to nearly lose control. Dealers could not trace a steering wheel noise in turns. Several reports filed here actually describe headlight flicker, the right-turn signal glitch, or a loose heat shield.

Automatic braking engages with no real threat ahead. Cars in the next lane or oncoming traffic on two-lane roads set it off, and the truck brakes hard enough to throw the driver forward. One highway event dropped speed by about half and nearly caused a pileup behind the truck. Dealers can reproduce it, but camera replacements have not cured it. In another case the system did not work at all, and the dealer said repair must wait for a software update with no date.

Adaptive cruise brakes hard with no traffic ahead, cutting speed by 10 to 20 mph at highway speeds before speeding back up. That creates a rear-end risk from traffic behind. A separate report describes idle staying near 1,000 rpm after a service visit, so the truck keeps creeping forward and needs heavy brake pressure to stop. A software update meant to address it would not install. With only two reports here, the false braking matches the larger pattern under forward collision avoidance.

The roof panel dents or caves inward with little force. In one case the dealer found the truck was built without roof braces, discovered at 4,000 miles, and braces were ordered. In another, a car wash air dryer made the roof pop in and out until the sheet metal dented, and the roof can be pushed in by hand. Owners worry about protection in a rollover. Only two reports exist, but both describe the same weak roof.