Service Brakes Problems of GMC Canyon - part 1

The contact called on behalf of her son who owned a 2022 GMC Canyon. The contact stated while her son was driving at an undisclosed speed, the brake pedal was depressed, and the brakes failed to engage. Additionally, the infotainment screen was inoperable. The front camera module warning light was illuminated. The vehicle was taken to an independent mechanic where it was diagnosed and determined that the front camera module needed to be replaced. The dealer made the contact aware of NHTSA campaign number: 24v133000 (electrical system, forward collision avoidance); however, the VIN was not included in the recal. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was notified of the failure and referred the contact to the NHTSA hotline to report the failure. The failure mileage was unknown.

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The contact owns a 2016 GMC Canyon. The contact stated that while driving 5 mph in a parking lot, the brake pedal was depressed, and the vehicle failed to stop as intended. The contact stated that the brake pedal was very firm while being depressed. The contact stated there was no warning light illuminated. The vehicle was towed to an independent mechanic. The mechanic diagnosed the vehicle and determined that the vacuum pump and brake booster needed to be replaced. The vehicle was not yet repaired. The manufacturer was not informed of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 130,000.

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On Sunday, November 16, 2025, my vehicle, which had only 2,004 miles on the odometer, experienced a catastrophic failure of its braking system. The warning lights illuminated, and I received a diagnostic alert text message from onstar stating that the driver’s side rear tire needed air. Subsequently, the dashboard displayed a brake failure warning, advising me to proceed with caution as the braking system was inoperative. I drove the vehicle home and then took it to a nearby Buick GMC dealership for repairs. I dropped the keys into the overnight box and returned to the dealership the next morning. I was informed that a technician would contact me. On Wednesday, November 18, 2025, at 3:00 pm, I received a call informing me that the braking system was indeed malfunctioning. The technician mentioned that it would take approximately 48 hours to obtain the necessary parts; however, there was a supply chain issue that could delay repairs for potentially 30 days or longer. The vehicle was purchased on April 18, 2025, and had only 2,004 miles on it at the time of the incident.

While driving at 70–75 mph on an interstate, my vehicle suddenly displayed a “brake failure” warning and limited speed to 62 mph. Power steering failed completely, and braking became ineffective despite hard pedal pressure. Multiple warnings followed: abs, engine, and others. I was in heavy traffic with vehicles at full speed. Loss of braking and steering control forced me to coast across lanes to the shoulder, narrowly avoiding collision. My safety and that of others was at extreme risk. After stopping, I turned the vehicle off for ~30 seconds. Upon restart, all systems returned to normal—no warnings or issues. This indicates a transient software malfunction, not mechanical failure. No prior warnings or symptoms occurred. The problem has not been reproduced or confirmed by a dealer/service center. I have not scanned or inspected the vehicle. It has not been examined by the manufacturer, police, or insurance. The vehicle is in my possession and available for inspection upon request.

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The contact owns a 2020 GMC Canyon. The contact stated that while her son was attempting to park the vehicle in a parking garage, there was a loud screeching sound coming from the vehicle while depressing the brake pedal. The contact's son used excessive force to depress the brake pedal, and an unknown warning light illuminated. Due to the failure, the vehicle was towed to an independent mechanic, where the vehicle was diagnosed with a vacuum pump failure, which caused the end of the cam shaft to fracture. The contact called several dealers and was informed that the cam shaft was on backorder. The contact stated that one of the dealers stated that the failure was a common issue resulting in the part being on backorder. The manufacturer was also notified of the failure and referred the contact to the NHTSA hotline. The contact was informed that only the NHTSA could place a recall on the vehicle. The cam shaft and vacuum pump had been repaired. The failure mileage was approximately 80,000. The VIN was not available.

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16,000 miles driven and my replace brake sensor light came on the dashboard. I took it in to get looked at and was told the front drivers side has 1 brake pad showing a life of 5 while my other pads all showed a life of 9/10. I was told that most likely something stuck inside the brake pad itself causing it to wear unevenly but I don't drive anything but highway and paved roads. I looked around other forums and multiple others are complaining of the same issue. I contacted gm and they told me brakes are a wear item. The dealer told me they aren't sure how it happened, but this isn't right to be replacing brakes on a brand new vehicle I've only driven for 10 months. Multiple others are saying the same thing in gm/colorado forums.

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Eps becomes difficult to steer occasionally, brakes seem to lose stopping ability leaking oil @ either oil pan or transmission.

Vehicle brakes stopped working while driving. Dash board lit up and stated system brake failure. Also stated “do not exceed 43mph”.

Break monitors for front breaks have dislodged and caused damage to rotors and pads. Dealer claims this is normal wear! breaks shimmy when breaking in all directions and squeak when backing. I travel to my work requiring mountain passes during inclement weather. The most important safety method while traveling on snow and ice is smooth steering, acceleration and breaking. With my font breaks shimmying, I am concerned for my safe control of the vehicle. Thank you in advance for your attention to this matter.

The contact owns a 2023 GMC Canyon. The contact stated while driving 20 mph, the vehicle came to an abrupt stop without warning. The contact waited for several minutes before resuming normal driving. The contact stated that the failure was caused by the rear brakes. The vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired. The manufacturer nor the dealer was notified of the failure. The failure mileage was 14,129.

The contact owns a 2024 GMC Canyon. While the contact’s son was driving approximately 35 mph, the brake pedal was depressed; however, the vehicle failed to slow for a traffic signal and the brake pedal was stiff. The contact stated that his son needed to use force to depress the brake pedal. There were several unknown warning lights on the instrument cluster. The contact stated that the phone app showed a failure with the abs. The contact stated that the failure was intermittent. The vehicle was taken to a local dealer. The dealer was not able to duplicate the failure and cleared the codes from the warning lights but provided no information on the fault codes. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was not informed of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 11,000.

Since I purchased the vehicle it’s had the issue of it braking on its own. I brought this up to GMC many times. At the beginning they had me try to duplicate it with them, which I thought would be unsafe. They only acknowledged the problem and attempted repairs after I contacted GMC directly. The issue with the crash alerts while driving always stayed, even though there was nothing in front of me. Just recently it started braking on its own again in traffic. This has caused bodily and property damage, luckily nothing grave. I do not feel safe in the vehicle and gave GMC many attempts at fixing such a serious issue. I want them to tow replace the vehicle and provide a loaner. Please contact me if you need more details. [xxx] [xxx] information redacted pursuant to the freedom of information act (foia), 5 u. S. C. 552(b)(6).

Battery dies during vehicle update spontanteniouly. After jumoing vehicle to start it all systems will not return to normal causing brakes not to function normally. I jumped my vehicle after one system update and brakes failed to engage almost causing an acident. These vehicles should not be on the road due to the software safety flaws. GMC is aware of this and still have no fix for the problem. There are numerous accounts of this happening to this vehicle on forums and solcial media.

On [xxx] I took a trip with family through ohio from pennsylvania. While truck was in adaptive cruise control on highway, phantom braking occurred where truck slowed down from 70mph to about 60mph 5 times. No objects or vehicles in front of truck or around truck during the braking. The weather was mostly clear overcast at times with no rain or snow. Concerned if vehicles were behind me during the breaking causing an accident. It was abrupt completely out of the blue when it happened. Took truck into service on 1/8/25 for oil change and braking issue, dealership states there’s no service bulletin for issue. I have not used adaptive cruise control since. Information redacted pursuant to the freedom of information act (foia), 5 u. S. C. 552(b)(6).

The contact owns a 2016 GMC Canyon. The contact stated while driving 65 mph, the abs, and service stabili-trak warning lights were illuminated. The steering wheel began to vibrate, and the brake pedal became firm. The contact was able to continue driving. The vehicle was not taken to a dealer. The vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired. The manufacturer was not notified of the failure. The failure mileage was 220,674.

Vehicle was brought in 5/18/24 for check engine light dealer eventually found broken wire in headliner on right side dealer repaired wire and I picked up vehicle 5/22/24. Vehicle was brought in 7/29/24 for park assist code dealer found short in wire. Dealer stated that to fix wire would require taking cab and bed off frame. Dealer ran a new wire along frame to avoid fixing properly. Vehicle picked up 8/1/24. Vehicle brought in 9/10/24 for a variety of sensors activated. Dealer stated to me that anti-lock brake module was on national back order and not expected until 10/28/24. Ut was not safe to drive the vehicle, and they have had the vehicle from 9/10/24. Also, drivers power window module has to be replaced. This 2024 Canyon has been a problem. I have contacted gm and asked for a buyback of the vehicle which gm refused.

The contact owns a 2024 GMC Canyon. The contact stated that while driving at an undisclosed speed and attempting to slow the vehicle while in traffic, the brake pedal was depressed; however, the vehicle failed to slow as quickly as needed. The contact stated that the brake pedal required increased effort to slow the vehicle. The abs and traction control warning lights were illuminated. The vehicle was towed to the dealer, who diagnosed failures with the brake master cylinder and abs control module. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was not notified of the failure. The failure mileage was 250.

The contact owns a 2015 GMC Canyon. The contact stated that upon taking the vehicle to the dealer for service, the dealer made her aware of a failure with the vacuum pump. The check engine warning light was illuminated. The vehicle was not repaired. After investigating the failure, the contact related the failure to NHTSA campaign number: 15v278000 (service brakes, hydraulic) but the VIN was not included. The manufacturer was notified of the failure but referred the contact to the NHTSA hotline for assistance. The failure mileage was 137,000.

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Adaptive cruise control has applied brakes multiple times while cruise has been sent at speeds ranging from 55-75 mph. Vehicle aggressively slowed down 10-20 mph then picked up speed. No vehicles in sight ahead of vehicle, aggressively applied braking without warning. Aggressive braking could cause traffic behind vehicle to crash into me while driving at high speeds. Multiple other reports of this happening to other 2023-2024 GMC Canyon owners based on comments on facebook and reddit with acknowledgement from the manufacturer that this is a know issue they currently are trying to resolve. Issue not isolated to this vehicle. Vehicle has not been inspected by manufacturer or problem been reproduced dealership. Vehicle goes in for service next week, meanwhile cruise is not being used as it is a safety hazard. No collision warning or any other warnings experienced with this issue. Issue first happened on day 1 of vehicle ownership and has happened 2-3 other times with one instance of it braking and accelerating 3 times over a 2-3 mile stretch of highway with cruise set at 75mph with vehicle slowing down to around 55mph before resuming set speed.

I was driving with my cruise control set at 77 mph in the fast lane of a four-lane highway. There was no one in front of me for more than 3/4 of a mile. A car in the lane to my right apparently triggered the automatic breaking system to the point it slammed on my brakes, pushed me into the steering wheel, and slowed me all the way to 38 mph in the fast lane of the freeway. The result of this unrequested breaking caused four cars behind me to almost rear end me and pile up. The second event was going down the freeway with the cruise control set at 65 and nobody around me and the car again slammed the brakes on for no apparent reason. At this point I’m afraid to drive the car. I have zero confidence in this vehicle letting me operate the vehicle. I need help.

The contact owns a 2023 GMC Canyon. The contact stated that when applying the brake pedal, the steering wheel would begin shaking. The computer on the center council that displays information, had blacked out. The vehicle was taken to the dealer who diagnosed that the brake pads had failed. The dealer had completed a software update for the main computer however the failure persisted. The vehicle was not repaired due to the brake pads (part number 87850375) not being in production for repairs. The failure had become more persistent and now the brakes have failed. The dealer was contacted and confirmed that the part for the repair was unavailable even for purchase. The parts were on national backorder. The vehicle had not been repaired. The manufacturer was made aware of the failure by the dealer and the manufacturer confirmed that the part was unavailable. The failure mileage was unknown.

Automatic breaking system. Driving along at 25-30 mph on a snow covered road when all of a sudden alert system sounded and vehicle brakes abruptly applied putting vehicle into an uncontrollable slide. Fortunately there was no one behind and nom on coming traffic. Notified gm customer service, as I have a case open for other issues they claim tyhey do not have a fix for. Gm's response to the sudden brake application was "OH I'm sorry".

Service brake assist light comes on and vehicle loses braking power. Brake pedal gets hard and unable to stop if needed and has potential of injury / accidental death. This similar problem has been recalled in the larger trucks /suvs due to safety issues. It appears it's also happening in the smaller truck's Canyon and colorado's as well, however no recalls. Many blogs online discussing the issues and failures of the braking system.

Driving down the road and power (electric) steering goes out. Power steering and traction control warnings lit up on the display. Almost impossible to steer without power steering. I am lucky that this didn't cause an accident-- very scary. This seems to be the same issue as the recall for the 2015s, but gm didn't recall the 2016s (even though online forums report that it was the same part number for 2016 as 2015). Reported same codes when the truck was the same as those reported by others (c0545: steering wheel torque sensor, also u0420: invalid data reported from steering control module). Upload button below disappears when I try to upload my invoice--but invoice included remove and replace of rack and pinion, diagnosis, alignment-- total invoice $2003. 78.

Vehicle only two months old with 2000 miles. Service engine light and brake assist service light activated. GMC dealer states brake master cyclinder failure and vehicle should not be driven. Vehicle left at dealer while awaiting replacement master cyclinder. Unknown if this is a widespread problem causing brake failures in GMC and chevy new model Canyons and colorados.

During normal operations the truck will come to a complete stop. I turned off the abs and it still happens. It caused a major incident today while I was driving 50mph and it brought me to an abrupt stop on the highway. It’s happened many times but today the driver behind me avoided my truck by an inch. I was then followed y that driver for half a mile when I immediately exited the highway.

Emergency collison fault problem on the 2023 GMC Canyon failure date: 10/22/2023 driving approximately 45mph while car in front is approximately 50 yards ahead driving at a matched speed as my vehicle and without any prior warning the forward collision alert activated flashing red light on windshield and automatically applying full braking until the truck came to a complete abrupt stop in the center lane of rush hour traffic causing other drivers behind to swerve narrowly avoiding serious accident. I manually DE-activated the automatic braking but kept forward alert on until the truck could be brought to the dealership for diagnosis. Forward alert went off erroneously multiple times the following days without any rhyme or reason. Not until the final day before the scheduled service appointment did the system DE activate itself indicating an issue with the forward collision. Dealer now has vehicle in their possession and confirmed a fault issue. They are working with gm on a solution, but no luck yet.

Driving approximately 45mph while car in front is approximately 50 yards ahead driving at a matched speed as my vehicle and without any prior warning the forward collision alert activated flashing red light on windshield and automatically applying full braking until the truck came to a complete abrupt stop in the center lane of rush hour traffic causing other drivers behind to swerve narrowly avoiding serious accident. Had the cars been following closer or an 18 wheeler been behind me during this incident, the outcome could have been much worse. I manually DE-activated the automatic braking but kept forward alert on until the truck could be brought to the dealership for diagnosis. Forward alert went off erroneously multiple times the following days without any rhyme or reason. Not until the final day before the scheduled service appointment did the system DE activate itself indicating an issue with the forward collision. Most issues occurred while it was either raining or damp outside. Dealer now has vehicle in their possession and confirmed a faulty component that is on backorder with no date. Truck has had multiple other electrical issues since purchase 3 months ago. ~200 miles dealer replaced faulty hvac module. ~4500 miles forward collision alert as described above. Since day one there have also been issues with trailering harness intermittently not working causing trailer brakes to not function while towing. (yet to be diagnosed by dealer) lastly left turn signal would stick causing turn signal to stay on until manual deactivation. Dealer confirmed faulty turn signal and is in the process of replacing while it is in for service.

The contact owns a 2023 GMC Canyon. The contact stated that the vehicle had experienced several electrical failures and the vehicle would not start due to a faulty battery which had lost power. After the manufactures over the air electrical update was performed the vehicle began to experience several additional safety malfunctions which included the backup camera, door locks, brakes and power steering. The contact indicated that while driving approximately 5 mph the warning messages "power brake assist" and "power steering" had displayed and when pressing the brake pedal the pedal extended to the floor and the vehicle would not immediately stop. Also, the steering wheel became stiffer to turn. The vehicle was later taken to the local dealer who indicated that the vehicle had experienced unknown electrical failures but no solutions were available. The manufacturer was also notified of the failures but no assistance was offered. The failure mileage was 2,500.

Transmission shifting really hard, has problem shifting from low gear shaking when brakes are applied makes loud noises when you go reverse to park and park to any gear driving home lost power steering and had to pull of freeway this truck has already been in the dealer for 7 other warranty issues this will be the 4th issue with the transmission!!!! it has already been fixed once before on the transmission now again 2 top ends already now more transmission issues again we have been waiting for a new transmission for my 2018 sierra for over 3 months I have lost complete faith that GMC really cares about the safety of people I have 2 lemons in my driveway just sitting.

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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.

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The brakes locked up and stayed locked for several minutes about 6 times when the brake peddle was lightly touched. I was told by the dealership service department that the computer needed reprogramming. A software glitch caused the brakes to lock up? not very confident in this product!!! I am trading in this GMC for a Ford.

This is the 4th time I have had a problem with my brakes. The brake pedal will be extremely hard to push to brake and this has happened while driving. The brake booster has been replaced 3 times now and is now at the dealership, where they have discovered that this is happening due to the break booster pump being bad. Now we get to add another $900 to this truck towards this problem. I am really surprised that there is no recall for this. This truck us not that old and we have had problems since we've owned it.

My husband recently asked if I had encountered any problems using the cruise control in this vehicle. Since I seldom drive any distance with that vehicle, I never noticed anything. But he had traveled onto the interstate, and when attempting to set the cruise, noticed it didn't work. Yesterday, I had to follow him somewhere, and I noticed the brake lights weren't coming on. We tested all the other things (tail lights, back up lights, turn signals), and everything was working properly. Today I was looking to see how to replace the brake light switch, and also noticed there were instructions on how to replace the cruise control switch and fuses,too (as they all seem to be related. ) then I found that some models of the chevy colorado and the GMC Canyon were affected by a recall for this same issue. When I looked it up just now, this model (2009 GMC Canyon) is not under the recall (but it has the same issue).

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As I started the vehicle I got a notification that the power steering has maldonado I got a few warning lights on the dashboard. As I drove the vehicle the power steering did not work and it makes it hard to steer. This has been happening for a week now.