GMC Yukon XL Reliability by Year
Best & Worst Years, Problems & Recalls — NHTSA Data
Comparing used GMC Yukon XL options? We analyzed 10 model years (2017–2026) using real NHTSA complaint and recall data so you can spot stronger years, avoid riskier ones, and know what to inspect before buying.
Model-year trends show patterns. Run a VIN check for the exact GMC Yukon XL you plan to buy.
Based on NHTSA complaint data, the GMC Yukon XL has 895 owner complaints and 33 safety recalls across model years 2017–2026. The most reported issue area is ENGINE. 2021 drew the most complaints; 2026 drew the fewest.
- Make
- GMC
- Model
- Yukon XL
- Model years analyzed
- 2017–2026 (10 years)
- Total NHTSA complaints
- 895
- Safety recall campaigns
- 33
- Crash-related complaints
- 24
- Fire-related complaints
- 3
- Worst model year (by complaints)
- 2021 (188 complaints)
- Best model year (fewest complaints)
- 2026 (19 complaints)
- Top reported issue area
- ENGINE
- Reliability signal
- Poor
GMC Yukon XL: Which Years to Avoid & Which to Buy
Based on total NHTSA owner complaints per model year. Higher complaint counts indicate a riskier year to buy used — lower counts suggest a cleaner reliability record.
These years have the most owner complaints. Inspect carefully and always run a VIN check.
These years have the fewest owner complaints on record — lower risk starting points.
⭐ NHTSA NCAP Crash Test Ratings
New Car Assessment ProgramNCAP crash tests measure how well a vehicle protects occupants in controlled frontal crash, side crash, and rollover scenarios. Stars are awarded per category (5 = safest). These laboratory results are independent of owner complaints and are performed by NHTSA engineers on new production vehicles.
What the Complaint Data Suggests
PoorThe GMC YUKON XL has 895 NHTSA complaints and 33 recalls on record. 24 complaints involve crash-related incidents. This data reflects owner-reported issues submitted to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration.
- 895 total complaints filed with NHTSA
- 33 federal recall campaigns
- 24 crash-related complaints on record
- Review NHTSA complaint history for the most-reported components
- Check recall completion status at nhtsa.gov/recalls
- Verify service records for frequently complained components
Consult the by-year breakdown to identify model years with elevated complaint rates.
Consult the by-year breakdown to identify model years with fewer reported issues.
- Run a VIN check on the specific vehicle you are considering
- Verify all open recalls are completed at nhtsa.gov/recalls
- Request service records for the most-reported complaint components
- Have a certified mechanic inspect the vehicle before purchase
🔔 NHTSA Safety Recalls
33 recalls foundSafety recalls are mandatory repair campaigns ordered by NHTSA when a vehicle defect poses an unreasonable risk to safety. Manufacturers are required to fix recalled vehicles free of charge. Always verify open recalls before buying a used car.
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Source: NHTSA Recalls Database. Data covers model years 2017–2026. Always run a VIN-specific check below for the most up-to-date open recall status.
🔧 Most-Reported Problem Areas
Based on component keywords extracted from all 895 NHTSA complaints.
📋 NHTSA Complaint Reports
895 totalThese are consumer-submitted safety complaints filed directly with NHTSA. Each complaint describes a real owner's experience. Complaints flagged as crash-related or fire-related are highlighted.
Driving the vehicle with my family in it on merrit parkway in ct 230 am on May 10 th Car rpm start going up and making noises and felt like gear not shifting in few seconds later car all sudden on its own shifted to neutral as my speed 55-60 mph was during that moment. And screen on dash went blank dark .i was able to move to side of the road safe as possible .road is only two lane and no room to park on side . Immediately turn hazards lights on and try to restart the car and vehicle will not turn on . State troopers came and assisted us till tow truck came and vehicle get towed to dealer
Driving 79 mph total engine seizure. Check engine light came on and seconds later a low oil pressure light and turn off engine. Engine died and went into neutral and had to coast to side of highway in middle of nowhere at 11pm at night.
Im hearing ticking sounds when starting the engine and I reported it to my dealership service department and thay said thay don't see any issue
Engine failed, no check engine lights turned on. Needed to have the truck towed to a dealer
The car was purchased on 8/15/2026. On November 6th 2026 with 3051 miles on all the gauges, electronic dashboard, gps , climate controls, heads up display failed while car was in driving. There was no way to tell what speed the car was going, the gas level, rpms, engine temperature, etc. Navigation failed, Cruise control failed, I was unsure if the emergency braking system failed. The dealership responded there was over 27 error codes on the car computer. There was no way of knowing if the signal lights were working. There was no prior warning to this failure. The GMC service department at the dealership confirmed the failure and said it needed to replace the radio control module. It took 70 calendar days for a replacement module to be provided, and a new software patch was uploaded after several attempts. After the vehicle was repaired the dealership acknowledged that they have been seeing this problem. GM has failed to provide any other assistance.
The infotainment and instrumentation cluster will reboot while driving. This has happened multiple times while on the express way and while using super cruise. When the event happens the infotainment and instrument cluster will turn black for multiple minutes rebooting. At times they do not successfully reboot and forces the vehicle to pull over stop and force a system reset.
Starting at around 1300 miles, we noticed jerking upon acceleration. We took it into the dealership at 1500 due to a check engine light. They replaced the coil in cylinder 1. Then again at 3200 miles, we took it back in for the jerking sensation. They could not replicate the problem. At 4380 miles, we took it back to the dealer for the same issue. They drove it 580 miles and found the lifter valves in bank 1 to need replacement. The repair was performed and then on Saturday 1/17/2026, the car started giving check engine lights every time we accelerated. It would jerk non stop. The car hesitates during acceleration and feels like someone is pressing on the brake as we are accelerating, causing a jerking motion. Coming from a stop, the car feels like it has a hard time accelerating, almost like it is moving against a hard force to try to come up to speed. The car is at the dealer again today for this issue. It is unsafe to drive due to the hesitation during acceleration.
Vehicle Status: Brand New Current Mileage: Approximately 10,000 miles Incident Description On 1/8/26, while operating the vehicle on the interstate at highway speeds with cruise control engaged, the Check Engine light began to flash. Simultaneously, the vehicle’s warning system issued an alert stating that the engine oil was excessively hot. Immediately after these warnings, the engine began to emit a loud knocking sound and lost all power, shutting off completely while in motion. I was able to safely maneuver the vehicle to the shoulder of the road. Post-Failure Observations Upon inspection under the hood, I noted the engine was radiating extreme heat. I allowed the engine to cool completely before attempting a restart. While the engine attempted to turn over, it failed to start. Diagnostic Alerts Following the mechanical failure, I received multiple critical notifications via the GMC mobile app citing various engine failure errors. Summary Given that this vehicle is brand new with only 10,000 miles, a catastrophic engine failure of this nature is unacceptable. The vehicle was being operated under normal highway conditions when it became inoperable, posing a significant safety risk. I am seeking a full diagnostic review and a permanent resolution under the manufacturer's warranty.
The image module system has completely failed and never worked in the Yukon. Then it would brake while still accelerating.
I purchased this vehicle in May of 2025. It currently has 9840 miles on it. While driving in October the vehicle shut down and locked up. After getting it towed to a dealer I was told the diesel motor and the fuel system were blow and seized and need to be replace. The vehicle is still currently in North Carolina while I live in Virginia. Supposedly parts are in for repair for 3 weeks now and I still don't have my vehicle nor any info on when I will get back. Davenport GMC of Rocky Mount and GM have been rather useless in this process. I cant believe I am going through this with a $90,000 car that was four months old.
Reduced engine power warning light came on at approximately 7600 miles on our new 2025 Yukon xl. Dealer inspected and ultimately decided the engine needs to be replaced due to crankshaft end play out of spec. This is a know GM issue. Incorrect thrust bearing was installed from the factory. Gm did not inform us of this issue. This could have resulted in catastrophic engine failure and cause to be stranded on the road. Not ideal when it is -20 degrees in my hometown. Dealer finally replaced engine then had lane departure unavailable and lane assist unavailable warning lights. Dealer claimed this was unrelated but all safety equipment worked when we dropped it off. Now it doesn’t.
My brakes stopped working randomly. Alarms started going off in the car. Thankfully I was able to quickly turn right instead of rolling into traffic. This was terrifying and could have caused a very serious wreck.
DuraMAX 3.0L LZ0 engine with defective crankshaft thrust bearing caused catastrophic engine failure requiring engine replacement. The event occurred at about 1,000 miles. There is a GM TSB that addresses this issue. This failure displayed all of the symptoms as described in the Technical Service Bulletin (TSB) 25-NA-307. The engine has been replaced by GM. There was only one cryptic dashboard message that "acceleration may be reduced", that briefly appeared and then disappeared, three days before the incident. With no check engine light, the mysterious message was chalked up to possibly a DEF low warning. DEF was added. The vehicle displayed no problems during those three days -handling normally. Then while at interstate speeds approximately 90 miles later, the warning that "acceleration is limited" flashed and the vehicle went into limp mode, shortly thereafter the check engine light illuminated. OnStar read the code - P06DD. The email from them stated the recommended action: "Service within 7 days." The following morning the vehicle was presented to a GM dealership service department. Loud "knocking" noises were originating from the rear of the engine compartment at that point in time. The service department reported the engine needed replacement and did so.
I am writing as the owner of a new 2025 GMC Yukon XL AT4 VIN: [XXX] , purchase date: 01AUG2025, from Elizabeth City GMC, Elizabeth City, NC. This vehicle, equipped with the 3.0L Duramax diesel engine and Super Cruise hands-free driving assistance, was purchased for safe family travel, including space for my wife, our 21-year-old daughter, and our family dog(s). At approximately 4,300 miles—well within the 3-year/36,000-mile bumper-to-bumper warranty—this truck suffered a catastrophic right-rear brake failure directly attributable to a dealer-installed GMC-approved Brembo Performance Brake Upgrade Package, resulting in a near-fatal highway incident and profound emotional hardship for my family. INFORMATION REDACTED PURSUANT TO THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT (FOIA), 5 U.S.C. 552(B)(6)
The rear view camera is not sufficient for full time use. The camera is positioned too low and during times of dawn/night/dusk if a truck of similar size pulls up behind you, your camera is completely blinded by headlights. Leaving you unable to see anything in the rear view camera. This is a serious safety concern as you are unable to see if anyone is approaching your vehicle to cause you harm. The low camera placement also does not allow for an acceptable/comparable view as using the rear view mirror. The zoom does not pull out far enough to see multiple lanes of traffic and even during the daylight, if someone is approaching the vehicle to cause you harm, it would not be visible. The camera placement only allows you to view the front grill or hood of the vehicle behind you.
Transmission malfunctioned 4 separate times. Engine and service transmission light came on. Vehicle shifted hard and became immobile at certain times. 4 tropes to a dealer for repair. Latest repair was replacing ECM and problem still persists.
keep quit working when i was driving , i just pick up from delearship for i another issue with on-star and is not part available is been there for over month not fix and now the brakes issue
On August 9th at 5:30PM roughly, while attempting to park using the vehicle’s Park Assist feature, the system failed to function properly—specifically, it failed to detect a pole at the rear of a parking space, did not slow or brake the vehicle, and was not even aware it would contact the pole. It then collided with the pole. Also, intermittently the forward collision alert system either does not alert for similar circumstances as it just previously did. Seem untrustworthy. Scary. GM's product allegation team (PAC) had all of the necessary information to show the system does not work 100% of the time (I have it all on video and submitted that) and they denied my claim and refused to admit a system failure even when given the videos showing the park assist failing to engage properly ON VIDEO.
We purchased the 2025 GMC Yukon XL on February 26, 2025. While I was heading out on March 24, 2025 I had a total engine failure. No warning sign or warning lamps were present. We had the vehicle towed to Hurd Auto Mall in Johnston Rhode Island where we purchased it. We were told that the engine had seized with only 1,488 miles on it. We saw that over 870,000 GMC engines from 2021-2024 had this same issue and/or have been recalled. We are curious if the 2025 model also have this problem.
Roughly one to two times per day, a notification pops up on the infotainment screen stating that the brakes need to be serviced due to the brake assist system failing. The vehicle has been brought to 3 different dealerships and none of them know what the problem is, how to fix it, or whether it is safe to drive the vehicle still. The brakes seem to be working fine, however, it is concerning that even if the notification is safe to ignore, the brakes could indeed end up failing and the driver may not be aware due to receiving frequent brake failure notifications per day.
Showing 20 of 895 total NHTSA complaints. Source: NHTSA Complaints Database
Before You Buy, Check the Exact GMC Yukon XL
These pages show model-year patterns across 10years. Enter a VIN to verify the exact vehicle's accident history, title brands, odometer records, and open recall status before purchase.
📖 Understanding This Data
What is an NHTSA Complaint?
An NHTSA safety complaint is a report filed directly by a vehicle owner or driver describing a safety-related issue. Anyone can submit a complaint at NHTSA.gov. The number of complaints is a signal of how common a problem is — but complaints per model-year matter more than raw totals, since popular vehicles naturally receive more reports. The GMC Yukon XL has 895 complaints on record across 10 model years.
What is a Safety Recall?
A safety recall is a mandatory campaign issued by NHTSA when a vehicle component poses an unreasonable risk to safety or does not comply with federal motor vehicle safety standards. Unlike complaints (which are owner-reported), recalls are formally investigated and confirmed by regulators. Manufacturers must fix recalled vehicles free of charge. The GMC Yukon XL has 33 recall campaigns in the NHTSA database.
What Are Crash Complaints?
Crash complaints are NHTSA filings where the owner indicates a crash occurred as part of the incident. 24 of the GMC Yukon XL's 895 complaints involved a crash. This metric is particularly important because it indicates how often defects resulted in actual collisions — a key safety signal beyond general reliability.
How Is the Reliability Verdict Calculated?
The reliability verdict (Poor) is generated by analyzing the vehicle's total complaints, recall history, crash complaint ratio, fire complaint ratio, and top component failures relative to class averages. This verdict gives buyers a quick interpretation before they review year-level details and VIN-level history. It should be treated as one decision input, not a substitute for a VIN-specific report.
Why Do Newer Years Have Fewer Complaints?
Newer model years appear to have fewer complaints because there has been less time for owners to file them. Complaints accumulate over years of ownership. A 2020 model year vehicle will typically show fewer complaints than a 2015 model year even if it is less reliable — simply because fewer owners have had time to report issues. Focus on complaints per year of market presence when comparing across model years.
Fleet Data vs. Individual VIN
Everything on this page reflects aggregated data across all GMC Yukon XL vehicles on the road — not any specific car. Two GMC Yukon XL vehicles of the same year can have very different histories: one may have been in three accidents and have an open recall; another may be clean. A VIN check gives you the individual car's history: accidents, title brands, odometer records, service history, and real-time recall status.
What Are NHTSA Investigations?
When NHTSA receives a pattern of related safety complaints, it opens a formal investigation. A Preliminary Evaluation (PE) is the first stage — NHTSA determines if a safety defect may exist. If evidence is strong, it escalates to an Engineering Analysis (EA), which can result in a mandatory recall. The GMC Yukon XL has 0 investigations on record (0 active). Investigations listed above may have already led to the recalls shown on this page.
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