GMC Yukon XL Complaints (2021)

230 consumer complaints on file.

#11654567April 14, 2025
ENGINE
The engine failed, specifically the internal engine rod, which apparently came unhinged and caused extensive internal damage. This led to a complete engine failure. The failure was sudden and extreme. The vehicle is currently located at a GMC dealership and remains available for inspection if needed. The dealership also provided oil samples and internal findings to GM for further review.This failure put my safety and my children’s safety at serious risk. I regularly drive this vehicle alone with my children to remote areas—one of the main reasons I purchased this vehicle was because it is marketed as safe, reliable, and built for families. The engine shut off twice while driving before I could get it to a shop, and I was very fortunate it didn't happen on the highway or in a location where I couldn’t pull over safely. Had this occurred at high speeds or in heavy traffic, it could have resulted in a crash or left us stranded in a dangerous situation.Yes. The issue was first diagnosed as catastrophic engine failure by an independent auto shop. They advised me to take the vehicle directly to the GMC dealer. Once inspected, the GMC dealership confirmed full engine failure, radiator failure, and additional issues. They explicitly told me not to drive the vehicle again due to the severity of the internal engine damage. The vehicle is still at their shop- three weeks later. I’m not sure if the manufacturer (GM) has physically inspected the vehicle. However, the dealership has submitted documentation and internal engine testing results—including oil samples—to GM on my behalf. To my knowledge, there has been no inspection by police or insurance representatives.There were no warning lamps, error messages, or dashboard alerts before or during the failure. The only symptom was a very subtle and barely audible noise that appeared shortly before the failure. Within approximately 40 miles, that sound escalated dramatically into a loud rattling. The engine shut off on its own twi
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#11653702April 9, 2025
ENGINE, POWER TRAIN
On [XXX], my wife and our children were driving back home from Barstow when the vehicle stalled on the [XXX] freeway near Colton, CA. While driving at approximately 50–65 mph, we heard a clanking noise coming from the engine, followed by multiple warning and maintenance lights illuminating on the dash. The vehicle then lost all acceleration power and shut off, leaving my wife and children stranded in the middle lane of moving traffic. All of this happened in a matter of seconds. This situation quickly became a life-threatening incident. Vehicles, including large semi-trucks, were swerving and honking to avoid colliding with our stalled Yukon. Fearing for my family’s safety, I was forced to exit the vehicle in the middle of traffic and physically push the Yukon to the side of the freeway, while trying to keep my wife and children calm inside the vehicle. The panic and distress this caused my family—especially my wife, whose anxiety skyrocketed—is beyond unacceptable. Highway law enforcement arrived and remained there until we were able to get a safety tow off the freeway and out to a service shop with GMC. Just before that, we had received our vehicle back on February 20th, 2025 after being with the GMC dealership since January 3rd, 2025, for engine replacement. INFORMATION REDACTED PURSUANT TO THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT (FOIA), 5 U.S.C. 552(B)(6)
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#11653662April 9, 2025
ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING, ENGINE
The contact owns a 2021 GMC Yukon XL. The contact stated that while driving at various speeds, the vehicle shuddered. The vehicle was taken to the dealer, where it was diagnosed that the lifters had failed and needed to be replaced. The manufacturer was contacted and informed the contact that only one side of the engine lifters replacement was covered. The vehicle was repaired accordingly. Additionally, the contact stated that while driving 55-60 MPH, the engine started shuddering. Several unknown warning lights were illuminated. The messages "Service ESC", "Forward Collision System Unavailable", "System Failure", and other unknown messages were displayed. The contact was able to drive to the residence. The vehicle was towed to the dealer, where it was diagnosed that the engine was blown and needed to be replaced. The vehicle was repaired at the contact's expense. The contact related the failure to NHTSA Action Number: PE25001 (Engine, Engine and Engine Cooling). The manufacturer was notified of the failure, but no further assistance was provided. The failure mileage was approximately 75,000.
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#11652288April 2, 2025
POWER TRAIN
The 6.2 engine started ticking now. It needs to be rebuilt. It's ridiculous. We service it every 3000 miles. Our 2017 Sierra had a valve stick that ruined the cam. It has the same 6.2 engine with only 78,000 miles on it.
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#11652284April 2, 2025
POWER TRAIN
The transmission went out. Torque converter put metal all through the transmission. While driving at highway speeds in traffic almost got rear ended
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#11652181April 1, 2025
ENGINE
Complete engine failure due to lifters going bad in return had to replace the entire thing
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#11651648March 31, 2025
ENGINE
Months after a bought the car brand new my engine failed, GMC took months to replace the engine leaving me without a car for months, while paid out of pocket for a rental. Further I’ve had numerous transmission issues that and other issues leaving the car in the dealership shop for months.
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#11651172March 27, 2025
FUEL/PROPULSION SYSTEM
I was driving with my [XXX] son and my car just stalled out in the middle of the road. I couldn’t start it and we were stuck in the middle of the road. My husband arranged for a tow and the repair shop (safe auto repair Mont Belvieu) told me that this type of thing they have seen a lot of. The fuel pump power control module needed to be repaired and they said when that happens it sometimes shorts out the fuel pump system too. They said they had to repair 4 like this already during the week. My neighbor said the exact same thing happened to her friend gmc at4 a month ago and was also driving and the car just stopped. INFORMATION REDACTED PURSUANT TO THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT (FOIA), 5 U.S.C. 552(B)(6)
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#11650555March 25, 2025
VISIBILITY:REAR WINDOW WIPER/WASHER, VISIBILITY:WINDSHIELD WIPER/WASHER
The contact owns a 2021 GMC Yukon XL. The contact stated while operating the vehicle on a cold day, the windshield wiper fluid failed to spray from the windshield wiper nozzle and the windshield and window could not be cleaned while driving. The contact stated that the failure was present with the front windshield and rear glass and had created a visibility hazard for the driver. The cause of the failure was not yet determined, and the vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was notified of the failure, but no assistance was offered. The local dealer was not contacted. The failure mileage was 48,000.
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#11646245March 4, 2025
ENGINE
Driving on a highway at 70 MPH then vehicle shut off / lost all power (with my kids in the car!!). Luckily we made it across three lanes of traffic to the shoulder. Got the vehicle to the dealership where they said they found large amounts of metal shavings in my engine. The engine was replaced but I am still nervous when office that it could happen again. I’m in a Facebook group where people are continually reporting the same thing happening to them. I bought this large vehicle to transport my kids and this is an extreme safety hazard (not only for us but those driving around us). This happened when I only had approximately 18,000 miles on the vehicle. Pretty much still brand new. Since then, I recently had to have the belt replaced again and the rear differentials flushed for loud grinding noises.
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#11645559February 28, 2025
ENGINE
We purchased our 2021 GMC Yukon used from a dealership 1 year ago with zero issues. 3 days ago out of no where there is a very loud squeaking sound in the front under the hood. No engine or warning lights just the sound. We had a mechanic check it and a part inside the tansmission is broke. NOT fixable, MUST be replaced.......
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#11645509February 28, 2025
ENGINE
Our family of 6 were traveling home on the Freeway, from a family road trip going about 75 mph. The engine revved up and then the entire car all electronics went black. And then flashed back on. A warning told me to "Start Engine" I attempted to, and it would not turn over. I was able to get to the shoulder to get us out of the hi-speed traffic. I put our hazards on, and the "Start Engine" warning popped up again. I attempted to start the engine again and it wouldn't turn over. All the warnings started to flash things like "check transmission, check battery.." etc. We asked our kids to stay buckled, because of the hi-speed traffic, and that it was dark outside, and we were in more of rural area. We called the nearest tow company, and had to wait about 30-40 minutes for him to get to us. The tow truck operator was not able to get the car in neutral to be able to get the Yukon on to the tow truck, he eventually got it on. The next morning the Service Tech called and said the car was completely dead when he got to it. Then, he called me later in the day and said he was able to look at the vehicle and run diagnostics and said the engine had seized. My car is less than 4 years old and had 66k miles. I had it serviced right before our family road trip at 64k miles. We have been the only owners and have always serviced it through GMC Service Centers Only. *Note*We had complained multiple times of a squeaking/chirping noise coming from the engine. Since we first received it. The service center kept the vehicle a couple of times overnight to try and diagnose. We had to pay for a new belt replacement, and the squeaking/chirping noise was never resolved. We wonder if this was a preexisting issue.
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#11644898February 25, 2025
ENGINE
My wife was driving down the road with my Daughter and the engine simply stopped running without warning. She was able to coast to a stop on the side of the road and engage her hazard lights. When she tried to restart the engine it just cranked but never started. We had it towed to a mechanic and the mechanic told us that the engine is seized and we likely need a new engine, total cost of over $20,000. This vehicle should not be having this type of issue at 70,000 miles. If they were on a busy highway in the middle of rush hour it would have been a very dangerous situation.
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#11644671February 24, 2025
ENGINE
Car shutdown and shifted on its own down to neutral from drive. Was driving on highway. Never was able to shift to another gear after pulling over. Computer board was completely blank. Engine would never restart. This is the second engine to go out in this vehicle.
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#11643618February 19, 2025
ENGINE
On [XXX] while driving my 2021 GMC Yukon Denali to work, the vehicle suddenly lost power without warning. I had it towed to the dealership, where I was informed that the fuse pack needed replacement. Less than 36 hours after getting my vehicle back, I experienced another critical failure—while driving, the traction control light and check engine light came on, and the engine began making a loud clacking noise. Upon returning it to the dealership, I was told that the vehicle required a complete engine replacement. Prior to this incident, my Yukon had no known mechanical issues. However, despite the vehicle being only three years old and under GMC’s 5-year/60,000-mile PowerTrain warranty, the failure occurred at 65,722 miles—just over the coverage limit. GMC has acknowledged nearly 900,000 reported issues related to this engine defect, yet instead of issuing a full recall, I was only offered 60% coverage, leaving me with over $5,000 in out-of-pocket costs for an issue that is clearly a widespread manufacturing defect. I purchased this vehicle for its reputation of reliability and safety, especially as the primary mode of transportation for my family of five, with no nearby relatives to rely on. Given the known defects, it is unacceptable that GMC has failed to take full responsibility. I am formally requesting that GMC cover the full cost of the engine replacement and issue a recall to prevent other consumers from experiencing the same failure. [XXX] INFORMATION REDACTED PURSUANT TO THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT (FOIA), 5 U.S.C. 552(B)(6)
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#11641789February 10, 2025
ENGINE, SERVICE BRAKES, POWER TRAIN
Car shakes in drive, car shakes when accelerating, transmission issues, rear differential had to be replaced.
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#11641520February 8, 2025
ENGINE
I was driving down the highway when the engine started making a very loud rattling noise. I was able to almost get out of the travel lane. The engine does not restart and is seized. The temperature was 10°f and the closest two was 3 hours away and the vehicle was partially blocking the 2 lane highway on the right side. Unknown inspection status by manufacturer. There was no warning light at any time even after the shutdown. The symptom of the intense loud rattling occurred approximately 60 seconds before complete failure. Just enough time to get to a pull out off a bridge.
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#11639641January 30, 2025
POWER TRAIN
The contact owns a 2021 GMC Yukon. The contact stated that while driving at an undisclosed speed, the transmission warning light illuminated. The vehicle was taken to a local dealer where it was diagnosed and determined that the transmission needed to be replaced. The vehicle was not repaired and remained at the local dealer for further investigation. Upon further investigation, the contact related the failure to NHTSA Campaign Number: 24V839000 (Power Train); however, the VIN was not included. The manufacturer was notified of the failure and referred the contact to the NHTSA Hotline for assistance. The failure mileage was approximately 63,000.
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#11639420January 29, 2025
ENGINE
On or about September 28 while traveling N on US 67 it was necessary to stop at a construction stop light. As I started to accelerate a pinging started. I continued roughly 10 miles, to my daughters house. The truck was flat bedded back to Jones Auto Center in Monmouth Ill. The found a bent push rod and bad lifter in the #1 Cyl. Repairs were done per the attached Invoice. Milage was 103,000. On 11/5/2024 while traveling on US 116 @ 65+-MPH the engine froze, with instant stoppage. Flatbedded to Myler Automotive where the engine was replaced per the attached Invoices. Milage was 105907.
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#11638008January 23, 2025
ENGINE
The contact owns a 2021 GMC Yukon XL. The contact stated that while driving 65 MPH, the vehicle shut off with the message to restart the vehicle displayed. The contact was able to pull over and restart the vehicle after several attempts; however, the failure reoccurred soon after the vehicle was restarted. Due to the failure, the vehicle was initially towed to a dealer but was later towed to an independent mechanic. The mechanic performed a diagnostic test and diagnosed the vehicle with engine failure. The vehicle remained in the possession of the independent mechanic. The manufacturer was not notified of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 60,000.
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0

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