Table 1 shows one common power train related problems of the 2020 GMC Yukon.
| Problem Category | Number of Problems |
|---|---|
| Power Train problems |
The 2020 Yukon started to have serious loss of speed and decelerating issue when the vehicle would slow down and down shift to a lower gear. The issue with this is that once it downshifted it woul not engage in a gear again and leave me stranded on the road. I had to turn off the car and restart it for it to reengage in a gear enough to get it moving again and sometimes I had to try more than once to get it moving once it no longer wanted to engage in a gear. So in the 10 mile drive, I was left stranded at least 15 times. Each time I had to restart and restart again for the vehicle to engage in a lower gear. Once moving, it would sometimes it would engage in a higher gear and sometimes it would not. Thank goodness I wasn't traveling on the highway when this happened. Beware to anyone if this was to happen on the highway while in the middle lane while in traffic. And the check engine light never turned on and thus no code to help detect the issue. Took it the day before to have it looked at and was told nothing was wrong with it since there was a code and they could not duplicate the issue I described. What?? they reset some transmission computer setting but it only made it worse by the next day. Now this 6 yr on 2020 gm Yukon is at the dealership service department requiring a new transmission for $7200. Said that the transmission fluid was showing particles of stuff and color was 'burnt', I think. Transmission fluid was changed at it's regular check up time so that didn't cause the issue and nor should it have bits and pieces in it and discolored. Is there any recourse to gm and it's crappy transmissions??.
Transmission started slipping a little and then literally stopped working all with in an hour. And was doa in the parking lot.
My 10 speed transmission on my 2020 Yukon xl denali experienced a total failure. The vehicle will not move under its own power. General motors has zero information on when a replacement transmission will be available. Some info online shows it could be months. I am told that one dealership out of eden prairie, mn has over 40 on back order and some since August 2025. They claim the issue stems from a valve body. Their communication has been terrible and no one within gm that I have spoken to has any information on what is being done. This is completely unacceptable and I believe it is part of a larger issue. They are making it seem like it’s not important and that needs to change.
Severe transmission shuttering destroyed my transmission and I need a new one according to a local body shop and a GMC service center. This is a known issue with these 10 speed transmissions, but they will not recall the ones from this year, they only recalled newer models. Car has been inspected by a local autobody shop, a 3rd party warranty company, and a GMC dealership service center. Shuddering causes severe shaking while driving between 25-65mph. No lights or other symptoms, just started occurring randomly. Purchased car Feb 2025, brought it in to local auto shop November 2025 and they could not get a transmission for months. They stated one was set to be delivered by GMC Feb 6th 2026 and they day before arrival GMC called them saying it was back on back order. Called the dealership in April 2026 and they stated they were not backordered. Had vehicle transferred to dealership service center and they say it’s still on national back order with no eta. I have been waiting for over 6 months for a new transmission. This car has been undrivable for almost longer than I have been actually able to drive it.
I was traveling along i80 and suddenly the vehicle shutdown. I put the transmission in neutral and coasted to a stop. Once stopped, I check it would not start or even turnover at that point. I still had all electrical services and such. The vehicle. I was stranded on i80. Then had to be towed to the nearest gm dealer in evanston wyoming. Heritage Chevrolet GMC. It was left there for diagnosis where their technician, several days later diagnosed it with a bad engine. There was no warning or check engine light that appeared. I even have a picture from a little while earlier while driving earlier that morning. It took it because I was surprised it was getting 28mpg in v8 mode. But I am glad I had that photo to show no diagnostic lights were on.
The contact owns a 2020 GMC Yukon. The contact stated that while driving at an undisclosed speed, the vehicle inadvertently lost motive power, prompting the contact to pull over to the shoulder of the roadway. The contact became aware that the vehicle continued to move forward while shifted into park, neutral, or reverse. The contact stated that the message "transmission overheating" was then illuminated. No warning lights were illuminated. The vehicle was not taken to the dealer or an independent mechanic. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was notified of the failure, a case was opened, and the contact was referred to the NHTSA hotline for assistance. The failure mileage was 119,000. The contact declined to provide the VIN.
Driving and vehicle started making noise and lost ability to accelerate fully. Mechanic stated he’s had numerous issues with this model with lifter and camshaft damage especially with the 6. 2l engine which has a recall on the 2021-25 models but not the 2020. $5,000+ to fix at this point.
The transmission failed while driving it and no warning lights were visible on the dashboard before hand or afterwards . . The vehicle is presently at a legitimate transmission repair shop and needs a new transmission supposedly this particular vehicle is evidently not included in the recall although the make and model are listed as part of the recall.
I possess a 2020 GMC Yukon xl. During multiple highway drives, I experienced a persistent loss of power. When accelerating from a stop, the vehicle struggled to shift gears smoothly, resulting in a rough, jerking motion. I opted to take the car to the dealership; however, before I could reach it, the vehicle lost all power and failed to change gears entirely. I am fortunate this complete loss of power and ability to change gears did not occur while I was on a busy highway. I purchased the car when it had 63,000 miles, and at 120,000 miles, the dealership informed me that the transmission had completely failed. A replacement of the transmission will be necessary.
The contact's wife owns a 2020 GMC Yukon. The contact stated the vehicle was taken to an independent mechanic for a tune up. The contact stated that upon picking up the vehicle and driving, the transmission was slipping in and out of gear. Additionally, the contact stated while at a complete stop and depressing the accelerator pedal, the engine revved; however, the vehicle hesitated to respond, and the vehicle jerked while responding. The contact stated that the vehicle slowly picked up speed, and the transmission was slipping in and out of gear. There was no warning light illuminated. The contact stated that his wife had noticed that the vehicle made an abnormal sound while driving. The vehicle was taken to the dealer, where it was diagnosed that the torque converter had failed. The dealer determined that the transmission needed to be replaced. The vehicle was repaired. The manufacturer was not notified of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 107,267.
Vehicle started jumping and switched into 4wd while reversing. There was no inclement weather or slipping to prompt this. Service 4wd warning had been showing intermittently for a week or two and service appointment had been scheduled. At service appointment, confirmed that 4wd switch was faulty and needed to be replaced.
The contact owns a 2020 GMC Yukon xl. The contact stated while driving at an undisclosed speed, the rear passenger side tire seized. The contact stated the vehicle was skidding, and the contact noticed an unusual sound. The vehicle was taken to an unknown dealer, but was not diagnosed or repaired. The contact related the failure to an unknown recall; however, the VIN was not included. The manufacturer was made aware of the failure, but no assistance was provided. The contact was advised to contact the NHTSA hotline to report the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 46,000.
6l80 transmission complete failure while driving. Vehicle started shacking then check engine light came on .
Lifter failure car could not be driven and were stranded at night in the dark. The car had to be towed but the tow truck did not arrive until morning. It was an expensive repair at GMC dealership. GMC confirmed this was the issue car started to make a loud noise, so I stopped driving. It is not an old car - 2020 and happened December 2024 GMC said it is not something they will cover.
Shortly after the warranty expired my torque converter went out and damaged the transmission. After speaking with several transmission shops this is a known problem with this vehicle! the torque converter and transmission are poorly made, and no matter if you get all of your services this will still happen to you! this should be a recall on this vehicle. Less than 4 years old and I am having to spend over $5,000 to replace a transmission. The vehicle just hit 100,000 miles. If this is a known issue with this vehicle why has it not been recalled? the dealership tried to tell me I just needed battery cables replaced. I decided to get a second and third opinion and as I suspected the transmission is gone. There were no warning lights, the car just suddenly started not wanting to change gears while driving. At the red light it jumped and wouldn’t move which made the car behind me almost hit me. There were no other symptoms until the gears started not wanting to change. No noises, smells, or any indication that something was wrong. The vehicle is now at a transmission shop awaiting repair. This needs to be a recall if this is a known issue.
The contact owns a 2020 GMC Yukon xl. The contact stated that while his wife was driving approximately 65 mph, the transmission started to slip out gear and the vehicle was losing motive power. The contact's wife had not observed any warning lights. The contact’s wife drove the vehicle back to the residence and while attempting to place the vehicle in park(p), the vehicle failed to respond. The contact had the vehicle towed to an independent mechanic who diagnosed the vehicle and determined that the transmission needed to be replaced. The vehicle was repaired; however, the contact stated while driving approximately 65 mph, the check engine warning light illuminated. The contact was able to drive the vehicle to the residence. The contact stated that while attempting to restart the vehicle, the vehicle was idling roughly with white smoke coming from the exhaust pipe. The contact drove the vehicle to a different independent mechanic who performed an engine pressure test and determined that the engine needed to be replaced. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was not informed of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 102,000.
2020 GMC Yukon transmission failed at 103. 000 miles.
Transmission slipping and damage.
Transmission required replacing at 82,500 miles. Vehicle completely lost power during my morning commute. Thankfully, I had exited the interstate and was on a city street with minimal traffic. Also thankful that I took and extended warranty at the time of purchase less than a year ago at 61,200 miles.
The contact owns a 2020 GMC Yukon xl. The contact stated while driving 65 mph, the temperature gauge started rising quickly. The contact stated that the check engine warning light was illuminated. The contact was able to park on the side of the road. The vehicle was not drivable. The contact towed the vehicle to the local dealer, where it was diagnosed with needing the transmission to be replaced. The vehicle was repaired but continued to experience the failure. The contact took the vehicle back to the local dealer, where it was diagnosed with needing the transmission to be replaced for a second time. The vehicle was repaired but continued to experience the failure. The contact took the vehicle back to the local dealer, where it was diagnosed with needing the transmission cooling line to be replaced. The vehicle was repaired but continued to experience the failure and noticed the transmission was leaking. The contact towed the vehicle back to the local dealer, where it was diagnosed with needing the transmission cooling line to be replaced for a second time. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer had not been informed of the failure. The failure mileage was 127,549.
The transmission is out. Prior to it going out, I experienced loss of power, gear slipping, shuttering and not being able to go among other things. This is very dangerous and can cause serious accidents to occur. This should not be happening on such an expensive and newer vehicle.