general problems of the 2023 GMC Yukon - part 1

I am filing this formal complaint to report a series of catastrophic, life-threatening mechanical failures involving my 2023 GMC Yukon. This vehicle has become a weapon on the road, exhibiting erratic behaviors that nearly resulted in a multi-vehicle fatality on a high-speed highway. 1. High-speed power loss (highway failure while my wife was traveling at 60 mph in heavy highway traffic, the vehicle’s transmission spontaneously and without warning disengaged and shifted into neutral. This caused an immediate and total loss of motive power. In a split second, my wife was left piloting a 6,000-pound unpowered projectile in the middle of high-speed traffic. By the grace of god alone, she managed to navigate to the shoulder without being rear-ended. This is a clear "sudden loss of motive power" defect that poses an immediate threat to life. 2. Unintended directional movement (reverse shift) following a total engine replacement—a repair that took over 45 days—the vehicle has now developed a new, terrifying defect. While stopped at a traffic light, the vehicle spontaneously engaged in reverse. This unintended movement occurred without driver input, creating a high risk of pedestrian strikes and intersection collisions. 3. Systematic failure and dealer evasion the vehicle previously exhibited "ghost shifts" into park and neutral at low speeds. Despite my repeated warnings to the general motors service department, I was dismissed until the engine ultimately failed. Furthermore, the dealership has been inconsistent and evasive regarding the serial numbers of the replacement components, leading me to believe that unsafe or defective parts are being recycled into these vehicles. General motors is aware of these powertrain defects, yet they continue to allow these "death traps" to remain on the road. My family will not be the "crash test dummies" for gm’s manufacturing negligence.

The contact owns a 2023 GMC Yukon xl. The contact stated that while driving on several occasions at various speeds, the vehicle experienced unexpected gear shifting. The check engine warning light illuminated and then disappeared when the vehicle was restarted. The vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired. The contact used a handheld diagnostic machine and retrieved dtc: p0747. The manufacturer was notified of the failure. The failure mileage was 67,000.

The 6. 2l motor in my GMC Yukon failed due to the camshaft and stalled me in an intersection on a highway. Had to shut the lanes down to get towed. Lost all power and couldn’t do anything but sit in the road. Just did a pico test and it “passed” but failed 3k miles after the recall was done.

I own a 2023 GMC Yukon denali. In Nov. 2023, at about 4,000 miles, the vehicle suffered a complete engine and electrical failure at highway speed while I was traveling with my husband and three small children. It suddenly lost all power in the fast lane, including acceleration and engine function. Steering became extremely heavy, consistent with loss of power steering assist, and the electronics shut down. We had to guide the vehicle across traffic while coasting downhill to the shoulder beyond a guardrail. Traffic had to avoid us, creating a serious safety hazard. The vehicle would not restart. The vehicle was towed and required a complete engine replacement under warranty. After that replacement, additional issues followed. There was an hvac/defrost concern. In June 2025, the vehicle again became inoperable without warning while parked at a store. It would not start despite repeated attempts, including by a dealership representative. A diagnostic scan produced over a page of error codes, but the dealership could not identify a cause and stated the vehicle was safe. In Dec. 2025, the vehicle engine was inspected under a recall and I was told there were no issues. In Feb. 2026, the vehicle lost heat and was found to have no coolant despite regular maintenance and recent inspection. In Mar. 2026, at about 37,700 miles, the vehicle developed a loud clunking noise while driving. I stopped driving and returned it to the dealership, where I was told the engine had failed again and required another full replacement. The vehicle has now had two engine failures and three engines installed in less than three years. There were no warning lights or prior indications before these failures. I no longer believe this vehicle is safe or reliable for transporting my family.

I just survived a terrifying incident that proves the current gm 6. 2l (l87) engine "recall fix" is a dangerous myth. Living with the "ticking time bomb" I bought my 2023 GMC Yukon at4 brand new, but for the last two years, I haven't truly "owned" it—it has owned me. Every long-distance trip with my family was filled with anxiety. I constantly worried that I’d be the next one stranded on the side of the road while my neighbors' and friends' 6. 2l engines were seizing all around me. I traveled with fear that I’d be coming home in a rental car. The false security of the recall when the recall finally arrived, I thought the nightmare was over. On sept 15, 2025, my dealer in newburgh, NY, inspected the truck at 48,000 miles. They told me my engine "passed," switched the oil to 0w-40, and issued me a 150,000-mile extended warranty. I realized then what I know for sure now: 0w-40 oil is a band-aid, not a cure. Gm used thicker oil to "cushion" a physical manufacturing defect in the crankshaft and bearings just to avoid the multi-billion dollar cost of engine replacements. They traded my family’s safety for their bottom line. The catastrophic failure last Friday, March 13, 2026, the "fix" failed. I was traveling 70 mph uphill on I-84 with my **newborn baby** and two other kids in the back. Without warning, the engine seized solid. I lost all propulsion in heavy traffic and had to fight to get my children to the shoulder. We sat in the freezing cold for over an hour while traffic flew by us. An extended warranty is worthless when your engine dies in a high-speed traffic lane with an infant in the car.

My 2023 GMC Yukon denali with the 6. 2l v8 suffered a sudden loss of propulsion while traveling at approximately 70–75 mph on the highway with my wife and young daughter in the vehicle. The engine rpm dropped immediately to zero and the vehicle displayed a message instructing me to press start. I do not recall any meaningful prior warning lamps or symptoms before the failure. I did not hear a loud bang or other dramatic engine noise; the vehicle simply lost power and would not continue driving under engine power. I had to coast across lanes/shoulder to a stop, which created a serious safety risk to my family and other drivers because the vehicle lost propulsion at freeway speed without warning. After stopping, the vehicle would not restart. Pressing the start button produced only a click from under the hood and the engine would not crank. The vehicle was towed to a GMC dealership in victorville, California. The dealer has since confirmed that the engine requires full replacement. The failure has therefore been confirmed by an authorized GMC dealer and the vehicle should be available for inspection through that dealership/manufacturer if requested. This is especially concerning because this vehicle was already part of the known gm 6. 2l recall population and had supposedly passed the recall inspection/remedy before I purchased it. Despite that, the engine still failed catastrophically only about 1,355 miles into my ownership. Purchase mileage was approximately 26,343 and failure occurred at approximately 27,698 miles. Based on what the dealer told me, the failed component/system is the engine assembly.

2023 GMC Yukon xl 6. 2l v8 experienced progressive engine defects starting in first year. At 7,445 mi (Jan 2023), first dealer visit for engine issues. At 10,315 mi (Apr 2023), cyl 2 fuel injector failed (internally open), vehicle towed to dealer, replaced under warranty. At 14,982 mi (Aug 2023), identical cyl 7 injector failure (internally open), replaced under warranty. Two identical failures on different cylinders within 15,000 mi indicates systemic defect. By 30,409 mi (Aug 2024), dealer performed engine decarbonization due to carbon buildup from fuel injection issues. Dealer recommended additional decarbs at 38,077 mi and 42,577 mi. At 56,028 mi (Mar 2026), engine suffered catastrophic failure: piston ring failure causing excessive oil consumption and engine destruction, requiring full engine replacement. This matches gm's known 5. 3l/6. 2l v8 piston ring defect (subject of $150m class action settlement). Defective injectors caused incomplete combustion, carbon buildup on piston rings, ring tension loss, and catastrophic engine failure. Vehicle also has unfixed suspension defect (camber bolt/alignment). Vehicle visited dealer 8+ times. Engine failure poses serious safety risk from sudden power loss at highway speeds. Vehicle available for inspection.

On 3/3/2026 during the night-time hours, I was traveling on the freeway in my 2023 GMC Yukon at over 65 mph when I received a notice from the instrument cluster stating that the battery was low and oil pressure was low. Before I could pull over to a safe location, the Yukon turned off while in motion. My wife and two children were in the vehicle. The Yukon stalled in the number one lane of the off-ramp. I had to remove my children and wife from the vehicle while in the roadway on busy throughfares and in darkness. I attempted to jumpstart the Yukon, but efforts were unsuccessful. The Yukon was towed to the dealership where I purchased it purchased from. The Yukon was returned to my custody on 3/10/2026 stating it was an issue with the battery. While driving the Yukon home it began to bog down and stalled out in-front of my residence as it was being driven by my wife. After arriving home (night-time), I went to check the Yukon, and it started with no issues. I drove the Yukon to see if the errors would occur again. While driving the Yukon on the freeway, the Yukon rmps indicated close to redline and I received a notification from the instrument cluster stating to turn the vehicle off (traveling at about 70-75 mph). Once again, I was unable to pull off to a safe location before the Yukon turned off on its own while still in motion; I attempted to jumpstart the Yukon but attempts were unsuccessful. The Yukon was towed again to dealership. On 3/11/2026 I was advised that the engine had seized and on 3/13/2026 I was advised by GMC the engine needed to be replaced (this was covered under powertrain warranty). The approximate milage of the vehicle is at about 42,200.

Transfercase was casuing the Yukon to serge when in auto mode. No codes warning lights were presented. The dealer did not find any codes but when the transfer case was removed the oil was drained to which metal shavings were found in the oil. After getting the Yukon back the transmission began to exibit the same type of issues. Currently the Yukon is back in the shop.

I had taken care of the recall items in regards to the failing 6. 2l engine. I was driving on the highway (going ~70mph) when all of a sudden the car kicked into neutral and the engine shut off. I was able to pull over, but the engine would not turn on. Electronics worked, but I think I had a total engine failure at 42k miles.

Driving 70mph on highway when engine suddenly failed. Engine turned off and kicked into neutral. Had to pull over on busy highway in a powerless car and have car towed. It is now getting a full engine replacement at 42k miles.

Transmission surging. Transmission stays in one gear.

Vehicle developed hesitation. Message: "reduced acceleration drive with caution" check engine light comes on, fortunately near home. Scanner showed "po 0747 transmission valve #1 stuck open. " research shows this is a common problem and a safety issue and can leave driver stranded or worse. Had vehicle "serviced" at selling dealer, but they did not touch the transmission. Said they drove it around the block and it was fine. Image attached. I was then told that parts are not available and gm will not authorize swapping out the valve body. Forums posts show a lot of dissatisfaction with gm over this issue.

On January 19, 2026, recall 25v274 was performed on my vehicle, and this was not disclosed to me when I picked up the vehicle from the dealership, courtesy Buick GMC in louisville, ky. I only found out when I got home and read through all the service notes. I contacted the dealer on January 19 after I got home, asking for explanation and have not heard back. The recall remedy failed. Since the service, symptoms of hesitation, lack of propulsion and low mpg persisted. As of Feb 1, the vehicle has suffered a transmission failure and is unsafe. The dealer told me verbally everything was fine, and in the service notes from Jan 19, they noted vehicle as 'operating as designed and within spec' despite performing safety recall work. ".

Rear wheel lock up it took two dealership is going through it's diagnosis but says it needs new valve body upgrade. Been sitting in the shop for 2 months.

I am reporting a catastrophic engine failure involving my 2023 GMC Yukon xl denali, which was subject to a gm-issued recall related to engine failure. On January 10, 2026, at approximately 1:00 a. M. , while traveling at highway speed (approximately 65+ mph) on a multi-lane highway, the engine suddenly failed without warning, resulting in a complete loss of power. I was forced to make immediate evasive maneuvers to reach the shoulder while avoiding semi-trucks and other vehicles. The sudden loss of power created an extremely dangerous situation for myself, my passengers, and surrounding traffic. After the engine failure, the vehicle could not be placed into neutral, preventing it from being moved out of traffic if it had stopped in an active lane. This design issue significantly increased the risk of a collision. I was stranded on the roadside for several hours in cold conditions awaiting a tow. The failure was later confirmed by an authorized GMC dealer, who diagnosed the engine as failed and replaced the entire engine assembly. The vehicle and replaced components should be available for inspection through the dealership. The manufacturer had previously issued a recall for this vehicle related to engine failure, and I had requested a buyback prior to this incident due to safety concerns. That request was denied unless the vehicle experienced a failure. There were no warning lamps, messages, or symptoms prior to the failure. The only warning message appeared after the engine failed, indicating an engine overheating or “engine hot” condition, which occurred after power was already lost. This incident represents a serious safety defect that resulted in loss of propulsion at highway speed with no advance warning.

Following a catastrophic engine failure in my 2023 GMC Yukon xl denali, I discovered that the vehicle could not be shifted into neutral once the engine failed. This prevented the vehicle from being moved out of traffic if it had stopped in an active lane. The inability to place the vehicle into neutral after a loss-of-power event creates a serious safety hazard, particularly on high-speed roadways. In the event of a failure occurring in traffic, occupants may be left stranded in a travel lane with no ability to push or reposition the vehicle, significantly increasing the risk of a rear-end or multi-vehicle collision. This condition occurred immediately following the engine failure and was not accompanied by any prior warning or instructions to allow safe vehicle repositioning. I am unaware of any manual or mechanical override that would allow the vehicle to be shifted into neutral under these conditions. This design behavior represents a safety defect because it compounds the danger of a propulsion loss by preventing drivers from removing the vehicle from harm’s way.

The engine started running rough and the engine light came on. The dealer told my wife to drive there in limp mode (~15 miles), she did so on back roads. The diagnostics said that cylinder 7 was not firing and teh fuel injector control circuit was bad. They had to replace the engine control unit.

We are located in henderson, nv and we were driving on the freeway in a construction zone with no emergency lanes when the vehicle lost all power to the engine going the speed limit. The engine had seized up which is a known problem with the 6. 2l GMC motors. We have done all the recalls recommended by the manufacturer. The engine seizing, locking up , put our family in danger . We were luckily enough to be close to an offramp where people in other vehicles barley let us over so we can pull off the road or we would of been stuck in the middle of the highway with cars flying by us with little kids in the car. This is unacceptable and as much as this happening and GMC not fixing the issues, people are going to get hurt or killed. It is a huge safety concern! . This is a known issue with these motors and problems and GMC is putting bandaids on the situations when lives are in danger. Our truck is a 2023 GMC Yukon denali with only 53k miles on it.

High pressure fuel pump housing failed and filled the cabin with fumes. Rendered the the Yukon unsafe to drive with fuel flooding the engine compartment. Took the dealer 57 days to repair the car. No warning lights, only indication was the fumes in the cabin.

The vehicle drove fine had no warning/ check engine lights. My girlfriend came up to a busy intersection and when she proceeded to cross the intersection the vehicles motor locked up stopping the vehicle in the middle of the intersection with traffic coming from both north and south direction. We had poor visibility due to blowing snow so she had to bail from the vehicle and stand on the side of the road so she would not be harmed if the vehicle was t boned. Vehicle stopped so hard and fast it threw her into the steering wheel. Was unable to get the vehicle restarted and could not get it to shift into neutral so vehicle blocked 1 lane of traffic completely and half of another lane until tow truck arrived to remove from road.

While driving the vehicles went into limp mode with a transmission issue. Vehicle was towed to the dealership where I was informed the transmission body valve has failed. Vehicle has been out of service for 3 week so far, still not fixed.

On may 23, 2025, I purchased a 2023 GMC Yukon xl VIN: [xxx] from the GMC dealership. ? at the time of sale, I specifically asked about the active gm engine recall. They assured me the vehicle had been inspected and was unaffected. On October 30, 2025, the engine catastrophically failed on a highway while my family — including my two small children — were in the vehicle. This created a dangerous emergency situation as I had to avoid high-speed traffic. Information redacted pursuant to the freedom of information act (foia), 5 u. S. C. 552(b)(6).

Vehicle has 56000 miles currently and at 47000 transmission had to be replaced due to defective valve body. At 56000 miles, motor was replaced due to broken lifter. The vehicle currently will not start.

I am writing to formally file a complaint regarding a serious and ongoing issue with my vehicle that has placed my safety at risk and resulted in significant inconvenience and financial burden due to general motors’ failure to honor my warranty in a timely manner. While driving on the highway, my vehicle suddenly began losing power and displayed flashing warning messages indicating that it would not shift into gear or out of gear and that power could be lost. This created an extremely dangerous driving situation and posed a serious safety risk to me and other motorists. I brought the vehicle in for warranty service, but general motors was unable to honor the warranty repair in a timely manner. As a result, I was without my vehicle for several months while it sat undrivable on the dealership lot. Once the vehicle was finally repaired and returned to me, the exact same transmission-related incident occurred again. Once again, I was left without the vehicle for an additional period of days. This repeat failure has severely shaken my confidence in the reliability and safety of the vehicle. When I picked up the vehicle after the subsequent repair, I was informed by a general motors technician that the brakes and rotors were most likely pitted and damaged and would need repair or replacement because the vehicle had been sitting undrivable for such an extended period of time. I was explicitly told this damage was expected due to the prolonged inactivity caused by the unresolved warranty issue. It is critical to stress that the vehicle only sat undrivable for such a long period of time as a direct result of general motors’ inability to honor the warranty in a timely manner. Despite this, I am now being told that the brake and rotor damage is considered a “maintenance issue,” even though a general motors technician directly advised me that this damage would occur as a consequence of the vehicle sitting for months due to warranty delay.

Vehicle was brought to dealership fountain Buick GMC 8701 s orange blossom trail, orlando, FL 32809 (866) 465-4364 for recall on engine. Dealership told our company that they were unable to repair or diagnose the recall this month June 2025. Vehicle has had an intermittent check engine light from time to time. I was instructed that it was safe to still drive the vehicle.

The valve body failed on 6/4/25. This caused the car to have a sudden jerk and then suddenly decelerate while driving with my children in the vehicle. It could have caused an accident if another vehicle had been following behind. The vehicle has been at the local GMC dealership for repair for almost 8 weeks now, and is available for inspection by 3rd party upon request. The same part failure has been found in the 2019-2022 models. There was no warning to this happening to my vehicle, just a sudden jerk and deceleration. After it occurred the check engine light came on.

SUV appears to get stuck in gear or struggle shifting causing jerky behavior and erratic drivability. Stopped driving and had it towed to dealer. Dealer stated engine code p0747 shown. Dealer stated faulty transmission valve body but no eta on parts. Told to keep driving unless condition gets worse. Vehicle is less than 2 years old and 20,000 miles. Check engine light goes on and off relating to the same condition and sometimes having shift issues.

Driving 58 mph then felt like I slammed on my brakes out of no where then sped up on its own to 42 mph then wouldn’t accelerate but rpm was at 5000. Shortly after my reduced power warning came on. Well the next 12 hours I went to reverse and had nothing! now dealership is saying unknown timeframe for it to be fixed.

My name is [xxx] , and I am writing to formally lodge a complaint regarding a serious safety defect in my 2023 GMC Yukon with a 3. 0 duramax diesel engine. The issue involves the transmission valve body, which has caused rear wheel lockup at highway speeds. I experienced this issue at 34,000 miles on my vehicle, and it has been in the shop for over 5 weeks with no estimated time on parts availability. Despite opening a case with gm support, as detailed in the attached email transcript, I have not received a resolution. Gm has refused to replace the complete transmission on the vehicle and only offered to replace the valve body. This is unacceptable as the defective valve body has already caused damage to the transmission. I also opened a bbb auto line case, which was closed immediately after I denied the offer from the gm support representative. This raises concerns about a potential conflict of interest, as the bbb auto line seemed aware of my interactions with gm support. I am seeking a complete transmission replacement with a valve body upgrade kit from nextgen transmission, which I believe would resolve the issue. However, gm has not accepted this offer. I request that the NHTSA investigate this matter promptly to ensure the safety of my vehicle and others that may be affected by this defect. If this issue is not resolved, I will have no choice but to pursue legal action. Thank you for your prompt attention to this matter. Sincerely, [xxx] [xxx] information redacted pursuant to the freedom of information act (foia), 5 u. S. C. 552(b)(6).

Transmission jerking upon acceleration at all speeds. Reproduced and confirmed by the dealer to be a faulty transmission valve body. Part is on back order and vehicle has been returned to me as it is “driveable” as per dealership rep. No warning lamps.

On April 30, 2025, my 2023 GMC Yukon with 68,000 miles on it (8,000 miles outside of the warranty and that I had purchased on 4/27/2024) randomly downshifted as I was turning into a parking lot and gave me a computer notification stating "service transmission now, unable to shift soon. " I immediately put my car in park and called onstar for her to read me the computer code. She said it came up with two codes so we brought it to wyatt johnson GMC in clarksville tennessee. They plugged in their computer reader and that's when the service provider informed me that my car was un-drivable because it was unsafe. We left it there for them to do a diagnostic test on it to see exactly what is wrong with it. A few days later they contacted us and informed us that it was a malfunction in the transmission valve body. The dealership informed us that it would cost $2754. 25 to fix but the issue is the part is on back order and they don't know when it will be available. We have been in contact with the dealership and with general motors customer service almost weekly trying to find out, when the part will be available and where I am on "the list" and no one has an answer. With the personal research that I have done, I have seen that people have been waiting for over a year. I also know that there are current class-action lawsuits for gm's Yukons for years a little older than mine and currently multiple complaints for the newer Yukons for the same transmission valve body issues. The dealership does not give out loaners anymore after covid. I have asked, general motors. Customer service has informed me that it's up to the dealership if they will give me one general motors said they would look into a possible reimbursement program if I have to purchase a rental, but they will only cover a car that cost $44 a day and that is not including taxes and extra fees, but I can't afford to rent anything and I'm missing work.

Vehicle has 32,000 miles and the valve body has gone out and now parts for possibly months. My vehicle has been in the shop over these first 2 years over 2 months. Now this issue with the valve body it has been in over two weeks and they claim it will be months before they can get parts. This issue puts the vehicle in limp mode and most likely is damaging the clutrch packs as they go out. People all over the forums are having issues with these 10 speed transmissions. Something needs to be done to help out those affected.

The contact owns a 2023 GMC Yukon. The contact stated that the vehicle failed to reverse as needed. The contact stated that the transmission was stuck in neutral. The contact stated that while driving 35 mph, the transmission was slipping. There were no warning lights illuminated. The vehicle was towed to the local dealer where it was diagnosed and determined that the valve body needed to be replaced. The dealer informed the contact that parts were on backorder. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was contacted, and a claim was filed. The failure mileage was approximately 72,000.

I am formally requesting a complete refund for my vehicle. It has only 6,300 miles, and the remedy provided for the recall does not adequately address the issue. The recall explicitly indicates defects in the engine components (rods/cam shafts) that may lead to a loss of propulsion. Merely inspecting the vehicle and adding thicker oil does not resolve the underlying problem; it only postpones the inevitable expiration of my warranty. Currently, there are no warning lights illuminated, as the vehicle is not driven frequently. The recall raises significant concerns, and gm should be taking more substantial measures than simply applying thicker oil as a solution. This approach feels like a temporary fix rather than a genuine resolution. I have communicated with the dealership, and have been informed there is currently no solution available for this matter. They are awaiting further instructions on how to proceed. I request a more thorough investigation into this issue for an appropriate refund, and I also wish to have this matter documented for future reference.