Engine And Engine Cooling Problems of GMC Yukon - part 1

My car started making a knocking noise under the hood 2 days prior to it breaking down (6/19 & 6/20). On 6/21/26, I was driving down the interstate with my kids in the car and it shut down on its own. Lights came on my dash and the vehicle quickly slowed itself down and when I pulled over to a complete stop, the vehicle shifted into neutral and shut off. I was not able to crank it back up and had to pay a tow company $243 out of pocket to tow it to our local dealership in town. My insurance only covers $200 for towing. I am a week without a vehicle and just found out Friday (6/26) that a new motor will have to be ordered but it is on back order with no idea on when it may arrive. I cannot get an answer from gm or my local dealership on if a rental will be provided. I cannot make 2 car payments but I also have a job and cannot proceed without having a vehicle to drive. This has put me in a bind for a week already with no solution in sight. I expect gm to fix my problem ASAP since it is theirs to fix!!.

See all problems of the 2023 GMC Yukon 🔎.

I was driving home on the interstate from vacation and I was set on cruise control it was 1 am so not a lot of traffic was on the road thank god. It could have been really terrible if lots of traffic was present as the engine just died without notice! the vehicle was decelerating nothing was working I could not speed up. I was able to get over to the side of the road. I got a notification on my phone that said battery critically low start vehicle to charge battery. Well nothing would start at this point. I lot all power seconds later. I thought that the cruise control was locked up and restarting it would reset it. I called roadside assistance to get a jump and that did not work. I got towed into an auto repair shop. They called me and told me that the engine is locked up that they drained the oil and found metal in it and metal pieces in the oil filter as well. They checked for leaks and said there was none that they could find. They said there was a recall but it was for the exact same symptoms that was diagnosed here but only starting with year 2021. Mine is a 2019 Yukon denali with low mileage so not sure if all the other Yukons were aged out or already past engine death and that’s why they were not part of this but this should be included in with the open recall considering how everything is the same that is effecting this year that I have and they should pay for a new engine! clearly the v8 6. 2 GMC engines are having major issues I’m just glad I wasn’t going that fast and traffic was slow so I was able to get over safely before catastrophic things happened since there was no warning when this all happened!.

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Engine failure causing vehicle to be unsafe to drive. Our vehicle was not included in the l-87 loss of propulsion GMC recall even though it is a 2021 Yukon 6. 2l. The engine failure is same as those being recalled. Vehicle is currently at cardinale GMC in seaside CA waiting repair. The only warning of the impending failure was loud noises coming from engine compartment while driving on the freeway. Cardinale confirmed the problem and our extended warranty is covering repair costs. It seems that GMC should have included our VIN in the recall.

See all problems of the 2021 GMC Yukon 🔎.

This truck has the 6. 2 gm engine. While driving it late at night at approximately 28mph the engine blew, leaving the truck in the lane and unable to move. This was very dangerous since there was no warning and it just died. The truck receives regular maintenance by GMC and was tested to see if it was a “bad engine” and we were instructed that it wasn’t. Gm said it will take 4-8 weeks to get an engine and the value of the truck to trade in is very low due to “marketing issues” which in my opinion is their issue not mine. I am battling stage 4 cancer and just had an operation and need a car to go to the doctors. They have officially said that they don’t have a truck to loan me. This has been going on for years apparently and the government is not doing anything to rectify it for the us tax payers per my research. I need a truck and gm said that they would get back to me within 24-48 hours, we are way past that. What is the government going to do, these trucks are not safe. What if I was traveling late at night to snowmobiling and it blew, it would be a different story. Need some help.

See all problems of the 2024 GMC Yukon 🔎.

At 35k miles our 2024 Yukon denali with a 6. 2l engine blew on a roadway with no known warning. Extremely dangerous situation with my pregnant wife and child in the car.

With no warning, my engine 6. 2 l stopped running at highway speeds and failed to restart. The power train completely failed for a second time after having a previous engine replaced for the same failure in 2024. I had the car inspected per the recall along with changes in the oil viscosity as recommended along with service inspection. The car left me stranded again on rural highway for over 5 hours in temps that exceeded 98 degrees. The car would not start and went into a power save shutdown and had to be towed to the dealer. I was fortunate to have avoided any traffic on the highway enough to get the car off the road. This is not safe to drive on the highway and GMC has known defect and safety concern with this issue.

See all problems of the 2022 GMC Yukon 🔎.

Vehicle started making a knocking noise. Made a service appointment. While on the highway, engine suddenly died causing the vehicle to shift into neutral. After stopping on the shoulder, vehicle locked into park and would not shift back into neutral or start again for tow truck driver. Towed to nearby dealer who said the engine is beyond repair and has to be replaced. Estimated time to get engine and replace is 4 to 6 weeks.

Took my vehicle in for general maintenance upkeep (oil change, tire rotation, vehicle inspection) and was notified my engine is already showing signs persistent with the recall on the 6. 2l l87, specifically not holding oil. The dipstick was not showing signs of any fluid being in the vehicle.

The contact owns a 2022 GMC Yukon xl. The contact stated that while driving approximately 74 mph uphill, the vehicle suddenly lost power and shut off. The vehicle became disabled in a travel lane of the interstate. The vehicle was towed by flatbed to a local dealer to be diagnosed. The dealer determined that the vehicle had experienced engine failure. The vehicle was not repaired because the failure was not covered under recall. The vehicle was associated with special coverage. The manufacturer was notified of the failure but provided no assistance. The failure mileage was approximately 70,548.

Vehicle had previously undergone the gm 6. 2l engine recall inspection on October 17, 2025, and was determined to have passed. On June 13, 2026, at approximately 80,390 miles, the vehicle suddenly lost propulsion while being driven with five children in the vehicle. The vehicle became inoperable and required towing. Dealer subsequently diagnosed engine failure and has ordered a replacement engine. This failure happened with out warning.

I perform all maintenance on my vehicles, I have previously been a ase certified master technician, so I know engines and vehicles very well. Vehicle is outside of current engine recall window due to the engine build date being July 15, 2024. Engine was over maintained, oil and oil filter changed 6 times in 17,732 miles, first oil and filter change performed at 544 miles, when 5w30 oil was put in engine, installed a magnetic drain plug and installed filter mags on oil filter. Ran 5w30 oil for 2 oil changes, then moved to 0w40 oil. Oil analysis performed for each oil change. Results were looking acceptable up until the next to last oil change at 13,801 miles. Changed engine oil and filter on 6/12/2026 @17,732 miles. Found a heavy build up of metal particles on the magnetic drain plug and when oil filter was cut open there was a heavy build up of metal particles where the filter mags were located and the filter element had fine metal particles in entire engine oil filter element. The engine has made no noise and is still running, but based on the evidence the engine is currently failing and if I would have continued to drive it, the engine would likely lock up on the highway. Clearly gm did not solve the crankshaft problem July 1, 2024 and clearly using a higher viscosity oil like 0w40 will not keep these engines from failing. If I would have continued to drive the vehicle and if I would have not changed oil and found metal in the oil, this engine would have absolutely failed on the highway. This vehicle has over 80% highway use.

Engine knocking vechile had loss of power. Had towed to dealer. Throwing all kinds of codes 6. 2 l v8. Truck passed gm crap test in September and here we are at 59,000 with a blown motor. Lucky it did not go out under power and kill me or my small kids and family that was going to vacation with this truck the next day.

Check engine light comes on and an alert says "acceleration reduced" dealer says the coolant control valve is bad but the engine never overheats but the fans are running max speed 100% of the time.

Engine failed at 12, 430 miles. Dealer said it required a new engine. This happened on 06/06/2026 and I am still without my very expensive vehicle. There were no wanring lamps or other engine failure notificatioins before this occurred.

Engine overheated and performed an emergency shutdown while driving through atlanta on my way to vacation with my family. We lost propulsion and had to cross 5 lanes of traffic to find a shoulder to pull over to. The engine shut down and we were left stranded 500 miles from home with our 3 children in a boiling car. The vehicle was inspected and passed the recall test 6 weeks prior to this incident. After the first failure we attempted to extend our power train warranty to which we were told it had too many miles by gm. The gm dealership and service center where the vehicle was towed confirmed the engine needed to be replaced and gm confirmed it falls under their extended warranty. However, gm refuses to cover any additional expenses incurred from their engine failure.

Lost power going down highway and coasted to a stop on the side of the road. Car was towed to a nearby GMC dealership and after inspection a new 6. 2 motor is needed. I did not notice any warning signals when I lost power.

The contact owns a 2015 GMC Yukon. The contact stated that while driving at 35 mph to work, the vehicle shifted into neutral and into low and failed to drive at about 20 mph. The check engine light was flashing. The front collision was unavailable. The contact left the vehicle at a gas station. Upon research, the contact located NHTSA campaign number: 14v374000 (power train), which was similar to the failure. The local dealer was contacted, who confirmed there were no open recalls. The vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired. The manufacturer was contacted via chat, who referred her to the local dealer and manufacturer service center. The contact informed her to confirm the coverage with the dealer. The failure mileage was approximately 283,000.

See all problems of the 2015 GMC Yukon 🔎.

Completed the oil change requirement in the recall for the 6. 2l but engine blew while driving on I-10 while doing 75mph. 50k miles. Completely left stranded on major highway with family in car and vehicle flying by. Gm needs to be held accountable. Their fix is not a fix.

So the ultimate failure is from a catastrophically failed crankshaft journal thrust bearing. Which could be caused from one of two things: 1) the crankshaft thrust bearings they are putting in these motors are made with inferior materials, probably cheap chinese crap or 2) the crankshaft end play tolerance was never set properly, giving the crankshaft the ability to move forward and backward in the engine more than it was designed to. Which will over time beat up on the thrust bearing until it fails. In either case it would result in the same progressive issue showing itself. It will start as a squeak here and there. Which, as the soft thrust bearing material is unable to hold the proper oil film thickness for lubrication, will spiral into more and more heat being sent into the adjacent components, plus the buildup of metal particles being sent through the entire engine oiling system. Which will then start killing connecting rod and crankshaft bearings one by one. If the engine survived to this point, it’s now a ticking time bomb. It is either going to just seize up and not run anymore or the exciting route would be a connecting rod breaks and makes a window sized hole in the side of the engine block.

The contact owns a 2021 GMC Yukon. The contact stated that while driving approximately driving 45 mph and turning onto an exit the vehicle suddenly reduce speed and lost power and the message "press start" had displayed. The contact stopped the vehicle and eventually restarted the engine and the vehicle operated as normal. The next day the vehicle was driven to the local dealer who was unable to duplicate the problem and determine the cause of the failure. The manufacturer was not yet contact regarding the failure. The failure mileage was 42,000.

1. Xxx xx— gm recall notification (recall no. N252494000) I received official notification from general motors of recall n252494000 affecting my vehicle. I brought the vehicle to [xxx] as directed to have the recall remedy performed. 2. Xxx — first report of engine propulsion issues I reported engine propulsion concerns to jim ellis. This was my first formal complaint regarding the performance of the vehicle following the recall remedy. 3. Xxx — oil type change performed by jim ellis jim ellis performed an engine oil type change, switching to 0w-40 oil, and advised me that this change would serve as the fix for recall n252494000. I accepted this remedy in good faith. 4. Xxx — low oil warning light activated approximately nine months after the recall remedy, and well before the end of the recommended oil life cycle, the low oil warning light activated on my dashboard. This is abnormal and indicative of excessive oil consumption. I returned to jim ellis, who performed a fresh oil change and placed my vehicle on a 6,000-mile oil consumption test — an acknowledgment that an oil consumption problem exists. 5. Xxx — active engine misfires, jerking, and flashing check engine light while operating my vehicle on Sunday, may 31, 2026, I experienced severe engine jerking and misfires. The check engine light began flashing — not steady — which I understand to indicate an active and serious engine misfire event. I was genuinely concerned for my personal safety and immediately parked the vehicle. It has not been driven since. 6. Xxx — gm corporate case opened I contacted gm customer care and was assigned corporate case number information redacted pursuant to the freedom of information act (foia), 5 u. S. C. 552(b)(6).

On our way home from vacation our engine failed and stranded us. This is the second engine that has failed and the vehicle only has 30220.

The contact owns a 2021 GMC Yukon. The contact stated that while driving at an undisclosed speed, the vehicle would independently activate limp mode and would not accelerate past 30 mph. In addition, the vehicle would not shift into the reverse gear as intended. The vehicle was taken to a local dealer, where it was diagnosed with error codes: p0777 and p18a1. The vehicle was not repaired due to parts being on backorder. Upon further investigation, the contact related the failure to an unknown NHTSA campaign; however, the VIN was not included. The manufacturer was made aware of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 90,000.

While operating the vehicle, I began to hear a metallic grinding noise originating from the center of the engine compartment. The sound was clearly audible within the cabin. Approximately one mile before the vehicle ultimately failed, the engine began to malfunction. As I slowed to a stoplight, the vehicle started to shake before shutting off abruptly and entering a coasting state. All electrical systems powered down and the vehicle would not restart. Shortly thereafter, heavy smoke began to emit both inside and outside the cabin, visibly coming from the hood and through the air vents. There was also a distinct burning odor. I attempted to restart the vehicle multiple times without success. The dashboard displayed the message: “conditions not suitable to shift. ” due to the vehicle becoming disabled on a curve and posing a safety hazard, I contacted the sheriff’s office for assistance to prevent a potential collision. Upon their arrival, it was noted that the engine compartment and hood area were exceptionally hot, particularly where the smoke was originating. The dealership has since confirmed they have also been unable to restart the vehicle. The vehicle has been inspected by the GMC dealer and is currently pending further evaluation by a gm-certified mechanic to determine the root cause. Prior to this incident, there were no warning lights, system messages, or other noticeable symptoms indicating an issue.

On may 27, 2026, I was on my way home from work when I went to accelerate the vehicle and all the sudden it started shaking and the check engine light came on with the ebs. I was able to get the vehicle to a repair shop local the next day, who took the car apart. What was thought to be an easy fix of spark plugs and fuel injector, became even more after they put back together and the cylinder was still misfiring. After several hours of taking apart the engine, the mechanic determined that the hydraulic valve lifters had failed. This has been an ongoing issue with with the 5. 8l v8. Due to a recall not being under the VIN yet, I have now incured a $16k expense to add an engine to it after I purchased it in Nov of 25 at $97,000. This is a saftey issue and luckily no one was hurt when the car started shaking and couldn't go over a certain speed. I want this reviewed and looked at for possible reimbursement as there have been several other vehicles with the same known issue.

On may 27, 2026 at around 7:30pm my 2018 GMC Yukon xl denali engined failed. I was exiting e-470 southwest bound at gartrell road in aurora and the engine started knocking loudly and completely quit. As I rolled to a stop I correctly suspected that the engine seized. It would not turn over, a bad odor was present, and smoke was coming from the top of the motor. It was hard to tell exactly from where because of high wind. All belts looked fine and the castle rock GMC dealer I had it towed to later confirmed that the engine is seized. Fortunately I was approaching the stop light and not towing anything so the safety risk from loss of power steering and power brakes was lower than normal highway driving speeds a few seconds earlier.

See all problems of the 2018 GMC Yukon 🔎.

Experiencing a stuck lifter in the dfm module. After doing some research, it appears there are a bunch of other people that are dealing with the same issue. The only recall was for the 6. 2l engine but not the 5. 3l. It appears that both engines are experiencing the exact same issue and gm hasn’t done anything to help with it.

The contact owns a 2026 GMC Yukon. The contact stated that while driving at 65 mph the engine seized. All the warning lights illuminated after the failure. The vehicle was towed to the local dealer, where it was diagnosed that an engine replacement was needed. The vehicle was not repaired due to the part being backordered. The manufacturer was not contacted. The failure mileage was approximately 10,000.

Vehicle has 58,800 miles on it driving down highway started smoking and motor making a clanking noise.

I am filing a complaint regarding my 2021 GMC Yukon due to a serious engine failure involving the camshaft, lifters, and crankshaft. The vehicle began exhibiting engine ticking and knocking noises, rough idle, loss of power, and reduced performance. These symptoms progressively worsened and ultimately resulted in major engine damage. The vehicle was diagnosed with failed lifters and camshaft damage, which required extensive repairs. In addition, the crankshaft failed, resulting in catastrophic engine damage and making the vehicle unsafe to operate. These are critical engine components that should not fail prematurely under normal driving and maintenance conditions. The most serious concern is safety. The engine's loss of power and deteriorating performance created the risk of sudden failure while driving. A vehicle that loses power in traffic, while merging, crossing intersections, or traveling at highway speeds can create a dangerous situation and increase the risk of a crash. Occupants and other motorists could be placed at risk if the engine fails without warning. My vehicle has been properly maintained and serviced. Despite regular maintenance, these major engine components failed unexpectedly. I am aware that other owners of GMC and Chevrolet vehicles equipped with similar engines have reported comparable camshaft and lifter failures, suggesting a potential defect rather than an isolated incident. The failure resulted in significant repair costs, loss of vehicle use, and concerns about the long-term reliability and safety of the vehicle. I believe these engine failures may indicate a manufacturing or design defect affecting 2021 GMC Yukon vehicles. I respectfully request that NHTSA investigate camshaft, lifter, and crankshaft failures in the 2021 GMC Yukon and determine whether a safety-related defect exists that warrants corrective action or a recall.

My engine with less than 5,000 miles died (engine was blown). While driving on highway engine died and wheels locked and almost caused a major accident. I had to get a tow and bill cost me 700. 00. GMC is giving me the run around. Dealer stated that engine will need to be replaced. GMC is doing nothing to assist me, I have a car note with no truck GMC is the biggest scam.

I was driving in the left lane on [xxx] , a 4 lane interstate just outside of cleveland when I lost engine propulsion. Engine rpms dropped to under 1000rpm, and quit responding to throttle. I had to change lanes and coast until there was a shoulder available to stall out at while I awaited a tow. No warning lamps until I tried to restart vehicle. Engine cranked but wouldnt start. Information redacted pursuant to the freedom of information act (foia), 5 u. S. C. 552(b)(6).

Engine failed- threw a rod available for inspection engine failed in the middle of a 6 lane interstate with 70mph speed limit. Locked up. Loss of power. No warning. Engine replacement needed- confirmed by dealer. This is the second engine replacement in less than 2 years vehicle purchased in June 2024 engine replaced June 2025 vehicle taken to glockner of ironton ohio in Aug 2025, Jan 2026, Feb 2026 and March of 2026 due to a knocking and ticking noise in motor. I was consistently reassured it was a normal sound per GMC. Engine locked up in the middle of the interstate may 15, 2026.

My 2021 GMC Yukon at4 with a 5. 3l engine failed as I was driving down a highway going to my child's ballgame. It put me at risk of wrecking on the highway with other traffic around me as I needed to get my vehicle off the road way. Thankfully, I was able to get the vehicle to a safe spot to get it towed. After having the vehicle towed to my local GMC dealer, they determined my lifters in my engine failed and my camshaft had irreparable damage. Gm has a lawsuit going on right now against their faulty lifters in their engines. The dealership told me they recalled the 6. 2l engine, but not the others. It is shameful that they haven't recalled the other engines that also have the same lifters with the same active fuel management system. My power trained warranty has just expired and they want to charge me over 15,000 to replace the engine and radiator. I am now fighting with gm to help cover this expense that I feel a recall should take care of. These vehicles are not safe on the road with these faulty engine systems specifically the lifters inside them that are known to fail and gm is aware of this and not doing anything. Please help me and other gm owners get these vehicles recalled and make gm replace these engines at no cost to the owner due to their faulty engine components. My daughter and I could have been seriously been injured or died that day in the highway due to the abrupt engine failure on the highway going 70mph. Thank you for your time and god bless.

The contact owns a 2023 GMC Yukon. The contact stated that while driving at an undisclosed speed, the engine became inoperable, causing the battery to discharge. The contact further stated that no warning lights illuminated prior to the failure. The vehicle was taken to the dealer, where it was diagnosed with a seized engine; however, the vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was not notified of the failure. The approximate failure mileage was 31,000.