Engine And Engine Cooling Problems of GMC Yukon - part 2

2022 GMC Yukon at4 was brought into the dealership for the service recall on the engine. No issues and received the 0w40 "fix". Approximately 4-6 weeks later, I was traveling on the interstate at approx. 75mph when the truck completely shut down mid-passing with a code stating "conditions for not for shifting" and I was lucky enough to get the truck to the shoulder of the road without being struck by another vehicle as the truck "shifted" to neutral and would not do anything. Once the truck was in park, it shut off and I was unable to get it started again. Received multiple codes (key fob battery needs replacing, battery low, etc. ) while stuck on the side of the interstate for several hours until I was able to get it towed (at a charge of $500) to my dealership. It then sat in the parking lot for 3 days for diagnosis pending tac deciding whether to tear the engine down or replace it. It was determined to meet the recall qualifications and the dealership has ordered a replacement engine and was told they would start at a estimated 4 week repair time but would probably take closer to 6-8 weeks. Dealership has provided a rental at no cost to me but did not refund my towing costs associated with the repair.

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Internal engine failure car just shut off on expressway, putting the safety of my husband and child at risk. Waiting for a tow at 12:30 in the morning. Problem has been confirmed by dealer. No warning lamps or warnings signs prior to failure. Car just shut down and was not able to start again. Had to be towed!.

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On 15-Jan-26 (approximately 5 weeks after the vehicle was serviced for the NHTSA #25v274) while doing highway speeds the vehicle suddenly started huffing and loosing propulsion. After the dealership did their initial inspection found that lifters in at least one bank were damaged. The suddenness, the randomness and severity of this unprovoked failure (I wasn’t towing anything or going uphill) combined by the fact that the dealership previously gave this vehicle a clean bill of health makes me have no confidence in the road worthiness of this vehicle.

My vehicle has experienced total engine failure. The first time occurred in 2024. The dealership replaced the engine with a new one. It has now failed for the second time. This time I nearly crashed as the vehicle went from 65mph to 0mph in 5 seconds. There was no warning and my vehicle is serviced regularly by the dealer I bought it from. The dealer has not yet responded with how they will resolve this issue.

Engine had a burning smell and cranking sound. It lost propulsion, no indicator lights were illuminated and the car shutdown while driving. This is a recall item. It passed the recall inspection. I also had it inspected prior to leaving for my trip 2000 miles from home. Im currently stranded and awaiting my options. This is very unsafe, the engine failed while I had no service within 50 miles. Freezing temperatures at sunset. Im being told that my towing and rental car may not be covered. Gm told the dealership to do the oil repair first. They covered up the failure. I also had an issue with electrical items after the purchase and that issue is why my alert lights never came on even when the vehicle was inoperable.

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The contact owns a 2022 GMC Yukon xl. The contact received notification of NHTSA campaign number: 25v274000 (engine and engine cooling). The contact stated that while driving approximately 75 mph, the oil warning light illuminated, and after 15 seconds, the vehicle lost motive power and stalled. There was smoke coming from the engine compartment. The contact pulled over to the side of the road; however, the vehicle failed to restart. The vehicle was towed to an independent mechanic, and the contact was informed that there was no oil in the engine, causing the engine to seize. The vehicle was not repaired. The vehicle was then towed to the dealer, where an unknown diagnosis was provided. The manufacturer was notified of the failure but declined to repair the vehicle because the failure was not associated with the recall. The failure mileage was approximately 60,000.

Car driving down highway at ~70 mph with wife and our three young kids. Engine spontaneously shut off while driving. Electronic and other systems continued to function (power steering, brakes, lights, screens etc). Dangerous situation but was able to stop car in shoulder. Tried turning car on and off but car would not restart. Police were notified but did not come. Tow truck came and tuck car to a GMC dealer (GMC danvers). Next day when techs arrived at dealer, they were able to start and drive car without issue. There were no present or stored fault codes other than a warning pertaining to the battery. Battery has been replaced and GMC is stating car is now safe to drive. Because issue could not be replicated by dealer and car did not store any fault codes despite the engine shut off, we question whether the issue has been correctly identified and repaired. We noted to GMC that the issue experienced was the same issue associated with the recent recall (for which the car was previously serviced). At this time we do not believe the work GMC performed under recall properly addressed the known engine shut off issue. We requested GMC and dealer perform another picoscope test to conform no issues with crank shaft. GMC refused to perform the service, despite us offering to pay for the test out of pocket. GMC is not offering any additional solutions to identify the cause of the engine shut off issue.

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 experienced a catastrophic mechanical failure after the vehicle had been inspected by the manufacturer and certified as compliant with an engine recall. The failure occurred after the recall remedy/inspection was completed. The engine lost functionality while the vehicle was in use, resulting in loss of propulsion and the vehicle becoming disabled, requiring towing. The engine is currently available for inspection and is awaiting major powertrain repair at an authorized dealership. The sudden engine failure created a safety risk due to unexpected loss of power while driving. No collision occurred. The issue has been confirmed by an authorized dealership. The vehicle had previously been inspected by the manufacturer as part of the recall process prior to the failure. Prior to the failure, there were no known warning lamps or messages indicating an imminent catastrophic failure. The failure occurred after the vehicle had passed the recall inspection. This appears to be a post-recall remedy failure. I am concerned that the recall inspection did not adequately prevent the known defect, as the engine failed after being certified as compliant.

Warning about reduced acceleration and need for immediate servicing. Dealership reports notice about this issue by using diagnostic codes. Needs engine and turbo charger replaced. Vehicle has only 6500 miles on it.

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I have a 2021 GMC Yukon with 74,000 miles I was recently told I need a new transmission. I am am trying to understand why a car that is 5 years with all the services done by lehman GMC in north miami would need a new transmission they have been servicing this car and no one mention anything breaking down of need of repair until now. I spoke with the service manager franklin and he stated to me another client had the same issue and he flush the transmission just like I am doing today and it only worked for a short time and afterwards he had to replace the transmission. I feel this is a problem with these models and GMC don't want to address it. They just want the customer to pay for the repairs. Now I spoke to the manager and the salesman that sold me the car and nicely told me he was sorry and he could get us out of this into a 2026. Now why would I buy a new car if they cannot get the 2021 right. I have included my invoice below I feel some one should look into this I feel this is a recall matter and GMC is trying to pass the buck. Thank you [xxx] [xxx] information redacted pursuant to the freedom of information act (foia), 5 u. S. C. 552(b)(6).

I was driving down the highway at normal speeds under normal conditions and the engine light came on and started flashing. By the time I could find a safe place to pull over I heard the engine knocking. Left my wife, two young kids and myself stuck in the middle of the road with traffic coming. Managed to get it out of the road before going to get my truck and trailer to tow it home. I assume this is due to the l87 recall but mine was built in 01/21 and the recall is said to cover 03/21 and up. We don’t really know what to do at this point being its my wife and kids only way to work and school.

****this complaint is an addendum to odi complaint #11715415 **** this report updates the prior complaint to reflect complete engine seizure and pending engine replacement following post-repair loss of propulsion. I respectfully request that NHTSA include my vehicle’s failure in its ongoing evaluations related to l87 engine failures, including recall 25v-274, engineering analysis ea25007, and recall query rq26001. My 2024 GMC Yukon xl denali experienced progressive internal engine failure beginning at approximately 61, 975 miles. First attempt: the vehicle required camshaft and lifter replacement due to internal mechanical damage. Immediately after 4. 5 week repair, the vehicle suffered sudden loss of motive power at highway speed.   the engine shut down without warning at 75 mph with children in the car. (car was in owners possession for no more than 15 hours, and was driven 25 miles on the highway when it switched to neutral and shut down). Second attempt: the vehicle was towed back to the dealership. Additional electrical repairs were then attempted. (fuse box) it shut down again during dealer testing. Third attempt: subsequent internal inspection revealed cylinders 5 and 6 seized, requiring full engine replacement. This represents: • repeated loss of motive power • escalation from top-end failure to catastrophic lower-end seizure • failure occurring immediately after dealer-performed repair(s) • a 2024 model-year vehicle with relatively low mileage given NHTSA’s ongoing investigations into post-remedy failures (rq26001) and out-of-scope bearing failures (ea25007), I request that this incident be evaluated as part of the broader defect pattern analysis.

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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.

About 4 weeks ago my vehicle began shaking uncontrollably while driving. The check engine light illuminated and multiple warnings appeared including emissions system, variable valve timing system, engine and transmission failures shown on the GMC app. I contacted the selling dealership and was given an appointment 4 days later. Later that day I drove less than 5 miles to pick up my children from school. During that drive the vehicle filled with a strong gasoline odor and exhaust fumes were overwhelming. I feared the vehicle could catch fire. I contacted the dealership again, stated the vehicle was unsafe, dropped it off at approximately 8:00 pm and was required to obtain my own rental vehicle. After one week I was told the engine required a camshaft and lifter replacement. Inspected & approved by extended warranty, parts were ordered and installed. I retrieved the vehicle on 23 days after the initial failure. The following morning (24th day) while driving approximately 75 mph on a major interstate with my children the vehicle suddenly shifted into neutral and would not re-engage. I was unable to shift into any gear and coasted to a narrow shoulder inches from traffic and guardrail. The dashboard stated the vehicle could not shift into gear and instructed me to push the start button. The engine would not restart. We were stranded approximately two hours in 10-degree weather on a major interstate with heavy semi-truck traffic. Roadside assistance was required. 3 days later the dealership stated the failure was a fuse block. After replacement the vehicle was test driven and stated to be operating normally. A second dealership employee test drove the vehicle, it died again and had to be towed back to the dealership. The battery was replaced after draining while disabled. Repeated mechanical and electrical failures resulted in complete loss of power at highway speeds and placed my children and me in immediate danger. I no longer believe this vehicle is safe to operate.

I was driving on interstate and thank god I got off the exit and vehicle suddenly cut off. An indicator came on stating to push start to restart vehicle while the vehicle shifted to neutral on its own. Then a low oil pressure sign came up on dashboard. I tried push start again and nothing happened. Lucky by this time I was just off the exit so I was able to come to a stop and shift to park. I tried push start again and the dashboard just went dark and started making a clicking noise. After some time around 1 min I tried again and it did crank up and I was able to try and get as close the the edge as possible but still in a two lane road on the bridge of an off ramp. I say thank god because 30 seconds sooner I was going around 60mph with my 4 month old in the backseat. Lucky I got to the exit when this happened. From the research I have done apparently this happens a lot to this model I have 2024 GMC Yukon denali xl. I had a recall for this issues supposedly fixed back in October 2025. Things could of been much worse. Also this all happen coming from just having an oil change done at the dealer. Literally leaving the dealership going home. The dealership loaned me a vehicle they say for 3 days for free after that I may have to pay because it may not be covered by gm which is ridiculous. The vehicle is at the dealer and I will be waiting to hear there analysis.

In September of 2025 my 2022 GMC Yukon at4 6. 2l v8 passed the test for the 25v-274 recall. The dealer did necessary fix with the higher viscosity oil. As of January 6th my Yukon has been in the shop with engine failure. My Yukon needs a new engine, so clearly the fix with using higher viscosity oil did not work.

Vehicle engine stopped working at 5200 miles. Was driving on highway and immediately stopped. Vehicle would not start. Towed to dealership and next day dealer confirmed that the engine needed to be replaced.

I habe a 2021 Yukon denali and I have had engine failure on the road. Lifter issues and rod issues. I have paid out of pocket to fix it because my truck wasnt part of the recall. But I had the first failure in November 2024. Second failure January 2026.

2 days after the delearship changed my oil to a heavier weight, my engine began knocking. I’m told the rod is bent but not covered by warranty.

Engine siezed total engine failure at 31095 miles.

On 12/22/2025 I took my 2023 GMC Yukon in for the l87 recall. After receiving information that my vehicle passed the recall they told me that the oil would be change to from ow-20 to ow-40 and that my oil changes would go up in price (double the price) due to the oil being a high performance oil. On 01/05/26 exactly two weeks and 616 miles later our engine and lights completely stopped working while driving it on the road!!! the vehicle would not start or switch into neutral so we could get the vehicle off the road due to blocking traffic! the vehicle was towed the GMC dealership and had to have a new engine replacement. We were out of our vehicle for 31 days. Now our vehicle rear view camera guidelines have stopped working and now have to put that under warranty claim.

On [xxx] driving to denver the 52,000 mile Yukon started making a clicking sound when accelerating on the interstate. Traction control light came on as well as the check engine light. Low power was noticed and we immediately pulled over as it sounded like it was going to blow up. Towed the vehicle 145 miles where we bought it and the shop confirmed the lifters and 5th cylinder are the issue and that the cams could be damaged. Recommend replacing each side. The car is basically new and under the 60k drive train warranty but about 100 days past the 5 year mark. Terrible timing. Information redacted pursuant to the freedom of information act (foia), 5 u. S. C. 552(b)(6).

Engine failure confirmed by dealership. Engine being replaced. Knocking sound and went in to “limp mode” and check engine light. Dealer stated it had issue with crank shaft causing metal in the oil. 5,117 miles at time of failure. 3. 0 l duramax diesel.

My vehicle was part of the gm engine recall. Took it to dealer to see if the vehicle passed, it did. Now, engine has 0w40 oil in it about 1,000 miles later, just at 50,000 miles the truck had a catastrophic engine failure.

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.

The contact owns a 2021 GMC Yukon xl. The contact stated that while driving at an undisclosed speed, the vehicle lost drive power with several unknown warning lights illuminated. The vehicle was towed to an independent mechanic, who determined that the engine had seized and needed to be replaced. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was made aware of the failure and advised the contact to report the failure to the NHTSA hotline. The failure mileage was approximately 22,000.

I was driving and a message popped up "service traction control", then another message popped up "forward collision system unavailable". Then the car started making this knocking sound and every time I would try and accelerate there would be a loud sound and almost a pulling stopping it from picking up much speed. I took the car into the dealer/repair shop and they said it was an issue with the lifters that had to be replaced and potentially an issue with the cam. They said this repair would cost upwards of $6,000 and I have never had this issue with the car before. This came out of nowhere and the car had not been showing any signs of this occurring before. This is a 2021 GMC Yukon and I drive my wife and three sons in that car daily.

There is a hesitation when trying to accelerate. The car will then slam forward and there is a rattling noise that the car also makes. This has almost caused accidents. I was driving in town which is where I do most of my driving.

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The contact owns a 2026 GMC Yukon denali. The contact stated that while driving approximately 55 mph, the vehicle stalled and failed to return to normal operation. The message "shifting to neutral" was displayed on the instrument panel. The vehicle was towed to the dealer, where it was diagnosed, and determined that the engine needed to be replaced. The vehicle was not repaired. The contact researched and became aware of an unknown recall however, the VIN was not under recall. The manufacturer was notified of the failure and referred the contact to the NHTSA hotline to report the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 3,303.

Nhtsa team, I am the current owner of a 2021 GMC Yukon denali (VIN: [xxx] ) with the 6. 2l l87 v8. At approximately 148,239 miles, I experienced a catastrophic lifter failure. My mechanic diagnosed a failed afm lifter and metal contamination, requiring full engine replacement. This is documented under gm case #xxx. Carfax revealed that prior to my ownership, lifters were replaced twice (~10,469 miles and ~25,572 miles). The dealership I purchased from did not disclose these prior repairs, as they used an alternative vehicle history check. Only upon this third lifter failure did my mechanic identify this recurring defect. I submit this to NHTSA’s investigation into post-repair failures of the gm 6. 2l engines. The pattern shows prior remedies were insufficient. Supporting documents (carfax, mechanic report) are available. Please advise if further details or inspection of the failed engine components are needed. Thanks, [xxx] [xxx] [xxx] information redacted pursuant to the freedom of information act (foia), 5 u. S. C. 552(b)(6).

Driving the vehicle on the highway when I started to hear a ticking sound from the engine. After a few minutes, the check engine light came on and started flashing, traction control shut off and some system related to the rear end shut off. After inspection, it appears to have dropped a lifter.

While driving back home from my trip the truck all a sudden made a squealing noise and the engine just stopped. I was on the high way . I was able to coast the vehicle off onto the exit ramp. The vehicle was towed home. The following day it was towed to the repair shop. The shop has confirmed engine failure. Will need to replace the engine . Still waiting for warranty approval.

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My family and I received a recall notice from gm. We took the vehicle in promptly and had it "repaired" by an authorized dealer. They replaced the oil cap and placed a sticker in our owner's manual. This christmas, instead of going to angel fire, new mexico, like we do every year to visit family, we stayed home in the rio grande valley. On December 28, 2025, my family decided to go holiday shopping. With kids home from college, and others off from school, I packed my wife and kids (there are six of us) into our 2023 Yukon xl to go shopping. I was driving down a busy 3 lane road with a 55 mph speed limit. By the grace of god, I had just turned from the center lane to the right (outer) lane when our Yukon lost all power and the display read something like "press start/ignition. " I was utterly confused because I didn't understand what was happening. The accelerator would not work. My college daughter who was in the back asked "dad, why did you put it in neutral?" I had not, in fact, put the vehicle in neutral. Scared with the passing traffic and sudden slowing of our Yukon, I had not realized that the vehicle had put me in neutral somehow. I tried to shift or click into the drive, but the vehicle would not respond. At some point my wife started yelling "memo, get over, get over!!" I was able to coast just into the entrance of a gas station. We waited for a towing company to pick us up. Since the episode, we have now learned about this happening to other people. I can't believe that gm is letting this happen to people. We brought our vehicle in as instructed! we trusted that their "test" showed that our engine was fine. We trusted their alleged fix. I'm still in disbelief that the event occurred. I'm a grown man, and I was frightened when this occurred. I'm thankful to the lord that one of my kids had not been driving the vehicle, or that we had been on our yearly trip to angel fire. Please, please, do your best to ensure that this stops happening to families.