Power Train Problems of GMC Yukon - part 1

Replaced the transmission two times at about $14,000. Need a new motor with an estimated replacement of $10,000.

See all problems of the 2018 GMC Yukon 🔎.

I was driving normally, going up a hill and the car skipped and lurched forward. Then when I touched the gas pedal the car would not accelerate but the rpms would increase. When I was able to pull over, the car would not reverse, the engine would rev when I pushed the gas pedal but it would not move. I drove it directly to a mechanic down the road and he believes the transmission is shot and agrees that it is part of the problems that GMC is having with its transmissions, and it seems as though my car should also be included. This was an extremely dangerous and frightening thing to happen to a car with no warning whatsoever. I was lucky not to have been in an accident.

See all problems of the 2021 GMC Yukon 🔎.

The contact owns a 2016 GMC Yukon. The contact stated that upon starting the vehicle, the vehicle was shaking violently. The contact stated that while driving 15 mph, the vehicle lost automotive power. The check engine warning light was illuminated. The contact continued driving at a reduced speed. The vehicle was taken to a dealer where it was diagnosed, and the contact was informed that the camshaft lobe had failed and needed to be replaced. The manufacturer was notified of the failure. The failure mileage was 115,280.

See all problems of the 2016 GMC Yukon 🔎.

The vehicle was being driven from work to home on the interstate, when a loud ticking/knocking noise was heard while exiting the interstate. The motor lost power when trying to accelerate while pulling into our driveway. It was noticed that the "service transmission" light came on as well. It was towed to the Chevrolet dealership in bardstown, ky where they did diagnostic testing and stated that the motor had "locked up" and will have to be replaced. The service person at the Chevrolet dealership stated that the transmission could have been affected also because the service transmission light was on as well. We are lucky the loss of power and the engine locking up did not occur on the interstate where multiple people could have been injured. The ticking/knocking and the complete engine locking up occurred within a 5 minute time span. The check engine light and service transmission lights did not come on until the vehicle coasted into our driveway. The vehicle had participated in the recall of putting a higher viscosity oil in by the Chevrolet dealership.

See all problems of the 2022 GMC Yukon 🔎.

Issues with the 8l90 transmission. The shuddering and hesitation has gotten very bad and having to look into options to repair or replace the transmission.

Engine began to reduce rpms while driving up an incline and was unable to maintain speed. Warnings came on for battery, oil, transmission failure, engine failure. Power ultimately failed and electric finally shutoff after short period of time. Was able to connect to onstar and they got a tow truck there in 2 hours. I had to hitchhike 30 miles to our residence to get another vehicle to pickup my wife and our 2 large dogs because tow truck unable to transport them. There is no uber or lyft in the rural mountain areas of [xxx], and no cell service. Car was towed into service center about 50 miles away, and I was told that the engine had to be replace. But they don't have the parts available after a week. Information redacted pursuant to the freedom of information act (foia), 5 u. S. C. 552(b)(6).

See all problems of the 2023 GMC Yukon 🔎.

On September 17, 2026, at approximately 22,861 miles, the 6. 2l l87 v8 engine in my 2024 GMC Yukon xl suffered a sudden loss of propulsion and was subsequently confirmed by an authorized GMC dealer to be seized and require complete replacement. I was entering northbound I-75 from the mt. Paran road entrance in atlanta, GA with two of my children in the vehicle. This entrance has an extended acceleration ramp where vehicles accelerate to interstate merging speed. While accelerating, the engine briefly stuttered and then the vehicle stopped producing power when I pressed the accelerator. I was unable to continue accelerating and moved onto the limited shoulder. Other vehicles continued accelerating toward I-75 and passed immediately adjacent to us at significant speed. My children and I remained stranded there for approximately two hours waiting for a tow. The vehicle was towed to an authorized GMC dealer, which confirmed the engine is seized and requires complete replacement. The vehicle and failed engine are currently at the dealer and available for inspection. This vehicle was previously subject to NHTSA recall 25v-274 / gm n252494000 for l87 engine failure and loss of propulsion. An authorized GMC dealer completed the recall procedure on November 3, 2025. The engine was not replaced; it passed the prescribed inspection and received the higher-viscosity-oil remedy. Despite completion of the recall procedure, the engine subsequently experienced the loss-of-propulsion condition identified by the recall. I understand NHTSA has investigated l87 engine failures occurring after completion of this recall remedy, including rq26001 and ea26005. I am reporting this post-remedy failure because it may be relevant to that investigation.

See all problems of the 2024 GMC Yukon 🔎.

The contact owns a 2025 GMC Yukon. The contact stated that while driving approximately 10 mph, the vehicle unexpectedly lost motive power and came to a complete stop in traffic. There was no warning light illuminated during the failure. The vehicle was restarted; however, the vehicle failed to shift into gear, and the “service transmission” message was displayed. The vehicle was towed to the dealer but was not diagnosed or repaired. The contact expressed concerns that the failure could have resulted in a crash or created a safety risk to the contact and the contact’s children while occupying the vehicle. The manufacturer was not made aware of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 30,765.

See all problems of the 2025 GMC Yukon 🔎.

Vehicle passed previous recall for engine defect related to complete engine failure, gm switched oil viscosity. Recall performed 10-16-25. Complete engine failure diagnosed at dealer 9-4-26, related to exact malfunction that sparked recall.

Sunday xxx, we were riding in our 2022 Yukon denali with my wife driving on [xxx] at the speed limit of 75 mph when the vehicle stumbled for a moment then returned to normal operation. . . A few seconds later the engine just died. No drive information center warning or check engine light, no funny noises or catastrophic banging. It just quit running. There was traffic on the highway but with my wife's quick reaction we were able to get off the highway to the breakdown apron without crashing. We called aaa and had the vehicle towed to the GMC dealer (oxendale GMC) in flagstaff. We were at this point about 200 miles from home in [xxx] city. On Wednesday, xxx, the service writer called us and informed us the engine was seized and would have to be replaced. We were aware of the nthsa recall and had taken our vehicle in on xxx to have the recall (n252494000) and at that time we passed the pico test and the oil was upgraded to the higher viscosity and oil fill cap changed. We were sent on our way with no advisory the recall may not have fixed the underlying problem. Gm has agreed to replace the engine. We filed a complaint with gm (gm case #xxx) since this happened, we have been looking into this situation and discovered ours is not an isolated case. A lawyer told us that here have been more than half a million vehicles recalled and an unknown number of catastrophic engine failures just like our, but nthsa has received less than 1000 complaints. I wanted to make sure that my experience was conveyed to you. An additional note - we special ordered this vehicle new and began to have recurring electrical problems with it shortly after we took delivery. Gm offered us a buy-back or a 100,000-mile warranty to keep the vehicle. Since then have had the vehicle serviced at regular recommended intervals by brdley Chevrolet in [xxx]. We have repair invoices for every service and recall repair done. Information redacted pursuant to the freedom of information act (foia), 5 u. S. C. 552(b)(6).

Pico scope test #fdyz295894391 on engine for recall #n252494003 engine , passed test. Drain oil filled with 0-40 replaced oil cap. Date 09/19/2025, mileage in 20142/mileage out 20142. Vehicle runs rough. Not stable at times. Vibration noise coming from the motor at times.

Had a check engine light come on a couple months ago and vehicle went into reduced accelaration safety mode. Come to find out, it was a faulty valve body. I came out of pocket for $2,800 to get it replaced because GMC said the valve body/special coverage was not assigned to this VIN. Even though it was a 2022 with 60,000 miles on it fitting every criteria of the exact recall (mind-blowing). Now fast forward to now, the same check engine light and reduced acceleration fault is active associated with a transmission control module fault. This truck is entirely too new and taken care of to be dealing with these types of major issues. It’s been a severe inconvenience for my wife as it’s her daily driver. To make matters worse, the lack of support and assistance from GMC has made us go from very loyal customers and supporters, to now seeing how quickly we can get away from this disaster of a vehicle and customer service.

I think it is a transmission type of failure. I'm not sure of the exact mechanical specifics. While putting the vehicle in reverse, driving and or accelerating it feels like the transmission is locking up and then releasing, and then locking up again. It felt very dangerous for that to happen while driving down the road. I took the vehicle to a local mechanic that was near by for assistance and he said I should take it to a dealership because there was a recall due to that issue on my type of vehicle that he knew about. So I call a dealership to make an appointment, tell them I think the issue is due to a safety recall due to the transmission locking up. They check my VIN# and say there are no recalls for my vehicle, even though it falls in the same year, make, and model of affected gm vehicles , therefore they could not make a recall appointment for me. Even though I was experiencing the same type of issues on the same type of vehicle thats included in the recall. I did not have any warning lights before, or while driving. The day it happened, I drove the vehicle to work, parked, was at my office all day. Came out to go home and put the SUV in reverse and it like lunged forward, almost hitting the car parked in front of me. I thought I must have had it in the wrong gear or something. So I put it in park and then tried again. Then it felt like it locked up, rocked forward, and then allowed me to back up. I put it in drive and again it was like it was locking up and releasing very forcefully but then smoothed out and drove normal for a few miles and then locked up again. There were never any warning lights or messages during this time. I called gm to inquire why my vehicle isnt in the safety recall and all they could tell me was that they did not know. I was very afraid I was going to be involved in an accident due to this issue.

While driving the vehicle on a roadtrip in missouri, the engine lost power and had a flashing check engine light. Upon diagnosis by three different technicians, the 6. 2l engine needs replaced after only 123000 miles. The lifters and camshaft have failed. This is a known safety issue and numerous recalls have been implemented, but my high end denali is mysteriously absent from the recall. This is unsafe and unsatisfactory.

Vehicle shifted into neutral while driving down the highway, extremely dangerous. Would not shift into gear and could not accelerate. Was able to pull over and the vehicle would not restart. Had to have the vehicle towed to a dealership. Dealership found a blown fuse, problem happened again twice and the dealer could not find the problem. This was July 28th, 2026. On August 20th, while in cruise control, slight ringing noise began, then a loud thump, then a loss of oil pressure. Unable to do anything other than pull over on an interstate with my family. Again, very dangerous. The vehicle would not restart and could not be shifted out of park. Had to have the vehicle towed again. Have also had at least 8 recalls on the vehicle. Unbelievably dangerous situations with my family, aside from inconvenient and expensive.

Lifters failed.

See all problems of the 2019 GMC Yukon 🔎.

Vehicle was impacted by the engine recall. After the recall repair attempt, the problem resurfaced and persists. The deal ship has the vehicle and has been down for nearly 7 weeks. I feel unsafe driving the vehicle and asked gm to write me a letter stating the vehicle is safe to drive with this recall. They refused. If this isn’t a problem, why not provide that information. They know they have a problem and won’t help.

The powertrain malfunctioned and it at the dealership for an engine replacement. The vehicle lost propulsion on a 2-lane road while passing another vehicle. It cut off completely and started to decelerate. There was no warning or indication that this would happen and was dangerous in that I was accelerating to pass another vehicle when the event occurred. I was able to safely pull into a driveway, but the vehicle would not crank as it could not detect what gear it should be in. It was towed to a GMC dealership locally who confirmed 2 days later that the engine would have to be replaced. It is under warranty and will take 3-4 weeks.

The transmission went out on my 2022 GMC Yukon xl. The GMC dealership identified the part needing to be replaced is the transmission valve body. This is the exact part that gm internal recall number n252536750nhtsa campaign number: 26v-085 says has been recalled for year 2022 GMC Yukon xls, and yet, my vehicle's VIN number is not on the recall list. How is it possible that my particular 2022 GMC Yukon xls (VIN) doesn't qualify as one covered under the recall, when the exact problem that this recall was released for, and the exact part that this recall calls for a manufacturer's repair/replacement, occurred to my vehicle? my vehicle (VIN #: [xxx] needs to be added to the recall list, because this exact part failed on my vehicle. Information redacted pursuant to the freedom of information act (foia), 5 u. S. C. 552(b)(6).

1. My vehicle is having transmission issues with shuddering and shifting. M5u rpo code 8l90 transmission. 2. My safety and the safety of others is a concern if the transmission is not working as intended my vehicle could be at risk an accident that could be avoided. 3. The problem has not be reproduced or confirmed by a dealer I work on my own vehicles and I am going to repair this issue myself if able. 4. There are no trouble codes on my vehicle when scanned with an obd2 scanner.

Driving on busy road when heard a squealing from the engine bay of the vehicle. Moments later the vehicle lost power. It was a very dangerous situation traveling approximately 45mph on a multi-lane road in urban st. Louis missouri. There was not a check engine light prior. The vehicle had a recall performed per GMC instructions prior (this amounted to a different viscosity oil. . . . ). The breakdown stranded my family and I while on vacation in another city. The vehicle was towed to a local GMC dealership and was diagnosed as a seized engine related to the recall. The engine is scheduled to be replaced as no cost through GMC's extended service. They have not provided coverage for the towing, for the multiple ride shares needed to get around on vacation, for the rental car needed to get home, or a rental car to help us with day-to-day life during the estimated 6-8 weeks we will be waiting. My family was at risk, other motorists on the parkway were at risk. It was pure luck and quick thinking that saved injury or loss of life. It is completely unbelievable GMC is letting these vehicles be on the road for peoples safety and for the money people pay as a consumer.

As I was driving on the highway the engine stopped without warning. I was able to safely maneuver the vehicle to the shoulder, but it took me a minute to figure out what happened. There were no engine warning lights in advance of the failure. It was concerning because I was traveling home alone with my 2 dogs and it was very hot. The vehicle had a prior safety recall performed regarding this issue, but the engine failed anyway. Gm did replace the engine under warranty, but I am hearing that replacement engines are also failing, and I am worried this engine will fail outside the current warranty.

My 2023 GMC Yukon at4 is "hard shifting/jerking" during acceleration. This occurs approximately 5 times per week and I am starting to get safety concerns. I have had the transmission flushed (09/14/2026) and then had the diagnostic measured 09/23/2026, with the repair order stating "no problem found at this time. " during travel on 09/28/26, the violent shift scared my wife and children, so I returned my vehicle to the dealership on 09/29/26. A mechanic traveled with my and the vehicle shifted, but the mechanic told the service representative that the vehicle shifted when we hit a bump in the road. I have been to the dealership three different times to address the concern, but the repair orders state the dealership could not find any problems. I was advised to return the vehicle to the dealership when the "shifting" occurs more frequently. At this time, my vehicle milage is 57340 and I am afraid that my 60000-powertrain warranty is going to expire and I will be forced to pay for a defective vehicle transmission.

I’m gettin solenoid 6 stuck codes.

Vehicle started showing a po308 code. Called sewell GMC in midland where I purchased the vehical they were 2 months out on diagnostic services. So I took it to another shop. They ran a camera into the problem cylinder and for scaring on the walls. They said it was due to the afm system and the engine was unrepairable. So now I am out 17,000 dollars and stranded over 700 miles from my home due to a manufactured defect.

2022 GMC Yukon xl suffered catastrophic transmission failure at approximately 87,000 miles. An ase-certified transmission repair facility determined that the torque converter failed, resulting in transmission damage requiring over $7,000 in repairs. Gm declined any assistance solely because the repair was performed by an independent ase-certified facility. I am concerned that a major transmission component failure at this mileage may represent a broader defect, particularly given transmission-related service bulletins and NHTSA recall 26v085 affecting certain 2022 Yukon xl vehicles.

The transmission failed on August 8, 2026, while I was driving on a highway. I moved safely to the shoulder, but the vehicle became inoperable and required towing. The loss of propulsion in active highway traffic created a potentially hazardous situation. My GMC bommarito Buick GMC dealership advised that gm cannot currently supply the required replacement transmission. The dealer has no estimated delivery date and does not know when gm can supply the unit. The vehicle has been out of service for over four weeks, with no definite repair or return-to-service date. I am concerned that the inability to provide a replacement transmission may indicate unusually high demand or a broader issue. I identified other recent NHTSA complaints involving 2020 GMC Yukon xl vehicles reporting 10-speed transmission failures and difficulty obtaining replacements, including odi complaints 11711773 and 11747021. I request that NHTSA evaluate this complaint with similar reports. I respectfully request that NHTSA consider whether: • these transmissions are experiencing premature or unusually frequent failures. • valve-body, internal, or other component defects may contribute. • failures can cause sudden loss of propulsion, unexpected shifting, loss of power, or other safety-related conditions. • the replacement-transmission shortage is connected to an unusually high failure rate. • gm has sufficient replacement units and repair components available. • available complaints, dealer information, and manufacturer information warrant further investigation or action. I request that this complaint be associated with my VIN and reviewed with other complaints involving 2020 GMC Yukon xl denali vehicles and other GMC, Cadillac, and Chevrolet models equipped with the 10-speed 10l800-speed automatic transmission. I believe the circumstances warrant review as a potential broader vehicle-safety issue, rather than solely an individual parts-availability problem.

See all problems of the 2020 GMC Yukon 🔎.

L87 recall was completed on 10/22/2025. On August 8th 2026 the engine developed a loud knock. It was taken to the dealership on 8/31/2026 after inspection it was determined that the engine had failed and needed to be replaced. There was no warning lamps that indicated there was an issue with the engine. The vehicle was still driveable when it was taken to the dealership. If the engine had completely failed while on the highway it could have caused a major incident.

About 6 times during higher speed operation 80+km/hr during a downshift, the rear wheels lock up causing panic from screeching tires and sudden deceleration. Extremely unsafe. The vehicle is in with the dealership and as suspected, they can't find any issues with codes or transmission pressures. We even have a sound recording of the tires locking up. Typical symptoms of the valve body failure. Hopefully there's parts available soon.

Transmission shudders and shifts very hard in lower gears. Going from drive to reverse the transmission shifts hard.

See all problems of the 2017 GMC Yukon 🔎.

The contact owns a 2021 GMC Yukon. The contact stated that while driving at various speeds on several occasions, the vehicle jerked and the transmission shifted hard into 1st and 2nd gears. The message "service safety restraint" was displayed. The vehicle was taken to an independent mechanic, where it was diagnosed with a failed valve body. The contact was informed that the valve body or the transmission needed to be replaced. The manufacturer was notified of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 88,000.

While traveling on [xxx] from houston back to san antonio, my truck engine just blew up without any warning whatsoever. We purchased the truck with 3 miles on it, and we have only put 5,000 miles on it. New cars that cost early $100k shouldn’t be having engine failures like this. I’m lost for words now! information redacted pursuant to the freedom of information act (foia), 5 u. S. C. 552(b)(6).

On 7/25/26 (a Saturday), we started to hear a noise in my vehicle and shortly thereafter, were sent a service alert through the GMC app and the check engine light came on. We immediately parked the vehicle and took it to the dealership when they opened on 7/27/2026 (Monday). Later that day, we were informed that my Yukon denali, with 9,226 miles on it, has metal fragments in the oil caused by some sort of failure in the bottom half of the engine and the engine needs to be replaced. The engine was replaced and I picked up my car on 8/17/2026. The check engine light came on again on 8/20/2026 and after three trips to the dealership, my catalytic converter was replaced. Since purchasing my car on December 4, 2025, I have taken it back to the dealership 5 times for non-routine services (and once for a routine oil change). Since purchasing a brand new 2026 GMC denali (a car that cost over $100,000) less than 10 months ago, I have been without my car for 33 days for manufacturing related issues that are all under warranty. I still don't think the engine issues are fixed (or I have another bad engine). My vehicle sounds metallic at start up (different than it sounded when I purchased the vehicle and different than other 2024-2026 GMC Yukons with the same engine) and idles rougher than it used to. I am nervous driving my car on road trips now, which is one of the primary reasons we purchased the vehicle. I did my research before purchasing this vehicle and based on information from gm, was under the impression that the engine issues plaguing the 2021-2025 engines had been resolved. This issue is still a major concern and needs to be investigated and remedied before something more catastrophic happens.

While traveling at highway speeds, my 2017 GMC Yukon sle suffered a sudden, catastrophic active fuel management (afm) valvetrain lifter and camshaft collapse. This caused an immediate and highly dangerous loss of vehicle propulsion in live moving traffic on I-95, creating an extreme physical safety hazard for my family. General motors has extensive, documented internal corporate knowledge of this severe design defect under technical service bulletin TSB #18-na-073.

GMC should be haulted from selling trucks with the 6. 2l engine. My brand new 2026 GMC Yukon denali engine imploded on the interstate going 75mph that nearly killed my entire family. No warning, just out of no where died on the highway, with 4k miles on it. This is sadly going to get someone critically injured and when is enough going to be enough? GMC has some explaining to do, when they charge $85k-$100k for trucks that blow up as soon as you buy them.