Power Train Problems of GMC Yukon - part 1

As of [xxx] , I witnessed a squealing sound coming from the rear end of my 2018 denali Yukon xl truck. And it's affecting my braking. And it jerked when I changed my gears on my truck . And there are lights on in my dashboard on my truck. The engine light was blinking on and off and the traction control light was blinking on and off also. But the back driver side of the truck was squealing also. Please help me to resolve this situation. In the name of jesus. Thanks again [xxx] and [xxx] . Information redacted pursuant to the freedom of information act (foia), 5 u. S. C. 552(b)(6).

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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).

See all problems of the 2021 GMC Yukon 🔎.

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.

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I live in alaska. It was -13f. We were out and about and when I tried to leave and back up, the vehicle would not go into reverse. If it hadn’t been for a passing motorist my daughter and I would have been stuck there overnight, in negative temps. I was able to drive it home, in limp mode. Come to find out, it is the valve body on the transmission. That in cold temps the valve body can fail. After some research I found that it is a known issue with these vehicles and there has even been a “urgent-distribute immediately” service update regarding the problem. Urging dealerships to review the VIN’s they have in their possession for the issue. I had the vehicle towed to a shop, where they confirmed the problem was the transmission valve body. They were unable to perform the work as it takes a qualified technician to replace. So it got towed to the closest GMC dealership. They have had it for two weeks now. They confirmed that it is a known issue and there have been no recalls. But they did tell me I was “in luck” because they stock that item so we won’t have to wait for a part. Not only is it going to cost me $3500 to replace something that is a know issue with this vehicle, but it could have ended in tragedy if no one would have come along when we were stranded. I urge you to make this a recall on these vehicles.

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.

12/16/25 (evening): warnings began cycling across the screen: 1) service esc, 2) vehicle leveling for stability, 3) rear axel system off, 4) engine symbol began flashing, and 5) service traction control. I felt vibration/bouncing while driving as well. 12/17/25 9 took 2021 GMC Yukon denali to GMC dealership. They ran a computer scan and reported a misfire, but nothing else appeared to be wrong. They told me that sometimes a low battery can cause the warning lights and messages to cycle. They recommended that I keep driving it and return if the warnings appeared again. 12/17/25 9:18 I left the dealership. I drove 4. 5 miles, and all the same warning lights came back on. When I pulled into a parking lot, it smelled like my engine was on fire, and dark smoke was coming from my rear exhaust pipe. I called a flatbed tow truck and had the car returned to the dealership. Mileage: 52,285 GMC 2021yukon denali xl 6. 2l v8 engine well-maintained with regular oil changes. The dealership told me there was a lifter failure and that the engine could be damaged and would need to be replaced if the cam, pushrods, etc. , were damaged. They also told me I was out of warranty by less than 60 days. The dealership said my warranty expired in October 2025, even though my vehicle is a 2021 with only 52,285 miles. They just informed me that the left lifter was replaced at 6,000 miles and that they will replace the right lifter. I am concerned about further damage down the road, given the recalls on the GMC 6. 2l engines.

While driving my 2021 GMC Yukon?xl, the vehicle unexpectedly lost acceleration. After lifting off the gas pedal, it jolted forward, triggered a “reduced performance” dashboard warning, and remained in what felt like second gear, refusing to shift. I immediately pulled into a parking spot; when I attempted to reverse, the vehicle would not move backward. As you may imagine, this was a major safety concern, as I had my [xxx] and [xxx] children in the vehicle with me. I had the Yukon inspected at a GMC dealership, where a technician confirmed the issue originated from a faulty transmission valve body. My independent research has revealed this to be a widespread defect in the 2021 Yukon xl, prompting gm to issue special coveragexxx, which explicitly covers valve-body replacements for 2021 Yukon xls experiencing reduced performance. Despite meeting these criteria and receiving identical diagnostic alerts, I was informed that my VIN is not covered. I am formally requesting that this safety-related defect—widespread among this model year—be recognized and my VIN included under special coverage xxx. The valve body causing the loss of propulsion in my Yukon xl is exactly the same defective component gm has acknowledged and is covering under this program. Information redacted pursuant to the freedom of information act (foia), 5 u. S. C. 552(b)(6).

Clicking/rubbing noise when turning slowly. Rear differential issue diagnosed by dealer.

I'm vehicle has experience both active recalls for similar model year but my VIN isn't listed as been one that is covered by the call. 25v274000 and 21v739000.

Vehicle parked for extended period, 7-10 days, entered vehicle on 12/05/25 and proceeded to start - immediately service transmission appeared in display, check engine light on, dash flashing and door locks going up and down and chiming of alarms. Was able to place in reverse, backed up, put into drive and vehicle would move approx 5-8 ft, lock up and stop, start again and repeat, etc. . Put vehicle in low1 was able to get back in driveway and parked. Had vehicle towed to closest dealer who had a transmission specialist available and worked with gm warranty plus gm carbravo warranty to address issues (multiple dealers refused or didn’t have available personnel and/or were multiple weeks out for repairs). Called and advisor said I needed a new battery (22mo of a 36mo free battery replacement gm ac delco) and to have transmission valve body replaced and no tcm, 3-5 days for part delivery and that this was under a gm service bulletin # pip6069 (which I pulled up online), stated this repair (valve body) fixed most vehicles but knew of a few instances where complete gm 10spd transmissions had to be replaced. Glad this happened in my driveway versus while being on a long distance trip. Waiting on part delivery and unable to use vehicle due safety issue with transmission.

See all problems of the 2024 GMC Yukon 🔎.

After noticing a "groaning/moaning" sound from the vehicle when turning sharp at low speeds the vehicle was brought into a dealership to be inspected. After inspection, the mechanic stated that the sound is coming from the rear differential and that it would need to be flushed/cleaned up to three times as a potential correction. If the clean/flush does not correct the issue, they would need to replace the entire rear differential. When asked what happens if the rear differential fails, we were advised that we could experience total failure and lock up. This is a safety issue in that if we are driving and the wheels lock up the potential for collision or major accidents is high. I also understand that the differential is meant to last the life of the vehicle and had 123k miles, the life of the vehicle is far from over. Another issue we are experiencing is excessive oil burning. The vehicle "add engine oil" light comes on after 2,500 miles when being regularly maintenanced. The vehicle should not require the addition of oil after that many miles, more so should not require oil at all unless you weren't properly maintaining the vehicle (which is not the case). I understand issues arise and things happen; I just want this to be acknowledged as a potential safety issue and corrected. Thank you,.

My 2022 GMC Yukon with the 6. 2l v8 engine is covered under recall 25v274000 for connecting rod and crankshaft defects that can cause engine failure. Approximately three months ago, wiesner GMC dealership performed the recall inspection and stated the vehicle passed. Recently, the engine suddenly began misfiring on cylinder 6. The failure was sudden and severe—the vehicle started shaking significantly, the check engine light illuminated, and multiple safety sensors began deactivating. The vehicle was clearly unsafe to drive. An independent repair shop diagnosed oil leaking into the cylinder and stated the condition is consistent with internal engine component failure—the same type of defect the recall is meant to address. When I contacted the dealership to have it re-evaluated, they stated my vehicle is no longer under standard warranty and I would be responsible for repairs. After escalating to gm customer service, they confirmed extended coverage exists under special coverage n252494003 (10 years/150,000 miles) if the diagnostic confirms the issue is related to the recall defect. The fact that my vehicle passed the recall inspection three months ago and is now exhibiting the exact failure symptoms the recall was designed to prevent raises concerns that the inspection procedure may not be detecting all affected engines. The component (engine) is available for inspection. This defect poses a serious safety risk as the sudden loss of power and deactivation of safety systems could cause a crash.

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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.

Routine oil change by professional local mechanic. Upon completion we were told that the vehicle would not turnover. The mechanic diagnosed and found that were 2 recalls for our vehicle - one for the fuel pump module and one for the engine. We had our vehicle towed to the local gm dealership. They then replaced the fuel control module. Gm tried to manually crank over but engine seized once again. We spoke to the gm advisor prior to this and were told that our vehicle was not part of the engine recall because our VIN was not listed as part of it even though our vehicle had the same exact issues as described in the engine recall and was for the exact year/make/model of the engine. The dealer quoted us $14,896 to replace the engine. They stated they would submit a goodwill claim to GMC to help discount the cost to repair/replace the engine. The dealer called back later that day and said GMC would be willing to cover 30% of the cost so our expense would be around $10,000. All this for a vehicle we've only driven for less than a year and a half. The vehicle went in for a routine oil change and has never had any issues prior to this. This happened suddenly without any sort of warning. To make matters worse, our powertrain warranty expired a day or two before this occurred. We are still trying to fight with GMC to cover this engine failure. The car has less than 75,000 miles and is only used for basic personal needs like driving to school and the store so it is shocking that the engine would suddenly fail like this and to make matters, the manufacturer refuses to take responsibility for it and to cover it under the recall even though there has been known widespread issues with this engine.

Lifter failure with cylinder #6. Car violently shook prior to this failure. No engine lights or messages until the next day when tried to drive. Ended up towing car to dealer. Car had 76k miles on it. Recall on 6. 2l, but not on the 5. 3l which is not immune to this same issue as the 6. 2l engine.

Electronics- module went out @40,000 brand new car drive train teal differential went out.

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).

Start transmission was replaced by dealer at 75 miles. 2nd transmission was replaced at 175 miles transmission was humming and slipped at around 30 to35 mph this was around April of 2024 August 1 2025 while driving at 45 dash board lit up went flashing and SUV slowed dramatically down to 30 mph got to dealership and they kept the vehicle for about a week and returned it with it being supposedly fixed. About mid October while driving at 60 mph it shut down again almost causing a wreck went to 30 miles per hour again. Hurt my wife’s neck when it reduced speed so quickly. Took back to dealership and I told them this car is dangerous this was with about 20 k miles been in shop was told it is scanning with 22 repair codes we have not had the car for 5 weeks and are trying to work with gm and dealer to get us out of it. But as of this report no progress. On interstate in city traffic this car will hurt or kill many people. I’m refusing to let my family or myself drive it. There is no warning when it will flash lights in dash and reduce speed. Also the front crash sensors went out and are currently not working we have all service records and paperwork that has been done including maintenance records we were given vehicle back with no warnings. I went to nita’s and ran VIN and it still shows issues. We are still making payments but driving a loaner car. The car is dangerous. I advised the dealer the first time it happened. I didn’t want it back. My wife went and got it and it sis it the second time and now she agrees it is dangerous contacted gm and they want to fix it but dealer implies they can’t ?. .

There was an engine recall on the vehicle that was inspected and passed. My wife noticed the vehicle shaking while she was driving and the engine mounts ended up being broken. They replaced the engine mounts and they had it up on the lift when they reported that engine failed. They replaced the motor and gave the vehicle back to us. About 2 weeks later my wife noticed a grinding. She took it in and they said the differential needed to be flushed. That would be at our cost. Then they did that and it did not fix the issue. So they determined it was the rear differential that needed to be replaced. We got the car back after another 2 weeks and it was fine for about 2 weeks. My wife noticed another grinding and we turned it in before the warranty expired and now they have to replace the rear struts. All in all over the last 6 months the car has been in the shop for at least 2 months getting repairs because of major catastrophic failures in their components.

While my wife was driving to pickup my son from school, the vehicle was stopped at a stoplight and the engine turned off approximately 1 mile after departing the house. After getting the vehicle towed to the dealership because it wouldn’t start, it was determined by the dealership that the engine was seized. The vehicle has 60,500 miles on it and is driven by a suburban woman and has always had all maintenance done at the dealership. The vehicle is parked in our driveway and there are no signs of oil leaks or anything else that would indicate a potential engine failure. This VIN was not recalled with the larger GMC 6. 2l engine failure recall, however other 2021 model years were recalled. Recommend immediate expansion of recall due to the unforeseen engine failure while driving with no previous warning lights (oil or check engine) or other indications prior to seizing. This experience indicates that the initial recall was not sufficient enough to locate and identify all of the 6. 2l engines affected by the poor quality control issues at GMC.

Faulty transmission at 90,000.

See all problems of the 2016 GMC Yukon 🔎.

At the time an oil change is needed, there is a warning light that says "low oil pressure and low oil. " there also has been a "slipping" of the engine at around 60mph. GMC dealer states it is a torque converter. I am worried that the engine will fail or stall while driving the fuel pump control module has been replaced. Motor is not covered under the current motor recall and taking vehicle to transmission shop to have it checked as well.

The contact own a 2017 GMC Yukon. The contact stated that the vehicle failed to shift from 2nd to 3rd gear while driving and remained stuck in gear. There was no warning light illuminated. The vehicle was taken to the dealer, where it was diagnosed and determined that the transmission needed to be replaced. The vehicle was not repaired due to the cost. The manufacturer was notified of the failure and informed the contact that assistance would not be provided because the warranty had expired. The failure mileage was approximately 78,000.

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Lifters failed.

I bought a brand new 2025 GMC Yukon at4 3. 0 diesel on 8/16/25 (had 213 miles on). A month later, with only 2000 miles on the vehicle, I was driving down the road and got a warning "reduced acceleration, drive with caution". Car would hardly accelerate. Had it towed to the dealer on 9/22/25. They found metal shavings in the engine oil. Said there was a quarter inch play around the camshaft (manufacture defect). Told me I need a completely new engine. It's now 12/2/25 and I still don't have a car, and mine hasn't been repaired.

See all problems of the 2025 GMC Yukon 🔎.

Transmission malfunctioned 4 separate times. Engine and service transmission light came on. Vehicle shifted hard and became immobile at certain times. 4 tropes to a dealer for repair. Latest repair was replacing ecm and problem still persists.

The contact owns a 2018 GMC Yukon. The contact stated after the vehicle was serviced, while driving 30 mph and depressing accelerator pedal, the vehicle failed to respond. The contact stated that the vehicle hesitated, and the contact shifted to a lower gear to drive to the residence safely. A dealer was contacted. The vehicle was towed to the dealer where it was diagnosed and determined that the transmission needed to be replaced, and that the engine block was damaged. The transmission and engine block were replaced, and the vehicle was repaired. The manufacturer was not made aware of the failure. The failure mileage was 104,000.

My vehicle is currently in repair due to a known issue with gm. Gm has put out a technical service bulletin 20-na-038 referencing a "well-known" problem with cylinder 5 failing in 2021 5. 3l and 6. 0l engines. However, there has not been a recall. Ironically, there were other vehicles brought to the dealership (sam boswell GMC in enterprise, al) for the same repair on the same day as my vehicle. I'm hoping to get an initiative started for a recall.

The contact owns a 2022 GMC Yukon xl. The contact stated that while driving approximately 55 - 60 mph and depressing the accelerator pedal, the vehicle failed to respond as intended for approximately one second before accelerating. A dealer was contacted. No warning light was illuminated. The contact stated that the failure had occurred on several occasions. The vehicle was taken to a dealer to be diagnosed; however, the diagnosis was unknown. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was notified of the failure and was in the process of towing the vehicle to another location. The approximate failure mileage was 92,000.

The contact owns a 2019 GMC Yukon. The contact stated that while driving at an undisclosed speed, the vehicle briefly hesitated and jerked before returning to normal functionality. The check engine warning light was illuminated. The vehicle was taken to an independent mechanic, who diagnosed a failure with the transmission. The contact was informed that the transmission needed to be replaced. The manufacturer was notified of the failure, a case was opened, and the contact was referred to the NHTSA hotline for assistance. The failure mileage was 111,000.

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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.

2019 GMC Yukon xl. Purchased pre-owned from a dealership in July 2023. This month, August 2025, my transmission has failed. Apparently this defect is notorious for this particular year of GMC Yukon xl. There was a lawsuit against GMC but it was closed in June 2025. The issue is real and widespread and GMC should absolutely be responsible. There’s no reason a six year old vehicle should require this extensive repair.

I bought 2016 Yukon xl 9/2020. At 74k miles (2022), the transmission was replaced by warranty. Now (2025), at 126k miles, the transmission needs replaced again. This can’t be normal.

On 15 Aug 2025, I was driving this vehicle on rte 151 in raccoon township with my 2 children when the vehicle suddenly and unexpectedly experienced a “loss of propulsion” with a corresponding uncommanded shift to “neutral”. Attempts to shift the car back into drive were met with a “parameters not safe” caution. I was fortunate enough that the vehicle behind me was able to slow and an accident was avoided. The thought that this could have happened with my family on the highway, during adverse conditions, or any other scenario is frightening to say the least. Other owners of affected models weren’t as fortunate.

While traveling on the interstate at 10:30p, 6 hours into a highway trip, the vehicle shuttered violently and lost propulsion and powered systems control. We were traveling at 75 mph on cruise control and immediately had to take evasive action to avoid other vehicles traveling at highway speed as our vehicle rapidly decelerated to a stop. We were barely able to get to the shoulder of the highway before the vehicle came to a complete stop and all dashboard lights illuminated. There was no warning or indication of immanent failure or engine issue. The catastrophic engine failure did not allow for the attempted restart. After opening the engine bay we noted that the coolant reservoir was empty but there was no indication of any leaking fluid in the engine bay or on the ground. The coolant levels were normal at the trip start. We were stranded on the side of the busy interstate for approximately 2 hours awaiting onstar assistance and were forced to exit the vehicle due to its proximity to the edge of an active lane, leaving us exposed and without any protection for 2 hours, in the middle of the night, until assistance arrived. It was a harrowing experience and we are lucky that we were not injured or killed. The vehicle could not be disengaged from park and had to be dragged onto the flatbed. It was taken to the local GMC dealership and left for diagnosis. It was determined that the #2 piston rod broke, smashed valves and sent metal into all engine systems. Bothe the engine and coolant system were replaced. In addition, the torque converter locked up and had to be removed during servicing. All parts were retained by gm.