Power Train Problems of GMC Yukon - part 2

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

See all problems of the 2023 GMC Yukon 🔎.

The 2018 Yukon denali has been at the dealership for 7 weeks waiting for a valve body for the transmission. There are valve body recalls for other year gm vehicles with the same transmission, but not for the 2018 model even though it appears to be the same part number. The transmission was already replaced on this vehicle at 500 miles.

See all problems of the 2018 GMC Yukon 🔎.

In 2023, the vehicle began exhibiting erratic transmission shifting behavior, including harsh and unpredictable shifts while driving. The vehicle was taken to a GMC dealer for diagnosis and repair. Recently, the vehicle developed additional drivetrain and engine control issues related to the crankshaft position sensor circuit. The vehicle stalled while driving on a highway mountain overpass with multiple vehicles traveling behind me. When the stall occurred, the vehicle shifted into park and would not restart for several minutes. This created a hazardous situation due to loss of propulsion in active traffic at highway speed and limited shoulder space. Following diagnosis, the servicing dealer determined that the engine wiring harness requires full replacement due to internal wiring integrity issues affecting critical engine control signals. The crankshaft position sensor and related wiring are essential for engine timing and propulsion. Loss or corruption of this signal can result in reduced engine power, erratic transmission behavior, stalling, or no-start conditions. The earlier erratic shifting behavior appears consistent with conditions described in gm technical service bulletin 21-na-149, which identifies engine harness-related causes for drivetrain and shifting concerns. This issue appears to involve degradation or defect within the engine wiring harness affecting engine management and transmission operation. Given that this condition resulted in a highway stall and temporary inability to restart, I am reporting this for investigation as a potential safety-related defect involving loss of propulsion.

See all problems of the 2022 GMC Yukon 🔎.

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

Original inspection and recall was performed on my 6. 2 engine on 12/02/25 and the engine failed on 1/15/26 , the vehicle is in the shop awaiting new engine.

I noticed vehicle jerked a couple times when it shifted gears while driving. Shortly after, reduced power mode light came on. Vehicle did not shift past lower gears and had no reverse. Took to local dealership, they said it needed a transmission valve body overhaul. This is a known problem with 2022 GMC Yukon xl, however, they said it was not associated with my VIN. This cost me almost $2,000 out of pocket to repair.

Vehicle 4wd performs poorly with car fishtailing at very low speeds 30 mph in a straight lane. Very scary . Feels unsafe to drive . Brand new tires were installed prior to that. So not a tire issue.

See all problems of the 2024 GMC Yukon 🔎.

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.

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).

The transmission is shaky, lower gears the truck seems to fight it way into the next gear, I feel this is happening around 3 to 5 gears. One garage told me the power converter was failing. I changed the transmission fluid and filter and it got better, but sill, this is an expensive truck. This is power train, this should be covered to 100,000 miles.

See all problems of the 2019 GMC Yukon 🔎.

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

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 🔎.

Gear slippage, loss of power.

See all problems of the 2017 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.

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.

See all problems of the 2016 GMC Yukon 🔎.

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.

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.

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

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

My 10 speed transmission on my 2020 Yukon xl denali experienced a total failure. The vehicle will not move under its own power. General motors has zero information on when a replacement transmission will be available. Some info online shows it could be months. I am told that one dealership out of eden prairie, mn has over 40 on back order and some since August 2025. They claim the issue stems from a valve body. Their communication has been terrible and no one within gm that I have spoken to has any information on what is being done. This is completely unacceptable and I believe it is part of a larger issue. They are making it seem like it’s not important and that needs to change.

See all problems of the 2020 GMC Yukon 🔎.

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.

Transmission appears to be lunging and shuttering. Dealer has indicated that the valve body need to be replaced or the vehicle could leave me stranded or without propulsion while driving. From my research this appears to be related to other safety recall and service campaigns for this type of vehicle and the transmission that I have in my vehicle. Also the camera system doesn't work correctly as it relates to parking assist and collision control. My repair dealership has stated they are having trouble getting gm to cover this repair.

The contact owns a 2015 GMC Yukon. The contact stated that while in reverse(r), the vehicle jerked while depressing the accelerator pedal. There was no warning light illuminated. The contact became aware of fluid spots on the driveway while the vehicle was parked. The vehicle was taken to an independent mechanic who discovered a leak in the transmission oil cooler line. The dealer then informed the contact about NHTSA campaign number: 14v152000 (power train); however, the VIN was not included in the recall. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was notified of the failure and transferred the contact to the NHTSA hotline to report the failure. The failure mileage was unknown.

See all problems of the 2015 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.

I am filing this complaint regarding a serious and ongoing safety issue with my GMC Yukon denali that began with a complete engine failure while driving on the highway with my entire family in the vehicle. While driving at highway speed (about 60–70 mph), the vehicle suddenly lost power and shifted into neutral on its own. While still moving, I tried multiple times to shift back into drive so I could safely get off the road, but it would not engage. I was only able to coast partially onto the shoulder before the vehicle came to a complete stop, still partly exposed to traffic. The engine shut off and would not restart at all. It would not go into drive or neutral, and the vehicle was completely dead. And it had to be towed. The dealer later told me the engine had failed and that a new engine was installed. About a week later, I picked the vehicle up. Less than 20 minutes after leaving the dealership and getting back on the highway, smoke started coming from the vehicle and warnings appeared, messages that the engine was overheating and that I needed to stop the engine immediately. The vehicle was not drivable again and had to be towed back. I again had to arrange transportation home. A few days later, I picked the vehicle up again. Since then, I have had serious four-wheel-drive and drivetrain issues. The vehicle became stuck in 4 low and I could not get it out for over a day. When it finally came out, the drive mode buttons stopped working correctly. Selecting 2 high sometimes puts it into 4 high, selecting auto puts it into 2 high, and auto mode no longer appears. Even when it shows 4 high, the steering is restricted cannot steer 100% to the right or left and the vehicle binds, pops, and jumps when turning. I believe this vehicle is unsafe and poses a serious risk.

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.