Steering Problems of GMC Yukon - part 1

I was driving down the highway, and my wife and I decided to stop at costco to get protein bars and gas for the drive home. We also had a [xxx] , [xxx] old, and [xxx] in the car. As we were approaching the end of the exit ramp at approximately 30 miles per hour, the engine jerked the car two or three times then died. When it died, I lost power steering and the car slammed to a stop. The car also displayed an alert about my tow breaking system. I tried to restart it, and smoke began rising from my engine bay. I stopped trying to restart, and got my family onto the hill beside the exit while waiting for a tow. The tech at the GMC dealer stated that the engine had seized on me while driving. The cam shaft can rotate a small amount one way before getting blocked, and likewise the other way. Tech believes that the bearing is responsible, but will not be doing a tear down until September 2. Information redacted pursuant to the freedom of information act (foia), 5 u. S. C. 552(b)(6).

See all problems of the 2020 GMC Yukon 🔎.

1.     first incident while driving, the brakes failed and the entire infotainment/tablet system locked up. This presented a severe safety risk to my family and others on the road. The vehicle had to be towed to dealer where I was told that “no problems were found. ” I documented the incident with photos and videos showing the warning messages and system status.     2.     second incident approximately one week ago, after shutting off the vehicle, a “steering wheel lock” warning appeared and the truck became completely disabled. Even with jumper cables, it would not start. The vehicle had to be flatbed towed to dealer. I again documented the incident with photos and videos showing the warnings.

See all problems of the 2023 GMC Yukon 🔎.

On 5/22/2025, I filed a complaint with NHTSA, complaint number 11662650. In the complaint, I reported issues regarding safety concerns that began around October 2023 and were shortly after reported to GMC. Some of the reported issues were concerns with oil consumption due to warning lights coming on; parking warning sensors intermittently coming on; and what appears to be suspension issues as there continues to be a knocking, cracking, and snapping noise coming from the front suspension when making a left or right turn, along with a bumping when in motion, among other issues such as infotertainment that continues to be an issue. Recently, we took our SUV to a GMC authorized dealer since it was still under warranty and these issues continued to persist and it is getting worse. The vehicle was left around 5/28/25 and picked up on 6/17/25. However, less than a couple of weeks after, we started experiencing the same issues with the suspension as the knocking, cracking, snapping, and bumping is getting more obvious and worse, and it appears is affecting the steering and alignment of the SUV. Please update this information as there is a major concern with safety of the vehicle. Attached are some of the service records related to these issues. Should you need any additional information, please advise. Thank you.

See all problems of the 2022 GMC Yukon 🔎.

I jumped in and turned the car on and started driving. Right away I noticed most of the warning lights were on. The first speed bump in the complex made me realize I had lost 80-90% of my brakes as if I had a broken brake line for example and steering was a little hard and pulling a bit to one side. I check underneath I did not have any leaks. I decided to take it to the dealer to have it checked. Dealer said they were not able to find anything and cleared the codes. Dash lights check engine lane depart drive assist abs brake.

My wife was travelling down a two-lane road at 50mph when the engine suddenly shut off affecting steering. She was able to maneuver to the shoulder, but the vehicle would not restart. Could have been much worse. Had it towed to the dealer we purchased it from, and they informed us the engine had seized. There were no warning signs or dash lights indicating there may be an issue.

The contact owned a 2021 GMC denali. The contact stated that while his wife was driving at 25 mph, the vehicle lost power steering. The vehicle failed to turn and crashed into a tree. There were no reported injuries. There were no warning lights. The contact stated that the failure was related to NHTSA campaign number: 21v455000 (steering). The vehicle was taken to his residence. There was no police report filed, airbag deployment, or fire. The local dealer was not contacted. The vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired. The insurance company deemed the vehicle to be a total loss. The manufacturer was contacted, but no assistance was provided. The failure mileage was approximately 67,000.

See all problems of the 2021 GMC Yukon 🔎.

The contact owns a 2021 GMC Yukon. The contact stated while driving approximately 20 mph, there was an abnormal sound coming from the vehicle while turning right or left. No warning light was illuminated. The vehicle was taken to an independent mechanic to be diagnosed; however, a diagnostic result was not provided. The independent mechanic made the contact aware of an undisclosed recall however, the VIN was not included. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was not notified of the failure. The failure mileage was 76,052.

Loses power randomly. More prominent at low speeds and turns. Has lost power going down the road, will turn back on. Stabilitrak lights and jerking steering wheel are more common. Will not always start right back up when it shuts all the way off/loses power. Loses clock but keeps radio stations. Had it scanned. Asked dealer about issues/recalls and information with nothing more than “this is not common” and “we need to schedule a time for you to bring it in”. Times were not soon and they made it seem like it is not an urgent/emergent situation. Would not agree to me being able to talk with a tech. Looked into this as it seems common but nothing definite. Bad battery cables seem prominent, grounding issues, electronic steering module, and a few others. Seems like a gm problem that is known but not being handled. Greatly disappointed after reading up on it. Many vehicles with similar problems had recalls. Not sure how that process works. I was told it depends where it was manufactured/assembled. Wife was able to get a video of it the other day.

See all problems of the 2016 GMC Yukon 🔎.

Driving in my newer gm Yukon ultimate at 13k miles on the freeway. Vehicle with no warning shuts down while going 60mph in the middle lane. Was able to safely steer the car to the side of the road to avoid a collision. Vehicle lost all electrical contact. Could not shift into neutral to tow. Turns out vehicle engine had to be replaced. Gm approved a new engine replacement and are planning to return the vehicle back to put on the road. The vehicle is unsafe, at 5k miles, 6 months prior, the vehicle had to have the steering system replaced due to failure as well. Online research shows that others are having the same issue with failed engines on these gm vehicles and models.

“service steering column” notice appears on dash board. Steering wheel is locked and car won’t start leaving us stranded. Dealer could not diagnose problem. Car started at dealership. Took it home. One month later happened again.

The contact owns a 2023 GMC Yukon xl. The contact stated while driving 86 mph in the middle lane, the vehicle shut off on five occasions. The vehicle was restarted, the steering column was locked, and the brake pedal was depressed but failed to respond. The contact stated that the rear axle had disengaged. The suspension leveling system had failed. There were no warning lights illuminated. The vehicle was taken to the local dealer, where it was diagnosed that there was an electrical failure. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was contacted, but no assistance was provided. The failure mileage was 39,000.

My vehicle stalled while driving on a busy highway & I had no option but to pull over, which left me & my family in a very dangerous position. Had to remove my daughter's wheelchair onto a tow truck as the vehicle had no power to use the hoist for her powerchair. Again, on the side of a busy road! towed the vehicle to a gm dealership, who stated there was catastrophic engine failure & the engine had to be replaced. Had no way to transport my daughter until I got a new engine since her hoist was stuck at the dealership.

See all problems of the 2024 GMC Yukon 🔎.

The contact owns a 2020 GMC Yukon xl. The contact stated that the steering wheel was increasingly wobbly, was pulling 3-4 inches to the right or to the left, and was difficult to steer while driving. The vehicle was taken to an independent mechanic, where it was diagnosed that the rack and pinion had failed and needed to be replaced. The mechanic contacted an unknown dealer and the dealer informed the mechanic that the part was not available. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was not notified of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 107,000.

Steering will all of a sudden feel disconnected. Feels like truck is sliding, till I move the wheel, then it feels connected again. Very weird feeling. This only seems to happen on the highway at highway speed. Witch is the part that worries me. This happens at least once every time on on the highway.

See all problems of the 2019 GMC Yukon 🔎.

See attached document for complaint.

My vehicle stalled while driving on a busy highway & I had no option but to pull over, which left me & my family in a very dangerous position. Had to remove my daughter's wheelchair onto a tow truck as the vehicle had no power to use the hoist for her powerchair. Again, on the side of a busy road! towed the vehicle to a gm dealership, who stated there was catastrophic engine failure & the engine had to be replaced. Had no way to transport my daughter until I got a new engine since her hoist was stuck at the dealership. This was our original vehicle, until the sold me another one with the same defect (2024 Yukon for more money!). That vehicle was reported in complaint 11657786.

On 11 Nov 2023, I was driving my 2016 Yukon denali on a trip to maryland. While in maryland, I was driving my vehicle. As I approached a street to make a right turn, I braked to make the turn. I slowed down to make the turn. As I made the right turn, my steering wheel ability became hard. I felt a stiffness in the steering wheel as I came out of the turn. My denali became un-maneuverable. I lost my power steering ability in the steering wheel and I observed my power steering service light indicator warning come on. I pulled my vehicle to the side of the road and turned off my vehicle. I started the engine with no change in the steering mechanism. After twenty minutes passed, I restarted the engine. I was able to drive with normal power steering conditions. On 17 February 2024, while driving my denali, I lost power steering maneuverability while driving. My power steering service light appeared and indicated service was needed and that the electric power steering (eps) assist failure occurred. Based on research, it appears that the same problem has occurred in other models of GMC vehicles.

My engine went out, and I had to have it rebuilt. There was a check engine light on. My steering goes out and in without warning while driving. I have talked to the dealership, and they stated that all safety recalls were done on my vehicle. My safety and those of others were put at risk when the steering failed. I almost crashed my vehicle in traffic. There were no warning messages prior to the failure. I did see that there was a recall in 2019 and the dealership will not inspect the vehicle without payment.

See all problems of the 2015 GMC Yukon 🔎.

Out of no where the right side makes a clicking noise when I turn.

This GMC Yukon underwent an over the air update in remote wyoming and was almost undriveable due to steering problems and brake malfunction. Also engine and transmission problems. It has been awaiting repair, but I have been informed that no fix is available because of transmission defect. No parts available we were nearly stranded.

Annunciations: stabilitrak, park assist off, steering assist is reduced drive with care, forward collision system unavailable, adaptive cruise control. Indications: cruise control doesn’t work, steering jerks when turning, difficult to turn into parking spaces. Research shows technical service bulletin 18-na-161as a known issue with GMC products. Dealer says “you are out of warranty”. 2018 model with 65,000 miles. Issue has been presenting for the past 8 months. We thought it was due to a windshield replacement by safelite. Safelite has been actively troubleshooting for 8 months.

See all problems of the 2018 GMC Yukon 🔎.

Traction control warning light indicate stabilitrac needs service and is not on. Obd code reads bad steering sensor. According to other gm owners online this is a constant problem with these vehicles. Many show the repair instructions on line. The warning light has been off and on for some time when car is cool its off when it sets in the sun it goes on. I have contacted the topeka KS gm dealer twice this week to get the cost to replace this sensor and am told they will call me back but no one has.

See all problems of the 2013 GMC Yukon 🔎.

The contact owns a 2015 GMC Yukon. The contact stated that on several occasions while driving at an undisclosed speed, the steering wheel became stiff and difficult to maneuver. The contact stated that while making a turn, the steering functionality momentarily returned however, the failure recurred. The contact stated that while driving at an undisclosed speed, the steering wheel stiffened and became difficult to maneuver then remained stiff. The power steering assist warning light illuminated. The vehicle was taken to an independent mechanic where it was diagnosed that the electrical power steering failed and needed to be replaced. The vehicle was not repaired. The contact was then advised to take the vehicle to the dealer and informed that the vehicle was included in a recall and provided the NHTSA campaign number: 14v719000 (steering) however, the dealer and manufacturer were notified of the failure and the contact was informed that the VIN was not included in the recall. The failure mileage was approximately 150,000.

Unknown. Truck would not move out of gear as the gear shift was just moving up and down and not catching any gears.

Experienced a sudden loss of steering ability while driving, no collision occurred. Once the vehicle came to a stop still was unable to steer the vehicle.

My vehicle randomly locks up and shuts off while I am taking a sharp turn or parking. A 'service stabilitrak' warning flahses on the dashboard. The steering wheel locks and the only way to get this warning to go away is to turn the vehicle off. This is a dangerous hazard as the vehicle can come to an abrupt stop in traffic.

When turning left the vehicle locks up and turns off, after that messages about the parking assist and versatrack starts popping up.

Driving at a normal speed around 30 mph when vehicle suddenly becomes hard to steer as if the power steering just cut out or off therefore making it extremely difficult to control the vehicle and felt like a rough ride while this is taking place. . . . . Definitely sounds like a safety issue. . . . . . Dash reading warning service pwwr steering.

On March 10, 2023 I exit hwy 35 at the city of cottula texas, as I took the exit lane and arrived at the stop sign, the vehicle came to a complete stop the engine stop idling and the transmission switch to neutral, this created a safety issue for me and my family because I was unable to restart vehicle and I created traffic congestion at the intersection, I am worried that this can happen again and I might be exposed to other vehicles crashing against my vehicle or even worse if this is to happen in the highway I will not be able to control the proper handling of my vehicle.

The steering gear box became disassemble, steering wheel when to twelve o'clock, gears in steering gear box jump gear insurance inspector said a bolt back out,there was 439 recall for steering box recall in 2019 the part number changed several times with multiple bullets for same part.

My car is giving me all kinds of warnings, parking assist off, rear back up, trailer brake, the radio sounds go off, blinker sounds go off, while trying to park power steering locks up, it will die in the middle of a turn. It’s doing everything the 2015 recall was created for. I do not think my car was fixed during the recall period. It is very hazardous.

Loss of power steering, loss of abs, loss of cruise control, loss of forward crash assist, loss of lane departure, lose of side detection, oil leak from oil cooler line connection leaking down engine, potential fire, parking sensor, arm rest phone charger short circuit potential fire, wires pinched off at hinge point of center counsel, trailer brake system, stabilitrac, all current errors make vehicle unsafe to drive, ongoing issues since purchase including service reports of the same issues from previous owner.

While driving I made a right hand turn. As soon as the turn was made, the powering steering completely went out. The power steering is found to fail upon cold starts, then return to normal after operating. The vehicle has been taken to GMC numerous times with no explanation as to why or how it has happened. When asked to replace the steering rack. They stated vehicle is working as expected. It is unsafe. GMC has had recalls on the steering for many years now.

Thr lifters shut down the engine and caused it to completely turn off the vehicle while in motion. It is available for inspection. Has not been confirmed by dealer. The code read cylinder 1 misfire but the lifters were not functional. The seizure of the engine and full stop of the vehicle while in motion nearly caused a 3 car pile up and a close collision into a fire hydrant as the steering locked and emergency brakes were not functional. There was no other warning lamps or messages offered prior to the shut down.

See all problems of the 2007 GMC Yukon 🔎.

The contact owns a 2010 GMC Yukon. The contact stated that while his girlfriend was driving approximately 70 mph, the vehicle was bouncing and swaying left to right. The air ride system was inoperable. The steering wheel was unstable and hard to control. The suspension warning light was illuminated. The vehicle was taken to the dealer, but the vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired. The manufacturer was not contacted. The approximate failure mileage was 130,000.

See all problems of the 2010 GMC Yukon 🔎.