Tailgate Hinge Problems of GMC Yukon

2002 GMC Yukon xl rear tailgate glass failed/broken hinge due to poor design. This results in the rear glass held on by one hinge instead of two. Rear glass does not close properly and is at risk to detach from vehicle. Many owners of this vehicle (and sister vehicles tahoe and suburban) have experienced this defect. Gm fails to acknowledge or assume responsibility.

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Tailgate lift assist pistons failed about a year ago, making the opening and lifting of the rear tailgate nearly impossible due to weight. This issue requires replacement of the two pistons. Without a fix the vehicle owner has to prop open the tailgate with a homemade support which causes a serious danger of inadvertant slipping and closure of the heavy tailgate which is an immenant danger to small children, elderly. Vehilce is a 2001 and these parts should have a longer life expectancy.

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The right window hinge on the rear "lift gate" has broken after 68,000 miles and three and half years of usage. The hinge has failed due to fatigue from normal, occasional use on a well maintained, garage kept vehicle. This failure, in my opinion as a mechanical engineer, is a factory design defect. The safety issue I have with this problem is that after hinge breaks, the glass no longer seals properly and hangs ajar allowing exhaust gases to be vacuumed into the passenger compartment. This problem requires a $1400 gm or a $600 dollar after market replacement of the entire rear window. This is even more disheartening knowing that it will ultimately fail again in three years. Thanks for your ear and have a great day.

I currently own (purchased new) a 2001 Yukon xl which is equipped with a rear tailgate having a hinged rear window which allows access to the rear compartment without opening the tailgate. The rear tailgate glass is secured to the tailgate via two hinges which are secured to the glass by an adhesive. The passenger side window hinge has delaminated from the tailgate glass resulting in the window being secured to the vehicle with one hinge. There is no mechanical securement to the glass. I have been told by several different service professionals (inside and out of gm) that this is a known problem. However, no service bulletins or recalls exist to repair the hinge failure. I have been attempting to work this issue with the GMC customer service team and have a case opened (1-122096729). I believe that opening the door windows on the vehicle would cause additional stress on the remaining hinge. Therefore, I believe this is a potential safety issue since the window could break free from the vehicle if the second hinge fails resulting in a safety hazard for any vehicle directly behind or adjacent to the vehicle. If you have any questions, please call.