What breaks most · 2003 to 2018 model years
GMC Yukon Denali XL problems by year
Owners have filed 453 safety complaints with NHTSA about the GMC Yukon Denali XL across model years 2003 to 2018. Three years stand out: 2011 for air bags complaints, 2007 for air bags complaints and 2015 for exterior lighting complaints. The quietest years are 2014, 2006 and 2013.
- Years to check closely: 2011, 2007, 2015
- Fewest complaints: 2014, 2006, 2013
- Complaints on file
- 4532003 to 2018, all trims
- Worst year
- 201165 complaints
- Crashes reported
- 155 fires · 17 injuries · 0 deaths
- Typical failure mileage
- 77kMedian where owners gave mileage
- Recall campaigns
- 0Across the years shown
Complaints by model year
Raw filings with NHTSA, not adjusted for how many were sold.
| Model year | Complaints | Crashes | Recalls | Most-reported component |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 32 | 3 | 0 | Brakes (11) | |
| 49 | 3 | 0 | Electrical system (19) | |
| 34 | 2 | 0 | Electrical system (10) | |
| 11 | 1 | 0 | Brakes (5) | |
| 58 | 1 | 0 | Air bags (20) | |
| 41 | 1 | 0 | Air bags (16) | |
| 21 | 1 | 0 | Unknown or other (8) | |
| 28 | 0 | 0 | Unknown or other (16) | |
| 65 | 1 | 0 | Unknown or other (33) | |
| 21 | 0 | 0 | Unknown or other (12) | |
| 11 | 0 | 0 | Unknown or other (8) | |
| 3 | 0 | 0 | Unknown or other (3) | |
| 52 | 0 | 0 | Exterior lighting (29) | |
| 22 | 2 | 0 | Exterior lighting (9) | |
| 3 | 0 | 0 | Electrical system (1) | |
| 2 | 0 | 0 | Stability control (1) |
What fails on the 2011 GMC Yukon Denali XL
| Component | Share of complaints | Filings | Crashes | Parts for this job |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Unknown or other | 51% |
33 | 0 | — |
| Air bags | 42% |
27 | 1 | Check recalls for air bags on NHTSA.gov |
| Body and structureDoors, latches and body hardware | 29% |
19 | 0 | Shop all body and structure parts, not filtered to this vehicle |
| Electrical systemAlternators, starters and ignition | 5% |
3 | 0 | Shop all electrical system parts, not filtered to this vehicle |
| EngineEngine gaskets and seals | 3% |
2 | 0 | Shop all engine parts, not filtered to this vehicle |
| Wipers and visibilityWiper motors and blades | 2% |
1 | 0 | Shop all wipers and visibility parts, not filtered to this vehicle |
| Seats | 2% |
1 | 0 | — |
One complaint can name more than one component, so shares add to more than 100%. "Unknown or other" is NHTSA's uncategorized bucket and is shown but never ranked.
In owners' words
Complaint narratives as filed with NHTSA, trimmed for length.
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The dashboard has crack completely at the airbag and over the instrument panel. The suv has developed these cracks over the last 2 years. Cracks kept expanding until total separation has occurred if loose pieces.
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A large crack appeared on my dashboard on september 3, 2016, right above the steering wheel column. I used super glue to try and keep the crack from getting larger. Another, smaller, crack opened up on the passenger side on november 7, 2016, right above the airbag.
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Driver's side, rear tail light failed to light when parked, or when depressing the brake pedal. Dealership quoted just under $800 to replace. Had light replaced, and the same thing is happening again. Dealer states that "lights go out sometimes."
How to read this page
Every figure comes from the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration's public complaint database, which holds every safety-related defect complaint filed by owners since 1995. We refresh it monthly and count each complaint once per component it names. Data through September 30, 2026.
NHTSA only accepts safety-related complaints. Rattles, paint, infotainment bugs and other annoyances are under-reported here, so this page is a map of what fails in ways owners consider dangerous, not a full reliability score.
Counts are raw. Use the year-over-year shape and the component mix, not the absolute numbers. Where a component maps to parts we stock, the row links to that category filtered to the year you are viewing. Air bag and seat belt complaints link to the recall checker instead, because those repairs are almost always covered.
Common questions
Which GMC Yukon Denali XL years have the most problems?
By NHTSA complaint volume, 2011, 2007, 2015 carry the most filings on the GMC Yukon Denali XL. The 2011 alone has 65 complaints, led by unknown or other.
What is the most common GMC Yukon Denali XL problem?
On the 2011 model year, the most-reported component is unknown or other with 33 complaints. The table above lists the top components for every year.
At what mileage do GMC Yukon Denali XL problems start?
The median mileage at failure across all GMC Yukon Denali XL complaints that include mileage is about 77,000 miles. Older model years skew higher; the per-year figure is in the "at a glance" card.
Are these complaints verified?
No. NHTSA publishes complaints as submitted and does not investigate individual filings. Patterns across hundreds of complaints are meaningful; a single one is not.