What breaks most · 1999 to 2026 model years
GMC Yukon XL problems by year
Owners have filed 2,364 safety complaints with NHTSA about the GMC Yukon XL across model years 1999 to 2026. Three years stand out: 2015 for exterior lighting complaints, 2021 for engine complaints and 2023 for engine complaints. The quietest years are 1999, 2014 and 2012.
- Years to check closely: 2015, 2021, 2023
- Fewest complaints: 1999, 2014, 2012
- Complaints on file
- 23641999 to 2026, all trims
- Worst year
- 2015306 complaints
- Crashes reported
- 7813 fires · 103 injuries · 2 deaths
- Typical failure mileage
- 65kMedian where owners gave mileage
- Recall campaigns
- 99Across 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 3 | 0 | 0 | Brakes (hydraulic) (2) | |
| 69 | 6 | 7 | Brakes (hydraulic) (15) | |
| 120 | 6 | 5 | Brakes (hydraulic) (30) | |
| 95 | 5 | 2 | Brakes (hydraulic) (19) | |
| 102 | 3 | 4 | Electrical system (38) | |
| 87 | 5 | 4 | Electrical system (30) | |
| 42 | 3 | 6 | Electrical system (13) | |
| 17 | 1 | 3 | Stability control (7) | |
| 97 | 4 | 4 | Air bags (58) | |
| 69 | 2 | 4 | Air bags (42) | |
| 23 | 0 | 5 | Air bags (10) | |
| 28 | 1 | 3 | Air bags (15) | |
| 47 | 0 | 3 | Air bags (21) | |
| 13 | 0 | 4 | Unknown or other (5) | |
| 22 | 1 | 4 | Body and structure (10) | |
| 11 | 2 | 3 | Unknown or other (5) | |
| 306 | 6 | 2 | Exterior lighting (140) | |
| 200 | 7 | 3 | Exterior lighting (84) | |
| 147 | 7 | 1 | Exterior lighting (39) | |
| 52 | 5 | 2 | Engine (13) | |
| 67 | 4 | 2 | Engine (34) | |
| 45 | 2 | 2 | Engine (24) | |
| 213 | 2 | 12 | Engine (128) | |
| 160 | 3 | 4 | Engine (106) | |
| 209 | 2 | 4 | Engine (141) | |
| 67 | 0 | 2 | Engine (50) | |
| 25 | 1 | 1 | Engine (14) | |
| 28 | 0 | 3 | Engine (18) |
What fails on the 2015 GMC Yukon XL
| Component | Share of complaints | Filings | Crashes | Parts for this job |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Exterior lightingHeadlights, tail lights and bulbs | 46% |
140 | 0 | Shop exterior lighting parts for the 2015 GMC Yukon XL |
| BrakesBrake pads, rotors and calipers | 20% |
62 | 4 | Shop brakes parts for the 2015 GMC Yukon XL |
| Electrical systemAlternators, starters and ignition | 19% |
58 | 0 | Shop electrical system parts for the 2015 GMC Yukon XL |
| Powertrain and transmissionTransmission parts | 11% |
35 | 3 | Shop all powertrain and transmission parts, not filtered to this vehicle |
| EngineEngine gaskets and seals | 8% |
26 | 0 | Shop engine parts for the 2015 GMC Yukon XL |
| Unknown or other | 8% |
26 | 0 | — |
| SteeringPower steering pumps, racks and hoses | 4% |
11 | 0 | Shop steering parts for the 2015 GMC Yukon XL |
| Body and structureDoors, latches and body hardware | 3% |
10 | 0 | Shop body and structure parts for the 2015 GMC Yukon XL |
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.
-
Brake lights - left brake light works intermittently, and often does not work. 3rd brake light (top center) has quit working. Both are issues with cracks in the circuit board, which googling has shown to be a known issue. Faulty, poorly designed or constructed parts!
-
Our 2021 YukonXL started running rough and the check engine light came on. We took it to the shop the next day and was told there was complete lifter failure and that we need a new engine.
-
After engine passed check for possible replacement because of recall, engine failed 5000 miles after. Even though I have a new engine now, there is no warranty coverage other than the lower part of the engine. I am already having misfire issues.
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 6, 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 XL years have the most problems?
By NHTSA complaint volume, 2015, 2021, 2023 carry the most filings on the GMC Yukon XL. The 2015 alone has 306 complaints, led by exterior lighting.
What is the most common GMC Yukon XL problem?
On the 2015 model year, the most-reported component is exterior lighting with 140 complaints. The table above lists the top components for every year.
At what mileage do GMC Yukon XL problems start?
The median mileage at failure across all GMC Yukon XL complaints that include mileage is about 65,000 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.