GMC
GMC Yukon XL years to avoid
Years to avoid: 2021, 2022 and 2023. Best years: 2018, 2019 and 2020.
The 2021, 2022 and 2023 GMC Yukon XL draw the most owner complaints for their age: 2021 has 226 complaints (38 for each year on the road), 2022 has 168 complaints (34 for each year on the road) and 2023 has 217 complaints (54 for each year on the road), against a median of 18 a year across the 11 model years old enough to judge. The most reported problem on the 2023 is engine failure (89 reports).
- 1,300complaints
- 22recall campaigns
- 7model years with a page
Newest report Sep 29, 2026 · checked Oct 2, 2026
Pick your model year
Owner complaints on file for each year.
Years to avoid
2021
Most reported: engine failure (86 reports, median 66,000 miles) and stalling (52 reports, median 58,000 miles).
2022
Most reported: engine failure (81 reports, median 49,000 miles) and stalling (51 reports, median 49,465 miles).
2023
Most reported: engine failure (89 reports, median 25,000 miles) and stalling (65 reports, median 38,000 miles).
Best years
2018
Too few complaints for a page of its own.
2019
Too few complaints for a page of its own.
2020
Too few complaints for a page of its own.
Complaints for each year on the road
Each model year's NHTSA complaints divided by the calendar years it has been on sale, counting this one (a 2018 model has had 9). Older cars have had longer to collect complaints, so raw totals flatter the new ones. Blue bars are the years to avoid. Too new to judge: 2025 and 2026.
Within one model, sales change less from year to year than they do between models, so a jump here is mostly a jump in problems. The call: the years to avoid are the (up to three) highest at 1.5 times the model's median rate or more, and the best are the (up to three) lowest at two thirds of it or less, from 2016 on.
Guide How much should a years-to-avoid list decide? What these lists get wrong
At a glance
- Where the complaints sit
- The 2015 has the most complaints of any GMC Yukon XL year here: 307 of 1,300 (24%).
- Problem across the years
- The top problem changes over time: tail light failure from 2015 to 2017; engine failure from 2021 to 2026. Pooled across the years, half of the 126 owners who gave a mileage for engine failure were under about 45,000 miles.
- Crash, fire and injury reports
- 3% of GMC Yukon XL complaints report a crash, a fire or an injury, against 6% for the typical vehicle on this site. The highest share is on the 2017, 8 of its 147 complaints.
- Recalls on the top problem
- 3 of the 7 model years where owners report engine failure have a recall on the same system: 2021, 2022 and 2023. A recall on the same system doesn't always cover the failure owners describe, so compare its summary with the complaints.
- When owners filed
- Filings jumped in 2025, with 384 complaints, 2.2 times the next busiest year. So far in 2026, 270 more have come in. Filings on record start in 2015.
Photo: Kevauto, Wikimedia Commons, CC BY-SA 4.0
Photo: Kevauto, Wikimedia Commons, CC BY-SA 4.0
Fifth generation
| Year | Complaints | A year | Recalls | Most reported | Median miles |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2021 avoid | 226 | 38 | 12 | Engine failure, knocking or rod bearing (86) | 60,500 |
| 2022 avoid | 168 | 34 | 4 | Engine failure, knocking or rod bearing (81) | 49,000 |
| 2023 avoid | 217 | 54 | 4 | Engine failure, knocking or rod bearing (89) | 38,000 |
| 2026 | 34 | new | 3 | Engine failure, knocking or rod bearing (17) | 4,200 |
Model years with too few complaints for a page of their own: 2014 (11), 2018 (53), 2019 (67), 2020 (47), 2024 (70), 2025 (27).
Year by year
2026 GMC Yukon XL
34 owner complaints so far; too new to call. Most reported: engine failure (17 reports, median 4,500 miles) and stalling (10 reports, median 4,200 miles). 3 recalls, including 26V-289 on the transmission and drivetrain (do not drive) and 26V-304 on the wheels.
2023 GMC Yukon XL avoid
217 owner complaints, 54 for each year on the road (3.0 times the model median). Most reported: engine failure (89 reports, median 25,000 miles), stalling (65 reports, median 38,000 miles) and misfire (23 reports, median 40,000 miles). 2 reports involved a crash and 13 people were hurt. 4 recalls, including 25V-274 on the engine and 24V-674 on the brakes.
2022 GMC Yukon XL avoid
168 owner complaints, 34 for each year on the road (1.8 times the model median). Most reported: engine failure (81 reports, median 49,000 miles), stalling (51 reports, median 49,465 miles) and misfire (13 reports). 3 reports involved a crash and 7 people were hurt. 4 recalls, including 25V-274 on the engine and 26V-085 on the transmission and drivetrain.
2021 GMC Yukon XL avoid
226 owner complaints, 38 for each year on the road (2.1 times the model median). Most reported: engine failure (86 reports, median 66,000 miles), stalling (52 reports, median 58,000 miles) and misfire (36 reports, median 79,000 miles). 2 reports involved a crash and 5 people were hurt. 12 recalls, including 25V-274 on the engine and 24V-797 on the transmission and drivetrain.
2017 GMC Yukon XL
147 owner complaints, 15 for each year on the road (0.8 times the model median). Most reported: tail light failure (33 reports, median 61,135 miles), brake wear (25 reports, median 70,000 miles) and transmission shudder (13 reports). 7 reports involved a crash and 2 people were hurt. 1 recall: 16V-651 on the airbags.
2016 GMC Yukon XL
201 owner complaints, 18 for each year on the road (1.0 times the model median). Most reported: tail light failure (78 reports, median 52,530 miles), brake wear (41 reports, median 59,600 miles) and transmission shudder (20 reports, median 65,350 miles). 7 reports involved a crash and 3 people were hurt. 3 recalls, including 16V-256 on the suspension system (do not drive) and 17V-437 on the airbags.
2015 GMC Yukon XL
307 owner complaints, 26 for each year on the road (1.4 times the model median). Most reported: tail light failure (122 reports, median 71,000 miles), brake wear (64 reports, median 72,000 miles) and misfire (14 reports). 6 reports involved a crash and 5 people were hurt. 2 recalls, including 17V-437 on the airbags and 16V-651 on the airbags.
Recalls that cover several model years
The connecting rod and/or crankshaft engine components may have manufacturing defects that can lead to engine damage and engine failure.
In the affected vehicles, certain driving conditions may cause the air bag sensing and diagnostic module (SDM) software to activate a diagnostic test.
The rivet that retains the buckle to the mounting bracket in the left or right side third-row seat belt buckle assembly may have been improperly formed.
The daytime running lights (DRLs) may not deactivate when the headlights are on.
While being previously remedied for recall 16V-651, the affected vehicles may not have received the complete software update necessary to remedy the recall condition.
Questions
What GMC Yukon XL years should you avoid?
The 2021, 2022 and 2023 GMC Yukon XL draw the most owner complaints for their age: 2021 has 226 complaints (38 for each year on the road), 2022 has 168 complaints (34 for each year on the road) and 2023 has 217 complaints (54 for each year on the road), against a median of 18 a year across the 11 model years old enough to judge. The most reported problem on the 2023 is engine failure (89 reports).
What are the best years for the GMC Yukon XL?
The 2018, 2019 and 2020 draw the fewest complaints for their age: 2018 has 53 (6 a year), 2019 has 67 (8 a year) and 2020 has 47 (7 a year). Model years before 2016 aren't called best, because complaints filed before 2015 aren't in the files this site reads and their counts run short.
What is the most common problem on the GMC Yukon XL?
Engine failure, with 295 reports across the 7 model years that have a page here. It's the single most reported problem on the 2021, 2022, 2023 and 2026.
How many recalls does the GMC Yukon XL have?
22 recall campaigns cover the GMC Yukon XL model years 2015 to 2026 on this site. The widest, 16V-651 on the airbags, covers 3 model years.
How many GMC Yukon XL complaints involve a crash, fire or injury?
3% of them, against 6% for the typical vehicle on this site. The 2017 has the highest share.
Is there a recall for engine failure on the GMC Yukon XL?
On 3 of the 7 model years where owners report it: 2021, 2022 and 2023.