Diagsheet

2015 GMC Yukon XL · symptom sheet

Brakes grind, pulse or wear early

  • 64owner reports
  • 72,000median miles
  • $900median quote
  • 5involved a crash

Newest report Mar 23, 2026 · checked Sep 9, 2026

64 of the 306 complaints on this car describe brake wear, which makes it the most reported problem on the 2015 Yukon XL.

Tick what matches of 64 reports

3
2
5
3
30
3

What got replaced

Owners who name the part that was replaced mention the ABS module (5 reports), the pads and rotors (3 reports) and the booster (3 reports).

Recalls and investigations

No recall on the brakes covers the 2015 model year as of Sep 9, 2026.

NHTSA investigations into the brakes on the Yukon XL

PE18-012opened Nov 20, 2018
Brakes · model years 2015 to 2016

Brake vacuum pump failure. Closed apr 10, 2022, led to recall 19V-645.

NHTSA summary
On November 20, 2018, the Office of Defects Investigations (ODI) opened PE18-012 to investigate instances of sudden onset of a hard brake pedal that could result in extended stopping distance due to an issue with the brake assist vacuum pump in model year (MY) 2014 through 2016 GMC Sierra 1500 and Chevrolet Silverado 1500 series pickup trucks and MY 2015 through 2016 Cadillac Escalade, Chevrolet Suburban, Chevrolet Tahoe, and GMC Yukon SUVs.If the brake assist vacuum pump fails to operate as intended, the amount of brake power assist supplied to the driver can be significantly reduced, extending the subject vehicle stopping distance. GM stated that the root cause of pump failures was due to foreign debris such as oil sludge in the engine oil. GM stated that this debris can become trapped by the oil inlet filter screen. Under normal operation, this screen allows a small amount of oil into the brake vacuum pump. The foreign debris can, over time, clog the pump which can cause a loss of lubrication and a reduction in the amount of vacuum produced leading to a hard pedal and extended stopping distance.On December 13, 2018, GM issued a Special Coverage (N182202780) for the brake vacuum pump issue in MY 2014-2017 trucks and 2015-2017 SUVs on the K2XX platform for 6 years or 72,000 miles. Special Coverage repair includes the replacement of the vacuum pump and vacuum pump belt. Consumers received notification of the coverage via mail. On September 6, 2019, GM notified NHTSA that it w
PE05-020opened Apr 28, 2005
Service Brakes, Hydraulic · model years 2000 to 2002

Unwanted low-speed abs activation. Closed sep 13, 2005, led to recall 05V-379.

NHTSA summary
IN A LETTER DATED AUGUST 29, 2005, GM NOTIFIED ODI THAT IT WAS RECALLING CERTAIN MODEL YEAR 1999 THROUGH 2002 C/K PICKUP TRUCKS AND SPORT UTILITY VEHICLES TO CORRECT A PROBLEM WITH ANTI-LOCK BRAKE SYSTEM (ABS) WHEEL SPEED SENSOR CORROSION THAT MAY RESULT IN UNWANTED ABS ACTIVATION AND EXTENDED STOPPING DISTANCES DURING LOW-SPEED BRAKING (RECALL 05V-379).GM'S RECALL COVERS APPROXIMATELY 804,000 VEHICLES CURRENTLY REGISTERED IN THE FOLLOWING 14 SALT-BELT STATES:CONNECTICUT, ILLINOIS, INDIANA, MASSACHUSETTS, MAINE, MICHIGAN, NEW HAMPSHIRE, NEW JERSEY, NEW YORK, OHIO, PENNSYLVANIA, RHODE ISLAND, VERMONT, AND WEST VIRGINIA.THE RECALL PROCEDURE WILL INVOLVE REMOVING THE SENSOR, CLEANING THE MOUNTING SURFACE, APPLYING A RUST INHIBITOR (ZINC-X) TO THE SURFACE, AND REINSTALLING THE SENSOR.IF NECESSARY, THE SENSOR WILL BE REPLACED. THE POPULATION AND FAILURE REPORT DATA GIVEN IN THIS RESUME ARE FOR THE FULL REGION THAT HAS BEEN CONSIDERED BY ODI AS THE SALT-BELT.THAT INCLUDES DELAWARE, IOWA, MARYLAND, MINNESOTA, MISSOURI, WISCONSIN AND THE DISTRICT OF COLUMBIA IN ADDITION TO THE 14 STATES INCLUDED IN 05V-379.THE STATES COVERED BY GM'S RECALL HAVE THE HIGHEST INCIDENT RATES FOR THE SUBJECT CONDITION, ACCOUNTING FOR 91% OF THE INCIDENTS, BUT ONLY 24% OF SUBJECT VEHICLE SALES IN THE UNITED STATES.ODI'S ANALYSIS DETERMINED THAT 840 OF THE COMPLAINTS, 244 OF THE CRASHES, AND 16 OF THE INJURIES IDENTIFIED IN THIS INVESTIGATION OCCURRED IN THOSE STATES.THE RESULTING INCIDENT AND CRASH RATES A

What owners paid

12 of the 64 reports quote a price. Each dot is one quote. The middle half runs $800 to $1,700.

$800$900$1,700
$0k$2k$4k$6k$8k

When it happens

The middle half of failures fell between 56,000 and 100,000 miles, from the 42 reports that gave a mileage.

215
117
1018
1819
1120
621
522
123
624
325
126

What owners wrote

“On several occasions, have noticed the brakes failed to operate properly when vehicle is at low speed. The pedal becomes extremely hard to push and there is almost no braking power. This has occurred in stop and go traffic and nearly caused an accident.”

Filed Apr 7, 2024

“My vehicle Has a Service Trailer Brake System notification in my dash that dings as well. It does it on cold mornings with no trailer attached. I don’t trailer often.”

Filed Nov 30, 2022

“Trailer assist error. Brakes not working. Ac compressors been replaced and the fan runs after the vehicles off and ac only blows warm air”

Filed Sep 28, 2022

“brake pedal takes much more effort to push I was parking the car and thankfully was only going about 2 mph because I had to press the brakes with two feet to stop it from hitting the car in front of me. We just arrived from a 2 hour trip and this happened at the end of our trip. Lucky it wasn’t on the highway or with a pedestrian in front of me. No injuries”

Filed Apr 19, 2022

Should you keep driving it?

This page can't tell you that. 5 of 64 reports involved a crash and 4 people were hurt. Owners who file are the ones who had a bad experience, and nobody checks their reports. If the problem affects steering, braking, power or a fire risk, treat it as a safety fault and have it inspected before a long or high-speed drive.

File your own report with NHTSA. Complaint counts are how a problem gets an investigation.