Diagsheet

Model year 2016

2016 GMC Yukon XL

  • 200owner complaints
  • 3recalls
  • 7involved a crash
  • 59,600median miles at failure

Newest report Sep 3, 2026 · checked Sep 9, 2026

miles

When each problem shows up

Each bar covers the middle half of the mileages owners reported for that problem. A quarter saw it earlier, a quarter later. The tick is the median. Most reported: brakes grind, pulse or wear early, 41 complaints.

0k25k50k75k100k125k150kyou
Brakes grind, pulse or wear early41 reports
Transmission shudders, slips or shifts hard20 reports

middle half of reports, median tick. Darker bars have 75 or more reports.

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        How this compares

        2016 GMC Yukon XL200
        Median 2016 model here (106 vehicles)252
        Median 2016 SUV here (48)247

        200 complaints is 1.3 times fewer than the median 2016 model on this site and 1.2 times fewer than the median 2016 SUV. Among the 6 Yukon XL model years here it ranks 4th for complaints. Counts follow sales volume as much as reliability, so a truck that sells 700,000 a year draws more reports than a sedan that sells 200,000.

        Complaints filed by year

        115
        616
        117
        2018
        6719
        3320
        1021
        1822
        823
        1124
        1525
        1026

        67 complaints came in 2019, 3.4 times the year before. Owners file in waves when a problem gets press or an investigation, so a spike measures attention as much as failures.

        NHTSA investigations

        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

        Recalls that include the 2016 GMC Yukon XL

        Whether your car is included depends on its VIN. Check yours at nhtsa.gov/recalls.

        17V-437Jul 10, 2017
        Air Bags:Frontal

        General Motors LLC (GM) is recalling certain model year 2014-2016 Buick Lacrosse and Chevrolet Spark EV, Caprice PPV and SS vehicles, 2014-2017 Buick Encore and Chevrolet Corvette, Silverado 1500 and GMC Sierra 1500 vehicles, 2015-2016 Cadillac Escalade and Escalade ESV, Chevrolet Tahoe, Trax, Suburban and Silverado 2500 and 3500 and GMC Yukon and Yukon XL vehicles, and 2015-2017 GMC Sierra HD 2500 and 3500 vehicles. 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. Without the update, certain driving conditions may cause the air bag sensing and diagnostic module (SDM) software to activate a diagnostic test. During this test, deployment of the frontal air bags and the seat belt pretensioners would not occur in the event of a crash.

        Risk and remedy
        Risk: A failure of the front air bags or seat belt pretensioners to deploy in the event of a crash necessitating deployment increases the risk of injury to the driver and front passenger.
        Remedy: GM will notify owners, and dealers will reflash the SDM software. Vehicles that have had a previous air bag deployment will have the SDM replaced. These repairs will be performed free of charge. The recall began on August 4, 2017. Owners may contact Buick customer service at 1-800-521-7300, Cadillac customer service at 1-800-458-8006, Chevrolet customer service at 1-800-222-1020, or GMC customer service at 1-800-462-8782. GM's number for this recall is 17287.
        16V-651Sep 8, 2016
        Air Bags:Frontal

        General Motors LLC (GM) is recalling certain model year 2015-2017 Chevrolet Silverado 2500 HD, 3500 HD, Tahoe, Suburban, GMC Sierra 2500 HD and 3500 HD, GMC Yukon, GMC Yukon XL, Cadillac Escalade and Cadillac Escalade ESV vehicles and 2014-2017 Chevrolet Corvette, Silverado 1500, Trax, Caprice Police Pursuit Vehicle, GMC Sierra 1500, Buick Encore, and 2014-2016 Buick Lacrosse, Chevrolet Spark EV and SS vehicles. In the affected vehicles, certain driving conditions may cause the air bag sensing and diagnostic module (SDM) software to activate a diagnostic test. During this test, deployment of the frontal air bags and the seat belt pretensioners would not occur in the event of a crash.

        Risk and remedy
        Risk: A failure of the front air bags or seat belt pretensioners to deploy in the event of a crash necessitating deployment increases the risk of injury to the driver and front passenger.
        Remedy: GM will notify owners, and dealers will reflash the SDM software. Vehicles that have had a previous air bag deployment will have the SDM replaced. These repairs will be performed free of charge. The recall began on October 13, 2016. Owners may contact Buick customer service at 1-800-521-7300, Cadillac customer service at 1-800-458-8006, Chevrolet customer service at 1-800-222-1020, or GMC customer service at 1-800-462-8782. GM's number for this recall is 16007.
        16V-256Apr 28, 2016
        Do not drive Suspension:Front:Control Arm

        General Motors LLC (GM) is recalling certain model year 2016-2017 Chevrolet Silverado 1500 and 2016 Cadillac Escalade, Cadillac Escalade ESV, Chevrolet Suburban, Chevrolet Tahoe, GMC Sierra, GMC Yukon and GMC Yukon XL vehicles. The front upper control arms may have inadequate welds near the control arm bushing.

        Risk and remedy
        Risk: Inadequate welds may allow the control arm to separate from the bushing, compromising steering and increasing the risk of a crash.
        Remedy: GM will notify owners, and dealers will replace the left and right front upper control arms and realign the vehicle, free of charge. The recall began on May 18, 2016. Until the repairs have been made, owners are advised not to drive their vehicles. Owners may contact Chevrolet customer service at 1-800-222-1020, Cadillac customer service at 1-800-458-8006, or GMC customer service at 1-800-462-8782. GM's number for this recall is 42190.

        Other model years

        201530620162002017147202121520221602023210