GMC
GMC Yukon years to avoid
Years to avoid: 2015, 2021 and 2023. Best years: 2018, 2019 and 2020.
The 2015, 2021 and 2023 GMC Yukon draw the most owner complaints for their age: 2015 has 520 complaints (43 for each year on the road), 2021 has 331 complaints (55 for each year on the road) and 2023 has 240 complaints (60 for each year on the road), against a median of 24 a year across the 11 model years old enough to judge. The most reported problem on the 2023 is engine failure (115 reports).
- 1,880complaints
- 32recall campaigns
- 8model 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
2015
Most reported: tail light failure (247 reports, median 60,000 miles) and brake wear (87 reports, median 70,000 miles).
2021
Most reported: engine failure (93 reports, median 70,000 miles) and stalling (71 reports, median 50,500 miles).
2023
Most reported: engine failure (115 reports, median 28,000 miles) and stalling (77 reports, median 25,000 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 year here: 520 of 1,880 (28%).
- Problem across the years
- The top problem moves around from year to year. Tail light failure leads in 3 of the 8 model years and has the most reports overall, 387. Pooled across the years, half of the 267 owners who gave a mileage for tail light failure were under about 56,000 miles.
- Crash, fire and injury reports
- 2% of GMC Yukon 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, 11 of its 196 complaints.
- Recalls on the top problem
- None of the 3 model years where owners report tail light failure has a recall on the same system.
- When owners filed
- Complaints are still climbing. 2025 brought 496, the most of any year so far. So far in 2026, 375 more have come in. Filings on record start in 2015.
Photo: Zytonits, Wikimedia Commons, CC BY-SA 2.0
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Photo: HJUdall, Wikimedia Commons, CC0
Fifth generation
| Year | Complaints | A year | Recalls | Most reported | Median miles |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2021 avoid | 331 | 55 | 13 | Engine failure, knocking or rod bearing (93) | 70,000 |
| 2022 | 181 | 36 | 5 | Engine stalls or loses power while driving (54) | 40,000 |
| 2023 avoid | 240 | 60 | 4 | Engine failure, knocking or rod bearing (115) | 31,000 |
| 2024 | 105 | 35 | 3 | Engine failure, knocking or rod bearing (45) | 22,000 |
| 2026 | 39 | new | 3 | Engine failure, knocking or rod bearing (17) | 5,000 |
Model years with too few complaints for a page of their own: 2014 (55), 2018 (69), 2019 (55), 2020 (36), 2025 (55).
Year by year
2026 GMC Yukon
39 owner complaints so far; too new to call. Most reported: engine failure (17 reports, median 5,000 miles) and stalling (14 reports). 3 recalls, including 26V-289 on the transmission and drivetrain (do not drive) and 26V-304 on the wheels.
2024 GMC Yukon
105 owner complaints, 35 for each year on the road (1.4 times the model median). Most reported: engine failure (45 reports, median 22,000 miles), stalling (25 reports, median 18,000 miles) and misfire (11 reports, median 33,293 miles). 3 recalls, including 25V-274 on the engine and 25V-619 on the fuel system.
2023 GMC Yukon avoid
240 owner complaints, 60 for each year on the road (2.5 times the model median). Most reported: engine failure (115 reports, median 28,000 miles), stalling (77 reports, median 25,000 miles) and infotainment (17 reports). 1 report involved a crash and 2 people were hurt. 4 recalls, including 25V-274 on the engine and 24V-674 on the brakes.
2022 GMC Yukon
181 owner complaints, 36 for each year on the road (1.5 times the model median). Most reported: stalling (54 reports, median 46,000 miles), engine failure (54 reports, median 42,000 miles) and misfire (13 reports). 1 report involved a crash. 5 recalls, including 26V-085 on the transmission and drivetrain and 25V-619 on the fuel system.
2021 GMC Yukon avoid
331 owner complaints, 55 for each year on the road (2.3 times the model median). Most reported: engine failure (93 reports, median 70,000 miles), stalling (71 reports, median 50,500 miles) and misfire (54 reports, median 70,000 miles). 9 reports involved a crash and 9 people were hurt. 13 recalls, including 25V-274 on the engine and 24V-797 on the transmission and drivetrain.
2017 GMC Yukon
196 owner complaints, 20 for each year on the road (0.8 times the model median). Most reported: tail light failure (46 reports, median 53,570 miles), brake wear (44 reports, median 62,000 miles) and transmission shudder (27 reports, median 79,000 miles). 10 reports involved a crash and 3 people were hurt. 3 recalls, including 19V-761 on the brakes and 19V-645 on the brakes.
2016 GMC Yukon
268 owner complaints, 24 for each year on the road (1.0 times the model median). Most reported: tail light failure (94 reports, median 52,000 miles), brake wear (54 reports, median 55,000 miles) and transmission shudder (19 reports, median 88,126 miles). 4 reports involved a crash and 5 people were hurt. 5 recalls, including 16V-256 on the suspension system (do not drive) and 19V-761 on the brakes.
2015 GMC Yukon avoid
520 owner complaints, 43 for each year on the road (1.8 times the model median). Most reported: tail light failure (247 reports, median 60,000 miles), brake wear (87 reports, median 70,000 miles) and A/C failure (35 reports, median 65,000 miles). 9 reports involved a crash and 9 people were hurt. 10 recalls, including 19V-761 on the brakes and 19V-645 on the brakes.
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.
The amount of vacuum created by the vacuum pump may decrease over time.
If a wheel-speed sensor fails, while the vehicle is traveling between 41 and 60 mph in four-wheel or automatic mode, the Electronic-Brake Control Module (EBCM) software may activate the driveline-protection system.
In the affected vehicles, certain driving conditions may cause the air bag sensing and diagnostic module (SDM) software to activate a diagnostic test.
The original fuel tank may have been replaced with an incorrect fuel tank, which can allow fuel to leak in a rollover crash.
The electronic brake control module software may fail to display a warning light when a loss of brake fluid occurs.
Compare the Yukon with its rivals
Side by side over the model years both have on file: what owners complain about, the mileage problems start at, recalls, investigations and crash reports.
- Yukon vs Chevrolet Tahoe2015 to 2026
- Yukon vs Ford Expedition2015 to 2026
Questions
What GMC Yukon years should you avoid?
The 2015, 2021 and 2023 GMC Yukon draw the most owner complaints for their age: 2015 has 520 complaints (43 for each year on the road), 2021 has 331 complaints (55 for each year on the road) and 2023 has 240 complaints (60 for each year on the road), against a median of 24 a year across the 11 model years old enough to judge. The most reported problem on the 2023 is engine failure (115 reports).
What are the best years for the GMC Yukon?
The 2018, 2019 and 2020 draw the fewest complaints for their age: 2018 has 69 (8 a year), 2019 has 55 (7 a year) and 2020 has 36 (5 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?
Tail light failure, with 387 reports across the 8 model years that have a page here. It's the single most reported problem on the 2015, 2016 and 2017.
How many recalls does the GMC Yukon have?
32 recall campaigns cover the GMC Yukon model years 2015 to 2026 on this site. The widest, 25V-274 on the engine, covers 4 model years.
How many GMC Yukon complaints involve a crash, fire or injury?
2% of them, against 6% for the typical vehicle on this site. The 2017 has the highest share.
Is there a recall for tail light failure on the GMC Yukon?
No. None of the 3 model years where owners report it has one on the same system.