2021 GMC Yukon Xl Complaints

ENGINE — Filed 07/18/2026

Engine seized while driving on the highway. This is the same engine that is being recalled and GM has said that the vin is not covered. The vehicle stopped running on a major highway with my [XXX] old son in the car. The dealership is saying this is the exact issue that is part of the larger investigation for GM v8 engines. There were no warning lights at all prior to the engine seizing. INFORMATION REDACTED PURSUANT TO THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT (FOIA), 5 U.S.C. 552(B)(6)

ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING — Filed 06/29/2026

The contact owns a 2021 GMC Yukon XL. The contact stated that while driving 55 MPH, several unknown warning lights illuminated, and the check engine warning light started blinking. The contact pulled over and became aware that the vehicle was shaking. The vehicle was turned off and restarted; however, the failure persisted, with smoke coming from the vehicle. The vehicle was repaired under NHTSA Campaign Number: 25V274000 (ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING); but the repair failed to fix the vehicle. The vehicle was taken to the dealer, where it was diagnosed, and it was determined that the camshaft needed to be replaced and that cylinder #8 was damaged and had detached. The manufacturer was notified of the failure. The failure mileage was 116,204.

ENGINE — Filed 06/28/2026

This is from dealership “found customers concern of engine light is on and ticking noise found cylinder 4 lifters to be collapsed causing the exhaust gasses to be trapped in the cylinder causing the cylinder wall to dry out and leaving scratches on the cylinder wall recommend replacing motor due to this problem at this time”

UNKNOWN OR OTHER — Filed 06/30/2026

The infotainment screen on my 2021 GMC Yukon was previously replaced at the GMC dealership, and this will be my second replacement. It has now cracked even though there was only very light contact. This doesn’t seem like normal wear and tear. I’d really appreciate it if the screen could be inspected, as I suspect there might be a manufacturing issue with these screens. I’m quite concerned about this problem because it almost caused injury to my six-year-old. Please understand my worries, I’m sure many other parents are facing similar concerns with these screens. The cracked glass can be dangerous, especially for families with children.

POWER TRAIN,ENGINE — Filed 06/26/2026

My family and were traveling to visit family, and the transmission stalled on me on the interstate. I almost had a horrible accident with my kids in the vehicle. The vehicle is in the shop currently and dx with transmission issues. GMC needs to recall and or fix the transmissions in all of their vehicle.

FUEL/PROPULSION SYSTEM — Filed 06/28/2026

My 2021 GMC Yukon XL recently suffered a failure of its fuel pump control module. This occurred at just 44,000 miles, mere weeks after my manufacturer warranty expired in June of 2026. This issue goes far beyond a financial inconvenience or a matter of consumer reimbursement; it is a severe, life-threatening safety hazard that GM has failed to permanently resolve. My Experience: Sudden Power Loss While Towing The gravity of this part failure became clear during a recent drive. I configuration-matched this vehicle—a heavy-duty Yukon XL with a 6.2L engine and a 4x4 towing package—specifically for its capacity to safely haul heavy loads. While traveling with a trailer attached, the vehicle experienced a sudden, catastrophic loss of engine power. Without warning, the engine sputtered and died. Had this occurred on a steep incline, a blind curve, or in heavy highway traffic, a catastrophic multi-vehicle collision would have been entirely unavoidable. Critical Safety Hazards and Concerns •Inability to Maintain Speed, Loss of Vital Assist Systems, & Compounded Towing Risks Systemic Failure and Inadequate Remediation What makes this situation entirely unacceptable is that this specific vehicle was already subject to previous GM safety campaigns regarding this exact component (including Safety Recall #N212332040 and subsequent Emission Recall #N252516900). GM is fully aware that their supplier produced defective modules that are prone to premature internal short-circuits. Yet, their remediation strategy has been entirely inadequate. By managing this through piecemeal, phased rollouts and limited VIN inclusion lists, they are leaving dangerous vehicles on the road until the point of failure. Drivers are effectively acting as crash test dummies, waiting for their engines to die in dangerous environments before GM acknowledges that their specific VIN was fitted with the defective supplier part.

POWER TRAIN,ENGINE — Filed 06/08/2026

Issue Description: The vehicle experienced a failure of the Dynamic Fuel Management (DFM) system, resulting in a collapsed lifter. This caused a cylinder misfire and a sudden loss of engine power while driving at highway speeds. Safety Concern: While traveling at highway speeds, the sudden misfire and loss of power created a dangerous condition. The vehicle could not maintain speed or accelerate properly with surrounding traffic, significantly increasing the risk of a collision. Failure Details: The issue was diagnosed as a collapsed lifter related to the DFM system. This caused persistent misfiring, rough engine operation, and severe drivability issues. Repair Outcome: Due to the extent of internal engine damage caused by the lifter failure, the vehicle required complete engine replacement.

FUEL SYSTEM, GASOLINE — Filed 06/15/2026

The contact owns a 2021 GMC Yukon XL. The contact stated that while starting the vehicle, the engine stalled and the vehicle failed to start. The check engine warning light was illuminated. The vehicle was towed to an independent mechanic, who determined that the fuel pump power control module needed to be replaced. The vehicle was not repaired. The contact related the failure to NHTSA Campaign Number: 21V739000 (Fuel System, Gasoline); however, the VIN was not included in the recall. The manufacturer was made aware of the failure and advised the contact to file a complaint with the NHTSA Hotline. The failure mileage was approximately 59,000.

VEHICLE SPEED CONTROL,ENGINE,FUEL/PROPULSION SYSTEM — Filed 06/11/2026

Check engine light comes on and an alert says "acceleration reduced" dealer says the coolant control valve is bad but the engine never overheats but the fans are running max speed 100% of the time.

POWER TRAIN,SEAT BELTS,ENGINE — Filed 01/22/2025

While I was driving home from the grocery store with my 4 kids our 2021 GMC Yukon XL (5.3L V8 engine), the vehicle suffered a sudden, catastrophic mechanical engine failure without warning. The engine began violently shaking, lost major propulsion, and dropped into a severe misfire state when we were coming down the highway. This created an immediate safety hazard on the road, as I suddenly lost the ability to safely accelerate or maintain highway speeds while hauling my children.A certified technician diagnosed the issue as a complete failure of the active fuel management hydraulic valve lifters and bent pushrods, a known manufacturing defect explicitly documented in GM Technical Service Bulletin PIP5776F. The internal failure required a total engine teardown and valvetrain replacement, costing over $10,000 out of pocket.General Motors has failed to issue a safety recall for this specific 5.3L valvetrain defect, despite it causing unexpected engine stalls, severe power loss, and immediate traffic hazards for drivers. This defective component poses an ongoing safety risk to families and should be upgraded to a mandatory safety recall. I am afraid to drive it every time I get on the highway in fear it could shut down again.

ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING — Filed 06/14/2025

The contact owns a 2021 GMC Yukon. The vehicle was taken to the local dealer for a routine oil change. While driving, the oil low light illuminated. The vehicle was burning an excessive amount of oil. The local dealer was contacted again, but the vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired. The manufacturer was contacted, who referred to the local dealer. The failure mileage was approximately 149,000.

ENGINE,FUEL/PROPULSION SYSTEM — Filed 04/28/2026

The vehicle suddenly began vibrating noticeably when idling and at low speeds. About 30 minutes after this started happening a warning lamp lit up. We drove the vehicle about 2 miles to a local auto parts store to get an initial computer diagnosis of the issue. The test resulted in a code of "P0304" which detected a cylinder #4 misfire and recommended a fuel injector replacement. We brought the vehicle to a local mechanic to get the issue further evaluated. After this evaluation, it was determined that the cylinder #4 misfire was related to a lifter failure. The mechanic explained that this situation could possibly have caused more damage, specifically to the camshaft, but that job was bigger than he was willing to take on. He recommended we get the vehicle towed to the dealership for further evaluation. He also informed us that this situation was common with the engine in this vehicle and GMC is aware of it. He directed us to some articles online that elaborated on the potential known issues related to the automatic fuel management (AFM) system and the related engine damage. The vehicle was towed to a local GMC dealership for evaluation. They found the failed cylinder #4 with associated lifter failure and damaged camshaft. We went forward with the repair at the dealership. We asked the dealership about the known engine issues with this vehicle. They acknowledged the widespread issues but informed us that our particular VIN has not been included in any recalls or safety notifications, so we were responsible for the repairs. The vehicle spent nearly 3 weeks at the dealership. One of the parts was on backorder due to a national shortage, which delayed the repair by about one week. That seems to imply that the parts involved in this repair are in high demand, which raises the question of this being a manufacturing/parts issue that may need to be investigated further.

ENGINE — Filed 05/05/2026

I took my GMC Yukon in for a recall. They changed the oil, programmed my module, changed the cap, and tested the engine, saying it was good. I took it on a trip, 7000 miles later engine locked up.

POWER TRAIN,ENGINE,FUEL/PROPULSION SYSTEM — Filed 04/28/2026

The vehicle drove normally earlier in the day with no major drivability concerns. Later, reverse gear suddenly stopped functioning and the engine would rev abnormally without the vehicle moving properly while in reverse. Shortly afterward, while driving, the vehicle displayed the warning message “Reduce Acceleration – Drive with Care” and began losing acceleration and propulsion. The vehicle would not accelerate normally and later could not exceed approximately 20-35 MPH. The condition created a significant safety concern due to sudden loss of acceleration and propulsion while operating in traffic. The engine RPM would increase abnormally while the vehicle failed to respond properly in drive and reverse. An independent mechanic inspected the transmission and found diagnostic trouble codes P0747, P0776, and P0700 related to transmission pressure control and valve body operation. Inspection also revealed significant metal contamination, sludge, and clutch material inside the transmission pan and filter. Reverse and 2nd gear were determined to be failed/burnt internally. The vehicle was later transported to an authorized GMC dealer for inspection. Dealer confirmed reverse gear would not engage even after adding transmission fluid. Vehicle is currently available for inspection.

SUSPENSION,ELECTRICAL SYSTEM — Filed 05/04/2026

The vehicle has experienced recurring suspension, drivability, and pulling issues associated with the 4-corner air ride leveling suspension system since early ownership. The first major incident occurred at approximately 4,600 miles when the vehicle displayed suspension warnings and would not accelerate properly past highway speeds. Since that time, the vehicle has repeatedly experienced pulling during acceleration, unstable ride behavior, suspension/leveling concerns, alignment-related issues, and drivability instability. The problem has been reproduced multiple times and documented through approximately 16 repair visits and roughly 74 cumulative days out of service. Dealership service records include repeated suspension inspections, drivability evaluations, wheel alignments, and related repair attempts. The issue remains unresolved and the vehicle is currently back in service again for the same concern. The recurring pulling and instability create safety concerns because the vehicle does not consistently track properly during acceleration and normal driving conditions. Suspension warning messages and drivability symptoms first appeared early in ownership while the vehicle was still under factory warranty. I have also found many similar owner complaints online involving the same suspension system in comparable GM full-size SUV models.

FUEL/PROPULSION SYSTEM — Filed 04/03/2026

*gas tank had become partially dislodged from the undercarriage. *Entire family was in vehicle at time of incident, including three small children. The safety of an entire family along with any others that may have been on the road, if the car would have combusted due to the gas tank which had just been filled to capacity. *vehicle has been at Mark Christopher GM dealership for over one month. *dealership service dept claims someone tried to steal gas tank. *Mercury insurance company claims mechanical failure. *No warning given from vehicle. We heard a dragging noise while we were driving, pulled over as soon as possible. Upon inspection, it was observed that fuel tank had begun to leak fuel from dragging on the freeway.

FORWARD COLLISION AVOIDANCE — Filed 03/11/2026

The forward collission system continues to perform phantom braking while driving in traffic resulting in near rear end collisions. The GMC dealer refuses to fix it without charging me for more diagnostic work, which has already been done twice. What is my recourse?

ENGINE — Filed 04/18/2026

We brought vehicle in while still in warranty complaining of rough running engine and dealership said they couldn't find anything wrong. 2000 miles over warranty the Engine fails with all characteristics of the L87 bearing lifter issue. Now GMC does not want to replace without charging us a ton of money.

ENGINE — Filed 04/23/2026

Our 2021 GMC Yukon XL with the 6.2L engine suffered a catastrophic failure requiring the engine to be replaced. The diagnosis was very similar to the GMC 6.2L engines that have been recalled for safety and failure reasons however our vehicle was not included in the recall. The engine only had 75,924 miles and was maintained to the manufacturer's maintenance schedule. The cost to replace the engine was $11,309.87.

ELECTRICAL SYSTEM,SEAT BELTS — Filed 04/30/2026

When turning on the car, a message pops up on the dash and will not go away. Dashboard says “ service safety restraint system”

ENGINE — Filed 03/23/2026

Without any warning, the V8 L87 6.2 liter engine suddenly seized up, began shaking with significant reduced power. I was fortunate that I could drive slowly to safety and was not on the expressway. In my research, I understand this is related to a design/manufacturing issue with the connecting rods and crankshafts in this type of engine. As I investigated the issue, I found that 600,000 vehicles were recalled with the recall either completely replacing the engine or upgrading the oil type from standard to a thicker, higher-viscosity 0W-40 full synthetic to provide better protection under high stress, along with a new oil cap and filter. In our case, we were directed to change the oil and even with that change, we experienced this dangerous engine failure which cost us $12K ! For that cost of repair, we elected to have the engine replaced for about $1K more to get a 100K mile warranty on the engine. However, our additional concern with the replacement engine is they gave us a remanufactured version of the L87 and we have not found confirmation that they have adequately addressed the design/manufacturing flaws so may be vulnerable to the same seizing issue. We appreciate your attention to this widespread GM issue.

ELECTRICAL SYSTEM,VISIBILITY/WIPER — Filed 03/31/2023

Large fire started at rear of car. Car was parked on driveway and no one was inside. Noticed a burning smell before fire started. Could not locate any smoke. Vehicle rear burst into flames 20 minutes later. Fire department responded quickly and was able to put out the fire before it reached the house. Vehicle is totaled. Vehicle was inspected by fire department and police after fire was extinguished. They believe the fire was electrical. Vehicle is currently being inspected by insurance company. No warning lamps or messages appeared. Rear windshield wiper stopped working 2 weeks prior to fire.

WHEELS — Filed 08/12/2022

The OEM tires, Bridgestone ALENZA A/S 02 - SIZE: 275/50R22 hydroplane and have very poor wet traction. Why traveling at low speeds , under 40mph in moderate rain, the vehicle will owe control.

FORWARD COLLISION AVOIDANCE — Filed 01/12/2022

On Wednesday, January 12, 2022, while driving from Columbia, SC to Cincinnati, we were heading northwest through the mountains of North Carolina, on I-40, just east of the TN border. Traffic was fairly steady and heavy, so we were traveling at approximately 45 MPH, in the right lane, winding through the mountains. Our friend, ** ***** was driving, my wife, ********* *****, was sitting in the right front passenger seat, working on her laptop, and I was sitting immediately behind her, also working on my laptop. With a semi-trailer truck slowing ahead of us, *** signaled to make a lane change into the left lane (this is only a two lane highway). As we were transitioning to the left lane, the vehicle suddenly – without any warning or driver inputs – slammed on its brakes, bringing the truck to a sudden and violent stop. Given the violent halting of the truck, we all assumed we had been rear-ended by a truck. The braking was so serious, luggage from the rear of the vehicle shot forward like a missile, striking my wife in the back of the head. She suffered what we believe to be a concussion, and she did seek medical attention in the days following the incident. Sitting behind her, the sudden stopping action caused me to twist my left knee, resulting in what might be a cartilage tear. I also saw my physician in the days following, and he acknowledged the swelling of the left knee. He advised me to monitor the knee carefully, and if the pain persists, to get an MRI. The pain has not gone away, and I plan to get an MRI in the next week or so. Our friend suffered a severely strained back in the incident, and has been treating his back with both ice and heat therapy. This was the THIRD time this happened, each nearly resulting in a tragic accident. The dealer said "it's just a software glitch." The "Brake Assist" program is clearly defective and unsafe.

AIR BAGS — Filed 07/04/2021

Make left turn and distracted by kids in the back. Looked back and felt a crash. Collided with a traffic signal pole and caused major/total damage to vehicle. Driver side airbag DID NOT deploy causing injury to neck, shoulder, and lower back.