RoadVitals

2009 GMC Yukon Denali Xl Problems

Owner-reported complaints filed with NHTSA, grouped by component

Data refreshed

Owner complaintsComplaints are reports submitted to NHTSA by owners and drivers. NHTSA does not verify most reports before publishing them, and a complaint does not establish that a defect exists. Volume is influenced by how many of a vehicle were sold, how long it has been on the road, and how much attention an issue has received.
22
Latest Sep 29, 2021
Components namedHow many of our component categories appear on at least one report for this model year. One report can name several.
8
Crash or fire reportedComplaints whose submitter recorded that a crash or a fire occurred. These are the reporter's own answers on the NHTSA form, not verified findings.
1

What this page shows

Everything below is an owner-reported complaint submitted to NHTSA about the 2009 GMC Yukon Denali Xl, grouped by the component NHTSA recorded on the report. These are not confirmed defects, and they are not recalls. NHTSA does not verify most reports before publishing them, and a category with more reports in it is not evidence that a part is defective.

Complaints are reports submitted by owners and drivers to NHTSA. They are not verified and do not establish that a defect exists.

Reports by component

Ranked by how many owner reports name each component category

  • Airbags731.8%
  • Body & structure313.6%
  • Electrical313.6%
  • Engine313.6%
  • Interior & seats313.6%
  • Powertrain (other)14.5%
  • Driver assistance14.5%
  • Brakes14.5%

Percentages are of component mentions. A single complaint can name more than one component, so these do not sum to the total complaint count.

Each component in detail

What the reports in each category say, in the owners' own words

Airbags

Reports naming the air-bag system — deployment behaviour, inflators, sensors and warning lights.

7
reports

From owner reports, verbatim

AIRBAG SERVICE LIGHT IS ON, OIL PRESSURE FLUCTUATION OCCURS AND THE VEHICLE PULLS TO THE LEFT WHEN APPLYING BRAKES AFTER NEW BRAKE PADS AND ROTORS WERE INSTALLED.

NHTSA ID 11131887 · filed Sep 27, 2018

IN JAN. 2018 NOTED CRACK IN DASHBOARD ON DRIVERS SIDE. ALSO THERE WAS A SMALL SLIT IN MIDDLE OF DASH. IN ABOUT 2 WKS NOTED SPLITS ON PASSENGER SIDE OF DASH. ? WHEN IT HAPPENED.

NHTSA ID 11072342 · filed Feb 12, 2018

Too few reports in this category for a page of its own — they appear in the full complaint list.

Body & structure

Reports naming the vehicle structure, frame, body panels, doors, hood and trim.

3
reports

From owner reports, verbatim

IN JAN. 2018 NOTED CRACK IN DASHBOARD ON DRIVERS SIDE. ALSO THERE WAS A SMALL SLIT IN MIDDLE OF DASH. IN ABOUT 2 WKS NOTED SPLITS ON PASSENGER SIDE OF DASH. ? WHEN IT HAPPENED.

NHTSA ID 11072342 · filed Feb 12, 2018

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2009 GMC YUKON DENALI XL. WHILE STATIONARY, THE DASHBOARD OF THE VEHICLE BECAME CRACKED ACROSS THE AIR BAG SECTION. A DEALER WAS NOT CONTACTED. THE MANUFACTURER WAS MADE AWARE OF THE FAILURE AND PROVIDED THE CONTACT WITH CASE NUMBER: 8-3684476402. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS APPROXIMATELY 54,000.

NHTSA ID 11055677 · filed Dec 20, 2017

Too few reports in this category for a page of its own — they appear in the full complaint list.

Electrical

Reports naming the electrical system — wiring, battery, charging, control modules, infotainment and electrical accessories.

3
reports

From owner reports, verbatim

WE HAVE HAD THIS VEHICLE FOR THREE YEARS. ROUGHLY EVERY 3 MONTHS IT WILL HAVE ERRATIC ELECTRICAL SHORTS AND MOST COMMONLY THE CAR WILL NOT START BECAUSE THE BATTERY IS DEAD. SOMETIME THE SHORTS HAPPEN WHILE WE ARE DRIVING. WHEN THIS HAPPENS THE RADIO/NAVIGATION SYSTEM TURNS OFF AND ON, THE DASHBOARD DISPLAY FLASHES OFF AND ON, THE POWER DOOR LOCKS GO UP AND DOWN. ON A FEW OCCASIONS THE AIR CONDITIONING HAS SWITCHED OVER TO HEAT ONLY WHILE THE BLOWER CONTINUED AS BEFORE. ON A FEW OCCASIONS THIS HAS HAPPENED WHILE DRIVING AND THE ELECTRICAL SYSTEM TURNED OFF AND THE ENGINE TURNED OFF,ONLY TO THEN TURN BACK ON. THE LAST TIME THIS HAPPENED WHILE WE WERE DRIVING ON THE INTERSTATE AND THE CAR SHUT DOWN AND THEN TURNED BACK ON. THE VEHICLE RAPIDLY DECELERATED AND THEN TURNED BACK ON AND LUNGED FORWARD. WE CONSIDER THE VEHICLE UNSAFE AT THIS POINT. WE HAVE NOT DRIVEN IT ANY MORE, OTHER THAN TO GET IT TO ANOTHER REPAIR PERSON WHERE IT HAS BEEN FOR THE LAST TWO WEEKS. WE HAVE REPLACED THE BATTERY THREE TIMES AND THE BATTERY TERMINAL CABLES HAVE BEEN REPLACED TWICE. WE HAVE HAD THE VEHICLE CHECKED THREE TIMES AT TWO SEPERATE GM DEALERS. WE HAVE ALSO CONTACTED THEIR PHONE SUPPORT. THEIR ONLY SUGGESTION IS TO BRING IT INTO THE DEALER EVERY TIME IT HAPPENS. THIS HAS NOT BEEN SUCCESSFUL. I FEEL THE VEHICLE IS NOT SAFE AND I HAVE INFORMED GM OF THIS.

NHTSA ID 10761089 · filed Sep 2, 2015

DOOR LOCK ACTUATORS HAVE FAILED ON 2 OF OUR 4 DOORS. GM REFUSES TO COVER UNDER WARRANTY. I'M WAITING FOR OTHERS TO FAIL NOW AS THIS IS ALL OVER THE INTERNET WITH SIMILAR FAILURES FOR THE 2009 MODEL YEAR. DEALER WANTS OVER $350 PER DOOR TO FIX. IT'S SO BAD THERE'S A YOU TUBE VIDEO ON HOW TO FIX IT YOURSELF. I BELIEVE THIS IS A SAFETY ISSUE AND SHOULD BE A RECALL. *TR

NHTSA ID 10563350 · filed Feb 7, 2014

Too few reports in this category for a page of its own — they appear in the full complaint list.

Engine

Reports naming the engine itself — including stalling, misfires, oil consumption, cooling and internal engine components.

3
reports

From owner reports, verbatim

AIRBAG SERVICE LIGHT IS ON, OIL PRESSURE FLUCTUATION OCCURS AND THE VEHICLE PULLS TO THE LEFT WHEN APPLYING BRAKES AFTER NEW BRAKE PADS AND ROTORS WERE INSTALLED.

NHTSA ID 11131887 · filed Sep 27, 2018

I WAS DRIVING ON THE HIGHWAY AND ALL OF A SUDDEN A MESSAGE ON THE DASHBOARD SAID ''ENGINE POWER IS REDUCED" AND MY ENGINE SHUT OFF, BRAKES WERE HARDLY WORKING AND I COULD HARDLY STEER OR TURN THE WHEELS. MY CAR COPMLETLY LOST CONTROL AND I WAS LUCKY THERE WERE NO CARS BY ME OTHERWISE AN ACCIDENT WOULD HAVE BEEN INEVITABLE. WHEN I WENT TO THE DEALER THEY TOLD ME THEY HAVE NO ANSWER AND THEY SUGGESTED TO REPLACE MY IGNITION SWITCH AND CAMSHAFT SENSOR TO BEGIN WITH. NO GUARANTY THAT IT'LL FIX MY PROBLEM THEY SAID. READING ONLINE FORUMS LOOKS LIKE I AM NOT THE ONLY ONE. PLEASE DO SOMETHING ABOUT IT OTHERWISE SOONER OR LATER LIFES WILL BE LOST.

NHTSA ID 11002421 · filed Jun 29, 2017

Too few reports in this category for a page of its own — they appear in the full complaint list.

Interior & seats

Reports naming seats, latches, locks, linkages and interior fittings.

3
reports

From owner reports, verbatim

DOOR LOCK ACTUATORS NOT OPERATING. 2 OF OUR DOORS FAIL TO LOCK OR UNLOCK WITH THE POWER DOOR LOCK BUTTON OR KEY FOB. WE MUST MANUALLY PUSH OR PULL THE DOOR LOCKS TO GET THEM TO FULLY LOCK OR UNLOCK CAUSING A SAFETY ISSUE. OUR YOUNG KIDS COULD OPEN THE REAR DOORS AT ANY TIME IF WE DON'T MANUALLY LOCK THEM. ALSO DOORS WILL NOT LOCK LEAVING THE VEHICLE WITH THE KEY FOB. THIS ISSUE IS ALL OVER THE INTERNET AND THERE'S EVEN A YOUTUBE VIDEO ON HOW TO REPLACE THEM! THIS SHOULD BE A RECALL. *TR

NHTSA ID 10701358 · filed Mar 24, 2015

LOCKS JUST STOPPED WORKING. *TR

NHTSA ID 10555147 · filed Dec 7, 2013

Too few reports in this category for a page of its own — they appear in the full complaint list.

Powertrain (other)

Powertrain reports that are not specifically the engine or transmission — driveshafts, axles, transfer cases and differentials.

1
report

From owner reports, verbatim

The contact owns a 2009 GMC Yukon Denali XL. The contact stated while depressing the accelerator pedal, the vehicle experienced delayed acceleration. The contact stated that the check engine warning light was illuminated. The vehicle was taken to a local mechanic but was not diagnosed or repaired. The manufacturer was informed of the failure and informed the contact that they were unable to assist. The failure mileage was approximately 90,000.

NHTSA ID 11434907 · filed Sep 29, 2021

Too few reports in this category for a page of its own — they appear in the full complaint list.

Driver assistance

Reports naming forward-collision avoidance, lane keeping, back-over prevention, cruise control and related electronic driver-assistance systems.

1
report

From owner reports, verbatim

DRIVING AT ROUGHLY 50 MPH. WENT TO PASS CAR ON TWO LANE HIGHWAY. ACCELERATOR STUCK TO FLOOR (NOT STUCK ON FLOOR MAT OR OTHER OBJECT). VEHICLE ACCELERATED TO 95 MPH, SLOWED TO 70 WITH BRAKE DEPRESSED FULLY. SLOWED TO 50 WITH BRAKE AND EMERGENCY BRAKE DEPRESSED. ACCELERATED WHEN DOWNSHIFTED INTO MANUAL. FINALLY PUT IN NEUTRAL AND WAS ABLE TO STOP. HAD COMPLAINED OF ROUGH IDLE, STALLING AND REDUCED POWER FOR 3 YEARS (SINCE WE HAD CAR FOR ONLY A FEW MONTHS). SEE SOME DISCUSSION THAT A DIRTY THROTTLE BODY COULD LEAD TO ALL OF THESE PROBLEMS. 3 YEARS WITH 3 DIFFERENT GM SERVICE SHOPS AND NO SOLUTION. FORTUNATELY THE ROAD WAS NOT CROWDED AND WAS STRAIGHT. OBVIOUSLY, THIS COULD HAVE BEEN A FATAL PROBLEM FOR US. IT WAS MY WIFE, MYSELF, AND OUR THREE CHILDREN UNDER 4 YEARS OF AGE IN THE VEHICLE. *TR

NHTSA ID 10504805 · filed Mar 28, 2013

Too few reports in this category for a page of its own — they appear in the full complaint list.

Brakes

Reports naming service brakes, the antilock braking system, brake hoses, master cylinders or the parking brake.

1
report

From owner reports, verbatim

AIRBAG SERVICE LIGHT IS ON, OIL PRESSURE FLUCTUATION OCCURS AND THE VEHICLE PULLS TO THE LEFT WHEN APPLYING BRAKES AFTER NEW BRAKE PADS AND ROTORS WERE INSTALLED.

NHTSA ID 11131887 · filed Sep 27, 2018

Too few reports in this category for a page of its own — they appear in the full complaint list.

Higher-selling and older vehicles accumulate more reports. Counts are not failure rates and are not directly comparable between vehicles that sold in very different numbers.

Elsewhere on this vehicle

Data sources

Data on this page last refreshed .