2016 GMC Yukon Denali Owner Complaints

The contact owns a 2016 GMC Yukon Denali. The contact stated that since owning the vehicle, the engine had failed on three separate occasions. The contact stated that prior to each failure, there was an abnormal rattling sound coming from the engine. The contact stated that the check engine warning light was illuminated on the instrument panel prior to the last two failures. The vehicle was taken to an independent mechanic after each failure, and the engine was replaced twice. Recently, the contact was informed that the catalytic converter needed to be replaced; however, the vehicle was not yet repaired. The manufacturer was notified of the failure, and the contact was informed that there were no recalls on the VIN for the engine. A complaint was filed with the manufacturer. The failure mileage was 74,000.

NHTSA ID

11658125

Incident

Jan 1, 2023

Mileage

74,000 mi

The contact owns a 2016 GMC Yukon Denali. The contact stated that while driving 40 MPH, the contact was notified by another driver that the rear taillights were inoperable. No warning light was illuminated. Neither a dealer nor an independent mechanic was contacted, and the vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired. The manufacturer was notified of the failure and informed the contact that there was no recall on the VIN related to the failure. The manufacturer was notified of the failure and opened a case and referred the contact to the NHTSA Hotline to report the failure. The approximate failure mileage was 104,000.

NHTSA ID

11638321

Incident

Jan 23, 2025

Mileage

104,000 mi

The contact owns a 2016 GMC Yukon Denali. The contact stated while driving at various speeds, the transmission was slipping between gear. The vehicle was taken to the dealer; however, the failure could not be duplicated. The dealer replaced the transmission fluid twice; however, the failure recurred. The vehicle was taken to the dealer, where it was determined that the transmission wiring harness had failed and needed to be replaced. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was notified of the failure and referred the contact to the NHTSA Hotline for assistance. The failure mileage was approximately 65,000.

NHTSA ID

11621537

Incident

Oct 23, 2021

Mileage

65,000 mi

GPS IS NOT WORKING. ANTENNA

NHTSA ID

11234014

Incident

Jan 2, 2019

AT LESS THAN 3 YEARS OLD AND 60K MILES, THE FOLLOWING HAS OCCURRED AT DIFFERENT TIMES UP UNTIL NOW: OVERALL ELECTRICAL MALFUNCTION INCLUDING DISPLAY ILLUMINATION FAILURE (DISPLAY GOES COMPLETELY BLACK AND/OR DIM WHILE DRIVING - CANNOT SEE SPEEDOMETER ETC. THIS HAS HAPPENED MULTIPLE TIMES WHILE DRIVING ON BOTH THE HIGHWAY AND SURFACE STREETS, INCLUDING DAYTIME AND NIGHTTIME), AUDIO/ENTERTAINMENT SYSTEM GLITCHES (RADIO VOLUME CHANGES TO AND GETS STUCK RANDOMLY ON HIGHEST VOLUME SETTING (WAS NEVER EVEN SET TO THIS LEVEL) WHILE DRIVING, CAUSING SUDDEN DISTRACTION/DISRUPTION), TAIL LIGHT MALFUNCTION (INTERMITTENTLY STOPS WORKING BOTH LEFT AND RIGHT SIDES), AND NOW THE MOTOR TO THE SUNROOF HAS DIED (OCCURRED WHILE DRIVING AND AT A MOMENT WHEN IT WAS NECESSARY TO CLOSE FOR SAFETY ON THE HIGHWAY.) THE TRANSMISSION IS DEFECTIVE (FOR THE SECOND TIME - OFF SHIFTS AND DOWNSHIFTS UNEXPECTEDLY WHILE DRIVING AT BOTH LOWER AND HIGHER SPEEDS. HAS HAPPENED ON THE HIGHWAY REQUIRING ME TO PULL OVER AND RESTART THE VEHICLE.) THESE INCIDENTS HAVE BEEN OCCURRING FOR THE PAST SEVERAL MONTHS, BUT BECAUSE THEY HAVE BEEN INTERMITTENT IT HAS BEEN HARD TO PINPOINT WHEN TO BRING IN TO THE DEALERSHIP FOR INSPECTION.

NHTSA ID

11230316

Incident

Jul 8, 2019

I HAVE ONLY OWNED THIS CAR SINCE 3/29/19 AND SEVERAL TIMES NOW MY YUKON'S CHECK ENGINE LIGHT HAS CAME ON AFTER THE TRANSMISSION BUCKS, JUMPS OR JERKS HARD, NOT SURE WHAT TO CALL IT BUT IT BUCKED OR SHOVED MY CAR FORWARD WHEN TRYING TO SLOW DOWN OR STOP (NOT PRESSING GAS PEDAL). THIS COULD BE DANGEROUS AS IT INTERFERES WITH TRYING TO STOP THE VEHICLE. IT WAS SUCH A HARD JOLT THAT IT FOR A MINUTE I THOUGHT ANOTHER CAR REAR ENDED ME. THIS HAS HAPPENED AT LEAST TWICE AFTER I PRESSED THE BRAKE TO BEGIN SLOWING DOWN AS I WAS PREPARING TO PULL INTO A PARKING LOT, I WAS PROBABLY GOING AROUND 20MPH. IT ALSO HAPPENED TWICE WHILE ACCELERATING ONTO A ROAD, PROBABLY GOING 35 MPH AND JUST FELT A JOLT LIKE SOMETHING KICKED MY CAR FORWARD SUDDENLY. I'VE BEEN TOLD THAT THE JERKING PROBLEM IS RELATED TO ISSUES WITH THE TRANSMISSION, POSSIBLY THE TORQUE CONVERTER AND CAUSES GEARS NOT TO FUNCTION PROPERLY. I'M GOING TO PUT IN MY MOST RECENT DATE THAT THIS HAPPENED ON YOUR FORM BUT IT'S HAPPENED MORE THAN ONCE.

NHTSA ID

11221979

Incident

Jun 21, 2019

Mileage

80,100 mi

BRAKE LIGHTS OUT. !! FIRST WAS DRIVER SIDE NOW BOTH SIDES !! DEALERSHIP SAYS MODULES NEED TO BE REPLACED AND NO LONG HAVE WARRANTY COVERAGE . IT WAS 3 YR /30,00 !! I'M JUST 38,000 AND JUST PAST 3 YRS !! ABSOLUTELY RIDICULOUS $1,500.00 FOR EACH SIDES JUST FOR THE PARTS !! UNBELIEVABLE!! THAT'S NOT INCLUDED TIME AND LABOR. !! SO VERY ANGRY!! NO RECALL ON THIS BUT IN MY FINDING, I AM HEARING THIS IS AN ON GOING PROBLEM.

NHTSA ID

11221884

Incident

Jun 22, 2019

MY PASSENGER TAILLIGHT HAS GONE OUT. THE GMC DEALER HAS SAID THEY HAVE HAD THREE INSTANCES THIS WEEK ALONE. THEY CAN REPAIR IT AND MUST BE REPLACED THE TAILLIGHTS ARE DEFECTIVE AND NEED TO BE RECALLED.

NHTSA ID

11217463

Incident

May 25, 2019

Mileage

52,000 mi

WE WERE TRAVELING IN OUR YUKON WHEN ALL POWER WAS LOST TO THE VEHICLE. THE STEERING WHEEL LOCK FUNCTION ENABLED BEFORE WE WERE STOPPED. SINCE THERE WAS NO POWER AND IT IS PUSH BUTTON START, THERE WAS NO WAY TO CONTROL THE VEHICLE. OUR DEALER SAID TO THEIR KNOWLEDGE THERE IS NO WAY TO UNLOCK THE WHEEL. LUCKILY OUR CHILDREN WERE NOT IN THE VEHICLE AND NO ONE WAS INJURED. THE DEALER SAID THE NEGATIVE BATTERY CABLE IS FULLY INTACT, BUT HAD FAILED INTERNALLY. WHAT IS MORE CONCERNING IS THE FACT THERE IS NO WAY TO UNLOCK THE WHEEL TO STEER IF THIS HAPPENS. EVEN AT 65 MPH.

NHTSA ID

11208663

Incident

May 17, 2019

Mileage

44,000 mi

WHILE ENTERING PARKING LOT OF A WALMART STORE, THE FRONT SENSORS DID NOT SHOW AN OBJECT (WHILE IN BLIND AREA OF WINDSHIELD AND DOOR POST). DRIVER HIT CONCRETE BASE OF STREET LIGHT IN PARKING LOT GOING ABOUT 10 MILES PER HOUR IN SPEED. AIR BAGS DID NOT DEPLOY NOR DID SEAT BELT TIGHTEN TO RESTRAIN DRIVER. DRIVER'S BODY WAS THROWN INTO THE STEERING WHEEL WITH RIGHT ARM TAKING THE FULL IMPACT. DRIVER SUFFERS A BROKEN STERNUM, TORN BICEP TENDON, SEVERELY DISLOCATED RIGHT SHOULDER, TORN ROTATOR CUFF TENDONS, TORN MUSCLE FIBERS FROM ELBOW, BROKEN WRIST AND TORN TENDONS ON BACK OF HAND.

NHTSA ID

11203908

Incident

Mar 21, 2019

Mileage

70,000 mi

OEM LED TAIL LIGHTS HAVE FAILED ON MY GMC WITH 40,000 MILES ON IT. THE BULB IS GOOD, YET THE LED PORTION (WHICH COSTS OVER $800 TO FIX) NEEDS TO BE REPLACED. THIS PORTION IS THE ENTIRE REAR BRAKE LIGHT HOUSING. THIS IS VERY COMMON AMONG THESE VEHICLES HEATED SEATS QUIT WORKING ON DENALI. THE BACKRESTS STILL HEAT UP, BUT THE BOTTOMS DON'T HEAT UP AT ALL. ALSO, THEY WILL NOT TURN ON IN REMOTE START MODE EVEN THOUGH THEY ARE SET TO TURN ON IN THIS MODE.

NHTSA ID

11183810

Incident

Feb 4, 2019

Mileage

40,000 mi

FAULTY TAIL LIGHT HOUSING, RESULTS IN TAIL/BRAKE LIGHTS NOT WORKING. NOT THE RESULT OF DAMAGE, SIMPLY BAD DESIGN IN THE LED HOUSING AND ELECTRICAL CONNECTIONS. THE ELECTRICAL CONNECTION WAS POORLY CONSTRUCTED, AND THE ONLY FIX IS TO COMPLETELY REPLACE THE ENTIRE HOUSING AT $750 INCLUDING LABOR.

NHTSA ID

11180154

Incident

Jan 10, 2019

Mileage

43,000 mi

"TAKATA RECALL" SOMETHING IS WRONG WITH THE ANTI-THEFT SYSTEM. IT HAS HAPPENED TWO DAYS IN A ROW WITH NO WARNING AND MY VEHICLE WILL NOT START. BATTERY IS GOOD AND ALTERNATOR IS GOOD. MY VEHICLE WAS PARKED BOTH TIMES WHEN THIS HAPPENED. SECURITY LIGHT WILL FLASH IN MY WINDSHIELD BUT TRUCK WILL NOT START. A MESSAGE WILL DISPLAY ON MY SCREEN SAYING "BATTERY SAVER ACTIVE".

NHTSA ID

11165981

Incident

Jan 8, 2019

Mileage

68,000 mi

BRAKE LIGHT WENT OUT AT 58K MILES, IT'S AN LED LIGHT AND SHOULD NOT GO OUT THAT FAST. UPON RESEARCH THIS SEEMS TO BE A MANUFACTURE DEFECT EFFECTING 2015-2017 GMC YUKONS. AT NO POINT DID MY CAR ALERT ME OF THE ISSUE, LUCKILY SOMEONE POINTED IT OUT TO ME BEFORE IT CAUSED A WRECK

NHTSA ID

11151847

Incident

Nov 15, 2018

Mileage

58,000 mi

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2016 GMC YUKON DENALI. WHILE DRIVING APPROXIMATELY 55 MPH, THE STEERING BECAME LOOSE. THERE WERE NO WARNING INDICATORS ILLUMINATED. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO NIMNICHT BUICK GMC LOCATED ON, 11503 PHILIPS HWY, JACKSONVILLE, FL 32256 JACKSONVILLE FL, WHERE IT WAS DIAGNOSED THAT A BOLT NEEDED TO BE TIGHTENED. THE VEHICLE WAS REPAIRED; HOWEVER, THE FAILURE RECURRED. THE MANUFACTURER WAS MADE AWARE OF THE FAILURE AND INFORMED THE CONTACT THAT NHTSA ISSUED RECALLS. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS APPROXIMATELY 45,000. THE VIN WAS NOT AVAILABLE.

NHTSA ID

11076524

Incident

Feb 23, 2018

Mileage

45,000 mi

2016 GMC YUKON DENALI. CONSUMER WRITES IN REGARDS TO DISTRACTING COMPUTER EQUIPMENT IN VEHICLE. *LD THE CONSUMER STATED THE VEHICLE WAS COMPLICATED, ERRATIC, AND CONFUSING. UPDATED 10/2/2017*JS

NHTSA ID

11023228

Incident

Jan 1, 2016

FRONT BRAKE CALIPERS STICKING CAUSING PREMATURE WEAR OUT OF PADS AND DRIVER SIDE ROTOR AT ~11900 MILES. AFTER FIRST REPAIR, ~900 MILES AND THREE WEEKS LATER, WHILE DRIVING DOWN A SNOW COVERED CITY HILL ABS WAS ENGAGED FOR A SHORT PERIOD OF TIME AND THEN DASH DISPLAYED A "BRAKE FAILURE" WARNING. AFTER THE MESSAGE THE FRONT BRAKES LOCKED UP COMPLETELY, CAUSING LOSS OF CONTROL OF THE VEHICLE AND INDUCED A SLIDE OF OVER 1000FT DOWN THE HILL. ONCE THE VEHICLE FINALLY CAME TO A STOP, A LOUD SOUND WAS COMING FROM THE UNDER CARRIAGE. POWERING DOWN THE VEHICLE DID NOT STOP THE SOUND. RESTART OF THE VEHICLE DISPLAYED "SERVICE STABILITRACK" AND "SERVICE TRAILER BRAKE" WARNINGS. THE ABS, TRACTION CONTROL SLIPPAGE, AND BRAKE LIGHTS ALSO ALL STAYED ILLUMINATED. VEHICLE HAD TO BE TOWED TO DEALER AS IT WAS UNSAFE TO DRIVE. UPON INSPECTION AT GMC DEALER THEY REPORTED THE ELECTRONIC BRAKE CONTROL MODULE (EBCM) WAS SHORTED OUT INTERNALLY AND SECOND FRONT ROTOR WAS ALSO SCORED. THEY REPLACED THE EBCM AND ROTOR UNDER WARRANTY. I'M TOLD THE CALIPER STICKING ISSUE IS COMMON, AND THIS IS NOT THE FIRST EBCM THEY HAVE REPLACED. IN SUMMARY, DAMAGE TO ROTORS AND PADS IS VERY DANGEROUS. AS THE VEHICLE ONLY HAS ~12000 MILES NO ONE WOULD EXPECT THIS TYPE OF WEAR. THE FAILURE OF THE ABS SYSTEM NEARLY CAUSED AN ACCIDENT THAT COULD HAVE BEEN FATAL AS THE VEHICLE WAS DESCENDING A HILL AND AT THE VERY TIME THE ABS WAS NEEDED IT CAUSED LOCK UP OF THE FONT WHEELS INDUCING A SLIDE AND LOSS OF ABILITY TO STEER. *TR

NHTSA ID

10935003

Incident

Dec 10, 2016

Mileage

12,800 mi

SINCE THE DAY I PURCHASED THIS 2016 GMC YUKON XL DENALI THERE HAS BEEN A VIBRATION IN WHAT I THINK IS THE PASSENGER REAR END. I'VE TAKEN IT IN 3 TIMES AND EACH TIME THE DEALER AND THE GM REPRESENTATIVE SAY IT IS "WITHIN SPEC." THIS PROBLEM HAS PERSISTED. THE VEHICLE IS NOW ALMOST UN-DRIVABLE DUE TO THE SHAKING. IT AFFECTS THE STEERING WHEEL AT ALL SPEEDS. THIS HAPPENS AT ALL SPEEDS ON ALL TERRAINS. THIS HAPPENS WHEN THE VEHICLE IS COLD AS WELL AS WARM/HOT. THE VEHICLE WILL SOMETIMES JERK TO THE LEFT OR RIGHT WHEN THE SHAKING GETS REAL BAD. THIS VEHICLE IS BECOMING DANGEROUS TO DRIVE BUT I HAVE TO USE IT. I AM NOT THE ONLY ONE WITH THIS ISSUE AND WOULD APPRECIATE SOME HELP.

NHTSA ID

10919298

Incident

Dec 24, 2015

Mileage

100 mi