Owner-reported complaints naming the engine system, filed with NHTSA
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Reports naming the engine itself — including stalling, misfires, oil consumption, cooling and internal engine components. Every record below is an owner-reported complaint about the 2023 GMC Yukon Xl submitted to NHTSA — not a confirmed defect, not a recall and not a manufacturer bulletin. 166 reports on file name it.
Complaints are reports submitted by owners and drivers to NHTSA. They are not verified and do not establish that a defect exists.
The 25 most recent of 166, in the owner's own words
While driving the car, I was stopping at a stop light and the engine turned off and stopped moving. The check engine light came on and said low oil pressure, turn car off. Code P0016 was sent to my email stating to get car fixed immediately. I could no longer turn my car on or move it. Car was towed to dealer and they confirmed that engine is locked and will be replaced.
At around 7pm on Sunday October 18th I was driving on an interstate at about 80mph in the far left lane (of 3 Lanes) when, without any warning whatsoever, the engine power completely shutoff and the car went into neutral. The dash screen said to start the engine due to no power or low battery. I hit the start button and all the lights including all controls, blinkers, dash lights shut off. So with no blinkers, no lights, no power brakes, no power steering we were coasting in the fast lane of a usually unsafe stretch of an interstate at night. Luckily, I was able to navigate without any power to the right shoulder (lucky this was a stretch that had a shoulder) and coast to a stop. I had my wife and 4 kids in the car with me. The car was dead and said the engine battery was low. When the engine start button was pushed nothing happened, car was dead with no heat. We called onstar and requested a tow and were able to order a Lyft ride for my wife and 4 kids. The Lyft driver came to pick them up on the adjacent frontage road and they had to run across the grass median to get into that car, there was no other option to get them off of the unsafe shoulder. I stayed with the car with no power while cars and 18 wheelers speed by me while sitting on the shoulder without any lights or flashers. A highway patrol officer pulled up behind me and when he tried to open the passenger door he was unable to . I was LOCKED INSIDE THE CAR! Luckily the door unlock eventually worked and the door opened. The Patrol office stayed behind me on the shoulder of the interstate while we waited for a tow truck since it was such an unsafe situation. Due to the vehicle not being able to be put into neutral or any gear, it required a specific type of tow truck that was hard to find on a Sunday evening. It was towed to a dealer and diagnosis is catastrophic engine failure with full engine seize. Needs a full engine replacement. Assuming this is part of the massive recall on 6.2L V8 engines. SCARY!
The engine of this car failed at high speeds on [XXX], in [XXX], at 40,000 miles. GMC claimed the lifters in the 3rd cylinder failed and they were replaced under warranty. The lifters in the 3rd cylinder failed again, at high speeds on [XXX], at 77,000 miles. GMC claimed the lifters and crank shaft needed to be replaced. After paying for the repair and getting the car back, the engine locked up and failed within 30 miles of being fixed at 77,000 miles. Prior to these issues, there were no warnings and no symptoms. The car supposedly was not included in the engine recall by GMC. Two of the three incidents happened at speeds of 75 mph, the third occurred on a highway and speed of 55 mph. INFORMATION REDACTED PURSUANT TO THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT (FOIA), 5 U.S.C. 552(B)(6)
The same motor in this truck is part of one of the biggest national recalls in GM history. With that said my truck experienced the exact same issue where the engine rods warp or bend when they heat up causing to damage the crank shaft and the motor to seize. This is exactly what happen to my truck, but yet my trucks vin number is not part of the national recall? I was also told that I would receive assistance for the repair and a rental reimbursement and I am yet to receive neither. Something doesn't seem right and it needs to be investigated further. On top of all that, this has been ongoing since March of 2026. The truck was bought at West Palm Beach Cadillac and is currently still at the service center at Island GMC in Staten Island NY.
vehicle keeps stall and loose power , I've been to the dealer many times and they replaced many parts (paid out of pocket)and the problem still , so after all of that and the struggle for months that i need to replace the engine . so i did replace the engine that cost me over 6k (out of pocket) and the problem is still , i went back and forth to the dealership and couldn't figure it out or reimburse me for anything.
I have suffered 2 engine replacements on this SUV and Im still under 50,000 miles on the car. One of the times I was traveling at highway speeds in a passing lane when it failed. I was with my children at this time and we barely got off the road to a safe place. After talking to GMC, they are unwilling to help me with anything. I have received 2 new engines from them but nothing else. Between both repairs, my car was in the shop about 3 months.
The contact owns a 2023 GMC Yukon XL. The contact stated that the vehicle was experiencing engine failures and was undergoing its fourth engine replacement. The contact stated that during each failure, abnormal noises were heard before the engine blew. The vehicle was towed to the dealer after each incident, and the dealer diagnosed that the engine blew and metal shavings were found in the engine oil. After the most recent engine replacement, the engine failed again during a dealer test drive after 9 miles. The manufacturer was formally notified of the recurring failures. The failure mileage was 67,000.
The car suddenly started bucking while driving on I95 at about 75 miles per hour. We were able to coast off highway and when finally towed to a dealership we were told we needed a new engine. The vehicle at the time had about 57,300 miles. It was very scary to be on a dangerous highway with tractor trailers speeding past and have NO control over the vehicle.
Driving when vehicle locked up, engine stopped, lost all power steering and ability to control. Ended up stranded in the middle of the road unable to move it out of roadway
The contact owns a 2023 GMC Yukon XL. The contact stated that while driving at an undisclosed speed, a bystander warned the contact that there was smoke coming from the exhaust pipe. The check engine warning light was illuminated. Additionally, the vehicle was running rough, and failed to properly accelerate, with a rattling sound coming from the vehicle. The vehicle was towed to the dealer. The dealer diagnosed the vehicle with crankshaft failure and lifter failure. The contact was informed that the lifters and crankshaft needed to be replaced. The manufacturer was contacted by phone and made aware of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 133,000.
Car engine camshaft damage and lifter break. The engine suddenly failed while we were driving slowly locally, so no injuries occurred. Yes, the dealer diagnosed the issue and carried out repairs. I later filed a claim with GMC, but they rejected it, forcing me to pay $5,000 for the repairs out of pocket. The engine suddenly stopped working and emitted a strong, acrid odor—without any warning—followed by the illumination of the check engine light.
This is an ongoing problem from date of purchase, before the normal oil change time the low oil light comes on. When i check the oil dip stick it is in fact low. I have to add at least 2 qts of oil to get it to the right level. Time frame would be at least once every 2 months under normal CA driving conditions. Also does have a rough idle and noise that sounds like the motor is going to come apart on startup. I have takin it to the dealer, they performed consumption test and checked the motor recall. The dealer told us that our motor passed the recall inspection, made the changes, oil, oil cap, etc. Then told us it passed the consumption test. Since then I still have to add oil between oil changes. We were told by the service tech that even if the motor is bad, there is no replacements at this time and the vehicle would just sit at our dealership until we can get a replacement. No one has been hurt at this time. I'm just waiting for the motor to lock up. The vehicle can be inspected upon request. The only warning light that comes on is the low engine oil warning.
I had the recall remedy of the v8 completed. They said it only required thicker oil which now lowers fuel economy and costs more for oil changes. After the recall, the engine still makes a knocking sound
The contact owns a 2023 GMC Yukon XL. The contact stated that while driving 70 MPH, the vehicle stalled, and the engine seized. There was no warning light illuminated. The vehicle was coasted to the side of the road. The vehicle failed to restart and was towed to the dealer, where it was diagnosed with engine failure. The contact was informed that the engine needed to be replaced. The vehicle was repaired. The contact stated that the vehicle had previously been repaired under an oil consumption-related recall. The manufacturer was made aware of the failure by telephone, and a case was opened. The failure mileage was approximately 34,000.
I got a yukon at4 and I had to replace it for the one with this vin number [XXX], the first one had a problem with the engine and the offer me to change it for a new one and accept it but since then it has given me problems, at first it was a small pull that felt, then an engine problem, that they "fix" and i have to come back because the " pull " still existed, they fixed it, and after around 3 months after, I had a an engine light one , collision light on, and ESC light one, took it to the dealer and it was something related with the engine again. INFORMATION REDACTED PURSUANT TO THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT (FOIA), 5 U.S.C. 552(B)(6)
Engine failure
After engine passed check for possible replacement because of recall, engine failed 5000 miles after. Even though I have a new engine now, there is no warranty coverage other than the lower part of the engine. I am already having misfire issues.
Catastrophic engine failure and sudden loss of propulsion on a highway after completing GM's OW-40 oil recall remedy.
PICO scope test #FDYZ295894391 on engine for recall #N252494003 engine , passed test. Drain oil filled with 0-40 replaced oil cap. Date 09/19/2025, mileage in 20142/mileage out 20142. Vehicle runs rough. Not stable at times. Vibration noise coming from the motor at times.
I was Driving down the interstate when the RPMS on my car increased and my car started to shutter. I went to get off the roadway and it put itself into neutral and lowered my speed. when i got On the shoulder it stalled and would not turn back on. I had To be towed. To this point, my car has been in the shop for over a week with no solution.
My vehicle had a previous engine recall that was “fixed” per the dealership recommendations. However, I succumbed to total engine failure last week at 70000 miles with my 2 little kids in the car on an interstate. My engine needs replaced.
I am reporting a severe, recurring, and life-threatening manufacturing defect involving a sudden, catastrophic loss of motive power at highway speeds on the interstate. This vehicle has suffered two identical valvetrain failures that placed my passengers and nearby motorists in extreme danger. Incident 1 (Approx. 40,000 miles): While traveling at high speed on the interstate, the vehicle violently shook, all engine warning lights flashed, and the engine suffered an immediate, near-total loss of propulsion. The vehicle was towed to an authorized GMC dealership, where technicians diagnosed a collapsed Dynamic Fuel Management (DFM) hydraulic lifter in Cylinder 3. The lifter bank was replaced under the factory powertrain warranty. Incident 2 (Approx. 77,000 miles): While driving at high speed on the interstate, the exact same vehicle behavior occurred. The engine suffered a sudden, total loss of power, and all dashboard warning lights illuminated simultaneously. Out of absolute necessity and to avoid a catastrophic high-speed collision on a dangerous stretch of highway, the severely crippled vehicle had to be forced through active interstate traffic without proper engine power all the way to my home. The vehicle has since been inspected by a GMC dealership, which has confirmed that the exact same Cylinder 3 lifter has failed a second time. The dealership and the GMC Regional Service Manager are currently refusing to honor the 24-month dealer-installed service parts warranty, demanding an out-of-pocket deposit of $5,000, and denying alternative transportation. GM's failure to permanently remediate this known, systemic valvetrain defect has twice left me navigating a failing vehicle through high-speed highway traffic, heavily compounding the safety risk.
Engine shut off with no warning, all electronics disabled and couldn't shift out of park. Was driving down the road at approximately 50mph, Yukon shifted itself into neutral. Vehicle previously complied with the 25V-274 recall and passed, was operating on the new oil that GM recommended.
Second engine sized at 87,834 miles. Third engine installed three weeks later.
The contact owns a 2023 GMC Yukon XL. The contact stated that while driving approximately 30 MPH, the vehicle stalled. The vehicle failed to restart. The vehicle was towed to a dealer; however, the failure was not duplicated. The manufacturer was not notified of the failure. The failure mileage was 49,460.
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.
Categories with enough reports to have a page of their own
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