2012 GMC Yukon Owner Complaints

The contact owns a 2012 GMC Yukon. The contact stated that years ago, the engine was replaced with a rebuilt engine. Recently, after starting the vehicle, there was an abnormal banging sound coming from the engine. The banging sound continued, and the vehicle shut off without warning. Due to the failure, the vehicle was towed to an independent mechanic, and it was discovered that an engine bearing had failed, and the vehicle was diagnosed with engine failure. Neither the dealer nor the manufacturer was notified of the failure. The vehicle was not repaired. The failure mileage was approximately 47,000.

NHTSA ID

11717094

Incident

Feb 3, 2026

Mileage

47,000 mi

Driving on loop 20 overpass on Hwy 59 in Laredo Texas suddenly the engine lost power and started to skip and miss fire while a loud tapping noise was generated, due to the loss of power and skipping, alarms showed in the main console requiring immediate service to the engine, traction and braking sys, the lack of engine power place me in a very critical and unsafe situation wherein I was about to be rear collision by the vehicle behind me. This event happened on October 17th, 2025 . I brought the vehicle to Powell Watson Motors who is the GMC dealership in Laredo Texas for inspection but they refused to accept the vehicle due to the age of the vehicle. I feel this safety issue must me corrected and resolved in order to avoid accidents and deaths.

NHTSA ID

11696097

Incident

Oct 17, 2025

Yesterday while unloading the rear of our 2021 GMC Yukon Denali the tailgate came down on me without warning and with force. I googled to see what might have caused this to happen and it stated that the struts might be worn out. (I am having that checked out today) Fortunately, I am a 6 foot 220 pound man and was not hurt but just the day before my 14 year old, 100 pound grand daughter was taking things things out of the rear of the vehicle. If the rear door would have come down on her it would have been a lot worse

NHTSA ID

11609310

Incident

Aug 18, 2024

Dashboard cracked, afraid that if airbag deploys shards of dashboard will come flying at both driver and passenger. It started as a little crack, than expanded across the entire dashboard

NHTSA ID

11566052

Incident

Jan 17, 2019

The problem started a couple of years ago as a small crack in the dashboard at the upper left corner of the airbag. The crack widened and lengthened after replacement of the air bag last year. Then the dash cracked earlier this year at the crown above the instrument cluster. It has completely separated and is nearly 12” in length. Not only does it rattle to the point of driver distraction, but I would think there is a high risk of shattering during a collision potentially causing facial lacerations, blindness and the like. I really don’t want to wait to find out. According to [XXX] , this is a well known issue with GM trucks, Suburbans and Yukons from 2007 to 2014 and GM has failed to make good on the problem. INFORMATION REDACTED PURSUANT TO THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT (FOIA), 5 U.S.C. 552(B)(6)

NHTSA ID

11559602

Incident

Mar 1, 2021

The contact's son owned a 2012 GMC Yukon. The contact received notification of NHTSA Campaign Number: 21V051000 (Air Bags) and requested to be removed from the recall distribution list as her son no longer owns the vehicle. The local dealer and manufacturer were contacted.

NHTSA ID

11554375

Incident

Nov 9, 2023

Dash panel cracked via design defect. Damage has spread and poses a safety risk if airbags are deployed.

NHTSA ID

11517424

Incident

Apr 1, 2016

I HAVE A 2012 GMC YUKON DENALI XL THAT STARTED HAVING TRANSMISSION "6L80" ISSUES AT 120,000 MILES.(03/20/2019) BEAMAN GMC STATED THE TRANSMISSION WAS OUT AND NEEDED TO BE REPLACED. OF COURSE JUST OUT OF WARRANTY. SO ON I SPENT $6031.19 TO HAVE IT REPLACED/REBUILT, NOW 80,000 MILES LATER ON 3/24/2023 I JUST HAD TO HAVE IT REPLACED/REBUILT AGAIN FOR THE SAME PROBLEM, THIS TIME TO THE TUNE OF $9454.00. I DECIDED TO DO SOME INVESTIGATIVE WORK AND FOUND THAT THERE IS A SERVICE BULLETIN ABOUT THIS TRANSMISSION THAT WAS DATED NOVEMBER OF 2022. BULLETIN # 16-NA-338 FOR A TRANSMISSION ASSEMBLY REPLACEMENT. ALSO ANOTHER BULLETIN (PL0773)DATED JULY 2012 AND ONE DATED FEBRUARY 2012 BULLETIN PI0488A. I CAN EMAIL YOU COPIES OF THESE IF YOU WOULD LIKE. THERE WAS ALSO A PRELIMINARY REPORT/BULLETIN PUT OUT JUNE 6TH, 2020 BULLETIN # PIP5175D WITH ALL OF THESE BULLETINS THERE SHOULD HAVE BEEN A RECALL. REBUILDING WHAT THEY ARE ALREADY ARE HAVING ISSUES WITH IS INSANE. PLEASE CONSIDER HELPING ME WITH THIS. I FEEL LIKE THERE ARE ALOT OF OTHER PEOPLE DEALING WITH THE SAME THING AND JUST HAVEN'T DONE THEIR RESEARCH.

NHTSA ID

11514664

Incident

Mar 20, 2019

For no apparent reason the dashboard is cracking. It started on driver side now there is another one near airbag and by speaker. This vehicle is well maintained and there should be no excuse for this

NHTSA ID

11462127

Incident

Apr 6, 2016

Cracks in the dash in two places. Next to the passenger air bag and on the curve above the instrucment panel on the drivers side.

NHTSA ID

11443404

Incident

Jul 12, 2021

Dash is cracked on passenger side airbag

NHTSA ID

11430250

Incident

Aug 24, 2021

Several cracks have developed on the dashboard in front of the drivers position and by the passenger airbag location. The dashboard cover vibrates when going over rough roads and I am concerned that the vibration will initiate the passenger airbag which is also on recall with no date established to bring the car in for a replacement airbag.

NHTSA ID

11423324

Incident

Feb 17, 2021

Cracked dashboard

NHTSA ID

11421244

Incident

Jun 17, 2017

I was driving and slowed down upon approaching speed bumps and going over speed bump my dashboard cover cracked. There was no warning after it cracked the more I drove the more it cracked I am currently buying a dashboard cover to go over the cracked dashboard.

NHTSA ID

11420662

Incident

Jun 12, 2021

MY VEHICLE IS PART OF THE TAKATA AIRBAG RECALL. DAVID WELCH AT NASHVILLE BEAMAN GMC TOLD ME IT WAS "UP TO ME" IF I DRIVE THE VEHICLE - I AM IN GROUP 10 FOR IT TO BE FIXED AND HE DOES NOT KNOW WHEN THAT WILL BE. CASE WAS MADE WITH GMC - CASE # 9-6579504849 SPOKE WITH CORRINE - SHE QUOTED SEVERAL TIMES THAT GMC STANDS BEHIND THE SAFETY OF THE AIRBAGS AND THEY ARE DOING THE RECALL ONLY BECAUSE A JUDGE TOLD THEM TO. I REPEATED MULTIPLE TIMES THAT I AM CONCERNED ABOUT THE SAFETY OF MY FAMILY AND THAT MY 16 YEAR OLD IS OFTEN IN THE FRONT SEAT. SHE AGAIN STRESSED GMC STANDS BEHIND THE SAFETY AND SHE DOES NOT HAVE ANY IDEA WHEN MY VEHICLE WILL BE FIXED. I FEEL THIS IS NOT A SAFE PRACTICE. OTHER DEALERS (FOR EXAMPLE LEXUS) HAVE GIVEN LOANER CARS - FOR UP TO A YEAR - AND HAVE DONE MUCH MORE TO INSURE THE SAFETY OF THEIR DRIVERS. GMC LEAVING SAFETY "UP TO THE DRIVER" IS NOT SAFE PRACTICE.

NHTSA ID

11399080

Incident

Mar 4, 2021

WHEN DRIVING IT SOMETIMES BEGINS TO HESITATE REDUCE POWER THE TRACTION AND STABILITY AND ENGINE LIGHT COMES ON. WHEN THIS HAPPENS THE RPM GAUGE AS WELL STOPS WORKING. IF I PULL OVER ON SIDE OF ROAD AND TURN OFF AND RESTART MOST TIMES THE IGNITION WILL HANG AND KEEP TRYING CRANK THE VEHICLE. IT'S HESITANT TO CRANK WHEN THIS HAPPENS AND SOMETIMES CRANKS AND THEN IMMEDIATELY DIES. IT WILL SHIFT HARD JUST BEFORE POWERING INTO A REDUCED POWER MODE. IF YOU TURN OFF RESTART TURN YOUR WHEEL ALL THE WAY LEFT AND THEN ALL THE WAY RIGHT AND CRANK IT WILL SOMETIMES MAKE THE LIGHTS GO OFF AND YOU THINK RESET BUT AS SOON AS YOU START DRIVING IT HAPPENS AGAIN. I UNDERSTAND THIS IS A PROBLEM A LOT AND I MEAN A LOT ARE HAVING SO NOT SURE WHY THIS ISN'T BEING INVESTIGATED AND RECALLED. MOST SAY NO MATTER WHAT THEY HAVE REPAIRED OR REPLACE THE PROBLEM STILL EXIST SO THERE IS A ROOT THAT'S CREATING THE PROBLEM THAT NEEDS TO BE FOUND AND ADDRESSED BY GENERAL MOTORS! FORGOT TO MENTION WHEN THIS HAPPENS SOMETIMES THE BRAKE PEDAL AS WELL GETS REALLY HARD! THIS A PROBLEM THAT'S BEEN CONTINUOUS OFF AND ON SINCE I'VE OWNED THE VEHICLE.

NHTSA ID

11386117

Incident

Jun 1, 2020

Mileage

5,000 mi

DASH IS CRACKED BY AIRBAG AND COULD CAUSE DEPLOYMENT DELAY.

NHTSA ID

11378125

Incident

Dec 6, 2020

Mileage

60,660 mi

DASH BOARD IN THE INTERIOR OF THE VEHILCE IS CRACKING IN MULTIPLE PLACES THROUGHOUT THE TOP OF THE DASH

NHTSA ID

11376383

Incident

Jan 10, 2018

Mileage

80,000 mi

WHILE WORKING ON AN AIRBAG WARNING LIGHT I ENCOUNTERED 2 DISTINCT PROBLEMS WITH MY AIRBAG AND VEHICLE SYSTEM. 1. THE MAIN UNDERHOOD FUSE PANEL ON MY VEHICLE HAS PORTION OF OXIDATION ON THE FUSES THEMSELVES. THIS OXIDATION IS CAUSING FUSES TO APPEAR INTACT BUT ARE CAUSING THE CIRCUIT TO OPEN. THIS WAS THE ROOT CAUSE OF MY AIRBAG SYSTEM TO NOT BE OPERATING PROPERLY. 2. WHILE DIAGNOSING THE AIRBAG SYSTEM, I WAS CAUTIOUS ABOUT UNPLUGGIN THE BATTERY DURING ANY TROUBLESHOOTING THAT I WAS PERFORMING. BUT, AT THE END OF THE DIAGNOSIS PERIOD AND ALL MODULES/SYSTEM WERE RECONNECTED TO ELECTRICAL MATING CONNECTORS I RECONNECTED THE BATTERY AND STARTED THE VEHICLE TO COOL THE INTERIOR. THE CENTRAL AIRBAG MODULE WHICH IS LOCATED IN CENTER CONSOLE WAS ALREADY ELECTRICALLY CONNECTED BUT NOT MOUNTED. WHEN THE MODULE WAS MOVED INTO POSITION AND THE MOUNTING POINTS OF THE MODULE TOUCHED CHASSIS GROUND OF THE VEHICLE THE SIDE CURTAIN AIRBAGS AND FRONT SEAT BELT SQUIBS DEPLOYED. IT APPERAS TO ME THAT THE GROUND OF THE MODULE AND THE VEHICLE COMMON WIRE ARE NOT INTERNALLY CONNECTED. THIS APPARENTLY MAY CAUSE A FLOATING CIRCUIT IN THE AIRBAG MODULE THAT WHEN CHASSIS GROUND (EXTERIOR MOUNTING SURFACE OF THE MODULE) HAS A POTENTIAL CHANGE, THE AIRBAGS MAY GO OFF INADVERTENTLY. THE CONCERN HERE IS THAT CORROSION ON OLDER VEHICLES MAY CAUSE THIS CHASSIS GROUND TO BE COMPROMISED AND CAUSE RANDOM AIRBAG DEPLOYMENTS TO OCCUR. VEHICLE WAS STATIONARY. BODILY INJURY COULD HAVE OCCURRED IF OCCUPANT WAS POSITIONED DIFFERENTLY.

NHTSA ID

11376110

Incident

Aug 15, 2020

Mileage

187,000 mi

I PURCHASED THIS VEHICLE NEW IN 2012 ,IT HAS 32,000 MILES ON ,IT ONE OWNER, ONE DRIVER, ALWAYS IN THE GARAGE. YESTERDAY THE DRIVERS SIDE DOOR HANDLE LITERALLY CAME OFF IN MY HAND. IT IS COMPOSED OF A FLIMSY PIECE OF PLASTIC WHICH BROKE AND RENDERED THE DOOR UNUSABLE. THIS IS AN EXTREMELY DANGEROUS SITUATION IF THIS WERE TO HAPPEN AND YOU CANNOT ACCESS THE VEHICLE DUE TO A WRECK OR ACCESS YOUR CHILDREN OR SIMPLY GET INTO YOUR CAR IN AN AREA WHERE YOU NEED TO GET IN QUICKLY. THIS IS A WELL-KNOWN PROBLEM WITH GM ,IN FACT THEY SELL REPLACEMENT DOOR HANDLES NEXT TO THE AIR FILTERS LIKE ANY OTHER FREQUENTLY REPLACED PARTS. I FIND THIS HIGHLY UNACCEPTABLE THAT THERE HAS NOT BEEN A RECALL, IT IS AN OBVIOUS SAFETY ISSUE! WHEN YOU CANNOT OPEN THE DOOR OF YOUR CAR , ONE COULD BE STUCK IN THE CAR, OR STUCK OUT OF THE CAR, TO NO FAULT OF YOUR OWN. THIS ISSUE ALSO HAPPENS WITH THE INTERIOR DOOR OPENING MECHANISM. NOW I LIVE IN FEAR THAT ANOTHER HANDLE IS GOING TO COME FLYING OFF OF MY CAR AND I AM GOING TO BE STUCK SOMEWHERE WITHOUT ACCESS TO MY VEHICLE. I AM AN OLDER PERSON AND CRAWLING THROUGH TO ACCESS THE CAR IS NOT POSSIBLE AND EXTREMELY UNSAFE. I BELIEVE IF A PERSON PAYS IN EXCESS OF $60K FOR AN AMERICAN VEHICLE, THEY SHOULD BE ASSURED THAT SAFETY COMPONENTS LIKE DOOR HANDLES DO NOT ROUTINELY FAIL. PLEASE HELP. THANK YOU.

NHTSA ID

11361490

Incident

Sep 27, 2020

Mileage

32,000 mi

I BOUGHT THIS SUV USED AND WAS TOLDTHE DASHBOARD CRACKED ON ITS OWN AROUND THE PASSENGER AIRBAG AND ON THE DRIVER SIDE OVER THE INSTRUMENT CLUSTER! I TRIED FIXING WITH SUPER GLUE AND IT JUST LOOKS TERRIBLE & A COMPLETE EYESORE!! I DO NOT KNOW WHEN IT BROKE SO I DO NOT KNOW WHAT TO PUT ON YOUR FORM EXCEPT FOR MY PURCHASE DATE.

NHTSA ID

11360091

Incident

Aug 31, 2020

MY DASH IS CRACKING AND SOME OF THOSE CRACKS ARE RIGHT NEAR THE PASSENGER AIR BAG. I'M CONCERNED DURING A CRASH IF THE AIR BAG IS DEPLOYED, THE DASH COULD SPLITTER CAUSING FRAGMENTS TO FLY AT OCCUPANTS FACES AND/ OR PUNCTURE THE AIR BAG RENDERING IT USELESS.

NHTSA ID

11354119

Incident

Sep 9, 2020

Mileage

95,000 mi

CASH CRACK

NHTSA ID

11343772

Incident

Jun 8, 2020

Mileage

51,000 mi

THE DASHBOARD HAS CRACKED NEAR THE AIRBAG AND ABOVE THE STEERING WHEEL. THIS VEHICLE IS KEPT IN THE GARAGE AND IS LIGHTLY USED.

NHTSA ID

11341079

Incident

Jan 1, 2019

DASHBOARD STARTED CRACKING AND SPLITTING APART. THERE WAS NO ACCIDENT TO CAUSE THIS. FOUND OUT THERE HAS BEEN A CLASS ACTION LAWSUIT FILED REGARDING THIS ISSUE AND WE WERE NOT AWARE.

NHTSA ID

11339785

Incident

Feb 2, 2018

Mileage

92,000 mi