2015 GMC Yukon Engine Problems

While traveling at highway speeds on Interstate 5 in Oregon, my 2015 GMC Yukon Denali experienced a sudden, catastrophic engine failure with zero advance warning. The vehicle instantly lost almost all propulsion and power while surrounded by high-speed traffic, creating an immediate and severe safety hazard on a major interstate. The engine began making a loud, severe knocking noise, and I was forced to navigate across lanes without adequate power to reach the shoulder. The vehicle was towed and inspected by Point S in Creswell, OR, where diagnostics confirmed a P0300 random/multiple cylinder misfire, with cylinder 4 specifically misfiring. Using a stethoscope and scanner to isolate the failure, technicians confirmed a catastrophic rod knock failure at the bottom end of the engine. The vehicle was then taken to Sam’s Automotive Service, where a complete engine replacement was executed at a total out-of-pocket cost of $16,000. General Motors has a well-documented history of internal engine failures on these 6.2L V8 platforms, yet they have failed to issue a safety recall for vehicles experiencing this sudden, dangerous highway power loss.

NHTSA ID

11739721

Incident

Oct 16, 2024

Noticed a tick sound. Sent to dealer. Lifter failed. Bent push rod. Took it in Nov 24th. Charged $7,100. Fixed all lifters and bent push rod. Was turning around in my driveway and vehicle just shut off. Took it back to same dealer in Jan 27th. Bad lifter. Same push rod. Still in shop. That’s two months and 2,000 miles and had same failure. That is absolutely ridiculous GM and I should be compensated for this. It has costed me $7100 dollars. They are fixing with a two year warranty but if the failures are so close together, who’s to say it won’t just keep happening. Not only is it a safety issue, it is hurting my finances. I drive this vehicle 2 miles to work at 25 mph, and religiously change the oil at 3,000 miles. It didn’t even get an oil change before it failed again. I am not happy and GM needs to be sued for this. I owe 20,000 on this truck and have spent 7,000 already, and it keeps failing. There needs to be a recall for this model year, and it needs to be a permanent fix. GM knows the quality of this motor is horrible and they won’t do anything about it. It’s not safe. They can my truck for $20,000

NHTSA ID

11715386

Incident

Nov 28, 2025

While driving my 2015 GMC Yukon Denali on the highway, the vehicle suddenly began shaking and lost power. I immediately exited the highway for safety and had to “nurse” the vehicle about two miles at 10–15 mph to reach home. The vehicle would no longer run afterward. A mechanic later diagnosed a lifter and camshaft failure. This is a known and common issue with GM 5.3L and 6.2L engines that poses a serious safety risk when it occurs at highway speeds. No warning lights or prior symptoms were present before the failure. I did not report it to the dealer, but the vehicle had to be towed to a mechanic for diagnosis. The vehicle is available for inspection.

NHTSA ID

11698183

Incident

Jul 24, 2025

6.2L engine, collapsed hydraulic lifter AFM failure, required $7400 in total repairs. All lifters, camshaft, high pressure fuel lines, high pressure fuel pump, intake manifold & miscellaneous parts and gaskets replaced by selling Dealer at 94000 miles. No help of any kind from GM or Dealer. This is a WELL KNOWN FAILURE FOR THESE ENGINES!

NHTSA ID

11697972

Incident

Jun 6, 2022

Driving down the expressway at 65MPH, and the Vehicle completely stops, almost causing a collision. After researching the problem at the GMC Dealer, it appears that the entire engine has internally failed. Apparently it was a Complete Engine Failure.

NHTSA ID

11673951

Incident

May 13, 2025

The contact owns a 2015 GMC Yukon. The contact stated that while driving at an undisclosed speed, the vehicle inadvertently lost motive power. The contact was able to pull to the shoulder of the roadway, where the vehicle failed to restart. No warning lights were illuminated. The vehicle was towed to an independent mechanic, who diagnosed a failure with compression in cylinder 7, resulting in damages to the engine. The contact was informed that the engine needed to be replaced. The vehicle was repaired. After investigating the failure, the contact related the failure to NHTSA Campaign Number: 25V274000 (Engine and Engine Cooling), but the VIN was not included. The manufacturer was notified of the failure, a case was opened, and the contact was referred to the NHTSA Hotline for assistance. The failure mileage was 100,000.

NHTSA ID

11661489

Incident

May 16, 2025

Mileage

100,000 mi

Started my 2015 Yukon XL, drove approximately 6 miles to get gas and was to head out onto the highway. After gassing up and starting engine it began to idle very rough with a shake going on and ticking noise. No previous signs of any issues. Slowly drove back to my house at 20 miles an hour and called Mandal GMC dealership. They suggested having it towed to them for inspection. Upon inspection they said the AFM/DOD #1 exhaust lifter was bad and needed replaced. They replaced all of Bank one lifters and said their was no damage to camshaft. Drove it that night after repairing it and everything seemed fine. They called the next morning and said when they started it up the ticking was back again. They then supposedly took off head cover and inspected the camshaft again and said it was damaged and I would need a new engine to the tune of $18,000.00. I purchase it in 2021 from them use and paid $33,000.00 and now still owe even more than the engine repair. I said it would cost more than the vehicle was worth and they had done $4,000.00 of repair that didn’t even get the issue fixed. I am a senior on Social Security and can not afford to continue to pay 20,000.00 for the loan and then another $18,000.00 for a faulty engine design that caused the problem in the first place. May have to join the thousands of others in the class action to get GM to not put out such untrustworthy engineering. Now $37,000.00 piece of Yard Sculpture !! The morning that it occurred was the first sign of flashing engine warning on dash.

NHTSA ID

11659069

Incident

Apr 2, 2025

The Yukon was driving normally and just lost power while driving 55mph on the highway. Then I got off the highway to pull over and check it out and the Yukon started shaking while running and in Park. The truck would not drive over 30mph without shaking and what sounds like misfiring.

NHTSA ID

11658503

Incident

Feb 26, 2025

With my child in the car, on a highway with no shoulder, I experienced lifter failure. It caused the vehicle shake and lose power with cars driving behind me at 55-60 MPH with nowhere to pull over. The engine just stopped as I was finally able to make it to a driveway safely. Problem was identified by dealership and my engine had to be rebuilt. I purchased the car second hand 3 months prior with no warning or symptoms. The car was inspected at the dealership by the extended warranty company rep. The extended warranty only cover a portion of the cost. The collapsed lifter cause damage to the camshaft and bent rods. The car only had 107,000 miles. If I were not able to pull off before the engine stopped, my daughter and I could’ve easily got rear ended on a Major state highway. The car was difficult to control due to the engine shaking the entire SUV.

NHTSA ID

11649629

Incident

Mar 20, 2025

2015 6.2l yukon lifter failure oil changed 2000 miles ago and lifter failed and possible cam damage due to AFM lifter failure vehicle has 115,000 Miles and Gm knows about these lifter failures that can blow engines and cause serious accidents due to rapid loss of power and controls that GM already knew paid alot of money as a certified pre- owned and failed to disclose lifter defects to their customers now at shop for complete inspection and now needs possible new engine when all service requirements were met now looking at thousands of dollars for repairs if known i would have not bought the vehicle. And deceiving GM customers , currently waiting for diagnostic in writing but the courts approved recall already from same issues on 2019 and newer but same lifters are in the same 2015 AFM system

NHTSA ID

11640174

Incident

Feb 2, 2025

Consuming a lot of oil, makes a funny clicking noise sometimes when accelerations, had lil pieces of metal in my oil, Transmisson problems, 1 front headlight and all rear tail lights went out, trailer brake system would come on and go off now it won’t stop dinging and makes a whole bunch of other lights come on (trailer brake system, park assist, low brake fluid, traction control, collision) dings some much I can’t drive it. Called a gm shop near me and they told me it would cost a whole bunch for each diagnosis for every warning that came on.

NHTSA ID

11537059

Incident

Aug 1, 2023

I write to express my concern over an issue with my 2015 GMC Yukon that has also impacted other community members. In April, my Yukon, with just over 70k miles, broke down as I was turning from Rte 14 in Pembroke, MA onto Rte 53. At the time, I had my 3 & 5 year old children in the car with me. I could not get my vehicle to restart & had it towed to a local mechanic. After our local mechanic could not diagnose the problem, on 4/25/23, I had the vehicle towed to Marty’s GMC in Kingston, MA, where it was purchased. I had to call Marty’s regularly to check in on my vehicle before it was finally inspected. After 2 weeks, I was told that the valve spring needed to be replaced & the fluids flushed. I approved those repairs totaling $1600. After a couple of days, I received a phone call that there are issues with the lifters & brakes which would add another week of repairs & bring the costs up to $5,500. After another week, I received a call that there was more work to be done increasing the total cost of repairs by an additional $1,000. When I finally picked the car up, I was notified that the estimates I received were miscalculations & my repair costs totaled $7,512.23. Since this ordeal, I have talked to several GMC owners with cars of a similar age & low mileage. These owners have experienced the exact same issues. Throughout my conversations, I learned there is a service bulletin out on the issue with the lifters, but no recall. The lifter issue is a serious safety hazard. I have made multiple attempts to reach someone at GM’s corporate office to try & initiate a formal recall for the lifters. No one has been able to tell me how a recall gets issued. This whole ordeal has been a massive burden, both emotionally & financially for my family. It feels as though my young children & I were put in harm’s way for a known GMC issue that could have been avoided.

NHTSA ID

11525389

Incident

Apr 22, 2023

Vehicle had lifter and valve noise Lifters and valves became stuck due to Active Fuel Management system failure Transmission shifted poorly due to this condition. Resulting in engine failure and engine replacement at my expense Total cost $12,000

NHTSA ID

11518586

Incident

Mar 13, 2023

The engine turns off when driving. This has happened at least 50 in the 2 years I've owned the vehicle. It has been serviced at Garland Shelton GMC in Temple, TX. The issue is not fixed. The battery and the negative cable have been replaced. When the engine dies none of the electrical works until I open the hood and wiggle the negative battery cable.

NHTSA ID

11477185

Incident

Aug 2, 2022

I just got my vehicle into the dealership because it's 115 degrees outside and the air conditioning stopped working. I am 8 hours away from home traveling with 6 children so I begged them to squeeze me in the same day for repair and they did. The dealership is saying it's a Crack in the air conditioning condenser and it's $1,600 to repair. This is unbelievable. 80,000 miles on it. This should be a safety concern. Sitting in stop and go traffic for hours in 115 degrees is unacceptable. GM needs to fix the problem and do their customers right.

NHTSA ID

11476555

Incident

Jul 27, 2022

Pulling out onto busy road the vehicle make a loud noise and then failed to accelerate and lost power. It was three seconds before the vehicle then slowly accelerated. This continued to happen while driving. The dealer then advised that GM was aware of this issue and has not issued a recall to date. This loss of power was dangerous.

NHTSA ID

11471256

Incident

Jun 23, 2022

The contact owns a 2015 GMC Yukon. The contact stated that while driving approximately 25 mph, the check engine warning light illuminated, and the vehicle started to vibrate abnormally. The contact had taken the vehicle to the dealer who diagnosed that the catalytic converter needed to be replaced. The vehicle had not been repaired. The manufacturer was not made aware of the issue. The approximate failure mileage was 120,058.

NHTSA ID

11422251

Incident

Jun 4, 2021

Mileage

120,058 mi

WHEN SITTING AT A LIGHT, OR STOP SIGN VEHICLE ACTS AS IF IT WANTS TO CUT OFF, CHECK ENGINE LIGHT IS FLASHING, WHEN I'M DRIVING VEHICLE THE CHECK ENGINE LIGHT STAYS LIT. I DID A SCAN OF THE VEHICLE AND THE CODE I GOT WAS P0303 WHICH IS FOR A CYLINDER 3 MISFIRE. I HAVE CHANGED OUT THE SPARK PLUGS AND WIRES, ALSO THE IGNITION COIL. I CHANGED OUT THE FUEL INJECTOR FOR CYLINDER 3 AND ALSO THE FUEL PUMP ACTUATOR. ITS STILL SHAKING, DON'T KNOW WHAT THE PROBLEM IS BUT I HOPE YOU GUYS CAN COME UP WITH WHAT I NEED TO DO NEXT. I'VE HAD TO SPEND MONEY OUT OF POCKET FOR THIS BECAUSE ITS NOT UNDER WARRANTY.

NHTSA ID

11355435

Incident

Jul 22, 2020

Mileage

165,000 mi

I CAN TURN THE STEERING WHEEL SIDE TO SIDE AND THE CAR DIES POWER GOES LOW AIR CONDITIONING FANS BLOW LESS AND GET WARNINGS ON DASH TO ROLL DOWN DRIVERS WINDOW AND THEN BACK UP

NHTSA ID

11340180

Incident

Jul 17, 2020

Mileage

70,000 mi

LIFTER ISSUES CAUSING ENGINE DAMAGE AT 80,000 MILES. *TR

NHTSA ID

11330285

Incident

Jun 20, 2020

Mileage

82,000 mi

MY YUKON HAS A LEAKING RADIATOR WHICH IS A KNOWN DEFECT NOT JUST IN YUKONS, BUT ALSO IN TAHOES, SILVERADOS, SUBURBANS AND OTHER VEHICLES. GM REFUSES TO COVER THE REPAIR FOR ALL TRUCKS, ONLY CERTAIN ONES. I'M NOT SURE WHAT THE CRITERIA THEY ARE USING IS...BUT IT IS THE SAME DEFECT AFFECTING ALL OF THE VEHICLES. *TR

NHTSA ID

11330234

Incident

Jun 15, 2020

Mileage

62,000 mi

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2015 GMC YUKON. THE CONTACT STATED THAT WHILE DRIVING AT 25 MPH, THE RPM WENT UP AND THE VEHICLE STOPPED WITHOUT WARNING. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO THE CHARLIE O' BAUGH RV LOCATED AT (382 LEE JACKSON HWY, STAUNTON, VA 24401). THE VEHICLE WAS NOT DIAGNOSED BECAUSE THE TECHNICIAN WAS UNAVAILABLE. THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOT MADE AWARE OF THE FAILURE. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT REPAIRED. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS APPROXIMATELY 95,000. THE VIN WAS NOT AVAILABLE. *TR

NHTSA ID

11317518

Incident

Feb 26, 2020

Mileage

95,000 mi

CAR WAS PARKED IN FRONT OF OUR HOUSE AND COMBUSTED IN THE MIDDLE OF THE NIGHT WHILE WE WERE SLEEPING. CAR WAS EXPLODING AND ENGULFED IN FLAMES...COMPLETELY DESTROYED VIA FIRE AND THE WORST DAMAGE WAS IN THE ENGINE COMPARTMENT. CAUSE OF THE FIRE IS UNKNOWN ALTHOUGH BASED ON RESEARCH SOUNDS LIKE NHTSA CAMPAIGN #14V007000 OR 14V152000. FIRE DEPARTMENT EXTINGUISHED THE FIRE AND POLICE WERE ON THE SCENE.

NHTSA ID

11286278

Incident

Dec 1, 2019

Mileage

72,800 mi

2015 GMC YUKON. CONSUMER WRITES IN REGARDS TO ENGINE FAILURE WHILE DRIVING. *LD *TR

NHTSA ID

11191920

Incident

Jul 1, 2018

2015 GMC YUKON SLE. CONSUMER WRITES IN REGARDS TO PRESSURE BOOMING SENSATION WHILE DRIVING VEHICLE. *LD *TR

NHTSA ID

11185191

Incident

Feb 20, 2019