2015 GMC Yukon Problems
Owner-reported complaints filed with NHTSA, grouped by component
Data refreshed
What this page shows
Everything below is an owner-reported complaint submitted to NHTSA about the 2015 GMC Yukon, 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
- Exterior lighting26341.2%
- Brakes9514.9%
- Electrical7912.4%
- Powertrain (other)467.2%
- Steering345.3%
- Engine335.2%
- Driver assistance152.4%
- Body & structure142.2%
- Fuel system132.0%
- Suspension121.9%
- Interior & seats71.1%
- Seat belts71.1%
- Visibility60.9%
- Other / unspecified60.9%
- Airbags60.9%
- Tires & wheels20.3%
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
Exterior lighting
Reports naming headlights, tail lights, turn signals and other exterior lighting.
From owner reports, verbatim
Rear tail lights go out intermittently caused by a defect in the vehicle manufacturer’s process in which the circuit board is broken in certain areas.
The contact owns a 2015 GMC Yukon. The contact stated that while depressing the brake pedal, added pressure was needed before the vehicle came to a stop. The contact stated that the vehicle hesitated or jumped before coming to a stop. Additionally, the contact stated the transmission was slipping. The contact stated that while driving at various speeds, the vehicle stalled before self-correcting. The contact also stated that while idling at a stop light and attempting to accelerate, the vehicle hesitated, but gradually accelerated as needed. The contact stated that the rear taillight intermittently failed to illuminate. The contact stated that the check engine warning light was illuminated. The transmission fluid was flushed; however, the failure recurred. The vehicle was taken to the dealer who diagnosed the vehicle and determined that the transmission was fractured, and the light bulbs needed to be replaced. The transmission was not repaired or replaced. The headlights were not replaced. The dealer confirmed that the brakes were included in NHTSA Campaign Number 19V645000 (Service Brake, Hydraulic) and the vehicle was repaired; however, the failure persisted. The vehicle was driven to the residence without further repairs. The contact stated that the vehicle had become inoperable. The manufacturer was not informed of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 195,846.
Brakes
Reports naming service brakes, the antilock braking system, brake hoses, master cylinders or the parking brake.
From owner reports, verbatim
My 6 year old son and I were coming down the road and came up on 2 deer and I was coming up on a sharp curve and when I hit my brakes my steering wheel LOCKED up completely and the steering wheel is so bent where I tried my best to control it but I failed and we hit a tree head on. Broke my nose and my sons leg broke in between the back seat air bag and door air bag
The contact owns a 2015 GMC Yukon. The contact stated that while driving at 40 MPH, the rear brakes became inoperable, causing the steering wheel to seize, with no warning lights illuminated. Due to the failure, the vehicle crashed into a tree. The contact and the contact’s child sustained injuries and were transported to a local emergency room for medical treatment. The contact suffered a broken nose and a chest fracture. The contact’s child sustained a broken leg due to deployment of the passenger-side air bag. The contact stated that the air bags deployed during the crash; however, the driver’s air bag failed to deploy. A police report was filed. The vehicle was towed to the contact’s residence. The dealer was not contacted. The vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired. The manufacturer was made aware of the failure. The failure mileage was not available.
Electrical
Reports naming the electrical system — wiring, battery, charging, control modules, infotainment and electrical accessories.
From owner reports, verbatim
1) Wiring harness to the wireless charging pad on the center console that is wired through the door hinge. Shorts out when opening or closing center console. 2) Caused a fire that led to smoke and melted components inside center console hinge. Caused smoke and awful plastic burning smell while my kids and I were parked. I had just started the vehicle. My two kids and I had to jump and run from the vehicle. 3) No, but by many forums that dealers and mechanics are aware of this issue and charges you hundreds to fix it when it is MANUFACTURE ERROR. 4) This vehicle has been inspected many times. By all the other inspection laws Missouri has in place. How has it gotten passed many times with this known issue? 5)NO! This put mine and my kids life at risk. It is a known and wide issue yet no one takes this seriously. As it just affected me and my two children, I hope this is taken seriously. Hold manufactures responsible and dealers for selling vehicles with these known issues. Protect people.
Air intake stayed on after shutting vehicle off and locked. It seemed it was in auto start mode from the key fob. Now it is hesitating to go and struggling to switch gears. Local mechanic is unable to pinpoint issue. Will bring to GMC dealership next. The rear camera intermittently works. If you open and close it sometimes it will fix it. USB ports intermittently work. Both taillights had to be replaced due to intermittently going out. Both front heated seats only work on top.
Powertrain (other)
Powertrain reports that are not specifically the engine or transmission — driveshafts, axles, transfer cases and differentials.
From owner reports, verbatim
The contact owns a 2015 GMC Yukon. The contact stated that while in reverse(R), the vehicle jerked while depressing the accelerator pedal. There was no warning light illuminated. The contact became aware of fluid spots on the driveway while the vehicle was parked. The vehicle was taken to an independent mechanic who discovered a leak in the transmission oil cooler line. The dealer then informed the contact about NHTSA Campaign Number: 14V152000 (Power Train); however, the VIN was not included in the recall. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was notified of the failure and transferred the contact to the NHTSA Hotline to report the failure. The failure mileage was unknown.
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.
Steering
Reports naming the steering system — racks, columns, power-steering assist and steering linkage.
From owner reports, verbatim
My 6 year old son and I were coming down the road and came up on 2 deer and I was coming up on a sharp curve and when I hit my brakes my steering wheel LOCKED up completely and the steering wheel is so bent where I tried my best to control it but I failed and we hit a tree head on. Broke my nose and my sons leg broke in between the back seat air bag and door air bag
Electric Power Steering (EPS) assist was lost while I was driving the vehicle. As a result, I had difficulty steering the vehicle without power steering and almost caused a crash.
Engine
Reports naming the engine itself — including stalling, misfires, oil consumption, cooling and internal engine components.
From owner reports, verbatim
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.
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
Driver assistance
Reports naming forward-collision avoidance, lane keeping, back-over prevention, cruise control and related electronic driver-assistance systems.
From owner reports, verbatim
While driving in downtown boston in heavy traffic (stop and go) braking did not stop the vehicle when removing my foot from the brake and reapplying and the braking was extremely hard, the vehicle nearly collided into the vehicles in front of me. This issue persisted continously for the duration of travel. The issue was not found using the vin provided. This issue MUST be resolved ASAP. This incident was not the first, after owning the vehicle for several months this issue is a major safety issues, specifically when my new young adult drivers use this vehicle. Please help me resolve.
Steering jerks sometimes transmission would not go into gear just raves up and then there’s times when it drive normal transmission bangs shifts hard stutters late shift driver assist blocked
Body & structure
Reports naming the vehicle structure, frame, body panels, doors, hood and trim.
From owner reports, verbatim
LIFT GATE IS HAVING TROUBLE OPENING
WHILE DRIVING APPROXIMATELY 60 MPH ON A DESERTED FLAT STRETCH OF ROAD SURROUNDED BY FARMLAND, MY SUNROOF SUDDENLY EXPLODED. THE SCREEN WAS OPEN TO PROVIDE LIGHT BUT THE GLASS WAS SHUT. NO OTHER CARS WERE NEARBY NOR WERE ANY HILLS WHERE A ROCK COULD FLY FROM. IT WAS JUST SUDDEN. IT SOUNDED LIKE A LOUD EXPLOSION AND SUDDENLY GLASS WAS FLYING ALL OVER THE CAR. FORTUNATELY, I DIDN'T CRASH THE CAR. MYSELF AND MY SON WHO WAS IN THE PASSENGER SEAT, WE WERE BOTH COVERED IN GLASS. *TR
Fuel system
Reports naming fuel storage or delivery — tanks, pumps, lines, injectors and fuel leaks.
From owner reports, verbatim
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 $16,000. General Motors has a well-documented history of internal engine failures on these 6.2L V8 platforms, yet they have failed to issue a safety recall for vehicles experiencing this sudden, dangerous highway power loss.
Truck loss power turning off while making a turn into driveway with incoming traffic. Happen on several occasions. Diagnostic at dealership states high pressure fuel pump is leaking fuel internal making it run rich. NHTSA states this model truck has had previous recall.
Suspension
Reports naming suspension components — springs, struts, shocks, control arms and related hardware.
From owner reports, verbatim
UPPER ARM CONTROL SCREW LOOSENED UP. Drilled hole on axle.
Break like when out and only solution iam being given is to replace the whole housing at 800$ and it seems this a faulty component.
Interior & seats
Reports naming seats, latches, locks, linkages and interior fittings.
From owner reports, verbatim
THE A/C HAS QUICK WORKING. WE TOOK IT IN TO GET FIXED, THEY COULD FIND NOTHING WRONG EXCEPT LOW ON FREON. REPLACED AND IT IS GONE (HAS DYE IN IT & NO DETECTION WHERE IT HAS GONE). I DIDN'T DRIVE THIS CAR FOR 6 MOS. BECAUSE OF THIS (TOO HOT). I CAN'T AFFORD TO FIX EVERYTHING THAT IS GOING WRONG ON THIS CAR. SAME DAY A/C WENT OUT, THE HEAT SYSTEM WENT OUT ON THE DRIVER'S SIDE SEAT. JUST BLOWS COLD AIR! THIS IS RIDICULOUS! THE SUSPENSION IS NOW SLAMMING HARD AND SUPER LOUD (ESPECIALLY WHEN IT IS COOL/COLD OUT). I AM GLAD THEY ARE FINALLY FIXING THE BRAKE ISSUE BUT REALLY? ALL THIS OTHER BS ON THIS EXPENSIVE CAR? THE DAY WE GOT BACK FROM SHOP FOR THE A/C, THE DRIVER SIDE BRAKE LIGHT WAS OUT. OMG!! TALK ABOUT EXPENSIVE TO REPAIR!! 650-800 FOR JUST THE LIGHT ASSEMBLY THROUGH GMC AND THAT IS RECONDITIONED PARTS! WHY WOULD WE PUT MORE CRAP PARTS IN? WAITED ANOTHER 2 MOS TO SAVE MONEY TO GO TO AN AFTERMARKET PERSON TO FIX THIS. JUST WAITING ON THE OTHER SIDE TO GO OUT! LIGHTS GO OUT ALL THE TIME, WHY WOULD YOU MAKE THEM WHERE THEY ARE NOT AFFORDABLE? WE BABY OUR CAR, PARK AWAY FROM EVERYONE AND YET IT IS FALLING APART DUE TO THE CRAPPY PRODUCTS THAT GM USED TO MANUFACTURE IT. ALL THESE PROBLEMS HAPPENED (EXCEPT THE BRAKING ISSUE AND THE SUSPENSION) WHEN I WENT TO START THE CAR AND I NOTICED IT. THE SUSPENSION IS WHEN I AM DRIVING AND THE ROAD CAN JUST HAVE A 'WAVE" IN IT. IF THERE IS ANY SORT OF BOUNCE, THIS CAR WILL BOTTOM OUT AND IS SUPER LOUD.THE AIR STARTED 3/28/19 AND ALL HAS FOLLOWED. WE BOUGHT IT USED WITH 74K-ISH ON IT. HAVE ONLY HAD IT SINCE LAST JULY, 2018
VEHICLE VIBRATES DURING DRIVING SPEEDS ABOVE 35 MPH. HAD TIRED ROTATED AND BALANCED, STILL VIBRATED, REPLACED TIRES AND RECEIVED 4 WHEEL ALIGNMENT, STILL SHAKES BAD. WHEN TRAVELING AT SPEEDS ABOVE 35, SEATS STARTS TO SHAKE AS IF YOU ARE TRAVELING OVER A BAD BUMPY ROAD. THIS OCCURS BOTH ON CITY STREETS AND HIGHWAYS.
Too few reports in this category for a page of its own — they appear in the full complaint list.
Seat belts
Reports naming seat belts, buckles, retractors and pretensioners.
From owner reports, verbatim
The bolt connecting the lapbelt to the frame fell out as my adult daughter was buckled in the seat.
The contact owns a Recaro car seat, Model Type: Young Sport Hero, Model Number: N/A, Manufactured Date: N/A. The car seat was being utilized in a 2015 GMC Yukon. The contact stated that her child was able to climb out of his car seat since there was no clasp on the harness to restrain him. The contact had to use the vehicle’s seat belt to restrain the child securely. The manufacturer was made aware of the failure and advised the contact to not let her child climb out of his safety seat. The car seat was not repaired or replaced.
Too few reports in this category for a page of its own — they appear in the full complaint list.
Visibility
Reports naming windshields, glass, wipers, defrosters and mirrors.
From owner reports, verbatim
TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2015 GMC YUKON. THE CONTACT STATED THAT THE VENT CONTROL FUNCTION SUDDENLY FAILED TO WORK, WHICH PREVENTED THE AIR CONDITIONING AND HEAT FROM WORKING. THE DEALER (SUNRISE BUICK GMC CHEVROLET AT COLLIERVILLE, 4605 S HOUSTON LEVEE RD, COLLIERVILLE, TN 38017, (888) 484-2878) INSPECTED THE VEHICLE AND STATED THAT THE CONDENSER FAILED AND THE PART WAS ON A NATIONAL BACKORDER. THE DEALER STATED THAT THE CONDENSER WAS ENGINEERED INCORRECTLY AND SHOOK AND RATTLED, WHICH CAUSED A CRACK THAT SPLIT THE CONDENSER. THE CONTACT STATED THAT THE MANUFACTURER ONLY PROVIDED A WARRANTY EXTENSION FROM 36,000 TO 60,000 MILES, BUT HAD NOT ISSUED A RECALL TO PROVIDE A REMEDY. THE CONTACT CORRESPONDED WITH THE MANUFACTURER BY EMAIL AND PHONE AND WAS INFORMED THAT THEY WOULD PROVIDE A FOLLOW-UP RESPONSE. THE CONTACT HAD BEEN WAITING FOR A RESPONSE FOR MONTHS. THE APPROXIMATE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 70,000.
WINDOW APPLIQUS ON BOTH SIDES OF VEHICLE BECAME LOOSE AND WERE FLAPPING WHILE DRIVING. THIS WAS CONCURRENT WITH A VERY NOISY CABIN, LIKENED TO THE SOUND OF A WINDOW BEING OPEN WHILE TRAVELING AT HIGHWAY SPEEDS. THESE APPLIQUES WERE PREVIOUSLY REPLACED BY DEALER AFTER INCIDENTALLY BEING FOUND LOOSE. THE NOISY ENVIRONMENT IN CABIN IS VERY LOUD AND DISTRACTING, CAUSING DRIVER AND PASSENGERS TO GET HEADACHES AND CAUSING DRIVER TO BECOME DISTRACTED. *TR
Too few reports in this category for a page of its own — they appear in the full complaint list.
Other / unspecified
Reports whose component NHTSA recorded as unknown, or that do not map to one of the categories above.
From owner reports, verbatim
On, 9/27/23, I took my son to daycare around 9 am and went to Norfolk, NE for the day. I ran errands and had an appointment which my car sat in the sun for 1.5 hours at one time. Between stores we turned the air on as I had my oldest child with me. We came home to West Point, NE and picked up my other children about 4 pm. All car seat buckles were in normal working condition. I parked my car back in our attached garage on the East side of our house. Around 7:30 am on 9/28/23, I attempted to buckle my son again and noticed the male end of the chest clip was severely bent as if it had melted. My car has tinted windows in the second row where the car seat is located. The car sat in the sun, but not directly on the carseat, for the 1.5 hours while we were at the appointment. The car seat may have had direct sunlight while we were eating lunch which was no longer than 30 minutes. The car was again in the sun for another 2 hours but the carseat was not in direct sunlight during that time. Luckily, I had a spare carseat and was able to discontinue use of the car seat with the melted chest clip. I would not have been able to buckle the chest clip in the condition it was in on 9/28/23 ensuring the shoulder straps would be in the correct position on my child. The car seat has not been inspected by anyone other than myself.
ONSTAR/ GPS ANTENNA ELECTRICAL SHORT AND CORROSION. SEAL ON ANTENNA COVER INCORRECTLY INSTALLED/ DEFECTIVE. *TR
Too few reports in this category for a page of its own — they appear in the full complaint list.
Airbags
Reports naming the air-bag system — deployment behaviour, inflators, sensors and warning lights.
From owner reports, verbatim
My 6 year old son and I were coming down the road and came up on 2 deer and I was coming up on a sharp curve and when I hit my brakes my steering wheel LOCKED up completely and the steering wheel is so bent where I tried my best to control it but I failed and we hit a tree head on. Broke my nose and my sons leg broke in between the back seat air bag and door air bag
The contact owns a 2015 GMC Yukon. The contact stated that while driving at 40 MPH, the rear brakes became inoperable, causing the steering wheel to seize, with no warning lights illuminated. Due to the failure, the vehicle crashed into a tree. The contact and the contact’s child sustained injuries and were transported to a local emergency room for medical treatment. The contact suffered a broken nose and a chest fracture. The contact’s child sustained a broken leg due to deployment of the passenger-side air bag. The contact stated that the air bags deployed during the crash; however, the driver’s air bag failed to deploy. A police report was filed. The vehicle was towed to the contact’s residence. The dealer was not contacted. The vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired. The manufacturer was made aware of the failure. The failure mileage was not available.
Too few reports in this category for a page of its own — they appear in the full complaint list.
Tires & wheels
Reports naming tires, wheels, hubs, or the tire-pressure monitoring system.
From owner reports, verbatim
2015 GMC YUKON. CONSUMER WRITES IN REGARDS TO BAD TIRE VIBRATION WHEN DRIVING AT CERTAIN SPEEDS. *LD THE CONSUMER STATED THE TIRES ON HIS SUV DO NOT QUALIFY UNDER THE RECALL, BECAUSE OF THE YEAR THEY WERE MANUFACTURED. *JB
TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2015 GMC YUKON EQUIPPED WITH CONTINENTAL CROSSCONTACT LX20 TIRES, SIZE: P275/55R20 111S. AFTER THE CONTACT RECEIVED A SAFETY RECALL NOTICE FOR NHTSA CAMPAIGN NUMBER: 16T016000 (TIRES), THE CONTACT INSPECTED THE TIRES AND FOUND EXCESSIVE TREAD WEAR, VIBRATIONS, AND NOISE FROM ONE OF THE TIRES. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO THE DEALER WHERE IT WAS DETERMINED THAT THE VEHICLE WAS EXCLUDED FROM NHTSA CAMPAIGN NUMBER: 16T016000 (TIRES). THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOT NOTIFIED OF THE FAILURE. THE VEHICLE AND TIRE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 38,000.
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
- NHTSA Office of Defects Investigation — owner-reported complaints and the components recorded on them
Data on this page last refreshed .