2019 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 2019 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
- Engine2841.8%
- Powertrain (other)1217.9%
- Electrical811.9%
- Brakes57.5%
- Steering46.0%
- Driver assistance23.0%
- Suspension11.5%
- Body & structure11.5%
- Visibility11.5%
- Heating & air conditioning11.5%
- Fuel system11.5%
- Interior & seats11.5%
- Exterior lighting11.5%
- Seat belts11.5%
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
Engine
Reports naming the engine itself — including stalling, misfires, oil consumption, cooling and internal engine components.
From owner reports, verbatim
My wife drives this vehicle to work, it has started to experience reduced engine power driving on the highway causing her to pull to the side of the road due to no throttle to maneuver the vehicle in and out of traffic, leaving her on the side of the busy highway, we have now parked the vehicle after investigating problem there is a knocking noise coming from the lower part of the engine, after research of this 6.2l engine there are reports of the crankshaft and connecting rods seizing up and coming through the side of the engine block, knowing this we are hesitant to continue driving the vehicle. We continue to make payments on a vehicle that we can't use and can't afford to make a engine replacement at the moment. Very frustrating to say the least, as expensive as these vehicles are we have lost faith in the gm name.
I was driving home on the interstate from vacation and I was set on cruise control it was 1 am so not a lot of traffic was on the road thank god. It could have been really terrible if lots of traffic was present as the engine just died without notice! The vehicle was decelerating nothing was working I could not speed up. I was able to get over to the side of the road. I got a notification on my phone that said battery critically low start vehicle to charge battery. Well nothing would start at this point. I lot all power seconds later. I thought that the cruise control was locked up and restarting it would reset it. I called roadside assistance to get a jump and that did not work. I got towed into an auto repair shop. They called me and told me that the engine is locked up that they drained the oil and found metal in it and metal pieces in the oil filter as well. They checked for leaks and said there was none that they could find. They said there was a recall but it was for the exact same symptoms that was diagnosed here but only starting with year 2021. Mine is a 2019 Yukon Denali with low mileage so not sure if all the other Yukons were aged out or already past engine death and that’s why they were not part of this but this should be included in with the open recall considering how everything is the same that is effecting this year that I have and they should pay for a new engine! Clearly the v8 6.2 gmc engines are having major issues I’m just glad I wasn’t going that fast and traffic was slow so I was able to get over safely before catastrophic things happened since there was no warning when this all happened!
Powertrain (other)
Powertrain reports that are not specifically the engine or transmission — driveshafts, axles, transfer cases and differentials.
From owner reports, verbatim
Vehicle shudders at acceleration at times making merging onto highways and passing vehicles dangerous.
The vehicle experienced a sudden and rapid mechanical failure of the 6-speed automatic transmission (6L80 model) within a span of less than two weeks. The light did not come on until the transmission was past salvage. The failure escalated rapidly from initial minor slipping to a severe loss of vehicle propulsion. A loss of acceleration while driving poses an immediate crash hazard, as the vehicle cannot safely maintain speed with surrounding traffic or accelerate out of dangerous situations. The failure required towing and a complete out-of-pocket replacement of the transmission unit at 116,374 miles to restore safe operation. The manufacturer has failed to issue a safety recall despite widespread failures of this component causing unexpected power loss on public roadways.
Electrical
Reports naming the electrical system — wiring, battery, charging, control modules, infotainment and electrical accessories.
From owner reports, verbatim
Engine failure at 114k miles required replacement.
Driving out a town 400 miles away, with a young passenger in my car on [XXX] in rush hour traffic, i started hearing a slight ticking sound then moved into a full blown knock on my drivers side ( I recorded it). within minutes, my oil light came on and my dash notification reading "engine overheating idle" with the knocking really load. I had to cross 3 lanes to traffic quickly to get to the shoulder of the road, which was NOT a safe place. I smelled smoke and cut the the engine off. I popped the hood to see that there was now no coolant (that is all I knew to look for). I immediately called OnStar Roadside assistance. 2 hours later, I was towed to a local hotel room. Car completely dead. not lights, couldn't lock it, nothing. I had to pay a large fee (almost $2k) to have my car towed back to NC from AL not to mention having rent a rental car to get us home. the car is now at a GMC dealership in Monroe NC. of course the Powertrain extended warranty doesn't cover the Battery replacement, belt replacement and water pump replacement so now I'm out of pocket $1300 just to get those install to be able to try and start the engine to further diagnose if my I have complete engine failure AND without transportation. INFORMATION REDACTED PURSUANT TO THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT (FOIA), 5 U.S.C. 552(B)(6)
Brakes
Reports naming service brakes, the antilock braking system, brake hoses, master cylinders or the parking brake.
From owner reports, verbatim
Automatic emergency braking system deployed unexpectedly on acceleration from a traffic light stop. Vehicle was about 10-15 MPH and system operated with no brake pedal input. A vehicle behind had to do a panic stop to avoid collision. Deployment disengaged when accelerator pedal was released. My wife, principal driver, was in the car. She advised this had occurred two times before. No recalls are presently listed for the vehicle.
I JUST PURCHASED THIS 2019 GMC YUKON DENALI. ABOUT 3 WEEKS AFTER; THE MESSAGE "SERVICE TRAILER BRAKE SYSTEM" STARTED BEEPING...DIDN'T REALLY PAY BOTHER ME AT 1ST SINCE I WEREN'T PLANNING TO PULL ANYTHING. THEN IT STARTED DOING IT MORE FREQUENTLY. NOW IT IS CONSTANTLY DOING IT EVERY FEW DAYS. CAN'T SEEM TO GET IT TO STOP. VERY ANNOYING... ANY SUGGESTIONS?
Too few reports in this category for a page of its own — they appear in the full complaint list.
Steering
Reports naming the steering system — racks, columns, power-steering assist and steering linkage.
From owner reports, verbatim
the steering gear box became disassemble, steering wheel when to twelve o'clock, gears in steering gear box jump gear insurance inspector said a bolt back out,there was 439 recall for steering box recall in 2019 the part number changed several times with multiple bullets for same part.
LOSS OF POWER STEERING, LOSS OF ELECTRONIC STABILITY CONTROL, LOSS OF ALL TRANSMISSION GEARS FORWARD AND REVERSE, LOSS OF AUTOMATIC HEADLIGHT CONTROL, LOSS OF INSTRUMENT CLUSTER GAUGES INCLUDING TACHOMETER, ENGINE OIL PRESSURE, AND ENGINE COOLANT TEMPERATURE, LOSS OF HEATED SEAT FUNCTIONALITY, LOSS OF HEATING, VENTILATION, AIR CONDITIONING, AND LOSS OF INFOTAINMENT/STEREO SYSTEM. THIS PROBLEM HAS OCCURRED ON TWO OCCASIONS NOW, THE FIRST ON 01/13/2020 AND THEN AGAIN ON 02/20/2020. THE VEHICLE WAS TOWED IN TO THE DEALER ON 01/13/2020 AND WAS ALSO TRANSPORTED TO THE SAME DEALERSHIP AGAIN ON 02/20/2020. A TSB WAS PERFORMED BY THE DEALERSHIP WHEN IT WAS TOWED IN THE FIRST TIME THAT OBVIOUSLY DID NOT FIX THE ROOT CAUSE OF THIS PROBLEM. NORMALLY THE PROBLEM WILL GO AWAY AFTER A PERIOD OF TIME AND THEN THE DEALERSHIP CLAIMS THAT THEY WERE NOT ABLE TO REPRODUCE THE CUSTOMER'S COMPLAINT. I DO HAVE VIDEO FOOTAGE OF THE ISSUES I EXPERIENCED ON TWO OCCASION AS PROOF.
Too few reports in this category for a page of its own — they appear in the full complaint list.
Driver assistance
Reports naming forward-collision avoidance, lane keeping, back-over prevention, cruise control and related electronic driver-assistance systems.
From owner reports, verbatim
Automatic emergency braking system deployed unexpectedly on acceleration from a traffic light stop. Vehicle was about 10-15 MPH and system operated with no brake pedal input. A vehicle behind had to do a panic stop to avoid collision. Deployment disengaged when accelerator pedal was released. My wife, principal driver, was in the car. She advised this had occurred two times before. No recalls are presently listed for the vehicle.
LOSS OF POWER STEERING, LOSS OF ELECTRONIC STABILITY CONTROL, LOSS OF ALL TRANSMISSION GEARS FORWARD AND REVERSE, LOSS OF AUTOMATIC HEADLIGHT CONTROL, LOSS OF INSTRUMENT CLUSTER GAUGES INCLUDING TACHOMETER, ENGINE OIL PRESSURE, AND ENGINE COOLANT TEMPERATURE, LOSS OF HEATED SEAT FUNCTIONALITY, LOSS OF HEATING, VENTILATION, AIR CONDITIONING, AND LOSS OF INFOTAINMENT/STEREO SYSTEM. THIS PROBLEM HAS OCCURRED ON TWO OCCASIONS NOW, THE FIRST ON 01/13/2020 AND THEN AGAIN ON 02/20/2020. THE VEHICLE WAS TOWED IN TO THE DEALER ON 01/13/2020 AND WAS ALSO TRANSPORTED TO THE SAME DEALERSHIP AGAIN ON 02/20/2020. A TSB WAS PERFORMED BY THE DEALERSHIP WHEN IT WAS TOWED IN THE FIRST TIME THAT OBVIOUSLY DID NOT FIX THE ROOT CAUSE OF THIS PROBLEM. NORMALLY THE PROBLEM WILL GO AWAY AFTER A PERIOD OF TIME AND THEN THE DEALERSHIP CLAIMS THAT THEY WERE NOT ABLE TO REPRODUCE THE CUSTOMER'S COMPLAINT. I DO HAVE VIDEO FOOTAGE OF THE ISSUES I EXPERIENCED ON TWO OCCASION AS PROOF.
Too few reports in this category for a page of its own — they appear in the full complaint list.
Suspension
Reports naming suspension components — springs, struts, shocks, control arms and related hardware.
From owner reports, verbatim
Rear shocks are frozen (seized) Makes the vehicle hard to control on bumpy surfaces.
Too few reports in this category for a page of its own — they appear in the full complaint list.
Body & structure
Reports naming the vehicle structure, frame, body panels, doors, hood and trim.
From owner reports, verbatim
VEHICLE STATIONARY IN CAR WASH AND WHILE MANUALLY USING HANDHELD AT FRONT OF VEHICLE TOWARDS VEHICLE GRILL, BACK OF VEHICLE OPENED/LIFTED. HAS NOW HAPPENED MULTIPLE TIMES AND DEALER HAS MADE NO REPAIR, BUT DISCONNECTED EXTERIOR SENSOR AT GATE (WHERE YOU KICK UNDER VEHICLE TO RELEASE GATE FOR LIFT/OPEN) IN EFFORT TO ELIMINATE THAT IF INSTANCE RECURS. CONCERN IS FOR SAFETY IF DRIVING IN RAIN AND BACK OPENS/LIFTS WHILE OPERATING ON HIGHWAYS/ROADS. OWNER IS FORMER SHERIFF'S DEPUTY KN KANKAKEE COUNTY.
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
AIR CONDITIONER BLOWING OUT HOT AIR.
Too few reports in this category for a page of its own — they appear in the full complaint list.
Heating & air conditioning
Reports naming the heating, ventilation and air-conditioning system.
From owner reports, verbatim
AIR CONDITIONER BLOWING OUT HOT AIR.
Too few reports in this category for a page of its own — they appear in the full complaint list.
Fuel system
Reports naming fuel storage or delivery — tanks, pumps, lines, injectors and fuel leaks.
From owner reports, verbatim
Engine failure at 114k miles required replacement.
Too few reports in this category for a page of its own — they appear in the full complaint list.
Interior & seats
Reports naming seats, latches, locks, linkages and interior fittings.
From owner reports, verbatim
The contact owns a 2019 GMC Yukon. The contact stated that the third-row seats electrically controlled failed to function as needed. The contact stated that that the seats failed to move forward or backwards. The contact had taken the vehicle to a local dealer, where it was diagnosed and determined that the third-row seat unit needed to be replaced. The vehicle had not been repaired. The manufacturer had not been informed of the failure. The contact researched online and related the failure TSB: PIT5550C (Left Side Third Row Seat will not Power Fold/Unfold Seats, Electrical System). The failure mileage was approximately 34,000.
Too few reports in this category for a page of its own — they appear in the full complaint list.
Exterior lighting
Reports naming headlights, tail lights, turn signals and other exterior lighting.
From owner reports, verbatim
Tailights are not working as per the dealer (Thompsons GMC of Placerville, CA). Unable to drive the car at night or near sunset.
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 seatbelt on the second row driver side captain chair no longer works. It started not retracting about a year ago and now it won’t retract or pull out so it is stuck and cannot be used. The $85k Yukon is only five years old, seat belts should last longer than that. GMC wants us to pay $500 to fix a safety concern seat belt. I would understand if the vehicle was 10+ years old but we are still less than 100k miles and we just hit 5 years.
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 .