The contact owns a 2015 GMC Yukon XL. The contact stated that while driving 70 MPH and exiting the highway, the brake pedal was depressed but the brake pedal was stiff and stuck, requiring that the transmission be shifted to neutral(N), and to stand on the brake pedal with both feet. The contact continuously pumped the brake pedal, but the vehicle slowly responded and almost crashed into other vehicles. There was no warning light illuminated. The contact's wife and daughter were also inside the vehicle during the failure and were frightened and concerned for their safety during the failure. The dealer was contacted and was provided a description of the failure over the phone. The dealer informed the contact that the vacuum pump and an unknown part had possibly failed. The contact was advised that the failure was possibly related to the federal safety agency Campaign Number: 19V645000 (Service Brakes, Hydraulic); however, the VIN was not included in the recall, and there was no warranty coverage on the vehicle for the failure. Additionally, the check engine warning light was illuminated. The vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired due to the cost. The manufacturer was notified of the failure and referred the contact to the federal safety agency Hotline for assistance. The failure mileage was approximately 143,000.
2015 GMC Yukon XL brakes problems
64 complaints (21% of all complaints for this car). Typical mileage when it fails: 72,000. 5 crashes reported.
- owner complaints
- 64
- of this car's complaints
- 21%
- typical mileage
- 72,000
- crashes
- 5
- recalls
- 0
Which part fails
Owners did not name a specific part.
At what mileage
Complaints by mileage at the time of the problem.
GMC Yukon XL brakes problems in other years
Specific symptoms reported on the 2015 GMC Yukon XL brakes
Phrases found in the owners' own descriptions, so one complaint can mention several symptoms.
Related recalls
No recalls on record for this model year.
Related investigations
Brake Vacuum Pump Failure
On November 20, 2018, the Office of Defects Investigations (ODI) opened PE18-012 to investigate instances of sudden onset of a hard brake pedal that could result in extended stopping distance due to an issue with the brake assist vacuum pump in model year (MY) 2014 through 2016 GMC Sierra 1500 and Chevrolet Silverado 1500 series pickup trucks and MY 2015 through 2016 Cadillac Escalade, Chevrolet Suburban, Chevrolet Tahoe, and GMC Yukon SUVs.If the brake assist vacuum pump fails to operate as intended, the amount of brake power assist supplied to the driver can be significantly reduced, extending the subject vehicle stopping distance. GM stated that the root cause of pump failures was due to foreign debris such as oil sludge in the engine oil. GM stated that this debris can become trapped by the oil inlet filter screen. Under normal operation, this screen allows a small amount of oil into the brake vacuum pump. The foreign debris can, over time, clog the pump which can cause a loss of lubrication and a reduction in the amount of vacuum produced leading to a hard pedal and extended stopping distance.On December 13, 2018, GM issued a Special Coverage (N182202780) for the brake vacuum pump issue in MY 2014-2017 trucks and 2015-2017 SUVs on the K2XX platform for 6 years or 72,000 miles. Special Coverage repair includes the replacement of the vacuum pump and vacuum pump belt. Consumers received notification of the coverage via mail. On September 6, 2019, GM notified the federal safety agency that it was conducting safety recall 19V‑645 which reprograms the electronic brake control module (EBCM) and included approximately 3.5 million trucks and SUVs. In October 2019, GM extended the terms of special coverage N182202780 to 10 years or 150,000 miles as well as now including the entire scope of recall 19V‑645. In October 2020, GM expanded the scope of coverage N182202780 to include the MY 2018 Escalade and 2019 Tahoe.The remedy implemented in GM recall 19V‑645 appears to be sufficient in addressing the safety-related concerns of this issue. Loss of vacuum assist now occurs at a progressive rate as well as there being a more timely warning of a brake problem to the driver through the driver information center (DIC). In view of the recall action and revision to the special coverage, this Preliminary Evaluation is closed. The agency reserves the right to take additional action if warranted by new circumstances. The ODI reports cited above are available for review online at under the identification numbers in the attached document.
PE18012
What 2015 GMC Yukon XL owners say
Most recent owner complaints, unedited.
Service Box appears indicating - "Trailer Brake System" with a loud BING, BING, BING Alert sound. It continues every few minutes... Please note: we aren't using a trailer... I have googled/youtube it and found that this is an issue with many owners. They indicate that the wire harness in between two of the body control modules is defective. It is known to have faulty wire connection. This is intermittent, goes for months and stops for months, and then starts up again. Starting the vehicle, while driving slow or fast, it doesn't matter.
I purchased a 2015 GMC Yukon in March 2024 I drive the vehicle 9 mons, 7500 miles the vehicle has been in service at my local dealership since Dec 13, 2024, for engine and transmission replacement, I have had the vehicle back 3 weeks not the warning light and service warning chime for the "Service Trailer Brake System is on, I have not ever use a trailer with the vehicle, I was told the vehicle needs a wire harness, I have read this a problem in these vehicles that has not been addressed GMC with a recall, I have put A LOT of money in the vehicle. This is an well documented failure in the trailer brake system that GM should repair at no cost to the consumer
Brake vacuum pump faulty again.
This is a complaint for my vehicle Gmc2015 Yukon. My Truck brake system(vacuum pump is defective). my large truck is a safety hazard on highway and street . when i attempted to park while depressing my brake pedal it instantly before very hard to press to stop my truck. i have to apply lot of force to my foot inorder to stop vehicle. my mechanic inspected vehicle and it show a bad (defective vacuum pump) . base on former complaints about this same problem (2019 NHSTA campaign number 19v645000 ) it show and state the exact problem with my vehicle. this problem started early last year. Also, when driving on highway and slows down,the brake vacuum pump and brake pedal locks up (very difficult to stop something). this happens intermitting times. very scary trying to stop from crashing into cars in front of me sometime.
There has always been break problems with this vehicle. Some recalls have been done. Now there is a new problem, I took it to the dealership. There is a special coverage to fix this issue. GM denied to fix it because the special coverage expired on 06/06/2024. But the vehicle is under the miles and the problem just started.
My power vacuum brakes system is not properly working. In order to stop truck I must depress brake pedal very hard just to stop truck. Crunching noise every time. Made several trip to mechanic . I changed many part ( brakes) rotors , still and brake vacuum sensor ( purchase from gmc dealer . Still have this problem. Mechanic states, need new vacuum pump. Very dangerous to drive. Very difficult to stop . Please investigate this VIN for common complaints.
Defective wire harness between 2 body control modules, causing alarm to go off repeatedly "Service Trailer Brake System" and also "Stabilitrack" will come on randomly and lock my brakes up and all of the features in my dash. This has been very scary to drive and has brought the vehicle close to collision more than a handful of times now.
I keep getting a warning on my display on dash about my trailer brake system is not working. Also my temperature gauge stops working and I have to take off negative cable on battery to reset it. Temperature control sensor has been replaced but the problem still continues to happen.
On several occasions, have noticed the brakes failed to operate properly when vehicle is at low speed. The pedal becomes extremely hard to push and there is almost no braking power. This has occurred in stop and go traffic and nearly caused an accident.
Questions about the 2015 GMC Yukon XL brakes
Does the 2015 GMC Yukon XL have brakes problems?
Owners have filed 64 complaints about the brakes of the 2015 GMC Yukon XL, 21% of all its complaints.
At what mileage do 2015 GMC Yukon XL brakes problems start?
The typical (median) mileage in owner complaints is 72,000 miles.
Was there a recall on the 2015 GMC Yukon XL brakes?
There is no recall for this problem on this model year.
What year does the GMC Yukon XL have bad brakes?
The GMC Yukon XL model years with the most brakes complaints are 2001 (70 complaints), 2015 (64 complaints) and 2016 (41 complaints).
Other 2015 GMC Yukon XL problems
Lights 140Electrical 58Transmission 35Engine 28Body 12Steering 11Fuel system 8Driver assistance 6Suspension 5Acceleration 3Tires 3Wheels 3Visibility 2Airbags 1Seats 1
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