2023 GMC Yukon XL: sudden loss of power

Filed Oct 3, 2026 · Engine · OH

Driving when vehicle locked up, engine stopped, lost all power steering and ability to control. Ended up stranded in the middle of the road unable to move it out of roadway

Filed Aug 26, 2026 · Engine · VA

I am reporting a severe, recurring, and life-threatening manufacturing defect involving a sudden, catastrophic loss of motive power at highway speeds on the interstate. This vehicle has suffered two identical valvetrain failures that placed my passengers and nearby motorists in extreme danger. Incident 1 (Approx. 40,000 miles): While traveling at high speed on the interstate, the vehicle violently shook, all engine warning lights flashed, and the engine suffered an immediate, near-total loss of propulsion. The vehicle was towed to an authorized GMC dealership, where technicians diagnosed a collapsed Dynamic Fuel Management (DFM) hydraulic lifter in Cylinder 3. The lifter bank was replaced under the factory powertrain warranty. Incident 2 (Approx. 77,000 miles): While driving at high speed on the interstate, the exact same vehicle behavior occurred. The engine suffered a sudden, total loss of power, and all dashboard warning lights illuminated simultaneously. Out of absolute necessity and to avoid a catastrophic high-speed collision on a dangerous stretch of highway, the severely crippled vehicle had to be forced through active interstate traffic without proper engine power all the way to my home. The vehicle has since been inspected by a GMC dealership, which has confirmed that the exact same Cylinder 3 lifter has failed a second time. The dealership and the GMC Regional Service Manager are currently refusing to honor the 24-month dealer-installed service parts warranty, demanding an out-of-pocket deposit of $5,000, and denying alternative transportation. GM's failure to permanently remediate this known, systemic valvetrain defect has twice left me navigating a failing vehicle through high-speed highway traffic, heavily compounding the safety risk.

Filed Jul 14, 2026 · Electrical, Engine · VA

While driving about 70 mph in the express lanes, the vehicle suddenly lost power and drifted like it went into neutral. There were no warning symbols. The vehicle could not restart even while coasting. After stopping, it locked itself in park and would not shift out of park. My family and I were trapped on the express lanes for over an hour in a dangerous location. The vehicle stayed stuck in park even on the tow truck. The dealer confirmed metal in the oil filter, a blown main fuse, and knocking when starting. The recall inspection and remedy were already done, but the failure still happened. The vehicle is undriveable and the required recall repair cannot be completed because the replacement engine is on backorder with no ETA.

Filed Jun 10, 2026 · Engine · IA

lost power going down highway and coasted to a stop on the side of the road. car was towed to a nearby gmc dealership and after inspection a new 6.2 motor is needed. I did not notice any warning signals when I lost power.

Filed Apr 17, 2026 · Engine · VA

on 2/28/26 i experienced complete engine failure on my 23 Yukon. I was going 70mph on the highway when the engine kicked and and kicked into neutral. the car spent 6 weeks in the dealer to have the engine replaced. i picked up the car on Wednesday, 4/15. On 4/16, i was once again driving, as normal when it suddenly turned off and kicked into neutral. 1 day after I picked up the vehicle it is once again being towed back to the dealer for the same symptoms it had when the entire engine had to be replaced. Both times, there is no warning. The car dings and a message comes up saying "restart vehicle". On 2/28, the car would not restart. On 4/16, the car did restart but only temporarily This is a major safety problem. The first occurrence I was going 70mph on the highway when i lost power. The second occurrence, I was driving 20mph on my neighborhood street and suddenly lost all power.

Filed Apr 8, 2026 · Electrical, Engine · MI

I own a 2023 GMC Yukon Denali. In Nov. 2023, at about 4,000 miles, the vehicle suffered a complete engine and electrical failure at highway speed while I was traveling with my husband and three small children. It suddenly lost all power in the fast lane, including acceleration and engine function. Steering became extremely heavy, consistent with loss of power steering assist, and the electronics shut down. We had to guide the vehicle across traffic while coasting downhill to the shoulder beyond a guardrail. Traffic had to avoid us, creating a serious safety hazard. The vehicle would not restart. The vehicle was towed and required a complete engine replacement under warranty. After that replacement, additional issues followed. There was an HVAC/defrost concern. In June 2025, the vehicle again became inoperable without warning while parked at a store. It would not start despite repeated attempts, including by a dealership representative. A diagnostic scan produced over a page of error codes, but the dealership could not identify a cause and stated the vehicle was safe. In Dec. 2025, the vehicle engine was inspected under a recall and I was told there were no issues. In Feb. 2026, the vehicle lost heat and was found to have no coolant despite regular maintenance and recent inspection. In Mar. 2026, at about 37,700 miles, the vehicle developed a loud clunking noise while driving. I stopped driving and returned it to the dealership, where I was told the engine had failed again and required another full replacement. The vehicle has now had two engine failures and three engines installed in less than three years. There were no warning lights or prior indications before these failures. I no longer believe this vehicle is safe or reliable for transporting my family.

Filed Mar 23, 2026 · Engine, Fuel system · TX

2023 GMC Yukon XL 6.2L V8 experienced progressive engine defects starting in first year. At 7,445 mi (Jan 2023), first dealer visit for engine issues. At 10,315 mi (Apr 2023), Cyl 2 fuel injector failed (internally open), vehicle TOWED to dealer, replaced under warranty. At 14,982 mi (Aug 2023), identical Cyl 7 injector failure (internally open), replaced under warranty. Two identical failures on different cylinders within 15,000 mi indicates systemic defect. By 30,409 mi (Aug 2024), dealer performed engine decarbonization due to carbon buildup from fuel injection issues. Dealer recommended additional decarbs at 38,077 mi and 42,577 mi. At 56,028 mi (Mar 2026), engine suffered catastrophic failure: piston ring failure causing excessive oil consumption and engine destruction, requiring full engine replacement. This matches GM's known 5.3L/6.2L V8 piston ring defect (subject of $150M class action settlement). Defective injectors caused incomplete combustion, carbon buildup on piston rings, ring tension loss, and catastrophic engine failure. Vehicle also has unfixed suspension defect (camber bolt/alignment). Vehicle visited dealer 8+ times. Engine failure poses serious safety risk from sudden power loss at highway speeds. Vehicle available for inspection.

Filed Feb 17, 2026 · Engine · IN

I was on the interstate and when I was passing a vehicle in the middle lane the engine lost power, shifted to N. I tried going back to drive it would not shift. Stopped the suv and tried restarting it. When I pushed on the brake and tried to start it the whole vehicle would loose power to all my screens. I had this vehicle towed in back in September 2025 due to not cranking over when starting. They did the recall for the engine at that time. The engine light would randomly turn on but would go back off within the same day.

Filed Feb 8, 2026 · Engine · NY

On two separate occasions, while driving at approximately 60 mph on New York parkways, my vehicle unexpectedly shifted into neutral and lost power without warning. During the first incident, a message appeared instructing me to “press start to continue.” I was able to restart the vehicle and drive home. Two days later, the same failure occurred again under similar conditions. This time, after pulling over and pressing the start button, the vehicle shut off completely and became totally inoperable. The vehicle had no power and would not restart. At the time of this second incident: - I had my [XXX] child in the vehicle - The outside temperature was approximately 20 degrees - Recent snow made it difficult to pull fully off the parkway - Police assistance was required to ensure our safety - We waited nearly two hours for a tow truck due to the hazardous roadside conditions This situation was frightening, dangerous, and completely unacceptable in a modern vehicle with approximately 24,000 miles. When GMC evaluated the vehicle the following day, I was informed that it requires a full engine replacement. A catastrophic engine failure at this mileage — combined with repeated, sudden loss of power at highway speeds — represents a serious safety defect that substantially impairs the use, value, and safety of the vehicle. INFORMATION REDACTED PURSUANT TO THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT (FOIA), 5 U.S.C. 552(B)(6)

Filed Feb 7, 2026 · Electrical, Engine · IL

I am reporting a catastrophic engine failure involving my 2023 GMC Yukon XL Denali, which was subject to a GM-issued recall related to engine failure. On January 10, 2026, at approximately 1:00 a.m., while traveling at highway speed (approximately 65+ mph) on a multi-lane highway, the engine suddenly failed without warning, resulting in a complete loss of power. I was forced to make immediate evasive maneuvers to reach the shoulder while avoiding semi-trucks and other vehicles. The sudden loss of power created an extremely dangerous situation for myself, my passengers, and surrounding traffic. After the engine failure, the vehicle could not be placed into neutral, preventing it from being moved out of traffic if it had stopped in an active lane. This design issue significantly increased the risk of a collision. I was stranded on the roadside for several hours in cold conditions awaiting a tow. The failure was later confirmed by an authorized GMC dealer, who diagnosed the engine as failed and replaced the entire engine assembly. The vehicle and replaced components should be available for inspection through the dealership. The manufacturer had previously issued a recall for this vehicle related to engine failure, and I had requested a buyback prior to this incident due to safety concerns. That request was denied unless the vehicle experienced a failure. There were no warning lamps, messages, or symptoms prior to the failure. The only warning message appeared after the engine failed, indicating an engine overheating or “engine hot” condition, which occurred after power was already lost. This incident represents a serious safety defect that resulted in loss of propulsion at highway speed with no advance warning.

Filed Feb 6, 2026 · Engine · KY

Vehicle was taken to dealership and test was run. Service manager notified me it passed and told us about change of oil. Then recently engine stopped on us twice on the interstate with no power. We finally got it to the dealer and while they were test driving it lost power and they had to have it towed. Now we have been told we are needing a new engine and have not been given any time line. We have also read that many time the solution even on the new engine is not fixing all issues. We just want a safe vehicle returned to us.

Filed Jan 31, 2026 · Engine · TX

We had the L87 engine recall completed at 14,318 miles on Nov 20, 2025 on our 2023 Yukon XL Denali with the 6.2L engine. Engine passed all tests by dealer and we were sent on our way with 0W-40 and a new oil cap. Fast forward to Jan 21, 2026.... My wife pulled the vehicle out of driveway and noticed a deep pitched, knocking sound. She slowly started to drive down the street a bit and then the vehicle shut off and displayed a warning message on the dash (this was on a cold engine, not due to the absurd auto start/stop feature). She was able to restart and get vehicle back to the garage. We had just rolled 15,000 miles on the odometer the day before. Immediately called our dealer and had an appointment set for the next day. We were able to drive vehicle to dealer with knocking and reduced power during the drive. Dealer confirmed next day that an excessive amount of metal was found in oil and on oil filter element then supplied us with video evidence. A complete teardown has been ordered but no cause has yet been identified as of Jan 29, 2026. Service tech stated as we walked back into the dealer that "you are getting a new engine based on the amount of metal found in the oil sample". I asked about timeline for engine replacement and was told that we are looking at a month if not longer until we will get the vehicle back. We know that we are VERY fortunate to not have had the engine shutdown happen on a highway as my wife would have most certainly panicked in the situation possibly leading to a catastrophic event.