We were traveling eastbound on I 70 around 75mph. We received no prior indication that there was a problem. The display read engine oil hot, transmission shifted to neutral, and the entire vehicle shut down. We lost propulsion and were left coasting on a major highway with no power.
2023 GMC Yukon XL engine complaints
Page 5 of 7: complaints 101 to 130 of 166, newest first, as owners wrote them.
I’ve inserted the question and their answer: What component or system failed or malfunctioned, and is it available for inspection upon request? Lifter valve number six failed causing it to shatter and send pieces of it throughout the engine along with other debris into the cylinders. How was your safety or the safety of others put at risk? Vehicle had loud engine knock, pulsation of power, had to pull off on main highways due to loss of power over 400 miles away from home. Has the problem been reproduced or confirmed by a dealer or independent service center? Yes, engine was serviced by GM dealership in Baldwinsville, NY for over $8,500. Will attach copy of bill. Now is doing same thing, again. Has the vehicle or component been inspected by the manufacturer, police, insurance representatives or others? GM as stated above. Were there any warning lamps, messages or other symptoms of the problem prior to the failure, and when did they first appear? Check engine light flashed, traction control light came on.
I was driving on a highway with my [XXX] son and 2 dogs when without any warning the vehicle just stopped and completely went dead. I was unable to turn on the hazards so I called 911, the police came within minutes and surrounded the vehicle to keep us from being crashed into. The brakes failed to work, the hazard lights would not work, the doors would not open other than the driver door. The police had to help remove my child and 2 dogs from the vehicle through the driver door. The vehicle could not be put into neutral so the police had to tow the vehicle from the middle of the highway. The result could have been deadly. The vehicle was completely dead with absolutely no function. After the police towed it to the police tow facility it was then towed to the GMC dealership I purchased the vehicle from. The dealership is Jim Curly GMC in Keyport NJ. The dealership has had the vehicle since Saturday and is claiming to not know what is wrong with the vehicle. INFORMATION REDACTED PURSUANT TO THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT (FOIA), 5 U.S.C. 552(B)(6)
While driving at approximately 30 mph in moderate traffic on the interstate during a return leg of a 370-mile trip, my vehicle unexpectedly shifted into neutral and became unresponsive. The dashboard displayed the warning message: "condition not correct for shift," and despite repeated attempts to restart the engine, the vehicle would not engage. Although the electrical system remained active, I had no propulsion. Critically, the vehicle became immobilized in a **very dangerous curve on the interstate**, presenting an extreme safety risk to myself and others. The car could not be manually shifted into neutral for towing, prompting Illinois Department of Transportation (IDOT) to declare the location unsafe. I was stranded there for over three hours, after dark, in a vulnerable and exposed position. During the forced tow process, two rear tires were destroyed and the two front tires sustained major damage. In the days leading up to this incident, the vehicle had also shown signs of malfunction, such as delayed acceleration from a stop and occasional lurching forward — symptoms consistent with the defect described in the recall.
The contact owns a 2023 GMC Yukon XL. The contact received notification of the federal safety agency Campaign Number: 25V274000 (Engine and Engine Cooling); however, the part to do the recall repair was unavailable. The contact stated that the manufacturer had exceeded a reasonable amount of time for the recall repair. The contact stated that while driving at various speeds and attempting to accelerate, the vehicle was jerking and hesitating while accelerating. There were no warning lights illuminated. The dealer was contacted. The manufacturer was not made aware of the issue. The failure mileage was approximately 19,000. VIN tool confirms parts not available.
The contact owns a 2023 GMC Yukon XL. The contact stated that after refueling and attempting to accelerate, the vehicle started shake and vibrate abnormally. The vehicle was driven to the local dealer and was diagnosed and determined that the engine was faulty and needed to be replaced. The engine was replaced, and the vehicle was repaired. The manufacturer was not notified of the failure. The contact was informed that the VIN was not included in the federal safety agency Campaign Number: 25V274000 (ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING). The contact stated that the vehicle had experienced the failure listed in the recall. The failure mileage was 62,974.
My vehicle stalled while driving on a busy highway & I had no option but to pull over, which left me & my family in a very dangerous position. Had to remove my daughter's wheelchair onto a tow truck as the vehicle had no power to use the hoist for her powerchair. Again, on the side of a busy road! Towed the vehicle to a GM dealership, who stated there was catastrophic engine failure & the engine had to be replaced. Had no way to transport my daughter until I got a new engine since her hoist was stuck at the dealership. This was our original vehicle, until the sold me another one with the same defect (2024 Yukon for MORE money!). That vehicle was reported in Complaint 11657786.
I am formally requesting a complete refund for my vehicle. It has only 6,300 miles, and the remedy provided for the recall does not adequately address the issue. The recall explicitly indicates defects in the engine components (rods/cam shafts) that may lead to a loss of propulsion. Merely inspecting the vehicle and adding thicker oil does not resolve the underlying problem; it only postpones the inevitable expiration of my warranty. Currently, there are no warning lights illuminated, as the vehicle is not driven frequently. The recall raises significant concerns, and GM should be taking more substantial measures than simply applying thicker oil as a solution. This approach feels like a temporary fix rather than a genuine resolution. I have communicated with the dealership, and have been informed there is currently no solution available for this matter. They are awaiting further instructions on how to proceed. I request a more thorough investigation into this issue for an appropriate refund, and I also wish to have this matter documented for future reference.
Crankshaft bearing failed, leading to engine failure at 65MPH on highway. No warning.
The contact owns a 2023 GMC Yukon. The contact stated that upon taking the vehicle into the dealer for regular service, the dealer found that the engine oil level was extremely low, resulting in damages to the engine. The check engine warning light was illuminated. The contact was informed that the piston O-rings needed to be replaced. The vehicle was repaired. The manufacturer was not notified of the failure. The failure mileage was 22,000.
While driving on a busy highway, the engine stalled and could not be restarted. We were in the left lane and thankfully traffic was light and i was able to get to the shoulder. No warning and no check engine light before stall. After numerous attempts and about 15 minutes it did restart. A few miles later same issue and could not restart. We were 200 miles from home. Called GM and they sent a tow truck. Dealer had the car for almost a month and replaced the engine because they found metal in the oil and determined that the main bearings had spun. The concern is that the replacement engine is presumably a 2024 and the issue could happen again.
While driving without any warning the screen said press start. The vehicle shifted to neutral and lost all power while driving down a very busy road on the top of a hill going 55 mph. Once stopped we tried to turn the vehicle back on, vehicle would power on but wouldn’t start just click and screens flash
While driving on the freeway at about 70mph, the lights on the dash lit up and the message "Push Button to Start" showed up. At that point the vehicle started decreasing in speed. When the accelerator was depressed, nothing happened. Luckily the freeway was not crowded and the vehicle was able to coast the side of the road where it came to a stop. Pushing the start button did nothing except bring up the dash information. Engine would not start or even try to start. AAA was called and the car was towed to a dealership. The dealer has since determined that the engine is locked up. The oil had metal in it and an engine replacement will be needed. They have put in an order for a new engine. There were no warning lights or CELs of any kind. The engine just stopped working without any warning. The 6.2l engine on the GM line of SUVs and trucks seems to be known for doing this. If this were a busy time of day or there was more traffic it may not have been so easy to pull to the side of the road. It is only a matter of time before these engine issues result in an injury or worse, a fatality. The solution to replace a faulty engine with another engine that has not been redesigned or fixed is an unsafe and risky solution.
Multiple issues...I bought the vehicle in Oct. 2023 1. BRAND NEW.... First day I brought the vehicle home there was a whining sound coming from the transmission. The reaction carrier assembly had to be replaced along with all other components. The transmission had to be completely removed from the vehicle and repaired. 2. In May of 2024 I had to have the lifters replaced on one side of the motor. 3. Right now it's in the shop with a blown motor. Yes there's only about 43,000 miles on it and the motor is blown and has to be fully replaced.
While driving with my cruise control set to 75, my vehicle began losing speed and power for no apparent reason. I was able to fortunately pull over on the shoulder of the road when the engine turned off without pushing the stop button. At this point I put the vehicle in park and tried to restart the vehicle with no luck. It was at this time I contacted my husband and he was able to come load the vehicle on a trailer to tow to our GMC Dealership. This happened on January 28, 2025. There was 60,407 miles on the odometer. The dealership was able to tell us that the motor seized due to a bearing failure. I am glad that I was able to get over to the shoulder of the road and was not in the middle of road construction. This was a scary situation that could have been much worse.
Vehicle went to GM for recall repairs on 02/24/25 the morning after when I cranked my car it was dead. Jumped the car off then began hearing a "clicking noise" GM advised I replace my serpentine belt as they noticed it needed replacement when doing the recall repairs. 02/26/25 serpentine belt was replaced but car still seemed to have power issues when cranking. 02/27/25 car barely cranked then while driving down the highway I lost all power and power steering to the vehicle. There was no warning, no check engine lights etc. The screen went black then car shut off then the screen said "press start to restart." I was BARELY able to get the vehicle safely off the road with vehicles in front, behind, and in the other lanes. It could have caused a fatal accident. GMC still has my vehicle with NO UPDATE on replacement engine timeline.
Recently, while driving my 2023 GMC Yukon Denali XL Ultimate (with only 19,457 miles) on the expressway, my vehicle suddenly lost all power and steering at high speed—without any warning lights, noises, or alerts. One moment everything was normal, the next I was gliding in silence, completely powerless in a 6,000 lb vehicle surrounded by fast-moving traffic. I was nearly sideswiped multiple times as I tried desperately to avoid a potentially deadly accident. This failure wasn’t just mechanical—it was terrifying. And it could have cost me my life. What happened next only made things worse. GM Roadside Assistance left me stranded on the side of the road for nearly 4 hours. Multiple tow trucks were sent, but none had the right equipment because the vehicle could not be put into neutral due to the engine failure. I was left vulnerable, frustrated, and utterly unsupported while GM fumbled through their response.
Vehicle started making noise and idling rough 1-2days after receiving it back from oil change. It was absolutely fine and out of nowhere this happens. I’m great with cars and this is my 5th GMC Yukon and I bought this one at 0 mileage so I am very familiar with this car. There is absolutely no explainable reason my car is doing this I had it inspected and the dealer told me this has been happening lately to a lot of the gmc Yukons and I would need major engine repair for a brand new car!!! Over 20k in repairs and parts. I have 6 children and we have had to abandon the vehicle on Christmas Day to drive our old 2019 GMC Yukon which I think is starting to sound a lot like the 2023 under the hood! It’s roughly idling to. I’m afraid we might be taking the bus if I don’t pay 20k. I looked to see if there were recalls but found none. there is no way engine failure should just pop up after we spent tons of money keeping these cars in perfect shape and only being serviced at the dealership. This should be investigated and repair records pulled to find people who are not aware
Vehicle "Low Oil Warning" light appeared at approximately 3000 miles after an oil change. Checked the oil and it was nearly 3 quarts low. Without any visible leaks or loss of oil, I called local GMC service department and had them inspect. They found that 4 pistons and other components needed replaced due to failure. There was no signs or symptoms other than the warning light. The car has been in the shop for 3 weeks. I currently do not have my vehicle, but I was going to use this vehicle for a long road trip and I'm sure this would have been a catastrophic loss, and possibly a safety issue for my family traveling 1k miles at highway speeds.
Driving on highway with my [XXX] daughter in the car, screen all of a sudden flashed “press start” on the dashboard and the car died in highway at the off ramp exit. Had to call state police because we were blocking ramp and almost got hit multiple times. Could not get car to restart, state police towed off highway for $200 and AAA towed to dealer. Took over a week for dealer to claim GM owned up to engine failure. No rental car provided. Sold for a $37,000 loss a year and a half after purchase with only 27,000 mile on the vehicle. INFORMATION REDACTED PURSUANT TO THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT (FOIA), 5 U.S.C. 552(B)(6)
My daughter and I were coming and got off of the [XXX] on the [XXX] exit ramp to go home. When we were pulling up the vehicle suddenly showed the check engine light and the vehicle turned off. It would not go into neutral, it would not restart. I am being told there is no active recall on it; however, in researching, it appears that I am one of many cases of this exact scenario. Being stuck on a busy exit ramp is not safe and had this have happened in the road construction on [XXX] , this could have been a much different scenario even fatal. This vehicle is a 2023 with 40,355 miles on it. The Denali is currently at the dealership it was towed to, and I am waiting on the diagnostic. INFORMATION REDACTED PURSUANT TO THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT (FOIA), 5 U.S.C. 552(B)(6)
My wife was travelling down a two-lane road at 50mph when the engine suddenly shut off affecting steering. She was able to maneuver to the shoulder, but the vehicle would not restart. Could have been much worse. Had it towed to the dealer we purchased it from, and they informed us the engine had seized. There were no warning signs or dash lights indicating there may be an issue.
I am writing to express serious safety concerns regarding our 2023 GMC Yukon XL Denali, which has been in our possession for less than two years and has only 24,000 miles. On multiple occasions, while driving at high speeds on the freeway with our four young children, the vehicle unexpectedly lost power and shifted into neutral without warning. This occurred approximately four times on March 9, 2025, when we contacted OnStar for assistance. Despite their response indicating no alerts on their end, we were advised to reach out again if the issue persisted. Unfortunately, the problem did occur again on March 16th, which prompted us to contact OnStar and have the vehicle towed to the nearest dealership for further evaluation. The service department has since informed us that the motor requires replacement. Upon conducting additional research, it seems this may be a known issue with many vehicles manufactured by GM around the same time. We are deeply concerned by this safety hazard, especially given that the malfunction could have led to a life-threatening accident. While we are grateful that we were fortunate enough to avoid any serious consequences, we believe a solution beyond standard repairs is necessary to restore our confidence in the safety of this vehicle. Our family’s well-being and trust in the reliability of our vehicle are of the utmost importance.
During a cross country road trip on [XXX] we experienced the dreaded 6.2 gm engine failure. As I was driving I lost all power going up a steep grade in the fast lane of a 4 lane interstate. There was no room to pull over to the left side so I had to very quickly cross 4 lanes of traffic without any power. I was able to get the yukon off the interstate as safely as possible. Once I placed the vehicle in park it shut off completely. I tried to restart it several times. Finally got a message on the dash saying engine oil cooler was hot or oil was overheated. Called gmc and got a tow to nearest dealership. I rented a vehicle on my own dime and drove that back to north dakota where we live. We are still in the process of getting some of our expenses reimbursed. I called an Uber to pick my wife and 3 daughters up to get them to a near by hotel. My son snd I stayed with the vehicle on the side of the road till the tow truck arrived. INFORMATION REDACTED PURSUANT TO THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT (FOIA), 5 U.S.C. 552(B)(6)
While on the expressway driving at highway speed the engine started backfiring and many codes were displayed on dashboard including “ rear drive disabled” “ service ECU” and many others. Pulled over and Had GMC Yukon towed to dealer. I’ve seen many complaints of the same thing and found this recall on your site GENERAL MOTORS DCS6866 URGENT - DISTRIBUTE IMMEDIATELY Date: April 24, 2024 Subject: N232413430 - Customer Satisfaction Program The dealer said they would fix broken valves and I would have to pay for the new computer that’s not under warranty.
Engine stopped and vehicle went into neutral. Family of 5 in the vehicle on a busy highway. Once pulled over safely from the highway and shut off ignition, the vehicle stayed in park and would not shift to neutral, the engine would not restart. Vehicle had to be towed into the GMC dealer. No warnings, messages or symptoms prior to the failure. The vehicle was just at the dealer for routine maintenance 4 days prior. Dealership found that the engine had seized.
Engine was making rattle noises and oil low message appeared. Brought to dealer who changed oil and said they couldn’t detect noises. I asked for a road test and while driving the tech noticed it, then the car died and shifted into neutral without warning.
Upon acceleration the engine began to sputter with a clanking noise. After turning around to pull back into my drive way the engine began to work properly. I had the vehicle towed to Master GMC Augusta,GA. After the car was at the dealership for several days, I was told the issues could not be duplicated and there were no error codes. While returning home from the dealership the car began to sputter and decelerate at this time multiple lights flashed on and off on the dash including the check engine light. As I pulled to the side of the interstate the car once again corrected itself and all lights went out. I reached out to the dealership again. The car was returned to Master GMC again. This time I was notified the engine had failed due to metal shards in the engine. Since this vehicle had only 4988 miles at the time, and I had a 2021 Suburban prior with lifter failures, I was hesitate to keep this vehicle. I did trade the 2023 Yukon XL Denali at the time of engine failure.
Vehicle is on its second engine. Shut down unexpectedly in middle of the road, with my three young children inside.
Engine failed during trip on interstate without warning after 23k miles. Car went into neutral and we were without power. We coasted to side of road and had to be towed. Dealership has ordered new engine which will be covered under warranty. There were no warning lights before, during or after the incident — no check engine light. The only indicator is that car started making a rattling noise from the engine a few seconds before we lost power.
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