1. My engine failed at 10,000 miles, seized up completely. 2. Safety was a HUGE risk factor as the engine went out while driving 65 mph in a dangerous canyon highway, which made me lose control of being able to drive the vehicle to safety as I was needing to coast to the top of a hill and then coast down to even find a safe spot to pullover. My safety was also at risk because it then left me stranded in a canyon with no cell service where I was (and I couldn't even connect via OnStar because of the area I was stuck in), leaving me stranded for over 3 hours in 100 degree weather with no place to hide from the heat in the middle of summer. I also had my [XXX] with me and thank God we made it out of that situation alive. And thank goodness for bystanders I don't know what I would've done without them. 3. Yes, an engine replacement was made via warranty, but the new engine still make clunky/grindy sounds and even after having that looked at, I was turned away because apparently there were no performance issues but I still feel like I cannot rely on the vehicle especially driving longer distances. 4. Yes. see comment for #3. 5. NO warnings AT ALL were ever on my dash regarding my engine going out. There was never a check engine light prior to the engine seizing, nothing. So how was I supposed to know my engine was going to give out on me at only 10,000 miles? Regular maintenance was kept up to date. It just went out randomly with no warning. INFORMATION REDACTED PURSUANT TO THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT (FOIA), 5 U.S.C. 552(B)(6)
2023 GMC Yukon XL engine complaints
Page 6 of 7: complaints 131 to 160 of 166, newest first, as owners wrote them.
Driving at highway speeds at night when engine sputtered, vehicle shifted itself into neutral and shut engine down. Slight difficulty steering for 1/4 of a mile with traffic continuing to pass at full highway speeds but was able to coast to a side road. No warnings of failure or check engine lights prior to event. Had just stopped for gas continued on trip and cruising about 77mph and hear a few noises as if vehicle ran our of gas and dash lit up letting me know it was shutting down, then shifted to neutral. Now dealing with GM travel interruption team and being told that it is engine failure due to faulty lifter/rod/bearing issue with no timeline as to when an engine replacement will be available. It has been inspected and confirmed by GMC service department in San Angelo TX
While driving down a two-lane highway, the vehicle unexpectedly lost power and shifted into neutral. We coasted to a stop and pulled into a driveway, at which point the vehicle would not restart. The vehicle was towed to the local GM dealership, where we were informed that the engine required replacement.
I was driving down the highway at 75 miles per hour and my engine shifted from drive to Neutral on its own, luckily I was able to get off to the side of the road as it would not shift back into drive. I got off the highway and was able to put it in park but it would not shift into any other gear. I turned the vehicle off and it would not power back on. It was completely dead. I had to have it towed and drug up onto truck and back off the truck as it was not shift into Neutral. It has now been at the GM dealership for 16 days. The engine had seized they said and needs a new one. this is a 2023 and only has slightly over 20K miles on it. They have told me there is a national shortage on engines and I am in line to get one but there is no telling on how long that will be. I am out of a car for 2 weeks and who knows how much longer. GM has given me a rental car but a very small SUV that does not fit my family. I have no idea how long it will be nor do they until I get a new engine in my vehicle. I was fortunate I was able to get to the side of the highway and stop safely.
motor locked up while driving on highway to vacation, when i tried to get warranty at a nearby dealership i was told engine was on back order with no release and the only option i had was to purchase a new vehicle . vehicle was under a year old with very low mileage on it.
2023 Yukon XL AT4 with 6.2L engine. [XXX] started to hear rattling noise coming from the engine area. I took the vehicle to a GMC dealer in Houston TX. The dealer diagnosed the problem as a defective transmission plate? Said they would have to order the part. Part arrived and while at the dealer they decided to inspect the oil pan. In the oil pan they found metal shavings. It was reported to me yesterday [XXX] that the engine would need to be replaced. This vehicle has roughly 17,000 miles and it’s been just over 1 1/2 years since purchased brand new by me. No confirmation of when a new motor will be available for replacement. Was told it could be months. Was also told that the vehicle is unsafe to drive since the engine could lock up at any time based on their findings. INFORMATION REDACTED PURSUANT TO THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT (FOIA), 5 U.S.C. 552(B)(6)
While driving on the interstate at 75mph the vehicle shutdown and would not allow a restart. I had to coast over to the emergency lane with no engine power. Once stopped the vehicle would not start. After having the vehicle hauled to the dealership I was informed that the engine had locked-up and a new engine would have to be ordered and replace the engine. The dealership could not provide me with a repair date because they said GMC has lots of problems with this engine and it would be backordered.
Engine blew up on interstate and left the vehicle in mobilized with only 60,000 miles and all regular maintenance was completed just catastrophically shut off and would not start in the middle of the interstate
We were driving uphill on the highway, about 60 mph when the engine appeared to loose some power for about 10 seconds even though the engine was reving higher, and the ln the engine cut out. We coasted to a stop and then the electrical system was cutting out. I tried to restart the engine but it would not turn over at all, and the car’s electrical was intermittent. There was no warning or error lights before or during the engine failure. Photos provided are the messages on the instrument cluster when attempting to restart the engine. Vehicle was towed to the local GMC dealership, and they are replacing the engine under warranty. No eta on the engine replacement at this time.
Our 2023 GMC Yukon XL Denali that has suffered multiple severe mechanical failures well beyond what is reasonable for a vehicle of this class. G At approximately 14,000 miles, the vehicle’s 6.2L engine catastrophically failed, rendering it inoperable and requiring a full engine replacement. The engine seized and failed while operating the vehicle with her 3 small children on board and nearly caused a catastrophic accident. As a result, the vehicle was out of service for eight weeks, an unreasonable disruption and an unacceptable failure for a luxury SUV of this caliber. Now, (02/11/2025) at just 20,400 miles, the vehicle’s injectors have failed, further reinforcing that this vehicle is defective, unreliable, and unfit for continued ownership. This vehicle was purchased with the expectation of owning a dependable, high-performance SUV—not one plagued with major mechanical failures at such low mileage. The repeated, severe defects have substantially impaired the vehicle’s use, value, and safety, leaving use without reliable transportation for extended periods. Given these circumstances, it is clear that this vehicle does not meet the quality and durability standards expected from General Motors’ flagship SUV lineup and present SERIOUS risks of catastrophic injuries and/or death.
At around 23,000 miles the vehicle collapsed a lifter - Took it to a dealership, fixed the lifter and asked them to confirm that the lobes of the cam were good and that all bearings were in good shape - approximately 2 weeks later, complete engine failure on a busy highway, no good place to pull off the road, no reimbursement for towing bill, no rental car - dealership put new motor in (took 5 weeks and GM did nothing to help us with the situation) and now we have the same bad 6.2 liter motor in the vehicle that is likely to fail again withing the 25,000 miles. Manufacturer refused to answer specific questions about the motor and could not tell me if this new motor was built to satisfy this known issue - the new motor has the same part number as the previous motor so consensus is that it has the same failure possibility leaving family in a dangerous place on the roads. GM still refuses to discuss this with us as the customer!
At 9,900 miles my safety camera system failed which disabled the cruise control and all safety features that used the camera. Car was out of service for nearly two weeks and subsequently fixed by the dealer under warranty at no charge. At 11,300 miles I was driving on an interstate highway in the left lane at rush hour, without warning the car stopped accelerating the car shifted into neutral and totally lost power. It was a very dangerous situation with me in the left lane in heavy traffic. I am a skillful driver and thankfully I was able to make it off the travel lanes on the highway. The temperature was 18 degrees at the time and I had to wait outside for a tow truck. The engine seized without warning or noise and this presents a severe danger to the driver of the vehicle and other vehicles on the highway. There was a substantial possibility that other vehicles could not avoid me as I was exiting the travel lanes. There was also a substantial possibility that the vehicle would simply be in the travel lane stopped on a divided highway.
The engine failure was confirmed by dealer. My wife and I were traveling on I-74 at approximately 72 mph when the truck began to jerk slightly. This continued for about a mile, prompting me to ask if she felt it too. Suddenly, the truck lost power while we were driving on a two-lane interstate, putting our safety at risk. Fortunately, we were close enough to an exit and managed to coast to a nearby restaurant. Thankfully, it was not during peak business hours, and no vehicles were directly behind us at the time. Given the heavy semi-truck traffic on this stretch of interstate, the situation could have been significantly more dangerous.
Wife was driving down the interstate (18,000 or so miles on vehicle), and engine suddenly shut down causing loss of power. Had to safely maneuver vehicle off the side of the road to try to restart. After restart, continued driving without issue until noticeable clicking noise and engine thumping noise. Vehicle was diagnosed with lifter issues. After repair, and 2000 miles additional driving (20,000) ticking and thumping noise returned. Taken back for service and notified full engine replacement is necessary.
The 2023 GMC Yukon had a complete loss of power and engine while driving 65 mph on a highway. The vehicle was unable to restart or be placed into neutral. No previous issues and no indications of failures. No fault codes or lights indicating any issues. Dealership informed me that the engine stopped working and gave an estimate of greater than 4 months for any replacement or repair.
The engine failed at highway speeds on approx. July 15 2024. Filed a claim with GM. GM replaced minimal engine parts to get the car running. GM refused to acknowledge this was a safety issue. Engine failed at highway speeds again approx 09/20/2024 this time just shutting off. When the engine oil was drained at the dealer it was silver. The entire engine was replaced this time. Again GM refused to acknowledge this was a safety hazard. After engine replacement the low oil light came on at the time of an oil change. I am monitoring oil burn on this new engine.
The engine completely failed without warning. The vehicle stalled and would not restart. I was unable to put the Yukon in neutral in order to move it out of the way of traffic. As I was in the process of turning I was completely blocking oncoming traffic. When the vehicle was finally towed to the dealership they told me that there was no oil in the engine. I had checked the oil 2 days prior and the dipstick showed full. We had no leaks in the driveway and no low oil indicator came on to warn us. A dealership in Holland Michigan had just looked at the vehicle to take care of some recall updates and reset the oil indicator telling me that we could get it taken care of later as it was only 2000 miles since the previous oil change and the previous oil change company hadn’t reset the percentage indicator properly. In the case of LOW OIL there was no warning whatsoever.
Engine failure - Yes, vehicle at dealer Engine failed on a busy road during rush hour, family in vehicle. Dealer confirmed engine needs replacement, lead time unknown. Expected later than Oct 2025. Inspected by certified dealer service dept. Warning lamps prior to failure, roughly .5 miles prior. Limited power.
While traveling on vacation, my family and I experienced a catastrophic engine failure in our GMC Yukon Denali, leaving us stranded in a small Texas town. After having the vehicle towed to the nearest dealership, we were informed that the engine is seized and requires a full replacement. Unfortunately, the dealer has no estimated timeline for when GM will be able to provide the necessary replacement engine, leaving us in a difficult and uncertain situation. This has caused significant disruption and hardship for my family.
On [XXX] while on vacation out of state with my family our 2023 GMC Yukon XL Denali stalled out on [XXX]. After safely navigating through 5 o'clock traffic just outside of Atlanta, the vehicle would not turn over or even attempt to start back up. We contacted onstar for assistance and was advised to stay with the vehicle while they dispatched a tow truck. After approximately 2 hours we contacted onstar again and was advised a tow truck wouldn't be available until morning. We then were able to obtain a ride with Lyft that totaled over $100 with 5 people and was given a $50 credit. I was forced to use Hilton Honors points to book a hotel. Then after the next morning around 10am I was advised the tow truck was enroute to the car. I then took an Uber to Enterprise where I was able to get a rental vehicle. And made my way to the dealership that our Yukon was towed to. After speaking with the service advisor I was told they wouldn't even have a diagnosis for a couple weeks. So we proceeded to head home (with the rental breaking down and several other issues we had to overcome). After we were able to get another rental vehicle, we made it home around 2am. We returned this rental vehicle as it was not suitable for our family, and contacted GM in hopes to get a rental vehicle while our $120k vehicle is sitting in the parking lot of a dealership 8 hours from our home. Only to be told they'd allow $44/day for a rental and we would need to rent it initially and they would reimburse us after we submitted our receipts. Unfortunately $44/day does not get us anything that can accommodate our family and finances are not allowing for this at this time. So we are managing with 1 car. On 1/9, we received a call from the dealership stating our engine was locked up, non repairable and they were waiting for guidance from GM. Then on 1/23 I was then advised by my GM rep that she was transferring the case to someone else and they would advise when the new engine has shipped. Unacceptable INFORMATION REDACTED PURSUANT TO THE FREEDOM OF I
My vehicle stopped on the middle of highway when the engine seized. I had to call tow truck and tow it to a dealer. It’s been 2 months without my vehicle, the dealer has engine on a back order and offer no remedy
Engine had to be replaced at 25000 miles.
On [XXX] I was driving about 75mph on the freeway and suddenly the vehicle gear switched from drive to neutral. The vehicle dashboard read "vehicle condition not safe for shift" I tried to put the car back in drive by pushing the drive button but the vehicle was stuck in neutral. I pressed on the gas but it was not working since the car was in neutral. Since I could not use the gas to move forward, I could not go up on the ramp and was stuck on the busy freeway between the off ramp and the busy lanes of cars going 70+. The right rear end of my vehicle was in the offramp lane. I started to panic because I had my [XXX] daughter in the car. The steering wheel was completely locked and the rear axel was locked as well. There was no warning before the engine cut off. The electrical was all still working. I called AAA for a tow and 911 for CHP assistance since I was in dangerous spot. Took it to GMC Carlsbad Service, advisor Jason just called me and told me the engine had seized up and will most likely need the engine replaced. On 1/9/25 I had the car oil changed at the GMC service department in Escondido where I purchased the car. The vehicle has an open ticket and GMC is conducting a full investigation. I am told the whole engine will need to be replaced and will take 4 weeks from 1/22/25 to fix. INFORMATION REDACTED PURSUANT TO THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT (FOIA), 5 U.S.C. 552(B)(6)
My engine stopped while I was driving. Unable to accelerate and the car will not start and is dead. Transmission light and DEF service lights came on. Luckily I was able to pull over to safety, barely. It was towed to the GMC dealership and waiting for it to be looked at. There were NO warning lights that came on previous to when this happened. This is a HUGE SAFETY concern for GM and it needs to be a recall because many, many others have reported the same complaints.
The vehicle stopped, and I was unable to manually put it in Neutral. I had it towed to the dealership and was told that my engine was froze up. I have 25,000 miles on my Denali. This is not normal. My truck just "stopped" and would not move on a busy traffic road- why are the vehicles failing at less than 30,000 miles? I still owe quite a bit and now wondering what is going on with GM? I saw the video on Tik Tok about engine failures and this is my truck.
The 2023 Yukon XL shut down while traveling at a speed of 70+ MPH.
I purchased a 2023 Yukon Denali Ultimate new in December 2023. It has 25,000 miles on it. Last week my wife was driving on the interstate and the vehicle abruptly shut down leaving her stranded on a narrow shoulder on a bridge. After it was towed to the dealer, the diagnosis was a connecting rod failure requiring an engine replacement. It was in the shop 2 weeks prior because the vehicle shifted into neutral on its own while driving at 60 mph on the highway, but the dealer found nothing wrong
Hi my 2023 GMC Yukon Denali Ultimate died in the middle of the road due to a catastrophic engine failure. That put my family and I in danger on the highway.
Engine replaced
As we were driving down a main road and taking off from a stop light on NW Expressway we had no warning before the car seemed to die and shift itself to N. It said to press the start button, that did nothing and the car would not power back up besides the lights and dash that were still working. We coasted to a stop in a neighborhood entrance. I'm so thankful I was not on the highway during rush hour traffic. Once stopped, we put it in park and tried to start it. A friend came and tried to jump it and still nothing. The dealership has confirmed it needs a full engine replacement. GM has agreed to help with cost but my car has sat inoperable for over 30 days as the engine is on back order with no ETA. It has a 6.2L engine and I had taken it in for pull consumption tests over the past 2 years. The dealerships were unable to duplicate the problem. Two days prior to the failure I had told my husband it was slow to crank and we needed to have the battery checked. I now believe it was the engine, not the battery. There were no warning lights on and my battery indicter showed to be in the middle (not lacking charge). I am aware of a voluntary customer satisfaction program that GM has issued but they have told me my VIN isn't one of the 5000 affected by this. In visiting with the dealership it appears they will not fully break down my engine until the new one has arrived but they are 90% sure of the cause as they've "seen several of these". This could have been catastrophic to have a car die with warning in traffic.
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