Transmission problems
The worst 2009 GMC Yukon problems
Ranked by number of owner complaints. Mileage and cost come from what owners wrote.
Problems by type
Tap a problem to see which part fails, at what mileage and in which other years.
- Airbags35
- Body15
- Electrical8
- Engine6
- Steering6
- Fuel system4
- Transmission4
- Acceleration2
- Brakes1
- Driver assistance1
- Locks1
- Seat belts1
- Visibility1
Specific symptoms reported on the 2009 GMC Yukon
Recalls 5
Air bags: frontal: passenger side: inflator module
- What is wrong
- General Motors, LLC (GM) is recalling certain 2007-2011 Cadillac Escalade, Escalade ESV, Escalade EXT, Chevrolet Avalanche, Silverado 1500, Suburban, Tahoe, GMC Sierra 1500, Yukon, Yukon XL, and 2009-2011 Chevrolet Silverado 2500, Silverado 3500, GMC Sierra 2500 and Sierra 3500 vehicles originally sold, or ever registered, in the states of Alabama, California, Florida, Georgia, Hawaii, Louisiana, Mississippi, South Carolina, Texas, Puerto Rico, American Samoa, Guam, the Northern Mariana Islands (Saipan), and the U.S. Virgin Islands or "Zone A." Additionally, GM is recalling certain 2007-2008 Cadillac Escalade, Escalade ESV, Escalade EXT, Chevrolet Avalanche, Silverado 1500, Suburban, Tahoe, GMC Sierra 1500, Yukon, Yukon XL vehicles originally sold, or ever registered, in the states of Arizona, Arkansas, Delaware, District of Columbia, Illinois, Indiana, Kansas, Kentucky, Maryland, Missouri, Nebraska, Nevada, New Jersey, New Mexico, North Carolina, Ohio, Oklahoma, Pennsylvania, Tennessee, Virginia, and West Virginia or "Zone B." These vehicles are equipped with non-desiccated passenger frontal inflators containing phase-stabilized ammonium nitrate (PSAN) propellant. These inflators may explode due to propellant degradation occurring after long-term exposure to high absolute humidity, high temperatures, and high temperature cycling.
- Risk
- An inflator explosion may result in sharp metal fragments striking the driver or other occupants, resulting in serious injury or death.
- Remedy
- GM will notify owners, and dealers will replace the front passenger air bag inflator with an alternate one, free of charge. Interim letters notifying owners of the safety risk were mailed on February 22, 2021. Second notification letters will be mailed once the remedy is available. Owner notification letters were mailed on March 1, 2021. Owners may contact Chevrolet customer service at 1‑800‑222‑1020; Cadillac customer service at 1‑800‑458‑8006; and GMC customer service at 1‑800‑462‑8782. GM's number for this recall is N212328760.
Recall number 21V050000 · Recall details
Air bags: frontal: passenger side: inflator module
- What is wrong
- General Motors, LLC (GM) is recalling certain 2009 Cadillac Escalade, Escalade ESV, Escalade EXT, Chevrolet Avalanche, Silverado 1500, Silverado 2500, Silverado 3500, Suburban, Tahoe, GMC Sierra 1500, Sierra 2500, Sierra 3500, Yukon, and Yukon XL vehicles originally sold, or ever registered, in the states of Arizona, Arkansas, Delaware, District of Columbia, Illinois, Indiana, Kansas, Kentucky, Maryland, Missouri, Nebraska, Nevada, New Jersey, New Mexico, North Carolina, Ohio, Oklahoma, Pennsylvania, Tennessee, Virginia, and West Virginia or "Zone B." Additionally, GM is recalling certain 2007-2008 Cadillac Escalade, Escalade ESV, and Escalade EXT, Chevrolet Avalanche, Silverado 1500, Suburban, Tahoe, GMC Sierra 1500, Yukon, and Yukon XL vehicles originally sold, or ever registered, in the states of Alaska, Colorado, Connecticut, Idaho, Iowa, Maine, Massachusetts, Michigan, Minnesota, Montana, New Hampshire, New York, North Dakota, Oregon, Rhode Island, South Dakota, Utah, Vermont, Washington, Wisconsin, and Wyoming or "Zone C." These vehicles are equipped with non-desiccated passenger frontal inflators containing phase-stabilized ammonium nitrate (PSAN) propellant. These inflators may explode due to propellant degradation occurring after long-term exposure to high absolute humidity, high temperatures, and high temperature cycling.
- Risk
- An inflator explosion may result in sharp metal fragments striking the driver or other occupants, resulting in serious injury or death.
- Remedy
- GM will notify owners, and dealers will replace the front passenger air bag inflator with an alternate one, free of charge. Interim letters notifying owners of the safety risk were mailed on February 23, 2021. Second notification letters will be mailed once the remedy is available. Owner notification letters were mailed on September 20, 2021. Owners may contact Chevrolet customer service at 1‑800‑222‑1020, Cadillac customer service at 1‑800‑458‑8006, and GMC customer service at 1‑800‑462‑8782. GM's number for this recall is N212328780.
Recall number 21V052000 · Recall details
Air bags: frontal: passenger side: inflator module
- What is wrong
- General Motors, LLC (GM) is recalling certain 2013 Cadillac Escalade, Escalade ESV, and Escalade EXT, Chevrolet Avalanche, Silverado 1500, Silverado 2500/3500, Suburban, Tahoe, GMC Sierra 1500, Sierra 2500/3500, Yukon, and Yukon XL vehicles originally sold, or ever registered, in the states of Alabama, California, Florida, Georgia, Hawaii, Louisiana, Mississippi, South Carolina, Texas, Puerto Rico, American Samoa, Guam, the Northern Mariana Islands (Saipan), and the U.S. Virgin Islands or "Zone A." Additionally, GM is recalling certain 2010 Cadillac Escalade, Escalade ESV, and Escalade EXT, Chevrolet Avalanche, Silverado 1500, Silverado 2500/3500, Suburban, Tahoe, GMC Sierra 1500, Sierra 2500/3500, Yukon, and Yukon XL vehicles originally sold, or ever registered in the states of Arizona, Arkansas, Delaware, District of Columbia, Illinois, Indiana, Kansas, Kentucky, Maryland, Missouri, Nebraska, Nevada, New Jersey, New Mexico, North Carolina, Ohio, Oklahoma, Pennsylvania, Tennessee, Virginia, and West Virginia or "Zone B." Additionally, GM is recalling certain 2009 Cadillac Escalade, Escalade ESV, and Escalade EXT, Chevrolet Avalanche, Silverado 1500, Silverado 2500/3500, Suburban, Tahoe, GMC Sierra 1500, Sierra 2500/3500, Yukon, and Yukon XL vehicles originally sold, or ever registered, in the states of Alaska, Colorado, Connecticut, Idaho, Iowa, Maine, Massachusetts, Michigan, Minnesota, Montana, New Hampshire, New York, North Dakota, Oregon, Rhode Island, South Dakota, Utah, Vermont, Washington, Wisconsin, and Wyoming or "Zone C."
- Risk
- An inflator explosion may result in sharp metal fragments striking the driver or other occupants, resulting in serious injury or death.
- Remedy
- GM will notify owners, and dealers will replace the front passenger air bag inflator with an alternate one, free of charge. Interim letters notifying owners of the safety risk were mailed on February 24, 2021. Second notification letters will be mailed once the remedy is available. Owner notification letters were mailed on May 11, 2021. Owners may contact Cadillac customer service at 1‑800‑458‑8006; Chevrolet customer service at 1‑800‑222‑1020; and GMC customer service at 1‑800‑462‑8782. GM's number for this recall is N212328790.
Recall number 21V053000 · Recall details
Electrical system
- What is wrong
- Gm is recalling certain model year 2006-2009 buick, lucerne; cadillac dts; hummer h2; model year 2008-2009 buick enclave; cadillac cts; model year 2007-2009 cadillac escalade, escalade esv, escalade ext; chevrolet avalanche, silverado, suburban, tahoe; gmc acadia, sierra, yukon, yukon xl; saturn outlook; and model year 2009 chevrolet traverse vehicles equipped with a heated washer fluid system (hwfs). A recall was implemented in 2008 to add a fuse to the control circuit harness to address the potential consequences of a printed circuit board (pcb) electrical short. However, there have been new reports of thermal incidents on hwfs modules after this improvement was installed. These incidents resulted from a new failure mode attributed to the device's thermal protection feature. The significance varies from minor distortion to considerable melting of the plastic around the hwfs fluid chamber.
- Risk
- It is possible for the heated washer module to ignite and a fire may occur.
- Remedy
- Dealers will permanently disable and remove the heated washer fluid module. An updated page for the owner manual will be provided and inserted in the owner manual to document that the feature has been permanently disabled and removed from the vehicle. The safety recall began on june 11, 2010. Owners may contact buick at 1‑866‑608‑8080, cadillac at 1‑866‑982‑2339, chevrolet at 1‑800‑630‑2438, saturn at 1‑800‑972‑8876, gmc at 1‑866‑996‑9463 and hummer at 1‑800‑732‑5493 or at the owner center at www.gmownercenter.com.
Recall number 10V240000 · Recall details
Fuel system, gasoline
- What is wrong
- Gm is recalling 27,188 my 2009 cadillac escalade, escalade hybrid, escalade esv, and escalade ext; chevrolet avalanche, suburban, tahoe, tahoe hybrid, and colorado; and gmc yukon, yukon hybrid, yukon xl, and canyon vehicles. The fuel system control modules may have a condition in which an adhesive separation of the room temperature vulcanizing (rtv) seal between the seal and the housing may allow water to seep into the module.
- Risk
- Water in the module could cause a short or open circuit, illumination of the service engine soon lamp, setting of diagnostic trouble codes or the engine may be hard to start, may not start or may stall increasing the risk of a crash.
- Remedy
- Dealers will install a new fuel system control module free of charge. The recall began on may 18, 2009. Owners may contact cadillac at 1‑866‑982‑2339, chevrolet at 1‑800‑630‑2438 and gmc at 1‑866‑996‑9463 or at www.gmownercenter.com.
Recall number 09V154000 · Recall details
See all 5 recalls for the 2009 GMC Yukon
Defect investigations
Desiccated Air Bag Inflator Rupture
From 2000 through 2017, Takata produced millions of air bag inflators using two types of phase-stabilized ammonium nitrate ("PSAN") propellant -- propellant 2004 and propellant 2004L. After prolonged exposure to high temperature cycles and humidity, inflators using propellant 2004 can degrade, causing the propellant to burn too quickly when ignited. The rapid burning can cause the inflator to rupture during deployment, potentially causing serious or even fatal injury to vehicle occupants. See 2016 Blomquist Report at all frontal inflators using propellant 2004 that do not contain a "desiccant" (a substance that traps and holds moisture) in US vehicles are under recall. These "non-desiccated" inflators either have been or are required to be replaced.In some cases, the remedy part for these recalled inflators was, or will be, an inflator using either propellant 2004 or 2004L that does contain a desiccant. None of these "desiccated" remedy parts (which were installed in older model year vehicles) are currently under recall for a degradation concern. Certain subsets of desiccated PSAN inflators using propellant 2004 for use as original equipment, however, have been recalled for a degradation concern. All Takata inflators produced with propellant 2004L contain desiccant, and none of these desiccated inflators using propellant 2004L are under recall for a degradation concern. There have been no reported field ruptures in any non-recalled desiccated PSAN inflators.It is understood that desiccants fully saturate at some threshold, at which point any additional moisture will not be captured. This means the degradation process observed in non-desiccated inflators using propellant 2004 may also occur in non-recalled desiccated inflators using propellant 2004, assuming additional moisture enters the inflator and high temperature cycling occurs. Based on available information, desiccant saturation can occur within the first five years in the worst environments, and the time required for full saturation is affected by multiple factors. While no present safety risk has been identified, further work is needed to evaluate the future risk of non-recalled desiccated inflators using propellant 2004.Three entities -- Takata (now known as TK Global), the Independent Testing Coalition, and Exponent -- have been studying the long-term behavior of Takata desiccated PSAN inflators using propellant 2004L (as well as 2004) in the presence of moisture and temperature cycling. The research efforts, which include development of predictive modeling techniques and field sample analysis, are ongoing. To date, none of the researchers have identified field evidence showing that propellant 2004L is undergoing a degradation process that leads to aggressive deployment and potential rupture. However, the time in service of such inflators remains short compared to that of the inflators using propellant 2004. Further study is needed to assess the long-term safety of desiccated inflators using propellant 2004L.The Office of Defects Investigation is opening this investigation to examine whether a safety defect related to propellant degradation exists in non-recalled desiccated PSAN frontal inflators manufactured by Takata. This investigation will require extensive information on Takata production processes and surveys of inflators in the field. Lists of recall actions that may have used desiccated PSAN inflators as remedy parts, as well as the makes and models originally manufactured with them, is available with the downloadable version of this document (see -- note this information is subject to change/revision as the investigation proceeds). This investigation does not supersede EA15-001, which remains open.
EA21002
Technical service bulletins for the 2009 GMC Yukon 1,368
Bulletins tell dealers how to fix known problems. A warranty extension means the manufacturer pays for that repair for longer.
- New Vehicle Monitoring Programs Section in IVH
- Unknown or other
- This PI communicates the requirement to provide a pico file to receive diagnostic assistance from TAC.
- Unknown or other
- This service bulletin provides a procedure to flush and bleed power steering system to correct a power...
- This service bulletin provides information for dealers/technicians on OnStar Module 2G Sunset Information.
- Unknown or other
- Electrical system
- This service bulletin provides information for maintenance cleaning of the fuel injectors and gasoline...
- This service bulletin provides information on some vehicles that may rock or move slightly forward or...
2009 GMC Yukon fuel economy
Official EPA estimates in miles per gallon (MPGe for electric). Ranges cover trims that share the same engine.
| Engine | Drive | City | Highway | Combined |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 6.0L 8‑cyl Hybrid | RWD | 21 | 22 | 21 |
| 6.0L 8‑cyl Hybrid | 4WD | 20 | 20 | 20 |
| 5.3L 8‑cyl | RWD | 14-15 | 20-21 | 16-17 |
| 6.0L 8‑cyl | RWD | 14 | 19 | 16 |
| 5.3L 8‑cyl | 4WD | 14 | 20 | 16 |
| 4.8L 8‑cyl | RWD | 14 | 19 | 16 |
| 6.2L 8‑cyl | RWD | 12 | 19 | 15 |
| 6.2L 8‑cyl | 4WD | 12 | 19 | 14 |
What 2009 GMC Yukon owners say
Most recent owner complaints, unedited.
The dashboard cracked
Manufacturer safety recall issued -the federal safety agency #21v050 - transport canada #20591 - recall # n212328760 front passenger airbag takata inflator-priority group 6
My 2009 GMC Yukon Denali has a major safety issue. The hard plastic dash has multiple cracks, which is a huge safety concern in the case of an accident. The dash could explode inside the vehicle causing injury to me and/or other passengers. The dashboard could also interfere with the operation of the airbag due to multiple cracks being around the passenger air bag. I have reached out to GM customer service twice and both time they advised me that a manager will reach out to me but they never did. I’m hoping this report will make GM accountable for the vehicle defect they made and pay to fix/repair the dash.
Cracks in dashboard including crack up to passenger airbag. Truck has been garage kept since new,
I was driving around 55 miles per hour and applied the brakes. I had little to no brakes and had to use the emergency brake to stop the vehicle. Luckily there was no car in front of me or a collision would have occurred. I had multiple ABS light, service stabiltrak, service brake lights engage. It happened once more going to the next light. I pulled over and removed the negative battery cable and waited 2 minutes and re attached it. The brakes feel spongy. I have researched the forums for the electric hybrid models and there were multiple other vehicles with the same symptoms as mine. Dealership says there are no recalls for the vehicle, even though multiple other hybrids are having the same issues and wanted to charge me $135 diagnostic fee to check the brake system. This is a safety hazard and should be investigated by GMC
Since I've owned the hybrid yukon, I've had nothing but issues. GMC only made a limited amount of the hybrid models but due to the issues discontinued manufacturing them. why weren't the vehicles taken off the market? started with the jolting from a stop, to not wanting to go into reverse, check engine light, to hybrid battery not shifting into gear, last power steering locked while driving then not starting at all. had sat at the dealership for 4 weeks now sitting at another hybrid shop awaiting for the inverter converter control to be delivered and put in. have spent thousands in the last 2 months repairing trying to figure out issues.
Takata recall. The contact owns a 2009 GMC Yukon. The contact received notification of the federal safety agency Campaign Number: 21V052000 (Air Bags). The dealer had been notified on multiple occasions about the recall; however, the contact was informed by the dealer that the parts were not yet available. The manufacturer had been notified of the recall. The contact stated that the manufacturer had exceeded a reasonable amount of time for the repair. The contact had not experienced a failure. Parts distribution disconnect.
The contact owns a 2009 GMC Yukon. The contact stated that the vehicle failed to start. The TPMS warning light was illuminated. The contact received notification of the federal safety agency Campaign Number: 21V052000 (Air Bags) however, the part to do the recall repair was unavailable. The vehicle was towed to an independent mechanic and the contact was informed that the cooling fan assembly, fuel pump, and fuel pump module needed to replaced. The vehicle was towed to the local dealer where it was diagnosed that the cooling fan assembly, fuel pump, and fuel pump module needed to replaced. The vehicle was not repaired due to parts availability. The contact stated that the manufacturer exceeded a reasonable amount of time for the recall repair. The manufacturer was notified. The failure mileage was approximately 122,000. Parts distribution disconnect.
The contact owns a 2009 GMC Yukon. The contact stated that while driving at an undisclosed speed, there was a loud tapping sound with the check engine warning light illuminated. The vehicle was taken to an independent mechanic and diagnosed as displacement on demand (DoD) due to camshaft failure, after the engine was disassembled. The vehicle was repaired. The manufacturer was made aware of the failure but informed the contact that there was no recall related to the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 145,000.
Compare the 2009 GMC Yukon
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Other model years
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Questions about the 2009 GMC Yukon
Is the 2009 GMC Yukon reliable?
Owners have filed 94 complaints about the 2009 GMC Yukon, fewer than a typical Yukon model year.
What is the 2009 GMC Yukon year score?
The 2009 GMC Yukon scores 80 out of 100 (good). The score compares it with the other model years of the GMC Yukon: 75 is a typical year, 50 means twice the usual complaints, and serious complaints and recalls lower it.
What is the most common problem with the 2009 GMC Yukon?
Airbags, with 35 complaints, typically around 90,000 miles. Next is body (15).
How many recalls does the 2009 GMC Yukon have?
5 recalls, covering air bags, electrical system and fuel system, gasoline.
Was there a recall on the 2009 GMC Yukon airbags?
Yes, 3 recalls: 21V050000, 21V052000, 21V053000. Check your VIN to see if your car still needs the free repair.
What year does the GMC Yukon have bad airbags?
The GMC Yukon model years with the most airbags complaints are 2007 (214 complaints), 2008 (96 complaints) and 2011 (79 complaints).
What gas mileage does the 2009 GMC Yukon get?
Official estimates for the 2009 GMC Yukon range from 14 to 21 mpg combined. The most efficient version (6.0L 8-cyl hybrid, RWD) gets 21 city and 22 highway.
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