While my husband was driving me and our 2 kids getting off of the highway, we experienced catastrophic engine failure. The engine just shut off with NO warning. It went in to Neutral and then park and shut off and would not turn back on. We were stranded on the side of the road in the dark while it was raining. We waited on an active roadway for 1 hour for a tow to come. It was towed to the dealership. The dealership reported that the engine is blown and that they ordered a replacement. I have a case open with GM who has confirmed the engine replacement is under warranty but what is to say this won’t happen again with the new engine ? The vehicle is not safe.
2023 GMC Yukon engine complaints
Page 3 of 7: complaints 41 to 70 of 174, newest first, as owners wrote them.
The contact owns a 2023 GMC Yukon. The contact stated that while driving approximately 70-72 MPH, the vehicle lost automotive power, and the engine seized. The engine warning light was illuminated. The vehicle was towed to the local dealer but was not diagnosed or repaired. The manufacturer was not contacted. The failure mileage was approximately 45,504.
On April 7, 2026, I was driving my 2023 GMC Yukon Denali Ultimate on the interstate at approximately 70 mph, accelerating to pass a car so I could get off on my exit. Without warning, the dashboard displayed "Engine shut off, press start button" and the engine lost power. I coasted off the interstate to the shoulder safely. I was alone in the vehicle. I thought it was a battery issue and had a coworker attempt a jump. The vehicle would not restart. I called Moses GMC of Huntington, WV, and they dispatched a tow through GMC Roadside Assistance. I waited approximately 2 hours on the shoulder for the tow. After the tow, Pete, the Moses GMC service manager, called and said nothing was wrong with the vehicle, that it only needed an oil change. He said it started right up and he drove it into the bay. Moses performed the oil change. When the technician test drove it afterward, the engine fully shut down on the hill leaving the dealership property. My husband Zach happened to drive past and saw the Yukon stopped with hazard lights on at the top of the exit. Pete called that evening and said, "I think there actually is something wrong with it." On April 10, 2026, Pete confirmed the failure is the GM 6.2L V8 L87 engine defect covered under the federal safety agency Recall 25V‑274 (connecting rod/crankshaft manufacturing defect). Full engine replacement required, estimated 6-7 weeks. This vehicle was previously inspected by Moses GMC under Recall 25V‑274 in August 2025 and cleared at that time, approximately 8 months before the April 7 shutdown. Vehicle had ~38,000 miles, garage kept, full maintenance records, no prior engine issues or warning signs. No crash, no injury, no other vehicles involved in any of the three failure events.
Loss of propulsion due to engine failure after recall repair completed.
My engine has metal flake in it and once which is a sign of engine failure. I reported it to GM they said it was a normal amount and to keep an eye on it the next day toil change. They issued a recall on the 6.2L motors and they have not on the 5.3L motors and this one is doing the same thing. I want to get ahead of the ball before my engine give out on the highway but GM is treating it like it’s not a big deal.
The brake system control module, engine control module, and vehicle stability control system have repeatedly failed across 24 months and 9 repair attempts at two authorized GMC dealerships in Tennessee. As of March 17, 2026 the vehicle has 27 active diagnostic fault codes including U160F and U1610 (brake system control module lost communication on both CAN buses), U1611 (engine control module lost communication), and C2A0A (vehicle stability control disabling inhibited). All components are available for inspection at Beaman GMC in Antioch, Tennessee where the vehicle currently remains in an undrivable condition. Safety risk: Vehicle has stalled on the highway with my family including young children in the car. Brakes have randomly engaged over 100 times with nothing around and also failed to engage when needed. Stability control is disabled. These are active safety failures confirmed by GMC's own diagnostic scans. The problems have been confirmed by both Darrell Waltrip GMC and Beaman GMC across 9 visits. GMC's own Technical Assistance Center (Case XXX) was involved and could not resolve the defects. The vehicle was returned with more active codes than at drop-off after 57 consecutive days in GMC custody. Two unresolved GMC safety recalls are open on this vehicle — L87 engine loss of propulsion (N252494003) and brake fluid leak detection failure — directly related to the reported defects. Warning codes have been present and documented since October 2023 beginning at 1,381 miles. INFORMATION REDACTED PURSUANT TO THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT (FOIA), 5 U.S.C. 552(B)(6)
Months ago I took my car to the dealer for the engine failure recall and they said there were no issues and changed the oil to a higher viscosity oil. Today I was driving and my engine failed while turning onto a busy road and took multiple tries to get started. It finally started and the engine light was flashing. The dealer told me th flashing engine light was bad and to not drive at all. I pulled over and had it towed to the dealer. The engine light stopped flashing. The dealer said they pulled a code on the computer and would look at it. They had my car for a full day so far and have said they can't find an issue. I do not feel safe having my family in this car when the engine can fail and they say nothing is wrong. I am lucky that I wasn't hit at the location it failed at.
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Was driving approximately 70 miles per hour on the highway. While driving the vehicle just stopped in the middle of the highway after going 70 miles per hour. Was unable to put car in park. Car just shut off. Four police cars had to surround car due to being stuck in the middle of the highway with my small child in the car. Took an hour to get a tow truck. Being told our engine is now completely shot.
The 6.2L motor in my GMC Yukon failed due to the camshaft and stalled me in an intersection on a highway. Had to shut the lanes down to get towed. Lost all power and couldn’t do anything but sit in the road. Just did a PICO test and it “passed” but failed 3k miles after the recall was done.
On 3/3/2026 during the night-time hours, I was traveling on the freeway in my 2023 GMC Yukon at over 65 MPH when I received a notice from the instrument cluster stating that the battery was low and oil pressure was low. Before I could pull over to a safe location, the Yukon turned off while in motion. My wife and two children were in the vehicle. The Yukon stalled in the number one lane of the off-ramp. I had to remove my children and wife from the vehicle while in the roadway on busy throughfares and in darkness. I attempted to jumpstart the Yukon, but efforts were unsuccessful. The Yukon was towed to the dealership where I purchased it purchased from. The Yukon was returned to my custody on 3/10/2026 stating it was an issue with the battery. While driving the Yukon home it began to bog down and stalled out in-front of my residence as it was being driven by my wife. After arriving home (night-time), I went to check the Yukon, and it started with no issues. I drove the Yukon to see if the errors would occur again. While driving the Yukon on the freeway, the Yukon RMPs indicated close to redline and I received a notification from the instrument cluster stating to turn the vehicle off (traveling at about 70-75 MPH). Once again, I was unable to pull off to a safe location before the Yukon turned off on its own while still in motion; I attempted to jumpstart the Yukon but attempts were unsuccessful. The Yukon was towed again to dealership. On 3/11/2026 I was advised that the engine had seized and on 3/13/2026 I was advised by GMC the engine needed to be replaced (this was covered under powertrain warranty). The approximate milage of the vehicle is at about 42,200.
My 2023 GMC Yukon Denali with the 6.2L V8 suffered a sudden loss of propulsion while traveling at approximately 70–75 mph on the highway with my wife and young daughter in the vehicle. The engine RPM dropped immediately to zero and the vehicle displayed a message instructing me to press start. I do not recall any meaningful prior warning lamps or symptoms before the failure. I did not hear a loud bang or other dramatic engine noise; the vehicle simply lost power and would not continue driving under engine power. I had to coast across lanes/shoulder to a stop, which created a serious safety risk to my family and other drivers because the vehicle lost propulsion at freeway speed without warning. After stopping, the vehicle would not restart. Pressing the start button produced only a click from under the hood and the engine would not crank. The vehicle was towed to a GMC dealership in Victorville, California. The dealer has since confirmed that the engine requires full replacement. The failure has therefore been confirmed by an authorized GMC dealer and the vehicle should be available for inspection through that dealership/manufacturer if requested. This is especially concerning because this vehicle was already part of the known GM 6.2L recall population and had supposedly passed the recall inspection/remedy before I purchased it. Despite that, the engine still failed catastrophically only about 1,355 miles into my ownership. Purchase mileage was approximately 26,343 and failure occurred at approximately 27,698 miles. Based on what the dealer told me, the failed component/system is the engine assembly.
I just survived a terrifying incident that proves the current GM 6.2L (L87) engine "recall fix" is a dangerous myth. Living with the "Ticking Time Bomb" I bought my 2023 GMC Yukon AT4 brand new, but for the last two years, I haven't truly "owned" it—it has owned me. Every long-distance trip with my family was filled with anxiety. I constantly worried that I’d be the next one stranded on the side of the road while my neighbors' and friends' 6.2L engines were seizing all around me. I traveled with fear that I’d be coming home in a rental car. The False Security of the Recall When the recall finally arrived, I thought the nightmare was over. On Sept 15, 2025, my dealer in Newburgh, NY, inspected the truck at 48,000 miles. They told me my engine "passed," switched the oil to 0W-40, and issued me a 150,000-mile extended warranty. I realized then what I know for sure now: 0W-40 oil is a band-aid, not a cure. GM used thicker oil to "cushion" a physical manufacturing defect in the crankshaft and bearings just to avoid the multi-billion dollar cost of engine replacements. They traded my family’s safety for their bottom line. The Catastrophic Failure Last Friday, March 13, 2026, the "fix" failed. I was traveling 70 mph uphill on I-84 with my **newborn baby** and two other kids in the back. Without warning, the engine seized solid. I lost all propulsion in heavy traffic and had to fight to get my children to the shoulder. We sat in the freezing cold for over an hour while traffic flew by us. An extended warranty is worthless when your engine dies in a high-speed traffic lane with an infant in the car.
On September 4, 2025, I brought my 2023 GMC Yukon Denali in for the product safety recall regarding the engine. My engine passed the recall inspection and I was given an oil change with high grade synthetic oil. This past Saturday, March 7, 2026 as I was driving in Tampa Florida with my [XXX] son, my Yukon experienced catastrophic engine failure and I lost all propulsion control. The car went into neutral and I pulled along the side of the road safely to avoid an accident. As I put my car into park, the engine shut off completely and would not turn on again. There was no clicking sound and no attempting to turn over. I contacted roadside assistance and they sent a towing company to bring my Yukon to Century Buick GMC in Tampa Florida. The symptoms of what happened are similar to those of the recall. The dealership is replacing the engine however this is a critical safety issue as my son and I could have been severely hurt and or killed. Please investigate. INFORMATION REDACTED PURSUANT TO THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT (FOIA), 5 U.S.C. 552(B)(6)
The engine failed and had to be replaced with less than 70,000 miles on it. There has already been a recall associated with these vehicles where a part is either replaced or special oil has to be used. It does not seem that the fix prevents the engine from failing.
Recall for engine 6.2L was sent may 2025 yukon was taken in for recall repair at the time there was no solution for the recall, June 2025 driving on the highway engine failed lost all control to vehicle in the middle of driving car just shut off and would not turn back on towed to dealership engine failure determined. fixed and inspected before returning the vehicle to me July 2025, now Feb 2025 engine has failed again while driving
Recall Notice for Engine - Recall Service done 12/7/2025 - completed Full Engine Failure 12/22/2025 after recall service completed - Engine Replaced and returned to us on 1/15/2026 2/20/2026 - Service Engine Light with same warning code now on Yukon with new Engine - appears as if new engine has failed
My 2023 Yukon AT4 was taken to certified GMC dealer in November 2025 for the engine recall. The dealership gave my vehicle a clean bill of health at that time and the recall repair was cleared. On Friday, 2/13/26, myself and 5 other family members were en route to my godfather's veteran funeral service in Newtown, PA. We were going 75mph in the middle lane of the PA Turnpike when the motor seized up and vehicle lost all steering control and power. Since it was the side of the turnpike, we were limited in resources and stranded, missing the funeral service due to the length of time it took to get the vehicle loaded on a tow truck. Since the vehicle was unable to release the parking brake, the tow driver(s) were struggling to tow it. My husband, ended up having to go under the vehicle (on the side of the turnpike) to disengage the parking brake to help the tow drivers. This could have been a catastrophic situation. My vehicle was taken to a different GMC dealer than the original one that did the recall check. There are no rental vehicles available, so I am too out of a vehicle necessary for my work and family, with no time frame on the repair of my engine that only has 31,000 miles on it. Â
My 2023 Yukon Denali is part of the L87 engine loss of propulsion recall. On August 28, 2025 my Yukon was inspected by Sterling McCall Buick GMC (where I purchased it) and it was deemed to have passed inspection. They changed the oil and installed a new oil fill cap and filter. On February 13, 2026 I took my Yukon to my mechanic for an oil change. Upon initiation, he advised me that he found the oil stick to be dry, no oil on the stick. There was no leak.
Post initial remedy, which included oil sand cap replacement to 0-40, as directed by the manufacturer's recall documents, and passing the PicoScope test on August 26, 2025, the vehicle lost propulsion while traveling 58 mph, in the center lane of a busy, notoriously dangerous Saeford-Oyster Bay highway. At the time, the vehicle was occupied by a 2-week-old infant, the child's mother, and a dog. Prior to the failure, there were no indications of a pending or present issue. The vehicle's engine shut off, it shifted into neutral, and upon stopping, it shifted into a parked position, where it remains to date. Subsequent to pulling the vehicle onto the shoulder, the engine failed to restart. Approximately 6 hours later, the vehicle was towed to a GMC dealer, which subsequently confirmed that the engine is seized. The dealer submitted a report to GM to remedy the condition, pursuant to the manufacturer's recall instructions, but the manufacturer is yet to approve the remedy.
While driving down the road, my 2023 Yukon 6.2L engine shut down, shifted to neutral, and a message on the screen said “press start again” leaving my family in a powerless vehicle in the middle of the road in moving traffic. There were no warning signs nor is my vehicle included in a current recall. The vehicle will be taken to the dealership tomorrow morning.
At right under 40,000 miles the engine blew. The GM dealership that repaired my car would never tell me exactly what happened, and they were very sketchy about the whole experience, but it required a complete engine replacement from GMC when the engine quit working.
2023 Yukon Denali has now broken down twice, leaving myself and my family (husband and children). This last time was on Friday 1/16/26 while we were out of town, the car began malfunction and then we had complete engine failure while drive 70mph down the highway, again, leaving my family stranded on the side of the road, on a busy highway, in an unsafe environment in the winter.
Engine Failed 1400 miles from home on 6.2L Engine - Days after getting L87 Engine Loss of Propulsion Recall Service. Recall Service Completed on 12/1/2025 - Cap and Oil Change done - Full Engine Failure on 12/22/2025. 12/1/2025 - L87 Engine Recall Service Done at GMC Dealership - Quincy IL 12/16/2025- Check Engine Light came on - went to same Dealership - Cleared it told me I was fine to drive across country 12/22/2025 - Full Engine Failure on GMC Yukon Denali
Vehicle had already "passed" the GM testing and received 0W-40 synthetic engine oil. Engine failure. Vehicle is currently at the dealership. This event put my family at risk of serious injury and possible death as the vehicle suddenly stopped working while drive on a bust street. Engine failure has been confirmed by the dealership, who have recommended installation of a new engine. There were no warning lamps on the dash at the time of the event. However, there was a loud noise immediately followed by lose of engine power.
We received a notification that our 2023 GMG Yukon Denali Ultimate engine needed to be tested as a part of a recall. We took the vehicle to our local GMC dealership. The engine was tested and determined to "pass". The "pass", we were told, meant that we did not need a new engine, just thicker oil, and that the engine was safe. Mind you, our car was a custom order, took 8 months to receive, and is not even 3 years old. The vehicle is my everyday driver. I have two kids and live in a large city with a lot of traffic. A few months after it was determined to "pass", I was driving with my kids and dog in the car. The abruptly stopped, putting itself in neutral. Luckily, I had just turned off of a major interstate and onto a side road. The car would not start or move out of neutral leaving me and my kids in the middle of the road. It now needs a new engine. Prior to this issue, the battery died a few weeks after we took delivery of the vehicle. SAFETY!!!! If this happened just a few minutes prior, I would have been on a major interstate in one of the nation's worst traffic cities. My car would have abruptly shut down absolutely risking other cars hitting my car. All of this could have been avoided if GMC recalled AND REPLACED all impacted engines. The GMC service tech admitted that they (GMC) knew it was a "band-aid" that wouldn't work. GMC is putting lives at risk. In addition, we now have a vehicle we paid more than $150k for that is virtually worthless.
Vehicle was brought in for Campaign #25V274000 (6.2liter engine failure) and passed the manufacturer's testing. The oil was changed to a heavier weight with a new filter installed. Appx 770 miles later, the engine suffered a total failure. The engine was replaced under manufacturers warranty.
Car driving down highway at ~70 MPH with wife and our three young kids. Engine spontaneously shut off while driving. Electronic and other systems continued to function (power steering, brakes, lights, screens etc). Dangerous situation but was able to stop car in shoulder. Tried turning car on and off but car would not restart. Police were notified but did not come. Tow truck came and tuck car to a GMC dealer (GMC Danvers). Next day when techs arrived at dealer, they were able to start and drive car without issue. There were no present or stored fault codes other than a warning pertaining to the battery. Battery has been replaced and GMC is stating car is now safe to drive. Because issue could not be replicated by dealer and car did not store any fault codes despite the engine shut off, we question whether the issue has been correctly identified and repaired. We noted to GMC that the issue experienced was the same issue associated with the recent recall (for which the car was previously serviced). At this time we do not believe the work GMC performed under recall properly addressed the known engine shut off issue. We requested GMC and dealer perform another picoscope test to conform no issues with crank shaft. GMC refused to perform the service, despite us offering to pay for the test out of pocket. GMC is not offering any additional solutions to identify the cause of the engine shut off issue.
Engine had a burning smell and cranking sound. It lost propulsion, no indicator lights were illuminated and the car shutdown while driving. This is a recall item. It passed the recall inspection. I also had it inspected prior to leaving for my trip 2000 miles from home. Im currently stranded and awaiting my options. This is very unsafe, the engine failed while I had no service within 50 miles. Freezing temperatures at sunset. Im being told that my towing and rental car may not be covered. GM told the dealership to do the oil repair first. They covered up the failure. I also had an issue with electrical items after the purchase and that issue is why my alert lights never came on even when the vehicle was Inoperable.
Engine siezed total engine failure at 31095 miles
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