As I was driving, the vehicle's air conditioning suddenly began blowing warm/hot air. Moments later, the check engine light and all electronic service stability lights illuminated on the dashboard. Simultaneously, the vehicle suffered a complete loss of electronic brake assist, resulting in an extremely hard brake pedal and a severe reduction in braking power. The vehicle also displayed a "No Drive Mode Available" message. Third-party diagnostic scanning revealed network power codes U3018, U3505, P00FF, and P0700, indicating a total loss of power to the Body Control Module (BCM). This is the second life-threatening incident with this vehicle I have experienced following a previous highway engine stall due to engine recall. The vehicle was towed to a GM dealership for diagnostic and emergency electrical repairs.
GMC Yukon spongy pedal problems
20 of the 5,036 owner complaints about the GMC Yukon describe soft or spongy brake pedal, most of them for the 1997 model year.
- owner complaints
- 20
- worst model year
- 1997
- typical mileage
- 60,000
By model year
- 20231
- 20211
- 20173
- 20162
- 20152
- 20091
- 20041
- 20032
- 20021
- 20011
- 19973
- 19951
- 19941
Often reported together
Brake failure 5ABS 5Check engine light 2Wipers 1Transmission failure 1Stalling 1Loss of power 1
Trouble codes mentioned
U3505 1U3018 1P0700 1P00FF 1
What owners say
While driving in approximately 10°F weather after the vehicle had been parked outside overnight during snowfall in Chicago, the vehicle displayed a warning that said “Do Not Drive — Maximum Speed 43 MPH.” At the same time, the brake pedal became extremely hard and the vehicle had significantly reduced braking ability, requiring much longer stopping distance. This occurred without any brake warning lights beforehand. After the vehicle warmed up and was restarted, the message eventually cleared but then there was a new transmission warning and the check engine light went on. After driving for a long commute, eventually all warnings disappeared. I personally know another 2023 Yukon owner who experienced the exact same message and braking loss under similarly cold conditions, which suggests this may be a broader safety issue affecting this model year. Because this involved a sudden safety-system activation combined with temporary brake loss, there was a real risk of being unable to stop the vehicle safely or avoid a collision. My vehicle is within the year range of GM’s brake-system software recall N242447990 (eBCM brake fluid loss detection issue), and it is unclear whether my case is related, but the symptoms point to a potential systemic braking or electronic brake control problem in the 2023 Yukon. This issue warrants investigation due to the combination of: • Hard brake pedal • Reduced braking performance • Speed-limiting safety warning • No prior diagnostic warning • Occurrence in very cold temperatures A sudden loss of braking ability is a serious safety defect.
Driving down the highway and brake pedal became hard to push down almost causing us to wreck. Keep seeing there was a recall for the brake vacuum pump and also brake assist warning came on. Also when driving low speed like in parking lot it takes a while for vehicle to come to a complete stop
service brake assist light, needed to press brake pedal harder to stop, a ticking noise coming from engine compartment.
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
The contact owns a 2016 GMC Yukon. The contact stated that while driving at approximately 70 mph, the brake pedal was hard to depress and the brake pedal traveled to the floorboard. The contact mentioned that the brake pedal needed to be pumped in order for the vehicle to be operated. In addition, the contact stated the vehicle failed to stop immediately. The vehicle was taken to a dealer where it was diagnosed that the brake line needed to be flushed. The vehicle was repaired however, the failure persisted. The vehicle was taken to an independent mechanic where the failure was undetermined. The contact mentioned while the mechanic was reversing the vehicle the brakes failed to operate causing the vehicle to crash into a person and a vehicle. The contact stated that the lady sustained multiple injuries that needed medical attention. A police report was filed. The vehicle was towed to the dealer where it was diagnosed that the brake vacuum pump needed to be replaced. The vehicle was repaired but the failure recurred. The vehicle was taken back to the same dealer where they informed the contact that the failure was unable to be duplicated. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was notified of the failure. The approximate failure mileage 54,000.
Low speeds the brakes fail , when pressing on brakes you get a hard brake pedal with no brakes .
Pulling into parking spot low speed braking power was lost.. Hard brake pedal.
My husband and I were driving on the highway at 70 MPH when he needed to slow down and noticed the brakes on the yukon were not functioning properly. More specifically, the brakes would not function the first 3-4 times when they were applied or tapped, but thereafter the brakes would become hard and he had to depress the brake pedal as hard as he could but with little to no stopping ability. The 'brake assist' light came on. Had we been in any traffic or on a shorter road, we would have surely crashed into someone and it could have been catastrophic considering we live in dallas where there is a lot of traffic. This day we were very lucky! Gm had issued a service bulletin #pit5361b which affected multiple years and classes of vehicles to include the 2015 yukon. Gm acknowledged that 'a customer may comment on a hard brake pedal or that increased effort is needed to depress the brake pedal.' as evidence of the defect, gm notified its dealers, 'while performing normal diagnostics, fluid may be found in the brake booster and/or the booster vacuum line.' however, we called multiple dealerships within the dfw area and they all denied knowing any issue with gm brakes failing or the vacuum pump. Interestingly, there is a class action lawsuit on this very issue and gm also issued a series of service bulletins to its dealers regarding the brake defect, with the latest bulletin dated march 15, 2017, to include the 2015-2016 yukon. Ours is just a 2017, 1 year outside of that. Who is to say this year isn't affected considering past history of the bulletins. It was thanksgiving holiday and no dealership could even get to it besides not knowing of any 'issue', even though it's all over the internet.
Tl* the contact owns a 2015 gmc yukon. While driving approximately 5 MPH, the brake pedal stiffened and the vehicle did not stop when the pedal was depressed. There were no warning indicators illuminated. The contact used the emergency brake to stop the vehicle. The vehicle was taken to keyes woodland hills buick gmc (6133 topanga canyon blvd, woodland hills, ca 91367) where it was diagnosed that the vacuum pump failed and damaged the entire braking system. The technician replaced the vacuum pump and the entire braking system. The manufacturer was made aware of the failure and stated that there was no recall. The failure mileage was 40,500.
Related recalls
Service brakes, hydraulic: power assist: electric: control module: software
- What is wrong
- General Motors, LLC (GM) is recalling certain 2023 Chevrolet Silverado 1500, GMC Sierra 1500, 2023-2024 Chevrolet Tahoe, Suburban, GMC Yukon, Yukon XL, Cadillac Escalade, and Escalade ESV vehicles. The electronic brake control module software may fail to display a warning light when a loss of brake fluid occurs. As such, these vehicles fail to comply with the requirements of Federal Vehicle Safety Standard number 135, "Light Vehicle Brake Systems."
- Risk
- Without a warning light, the vehicle may be driven with low brake fluid, which can reduce braking performance and increase the risk of a crash.
- Remedy
- The Electronic Brake Control Module (eBCM) software will be updated through an over-the-air (OTA) update or by a dealer, free of charge. Owner notification letters were mailed October 25, 2024. Owners can contact GMC customer service at 1‑800‑462‑8782, Chevrolet customer service at 1‑800‑222‑1020, or Cadillac customer service at 1‑800‑458‑8006. GM's number for this recall is N242447990.
Recall number 24V674000 · Recall details
Service brakes, hydraulic: power assist: electric: control module: software
- What is wrong
- General Motors, LLC (GM) is recalling certain 2021 Chevrolet Tahoe and GMC Yukon vehicles. Dealer service technicians may have calibrated the brake system incorrectly, affecting Electronic Stability Control (ESC) , traction control, Anti-Lock Brake System (ABS), and braking while towing a trailer.
- Risk
- Overall braking performance may be compromised, increasing the risk of a crash.
- Remedy
- Dealers will recalibrate the brake system control module, free of charge. Owner notification letters were mailed on August 27, 2021. Owners may contact Chevrolet customer service at 1‑800‑222‑1202; GMC customer service at 1‑800‑462‑8782. GM's number for this recall is N212340970.
Recall number 21V579000 · Recall details
Service brakes, hydraulic: power assist: vacuum
- What is wrong
- General Motors LLC (GM) is recalling certain 2018 Cadillac Escalade, Chevrolet Silverado 1500 and Tahoe, GMC Sierra 1500 and Yukon vehicles equipped with either a 5.3L or 6.2L V8 engine. The output of the mechanical vacuum pump can decrease over time, decreasing the amount of vacuum/power brake assist.
- Risk
- A decrease in brake assist can increase the brake pedal effort and distance required to stop the vehicle, increasing the risk of a crash.
- Remedy
- GM will notify owners, and dealers will reprogram the Electronic Brake Control Module, free of charge. The recall began November 11, 2020. Owners may contact GM customer service at 1‑866‑522‑9559, Cadillac customer service at 1‑800‑458‑8006 or Chevrolet customer service at 1‑800‑630‑2438. GM's number for this recall is N202300860.
Recall number 20V603000 · Recall details
Service brakes, hydraulic: power assist: vacuum
- What is wrong
- General Motors LLC (GM) is recalling certain 2015-2017 Cadillac Escalade, 2014-2018 Chevrolet Silverado, GMC Sierra, 2015-2018 Chevrolet Suburban, Tahoe, GMC Yukon vehicles. The amount of vacuum created by the vacuum pump may decrease over time.
- Risk
- As the vacuum level drops, the brake assist decreases, increasing braking effort, extending the distance required to stop the vehicle, thereby increasing the risk of a crash.
- Remedy
- GM will notify owners, and dealers will reprogram the Electronic Brake Control Module, free of charge. The recall began October 8, 2019. Owners may contact Chevrolet customer service at 1‑800‑630‑2438, Cadillac customer service at 1‑800‑458‑8006 or GMC customer service at 1‑800‑462‑8782. GM's number for this recall is N192268490.
Recall number 19V645000 · Recall details
Service brakes, hydraulic
- What is wrong
- General Motors is recalling certain model year 2014 Chevrolet Suburban vehicles manufactured July 9, 2013, through July 22, 2013; and 2014 Chevrolet Tahoe vehicles manufactured July 16, 2013, through July 23, 2013; and model year 2014 GMC Yukon vehicles manufactured July 13, 2013, through July 18, 2013; and model year 2014 GMC Yukon XL vehicles manufactured on July 22, 2013. The rear brake caliper bolts may not be fully tightened. Thus, these vehicles fail to conform to the requirements of Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standard (FMVSS) No. 135, "Light Vehicle Brake Systems."
- Risk
- Loose caliper bolts may cause reduced braking performance and result in lengthened stopping distances, increasing the risk of a crash.
- Remedy
- GM will notify owners, and dealers will inspect the bolts on both rear brake caliper brackets. Any bolts found loose will be replaced and tightened. This service will be performed, at no charge. Owners may contact Chevrolet at 1‑800‑222‑1020 and GMC at 1‑800‑462‑8782. GM's recall number is 13247.
Recall number 13V342000 · Recall details
Service brakes, hydraulic: antilock/traction control/electronic limited slip
- What is wrong
- Certain pickup trucks and sport utility vehicles may experience unwanted antilock brake system (ABS) activation. This condition is more likely to occur in environmentally corrosive areas. This recall will be launched in the "salt belt" states of connecticut, delaware, illinois, indiana, iowa, maryland, massachusetts, maine, michigan, minnesota, missouri, new hampshire, new jersey, new york, ohio, pennsylvania, rhode island, vermont, west virginia, wisconsin and the district of columbia only.
- Risk
- This can cause increased stopping distances during low-speed brake applications, which could result in a crash.
- Remedy
- Dealers are to remove the wheel speed sensor and thoroughly clean the wheel speed sensor mounting surface on the bearing, apply rust inhibitor to the cleaned surface, grease the mounting surface, reinstall the wheel speed sensor, and check the peak-to-peak output voltage to ensure the wheel speed signal is within specifications. The recall began september 22, 2005. Owners may contact chevrolet at 1‑800‑630‑2438 or gmc at 1‑866‑996‑9463.
Recall number 05V379000 · Recall details
Service brakes, hydraulic: pedals and linkages
- What is wrong
- On certain sport utility vehicles, the brake pedal pushrod retainer may be missing. If the retainer is missing, the brake booster pushrod could disengage from the brake pedal.
- Risk
- This could result in a loss of brakes which could result in a crash.
- Remedy
- Dealers will inspect the vehicles for the brake pedal pushrod retainer and install one if it is missing free of charge. The manufacturer began contacting owners by telephone on march 10, 2005. Owners may contact chevrolet at 1‑800‑630‑2438 or gmc at 1‑866‑996‑9463.
Recall number 05V103000 · Recall details
Service brakes, hydraulic
- What is wrong
- Certain sport utility vehicles, pickup trucks, and passenger vans fail to comply with the requirements of federal motor vehicle safety standard no. 135, ?passenger car brake systems.? Some of these vehicles were produced with an out-of-specification brake hydro-boost housing relief valve bore.
- Risk
- Consequently, the valve o-ring seal may fracture. Steering efforts may be slightly increased while braking or parking. Under certain driving conditions, a fractured seal may require a slight increase in the applied brake pedal effort to achieve the same vehicle deceleration rate as prior to the seat fracture.
- Remedy
- Dealers are to replace the hydro-boost relief valve. The recall began on june 18, 2004. Owners should contact cadillac at 1‑866‑982‑2339; chevrolet at 1‑800‑630‑2438; gmc at 1‑866‑996‑9463; or hummer at 1‑866‑486‑6376.
Recall number 04V045000 · Recall details
Service brakes, hydraulic: foundation components: hoses, lines/piping, and fittings
- What is wrong
- Vehicle description: light duty pickup trucks and sport utility vehicles. Some of these vehicles have a clearance condition between the front right-hand brake pipe and the body cross sill that could decrease to the point of allowing contact during the life of the vehicle. If contact occurs and the brake pipe becomes damaged, in half of the brake system there can be a loss of brake fluid and pressure. The brake warning lamp will be activated when the brake fluid level reaches the indicator limit.
- Risk
- During braking, the pedal will be lower than normal and stopping distances will be longer. If this occurs when stopping distance is limited, a crash could occur.
- Remedy
- Dealers will inspect the front right-hand brake pipe for wear. If there are signs of wear, this section of the brake pipe will be replaced with a new designed brake pipe section. If there are not signs of wear on the brake pipe, the dealer will install a spacer clip to ensure sufficient clearance between the brake pipe and the body cross sill.
Recall number 00V345000 · Recall details
Service brakes, hydraulic: foundation components: disc: rotor
- What is wrong
- Vehicle description: light duty pickup trucks and multi-purpose passenger vehicles. One or both front brake rotor/hubs were built with an out-of-specification gray iron that can fail during the life of the vehicle.
- Risk
- If a driver continues to drive with a cracked rotor, the cracks could continue around the wheel mounting bolt circle and ultimately result in a wheel separation.
- Remedy
- Dealers will inspect the rotors for a core date of "287" and, if found, replace the rotor.
Recall number 98V033000 · Recall details
Questions about the GMC Yukon spongy pedal
Which GMC Yukon years have soft or spongy brake pedal problems?
The model years with the most reports are 1997 (3 complaints), 2017 (3 complaints) and 2003 (2 complaints).
VIN decoder
See the problems and recalls for an exact car
Buying a used GMC Yukon?
Check the exact car before you pay: accidents, salvage or flood titles, odometer readings and previous owners.
Check its history