My brother and I were on our way home from Phoenix to Las Vegas, driving about 70 mph when my 2022 GMC Yukon Denali suddenly shifted into neutral. We pulled over and had to restart the vehicle. We started driving again and a few minutes later the car shifted into neutral for the second time. We pulled over, restarted the car, drove for about a minute and it happened a third time. There was complete loss of control of the vehicle, thus we had no choice but to pull over again. The vehicle completely seized up and would not start again. The car issued a warning stating, “hot oil temperature.” It then issued another warning, stating “low battery,” though all the lights and power were working. The car issued available for inspection at Liberty GMC in Phoenix where I had to have it towed by my AAA. We then had to rent a U-Haul to retrieve the items stuck in the back of my car, which was our reason for the trip in the first place. This situation put us in a dangerous and very unsafe position, as it was dark outside and we had no choice but to maneuver to the side of the road quickly, as cars were flying by on the highway. The engine failure has been confirmed by Liberty GMC, where the car is still sitting and awaiting engine replacement. The vehicle has only been inspected by GMC service at Liberty GMC, to my knowledge. There were no warnings prior to failure. The warnings I mentioned above only happened after the fact.
GMC Yukon warning lights comes on
20 of the 5,032 owner complaints about the GMC Yukon describe multiple warning lights, most of them for the 2021 model year.
- owner complaints
- 20
- worst model year
- 2021
- typical mileage
- 42,000
By model year
- 20261
- 20251
- 20241
- 20231
- 20221
- 20217
- 20163
- 20152
- 20071
- 20061
- 20031
Often reported together
Engine failure 6Check engine light 3Brake failure 3Whining noise 2Loss of power 2Knocking 2Won't start 1Stalling 1
What owners say
The contact owns a 2026 GMC Yukon. The contact stated that while driving at 65 MPH the engine seized. All the warning lights illuminated after the failure. The vehicle was towed to the local dealer, where it was diagnosed that an engine replacement was needed. The vehicle was not repaired due to the part being backordered. The manufacturer was not contacted. The failure mileage was approximately 10,000.
Brakes failed to engage. Many lights lit up on dashboard and warning not to exceed 35 mph. It was determined this was due to a faulty brake system control module.
The contact owns a 2021 GMC Yukon. The contact stated that while shifted into drive(D), the accelerator pedal was depressed, and the vehicle lost motive power, and several unknown warning lights were illuminated. The contact stated that the check engine, stability control, and several other warning lights were illuminated. The contact stated that the vehicle was making abnormal whining sounds, and the vehicle failed to accelerate above 20 MPH. The contact had been experiencing the loss of motive power with the vehicle for approximately 2 years; however, the failure was intermittent. The contact had taken the vehicle to a local dealer on several occasions; however, the failure persisted. The contact notification of the federal safety agency Campaign Number: 25V274000 (Engine and Engine Cooling); and the vehicle was taken to a local dealer for the engine to be tested. The contact was advised by the dealer that the engine had passed the test, and a higher viscosity oil was added, and the oil filter and oil filler tube were replaced, along with updating the manual. The vehicle was repaired; however, it was still experiencing a loss of power with several warning lights illuminated. The manufacturer was made aware of the failures. The failure mileage was approximately 42,000.
traction control system ESC system Suddenly and without warning, multiple warning lights started flashing including check engine. The vehicle lost power and traction. There was a loud knocking and metallic whining sound. The vehicle began to vibrate and struggled to move forward and felt like the wheels were slipping. The loss of these functions was alarming because it was dark, we were in a construction zone, and my 15-year old daughter was driving having recently earned her driver's permit. The car following us almost rear ended us. It was such an abrupt engine failure it scared me and my daughter.
While traveling on the interstate at 10:30p, 6 hours into a highway trip, the vehicle shuttered violently and lost propulsion and powered systems control. We were traveling at 75 mph on cruise control and immediately had to take evasive action to avoid other vehicles traveling at highway speed as our vehicle rapidly decelerated to a stop. We were barely able to get to the shoulder of the highway before the vehicle came to a complete stop and all dashboard lights illuminated. There was no warning or indication of immanent failure or engine issue. The catastrophic engine failure did not allow for the attempted restart. After opening the engine bay we noted that the coolant reservoir was empty but there was no indication of any leaking fluid in the engine bay or on the ground. The coolant levels were normal at the trip start. We were stranded on the side of the busy interstate for approximately 2 hours awaiting OnStar assistance and were forced to exit the vehicle due to its proximity to the edge of an active lane, leaving us exposed and without any protection for 2 hours, in the middle of the night, until assistance arrived. It was a harrowing experience and we are lucky that we were not injured or killed. The vehicle could not be disengaged from park and had to be dragged onto the flatbed. It was taken to the local GMC dealership and left for diagnosis. It was determined that the #2 piston rod broke, smashed valves and sent metal into all engine systems. Bothe the engine and coolant system were replaced. In addition, the torque converter locked up and had to be removed during servicing. All parts were retained by GM.
ESC light came on, knocking noise started, blinking engine light, car started lagging. I was just getting onto freeway and my slow speed could have caused an accident. I have taken it to Lithia Cheverolet of Redding where they diagnosed it. All the warning lights came on as the problems happen all at once. This is message from the dealer/service center: Update: REMOVED CYLINDER HEAD AND INSPECTED CAMSHFT AND FOUND DAMAGE ON THE CYLINDER 8 LOBE.
The contact's wife owns a 2024 GMC Yukon. The contact stated that while driving at 80 MPH, several warning lights flashed on the instrument panel as the engine shut off. The vehicle's speed abruptly decelerated as the contact was nearly hit by an 18-wheeler traveling close behind the vehicle. The contact managed to coast the vehicle as best as possible off to the shoulder of the highway. The vehicle was towed to a dealer and a diagnostic was performed which showed that the engine had failed. The contact stated that both he and his son suffered emotional trauma as a result of the sudden failure; however, neither has yet to seek medical treatment. The manufacturer was notified of the failure and the contact was offered a new engine despite the contact's request for a vehicle buyback. The contact stated that he did not feel safe driving the vehicle and feared for both his and his family's life as a result of the failure. The vehicle remained in the possession of the dealer and was not repaired. The failure mileage was approximately 22,000. The VIN was not available.
I was driving my car monday and I almost crash with the car in front of me the brakes doesnt work and then in the panel start lights of the engine the supension light and sigh saying brake asistant, the car is park because the brakes and I look for recalls and I call gmc and they says that I dont have any recall but I almost die monday because the vacum pump for the brakes fail and all the lights in the pannel start light up.
I bought a brand new Yukon Denali in 2021. In 2022 at 12,000 miles, the car was riding extremely rough. It was diagnosed as a transmission issue and the transmission was rebuilt after 90 days in the service department at a GMC dealer. Later in 2022, I started getting low oil lights on the dash. The car was brought back to GMC and I was told that there aren't any leaks evident so nothing was done. This happened repeatedly over the last 2 years, at multiple GMC service departments. No leaks, nothing to see here. Last week, the car started shaking violently while driving, with multiple warning lights appearing on the dash. Finally the car just died and I had it towed to yet another GMC dealership. This time I was told that the bearings, piston rings and lifters were all to blame and the car needed a new engine. Of course, now the car is out of warranty. GMC needs to remedy the engine issues in the 2021 models. There are MANY reports of this happening with this engine.
Related recalls
Electrical system: ignition
- What is wrong
- General Motors LLC (GM) is recalling certain model year 2011-2012 Cadillac Escalade, Escalade ESV, Escalade EXT, Chevrolet Avalanche, Silverado HD, Silverado LD, Suburban, Tahoe, GMC Sierra LD, Sierra HD, Yukon, and Yukon XL vehicles. In the affected vehicles, the ignition lock actuator may bind, making turning the key difficult or causing the ignition to get stuck in the "Start" position.
- Risk
- If stuck in the "Start" position, the ignition may suddenly snap back into the "Accessory" position, causing a loss of engine, steering, and braking power, increasing the risk of a vehicle crash. If the vehicle is in a crash, the air bags may not deploy, increasing the risk of occupant injury.
- Remedy
- GM will notify owners, and dealers will inspect and replace the ignition lock housing, as necessary, free of charge. The recall began on February 12, 2015. Owners may contact GM customer service at 1‑800‑458‑8006 (Cadillac), 1‑800‑222‑1020 (Chevrolet), or 1‑800‑462‑8782 (GMC). GM's number for this recall is 14696 for the original equipment, and 14912 for the service replacement parts.
Recall number 14V827000 · Recall details
Electrical system
- What is wrong
- General Motors LLC (GM) is recalling certain model year 2013-2014 Cadillac CTS, Escalade, Escalade ESV, Chevrolet Suburban, Tahoe, GMC Yukon, and Yukon XL, and 2014 Buick Enclave, Chevrolet Express, Impala, Silverado HD, Traverse, GMC Acadia, Savana, and Sierra HD vehicles. In the affected vehicles, the chassis electronic module may be internally contaminated, resulting in an electrical short.
- Risk
- If the module experiences an electrical short, the vehicle could stall, increasing the risk of a crash.
- Remedy
- GM will notify owners, and dealers will replace the chassis electronic module, free of charge. The recall began on December 26, 2014. Owners may contact GM customer service at 1‑800‑521‑7300 (Buick), 1-800-458-006 (Cadillac), 1‑800‑222‑1020 (Chevrolet), and 1‑800‑462‑8782 (GMC). GMs number for this recall is 14515.
Recall number 14V614000 · 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
Electrical system
- What is wrong
- Gm is recalling 857,735 my 2006-2008 buick lucerne; cadillac dts; hummer h2; my 2007-2008 cadillac escalade, escalade esv, escalade ext; chevrolet avalanche, silverado, suburban, tahoe; gmc acadia, sierra, yukon, yukon xl, saturn outlook; and my 2008 buick enclave vehicles equipped with a heated wiper washer fluid system. A short circuit on the printed circuit board for the washer fluid heater may overheat the control-circuit ground wire.
- Risk
- This may cause other electrical features to malfunction, create an odor, or cause smoke increasing the risk of a fire.
- Remedy
- Dealers will install a wire harness with an in-line fuse free of charge. The recall began on september 12, 2008. Owners may contact buick at 1‑866‑608‑8080; cadillac at 1‑800‑982‑2339 or http://www.cadillac.com; chevrolet at 1‑800‑630‑2438; saturn at 1‑800‑972‑8876 or http://www.saturn.com, gmc at 1‑866‑996‑9436; or hummer at 1‑800‑732‑5493; or through their website at http://www.gmownercenter.com .
Recall number 08V441000 · Recall details
Questions about the GMC Yukon warning lights
Why does the warning lights come on in the GMC Yukon?
Owners who report it most often also describe engine failure, check engine light and brake failure.
Which GMC Yukon years have multiple warning lights problems?
The model years with the most reports are 2021 (7 complaints), 2016 (3 complaints) and 2015 (2 complaints).
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