FaultScore

2002 GMC Yukon XL engine problems

12 of the 114 complaints about the 2002 GMC Yukon XL are about the engine — 11% of everything reported for this model year. Half of the failures with a mileage on record happened before 71,123 miles.

D

12

Complaints

1

Crashes

0

Fires

1

Injuries

Exactly what failed

Engine AND Engine Cooling 7 58.3%
Engine 2 16.7%
Engine 2 16.7%
Cooling System 1 8.3%

Engine & Cooling across every GMC Yukon XL year

2002 12 1.8%
2004 12 1.8%
2007 11 1.6%
2015 27 4.0%
2016 28 4.2%
2017 25 3.7%
2018 15 2.2%
2019 38 5.7%
2020 27 4.0%
2021 142 21.2%
2022 114 17.0%
2023 139 20.7%
2024 53 7.9%
2025 12 1.8%
2026 16 2.4%

What owners said

Filed with NHTSA, in their own words.

at 195,000 miles Florence, SC Crash 1 injured

ENGINE

I SWERVED TO MISS A DEER AND I HIT A TREE RUNNING 47 MPH AND MY AIR BAGS DIDN'T DEPLOY AND NO ONE CAN TELL ME WHY. MY HUSBAND AND I WERE VERY LUCKY BUT WHY DIDN'T THE AIR BAGS DEPLOY? MY HUSBAND WAS OUT OF WORK FOR 5 MONTHS DUE TO TORN LIGAMENTS IN HIS SHOULDERS AND STILL HAS TO HAVE SURGERY.

NHTSA complaint #11298082 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.

at 62,700 miles Santa Anna, CA

ENGINE

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2002 GMC YUKON XL. THE CONTACT STATED WHILE DRIVING APPROXIMATELY 30 MPH, THE ENGINE STALLED WITHOUT WARNING. THE VEHICLE RESTARTED AFTER EIGHT ATTEMPTS. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO AN AUTHORIZED DEALER WHO STATED THAT THE CRANKSHAFT POSITION SENSOR WAS FAULTY. THERE WAS A RECALL ISSUED FOR THE 2001 GMC YUKON MODEL UNDER NHTSA CAMPAIGN ID NUMBER 07V521000 (ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING). THE VEHICLE WAS CURRENTLY BEING REPAIRED. THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOTIFIED OF THE DEFECT. THE APPROXIMATE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 62,700.

NHTSA complaint #10575129 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.

at 145,000 miles Binghamton, NY

ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING

BROKEN EXHAUST MANIFOLD STUDS ARE CAUSING ENVIRONMENTAL HAZARD AND MAY LEAD TO FAILED CATALYTIC CONVERTER AND OTHER ENGINE PROBLEMS. THIS IS A MANUFACTURING DEFECT THAT SHOULD BE RECALLED, AS IT RENDERS THE VEHICLE EITHER UNUSABLE OR UNABLE TO PASS ENVIRONMENTAL TESTING.

NHTSA complaint #10423891 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.

at 116,000 miles Minneapolis, MN

ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING

TL*THE CONTACT OWNS A 2002 GMC YUKON XL. WHILE DRIVING APPROXIMATELY 30 MPH, THE VEHICLE STOPPED ACCELERATING AND A BATTERY INDICATION LIGHT ILLUMINATED ON THE INSTRUMENT PANEL. THE VEHICLE STALLED AND WHEN IT WAS RESTARTED, THE FAILURE OCCURRED AGAIN. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO A LOCAL REPAIR SHOP WHERE THE CONTACT WAS INFORMED THAT THE CRANKSHAFT POSITION SENSOR NEEDED TO BE REPLACED. THE VEHICLE WAS BEING REPAIRED. THE CURRENT AND FAILURE MILEAGES WERE APPROXIMATELY 116,000.

NHTSA complaint #10367093 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.

at 89,000 miles Cincinnati, OH

ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING:ENGINE

ENGINE SHUTS DOWN WHILE DRIVING: I HAVE A YUKON XL 2002. OVER THE PAST 6 MONTHS THE ENGINE WOULD SUDDENLY SHUT DOWN WHILE THE CAR IS BEING DRIVEN. IT HAS OCCURRED AT HIGH SPEED AND AT LOW SPEED. I HAVE TAKEN IT BACK TO THE DEALER NO LESS THAN 5 TIMES AND THE PROBLEM PERSISTS. THIS REPRESENTS A MAJOR DANGER AS WHILE ON THE HIGHWAY, WHEN THE ENGINE SHUTS DOWN THE CAR BECOMES DIFFICULT TO MANEUVER AND MOVING OUT OF THE HIGHWAY TRAFFIC HAS BEEN EACH TIME EXTREMELY DANGEROUS TO ME AND TO OTHER DRIVERS.

NHTSA complaint #10327021 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.

at 70,000 miles Placentia, CA

ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING

TL*THE CONTACT OWNS A 2002 GMC YUKON XL. ON SIX SEPARATE OCCASIONS, WHILE DRIVING AT ANY SPEED, THE VEHICLE COMPLETELY SHUT OFF AND WOULD NOT RESTART IMMEDIATELY. THE VEHICLE WOULD SHUT OFF WHILE ACCELERATING FROM A TRAFFIC LIGHT OR STOP SIGN, AND WOULD NOT RESTART IMMEDIATELY. THE VEHICLE FAILED TO START ON A FEW OCCASIONS WHILE IN PARK. NHTSA CAMPAIGN ID NUMBER 07V521000 (ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING) IS IDENTICAL TO THE FAILURE THE CONTACT IS EXPERIENCING. THE CURRENT MILEAGE WAS 76,000 AND FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 70,000. UPDATED 11/12/08. *LJ UPDATED 11/14/08.

NHTSA complaint #10245579 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.

at 14,523 miles Corona, CA

ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING

TL*THE CONTACT OWNS A 2002 GMC YUKON XL. THE CONTACT STATED THAT THE VEHICLE WOULD NOT START. IN ADDITION, THE VEHICLE WOULD STALL INTERMITTENTLY WHILE DRIVING AT VARIOUS SPEEDS. THE ENGINE WOULD COMPLETELY SHUT OFF. OCCASIONALLY, THE VEHICLE WOULD IMMEDIATELY RESTART, BUT OTHER TIMES, IT WOULD TAKE A WHILE. THERE WERE NO WARNING INDICATORS PRIOR TO THE FAILURE. THE VEHICLE STALLED THE MOST DURING DECELERATION. THE VEHICLE WAS TOWED ONCE AND THE DEALER MADE SEVERAL ATTEMPTS TO CORRECT THE FAILURE, BUT HAS BEEN UNSUCCESSFUL. THE CURRENT MILEAGE WAS 54,409 AND FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 14,523. UPDATED 04/29/08. *LJ THE CONSUMER STATED THE CRANKSHAFT POSITION SENSOR WAS REPLACED. THE CONSUMER STATED THERE HAVE BEEN NO FURTHER PROBLEMS. UPDATED

NHTSA complaint #10214444 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.

at 71,123 miles Okeana, OH

ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING:ENGINE

MY GMC YUKON 2500 WITH THE 8.1L STALLS WHILE DRIVING. THIS IS UNEXPLAINABLE AND UNREPEATABLE. THIS HAS OCCURRED PROBABLY 6 OR 7 TIMES AND IS A REAL DANGER AS YOU LOOSE POWER STEERING AND BRAKES. I BELIEVE IT IS THE CAM POSITIONING SENSOR. WHAT IS MY RECOURSE TO HAVE FIXED BY MANUFACTURER.

NHTSA complaint #10207896 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.

Lufkin, TX

ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING

CAR STALLS WHILE TRAVELING DOWN HIGHWAY, OCCURS AT LEAST ONCE ON EACH TRIP. TIME OF OCCURRENCE IS BETWEEN 3 AND 30 MILES. SEVERAL TIMES IT HAS STALLED AND WOULD NOT RESTART WHILE IN MOTION, THOSE TIME TOOK SEVERAL MINUTES TO FIVE MINUTES TO GET IT RESTARTED. PROBLEM STARTED SIX MONTHS AGO AND HAS PROCEEDED GETTING WORSE. HAS BEEN SERVICED BY DEALERSHIP 5 TIMES SINCE FIRST TIME. THEY HAVE REPLACED SEVERAL ITEMS THAT HAVE NOT CORRECTED THE PROBLEM. WE HAVE HAD SEVERAL NEAR REAR END CRASHES AND SCARY MOMENTS WHEN ON THE INSIDE LANE OF AN INTERSTATE PULLING A 16 FT TRAILER.

NHTSA complaint #10187070 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.

at 135,000 miles Herrin, IL

ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING

DT*: THE CONTACT STATED WHILE TRAVELING 75 MPH, THE VEHICLE STALLED WITHOUT WARNING. THE VEHICLE RESTARTED AND THE MANUFACTURER WAS ALERTED. UPDATED 11/9/2006 - THE VEHICLE STALLED THREE TIMES IN ONE DAY AND ANOTHER TIME ABOUT 16 MONTHS AGO. THE CONSUMER WAS TOLD BY A SERVICE MANAGER THAT THE PROBLEM WAS WITH A COMPUTER RING IN THE KEY SWITCH ASSEMBLY.

NHTSA complaint #10170930 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.

at 57,800 miles Memphis, TN

ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING

ORIGINAL PROBLEM: MY 2002 YUKON XL WAS RUNNING POORLY WHEN THE WEATHER TURNED COLD - BELOW 30 DEGREES. PROBLEM DIAGNOSED AS FAULTY INTAKE GASKETS DUE TO IMPROPER DESIGN. SECOND PROBLEM: IT BECAME HARD TO START, AND A COUPLE OF DAYS LATER, IT WOULD NOT START AT ALL. PROBLEM DIAGNOSED AS FAULTY FUEL PUMP. BOTH PROBLEMS ARE BECAUSE THEY WERE DESIGNED FOR USE WITH ETHANOL OR UNLEADED GAS. I ONLY USE UNLEADED (NEVER HAVE SEEN A STATION THAT SELLS ETHANOL). IF YOUR GM VEHICLE HAS A 5.3L V8 ENGINE, AND THE VIN HAS A Z IN THE 8TH POSITION, BE AWARE THAT THIS MIGHT HAPPEN TO YOUR VEHICLE. IF NOT UNDER WARRANTY, IT IS VERY COSTLY! THE GASKETS AND THE FUEL PUMP ALONE COST OVER $630. LABOR OVER $500.

NHTSA complaint #10151625 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.

at 15,481 miles Jacksonville, FL

ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING:COOLING SYSTEM

DT: THE CONSUMER BELIEVES THAT THERE ARE ELECTRICAL PROBLEMS WITH THE GMC. THE WATER PUMP WAS OUT, THE RADIO HAS QUIT WORKING 5 TIMES, AND HAS BEEN REPLACED 4 TIMES, THE WINDOWS ON THE PASSENGER QUIT, AND THE REGULATOR WAS REPLACED 4 TIMES. THIS HAS HAPPENED AT 35,000 MILES.

NHTSA complaint #10123770 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.

Other 2002 GMC Yukon XL problems

← Full 2002 GMC Yukon XL report