FaultScore

2004 GMC Yukon XL engine problems

12 of the 118 complaints about the 2004 GMC Yukon XL are about the engine — 10% of everything reported for this model year. Half of the failures with a mileage on record happened before 21,852 miles.

C

12

Complaints

1

Crashes

0

Fires

0

Injuries

Exactly what failed

Engine AND Engine Cooling 4 33.3%
Engine 3 25.0%
Engine 2 16.7%
Manifold/Header/Muffler/Tail Pipe 1 8.3%
Gasoline 1 8.3%
Catalytic Convertor 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 182,000 miles Granbury, TX

ENGINE

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2004 GMC YUKON XL. WHILE DRIVING 60 MPH, THE CHECK ENGINE WARNING INDICATOR ILLUMINATED. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO AN INDEPENDENT MECHANIC WHERE IT WAS DIAGNOSED THAT THE TRANSMISSION FAILED AND NEEDED TO BE REPLACED. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT REPAIRED. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT TAKEN TO A DEALER. THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOT NOTIFIED OF THE FAILURE. THE APPROXIMATE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 182,000.

NHTSA complaint #11149781 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.

Charlotte, NC

ENGINE

WHEN I START THE VEHICLE AND GO TO THE CORNER STORE TURNING THE VEHICLE OFF, COME OUT OF STORE TO RESTART VEHICLE IT WILL NOT START IT MAY TAKE ME 10 MINUTES TO 4 HOURS TO GET THE VEHICLE STARTED AGAIN. MEANING I HAVE BEEN STRANDED AT GROCERY STORES, WORK, SCHOOL FUNCTIONS. ATTEMPTING TO GET THE VEHICLE STARTED AGAIN I AM CONSTANTLY TURNING THE SWITCH. AT THIS PRESENT TIME I HAVE NOT DROVE MY TRUCK IN ALMOST 5 MONTHS. AND I HAVE BEEN MAKING TRUCK PAYMENTS ON A VEHICLE I CAN'T DRIVE.... AT THIS TIME NOT SURE IF IT IS IGNITION SWITCH OR PASS LOCK I KNOW BOTH PARTS SHOULD BE COVERED BECAUSE IT IS A DEFAULT FROM THE MANUFACTURER.

NHTSA complaint #10575785 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.

at 123,804 miles Swifton, AR

ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING:ENGINE

THIS IS SECOND GM VEHICLE THAT I HAVE HAD THIS PROBLEM IT GOES INTO REDUCED ENGINE POWER OFTEN.SPENT OVER 3,000.00 TRYING TO FIX FIRST VEHICLE AND NEVER DID. DEALERS DON'T KNOW HOW TO FIX. THIS IS DANGEROUS,WAS PASSING A TRUCK TODAY ON 2 LANE ROAD AND VEH WENT IN TO REDUCED POWER.WILL NOT BUY ANOTHER GM PRODUCT....

NHTSA complaint #10453519 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.

Lake Charles, LA Crash

ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING

SINCE FIRST PURCHASE, THE EVER PRESENT CONCERNS, INHERENT WITH OUR GENERAL MOTORS GMC YUKON XL, HAVE GROWN; TO WHEREBY, THEY ARE SAFETY, SECURITY, AND WELL-BEING CONCERNS: A) THE SQUEAKING, CLUNKING, LOCKING STEERING, WHEN TURNING: SERVICE BULLETIN NUMBER: 01863. THE NHTSA ITEM NUMBER: 10006616. B) THE BRAKE PEDAL, WHEN FULLY STOPPED, AT TIMES, PRESSES COMPLETELY TO THE FLOOR. C) THE AIR CONDITIONER THAT EVER EMITS A MOLDY SMELL. D) THE DRIVER SIDE AIR CONDITIONER, AT TIMES, BLOWS HOT, WHEN THE PASSENGER SIDE BLOWS COLD. E) THE EVER PRESENT INTERIOR MOLDY SMELL. F) THE DRIVER SIDE TRIM PANEL HAS DROPPED DOWN; TO WHEREBY, ANY OUTSIDE, REARVIEW MIRROR ADJUSTMENTS ARE ALMOST AN IMPOSSIBILITY, AND THE DOOR LOCKS ARE DIFFICULT TO SECURELY OPERATE. G) THE INOPERATIVE, KEYLESS ENTRY REMOTE. G) THE DASH LIGHTS, AT TIMES, ARE INOPERATIVE. H) SINCE FIRST PURCHASE, THREE (3) NEW BATTERIES HAVE BEEN PURCHASED, TWO (2), WITHIN THE LAST FEW MONTHS. SINCE FIRST PURCHASE, WE HAVE BEEN IGNORED, LED ON, AND MISLED WHICH CREATED TIME EXPIRATION. SINCE THE BEGINNING, WITH THE EVER PRESENT CONCERNS, WE QUESTIONED THE BUILD QUALITY OF OUR GENERAL MOTORS GMC YUKON XL, WITHOUT ANY RESPONSE, AT ALL. SAFETY, SECURITY, AND WELL-BEING CONCERNS SHOULD NEITHER HAVE A TIME LIMIT NOR CONSTRAINTS.

NHTSA complaint #10327283 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.

at 65,500 miles Lemont, IL

ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING

MY 2004 GMC YUKON XL SPEEDOMETER STOPPED WORKING. IT WAS STUCK AT 10MPH FOR A COUPLE OF DAYS. IT WENT BACK DOWN TO ZERO BUT WOULD NOT REGISTER PROPERLY AFTER THAT. IT IS PRESENTLY STUCK AT 120MPH EVEN WHEN THE CAR IS OFF. I DID CONTACT GM AN THEY SAID THAT I WOULD HAVE TO BRING IT IN TO A DEALER FOR DIAGNOSTICTS AND IT WOULD BE COVERED ONLY IF IT WAS THE INSTRUMENT PANEL CLUSTER THAT WAS BAD.

NHTSA complaint #10255767 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.

at 140,200 miles Hopemills, NC

ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING

TL*THE CONTACT OWNS A 2004 GMC YUKON XL. THE CONTACT STATED THAT THE CHECK ENGINE OIL LIGHT ILLUMINATED AND THE VEHICLE STALLED. SHE WAS NOT ABLE TO DRIVE ABOVE 10 MPH. SHE ADDED OIL TO THE ENGINE AND PLANS TO TAKE THE VEHICLE TO THE DEALER FOR INSPECTION. THE CURRENT AND FAILURE MILEAGES WERE 140,200.

NHTSA complaint #10201905 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.

at 12,000 miles Salt Lake City, UT

ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING:ENGINE

WHILE TOWING OUR BOAT IN HOT WEATHER THE ENGINE STALLS/KILLS LEAVING THE VEHICLE WITH NO POWER STEERING/BRAKES ETC. DEALER CANNOT REPLICATE FAILURE, GM HAS NO FIX HAS KILLED 8 TIMES OVER 3 YEARS OF OWNERSHIP. I WANT A FIX.

NHTSA complaint #10186530 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.

at 7,000 miles Anthem, AZ

ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING:ENGINE:GASOLINE

MY CAR HAS COMPLETELY DIED THREE TIMES AT HIGHWAY SPEEDS. THE FIRST TIME WAS JULY 2004, THE SECOND TIME WAS EARLY OCT 2005 AND THE LAST TIME WAS JAN 19, 05. THIS HAS HAPPENED IN THREE DIFFERENT STATES AT THREE VERY DIFFERENT ALTITUDES. WHEN THE CAR DIES I HAVE NO BRAKES, POWER STEERING OR ANYTHING ELSE FOR THAT MATTER. THE CAR WILL RESTART AFTER A WHILE. THE FIRST TIME IT DIED, I THOUGHT I WAS GOING OFF A CLIFF ON A PASS. THE LAST TWO TIMES WERE ON BUSY INTERSTATES. THIS IS VERY DANGEROUS. I HAVE HAD IT TO THE DEALERSHIP NUMEROUS TIMES ONLY TO BE TOLD THAT THEY CANNOT DUPLICATE THE PROBLEM SO CANNOT FIX IT. I HAVE CONTACTED GMC DURING THIS ENTIRE PERIOD OF EPISODES, NUMEROUS TIMES AND THEY ARE VERY NICE BUT IT IS ONLY LIP SERVICE. I FINALLY GOT MY HANDS ON A GMC SERVICE BULLETIN DOCUMENT ID#1530787. IT DESCRIBES MY PROBLEMS EXACTLY. IT PARROTS WHAT I HAVE TOLD THE DEALERSHIP EVERY TIME I HAVE TAKEN THE CAR IN. I LIKE MY CAR AND JUST WANT IT FIXED. I AM GOING TO KILL MYSELF AND OR OTHERS IF I CANNOT CONTROL THE CAR WHEN IT DIES. I SAVED MY MONEY AND PAID CASH FOR THIS CAR AND CANNOT AFFORD TO BUY ANOTHER ONE. AND, I CANNOT SELL THIS CAR AS I WOULD NEED TO DISCLOSE ITS DEFECT. SO, I AM IN NEED OF HELP TO GET IT REPAIRED. THANKS.

NHTSA complaint #10153178 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.

at 29,109 miles Usaf Academy, CO

ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING:ENGINE

WHILE DRIVING 75 MPH ON A 102 DEGREE DAY, MY FUEL TANK WAS AT 1/2 FULL. THE ENGINE STALLED AND I LOST ALL ACCELERATION, MAKING IT DANGEROUS ON HIGHWAY CONDITIONS. WHEN I SLOWED TO 20 MPH AT THE SIDE OF THE ROAD, I LOST ALL POWER OF STEERING AND BRAKES. I EXPERIENCED "VAPOR LOCK" ACCORDING TO THE GM CERTIFIED TECHNICIAN WHO EVALUATED MY PROBLEM THE FOLLOWING DAY (UNDER A COOL ENGINE CONDITION).HE FOUND NO DEFECTS WITH A COOL ENGINE ON A 60 DEGREE MORNING.

NHTSA complaint #10130157 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.

at 14,595 miles Saint James, NY

ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING

WHILE DRIVING, THE DRIVER'S POWER SIDE SEAT BEGINS TO MOVE FORWARD. THE DEALER STATES THERE WAS NO SOLUTION AT THIS TIME. *AK THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO THE DEALER ON TWELVE OCCASIONS. THE DRIVER'S SEAT MEMORY SWITCH WAS INOPERATIVE, THERE WAS NOISE AT IDLE AND WAS UNABLE TO BE DUPLICATED, THE SATELLITE RADIO WOULD LOSE FREQUENCY, THE SEAM ON THE DRIVERS SEAT MATERIAL WAS WEARING AND THE HORN WAS DELAYED. *SC

NHTSA complaint #10114948 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.

at 500 miles Tuscaloosa, AL

ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING:EXHAUST SYSTEM:EMISSION CONTROL:CATALYTIC CONVERTOR

LOUD PINGING NOISE FROM EXHAUST WHICH CONTINUES 5-10 MINUTES AFTER CAR IS TURNED OFF, ALSO HAS VIBRATION IN STEERING WHEEL AND DASH WHEN AT A SIT STILL IN EITHER DRIVE OR PARK, RPM ARE NOT CHANGING WHEN VIBRATING, EXHAUST IS EXTREMELY LOUD.

NHTSA complaint #10062500 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.

at 500 miles Tuscaloosa, AL

ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING:EXHAUST SYSTEM:MANIFOLD/HEADER/MUFFLER/TAIL PIPE

LOUD PINGING NOISE FROM EXHAUST WHICH CONTINUES 5-10 MINUTES AFTER CAR IS TURNED OFF, ALSO HAS VIBRATION IN STEERING WHEEL AND DASH WHEN AT A SIT STILL IN EITHER DRIVE OR PARK, RPM ARE NOT CHANGING WHEN VIBRATING, EXHAUST IS EXTREMELY LOUD.

NHTSA complaint #10062500 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.

Other 2004 GMC Yukon XL problems

← Full 2004 GMC Yukon XL report