63 of the
3,132 complaints filed about the GMC Yukon XL
are about the throttle and cruise control —
2% of everything owners reported.
The worst model year for it is 2021.
63
Complaints
2%
Share of all complaints
1
Crashes
0
Fires
Acceleration & Cruise Control complaints by model year
Was driving the vehicle at 70 mph on the highway without any issues for several hours and suddenly the vehicle lost power and had no propulsion. It went into neutral automatically and the engine shut off while driving. Thankfully I was on a downward slope and could steer the vehicle off the very busy highway. Once safe, I tried to restart the car but the engine would not start or turn over. Roadside assistance came to help as well as a flatbed tow truck. It was taken to a nearby GMC dealer but it remains completely dead despite the battery being fully charged and all of the electronics working. No known error codes are showing up. It’s an L87 engine and was part of the GM recall. The recall work was completed in Nov 2025.
NHTSA complaint #11758876 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.
Driving on highway at 80 MPH and accelerator stopped working and car turned off. We had to coast off toll rd and hope for the best. No warning and happened with our whole family in the car. I had a recall notice from manufacturer but last time I tried contacting manufacturer/dealer they said no resolution was available to repair recall yet and that I couldn’t drop off my vehicle.
NHTSA complaint #11748343 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.
Check engine light comes on and an alert says "acceleration reduced" dealer says the coolant control valve is bad but the engine never overheats but the fans are running max speed 100% of the time.
NHTSA complaint #11743664 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.
At 70 mph the adaptive cruise control system applied the brakes hard enough to engage the abs system even though my lane of travel was clear. There was a car on the exit ramp to the right applying their brakes not in my path that I believe my vehicle picked up. There were several vehicles behind me and it almost caused an accident. There needs to be a way to disable the adaptive cruse on this vehicle for safety concerns. This has happened to me on multiple occasions and I reported it to the General Motors hotline with absolutely no feedback on the issue.
NHTSA complaint #11734243 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.
My wife was driving down the highway and out of no where there was a loud taping sound, the vehicle started running real bad (skipping), the vehicle lost power and she lost control of the steering. As a result, she ran off the road into a ditch. this is a known concern with the 6.2 liter engines and all signs are pointing to lifter failure. She could have ben seriously injured and GM is responsible for this.
NHTSA complaint #11732911 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.
I was on the Highway and had the vehicle on cruise control, the super cruise was not available the entire trip. Suddenly a warning came on saying that supper cruise was not available please take the wheel, the truck started slowing down drastically while I’m doing 70mph which is the speed limit. I put my foot on the brake to disengage the cruise control but that did not work. I had to push the cancel button on the wheel to take it off. This has happened to me twice while on the highway.
NHTSA complaint #11732919 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.
The car was purchased on 8/15/2026. On November 6th 2026 with 3051 miles on all the gauges, electronic dashboard, gps , climate controls, heads up display failed while car was in driving. There was no way to tell what speed the car was going, the gas level, rpms, engine temperature, etc. Navigation failed, Cruise control failed, I was unsure if the emergency braking system failed. The dealership responded there was over 27 error codes on the car computer. There was no way of knowing if the signal lights were working. There was no prior warning to this failure. The GMC service department at the dealership confirmed the failure and said it needed to replace the radio control module. It took 70 calendar days for a replacement module to be provided, and a new software patch was uploaded after several attempts. After the vehicle was repaired the dealership acknowledged that they have been seeing this problem. GM has failed to provide any other assistance.
NHTSA complaint #11721834 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.
Onstar connectivity module failed after dealer updates. The onstar module controls super cruise hands free driving. Module can fail during use causing accident. Vehicle did not display any warning on display screen. Vehicle is available for inspection. GMC dealer confirmed onstar module failure and is waiting on part delivery for replacement. Several searches in online forums confirm this is an issue for thousands of GMC vehicles.
NHTSA complaint #11719043 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.
The contact owns a 2022 GMC Yukon XL. The contact stated that while driving approximately 55 - 60 MPH and depressing the accelerator pedal, the vehicle failed to respond as intended for approximately one second before accelerating. A dealer was contacted. No warning light was illuminated. The contact stated that the failure had occurred on several occasions. The vehicle was taken to a dealer to be diagnosed; however, the diagnosis was unknown. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was notified of the failure and was in the process of towing the vehicle to another location. The approximate failure mileage was 92,000.
NHTSA complaint #11703342 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.
I was driving from New Orleans with my family when traveling at 75 mph when it’s like the transmission started straining and the engine was losing power/pressure it’s like the engine or transmission was struggling I’m not sure what was causing it but it was a scary experience knowing I’d my kids and my wife with me and we were out in the middle of nowhere.
NHTSA complaint #11681351 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.
10 speed transmission It’s been at the dealer for a month and they checked it today. Same issues as the mass recall Dash alert for reduced speed drive with caution. It was extremely dangerous because it malfunctioned on curvy winding roads
NHTSA complaint #11679994 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.
Driving down the interstate and engine gave out, started shaking, and started losing speed. No warning, in the middle of the night with two young kids in the car. Sat on the side of the highway in the pitch dark. 2 days later truck was towed but the GMC had no one to look at it. Had it towed again and that GMC dealership said it was the engine and they see it all the time with that year/make/model. $16,000 for new engine. Contacted GMC and they stated that year is not included in the recall. Research this issue on google and most owners of the same year/make/model have the same issue with no help to solve the problem.
NHTSA complaint #11675145 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.
Speed control became stuck and I had to hit my breaks to stop acceleration. Vehicle stopped shifting while driving down the road periodically. Warning collision lights and traction control lights randomly come on with nothing in front of vehicle. Yesterday vehicle would not start or even unlock. When I did get the vehicle to start by manually unlocking it and trying over and over it would not go forward or backward although the engine did rev up. All warning lights were on including traction control and check engine. It did randomly start moving but the “service steering column” light and check engine light are still on . The car periodically revs up while going down a hill when it needs to downshift instead. It has completely shut off driving down the road through town and stopped. I had to hurry and turn it back on as there were cars behind me. It’s a 2023 and I don’t feel safe driving it with my kids.
NHTSA complaint #11671532 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.
Driving at 55MPH and suddenly the car starts to shack and warning/notification lights copme up on the dash. Check Engine Traction Control Service light Suspension service Was able to drive it to GMC dealership nearby 2.6Mile
NHTSA complaint #11659559 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.
My vehicle stalled while driving on a busy highway & I had no option but to pull over, which left me & my family in a very dangerous position. Had to remove my daughter's wheelchair onto a tow truck as the vehicle had no power to use the hoist for her powerchair. Again, on the side of a busy road! Towed the vehicle to a GM dealership, who stated there was catastrophic engine failure & the engine had to be replaced. Had no way to transport my daughter until I got a new engine since her hoist was stuck at the dealership. This was our original vehicle, until the sold me another one with the same defect (2024 Yukon for MORE money!). That vehicle was reported in Complaint 11657786.
NHTSA complaint #11657798 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.
My vehicle stalled while driving on a busy highway & I had no option but to pull over, which left me & my family in a very dangerous position. Had to remove my daughter's wheelchair onto a tow truck as the vehicle had no power to use the hoist for her powerchair. Again, on the side of a busy road! Towed the vehicle to a GM dealership, who stated there was catastrophic engine failure & the engine had to be replaced. Had no way to transport my daughter until I got a new engine since her hoist was stuck at the dealership.
NHTSA complaint #11657786 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.
I am writing to express my concern regarding a serious issue with my 2021 GMC Yukon. Recently, while driving, I experienced a sudden surge in power. About five minutes later, when attempting to shift into reverse, the vehicle would not respond. I tried multiple times with no success. Afterward, while driving it briefly around the block, it made a clunking sound, which raised further concern. Ultimately, I had to call a tow truck, and the vehicle was taken to George Gee GMC in Liberty Lake, Washington. Unfortunately, the next day the dealership was unable to duplicate the issue. There were no warning messages on the screen at the time of the incident, and no diagnostic codes were found, so they could not move forward with any repair. I later discovered that this exact issue is addressed in Technical Service Bulletin N242454441-02. However, I was informed that my VIN is not included in the special coverage, despite my vehicle being the same year and equipped with the same transmission mentioned in the bulletin. I am deeply concerned that this problem could happen again—possibly while I am driving in Canada, transporting my children, or in a location where calling a tow truck would be very difficult. My safety and my family’s safety are at risk, and frankly, I am now anxious about driving a vehicle I used to trust. I also have an extended warranty, but when I contacted GM service, I was told that unless the problem can be duplicated, it would not be covered. This is extremely frustrating given the severity of the issue and the fact that it is already documented in an official bulletin. I am requesting that this situation be escalated. I would appreciate any additional support, coverage, or guidance GM can offer to help ensure this issue is resolved and does not put me or my family at risk again.
NHTSA complaint #11656392 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.
The car has made a high pitched metallic rattle on cold start ever since I received it. I have taken it into the dealership multiple times for this and have had the lifters in the engine replaced but they never addressed the other noise, which I have video evidence of. The car died at 24,740 miles on the odometer in the middle of a highway in the middle of nowhere. The vehicle started to feel like it was braking on acceleration, there were no warning lights. The vehicle just lost acceleration power and I had to coast to the shoulder. Luckily I had time to pull over without interference from other traffic. Once on the side of the road I tried to crank the car again and a very loud metallic sound happened that sounded like I threw a wrench in a fan. The car lost electrical power very shortly after. I called onstar for help and she asked if I could shift the car into neutral which I could not. They had problems finding anyone that wasn’t hours out that could come tow my car and suggested that I try to find an alternate method of transportation since a wrecker service probably wouldn’t transport my entire family. Uber was not around to get me, Lyft was not around to get me and there was no taxi service. I had to rely on the local fire department to rescue us as it was hours with myself, my two children and my dog on the side of the road in 90F heat. Once at the dealership they confirmed it was indeed a catastrophic engine failure and I am currently waiting months for a back ordered engine with a rental I’m paying partially out of pocket for, in a car that’s entirely way too small for my family with no ETA on the engine in sight. I know multiple people personally who this has also happened to, same exact scenario and same exact engine just different model years.
NHTSA complaint #11653587 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.
Traveling North bound on Highway 14 in Southern California on January 24, 2025. In the fast lane traveling approximately 70MPH when with no warning what so ever the vehicle shifted into neutral and lost power. Nearly rear ended trying to get out of traffic and to the right shoulder. Once stopped the vehicle would not start, stuck in Park, and could not turn the electronics off. Stuck in vehicle for 3 hours because it was too dangerous to exit vehicle. Tow truck arrived. Tried to jump the battery which by this time was dead. Had to drag the vehicle up the flatbed with wench do to vehicle unable to shift out of Park.
NHTSA complaint #11644309 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.
At 9,900 miles my safety camera system failed which disabled the cruise control and all safety features that used the camera. Car was out of service for nearly two weeks and subsequently fixed by the dealer under warranty at no charge. At 11,300 miles I was driving on an interstate highway in the left lane at rush hour, without warning the car stopped accelerating the car shifted into neutral and totally lost power. It was a very dangerous situation with me in the left lane in heavy traffic. I am a skillful driver and thankfully I was able to make it off the travel lanes on the highway. The temperature was 18 degrees at the time and I had to wait outside for a tow truck. The engine seized without warning or noise and this presents a severe danger to the driver of the vehicle and other vehicles on the highway. There was a substantial possibility that other vehicles could not avoid me as I was exiting the travel lanes. There was also a substantial possibility that the vehicle would simply be in the travel lane stopped on a divided highway.
NHTSA complaint #11640946 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.