288 of the
3,132 complaints filed about the GMC Yukon XL
are about the lighting —
9% of everything owners reported.
The worst model year for it is 2015.
The daylight running light in the rear do not work, which is needed for night time driving. At night when parked or driving the rear is completely dark, except the license plate lights. When I press the brakes they turn on, the signal lights work even the reverse lights. I've switched them to manual mode still no luck. I've checked some fuses, they all check out, nothing blowen. From some research it's all conctrolled by the body control module. There are alot of cars with this same issue there should be a recall for gm to fix properly, dues to safety of the driver and public. We just bought this vehicle which, and didnt test drive at night. 3 days later we discovered it. We even bought new lights due to the number of complaints. They still don't work.
NHTSA complaint #11748197 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.
Yes, that case number would be 91762225 (With GM). You are most welcome. Thank you for contacting Chevrolet Customer Assistance and have a nice day! Please don’t hesitate to reach out if you need anything else. VIN1GKS2HKC8FR165487 Special Coverage Adjustment N182180270 Tail Lamps Inoperative Having issues described by NTSA and vehicle has 62,000 miles but falls after the expiration date. I contacted GM and they were very nice but they were unwilling to help in any way. Any help would be appreciated.
NHTSA complaint #11727058 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.
About 4 weeks ago my vehicle began shaking uncontrollably while driving. The check engine light illuminated and multiple warnings appeared including emissions system, variable valve timing system, engine and transmission failures shown on the GMC app. I contacted the selling dealership and was given an appointment 4 days later. Later that day I drove less than 5 miles to pick up my children from school. During that drive the vehicle filled with a strong gasoline odor and exhaust fumes were overwhelming. I feared the vehicle could catch fire. I contacted the dealership again, stated the vehicle was unsafe, dropped it off at approximately 8:00 PM and was required to obtain my own rental vehicle. After one week I was told the engine required a camshaft and lifter replacement. Inspected & approved by extended warranty, parts were ordered and installed. I retrieved the vehicle on 23 days after the initial failure. The following morning (24th day) while driving approximately 75 mph on a major interstate with my children the vehicle suddenly shifted into neutral and would not re-engage. I was unable to shift into any gear and coasted to a narrow shoulder inches from traffic and guardrail.The dashboard stated the vehicle could not shift into gear and instructed me to push the start button. The engine would not restart. We were stranded approximately two hours in 10-degree weather on a major interstate with heavy semi-truck traffic. Roadside assistance was required. 3 days later the dealership stated the failure was a fuse block. After replacement the vehicle was test driven and stated to be operating normally. A second dealership employee test drove the vehicle, it died again and had to be towed back to the dealership. The battery was replaced after draining while disabled. Repeated mechanical and electrical failures resulted in complete loss of power at highway speeds and placed my children and me in immediate danger. I no longer believe this vehicle is safe to operate.
NHTSA complaint #11715415 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.
At stop light vehicle began to sputter and make noise, I was very close to my home, no engine light on. Upon turning vehicle off and using a code reader codes P0106 and P0506 was on scanner. I had vehicle towed to Complete Car Care. Mis fire on multiple cylinders. Vehicle has 69,801 miles. 3 push rods bent and I valve spring broken. The right Cylinder head assembly had to be removed and replaced with 8 new push rods, 8 new lifters, gaskets, seals, and valve spring. Cost was $3304.79. In addition the rear tail light has been sporadic on and off, GM was to replace up to 70,000 miles. When I took it to them they stated the time limit had expired, yet I had not been informed until I did a google search. GM requesting $475 plus tax. I am concerned my vehicle has the same manufacturing defects as the GM motors being recalled with total engine failures.
NHTSA complaint #11702112 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.
At stop light vehicle began to sputter, run rough, and make noise. I was less than a mile from my home, no check engine light on. I turned the vehicle off, used a scanner to have codes P0106 and P0506 show. I had vehicle towed to Complete Car Care. Misfire on multiple cylinders, 3 push rods bent, one valve spring broken. The right Cylinder head assembly had to be removed and replaced with 8 new push rods, 8 new lifters, gaskets, seals, and valve spring. Total cost $3304.79, the vehicle only has 69,801 miles on it. In addition one of the rear tail lights has a known issue (found out on google), intermittently goes out, was never notified. I took the car to Jim Hudson GMC to be told it would cost $475 plus tax because I did not come in early enough even though it is to be warranted up to 70,000 miles. I am greatly concerned that this engine has the same manufacturing defects of the current recall and extended recall for the GMC Yukon Denali engines.
NHTSA complaint #11702118 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.
ChatGPT said: There is a design flaw with the automatic light function. When you turn the knob to disable the automatic lights to avoid blinding someone while parked, the knob returns to the auto position as expected. This is a good system to ensure that the next time you start the car, the lights are in auto again. The issue is with the way the system indicates what is happening to the driver. When the lights are set to auto, the “auto” indicator on the knob is illuminated. If you turn the knob to running lights or full lights, the corresponding indicator lights up as expected. However, when you turn the lights off, the indicator light returns to “auto” even though the lights are actually off. While the physical knob should return to auto to make sure the system resets properly at the next startup, the indicator should switch to the “off” position so the driver knows the lights are off. I drove off in the city and assumed my lights were on because the knob said auto, but I later realized they were off. This creates a serious safety hazard. There is no way to know in that situation if your lights are actually on by looking at the knob unless you cycle the lights again. A recall should be issued to change the software or replace the button to make sure that this is clear to the driver.
NHTSA complaint #11696119 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.
Check Engine and transmission alerts appeared in the app; vehicle showed “Check 4x4” while driving, cleared next day •Engine not sounding normal •Paint peeling •Fading plastic trim •Front bumper misaligned •Rear bumper misaligned •Loose front door frames •Marker lights collecting bugs •Plastic becoming loose at the rear hatch •Plastic near auto steps: one side has gaps, the other side fits properly •PPF (paint protection film) peeling •Taillights movable by hand •Fog lights movable by hand •Rear spoiler, hatch glass, and surrounding trim loose/movable •Cargo protector loose on exterior trunk sill •Cracking turn signal stalk •Rust developing within the first year •Finger can fit into gaps at door frames •Exhaust tips showing burnt discoloration •Significant loss of vehicle value: ~$70,000 down from $100,000 at purchase
NHTSA complaint #11690048 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.
The driver-side headlight and turn signal on my 2022 GMC Yukon stopped functioning completely. This issue began before GM recall 22V‑903 and worsened immediately after the recall repair was performed. The recall repair required three separate dealership visits because it was initially performed improperly, yet the problem was never fully resolved. During interactions with GM and the dealership, I was told the repair might involve a $600 part, but they could not guarantee that replacing it would fix the issue. It is unreasonable and unsafe for me to be expected to cover the cost of repairs for a problem that was caused or worsened by a recall repair performed incorrectly. The malfunction creates a serious safety hazard, as oncoming drivers cannot see my turn signals, and I nearly had an accident because of it. The problem has been confirmed by the dealership and documented in GM Case #74327012. Prior to complete failure, the driver-side turn signal and daytime running lights occasionally stayed on after shutting off the vehicle which I was told that was caused by the recall. The vehicle has been inspected by authorized GM dealerships multiple times, but the defect persists. The component is available for inspection upon request.
NHTSA complaint #11683684 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.
I was stopped at a traffic light and was informed by another driver that my right tail lamp was not working. There were no warning lights indicating that there was a problem. When I arrived home, it began working after I tapped on it. A few days later, the left tail lamp stopped working. I began to realize that both tail lamps were only working intermittently. Upon inspection by the mechanic, I was informed that this is a common problem with my vehicle and that each replacement part is approximately $900, totaling nearly $2,000 to replace both lamps. This is an obvious safety hazard for myself and for others who may not be able to judge when I am stopping, especially if I have to stop suddenly.
NHTSA complaint #11671411 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.
2024 gmc Yukon with less than 2,000 miles decided not to start one day. Had a tow truck come to the house and pick it up to take to a local shop to get a new battery. Replaced the battery and the battery shop delivered to car back to our house and was totally fine…the next day we went to start it and again the battery was toast. So, got another tow truck to deliver to the dealership and had it checked out, the dealership says there are 12 codes popping up and they can’t figure out why the batteries are not holding at this point. This is a diesel Yukon. We had a 2022 Escalade that the motor went belly up on us 3 times before we bought this diesel Yukon thinking this problem would go away but I guess I was wrong. I will be returning this Yukon to the dealership and doing a buyback. We have been stranded way too many times with these gm vehicles and I’m starting to loose trust with General Motors.
NHTSA complaint #11638980 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.
drivers side tail light flickering and sometimes not working a $900+ cost! I issue with right hand side when suv has 32k miles, seems like this is an ongoing issue, luckily it was still under warranty the 1st time. The AC condenser when out in April, also an know issue with the Yukon, they wanted to charge me $1500 to repair, I was able to find someone to do it for around $600, now the outlet and usb ports seem to not work. I also had an issue with the braking system , dealer couldn't figure it out, I finally found someone to repair it, $500 fix. For what I paid for the Yukon, you would think they would use top of the line parts!
NHTSA complaint #11593458 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.
The contact owns a 2015 GMC Yukon XL. The contact stated while driving at an undisclosed speed, the front passenger's side headlight failed to illuminate. The vehicle was taken to the dealer, where the passenger's side taillight was replaced; however, the failure recurred. The vehicle was taken back to the dealer, and the contact was informed that the front passenger's side headlight needed to be replaced. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was made aware of the failure. The failure mileage was 83,415.
NHTSA complaint #11579518 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.
In july 2021 the passenger side tail light stopped working. A certified GMC dealer replaced both tail lights. In Feb 2024 the driver side tail light failed.
NHTSA complaint #11574979 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.
The contact owns a 2015 GMC Yukon XL. The contact stated that while his wife was driving at an undisclosed speed, the contact stated he was following behind in another vehicle and noticed that the taillights were out. The vehicle was taken to the dealer. The vehicle was diagnosed with a failed exterior lighting assembly. The exterior lighting assembly needed to be replaced. The vehicle was repaired. The contact stated he replaced the exterior lighting assembly three times since March 2022. The vehicle was taken to the dealer to be repaired. The manufacturer was made aware of the failure but provided no assistance. The failure mileage was approximately 109,554.
NHTSA complaint #11547848 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.
The OEM LED taillights can fail due to a manufacturing deficiency. A metal strip that connects the LED's to the cars taillight circuit develops a crack and interrupts current flow to the taillight LED's. The above is common knowledge to the car community and is searchable on line. Concerns: 1) If both taillights are failed at the same time the vehicle doesn't have any of the required visible markings, especially at night. 2) From an economic point of view, unlike vehicles that use incandescent light bulbs that are easily replaced when burnt out, these LED light assemblies have to be completely replaced to the cost of several hundred dollars plus labor which could/will lead to the neglecting of this repair because of the economics. 3) Unlike incandescent bulbs, LED's are should last much longer to the point of outlasting the life of the vehicle. This isn't the case when there is a manufacturing defect. In my case on 10/21/21 the defective taillight assemblies was replace under a defective taillight extended warranty agreement. I requested to have both replaced because of the odds of the second one failing. They refused. So when the opposite side assembly failed recently i was out of the extended warrant date resulting in a cost to me of $392.88 labor included. In conclusion, The well documented failure of the above taillight assemblies leads to vehicles being non conforming to FMVSS.
NHTSA complaint #11537878 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.
The brake lights intermittently come on and off. Not reliable and the entire assembly has to be replaced per light in order to work. Sometimes if you hit a bump it will work for a bit then go back out. They have been removed, cleaned, but there is no way to fix them without replacing them. This is a known problem with GMC and they will not warranty or recall this issue.
NHTSA complaint #11531044 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.
This is a common issue that is not being resolved by GM. First one, now BOTH of my rear tail lights are malfunctioning due to manufacturing defects. This is a well publicized problem and I feel that GM should be responsible for continuing to ignore the issue. Replacement tail lights are approximately $750 each. There are many businesses that have sprung up solely to repair these tail lights.
NHTSA complaint #11527549 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.