Owners have filed 257 complaints
about the 2017 GMC Yukon with NHTSA between 2017 and 2026.
The largest single group is the lights.
Across this model's run it ranks 11 of 34 worst.
The letter says how bad. This says what kind — whether this year drew
an unusual number of complaints, unusually dangerous
ones, or failures that arrived unusually early.
The dashed ring is 50 — the national norm. Further out is worse.
Complaint volume — 68
Against the median year of the GMC Yukon. 50 means typical for this
model; 100 means roughly double.
Severity — 36
7% of these complaints
involved a crash, fire, injury or death, against a national rate of
9.7%.
Early failure — 45
27% of failures with a mileage on record happened under
36,000 miles, against a national rate of
29%.
Odometer readings owners gave when they filed. About half of all
complaints include one.
Under 1,000 miles
34.0%
1,000 – 9,999 miles
34.0%
10,000 – 24,999 miles
810.7%
25,000 – 49,999 miles
1925.3%
50,000 – 74,999 miles
2128.0%
75,000 – 99,999 miles
1722.7%
100,000 – 149,999 miles
34.0%
150,000+ miles
11.3%
When owners complained
A spike years after the car went on sale usually means a part wearing
out on schedule across the whole fleet — the kind of pattern no single
owner can see from inside their own car.
Jun 2017peak 11Jul 2026
Recalls on the 2017 GMC Yukon
A complaint is one owner's allegation. A recall is the point at which
the manufacturer or a regulator agreed the defect is real and dangerous
enough to fix for free — however old the car is.
Canada — Transport Canada
Canada runs its own recall programme, and its campaigns do not
always mirror the American ones.
Recall 201953337,378 units in Canada
Brakes
Issue: On certain vehicles, there may be an error in the electronic-brake control module software. This could cause the driveline-protection system to activate when a wheel-speed sensor fails. If this happens, the brakes could apply and cause the vehicle to pull to one side. Note: This recall only affects vehicles equipped with four-wheel drive, a 5.3-L engine, and a 3.08 ratio rear axle. The problem can only occur when the vehicle is in four-wheel drive or automatic mode, and travelling at a speed between 66 and 97 km/h (41 and 60 mph). A wheel-speed sensor failure will cause the electronic stability control (ESC) and anti-lock braking system (ABS) warning lights to turn on, and a "Service StabiliTrak" message to display. Safety Risk: A vehicle that suddenly pulls to one side could increase the risk of a crash. Corrective Actions: General Motors will notify owners by mail and instruct you to take your vehicle to a dealer to update the electronic-brake control module software. General Motors advises that using two-wheel-drive mode can eliminate the risk until the recall repair is completed.
Recall 20194205,327 units in Canada
Other
Issue: This recall is for aftermarket replacement rear window glass produced by Vitro Automotriz. Certain rear window glass may not have been properly tempered. If the window breaks, the glass may separate into large pieces instead of very small ones. Note: This is a voluntary recall that is not being conducted under the requirements of the Motor Vehicle Safety Act. Safety Risk: Glass that breaks in to large pieces could create a risk of injury. Corrective Actions: The company will notify consumers by mail and instruct them to inspect the designation code marked on the rear window glass. Products affected by this recall have the designation “DOT 287” along with the lettering “VMR” (Replacement Market) and a date code that is before July 2019. This information is printed on the bottom corner of the glass. Consumers should contact Vitro's customer service at 1-412-995-6457 or argbacklites@vitro.com to arrange for replacement of the glass.
Recall 2019324310,121 units in Canada
Brakes
Issue: On certain vehicles, there could be a reduction in power brake assist due to a decrease in output from the vacuum pump. This could cause a hard brake pedal and an increase in brake pedal effort to stop the vehicle. Safety Risk: A sudden increase in brake pedal force could lead to an increase in stopping distance. This could increase the risk of a crash. Corrective Actions: The company will notify owners by mail and instruct them to take their vehicle to a dealer to reprogram the electronic brake control module.
Reports where the owner recorded a crash, a fire, an injury or a death.
Alliance, OHCrash
SUSPENSION
So the shock strut system up front has a grommet that holds it in. The repair order said they put a shock simulator in the car and it gave false reading saying it was good and it came out broke break line and caused me to jump a curve to stop the vehicle. ALSO Now the THE TAIL LIGHT IS OUT AND NO WAY TO REPAIR IT NO ONE HAS THE LIGHT. Also this car is on its third transmission
NHTSA complaint #11738169 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.
Alliance, OHCrash
ELECTRICAL SYSTEM
So the shock strut system up front has a grommet that holds it in. The repair order said they put a shock simulator in the car and it gave false reading saying it was good and it came out broke break line and caused me to jump a curve to stop the vehicle. ALSO Now the THE TAIL LIGHT IS OUT AND NO WAY TO REPAIR IT NO ONE HAS THE LIGHT. Also this car is on its third transmission
NHTSA complaint #11738169 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.
Alliance, OHCrash
SERVICE BRAKES
So the shock strut system up front has a grommet that holds it in. The repair order said they put a shock simulator in the car and it gave false reading saying it was good and it came out broke break line and caused me to jump a curve to stop the vehicle. ALSO Now the THE TAIL LIGHT IS OUT AND NO WAY TO REPAIR IT NO ONE HAS THE LIGHT. Also this car is on its third transmission
NHTSA complaint #11738169 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.
Weirton, WVCrash
SERVICE BRAKES
This has been going on for a while now, but it’s getting worse overtime. If I push on my brakes more than twice the brake pedal locks up and I have to push extremely hard to get my vehicle stopped.. luckily I have never been going fast and had to worry about this. This is normally when I am pulling into a parking spot or I am backing up that I have to tap on my brakes a few times. A couple of times I have bumped the pole in front of my parking spot due to not having brakes. I just put in a general date as to when they started to get worse.
NHTSA complaint #11707478 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.
Traverse City, MICrash1 injured
UNKNOWN OR OTHER
This happened 5 years ago but I never reported it. GMC 2017 Yukon. I put my SUV in park, and entered and exited it several times while parked in my driveway. When I went to grab my purse (standing at drivers side door, reaching for purse on passenger seat) the car rolled. I was on a sloped driveway. The car rolled backwards, and I tried to jam it into park more strongly, but it just made a grinding noise and kept going. I was knocked over by the car door, pulled under the car and ended up having my legs run over by the car. I sustained injuries which affect me to this day. I was transported to the hospital by an ambulance after a 911 call, so I presume there is a police report. I was injured and dazed. This happened on [XXX]. I am only reporting it now since I never thought about doing so before I read an article today about cars being recalled for this problem. If other people have my model of car and this is a problem, I would want them to know. I was thinking maybe I hit the gear shift with my purse and knocked it out of park, but this should not have happened without the brake depressed. I was standing next to the drivers side door when this happened. I did have the car taken to the dealership to be examined, and they said it was ok, but could not really explain how this happened. I still have this SUV but am very cautious about any situation where the car could roll when in park and cause injury. The car crashed into a tree and that stopped the rolling. Has there been other reports of this happening with this model of car? I would like to know, because if there is a problem that has come to light in this, I will get a different vehicle! INFORMATION REDACTED PURSUANT TO THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT (FOIA), 5 U.S.C. 552(B)(6)
NHTSA complaint #11568879 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.
at 95,000 milesSummerville, SCCrash1 injured
AIR BAGS
The contact owns a 2017 GMC Yukon. The contact stated while driving at 20 MPH with her daughter in the rear passenger seat, the message "Grade Braking Active" was displayed. The contact stated while making a right turn in an intersection, she depressed the brake pedal to prevent the vehicle from colliding with the vehicle before hers. However, the brake pedal went down to the floorboard and failed to respond. The contact then quickly veered to the right to prevent a crash. The vehicle hit a curb and was propelled to the left across three lanes and crashed into the rear of another vehicle. The air bags did not deploy. The contact sustained bruises on the forehead as she hit her head against the steering wheel. The contact also sustained soreness on the neck and shoulder; however, the contact did not seek medical assistance. The contact's daughter did not sustain any injuries. The occupant of the other vehicle did not sustain injuries. A police report was filed. The contact's uncle met her at the scene and drove the vehicle back to her residence. The dealer was not notified of the failure. The manufacturer was notified of the failure and informed the contact that they would send a field technician to diagnose the vehicle. The contact associated the failure with NHTSA Campaign Numbers: 19V645000 (Service Brakes, Hydraulic) and 20V603000 (Service Brakes, Hydraulic); however, the VIN was not included. The vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired. The contact's vehicle remained at her residence. The failure mileage was approximately 95,000.
NHTSA complaint #11492912 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.
The most recent complaints
In the owners' own words, exactly as filed with NHTSA.
Delray Beach, FL
POWER TRAIN
While traveling at highway speeds, my 2017 GMC Yukon SLE suffered a sudden, catastrophic Active Fuel Management (AFM) valvetrain lifter and camshaft collapse. This caused an immediate and highly dangerous loss of vehicle propulsion in live moving traffic on I-95, creating an extreme physical safety hazard for my family. General Motors has extensive, documented internal corporate knowledge of this severe design defect under Technical Service Bulletin TSB #18-NA-073.
NHTSA complaint #11753782 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.
Delray Beach, FL
ENGINE
While traveling at highway speeds, my 2017 GMC Yukon SLE suffered a sudden, catastrophic Active Fuel Management (AFM) valvetrain lifter and camshaft collapse. This caused an immediate and highly dangerous loss of vehicle propulsion in live moving traffic on I-95, creating an extreme physical safety hazard for my family. General Motors has extensive, documented internal corporate knowledge of this severe design defect under Technical Service Bulletin TSB #18-NA-073.
NHTSA complaint #11753782 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.
Delray Beach, FL
FUEL/PROPULSION SYSTEM
While traveling at highway speeds, my 2017 GMC Yukon SLE suffered a sudden, catastrophic Active Fuel Management (AFM) valvetrain lifter and camshaft collapse. This caused an immediate and highly dangerous loss of vehicle propulsion in live moving traffic on I-95, creating an extreme physical safety hazard for my family. General Motors has extensive, documented internal corporate knowledge of this severe design defect under Technical Service Bulletin TSB #18-NA-073.
NHTSA complaint #11753782 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.
Brenham, TX
UNKNOWN OR OTHER
The paint on my hood, roof and mirrors has peeled off and the gray coating is showing. I have own many GM vehicles and have never had this happen before.
NHTSA complaint #11750133 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.
Fort Myers, FL
SERVICE BRAKES
The recall repair for the brake vacuum pump did not hold for this vehicle. Even after the repair, several years later, the brakes would get hard as a rock, especially at low speeds and there was difficult stopping the vehicle. Due to the special Warranty on this recall, I was able to get the brake vacuum pump replaced at no cost. However, the recall repair failed initially. This is a safety issue.
NHTSA complaint #11745056 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.
Fort Myers, FL
SERVICE BRAKES
Passenger brake Led Circuit board prematurely failed resulting in the entire assembly needing replacement. The assembly is $500 and higher. This is a safety issue and though there was a class action lawsuit, the light fails after 72000 miles which appears to be when GMC wont replace the part. $500 for a tail light replacement is a financial burden to be able to keep the car on the road. There is no warning when the light fails. Please consider a recall on the tail lights.
NHTSA complaint #11741422 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.
Alliance, OHCrash
SUSPENSION
So the shock strut system up front has a grommet that holds it in. The repair order said they put a shock simulator in the car and it gave false reading saying it was good and it came out broke break line and caused me to jump a curve to stop the vehicle. ALSO Now the THE TAIL LIGHT IS OUT AND NO WAY TO REPAIR IT NO ONE HAS THE LIGHT. Also this car is on its third transmission
NHTSA complaint #11738169 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.
Alliance, OHCrash
ELECTRICAL SYSTEM
So the shock strut system up front has a grommet that holds it in. The repair order said they put a shock simulator in the car and it gave false reading saying it was good and it came out broke break line and caused me to jump a curve to stop the vehicle. ALSO Now the THE TAIL LIGHT IS OUT AND NO WAY TO REPAIR IT NO ONE HAS THE LIGHT. Also this car is on its third transmission
NHTSA complaint #11738169 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.
Alliance, OHCrash
SERVICE BRAKES
So the shock strut system up front has a grommet that holds it in. The repair order said they put a shock simulator in the car and it gave false reading saying it was good and it came out broke break line and caused me to jump a curve to stop the vehicle. ALSO Now the THE TAIL LIGHT IS OUT AND NO WAY TO REPAIR IT NO ONE HAS THE LIGHT. Also this car is on its third transmission
NHTSA complaint #11738169 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.
David City, NE
ENGINE
Engine blew at less than 80,000 miles
NHTSA complaint #11731310 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.
Hawthorne, NV
ENGINE
My engine starting making a knocking/ticking noise out of no where. I was traveling alone on the highway so I stopped to check it. I got to a gas station and google searched it and it came up that the LS 6.2 engine that is in my vehicle was recalled on other models because of this issue. I did have a mechanic look at it as well and he agreed it is that same issue that was recalled in other models.
NHTSA complaint #11731050 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.
Kalispell, MT
POWER TRAIN
The 2017 GMC Yukon has serious transmission issues that GM continues to ignore, and it is going to get someone hurt. I was stopped at a red light, and when it turned green, I pressed the gas pedal but the car would not move. I pressed harder, and then it suddenly lurched forward about 30 feet. If there had been a car in front of me, I would have hit them and likely caused injuries. When I took it to the dealership, they said it needed a full transmission replacement, which was not covered. I had to pay out of pocket. I was only about $10,000 outside the warranty when it failed, and GM refused to stand behind their product or help in any way. I was already financing the vehicle and should not have had to pay for a new transmission on a car that was less than four years old with relatively low miles. This is not just my experience. Many others have had the same issue. GM knows about it and chooses not to acknowledge it. They are lucky no one has been seriously injured or killed because of it. Going to attach all of the proof of people "coincidentally" experiencing the same issue.
NHTSA complaint #11730014 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.
Buford, GA
POWER TRAIN
The 8-speed automatic transmission (Hydra-Matic 8L90) on this 2017 GMC Yukon SLT 5.3L V8 has failed. This is a repeat failure — the transmission was previously rebuilt in 2020 under a GM recall/service action for the same known defect affecting this transmission type. The transmission has now failed again in 2026, approximately six years after GM's prior repair. Prior to failure, the vehicle exhibited hard shifting, shuddering during acceleration, and hesitation between gear changes — symptoms consistent with the known defect pattern documented across 2015–2019 GM vehicles equipped with this transmission. The failure was confirmed by a service center. The vehicle is currently not safely drivable. Safety concern: erratic and unpredictable gear changes, including sudden lurching and hesitation during acceleration, create a dangerous condition for the driver, passengers, and other vehicles on the road. GM has been contacted through their Customer Assistance Center (case opened). GM's initial position was that they cannot assist because the vehicle is out of warranty. However, this is a repeat failure of a previously repaired known defect. GM issued 13+ technical service bulletins on this transmission and has been aware of the root defect since at least 2018. A federal class action (Speerly v. General Motors, E.D. Michigan) covering this exact vehicle type and transmission has been certified and upheld by the Sixth Circuit Court of Appeals. The prior GM repair did not remediate the underlying defect.
NHTSA complaint #11728048 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.
Mechanicsville, VA
POWER TRAIN
Slipping Gears: Many Yukon Denali owners report experiencing unexpected gear changes or loss of power while driving. Hard Shifting: This problem manifests as harsh or abrupt gear changes, often accompanied by noticeable jolts when shifting from one gear to another. Unusual Noises: Grinding, whining, or clunking sounds when shifting There has been a class action lawsuit for this. I'm not sure why it has not been recalled in all states.
NHTSA complaint #11717784 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.
District Heights, MD
ENGINE
My truck lost power while I was driving. Took to a shop and they found that a had a bad lifter. I have all of my service records from the GMC dealership where I had my vehicle serviced on a regular basis.
NHTSA complaint #11711960 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.
Weirton, WV
ENGINE
I started noticing issues with my transmission around 55,000 miles on it. It first started with no noticing that it wouldn’t gear down when it needed to, and then when it finally did gear down, it would really jerk the vehicle. I started calling GMC then and questioning and putting in a claim. Just went back-and-forth four months. Now it was getting worse to where I could feel the transmission slipping it wouldn’t kick into upper gear or lower gear. Again, I was still calling GMC and reporting these issues. I was told to take it and have a transmission oil change, which I did costing me $300. I still noticed this problem and I continue to call. I kept being told that they would have somebody call me back which nobody ever called me back to find out specifics. I took it to a GMC garage have them put it on a machine, and I was told that it needed a new transmission and this wasn’t something GMC was covering. This new transmission cost me $6200 and was done on 1/5/25. Please remember this vehicle only had 64,000 miles on it, which is absolutely ridiculous to need a transmission at this mileage. I again had called in January 2025 reporting this and was told someone would call me back and never heard from them.
NHTSA complaint #11707493 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.
Weirton, WVCrash
SERVICE BRAKES
This has been going on for a while now, but it’s getting worse overtime. If I push on my brakes more than twice the brake pedal locks up and I have to push extremely hard to get my vehicle stopped.. luckily I have never been going fast and had to worry about this. This is normally when I am pulling into a parking spot or I am backing up that I have to tap on my brakes a few times. A couple of times I have bumped the pole in front of my parking spot due to not having brakes. I just put in a general date as to when they started to get worse.
NHTSA complaint #11707478 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.
Hampstead, NC
ENGINE
Sitting at stop light engine began running rough and smoke coming out. CEL came on and began flashing, pulled over and had it towed. Diagnosis was PO300 misfire, dead miss on cylcinder 4, cylinder plug 4 is fuel fouled, cois is fine has good spark- caused by failed lifters. Needs engine replacement. Vehicle always serviced, garage kept and in mint condition with 89K miles.
NHTSA complaint #11704828 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.
at 81,638 milesLake Orion, MI
ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING
The contact owns a 2017 GMC Yukon. The contact stated that the lifters were previously replaced in 2021 at the manufacturer's expense. Additionally, the contact stated that while driving at various speeds, the engine was running rough. The vehicle was taken to an unknown auto part store, where it was diagnosed with an engine cylinder malfunction. The vehicle was taken to an independent mechanic, where it was determined that the engine had experienced lifter failure or a more severe failure. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was notified of the failure and informed the contact that the vehicle needed to be diagnosed by the dealer, and that the manufacturer might help in covering the cost of the repair. The contact related the failure to NHTSA Action Number: EA25007 (Engine, Engine and Engine Cooling). The failure mileage was approximately 81,638.
NHTSA complaint #11704527 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.
Painesville, OH
SERVICE BRAKES
At parking lot speeds, there have been many incedents of brake failure, when pressing pedal to stop pedal pulsates and becomes very hard to stop the yukon. there seems to be a vacume or booster issue. Yukon will be fine for days then reaccure when slowing at stop sign or waitng at red light and moving foward in slow traffic to sign or llight and then in happens again. scary and unreliable when using brakes at low speed intersections or continous stop and go's
NHTSA complaint #11702401 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.
Kalamazoo, MI
EXTERIOR LIGHTING
We noticed the passenger side taillight was out. It’s not a simple bulb replacement but an entire assembly. It was put back in place and it lit up again. A few weeks later it wasn’t working. Pounded and tapped on it and it works again. We're guessing there is some sort of short so we asked for an estimate on getting an assembly replacement when it was in for a regular oil change. Shocked that a necessary part would cost $1,112.77!!! Whatever happened to changing a bulb for a few dollars?
NHTSA complaint #11699672 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.
at 78,000 milesOcala, FL
POWER TRAIN
The contact own a 2017 GMC Yukon. The contact stated that the vehicle failed to shift from 2nd to 3rd gear while driving and remained stuck in gear. There was no warning light illuminated. The vehicle was taken to the dealer, where it was diagnosed and determined that the transmission needed to be replaced. The vehicle was not repaired due to the cost. The manufacturer was notified of the failure and informed the contact that assistance would not be provided because the warranty had expired. The failure mileage was approximately 78,000.
NHTSA complaint #11698166 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.
Pahrump, NV
POWER TRAIN
WHEN I BOUGHT THE YUKON 3 YEARS AGO THE TRANMISSION WENT OUT WITHIN MONTHS, THEY REPLACED IT WITH A USED ONE, NOW IT IS STARTED TO DO THE SAME THING, IT WILL SLIP IN AND OUT OF GEAR, WHEN YOU GIVE IT GAS IT WILL JUMP INTO GEAR AT AN IDLE IT WILL DROP OUT OF GEAR, IT'S BEEN DOING THIS EVERY SINCE THEY PUT THE USED ONE IN, I NOITIED THEM THEY SAID THAT IT IS NORMAL???? I HAD THE WORK DONE @ PAHRUMP VALLEY AUTO PLAZA. I'M AFRAID THAT WHEN IM AT A LIGHT IT WILL NOT GO INTO GEAR AND I WILL GET HIT. NO WARING LAMPS CAME ON AT ALL, IT HAS PROGRESSIVELY GOTTEN WORSE.
NHTSA complaint #11697496 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.
Tucson, AZ
ELECTRICAL SYSTEM
THE BRAKE LIGHT IS OUT AND A SINGLE TAIL LIGHT IS OVER 500$ Very dangerous to have tail light out and can cause an accident. There should be a recall on these defective LED lights.
NHTSA complaint #11696886 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.
Saint Johns, FL
POWER TRAIN
My vehicle started making a knocking sound and eventually died on me. I barely made it to a repair shop to check out my vehicle, but had to get it towed back to my home from the repair shop after they told me my engine failed. This happened around 118,000 mileage. I found out that this issue is very common and needs to be addressed for this year and model vehicle. It could have ended very badly for me as I was on the interstate when it happened. Now, my vehicle is sitting and I am unable to use it. Engine would cost me over $12k for cost and repairs.
NHTSA complaint #11694709 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.