2016 Gmc Yukon Xl problems, complaints & recalls
Most-reported problem areas: Exterior Lighting (71) · Service Brakes (38) · Power Train (28)
🧭 Reliability snapshot
Compared against other Gmc Yukon Xl model years — complaint volume vs the model's median year, recalls and severity. How we score →
🛣️ Complaints by mileage
126 NHTSA complaints that reported an odometer reading.
Safety recalls (3)
Seat Belts:pretensioner 2017-07-10 · campaign 17V437000 · 40,683 vehicles
Defect: General Motors LLC (GM) is recalling certain model year 2014-2016 Buick Lacrosse and Chevrolet Spark EV, Caprice PPV and SS vehicles, 2014-2017 Buick Encore and Chevrolet Corvette, Silverado 1500 and GMC Sierra 1500 vehicles, 2015-2016 Cadillac Escalade and Escalade ESV, Chevrolet Tahoe, Trax, Suburban and Silverado 2500 and 3500 and GMC Yukon and Yukon XL vehicles, and 2015-2017 GMC Sierra HD 2500 and 3500 vehicles. While being previously remedied for recall 16V-651, the affected vehicles may
Risk: A failure of the front air bags or seat belt pretensioners to deploy in the event of a crash necessitating deployment increases the risk of injury to the driver and front passenger.
Fix: GM will notify owners, and dealers will reflash the SDM software. Vehicles that have had a previous air bag deployment will have the SDM replaced. These repairs will be performed free of charge. The recall began on August 4, 2017. Owners may contact Buick customer service at 1-800-521-7300, Cadillac customer service at 1-800-458-8006, Chevrolet customer service at 1-800-222-1020, or GMC customer service at 1-800-462-8782. GM's number for this recall is 17287.
Seat Belts:pretensioner 2016-09-08 · campaign 16V651000 · 3,640,162 vehicles
Defect: General Motors LLC (GM) is recalling certain model year 2015-2017 Chevrolet Silverado 2500 HD, 3500 HD, Tahoe, Suburban, GMC Sierra 2500 HD and 3500 HD, GMC Yukon, GMC Yukon XL, Cadillac Escalade and Cadillac Escalade ESV vehicles and 2014-2017 Chevrolet Corvette, Silverado 1500, Trax, Caprice Police Pursuit Vehicle, GMC Sierra 1500, Buick Encore, and 2014-2016 Buick Lacrosse, Chevrolet Spark EV and SS vehicles. In the affected vehicles, certain driving conditions may cause the air bag sensing
Risk: A failure of the front air bags or seat belt pretensioners to deploy in the event of a crash necessitating deployment increases the risk of injury to the driver and front passenger.
Fix: GM will notify owners, and dealers will reflash the SDM software. Vehicles that have had a previous air bag deployment will have the SDM replaced. These repairs will be performed free of charge. The recall began on October 13, 2016. Owners may contact Buick customer service at 1-800-521-7300, Cadillac customer service at 1-800-458-8006, Chevrolet customer service at 1-800-222-1020, or GMC customer service at 1-800-462-8782. GM's number for this recall is 16007.
Suspension:front:control Arm 2016-04-28 · campaign 16V256000 · 3,738 vehicles ⚠ DO NOT DRIVE
Defect: General Motors LLC (GM) is recalling certain model year 2016-2017 Chevrolet Silverado 1500 and 2016 Cadillac Escalade, Cadillac Escalade ESV, Chevrolet Suburban, Chevrolet Tahoe, GMC Sierra, GMC Yukon and GMC Yukon XL vehicles. The front upper control arms may have inadequate welds near the control arm bushing.
Risk: Inadequate welds may allow the control arm to separate from the bushing, compromising steering and increasing the risk of a crash.
Fix: GM will notify owners, and dealers will replace the left and right front upper control arms and realign the vehicle, free of charge. The recall began on May 18, 2016. Until the repairs have been made, owners are advised not to drive their vehicles. Owners may contact Chevrolet customer service at 1-800-222-1020, Cadillac customer service at 1-800-458-8006, or GMC customer service at 1-800-462-8782. GM's number for this recall is 42190.
Service bulletins (1,456)
Technical service bulletins are repair instructions manufacturers send dealers for known issues. Unlike recalls, the fix is not automatically free — but naming the bulletin at the service desk can save diagnosis time and support goodwill repairs.
Unknown Or Other 2026-09-26 · PIT5698F · Service Bulletin/Repair Instructions
this pi provides diagnostics tips on how the lin bus works and how to diagnosis it.
Unknown Or Other 2026-09-21 · PIP5700H · Service Bulletin/Repair Instructions
this pi communicates the proper part numbers for transmission connectors and internal harness to prevent confusion when ordering
Unknown Or Other 2026-09-04 · PIP4902W · Service Bulletin/Repair Instructions
this preliminary information advises a dealer on how to email gds2 session logs into technical assistance.
Unknown Or Other 2026-07-21 · PIT5099J · Service Bulletin/Repair Instructions
pi to help diagnose a/c concern
Unknown Or Other 2026-07-21 · PIT5509N · Service Bulletin/Repair Instructions
this pi provides diagnostic tips for diagnosing electric trailer brakes issues.
Unknown Or Other 2026-05-14 · PIT5509M · Service Bulletin/Repair Instructions
this pi provides diagnostic tips for diagnosing electric trailer brakes issues.
Showing the 6 most recent of 1,456 bulletins. Search all of them free at nhtsa.gov.
What owners report
2026-10-23 · Engine“while driving at about 35-40 mph, vehicle went into limp mode and then stalled. vehicle would not restart until hours later after being towed. when vehicle started there is the sound of a rod(s) knocking in the engine. …”
2026-09-17 · Suspension · 108,346 mi“the contact owns a 2016 gmc yukon xl. the contact stated that while driving 30 mph, the steering wheel locked up. several unknown warning lights were illuminated. the contact associated the failure with nhtsa campaign number: 16v256000 (suspension); however, the vin was not included in the recall. the dealer was contacted. the manufacturer was cont…”
2026-09-03 · Power Train“1. my vehicle is having transmission issues with shuddering and shifting. m5u rpo code 8l90 transmission. 2. my safety and the safety of others is a concern if the transmission is not working as intended my vehicle could be at risk an accident that could be avoided. 3. the problem has not be reproduced or confirmed by a dealer i work on my own vehi…”
2026-06-25 · Chest Clip, Buckle, Harness“after my child had thrown up all over the car seat her father had taken her inside to clean up and i took the car seat apart to throw the pieces into the washer to clean them. the harness strap did not come out fully clean so i contacted graco for a replacement piece and i was told that they don’t replace those and that the strap being removed tota…”
2026-04-22 · Vehicle Speed Control · 💥 crash“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 cou…”
2026-04-19 · Power Train“transmission failure on 8l90 8 speed transmission. 93,000 miles.…”
2026-03-25 · Engine“i am submitting this complaint to report what i believe to be a serious and systemic safety defect involving gm 6.2l engines equipped with fuel efficiency systems such as active fuel management (afm) or dynamic fuel management (dfm). i have experienced catastrophic engine failure in two separate gmc yukon denali vehicles with nearly identical symp…”
2026-02-23 · Engine“afm system failed resulting in engine replacement.…”
2026-02-19 · Steering“i was test driving the vehicle after some and as i was test, driving it, the steering lot up on me. luckily, i was entering a residential area when it occurred down the street from my residency; in which i was able to drive it to my residency, during that short ride, you could smell a burning smell coming out along with some crackling noises. i had…”
2026-02-11 · Power Train“my vehicle has been in 16 times since i bought it the most recent incident is for the engine which started about six months ago. it’s been in since then for other issues concurrently with this one it hesitates like it’s getting stuck in sand before it wants to go first the mechanic told me he didn’t sense it but the thermostat was stuck open so the…”
Excerpts of consumer complaints filed with NHTSA, lightly truncated. They are owner statements, not verified findings.