IllustrationBOTH REAR TAIL LIGHTS HAVE FAILED UNDER 40,000 MILES. DEFECTIVE! PLEASE RECALL!!!
2016 GMC Yukon Denali Xl
Owner reports · Recalls · Investigations
Similar to other model years
Owner complaints for the 2016 GMC Yukon Denali Xl do not stand out strongly from the model-year median of 29.
About this comparison →How this year compares
Owner complaints by model year
Compare all Yukon Denali Xl years →Counts vary with age, sales and reporting. They are not failure rates.
What owners reported most
All reported categories
Tap a category to read its complaints. One report may name several components.
When problems were reported
Mileage at the reported incident
40–25K
1325–50K
650–75K
175–100K
0100–150K
0150K+
24 reports with mileage · 5 unknown
NHTSA’s mileage field refers to the reported incident, not necessarily the filing date. This shows report counts, not the likelihood of a failure.
What to inspect
Issues worth paying extra attention to based on owner reports.
- Exterior Lighting. Review the 15 owner reports in this category and discuss these concerns during a pre-purchase inspection. Read reports →
- Electrical System. Review the 4 owner reports in this category and discuss these concerns during a pre-purchase inspection. Read reports →
- Power Train. Review the 3 owner reports in this category and discuss these concerns during a pre-purchase inspection. Read reports →
NHTSA owner reports · September 18, 2026 snapshot.
2 crash reports0 fire reports0 injury reports
Electrical System complaints
4 reportsON 2/28/2018 I HAD JUST LEFT THE AIRPORT IN OAKLAND CA, APPROX 8:00PM. I STOP FOR GAS AT THE CHEVRON STATION ON 98TH AVE, AFTER FUELING, THE CAR WOULD NOT START. REMINDER, THIS IS A 2016 DENALI. I HAD A FEMALE ASSOCIATE WITH ME AND WE HAD AN APPOINTMENT IN SAN FRAMSICO AT 8:30PM. THE CAR HAD LOST ALL POWER AND TWO OTHER PEOPLE H…
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ON 2/28/2018 I HAD JUST LEFT THE AIRPORT IN OAKLAND CA, APPROX 8:00PM. I STOP FOR GAS AT THE CHEVRON STATION ON 98TH AVE, AFTER FUELING, THE CAR WOULD NOT START. REMINDER, THIS IS A 2016 DENALI. I HAD A FEMALE ASSOCIATE WITH ME AND WE HAD AN APPOINTMENT IN SAN FRAMSICO AT 8:30PM. THE CAR HAD LOST ALL POWER AND TWO OTHER PEOPLE HELPED ME PUSH INTO ADJACENT PARKING SPACE. THE AREA IS KNOWN FOR HIGH CRIME, BASICALLY WE WERE EXTREMELY NERVOUS AND STRANDED. FORTUNATELY, WE WERE ABLE TO CONTACT AAA AND SET AN APPOINTMENT TO CHECK OUT THE CAR. WE UBERED TO OUR APPOINTMENT. THE FAILURE OF THE BATTERY LEFT US VUNRABLE AND WE BOTH FEARED FOR OUR SAFETY. THE NEXT DAY, THE LOCAL MECHANIC SAID THE BATTERY SHOULD HAVE LASTED A MINIMUM OF SEVEN YEARS. THEY FELT THE BATTERY WASN'T SUFFICIENT TO HANDLE THE ELECTRONICS THAT WERE BUILT INTO THIS CAR. THEREFORE, POTENTIALLY CREATING A MAJOR SAFETY CONCERN WITH ANY OWNER OF THIS VEHICLE. MY COMPLAINT HIGHLIGHTS THE POTENTIAL SAFETY IMPLICATIONS CAUSED BY THE MANUFACTURES DECISION TO REDUCE COST BY INSTALLING A BATTERY WITHOUT THE CAPACITY TO REASONABLY START THE VEHICLE AFTER ONLY TWO YEARS OF USE. I WOULD HOPE ALL OWNERS OF THIS MAKE AND MODEL ARE NOTIFIED OF THIS POSIBLITY. I CAN'T IMAGINE ANY OF MY FAMILY MEMBERS BEING EXPOSED TO THIS SITUATION. THANK YOU!
ELECTRICAL ISSUES: WHILE DRIVING THE INFORMATION PANEL GO'S BLANK. WE HAVE EXPERIENCED THIS TWICE WHILE DRIVING, WE LOSE THE SPEEDOMETER, TECH, AND EVERYTHING ON THE DISPLAY PANEL. RADIO, SKIPS CHANNELS EVEN AFTER THE SWITCH WAS REPLACED. DRIVE TRAIN: DOWN SHIFTS ABRUPTLY WHILE ACCELERATING ONTO INTERSTATE ON RAMPS, EITHER LUNG…
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ELECTRICAL ISSUES: WHILE DRIVING THE INFORMATION PANEL GO'S BLANK. WE HAVE EXPERIENCED THIS TWICE WHILE DRIVING, WE LOSE THE SPEEDOMETER, TECH, AND EVERYTHING ON THE DISPLAY PANEL. RADIO, SKIPS CHANNELS EVEN AFTER THE SWITCH WAS REPLACED. DRIVE TRAIN: DOWN SHIFTS ABRUPTLY WHILE ACCELERATING ONTO INTERSTATE ON RAMPS, EITHER LUNGING FORWARD OR LUNGING BACKWARD. BEEN IN THE GM SHOP THREE TIME TO TRY AND FIX ISSUE. THERE HAVE BEEN BULLETINS ISSUED TO TRY AND FIX WITHOUT SUCCESS TO-DATE. THEY ARE AWARE THAT IS A PROBLEM, BECAUSE FORD AND GM ON THE 2018'S, I WAS TOLD BY THE SALES PERSONS THAT THIS ISSUE WAS FIXED. I AM AWARE OF THE CHEVY TRANSMISSION ISSUE AND I AM CONCERNED THAT THIS MAYBE A SIMILAR SAFETY CONCERN. AS FAR AS I KNOW THE TRANSMISSION HAS NOT JUMPED OUT OF GEAR ON ITS OWN. I AM LOOKING AT A SHOP TICKET AND THEY ARE CALLING THE ISSUE A SHUTTER DURING TORQUE CONVERTER LOCKS UP.
I PURCHASED A 2016 YUKON DENALI BRAND NEW FROM THE DEALER IN OCTOBER 2016. SINCE THIS TIME THE VEHICLE HAS BEEN IN THE SHOP 5 TIMES. THE FIRST TIME WAS DUE TO FRONT DRIVER SIDE DOOR NOT BEING FULLY ALIGNED WITH THE FRONT FENDER. THIS ISSUE WAS NOT RESOLVED AS THEY SAID IT WOULD "MOST LIKELY MESS THE VEHICLE UP FURTHER". IN FEBRU…
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I PURCHASED A 2016 YUKON DENALI BRAND NEW FROM THE DEALER IN OCTOBER 2016. SINCE THIS TIME THE VEHICLE HAS BEEN IN THE SHOP 5 TIMES. THE FIRST TIME WAS DUE TO FRONT DRIVER SIDE DOOR NOT BEING FULLY ALIGNED WITH THE FRONT FENDER. THIS ISSUE WAS NOT RESOLVED AS THEY SAID IT WOULD "MOST LIKELY MESS THE VEHICLE UP FURTHER". IN FEBRUARY OF 2017 MY YUKON WENT BACK TO THE DEALER FOR SERVICE INVOLVING THE POWER RUNNING BOARDS NOT DEPLOYING AND CONTROL PANEL NOT ILLUMINATING. THE CONTROL PANEL WAS BLAMED ON A SOFTWARE UPDATE. WHILE AT THE DEALER THE SERVICE MANAGER STATED THAT "GM PUT OUT THIS SOFTWARE TOO EARLY". IN MAY 2017 THE REAR DVD PLAYER WENT BLANK AND STOPPED WORKING. THESE TWO ISSUES WERE BOTH COVERED UNDER WARRANTY. IN NOVEMBER 2017 THE RADIO STARTED TO "FREEZE" AND WOULDN'T CHANGE CHANNELS. I WAS TOLD THIS WAS A SOFTWARE UPDATE ISSUE AND I NEEDED A NEW HMI ($500) AND WILL NOT BE UNDER WARRANTY AS I NOW HAVE 40,000 MILES. IN DECEMBER 2017 MY YUKON WENT BACK TO THE SERVICE DEPARTMENT DUE TO AIR CONDITIONER FAILURE. AFTER REVIEWING ON THE INTERNET THIS SEEMS TO BE A COMMON PROBLEM FOR THIS VEHICLE. APPARENTLY, THERE WAS A SPECIAL BULLETIN THE CONSUMER ISN'T AWARE OF UNTIL IT BREAKS, SO IT WAS ALSO COVERED; HOWEVER THE BLOWER MOTOR ($377) THAT BROKE DUE TO THIS ISSUE WASN'T COVERED. I CONTACTED GM CUSTOMER SERVICE AND FILED A COMPLAINT WITH A SUPERVISOR. I WAS TOLD THERE IS NOTHING THEY CAN DO DUE TO MY YUKON BEING OUT OF WARRANTY, AND WHEN THEY BUILD THESE VEHICLES "THEY DO NOT KNOW HOW LONG PARTS WILL LAST". IN MY OPINION THIS IS UNACCEPTABLE ESPECIALLY FOR A $75,000 + VEHICLE THAT IS ONLY 2 YEARS REMOVED FROM THE MANUFACTURER. I HAVE OWNED 3 GM PRODUCTS (TAHOE, YUKON, AND NOW THIS VEHICLE) AND I WILL NEVER BUY ANOTHER GM PRODUCT.
Official recalls
0No recalls in this snapshot.
Model-level recall history does not show whether a particular VIN is affected or has received a repair. Check a VIN with NHTSA ↗
NHTSA investigations
1PE18012 · Brake Vacuum Pump Failure
Opened Nov 20, 2018 · Closed Apr 10, 2022
Status: closed (inferred from source dates) · Service Brakes; Service Brakes, Hydraulic; Service Brakes, Hydraulic:power Assist:vacuum
On November 20, 2018, the Office of Defects Investigations (ODI) opened PE18-012 to investigate instances of sudden onset of a hard brake pedal that could result in extended stopping distance due to an issue with the brake assist vacuum pump in model year (MY) 2014 through 2016 GMC Sierra 1500 and Chevrolet Silverado 1500 series pickup trucks and MY 2015 through 2016 Cadillac Escalade, Chevrolet Suburban, Chevrolet Tahoe, and GMC Yukon SUVs.If the brake assist vacuum pump fails to operate as intended, the amount of brake power assist supplied to the driver can be significantly reduced, extending the subject vehicle stopping distance. GM stated that the root cause of pump failures was due to foreign debris such as oil sludge in the engine oil. GM stated that this debris can become trapped by the oil inlet filter screen. Under normal operation, this screen allows a small amount of oil into the brake vacuum pump. The foreign debris can, over time, clog the pump which can cause a loss of lubrication and a reduction in the amount of vacuum produced leading to a hard pedal and extended stopping distance.On December 13, 2018, GM issued a Special Coverage (N182202780) for the brake vacuum pump issue in MY 2014-2017 trucks and 2015-2017 SUVs on the K2XX platform for 6 years or 72,000 miles. Special Coverage repair includes the replacement of the vacuum pump and vacuum pump belt. Consumers received notification of the coverage via mail. On September 6, 2019, GM notified NHTSA that it was conducting safety recall 19V-645 which reprograms the electronic brake control module (EBCM) and included approximately 3.5 million trucks and SUVs. In October 2019, GM extended the terms of special coverage N182202780 to 10 years or 150,000 miles as well as now including the entire scope of recall 19V-645. In October 2020, GM expanded the scope of coverage N182202780 to include the MY 2018 Escalade and 2019 Tahoe.The remedy implemented in GM recall 19V-645 appears to be sufficient in addressing the safety-related concerns of this issue. Loss of vacuum assist now occurs at a progressive rate as well as there being a more timely warning of a brake problem to the driver through the driver information center (DIC). In view of the recall action and revision to the special coverage, this Preliminary Evaluation is closed. The agency reserves the right to take additional action if warranted by new circumstances. The ODI reports cited above are available for review online at NHTSA.gov under the identification numbers in the attached document.
Additional source detail variants (3)
Service Brakes
On November 20, 2018, the Office of Defects Investigations (ODI) opened PE18-012 to investigate instances of sudden onset of a hard brake pedal that could result in extended stopping distance due to an issue with the brake assist vacuum pump in model year (MY) 2014 through 2016 GMC Sierra 1500 and Chevrolet Silverado 1500 series pickup trucks and MY 2015 through 2016 Cadillac Escalade, Chevrolet Suburban, Chevrolet Tahoe, and GMC Yukon SUVs.If the brake assist vacuum pump fails to operate as intended, the amount of brake power assist supplied to the driver can be significantly reduced, extending the subject vehicle stopping distance. GM stated that the root cause of pump failures was due to foreign debris such as oil sludge in the engine oil. GM stated that this debris can become trapped by the oil inlet filter screen. Under normal operation, this screen allows a small amount of oil into the brake vacuum pump. The foreign debris can, over time, clog the pump which can cause a loss of lubrication and a reduction in the amount of vacuum produced leading to a hard pedal and extended stopping distance.On December 13, 2018, GM issued a Special Coverage (N182202780) for the brake vacuum pump issue in MY 2014-2017 trucks and 2015-2017 SUVs on the K2XX platform for 6 years or 72,000 miles. Special Coverage repair includes the replacement of the vacuum pump and vacuum pump belt. Consumers received notification of the coverage via mail. On September 6, 2019, GM notified NHTSA that it was conducting safety recall 19V-645 which reprograms the electronic brake control module (EBCM) and included approximately 3.5 million trucks and SUVs. In October 2019, GM extended the terms of special coverage N182202780 to 10 years or 150,000 miles as well as now including the entire scope of recall 19V-645. In October 2020, GM expanded the scope of coverage N182202780 to include the MY 2018 Escalade and 2019 Tahoe.The remedy implemented in GM recall 19V-645 appears to be sufficient in addressing the safety-related concerns of this issue. Loss of vacuum assist now occurs at a progressive rate as well as there being a more timely warning of a brake problem to the driver through the driver information center (DIC). In view of the recall action and revision to the special coverage, this Preliminary Evaluation is closed. The agency reserves the right to take additional action if warranted by new circumstances. The ODI reports cited above are available for review online at NHTSA.gov under the identification numbers in the attached document.
Service Brakes, Hydraulic
On November 20, 2018, the Office of Defects Investigations (ODI) opened PE18-012 to investigate instances of sudden onset of a hard brake pedal that could result in extended stopping distance due to an issue with the brake assist vacuum pump in model year (MY) 2014 through 2016 GMC Sierra 1500 and Chevrolet Silverado 1500 series pickup trucks and MY 2015 through 2016 Cadillac Escalade, Chevrolet Suburban, Chevrolet Tahoe, and GMC Yukon SUVs.If the brake assist vacuum pump fails to operate as intended, the amount of brake power assist supplied to the driver can be significantly reduced, extending the subject vehicle stopping distance. GM stated that the root cause of pump failures was due to foreign debris such as oil sludge in the engine oil. GM stated that this debris can become trapped by the oil inlet filter screen. Under normal operation, this screen allows a small amount of oil into the brake vacuum pump. The foreign debris can, over time, clog the pump which can cause a loss of lubrication and a reduction in the amount of vacuum produced leading to a hard pedal and extended stopping distance.On December 13, 2018, GM issued a Special Coverage (N182202780) for the brake vacuum pump issue in MY 2014-2017 trucks and 2015-2017 SUVs on the K2XX platform for 6 years or 72,000 miles. Special Coverage repair includes the replacement of the vacuum pump and vacuum pump belt. Consumers received notification of the coverage via mail. On September 6, 2019, GM notified NHTSA that it was conducting safety recall 19V-645 which reprograms the electronic brake control module (EBCM) and included approximately 3.5 million trucks and SUVs. In October 2019, GM extended the terms of special coverage N182202780 to 10 years or 150,000 miles as well as now including the entire scope of recall 19V-645. In October 2020, GM expanded the scope of coverage N182202780 to include the MY 2018 Escalade and 2019 Tahoe.The remedy implemented in GM recall 19V-645 appears to be sufficient in addressing the safety-related concerns of this issue. Loss of vacuum assist now occurs at a progressive rate as well as there being a more timely warning of a brake problem to the driver through the driver information center (DIC). In view of the recall action and revision to the special coverage, this Preliminary Evaluation is closed. The agency reserves the right to take additional action if warranted by new circumstances. The ODI reports cited above are available for review online at NHTSA.gov under the identification numbers in the attached document.
Service Brakes, Hydraulic:power Assist:vacuum
On November 20, 2018, the Office of Defects Investigations (ODI) opened PE18-012 to investigate instances of sudden onset of a hard brake pedal that could result in extended stopping distance due to an issue with the brake assist vacuum pump in model year (MY) 2014 through 2016 GMC Sierra 1500 and Chevrolet Silverado 1500 series pickup trucks and MY 2015 through 2016 Cadillac Escalade, Chevrolet Suburban, Chevrolet Tahoe, and GMC Yukon SUVs.If the brake assist vacuum pump fails to operate as intended, the amount of brake power assist supplied to the driver can be significantly reduced, extending the subject vehicle stopping distance. GM stated that the root cause of pump failures was due to foreign debris such as oil sludge in the engine oil. GM stated that this debris can become trapped by the oil inlet filter screen. Under normal operation, this screen allows a small amount of oil into the brake vacuum pump. The foreign debris can, over time, clog the pump which can cause a loss of lubrication and a reduction in the amount of vacuum produced leading to a hard pedal and extended stopping distance.On December 13, 2018, GM issued a Special Coverage (N182202780) for the brake vacuum pump issue in MY 2014-2017 trucks and 2015-2017 SUVs on the K2XX platform for 6 years or 72,000 miles. Special Coverage repair includes the replacement of the vacuum pump and vacuum pump belt. Consumers received notification of the coverage via mail. On September 6, 2019, GM notified NHTSA that it was conducting safety recall 19V-645 which reprograms the electronic brake control module (EBCM) and included approximately 3.5 million trucks and SUVs. In October 2019, GM extended the terms of special coverage N182202780 to 10 years or 150,000 miles as well as now including the entire scope of recall 19V-645. In October 2020, GM expanded the scope of coverage N182202780 to include the MY 2018 Escalade and 2019 Tahoe.The remedy implemented in GM recall 19V-645 appears to be sufficient in addressing the safety-related concerns of this issue. Loss of vacuum assist now occurs at a progressive rate as well as there being a more timely warning of a brake problem to the driver through the driver information center (DIC). In view of the recall action and revision to the special coverage, this Preliminary Evaluation is closed. The agency reserves the right to take additional action if warranted by new circumstances. The ODI reports cited above are available for review online at NHTSA.gov under the identification numbers in the attached document.