While driving, the check engine light started to blink and there was a steady knocking coming from the engine. This is the same issues that GMC is currently recalling newer model vehicles for. Safety was at risk because the engine failure happened while driving.
2015 GMC Yukon Xl
Owner reports · Recalls · Investigations
More warning signs than most Yukon Xl years
Owner complaints for the 2015 GMC Yukon Xl are substantially higher than the model-year median of 68.
About this comparison →How this year compares
Owner complaints by model year
Compare all Yukon 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
200 reports with mileage · 106 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 140 owner reports in this category and discuss these concerns during a pre-purchase inspection. Read reports →
- Service Brakes. Review the 62 owner reports in this category and discuss these concerns during a pre-purchase inspection. Read reports →
- Electrical System. Review the 58 owner reports in this category and discuss these concerns during a pre-purchase inspection. Read reports →
NHTSA owner reports · September 18, 2026 snapshot.
What owners actually said
306 reportsThe contact owns a 2015 GMC Yukon XL. The contact stated that while his wife was driving approximately 35 MPH, there was an abnormal sound coming from the engine compartment before the vehicle stalled. The driver was able to steer the vehicle into a parking lot. The contact stated that his wife attempted to restart the vehicle; …
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The contact owns a 2015 GMC Yukon XL. The contact stated that while his wife was driving approximately 35 MPH, there was an abnormal sound coming from the engine compartment before the vehicle stalled. The driver was able to steer the vehicle into a parking lot. The contact stated that his wife attempted to restart the vehicle; however, the vehicle failed to restart. The contact stated that his wife observed that the check engine warning light illuminated while attempting to restart the vehicle. The contact had the vehicle towed to a local dealer, where it was diagnosed and determined that the engine needed to be replaced. The vehicle was not repaired. The contact stated that prior to the engine failure, the vehicle had been towed to the same dealer for a failure to start. The contact stated that the starter motor and a 12-Volt battery were replaced. The vehicle was repaired. The manufacturer was not informed of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 127,000.
As I was driving on the highway the check engine lights pops on and the engine starts stalling. The stability track light also came on and the truck was hard to maintain and drive. The truck has been maintained and serviced on a meticulous schedule. This is not the first major problem we have experienced with the truck, we had t…
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As I was driving on the highway the check engine lights pops on and the engine starts stalling. The stability track light also came on and the truck was hard to maintain and drive. The truck has been maintained and serviced on a meticulous schedule. This is not the first major problem we have experienced with the truck, we had to do a full transmission replacement on the truck at an 118,000 miles mark. Me and my family have been the only drivers and owner of the vehicle and mostly on put highway miles. I am so frustrated and disappointed in the workmanship and quality of our vehicle.
Lifter failure due to AFM. Car shuttered suddenly and then threw codes and had a bad misfire with engine shaking. Spent $6,700 to rebuild.
Brake vacuum pump faulty again.
While traveling at highway speed, without warning, check engine light started flashing. Pulled off the highway at the next exit and vehicle died in the middle of the road. Towed vehicle to mechanic who inspected vehicle and found no compression (zero psi) on cylinder 1 indicating a major engine failure, rendering engine unrepair…
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While traveling at highway speed, without warning, check engine light started flashing. Pulled off the highway at the next exit and vehicle died in the middle of the road. Towed vehicle to mechanic who inspected vehicle and found no compression (zero psi) on cylinder 1 indicating a major engine failure, rendering engine unrepairable and the vehicle worthless. Either cam, lifter, piston failure in cylinder 1 causing massive engine failure and making the engine unrepairable due to metal shavings in the engine. This is the L87 engine, 6.2L V8 that has been plagued by problems by millions of GM owners. This car had been meticulously serviced and maintained with regularly scheduled full synthetic oil changes. The car have no indication of engine problems beforehand until the engine blew up at highway speeds.
The contact owns a 2015 GMC Yukon XL. The contact stated that while operating the vehicle, the odor of fuel was present inside the cabin of the vehicle. The vehicle was taken to the local NAPA Auto store which diagnosed that the fuel feeder line was faulty and needed to be replaced. The fuel feeder line was replaced but the odor…
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The contact owns a 2015 GMC Yukon XL. The contact stated that while operating the vehicle, the odor of fuel was present inside the cabin of the vehicle. The vehicle was taken to the local NAPA Auto store which diagnosed that the fuel feeder line was faulty and needed to be replaced. The fuel feeder line was replaced but the odor was still present inside the vehicle. The local dealer and manufacturer were notified of the failure, but no assistance was offered. The failure mileage was 165,000.
Collapsed lifter due to AFM system
My wife drives a 2015 GMC Denali with the 6.2L engine. My daughter has an almost identical 2016 Denali with the same 6.2L engine. The 2015 had a serious event at approximately 125,000 miles when one of the rocker arm springs broke under ordinary driving conditions and caused the vehicle to be disabled in the midst of heavy tra…
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My wife drives a 2015 GMC Denali with the 6.2L engine. My daughter has an almost identical 2016 Denali with the same 6.2L engine. The 2015 had a serious event at approximately 125,000 miles when one of the rocker arm springs broke under ordinary driving conditions and caused the vehicle to be disabled in the midst of heavy traffic. The 2016 had a virtually identical event at 135,000 miles, which caused the rod to be ingested into the cylinder. I believe the rocker arm springs on these engines are defective, also evidenced by after-market double springs being sold for this engine. I have replaced all rocker arm springs on the 2016 with double springs and will do so shortly on the 2015. The GM dealer in Corpus Christi, TX where we had the 2016 towed told me that the only solution for it was to replace the entire engine at a cost of $11,000+. I paid the dealer $1,000+, towed the truck to San Antonio, and had a mechanic in my employ rebuild it for approximately $2,000. The 2015 had not broken the rod and was repaired by a dealer in San Antonio for approximately $1,250. INFORMATION REDACTED PURSUANT TO THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT (FOIA), 5 U.S.C. 552(B)(6)
Transmission failed and was replaced by GM dealership under warranty at 20,670 miles after rough shifts and jerking and lurching movements when driving and when putting vehicle in gear. Truck would also roll if on a hill in Park. Now at 53,438 miles, the same dangerous problems are occurring with only 33,000 miles on the replace…
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Transmission failed and was replaced by GM dealership under warranty at 20,670 miles after rough shifts and jerking and lurching movements when driving and when putting vehicle in gear. Truck would also roll if on a hill in Park. Now at 53,438 miles, the same dangerous problems are occurring with only 33,000 miles on the replaced transmission and after inspection, the dealership says the transmission needs to be replaced again. Appears GMC transmission is faulty and dangerous to drive and needs replacement very early in cars lifespan and a transmission should not need replacement so early especially when maintained correctly. Transmissions should last more than 20,000 or 30,000 miles before failing. Estimate for new transmission is $10,000. Called GMC customer service and said nothing they can do out of warranty. Dealership inspected and confirmed problems both times. Check engine light appeared the 2nd time indicating transmission failure but not the first time.
Official recalls
217V437000 · Air Bags:frontal; Air Bags:frontal:sensor/control MODULE-INACTIVE ; Seat Belts:pretensioner
Jul 10, 2017
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 not have received the complete software update necessary to remedy the recall condition. Without the update, certain driving conditions may cause the air bag sensing and diagnostic module (SDM) software to activate a diagnostic test. During this test, deployment of the frontal air bags and the seat belt pretensioners would not occur in the event of a crash.
Consequence & remedy
Consequence: 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.
Remedy: 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.
Additional source detail variants (3)
Seat Belts:pretensioner
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 not have received the complete software update necessary to remedy the recall condition. Without the update, certain driving conditions may cause the air bag sensing and diagnostic module (SDM) software to activate a diagnostic test. During this test, deployment of the frontal air bags and the seat belt pretensioners would not occur in the event of a crash.
Consequence: 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.
Remedy: 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.
Air Bags:frontal:sensor/control MODULE-INACTIVE
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 not have received the complete software update necessary to remedy the recall condition. Without the update, certain driving conditions may cause the air bag sensing and diagnostic module (SDM) software to activate a diagnostic test. During this test, deployment of the frontal air bags and the seat belt pretensioners would not occur in the event of a crash.
Consequence: 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.
Remedy: 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.
Air Bags:frontal
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 not have received the complete software update necessary to remedy the recall condition. Without the update, certain driving conditions may cause the air bag sensing and diagnostic module (SDM) software to activate a diagnostic test. During this test, deployment of the frontal air bags and the seat belt pretensioners would not occur in the event of a crash.
Consequence: 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.
Remedy: 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.
16V651000 · Air Bags:frontal; Air Bags:frontal:sensor/control MODULE-INACTIVE ; Seat Belts:pretensioner
Sep 8, 2016
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 and diagnostic module (SDM) software to activate a diagnostic test. During this test, deployment of the frontal air bags and the seat belt pretensioners would not occur in the event of a crash.
Consequence & remedy
Consequence: 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.
Remedy: 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.
Additional source detail variants (3)
Seat Belts:pretensioner
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 and diagnostic module (SDM) software to activate a diagnostic test. During this test, deployment of the frontal air bags and the seat belt pretensioners would not occur in the event of a crash.
Consequence: 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.
Remedy: 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.
Air Bags:frontal:sensor/control MODULE-INACTIVE
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 and diagnostic module (SDM) software to activate a diagnostic test. During this test, deployment of the frontal air bags and the seat belt pretensioners would not occur in the event of a crash.
Consequence: 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.
Remedy: 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.
Air Bags:frontal
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 and diagnostic module (SDM) software to activate a diagnostic test. During this test, deployment of the frontal air bags and the seat belt pretensioners would not occur in the event of a crash.
Consequence: 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.
Remedy: 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.
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.
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