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GMC · NHTSA safety record

2016 GMC Yukon

Every safety complaint, recall and defect investigation the US government holds on this vehicle.

Owners have filed 269 safety complaints about the 2016 GMC Yukon with the US government. Of those, 4 describe a crash, 5 people were injured and no death is recorded. 5 recall campaigns are open against it.

The most complained-about system is the exterior lighting, named in 104 complaints, 39% of the total. The typical failure was reported at 54,000 miles, the median across the 145 complaints that gave an odometer reading.

Compiled from NHTSA's complaint, recall and investigation files · Covers January 2016 to September 2026 · How this is counted

What is on file

269 complaints on file

269

Complaints

4

Describe a crash

0

Mention fire

5

People injured

0

Deaths

A complaint is an unverified account by the person who filed it, not a finding of fault. One complaint is one ODI number, which is how NHTSA counts them.

Complaints fell 38% year on year: 13 in the twelve months to 2026-Q2, against 21 in the twelve before.

A recall is the manufacturer conceding a defect, and the repair is free. Whether one covers your particular car is a question only its VIN can answer, because a campaign covers a production range rather than a model year.

Which system owners named

Complaints naming each system
EXTERIOR LIGHTING 104 · 39%
ELECTRICAL SYSTEM 53 · 20%
SERVICE BRAKES 53 · 20%
POWER TRAIN 35 · 13%
ENGINE 34 · 13%
UNKNOWN OR OTHER 32 · 12%
STEERING 10 · 4%
FUEL/PROPULSION SYSTEM 7 · 3%
SUSPENSION 7 · 3%
VEHICLE SPEED CONTROL 6 · 2%
FORWARD COLLISION AVOIDANCE 5 · 2%
STRUCTURE 5 · 2%
0 42 85

Red marks a system with a recall campaign against it. One complaint can name several systems, so these add up to more than 269.

When the complaints arrived

By the year NHTSA received them

By the year NHTSA received them, which is not the year the failures happened. They peaked in 2019 at 76.

80 60 40 20
16 17 18 19 20 21 22 23 24 25 26

This is the year the complaint was filed, not the year the failure happened. The range runs from 2016 to 2026, the last of them a part year, which is why its column is drawn faint.

Crash test ratings

NHTSA New Car Assessment Program

NHTSA crashes a car into a barrier and a pole and measures what happens to the dummies inside. This is what it awarded the 2016 GMC YUKON, and it is a separate question from what owners report going wrong later.

Test SUV 4WD SUV RWD
Overall
Frontal crash
Frontal, driver
Frontal, passenger
Side crash
Side barrier
Side pole
Rollover
Chance of rollover 22.2% 22.9%
Stability control standard Forward collision warning standard Lane departure warning standard

A rating belongs to a tested body style and drivetrain, not to the model as a whole, which is why more than one is listed. A dash means NHTSA did not rate that test for this vehicle.

Recall campaigns

5 on file

SERVICE BRAKES, HYDRAULIC:ANTILOCK/TRACTION CONTROL/ELECTRONIC LIMITED SLIP:WHEEL SPEED SENSOR/TONE RING

19V761000 · October 24, 2019

The defect
General Motors LLC (GM) is recalling certain 2015-2020 Chevrolet Suburban, Tahoe, and GMC Yukon, and 2014-2018 Chevrolet Silverado 1500 and GMC Sierra 1500 vehicles equipped with a 5.3-liter engine, a 3.08-ratio rear axle and four-wheel drive. If a wheel-speed sensor fails, while the vehicle is traveling between 41 and 60 mph in four-wheel or automatic mode, the Electronic-Brake Control Module (EBCM) software may activate the driveline-protection system.
The risk
Unintended activation of the driveline-protection system will cause unintended braking on the wheel on the opposite side of the failed sensor, causing the vehicle to pull to one side unexpectedly, increasing the risk of a crash.
The remedy
GM will notify owners, and dealers will reprogram the EBCM, free of charge. The recall began December 11, 2019. Owners may contact Chevrolet customer service at 1-800-630-2438 or GMC customer service at 1-800-462-8782. GM's number for this recall is N192261050.

General Motors LLC · up to 652,967 vehicles across all model years covered

SERVICE BRAKES, HYDRAULIC:POWER ASSIST:VACUUM

19V645000 · September 6, 2019

The defect
General Motors LLC (GM) is recalling certain 2015-2017 Cadillac Escalade, 2014-2018 Chevrolet Silverado, GMC Sierra, 2015-2018 Chevrolet Suburban, Tahoe, GMC Yukon vehicles. The amount of vacuum created by the vacuum pump may decrease over time.
The risk
As the vacuum level drops, the brake assist decreases, increasing braking effort, extending the distance required to stop the vehicle, thereby increasing the risk of a crash.
The remedy
GM will notify owners, and dealers will reprogram the Electronic Brake Control Module, free of charge. The recall began October 8, 2019. Owners may contact Chevrolet customer service at 1-800-630-2438, Cadillac customer service at 1-800-458-8006 or GMC customer service at 1-800-462-8782. GM's number for this recall is N192268490.

General Motors LLC · up to 3,456,719 vehicles across all model years covered

AIR BAGS:FRONTAL

17V437000 · July 10, 2017

The 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 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.
The 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.
The 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.

General Motors LLC · up to 40,683 vehicles across all model years covered

AIR BAGS:FRONTAL

16V651000 · September 8, 2016

The 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 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.
The 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.
The 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.

General Motors LLC · up to 3,640,162 vehicles across all model years covered

SUSPENSION:FRONT:CONTROL ARM

16V256000 · April 28, 2016

Do not drive until repaired

The 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.
The risk
Inadequate welds may allow the control arm to separate from the bushing, compromising steering and increasing the risk of a crash.
The remedy
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.

General Motors LLC · up to 3,738 vehicles across all model years covered

Defect investigations

1 on file

An investigation means NHTSA has decided a pattern is worth examining. A preliminary evaluation is often closed with no action; an engineering analysis is the stage that usually precedes a recall.

Brake Vacuum Pump Failure

PE18012

Closed preliminary evaluation · opened November 20, 2018 · closed April 10, 2022 · led to recall 19V645000

the brakes, the hydraulic 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.

In owners’ own words

Quoted from the complaint file

Quoted from NHTSA's complaint file. These are unverified accounts by the people who filed them, not findings of fault.

AIR BAGS

2 injured · crash · towed · 50,000 miles

TL* THE CONTACT OWNED A 2016 GMC YUKON . THE CONTACT STATED THAT WHILE DRIVING AT 25 MPH, ANOTHER VEHICLE RAN A RED LIGHT AND T-BONED HER VEHICLE ON THE PASSENGER SIDE. THE AIR BAGS DID NOT DEPLOY UPON IMPACT. THE CONTACT AND THE PASSENGER BOTH SUSTAINED INJURIES AND WERE TRANSPORTED TO THE HOSPITAL VIA AN AMBULANCE. THE CONTACT SUFFERED A HERNIATED DISC, A CERVICAL NECK STRAIN, AND RIGHT SHOULDER AND NECK PAIN. THE PASSENGER ALSO SUSTAINED A CERVICAL NECK STRAIN AS WELL AS INJURIES TO HER NECK. THE WHEREABOUTS OF THE OTHER DRIVER WERE UNKNOWN. A POLICE WAS FILED AT THE SCENE. THE VEHICLE WAS INITIALLY TOWED TO AN INDEPENDENT TOW YARD; HOWEVER HER INSURANCE HAD THE VEHICLE TOWED TO ANOTHER

NHTSA complaint 11376189, quoted in part. Filed by an owner and not verified by NHTSA or by us.

AIR BAGS

1 injured · crash · towed · 44,000 miles

TL* THE CONTACT OWNED A 2016 GMC YUKON. WHILE DRIVING APPROXIMATELY 60 TO 65 MPH, A TRACTOR TRAILER REAR ENDED THE CONTACT'S VEHICLE. THE IMPACT CAUSED THE CONTACT TO REAR END THE PRECEDING VEHICLE AND PUSHED BOTH VEHICLES INTO THE RIGHT LANE. THE TWO VEHICLES CAME TO A STOP WHEN THEY ENTERED A DITCH. THE CONTACT'S HEAD STRUCK THE STEERING WHEEL. MEDICAL ATTENTION WAS NOT RECEIVED. THE AIR BAG FAILED TO DEPLOY. THE VEHICLE WAS TOWED TO O'CONNOR AUTO PARK (199 RIVERSIDE DRIVE, AUGUSTA, MAINE 04330, (866) 483-3057), BUT WAS NOT DIAGNOSED. THE VEHICLE WAS DESTROYED. A POLICE REPORT WAS FILED (REPORT NUMBER: 18S091850). THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOT CONTACTED. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 44,000.

NHTSA complaint 11141758. Filed by an owner and not verified by NHTSA or by us.

SERVICE BRAKES

1 injured · crash · towed · 54,000 miles

The contact owns a 2016 GMC Yukon. The contact stated that while driving at approximately 70 mph, the brake pedal was hard to depress and the brake pedal traveled to the floorboard. The contact mentioned that the brake pedal needed to be pumped in order for the vehicle to be operated. In addition, the contact stated the vehicle failed to stop immediately. The vehicle was taken to a dealer where it was diagnosed that the brake line needed to be flushed. The vehicle was repaired however, the failure persisted. The vehicle was taken to an independent mechanic where the failure was undetermined. The contact mentioned while the mechanic was reversing the vehicle the brakes failed to operate

NHTSA complaint 11445404, quoted in part. Filed by an owner and not verified by NHTSA or by us.

SUSPENSION

1 injured · 60,000 miles

The contact owns a 2016 GMC Yukon. The contact stated while driving at various speeds, the vehicle would shake and vibrate. The cause of the failure was not determined. Also, the driver and passenger side retractable running boards would erroneously retract back and forth while driving, and on several occasions, while attempting to exit the vehicle the running board remained retracted causing the driver to fall to the ground and causing injuries to the driver's legs. The cause of the failures was not determined. The manufacturer and local dealer were not notified. The failure mileage was 60,000.

NHTSA complaint 11433095. Filed by an owner and not verified by NHTSA or by us.

SERVICE BRAKES
Abs system is not functioning properly, codes are being thrown for multiple things such as cylinder 2, which all spark plugs and coils and spark lines were fixed, then it ran for one day and threw a different code of cylinder 6 misfire with the abs and stailitrx system not functioning correctly. Several parts have been changed on this by professionals and they can’t figure out why this is happening. I don’t have my full hp.

NHTSA complaint 11767945. Filed by an owner and not verified by NHTSA or by us.

POWER TRAIN
Issues with the 8L90 transmission. The shuddering and hesitation has gotten very bad and having to look into options to repair or replace the transmission

NHTSA complaint 11767209. Filed by an owner and not verified by NHTSA or by us.

ENGINE
The car lost all engine power on the interstate of I10. Leaving me without power, barely able to get to the side of the road. Warning only when lost engine power on the highway. Cannot be driven.

NHTSA complaint 11763293. Filed by an owner and not verified by NHTSA or by us.

SERVICE BRAKES, HYDRAULIC

136,000 miles

The contact owns a 2016 GMC Yukon. The contact stated that while driving at an undisclosed speed, the brake pedal was depressed; however, the vehicle failed to stop as intended. The contact stated that there was an abnormal sound coming from the vehicle and the ABS warning light was illuminated. The contact stated that after several attempts, the vehicle stopped. The vehicle was taken to the dealer; however, the vehicle was waiting to be inspected. The contact stated that an unknown recall repair with a similar description was completed in 2024; however, the contact was informed that the repair was not covered under warranty. The manufacturer was made aware of the failure but provided no

NHTSA complaint 11759054, quoted in part. Filed by an owner and not verified by NHTSA or by us.

STEERING
Power steering intermittently and unexpectedly stops working.

NHTSA complaint 11751501. Filed by an owner and not verified by NHTSA or by us.

POWER TRAIN

119,637 miles

The contact owns a 2016 GMC Yukon. The contact stated that while the vehicle was at the inspection station for an inspection, the accelerator pedal was depressed; however, the vehicle failed to accelerate as intended. The contact stated that the transmission had seized, and the vehicle failed to move. In addition, the check engine warning light was illuminated. The contact stated that the failure had occurred immediately after an unknown device was attached to the vehicle while being inspected. The contact informed the inspector of the failure. The contact was advised to contact the NHTSA Hotline to report the failure. The dealer was not made aware of the failure. The vehicle was not

NHTSA complaint 11747485, quoted in part. Filed by an owner and not verified by NHTSA or by us.

Compare

Other years of the GMC Yukon

Model year Complaints Recalls Deaths
2026 40 3 —
2025 55 2 —
2024 105 3 —
2023 240 4 —
2022 181 5 —
2021 332 13 —
2020 36 4 —
2019 55 2 —
2018 69 3 —
2017 196 3 —
2015 529 10 —
2014 56 3 —
2013 117 4 —
2012 63 3 —
2011 158 5 2
2010 105 3 —

Other 2016 GMC models

Sierra 1500 341 Canyon 269 Acadia 236 Yukon XL 201 Terrain 152 Sierra 2500 59 Sierra Denali 30 Yukon Denali XL 29

Complaints on file, same model year.

Every GMC on this site — 149 vehicles.

If this is your car and a dealer keeps failing to fix it, your state's lemon law may require the manufacturer to replace it or buy it back. How many repair attempts it takes, and how long you have to file, is set by the state you bought in and by nothing on this page.

Where these numbers come from

A complaint is one owner's account and has not been verified by NHTSA or by us. A vehicle with more complaints is not necessarily worse: models that sold in larger numbers collect more of them. How this is counted.

Compiled and maintained by
Independent developer and analyst