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GMC · NHTSA safety record

2017 GMC Yukon XL

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

Owners have filed 147 safety complaints about the 2017 GMC Yukon XL with the US government. Of those, 7 describe a crash, 2 people were injured and no death is recorded. One recall campaign is open against it, covering the air bags.

The most complained-about system is the exterior lighting, named in 39 complaints, 27% of the total. The typical failure was reported at 54,498 miles, the median across the 60 complaints that gave an odometer reading.

Compiled from NHTSA's complaint, recall and investigation files · Covers November 2017 to September 2026 · How this is counted

What is on file

147 complaints on file

147

Complaints

7

Describe a crash

0

Mention fire

2

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.

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 39 · 27%
POWER TRAIN 36 · 24%
ELECTRICAL SYSTEM 31 · 21%
ENGINE 26 · 18%
SERVICE BRAKES 22 · 15%
UNKNOWN OR OTHER 22 · 15%
FUEL/PROPULSION SYSTEM 5 · 3%
AIR BAGS 4 · 3%
SEATS 4 · 3%
SUSPENSION 4 · 3%
VEHICLE SPEED CONTROL 4 · 3%
FORWARD COLLISION AVOIDANCE 3 · 2%
0 19 38

Red marks a system with a recall campaign against it. One complaint can name several systems, so these add up to more than 147.

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 2021 at 23.

28 21 14 7
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 2017 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 has not crash tested the 2017 GMC Yukon XL. Its New Car Assessment Program tests a selection of each year's vehicles and does not reach motorcycles, heavy trucks, motorhomes or most low-volume models, so an absence here says nothing about how the vehicle would perform. It is not a low score.

What owners have reported about this vehicle is below, and it is a different question: a crash test measures what happens to the people inside in a controlled impact, while a complaint records what broke during ordinary use.

Recall campaigns

1 on file

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

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.

SEATS

1 injured · crash · towed

The drivers seat broke and front airbags did not deploy. The seat broke during rear end collision which pushed the seat back so I was no longer able to reach steering wheel or brakes to stop. Went thru on coming traffic to end up on wrong side of road in ditch. Police inspection, insurance inspections, auto repair inspection No warnings.

NHTSA complaint 11487688. Filed by an owner and not verified by NHTSA or by us.

UNKNOWN OR OTHER

1 injured

The rear lift gate on the Yukon xl has the automatic sensor underneath the trailer hitch that you can swing your foot under to open or close. Twice, while loading groceries, I have had it close on my head, and this time with concussion symptoms. This also happened to my elderly mother.

NHTSA complaint 11572832. Filed by an owner and not verified by NHTSA or by us.

SERVICE BRAKES

crash · towed · 49,200 miles

THIS IS ABOUT A 2017 YUKON XL BREAK FAILING TO OPERATE THE PREVIOUS 2016 YUKON MODELS HAVE THE SAME ISSUE AND HAVE A RECALL BULLETIN NO: PIT5361B AND THE DEALER DOES NOT WANT TO ADDRESS OR ACKNOWLEDGE THE PROBLEM

NHTSA complaint 11162536. Filed by an owner and not verified by NHTSA or by us.

SERVICE BRAKES

crash · towed · 49,200 miles

THIS VEHICLE BREAKS FAILED ON ME WHILE DRIVING A VERY KNOWN ISSUE ON PREVIOUS YEAR

NHTSA complaint 11162812. Filed by an owner and not verified by NHTSA or by us.

ENGINE

137,000 miles

The contact owns a 2017 GMC Yukon XL. The contact stated that on several occasions while driving at various speeds, there was a loud ticking and tapping sound coming from the engine compartment. The vehicle was taken to two independent mechanics, where it was diagnosed and determined that there was a lifter failure caused by the AFM system and an engine misfire, and that the lifters, camshaft, and timing chain needed to be replaced. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was notified of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 137,000.

NHTSA complaint 11761383. Filed by an owner and not verified by NHTSA or by us.

POWER TRAIN
Vehicle is shuddering during acceleration and while changing gear during driving affected by either the transmission or power train

NHTSA complaint 11759749. Filed by an owner and not verified by NHTSA or by us.

SERVICE BRAKES, HYDRAULIC

crash · 170,000 miles

The contact owns a 2017 GMC Yukon XL. The contact stated that the vehicle was previously repaired under NHTSA Campaign Number: 19V645000 (Service Brakes, Hydraulic); however, the failure occurred after the recall repair. The contact stated that while driving at an undisclosed speed, the brake pedal was depressed and went to the floorboard. No warning light was illuminated. The vehicle continued to move forward and rear-ended the vehicle ahead. There was no air bag deployed. There were no injuries sustained. A Police report was not filed. The contact stated that there was damage to the front bumper. The vehicle was driven away from the crash scene. The vehicle was taken back to the dealer,

NHTSA complaint 11759142, quoted in part. Filed by an owner and not verified by NHTSA or by us.

POWER TRAIN
Transmission shudders and shifts very hard in lower gears. Going from drive to reverse the transmission shifts hard.

NHTSA complaint 11755665. Filed by an owner and not verified by NHTSA or by us.

ELECTRICAL SYSTEM
The daylight running light in the rear do not work, which is needed for night time driving. At night when parked or driving the rear is completely dark, except the license plate lights. When I press the brakes they turn on, the signal lights work even the reverse lights. I've switched them to manual mode still no luck. I've checked some fuses, they all check out, nothing blowen. From some research it's all conctrolled by the body control module. There are alot of cars with this same issue there should be a recall for gm to fix properly, dues to safety of the driver and public. We just bought this vehicle which, and didnt test drive at night. 3 days later we discovered it. We even bought new

NHTSA complaint 11748197, quoted in part. Filed by an owner and not verified by NHTSA or by us.

SEATS
There has been 3 different incidents. First incident I was going 45mph merging into 5 lanes of traffic when the back of my driver seat randomly layed down flat and stayed there. I had to get off an exit, get out pull up on front of seat and then it layed back up. 2nd incident I was going about 40mph it folded completely forward and pinned me against the steeling wheel. I had to stop immediately in the middle of the road put my 4 ways on and wiggle and slide out of the car started pulling up on front of seat and was finally able to put it back in place. The 3rd time I was going 20 mph it folded completely forward and pinned against. Had to stop in the middle Of the road again pull up on

NHTSA complaint 11746793, quoted in part. Filed by an owner and not verified by NHTSA or by us.

Compare

Other years of the GMC Yukon XL

Model year Complaints Recalls Deaths
2026 34 3 —
2025 27 1 —
2024 70 2 —
2023 218 4 —
2022 168 4 —
2021 227 12 —
2020 47 2 —
2019 68 2 —
2018 53 2 —
2016 201 3 —
2015 307 2 —
2014 11 3 —
2013 22 4 —
2012 13 4 —
2011 47 3 —
2010 28 3 —

Other 2017 GMC models

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