CSR

GMC · NHTSA safety record

2017 GMC Yukon XL

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

144

Complaints

6

Crashes

0

Fires

2

Injuries

0

Deaths

Owners of the 2017 GMC Yukon XL have filed 144 safety complaints with NHTSA between November 2017 and August 2026. The most complained-about system is the exterior lighting, named in 39 of them (27%). The typical failure was reported at 52,998 miles, the median across the 58 complaints that gave an odometer reading.

Complaints rose by half year on year: 19 in the twelve months to 2026-Q1, against 10 in the twelve before.

NHTSA has issued 1 recall covering this vehicle.

Recalls (1)

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

What owners report

Complaints naming each system. One complaint can name several, so these add up to more than 144.

EXTERIOR LIGHTING 39 27%
POWER TRAIN 35 24%
ELECTRICAL SYSTEM 31 22%
ENGINE 25 17%
SERVICE BRAKES 22 15%
UNKNOWN OR OTHER 21 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%

When the complaints arrived

By the year NHTSA received them, which is not the year the failures happened. They peaked in 2021 at 23.

2017 2021 2026
2017 to 2026, the last of them a part year

In owners' own words

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.

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.

FUEL/PROPULSION SYSTEM
Engine stalling, a rough-running engine, reduced power mode (sluggish acceleration), a "Check Engine" light, or the vehicle failing to start. It started puttering really bad and died in the middle of the intersection. Check engine light came on. I got it to start, was really hard start and puttered bad then it died again and then I got it to start again, was a really hard start and puttered and died again. I was able to start it again get in the driveway but couldn’t go very fast. Check engine codes present are P2635 and P018B

NHTSA complaint 11726235. Filed by an owner and not verified by NHTSA or by us.

POWER TRAIN
Transmission problems, loss of power. Put a reader on car and said it was a selinoid. Replaced that and now it has happened again

NHTSA complaint 11721295. Filed by an owner and not verified by NHTSA or by us.

POWER TRAIN
Gear slippage, loss of power

NHTSA complaint 11713384. 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 23 3
2025 23 1
2024 62 2
2023 193 4
2022 152 4
2021 202 12
2020 45 2
2019 66 2
2018 52 2
2016 199 3
2015 306 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 — 144 vehicles, 425 recall campaigns and 3 open investigation s.

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. What each state asks for , read from the statutes.

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