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GMC · NHTSA safety record

2018 GMC Yukon XL

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

Owners have filed 53 safety complaints about the 2018 GMC Yukon XL with the US government. Of those, 5 describe a crash, 1 mentions a fire, 8 people were injured and no death is recorded. 2 recall campaigns are open against it, covering the power train and the seat belts.

The most complained-about system is the engine, named in 14 complaints, 26% of the total. The typical failure was reported at 38,715 miles, the median across the 16 complaints that gave an odometer reading.

Compiled from NHTSA's complaint, recall and investigation files · Covers August 2018 to September 2026 · How this is counted

What is on file

53 complaints on file

53

Complaints

5

Describe a crash

1

Mention fire

8

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
ENGINE 14 · 26%
SERVICE BRAKES 10 · 19%
UNKNOWN OR OTHER 10 · 19%
POWER TRAIN 8 · 15%
SEAT BELTS 5 · 9%
ELECTRICAL SYSTEM 4 · 8%
SUSPENSION 4 · 8%
STEERING 3 · 6%
AIR BAGS 2 · 4%
FUEL/PROPULSION SYSTEM 2 · 4%
SEATS 2 · 4%
VEHICLE SPEED CONTROL 2 · 4%
0 8 15

Red marks a system with a recall campaign against it. One complaint can name several systems, so these add up to more than 53.

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 2026 at 10.

12 9 6 3
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 2018 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 2018 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

2 on file

POWER TRAIN:TRANSFER CASE (4-WHEEL DRIVE)

26V289000 · May 7, 2026

Do not drive until repaired

The defect
General Motors, LLC (GM) is recalling certain 2026 Cadillac Escalade and Escalade ESV, Chevrolet Silverado 1500, Suburban, and Tahoe, and GMC Sierra 1500, Yukon, and Yukon XL vehicles with four-wheel (4WD) or all-wheel drive (AWD), and certain 2015-2020 Suburban, Escalade, Escalade ESV, Yukon, Yukon XL, and Tahoe vehicles. A component missing from the drivetrain transfer case may cause the front and/or rear wheels to lock up without warning to the driver.
The risk
Front or rear wheel lockup increases the risk of a crash.
The remedy
Owners are advised not to drive their vehicle until the remedy is completed. Dealers will inspect and, if necessary, replace the transfer case assembly, free of charge. Owner notification letters were mailed May 18, 2026. Owners may contact GMC customer service at 1-800-462-8782, Chevrolet customer service at 1-800-222-1020 or Cadillac customer service at 1-800-333-4223. GM's number for this recall is N262557620. Vehicle Identification Numbers (VINs) involved in this recall became searchable on NHTSA.gov on May 7, 2026.

General Motors, LLC · up to 66 vehicles across all model years covered

SEAT BELTS:REAR/OTHER

18V673000 · September 26, 2018

The defect
General Motors LLC (GM) is recalling certain 2018-2019 Cadillac CT6, Escalade ESV, Chevrolet Suburban, Volt, and GMC Yukon XL vehicles. Certain second-row or third-row rear seatbelts retractor assemblies may not automatically lock when the seatbelt is fully pulled out of the retractor, possibly preventing a child seat from being properly secured. As such, these vehicles fail to comply with the requirements of Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standard (FMVSS) number 208, "Occupant Crash Protection."
The risk
If the child seat is not properly secured in the event of a crash, it can increase the risk of injury.
The remedy
GM will notify owners, and dealers will inspect the rear seatbelt retractors and replace them if necessary, free of charge. The recall began November 7, 2018. Owners may contact 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 18315.

General Motors LLC · up to 15,800 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.

SEAT BELTS

3 injured · crash · towed · 26,755 miles

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2018 GMC YUKON XL. WHILE THE CONTACT WAS DRIVING 20 MPH, ANOTHER VEHICLE CRASHED INTO THE FRONT PASSENGER SIDE OF HER VEHICLE. THE CONTACT'S VEHICLE ROLLED INTO A DITCH. THE CONTACT'S SON WAS SEATED IN THE THIRD ROW SEATS ON THE PASSENGER SIDE IN A CAR SEAT. THE SEAT BELT THAT WAS SUPPOSED TO RESTRAIN THE CAR SEAT DID NOT REMAIN STEADY. THERE WERE NO WARNING INDICATORS ILLUMINATED. THE CONTACT STATED THAT THE DASHBOARD AND STEERING WHEEL AIR BAGS DID NOT DEPLOY; HOWEVER, THE CONSOLE, SIDE CURTAIN AND REAR AIR BAGS DEPLOYED. THE CONTACT SUSTAINED INTERNAL BLEEDING, LACERATIONS, AND LIVER INJURIES. HER DAUGHTER WAS SEATED IN THE FRONT PASSENGER SEAT AND SUSTAINED A

NHTSA complaint 11265658, quoted in part. Filed by an owner and not verified by NHTSA or by us.

AIR BAGS

3 injured · crash · towed

I was involved in a traffic collision. A large vehicle turned left in front of me and I t boned that vehicle. We were traveling about 30-35 MPH at the moment of impact. My vehicle sustained major damage ($20,000+) to repair according to the body shop. My wife, daughter and myself sustained injuries. My wife and I have significant injuries. I truly believe, based on vehicle damages, and injuries that our airbags should’ve deployed. I believe it has a fault sensor that should be inspected.

NHTSA complaint 11465839. Filed by an owner and not verified by NHTSA or by us.

AIR BAGS

2 injured · fire · crash · towed

WE WERE IN A CAR CRASH. THE AIRBAGS ON THE SIDES OF THE VEHICLE BUT NOT IN THE FRONT. THE FRONT AIR BAGS SHOULD HAVE GONE OFF.

NHTSA complaint 11539135. Filed by an owner and not verified by NHTSA or by us.

ELECTRICAL SYSTEM

crash · towed

The back hatch would not open while the car was on and in park. Upon reaching in without being in the car, we turned it off, and it engaged reverse on its own, causing it to reverse immediately almost causing terminal harm to myself and my family. It careened into the woods with us unable to stop it due to the immediate speed. No one was in the vehicle, it was solely self propelled. We have a video of the path it took and the damage it caused. When the car wrecked, even when turned off, the lights and windshields wipers engaged by themselves.

NHTSA complaint 11732026. Filed by an owner and not verified by NHTSA or by us.

ENGINE
Low Engine Oil Pressure with Engine making noise. Cut open oil filter and found excessive metal. Original Engine was replaced in January 2022 by Group 1 (former Beck and Masten GMC-North in Houston, TX) due to valve lifter failure.

NHTSA complaint 11764956. Filed by an owner and not verified by NHTSA or by us.

POWER TRAIN
transmission gave out while driving on the road at 50 mph

NHTSA complaint 11752249. Filed by an owner and not verified by NHTSA or by us.

UNKNOWN OR OTHER
transmission lifter problems like all other GMC 2018 YUKON XL CONTACTED GMC DEALER BACK JANUARY 20,2026 GOT TRANSMISSION FIXED MYSELF TRUCK AT JOE BULLARD DEALSHIP MOS 8DAYS THEY ARE TRYING TO CONTACT U FOR APPROVAL TO FIX HONOR YOUR PRODUCT PLEASE.

NHTSA complaint 11744879. Filed by an owner and not verified by NHTSA or by us.

ENGINE
On May 27, 2026 at around 7:30pm my 2018 GMC Yukon XL Denali engined failed. I was exiting E-470 southwest bound at Gartrell Road in Aurora and the engine started knocking loudly and completely quit. As I rolled to a stop I correctly suspected that the engine seized. It would not turn over, a bad odor was present, and smoke was coming from the top of the motor. It was hard to tell exactly from where because of high wind. All belts looked fine and the Castle Rock GMC dealer I had it towed to later confirmed that the engine is seized. Fortunately I was approaching the stop light and not towing anything so the safety risk from loss of power steering and power brakes was lower than normal

NHTSA complaint 11741433, quoted in part. Filed by an owner and not verified by NHTSA or by us.

POWER TRAIN
The vehicle keep jerking in and out of gear the issue almost made me crash due to the harsh conditions Took to repair they stated this is a known problem. That is what worries me now

NHTSA complaint 11739730. 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 —
2017 147 1 —
2016 201 3 —
2015 307 2 —
2014 11 3 —
2013 22 4 —
2012 13 4 —
2011 47 3 —
2010 28 3 —

Other 2018 GMC models

Acadia 396 Sierra 1500 304 Terrain 223 Yukon 69 Canyon 52 Sierra 2500 35 Sierra 3500 14

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