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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.

52

Complaints

5

Crashes

1

Fires

8

Injuries

0

Deaths

Owners of the 2018 GMC Yukon XL have filed 52 safety complaints with NHTSA between August 2018 and July 2026. The most complained-about system is the engine, named in 13 of them (25%). The typical failure was reported at 38,715 miles, the median across the 16 complaints that gave an odometer reading.

NHTSA has issued 2 recalls covering this vehicle.

Recalls (2)

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

What owners report

Complaints naming each system. One complaint can name several, so these add up to more than 52.

ENGINE 13 25%
SERVICE BRAKES 10 19%
UNKNOWN OR OTHER 10 19%
POWER TRAIN 8 15%
SEAT BELTS 5 10%
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%

When the complaints arrived

By the year NHTSA received them, which is not the year the failures happened. They peaked in 2024 at 9.

2018 2024 2026
2018 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.

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.

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.

SEAT BELTS
Seat belts do not lock in place causing our infant and child's seats to not be locked in place and tip over The potential risk to a child is extremely high Potentially causing death of a child

NHTSA complaint 11730763. 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 —
2017 144 1 —
2016 199 3 —
2015 306 2 —
2014 11 3 —
2013 22 4 —
2012 13 4 —
2011 47 3 —
2010 28 3 —

Other 2018 GMC models

Acadia 390 Sierra 1500 296 Terrain 216 Yukon 69 Canyon 52 Sierra 2500 35 Sierra 3500 14

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