CSR

GMC · NHTSA safety record

2018 GMC Yukon

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

Owners have filed 69 safety complaints about the 2018 GMC Yukon with the US government. Of those, 2 describe a crash, 2 people were injured and no death is recorded. 3 recall campaigns are open against it, covering the hydraulic brakes.

The most complained-about system is the engine, named in 27 complaints, 39% of the total. The typical failure was reported at 47,000 miles, the median across the 19 complaints that gave an odometer reading.

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

What is on file

69 complaints on file

69

Complaints

2

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.

Complaints rose 46% year on year: 19 in the twelve months to 2026-Q2, against 13 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
ENGINE 27 · 39%
POWER TRAIN 18 · 26%
SUSPENSION 8 · 12%
UNKNOWN OR OTHER 8 · 12%
SERVICE BRAKES 5 · 7%
STEERING 4 · 6%
AIR BAGS 3 · 4%
ELECTRICAL SYSTEM 3 · 4%
VEHICLE SPEED CONTROL 3 · 4%
EXTERIOR LIGHTING 2 · 3%
FUEL/PROPULSION SYSTEM 2 · 3%
STRUCTURE 2 · 3%
0 12 23

Red marks a system with a recall campaign against it. One complaint can name several systems, so these add up to more than 69.

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 2025 at 22.

24 18 12 6
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 crashes a car into a barrier and a pole and measures what happens to the dummies inside. This is what it awarded the 2018 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

3 on file

SERVICE BRAKES, HYDRAULIC:POWER ASSIST:VACUUM

20V603000 · October 1, 2020

The defect
General Motors LLC (GM) is recalling certain 2018 Cadillac Escalade, Chevrolet Silverado 1500 and Tahoe, GMC Sierra 1500 and Yukon vehicles equipped with either a 5.3L or 6.2L V8 engine. The output of the mechanical vacuum pump can decrease over time, decreasing the amount of vacuum/power brake assist.
The risk
A decrease in brake assist can increase the brake pedal effort and distance required to stop the vehicle, 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 November 11, 2020. Owners may contact GM customer service at 1-866-522-9559, Cadillac customer service at 1-800-458-8006 or Chevrolet customer service at 1-800-630-2438. GM's number for this recall is N202300860.

General Motors LLC · up to 14,620 vehicles across all model years covered

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

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

INVOLVED IN A FRONT/SIDE PASSENGER SIDE COLLISION WITH SIGNIFICANT DAMAGE AND SPEED WITH NO AIRBAG DEPLOYMENT(S).

NHTSA complaint 11470248. Filed by an owner and not verified by NHTSA or by us.

AIR BAGS

crash · towed · 54,000 miles

I WAS DRIVING MY VEHICLE AND EXITING THE HW. THE REAR WHEEL OF THE DRIVER SIDE BROKE OFF AND SEPARATED FROM THE CAR WHICH CAUSED MY CAR TO HIT THE CEMENT BEERIER ON FRONT AND THE SIDE OF THE DRIVER SIDE OF THE VEHICLE. THEN THE CAR TURNED 180 DEGREES AND HIT THE BEERIER ON THE PASSENGER SIDE AND THE REAR OF THE CAR. THE AIR BAGS NEVER DEPLOYED AND WE DISCOVERED THAT THE WHEEL BROOK OFF OF THE REAR AXE. NO DAMAGE TO THE WHEEL. SEVERAL INDUSTRY EXPORTS STATED THAT THIS SHOULD NEVER HAPPEN.

NHTSA complaint 11378464. Filed by an owner and not verified by NHTSA or by us.

POWER TRAIN

towed · 104,000 miles

The contact owns a 2018 GMC Yukon. The contact stated after the vehicle was serviced, while driving 30 MPH and depressing accelerator pedal, the vehicle failed to respond. The contact stated that the vehicle hesitated, and the contact shifted to a lower gear to drive to the residence safely. A dealer was contacted. The vehicle was towed to the dealer where it was diagnosed and determined that the transmission needed to be replaced, and that the engine block was damaged. The transmission and engine block were replaced, and the vehicle was repaired. The manufacturer was not made aware of the failure. The failure mileage was 104,000.

NHTSA complaint 11706830. Filed by an owner and not verified by NHTSA or by us.

ENGINE
I started my vehicle and as I accelerated I started to hear a knocking noise. The vehicle and engine have been inspected by the dealership. The problem has also been confirmed by the dealership.There were no warning lights or messages before the knocking noise started.

NHTSA complaint 11737607. Filed by an owner and not verified by NHTSA or by us.

ENGINE
The 2018 Yukon has been at the dealership several timeswaiting for a valve body for the transmission. There are valve body recalls for other year GM vehicles with the same transmission, but not for the 2018 model even though it appears to be the same part number. I don’t understand how this 2018 model apart of the recalls when it’s got the same issues as the newer ones. This is the second Yukon I’ve bought in the last seven years and the other one had the exact same issue.

NHTSA complaint 11730984. Filed by an owner and not verified by NHTSA or by us.

ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING:COOLING SYSTEM:RADIATOR ASSEMBLY

128,640 miles

The contact owns a 2018 GMC Yukon. The contact stated that the vehicle was taken to a local dealer for service, and the contact was informed that the radiator was leaking and needed to be replaced. The contact stated that there were no signs of a leak prior to taking the vehicle for service. The contact was advised by the dealer that it was a common failure for the year and model vehicle. The manufacturer was contacted and offered a buyback. The vehicle was not repaired. The failure mileage was 128,640.

NHTSA complaint 11729075. Filed by an owner and not verified by NHTSA or by us.

POWER TRAIN
I purchased my used GMC YUKON from a used car dealership 3/28/26. I signed the papers for the agreement while I was driving the vechicle home I lost power and it wouldn't go forward with gas applied. The check engine light came on, I pulled the suv over and it was towed. The code that popped up 0700 and 02723 both codes having to do with the transmission.

NHTSA complaint 11727838. Filed by an owner and not verified by NHTSA or by us.

ENGINE
Please see attached letter

NHTSA complaint 11724184. Filed by an owner and not verified by NHTSA or by us.

POWER TRAIN
The 2018 Yukon Denali has been at the dealership for 7 weeks waiting for a valve body for the transmission. There are valve body recalls for other year GM vehicles with the same transmission, but not for the 2018 model even though it appears to be the same part number. The transmission was already replaced on this vehicle at 500 miles.

NHTSA complaint 11723398. 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 —
2017 196 3 —
2016 269 5 —
2015 529 10 —
2014 56 3 —
2013 117 4 —
2012 63 3 —
2011 158 5 2
2010 105 3 —

Other 2018 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