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GMC · NHTSA safety record

2020 GMC Yukon XL

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

Owners have filed 47 safety complaints about the 2020 GMC Yukon XL with the US government. Of those, 2 describe a crash, 1 mentions a fire, 1 person was injured and no death is recorded. 2 recall campaigns are open against it, covering the tires and the gasoline fuel system.

The most complained-about system is the engine, named in 24 complaints, 51% of the total. The typical failure was reported at 86,000 miles, the median across the 10 complaints that gave an odometer reading.

Compiled from NHTSA's complaint, recall and investigation files · Covers December 2020 to September 2026 · How this is counted

What is on file

47 complaints on file

47

Complaints

2

Describe a crash

1

Mention fire

1

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 more than doubled year on year: 22 in the twelve months to 2026-Q2, against 9 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 24 · 51%
POWER TRAIN 13 · 28%
ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING 3 · 6%
FUEL/PROPULSION SYSTEM 3 · 6%
SERVICE BRAKES 3 · 6%
STEERING 3 · 6%
UNKNOWN OR OTHER 3 · 6%
ELECTRICAL SYSTEM 2 · 4%
EXTERIOR LIGHTING 2 · 4%
TRACTION CONTROL SYSTEM 2 · 4%
AIR BAGS 1 · 2%
STRUCTURE 1 · 2%
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 47.

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 17.

20 15 10 5
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 2020 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 2020 GMC YUKON XL, 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 20.4% 21.2%
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

2 on file

TIRES

21V115000 · February 25, 2021

The defect
General Motors LLC (GM) is recalling certain 2020 Buick Enclave, Cadillac XT4, XT5, Escalade, Escalade ESV, Chevrolet Suburban, Tahoe, Traverse, GMC Yukon, Yukon XL, 2018-2021 Chevrolet Express, GMC Savana, 2019-2020 Chevrolet Blazer, Silverado 1500, GMC Acadia, Sierra 1500, and certain Continental tires sold to the aftermarket for various model year 2018-2021 vehicles. The affected tires were cured for too long during production.
The risk
Over cured tires may develop a break in the sidewall resulting in sudden air loss or a belt edge separation which could lead to a tread/belt loss. Either condition can cause a loss of vehicle control, increasing the risk of a crash.
The remedy
GM will notify owners, and dealers will inspect the tires, replacing them as necessary, free of charge. The recall began March 22, 2021. Owners may contact GMC customer service at 1-888-988-7267, Buick customer service at 1-866-608-8080, Chevrolet customer service at 1-800-222-1020 or Cadillac customer service at 1-800-458-8006. GM's number for this recall is N212329050.

General Motors, LLC · up to 33,838 vehicles across all model years covered

FUEL SYSTEM, GASOLINE:DELIVERY:FUEL PUMP

19V837000 · November 21, 2019

The defect
General Motors LLC (GM) is recalling certain 2020 Cadillac Escalade, Escalade ESV, Chevrolet Camaro, Silverado 1500, Suburban, Tahoe, GMC Sierra 1500, Yukon, and Yukon XL vehicles. The fuel pump may be missing a pressure regulator, allowing for over-pressurization of the fuel system.
The risk
Over-pressurization can crack the fuel pump and cause leaks, increasing the risk of a fire in the presence of an ignition source.
The remedy
GM will notify owners, and dealers will replace the fuel pump, free of charge. The recall began December 18, 2019. Owners may contact Cadillac customer service at 1-800-333-4223, Chevrolet customer service at 1-800-222-1020, or GMC customer service at 1-888-988-7267. GM's number for this recall is N192283991.

General Motors LLC · up to 502 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

1 injured · crash · towed

GMC SUV - Hydroplaned -- could not achieve Traction Control despite moving away from water patch.. Front Angle Crashed into Concrete Median; All Side Airbags Deployed, No Front Airbags Deployed.

NHTSA complaint 11417456. Filed by an owner and not verified by NHTSA or by us.

ENGINE

fire

I was driving down the highway, and my wife and I decided to stop at Costco to get protein bars and gas for the drive home. We also had a [XXX] , [XXX] old, and [XXX] in the car. As we were approaching the end of the exit ramp at approximately 30 miles per hour, the engine jerked the car two or three times then died. When it died, I lost power steering and the car slammed to a stop. The car also displayed an alert about my tow breaking system. I tried to restart it, and smoke began rising from my engine bay. I stopped trying to restart, and got my family onto the hill beside the exit while waiting for a tow. The tech at the GMC dealer stated that the engine had seized on me while driving.

NHTSA complaint 11683538, quoted in part. Filed by an owner and not verified by NHTSA or by us.

ENGINE

crash · towed

Engine failure had to replace the motor.

NHTSA complaint 11657689. Filed by an owner and not verified by NHTSA or by us.

POWER TRAIN

towed · 127,549 miles

The contact owns a 2020 GMC Yukon XL. The contact stated while driving 65 MPH, the temperature gauge started rising quickly. The contact stated that the check engine warning light was illuminated. The contact was able to park on the side of the road. The vehicle was not drivable. The contact towed the vehicle to the local dealer, where it was diagnosed with needing the transmission to be replaced. The vehicle was repaired but continued to experience the failure. The contact took the vehicle back to the local dealer, where it was diagnosed with needing the transmission to be replaced for a second time. The vehicle was repaired but continued to experience the failure. The contact took the

NHTSA complaint 11518863, quoted in part. Filed by an owner and not verified by NHTSA or by us.

POWER TRAIN
The transmission failed on August 8, 2026, while I was driving on a highway. I moved safely to the shoulder, but the vehicle became inoperable and required towing. The loss of propulsion in active highway traffic created a potentially hazardous situation. My GMC Bommarito Buick GMC dealership advised that GM cannot currently supply the required replacement transmission. The dealer has no estimated delivery date and does not know when GM can supply the unit. The vehicle has been out of service for over four weeks, with no definite repair or return-to-service date. I am concerned that the inability to provide a replacement transmission may indicate unusually high demand or a broader issue. I

NHTSA complaint 11765937, quoted in part. Filed by an owner and not verified by NHTSA or by us.

STRUCTURE:BODY
Passenger door handle caused laceration in my sons hand. Peeling interior paint or chrome created a cut on hand. Causing it to bleed and get first aid. Noticed all door handles were in same condition. Very un safe and can repeat incidents like this to other in household.

NHTSA complaint 11763856. Filed by an owner and not verified by NHTSA or by us.

UNKNOWN OR OTHER
The vehicle has an unpredictable and random tendency to hesitate when the gas is pressed. This has been happening at some level since the vehicle was new. The dealership service department was never able to get the vehicle to do what I was concerned about, so they never helped resolve the issue. Now that it is out of warranty, the issue is getting worse. It is to the point that I believe it is unsafe for anyone but me to drive it. I have to make sure that when I turn onto a new road, that there is absolutely noone coming because I cannot depend on my vehicle to accelerate quickly enough, even at a normal rate. It may lag and take its time speeding up, or it may accelerate normally with no

NHTSA complaint 11752402, quoted in part. Filed by an owner and not verified by NHTSA or by us.

ENGINE
My family drove from [XXX] to [XXX]. Upon arrival check engine light came on, we proceeded to a local shop, by the time we arrive check engine light was flashing and engine was knocking and was clearly malfunctioning. Shop owner recommended we transport the vehicle back home as service shops in the area were experiencing high volume and parts shortages. We had vehicle towed to a local shop in [XXX]. The engine is giving diagnostic codes P0300, P050D, [XXX] with internal knocking and tapping. Vehicle has been kept current on all oil changes and has no external leaks. GMC wants at least $12,000 to replace the engine. INFORMATION REDACTED PURSUANT TO THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT (FOIA), 5

NHTSA complaint 11749853, quoted in part. Filed by an owner and not verified by NHTSA or by us.

POWER TRAIN
Without any indications of a problem our transmission began making a loud whining noise. The evening before it was fine and the next morning on startup the noise just began. The Vehicle only has 45,000 miles on it and the transmission had been serviced at the recommend manufacturer interval. Took it immediately to my auto repair shop where it was diagnosed as a transmission failure (they has seen this before) and told not to drive until replaced due to safety issues related to the failure. Unfortunately, due to a shortage of these needed 10 speed transmission I waited over a month for the vehicle to be repaired. The shop contacted GM to inquire about any warranty help but was told there was

NHTSA complaint 11747021, quoted in part. Filed by an owner and not verified by NHTSA or by us.

ENGINE
The engine light came on and started making noise. We drove it to a mechanic shop, and they said the code stated camshaft and other component issues, but the engine ended up failing completely and was rebuilt. We initially checked for recalls and our VIN did not show any; however, we recently became aware that our engine (6.2L) might be part of the ongoing current problems associated with a recall. We are hoping that GMC will cover any remaining repairs and/or reimburse us for the thousands it has cost us.

NHTSA complaint 11742328. 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 —
2019 68 2 —
2018 53 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 2020 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