MODELYEARINDEX

Which GMC Yukon XL years to avoid

Across 9 scored model years, the 2021, 2016 and 2015 model years carry the highest severity-weighted complaint rates.

Ownership label · GMC Yukon XL Full report
F
Grade 2011–2021
2021 vs model median 6.8×
Model median3× median
Engine 86
Drivetrain 26
Fuel System 17
Avoid

2016 · 2021

Best

2011 · 2020

Year by year

Severity-weighted complaints filed in each model year’s first 60 months on the road, so every year is measured over an identical window.

Year Complaint volume vs median Reports Grade
2011
0.29× 11 B
2013
0.73× 22 C
2015
8.06× 267 F
2016
6.31× 195 F
2017
3.22× 105 F
2018
1.00× 25 C
2019
0.94× 18 C
2020
0.74× 18 B
2021
6.78× 181 F
2022 P
8.08× 205 F
2023 P
11.06× 283 F
2024 P
4.08× 97 F
2025 P
1.44× 39 C

P — provisional. These years have not completed 60 months on the road, so their totals are incomplete and they are excluded from the verdict.

What owners report

The component groups most often named, with one representative report. These are unverified — allegations, not findings.

2016 F 195 reports · median 52,000 mi

  1. Lights & Visibility 83

    Both break lights went out, weather has been hot in the high 90s which gmc dealer expressed common concern among owners during summer. Vehicle is used 15miles/day on average. owner complaint filed with NHTSA

  2. Brakes 30

    The contact owns a 2016 gmc yukon xl. On several occasions, when the brake pedal was depressed at low speeds, the brakes failed to slow down the vehicle. The contact stated that the failure was intermittent. owner complaint filed with NHTSA

  3. Electrical 18

    Bought SUV 6/25/2016 the same weekend the engine turns off after a left or right turn :it has happened 3 times so far. owner complaint filed with NHTSA

11 crash · 2 injuries

2021 F 181 reports · median 59,000 mi

  1. Engine 86

    With only 52 miles (2-days old), I was driving home when I heard a knock. Then the engine light came on and the vehicle stability control lowered the vehicle and the vehicle shut off. owner complaint filed with NHTSA

  2. Drivetrain 26

    While traveling at highway speeds, the vehicle suddenly and without warning lost power. All gauges remained in the normal range. owner complaint filed with NHTSA

  3. Fuel System 17

    I was traveling on the highway and the vehicle started to jolt, sputter and speed acceleration was reduced in a highly congested area with little room to maneuver. owner complaint filed with NHTSA

2 crash · 2 fire · 4 injuries

The best year for the Yukon XL

Ranked by overall score among years with a full 60 months on the road.

2011 is the best-scoring Yukon XL model year with a full 60 months on the road, at 82 out of 100 — a score that combines complaint rate, recall campaigns and open investigations.

Yearvs medianReportsGrade
2011 0.29× 11 B
2020 0.74× 18 B
2013 0.73× 22 C

Recalls

30 campaigns on record, 2 carrying a Park It or Park Outside warning.

Campaign Component Model years Units affected
16V651000 AIR BAGS:FRONTAL 2015–2017 3,640,162
21V050000 AIR BAGS:FRONTAL:PASSENGER SIDE:INFLATOR MODULE 2011 2,641,272
21V054000 AIR BAGS:FRONTAL:PASSENGER SIDE:INFLATOR MODULE 2011, 2013 1,778,128
22V903000 EXTERIOR LIGHTING:LIGHTING CONTROL MODULE:SOFTWARE 2022, 2023 740,108
21V053000 AIR BAGS:FRONTAL:PASSENGER SIDE:INFLATOR MODULE 2013 692,526
20V792000 SEAT BELTS 2021 624,216
25V274000 ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING:ENGINE:HARD PARTS INTERNAL/MECHANICAL 2021–2024 597,571
22V617000 SEAT BELTS:CRITICAL FASTENERS 2021, 2022 484,155
24V797000 POWER TRAIN:AUTOMATIC TRANSMISSION:CONTROL MODULE:SOFTWARE 2021 463,295
24V674000 SERVICE BRAKES, HYDRAULIC:BRAKE FLUID LOW WARNING: LAMP 2023, 2024 449,671
22V827000 EXTERIOR LIGHTING:LIGHTING CONTROL MODULE:SOFTWARE 2021 338,735
21V421000 AIR BAGS:SRS MALFUNCTION WARNING LAMP/LIGHT 2021 285,622

+ 18 further campaigns

How long do they last?

Complaint records show when problems get reported, not how long a car survives. Where owners gave an odometer reading, faults on the 2021 were reported at a median of 59,000 miles. Treat that as the point problems start being noticed, not a lifespan.

Common questions

Answered directly from this model’s record.

Which GMC Yukon XL years should you avoid?
2021, 2016, 2015 carry the highest severity-weighted complaint rates of any GMC Yukon XL model year measured over an identical 60-month window.
What is the best year for the GMC Yukon XL?
2011 is the best-scoring GMC Yukon XL model year with a full 60 months on the road, at 82 out of 100. The score combines complaint rate, recall campaigns and open investigations.
How many recalls does the GMC Yukon XL have?
30 distinct recall campaigns are on record across all scored GMC Yukon XL model years. A recall is a matter of record: the manufacturer filed a defect report with NHTSA.

How this was calculated

Every model year is scored over an identical window: complaints filed with NHTSA during the first 60 months after that model year went on sale. Without this, older cars look worse purely because they have had longer to accumulate reports.

Limitations. Complaints are unverified reports submitted voluntarily by owners; they are allegations, not findings, and reporting rates vary between models. Model years with fewer than 60 months on the road are marked provisional and excluded from verdicts. Cross-model comparison is withheld pending production-volume data.

Full methodology · Sources · Data vintage August 9, 2026

Working 2021 Yukon XL
Complaints in window
181
Severity-weighted
261
Model median (weighted)
39
vs model median
6.78×
Recall campaigns (weighted)
12
Open investigations
2
Score 3.3 F