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What 399 owners told NHTSA about the 2011 GMC Yukon Denali Xl 1500

These are the actual owner complaints behind this car’s reliability verdict, filed with the federal government, unedited. They’re unverified reports, not confirmed defects: read them as leads for your pre-purchase inspection, not a diagnosis.

All (399)Crash / fire / injury (8)Airbags (161)Body & structure (74)Engine (20)Electrical system (16)Transmission & drivetrain (13)Brakes (9)Fuel system (8)Speed control (7)Wheels (5)Electronic Stability Control (esc) (4)

2 of 399 complaints match · Electrical system · crash/fire/injury only · clear filters

Oct 12, 2018Electrical systemFire

THE CAR SEAT WARMER IN THE BACK OF THE CAR CAUGHT ON FIRE WHILE OUR SEVEN YEAR OLD WAS ASLEEP IN THE CAR. HE WAS IN HIS BOOSTER SEAT. THE SEAT WARMER WAS NOT ON. (THIS WAS IN AUGUST 2018.) WE SMELLED A BURNING SMELL AND THERE WAS A SMOLDERING FLAME UNDER HIS LEGS. THE CAR WAS STATIONARY, NOT IN MOTION. IT WAS IDLING IN A PARKING LOT.

NHTSA ODI 11140003

Jan 24, 2018Electrical systemSeatsFire

THE SEAT HEATER IN THE REAR RIGHT SEAT OVERHEATED AND CAUGHT ON FIRE WHILE MY 10 YR. OLD CHILD WAS SEATED IN IT. WE WERE IN MOTION AT THE TIME ON THE INTERSTATE. I BELIEVE THE HEAT MECHANISM FAILED AND OVERHEATED AND WOULD NOT SHUT OFF CAUSING THE CUSHION TO CATCH ON FIRE. MY INSURANCE WILL NOT COVER IT (I DID GET A ESTIMATE TO FIX COVER AND CUSHION) AND THEY SUGGESTED GM SHOULD INVESTIGATE AND FIX THE SEAT DUE TO A MAJOR DEFECT. GM WAS NO HELP AND WANTED TO CHARGE ME $800 TO FIX OR TURN IT INTO INSURANCE. THEY ACTED LIKE THEY HAVE NEVER SEEN THIS BEFORE AND I CAUSED IT SOMEHOW.

NHTSA ODI 11064603

Working with the data? Download all 399 complaints as CSV · fetched from NHTSA July 25, 2026

How to use these: a complaint is one owner’s report, filed voluntarily and published unverified. Patterns matter more than any single story. If several owners describe the same failure at similar mileage, put that system at the top of your pre-purchase inspection list. Back to the full 2011 GMC Yukon Denali Xl 1500 verdict →