Home · 2012 GMC Yukon Denali Xl 1500 · Complaints

What 135 owners told NHTSA about the 2012 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 (135)Crash / fire / injury (2)Airbags (40)Body & structure (35)Electrical system (11)Engine (7)Fuel system (4)Speed control (4)Transmission & drivetrain (4)Visibility & wipers (3)Brakes (2)Seat belts (2)

11 of 135 complaints match · Electrical system · clear filters

Apr 28, 2021Electrical systemEngine

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2012 GMC YUKON XL. THE CONTACT STATED WHILE DRIVING 50 MPH, THE VEHICLE STALLED. ADDITIONALLY, THE BRAKES FAILED TO ENGAGE WHEN THE BRAKE PEDAL WAS DEPRESSED. THERE WAS NO WARNING LIGHT ILLUMINATED. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO MIDWAY CHEVROLET (2323 W BELL RD, PHOENIX, AZ 85023) TO BE DIAGNOSED. THE CONTACT WAS INFORMED THAT THE FAILURE WAS BATTERY RELATED. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT YET REPAIRED. THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOT INFORMED OF THE FAILURE. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS APPROXIMATELY 116,000.

NHTSA ODI 11414353

Jan 2, 2021Electrical systemSpeed controlBrakes

WHEN DRIVING IT SOMETIMES BEGINS TO HESITATE REDUCE POWER THE TRACTION AND STABILITY AND ENGINE LIGHT COMES ON. WHEN THIS HAPPENS THE RPM GAUGE AS WELL STOPS WORKING. IF I PULL OVER ON SIDE OF ROAD AND TURN OFF AND RESTART MOST TIMES THE IGNITION WILL HANG AND KEEP TRYING CRANK THE VEHICLE. IT'S HESITANT TO CRANK WHEN THIS HAPPENS AND SOMETIMES CRANKS AND THEN IMMEDIATELY DIES. IT WILL SHIFT HARD JUST BEFORE POWERING INTO A REDUCED POWER MODE. IF YOU TURN OFF RESTART TURN YOUR WHEEL ALL THE WAY LEFT AND THEN ALL THE WAY RIGHT AND CRANK IT WILL SOMETIMES MAKE THE LIGHTS GO OFF AND YOU THINK RESET BUT AS SOON AS YOU START DRIVING IT HAPPENS AGAIN. I UNDERSTAND THIS IS A PROBLEM A LOT AND I MEAN A LOT ARE HAVING SO NOT SURE WHY THIS ISN'T BEING INVESTIGATED AND RECALLED. MOST SAY NO MATTER WHAT THEY HAVE REPAIRED OR REPLACE THE PROBLEM STILL EXIST SO THERE IS A ROOT THAT'S CREATING THE PROBLEM THAT NEEDS TO BE FOUND AND ADDRESSED BY GENERAL MOTORS! FORGOT TO MENTION WHEN THIS HAPPENS SOMETIMES THE BRAKE PEDAL AS WELL GETS REALLY HARD! THIS A PROBLEM THAT'S BEEN CONTINUOUS OFF AND ON SINCE I'VE OWNED THE VEHICLE.

NHTSA ODI 11386117

Nov 24, 2020Electrical systemAirbagsSeat belts

WHILE WORKING ON AN AIRBAG WARNING LIGHT I ENCOUNTERED 2 DISTINCT PROBLEMS WITH MY AIRBAG AND VEHICLE SYSTEM. 1. THE MAIN UNDERHOOD FUSE PANEL ON MY VEHICLE HAS PORTION OF OXIDATION ON THE FUSES THEMSELVES. THIS OXIDATION IS CAUSING FUSES TO APPEAR INTACT BUT ARE CAUSING THE CIRCUIT TO OPEN. THIS WAS THE ROOT CAUSE OF MY AIRBAG SYSTEM TO NOT BE OPERATING PROPERLY. 2. WHILE DIAGNOSING THE AIRBAG SYSTEM, I WAS CAUTIOUS ABOUT UNPLUGGIN THE BATTERY DURING ANY TROUBLESHOOTING THAT I WAS PERFORMING. BUT, AT THE END OF THE DIAGNOSIS PERIOD AND ALL MODULES/SYSTEM WERE RECONNECTED TO ELECTRICAL MATING CONNECTORS I RECONNECTED THE BATTERY AND STARTED THE VEHICLE TO COOL THE INTERIOR. THE CENTRAL AIRBAG MODULE WHICH IS LOCATED IN CENTER CONSOLE WAS ALREADY ELECTRICALLY CONNECTED BUT NOT MOUNTED. WHEN THE MODULE WAS MOVED INTO POSITION AND THE MOUNTING POINTS OF THE MODULE TOUCHED CHASSIS GROUND OF THE VEHICLE THE SIDE CURTAIN AIRBAGS AND FRONT SEAT BELT SQUIBS DEPLOYED. IT APPERAS TO ME THAT THE GROUND OF THE MODULE AND THE VEHICLE COMMON WIRE ARE NOT INTERNALLY CONNECTED. THIS APPARENTLY MAY CAUSE A FLOATING CIRCUIT IN THE AIRBAG MODULE THAT WHEN CHASSIS GROUND (EXTERIOR MOUNTING SURFACE OF THE MODULE) HAS A POTENTIAL CHANGE, THE AIRBAGS MAY GO OFF INADVERTENTLY. THE CONCERN HERE IS THAT CORROSION ON OLDER VEHICLES MAY CAUSE THIS CHASSIS GROUND TO BE COMPROMISED AND CAUSE RANDOM AIRBAG DEPLOYMENTS TO OCCUR. VEHICLE WAS STATIONARY. BODILY INJURY COULD HAVE OCCURRED IF OCCUPANT WAS POSITIONED DIFFERENTLY.

NHTSA ODI 11376110

Mar 8, 2020Electrical systemSpeed controlFuel system

I WAS LEAVING A STORE AND VEHICLE STALLED OUT AND LOST OF ALL ELECTRIC IN VEHICLE AND WAS ALMOST HIT BY ON COMING VEHICLES! WOULD GO DEAD AND START AGAIN BY ITSELF BUT AS I TRIED TO ACCELERATE IT WOULD CONTINUE TO STALL AS IF IT WAS SHUTTING DOWN! I LOST ALL CONTROL OF THE VEHICLE! ONCE I PULLED OF THE ROAD AND STOPPED VEHICLE START TO FLICKERING SO I SAT FOR A BIT AND WHEN IT STOP FLICKERING I TRIED CONTINUING HOME! CUT THE VEHICLE OFF IN PARK TRIED TO START IT BACK WITH NO RESPONSE BUT AS I SAT I TRIED IT AGAIN AND IT FINALLY STARTED BUT STILL FLICKERING!! PLEASE HELP I HAVE HEARD THIS IS A ONGOING PROBLEM FOR MANY OF THE VEHICLE OWNERS!! THIS TO ME IS A VERY SERIOUS DANGEROUS PROBLEM!!

NHTSA ODI 11316836

Dec 15, 2019Electrical system

THE MOTOR THAT OPENS AND CLOSES THE TRUNK HAS BURNED OUT TWICE ALREADY. THERE IS SOMETHING IN THE SYSTEM THAT WILL MAKE THE MOTOR GET STUCK AND BURN OUT UNTIL IT STOPS WORKING. WE HAVE TRIED REPLACING IT TWICE, AND THE SAME THING HAPPENS. OUR TRUNK WON'T CLOSE NOW AND IT REMAINS OPEN AND UNLOCKED.

NHTSA ODI 11289190

Oct 12, 2018Electrical systemBrakes

REAR BRAKE LIGHTS ARE INOPERABLE. DEALER SAYS ASSEMBLIES MUST BE REPLACED AT $2K. SEEMS TO BE A WIDESPREAD ISSUE AND AN EXTREME SAFETY ISSUE. PLEASE ENSURE GMC RECALLS AND REPAIRS THIS WIDESPREAD ISSUE.

NHTSA ODI 11139924

Jan 31, 2018Electrical system

KEY GETS STUCK IN THE IGNITION ALL THE TIME. THE TRUCK GOES INTO COMPLETE SHUT DOWN OF ALL ELECTRICAL COMPONENTS, I MEAN ABSOLUTELY NO POWER. I CAN'T EVEN CALL ON THE BLUE ON STAR BUTTON. I TOOK IT TO WALKER GMC IN ALEXANDRIA, LA ON JANUARY 15, 2018 BECAUSE THE ENGINE LIGHT WAS ON. THEY SAID THEY FIXED IT AND ALTHOUGH THE ENGINE LIGHT IS NO LONGER COMING ON, THE TRUCK CONTINUES TO GO INTO COMPLETE ELECTRICAL SHUT DOWN EVERY FEW DAYS. I TOOK IT TO ANOTHER DEALERSHIP TO TEST THE BATTERY AND THE ALTERNATOR BUT THEY REPORTED THE BATTERY WAS AT 100 PERCENT AND THE ALTERNATOR PASSED ALL THE CHECKS. I'M AT A LOST BUT I DO NOT WANT TO RISK TRAVELING WITH MY DAUGHTERS AND THE TRUCK JUST COMPLETELY STOPPING ON US ON THE HIGHWAY. WHAT DO YOU SUGGEST I DO NEXT?

NHTSA ODI 11066061

Sep 20, 2017Electrical systemBody & structure

I HAVE A 2012 GMC YUKON DENALI. I'VE HAD SEVERAL OCCASIONS WHERE I'M DRIVING AND THE TRUCK TURNS OFF/OR EXPERIENCES A "SHORT" FOR A FEW SECONDS. I HAVE CHECKED ALL ELECTRICAL CABLES AND HAVE EXCHANGED BATTERIES TWICE (AS THEY "DRAINED"). A FEW MONTHS BACK MY DASHBOARD STARTED CRACKING AS WELL, FIRST IT WAS A SMALL CRACK NEAR THE PASSENGER SIDE AIRBAG. LATER ANOTHER CRACK BY THE STEERING WHEEL, WHICH HAD NOW FORMED A LARGE "V".

NHTSA ODI 11024611

Sep 11, 2017Electrical systemEngineFuel system

WHEN THE VEHICLE IS AT 50 60 OR ANY SPEED - THE TACHOMETER JUMPS AND THE CAR SURGES FEELS LIKE IT GOING TO STOP

NHTSA ODI 11022752

Aug 28, 2017SteeringElectrical systemEngine

WHILE DRIVING CAR AT RANDOM TIMES IT WILL SHUTOFF AND YOU WILL LOOSE STEERING AND ALL ELECTRONICS MOMENTARILY AND THEN CAR WILL TURN BACK ON. IT ONLY DOES THIS WHILE DRIVING STRAIGHT OR TURNING ON ROUGHER PAVEMENT. ONCE THIS HAPPENS THE NEXT TIME YOU TURN OFF THE CAR AND TRY TO START THE CAR THE KEY WILL NOT TURN ON ANY OF THE ELECTRONICS AND WILL NOT START THE VEHICLE. IF YOU CONTINUOUSLY TAKE THE KEY OUT AND REINSERT UNTIL AND THE CAR WILL EVENTUALLY START.

NHTSA ODI 11020021

Apr 13, 2016Electrical system

POWER LIFT GATE MALFUNCTION. THE POWER LIFT GATE STRUTS FAILED WHICH CAUSED THE LIFT GATE TO OPEN ONLY 1/3 OF THE WAY BEFORE CLOSING UNEXPECTEDLY. SOMETIME IT WOULD OPEN ALL THE AWAY, THE POWER ARM WOULD THEN DISENGAGE CAUSING IT TO UNEXPECTEDLY CLOSE. SOMETIME IT WOULD CLOSE AS "DEAD WEIGHT" WITH ENOUGH FORCE TO SERIOUSLY INJURE AN ADULT AND POSSIBLE KILL A CHILD OR PET. WHEN I TOOK MY VEHICLE TO THE DEALER, I WAS TOLD THE STRUTS NEEDED TO BE REPLACED. I HAVE HAD THIS VEHICLE FOR TWO YEARS. I PURCHASED IT AS CERTIFIED USED. I WAS CHARGED $415 FOR THE REPAIR. UNFAIR AS THIS VEHICLE IS ONLY FOUR YEARS OLD! FURTHER, I AUTHORIZED THE WORK AT APPROXIMATELY 4:45PM, MY VEHICLE WAS COMPLETE BY 5:30PM THE SAME DAY. I WAS CHARGED TWO HOURS LABOR AT $125 PER HOUR. HOW IS THAT FAIR? MY VEHICLE WAS STATIONARY WHEN THIS HAPPENED, REPEATEDLY. I LOOK FORWARD TO YOUR RESPONSE. OTHER THAN THIS, I LOVE MY GMC!!!!!

NHTSA ODI 10855200

Working with the data? Download all 135 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 2012 GMC Yukon Denali Xl 1500 verdict →