What 977 owners told NHTSA about the 2015 GMC Yukon Denali Xl 1500

The contact owns a 2015 GMC Yukon. The contact stated that while driving at 35 MPH to work, the vehicle shifted into neutral and into low and failed to drive at about 20 MPH. The check engine light was flashing. The front collision was unavailable. The contact left the vehicle at a gas station. Upon research, the contact located NHTSA Campaign Number: 14V374000 (Power Train), which was similar to the failure. The local dealer was contacted, who confirmed there were no open recalls. The vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired. The manufacturer was contacted via chat, who referred her to the local dealer and manufacturer service center. The contact informed her to confirm the coverage with the dealer. The failure mileage was approximately 283,000.

NHTSA ODI 11742098

The contact owns a 2015 GMC Yukon XL. The contact stated that while driving 70 MPH and exiting the highway, the brake pedal was depressed but the brake pedal was stiff and stuck, requiring that the transmission be shifted to neutral(N), and to stand on the brake pedal with both feet. The contact continuously pumped the brake pedal, but the vehicle slowly responded and almost crashed into other vehicles. There was no warning light illuminated. The contact's wife and daughter were also inside the vehicle during the failure and were frightened and concerned for their safety during the failure. The dealer was contacted and was provided a description of the failure over the phone. The dealer informed the contact that the vacuum pump and an unknown part had possibly failed. The contact was advised that the failure was possibly related to NHTSA Campaign Number: 19V645000 (Service Brakes, Hydraulic); however, the VIN was not included in the recall, and there was no warranty coverage on the vehicle for the failure. Additionally, the check engine warning light was illuminated. The vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired due to the cost. The manufacturer was notified of the failure and referred the contact to the NHTSA Hotline for assistance. The failure mileage was approximately 143,000.

NHTSA ODI 11726283

While driving back home from my trip the truck all a sudden made a squealing noise and the engine just stopped. I was on the high way . I was able to coast the vehicle off onto the exit ramp. The vehicle was towed home. The following day it was towed to the repair shop. The shop has confirmed engine failure. Will need to replace the engine . Still waiting for warranty approval.

NHTSA ODI 11711796

The contact owns a 2015 GMC Yukon XL. The contact stated that when the vehicle was started, the vehicle started shaking with a tapping sound coming from the engine compartment. The contact stated that there were no warning lights illuminated. The contact stated that while driving at an undisclosed speed around the block, the failure persisted. The vehicle was parked at the residence. The vehicle was taken to a dealer, where it was diagnosed and determined that the lifters in the engine were loose, and the lifters and the right side of the engine needed to be replaced. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was not notified of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 100,000.

NHTSA ODI 11703969

Driving down the expressway at 65MPH, and the Vehicle completely stops, almost causing a collision. After researching the problem at the GMC Dealer, it appears that the entire engine has internally failed. Apparently it was a Complete Engine Failure.

NHTSA ODI 11673951

The Active Fuel Management (AFM) system malfunctioned causing not all engine cylinders to fire at critical times, thus causing a safety issue when the vehicle has insufficient power traveling at highway speed. The AFM is intended to transition from 8 cylinder power to 4 cylinder power to save fuel. However it malfunctioned so that it couldn't transition back from 4 cylinder power. The malfunction occurred while driving at highway speed, approximately 70 mph and towing a trailer. There were no warning messages or other symptoms prior to the failure. This malfunction necessitated removal and replacement of the engine. A certified mechanic completed the repair work.

NHTSA ODI 11672077

The contact owns a 2015 GMC Yukon XL. While the contact's wife was driving 50 MPH, the engine seized. There were no warning lights illuminated. The contact stated that the vehicle failed to restart. The vehicle was towed to the dealer where it was diagnosed with engine failure. The contact was informed that the engine needed to be replaced. The vehicle was not repaired. In addition, the contact stated that the vehicle failed to start several times; however, the battery and the alternator were replaced. The contact stated that the vehicle failed to start and was towed to the destination. The manufacturer was not made aware of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 127,000.

NHTSA ODI 11660885

Started my 2015 Yukon XL, drove approximately 6 miles to get gas and was to head out onto the highway. After gassing up and starting engine it began to idle very rough with a shake going on and ticking noise. No previous signs of any issues. Slowly drove back to my house at 20 miles an hour and called Mandal GMC dealership. They suggested having it towed to them for inspection. Upon inspection they said the AFM/DOD #1 exhaust lifter was bad and needed replaced. They replaced all of Bank one lifters and said their was no damage to camshaft. Drove it that night after repairing it and everything seemed fine. They called the next morning and said when they started it up the ticking was back again. They then supposedly took off head cover and inspected the camshaft again and said it was damaged and I would need a new engine to the tune of $18,000.00. I purchase it in 2021 from them use and paid $33,000.00 and now still owe even more than the engine repair. I said it would cost more than the vehicle was worth and they had done $4,000.00 of repair that didn’t even get the issue fixed. I am a senior on Social Security and can not afford to continue to pay 20,000.00 for the loan and then another $18,000.00 for a faulty engine design that caused the problem in the first place. May have to join the thousands of others in the class action to get GM to not put out such untrustworthy engineering. Now $37,000.00 piece of Yard Sculpture !! The morning that it occurred was the first sign of flashing engine warning on dash.

NHTSA ODI 11659069

The Yukon was driving normally and just lost power while driving 55mph on the highway. Then I got off the highway to pull over and check it out and the Yukon started shaking while running and in Park. The truck would not drive over 30mph without shaking and what sounds like misfiring.

NHTSA ODI 11658503

While driving my check engine light came on. Engine was shaking and running awful. Smoke was coming from the tailpipe. Mechanic upon inspection informed me that a lifter had failed. Causing damage to the cylinder head. Also causing the fuel injectors to fail. The cylinder head had to be removed and sent to machine shop for repairs. Mechanic informed me that this is a very common failure for LS motors. Repair bill was $5300 for parts and labor.

NHTSA ODI 11658297

in september the check engine light came on and the care began making aloud knocking noise. When we brought it to our mechanic he let us know that the engine had bad connection rods and I would need a new engine. The mechanic stated he has seen this multiple times on GM V8 Motors

NHTSA ODI 11657805

In December 2024 took my GMC Yukon XL to a mechanic. They replaced the lifter in the driver side of the engine. 2500 miles later it is back in the shop for the same side. Now there is a bent rod. One of the lifter/Rod spots collapsed. The mechanic is in contact with the local GMC dealer to figure out what the next steps are. The recent symptoms had to have car towed back to Fairly reliable Bobs mechanic. Pictures were taken and sent to GMC. First time this happened I heard a Tic in the engine and took it straight to the mechanic. second time this happened. Engine light came on flashing, Trackton light came on, Lost power, there was a shimmy when slowing down and a shake at the stop. I will note the second time this happened below.

NHTSA ODI 11657944

While driving, the check engine light started to blink and there was a steady knocking coming from the engine. This is the same issues that GMC is currently recalling newer model vehicles for. Safety was at risk because the engine failure happened while driving.

NHTSA ODI 11657033

The contact owns a 2015 GMC Yukon XL. The contact stated that while his wife was driving approximately 35 MPH, there was an abnormal sound coming from the engine compartment before the vehicle stalled. The driver was able to steer the vehicle into a parking lot. The contact stated that his wife attempted to restart the vehicle; however, the vehicle failed to restart. The contact stated that his wife observed that the check engine warning light illuminated while attempting to restart the vehicle. The contact had the vehicle towed to a local dealer, where it was diagnosed and determined that the engine needed to be replaced. The vehicle was not repaired. The contact stated that prior to the engine failure, the vehicle had been towed to the same dealer for a failure to start. The contact stated that the starter motor and a 12-Volt battery were replaced. The vehicle was repaired. The manufacturer was not informed of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 127,000.

NHTSA ODI 11654930

Lifter failure due to AFM. Car shuttered suddenly and then threw codes and had a bad misfire with engine shaking. Spent $6,700 to rebuild.

NHTSA ODI 11653210

With my child in the car, on a highway with no shoulder, I experienced lifter failure. It caused the vehicle shake and lose power with cars driving behind me at 55-60 MPH with nowhere to pull over. The engine just stopped as I was finally able to make it to a driveway safely. Problem was identified by dealership and my engine had to be rebuilt. I purchased the car second hand 3 months prior with no warning or symptoms. The car was inspected at the dealership by the extended warranty company rep. The extended warranty only cover a portion of the cost. The collapsed lifter cause damage to the camshaft and bent rods. The car only had 107,000 miles. If I were not able to pull off before the engine stopped, my daughter and I could’ve easily got rear ended on a Major state highway. The car was difficult to control due to the engine shaking the entire SUV.

NHTSA ODI 11649629

While traveling at highway speed, without warning, check engine light started flashing. Pulled off the highway at the next exit and vehicle died in the middle of the road. Towed vehicle to mechanic who inspected vehicle and found no compression (zero psi) on cylinder 1 indicating a major engine failure, rendering engine unrepairable and the vehicle worthless. Either cam, lifter, piston failure in cylinder 1 causing massive engine failure and making the engine unrepairable due to metal shavings in the engine. This is the L87 engine, 6.2L V8 that has been plagued by problems by millions of GM owners. This car had been meticulously serviced and maintained with regularly scheduled full synthetic oil changes. The car have no indication of engine problems beforehand until the engine blew up at highway speeds.

NHTSA ODI 11644421

2015 6.2l yukon lifter failure oil changed 2000 miles ago and lifter failed and possible cam damage due to AFM lifter failure vehicle has 115,000 Miles and Gm knows about these lifter failures that can blow engines and cause serious accidents due to rapid loss of power and controls that GM already knew paid alot of money as a certified pre- owned and failed to disclose lifter defects to their customers now at shop for complete inspection and now needs possible new engine when all service requirements were met now looking at thousands of dollars for repairs if known i would have not bought the vehicle. And deceiving GM customers , currently waiting for diagnostic in writing but the courts approved recall already from same issues on 2019 and newer but same lifters are in the same 2015 AFM system

NHTSA ODI 11640174

Collapsed lifter due to AFM system

NHTSA ODI 11639846

My wife drives a 2015 GMC Denali with the 6.2L engine. My daughter has an almost identical 2016 Denali with the same 6.2L engine. The 2015 had a serious event at approximately 125,000 miles when one of the rocker arm springs broke under ordinary driving conditions and caused the vehicle to be disabled in the midst of heavy traffic. The 2016 had a virtually identical event at 135,000 miles, which caused the rod to be ingested into the cylinder. I believe the rocker arm springs on these engines are defective, also evidenced by after-market double springs being sold for this engine. I have replaced all rocker arm springs on the 2016 with double springs and will do so shortly on the 2015. The GM dealer in Corpus Christi, TX where we had the 2016 towed told me that the only solution for it was to replace the entire engine at a cost of $11,000+. I paid the dealer $1,000+, towed the truck to San Antonio, and had a mechanic in my employ rebuild it for approximately $2,000. The 2015 had not broken the rod and was repaired by a dealer in San Antonio for approximately $1,250. INFORMATION REDACTED PURSUANT TO THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT (FOIA), 5 U.S.C. 552(B)(6)

NHTSA ODI 11637042

I keep getting a warning on my display on dash about my trailer brake system is not working. Also my temperature gauge stops working and I have to take off negative cable on battery to reset it. Temperature control sensor has been replaced but the problem still continues to happen.

NHTSA ODI 11617294

The contact owns a 2015 GMC Yukon Denali. The contact stated while driving at approximately 20 MPH, the vehicle started decelerating with a slight clunking sound coming from underneath the front passenger’s side of the vehicle. The vehicle then lost motive power. The contact coasted to the side of the road and turned off the vehicle. After waiting for a while, the vehicle was started and the contact became aware that the instrument panel and all other electrical systems were activated as expected; however, the engine failed to start. The vehicle was towed to the dealer where it was diagnosed that there was a failure with the engine. The vehicle had not been repaired. The vehicle was then towed to an independent mechanic where it was confirmed that the engine had failed, and the starter needed to be replaced. The starter had been replaced; however, while starting the vehicle the engine emitted a loud rumbling noise which the dealer described as rocks being tossed around. The contact stated that the engine needed to be replaced. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer had not been made aware of the failure. The failure mileage was 150,150.

NHTSA ODI 11612810

The radiator was replaced under PI1513F in 2020. I am currently experiencing the same coolant leak and thermostat issues. Coolant leaked into 4th cylinder and blew head gasket

NHTSA ODI 11600949

My engine went out, and I had to have it rebuilt. There was a check engine light on. My steering goes out and in without warning while driving. I have talked to the dealership, and they stated that all safety recalls were done on my vehicle. My safety and those of others were put at risk when the steering failed. I almost crashed my vehicle in traffic. There were no warning messages prior to the failure. I did see that there was a recall in 2019 and the dealership will not inspect the vehicle without payment.

NHTSA ODI 11554898

Consuming a lot of oil, makes a funny clicking noise sometimes when accelerations, had lil pieces of metal in my oil, Transmisson problems, 1 front headlight and all rear tail lights went out, trailer brake system would come on and go off now it won’t stop dinging and makes a whole bunch of other lights come on (trailer brake system, park assist, low brake fluid, traction control, collision) dings some much I can’t drive it. Called a gm shop near me and they told me it would cost a whole bunch for each diagnosis for every warning that came on.

NHTSA ODI 11537059