Home · 2016 GMC Yukon Denali Xl 1500 · Complaints

What 497 owners told NHTSA about the 2016 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 (497)Crash / fire / injury (18)Lights (209)Brakes (95)Electrical system (88)Transmission & drivetrain (71)Engine (57)Steering (20)Suspension (16)Body & structure (13)Speed control (10)Fuel system (9)

7 of 497 complaints match · Brakes · crash/fire/injury only · clear filters

Jan 3, 2022Electrical systemBrakesCrash

THE ENGINE MOUNTED MECHANICAL VACUUM PUMP OUTPUT MAY DECREASE OVER TIME DECREASING THE AMOUNT OF VACUUM/ POWER BRAKE ASSIST. AND THE DRIVERSIDE BRAKE STOP LIGHT WAS DEFECTIVE. .ME AND MY WIFE WERE SCARED AND SHOOK UP. .YES. DEALERSHIP. .DEALERSHIP. NO. .

NHTSA ODI 11446035

Dec 29, 2021BrakesCrash1 injury

The contact owns a 2016 GMC Yukon. The contact stated that while driving at approximately 70 mph, the brake pedal was hard to depress and the brake pedal traveled to the floorboard. The contact mentioned that the brake pedal needed to be pumped in order for the vehicle to be operated. In addition, the contact stated the vehicle failed to stop immediately. The vehicle was taken to a dealer where it was diagnosed that the brake line needed to be flushed. The vehicle was repaired however, the failure persisted. The vehicle was taken to an independent mechanic where the failure was undetermined. The contact mentioned while the mechanic was reversing the vehicle the brakes failed to operate causing the vehicle to crash into a person and a vehicle. The contact stated that the lady sustained multiple injuries that needed medical attention. A police report was filed. The vehicle was towed to the dealer where it was diagnosed that the brake vacuum pump needed to be replaced. The vehicle was repaired but the failure recurred. The vehicle was taken back to the same dealer where they informed the contact that the failure was unable to be duplicated. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was notified of the failure. The approximate failure mileage 54,000.

NHTSA ODI 11445404

Jul 1, 2020Electrical systemBody & structureBrakesCrash

RECEIVED A RECALL NOTICE FOR MY 2016 YUKON XL, DUE TO BRAKE VACUUM PUMP FAULTY. HOWEVER MCGRATH AUTO IN CEDAR RAPIDS, IA RESOLVE TO THIS RECALL WAS TO SIMPLY REPROGRAM THE ELECTRONIC BRAKE CONTROL MODULE. THIS WAS COMPLETED 12/19. BY 2/20 MY BRAKES WERE REQUIRING ME TO PUSH HARDER AND AT TIMES SOUNDED LIKE THEY WERE SKIPPING AND BRAKING FELT DELAYED. I ALSO WAS HEARING A SQUEAK/CLICKING SOUND COMING FROM WHAT SEEMS THE FRONT OF MY VEHICLE ENGINE AREA. DUE TO QUARANTINE I WAS NOT DRIVING OR GOING PLACES BUT ONCE OUR STATE RE-OPENED I CALLED THIS DEALERSHIP TO REPORT THE BRAKE CONCERN AND SCHEDULED APPT. A DAY BEFORE APPT, WHILE STOPPED AT A RED LIGHT AS I MOVED FORWARD IN A VERY SLOW CRAWL MY BRAKES FAILED ME AND I COULD NOT STOP. I BUMPED THE CAR IN FRONT OF ME WHICH RESULTED IN DAMAGE TO BOTH VEHICLES. I REPORTED THIS TO MCGRATH AS I WAS SCARED IMMENSELY ABOUT THE SAFETY OF MY VEHICLE. DURING THE SERVICE APPT 6/11/20 MY CAR WAS DIAGNOSED WITH A FAULTY BRAKE VACUUM PUMP. THE VACUUM PUMP WAS REPLACED AND I WAS TOLD I WAS STILL WITHIN THE WARRANTY . HOWEVER THEY REPLACE ALL 4 TIRES AND CLAIMED TO RECALIBRATE. ON 6/25 WHILE IN COLORADO BRAKE, ABS AND CAL LIGHTS LIT UP, THE STEERING WHEEL POWER WAS GONE, TRAILER BRAKE SYSTEM ILLUMINATE, (NEVER EVEN TOWED A TRAILER) CALLED MCGRATH FROM COLORADO AS I COULDN'T DRIVE MY CAR, I EXPLAINED WHAT WAS HAPPENING, THEIR RESOLVE WAS TO GOOGLE GMC DEALERSHIP IN AREA FOR ME. I FOUND MY OWN IN CADILLAC/GMC DEALERSHIP IN BOULDER. MY CHILDREN AND I ARE WITHOUT A VEHICLE WHILE OUT OF STATE. DEALERSHIP IN BOULDER DIAGNOSED MY VEHICLE WITH FAULTY ELECTRONIC BRAKE CONTROL MODULE. I AM FURIOUS AS THEY SAY IT WILL NOT BE COVERED THROUGH WARRANTY. MY 2016 YUKON IS IN IMPECCABLE CONDITION, ISSUES ALL HAPPENED UPON RECALL WITH ONLY 35,000 MILES. MY EXPERIENCE IS EXACTLY WHAT IS BEING REPORTED BY OTHERS IMPACTED BY THIS RECALL. *TR

NHTSA ODI 11331946

Feb 7, 2020AirbagsBrakesCrash

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2016 GMC YUKON. THE CONTACT STATED THAT WHILE DRIVING AT APPROXIMATELY 60 MPH, THE BRAKE PEDAL WAS DEPRESSED HOWEVER, THERE WAS A DELAY FOR THE BRAKES TO ENGAGE CAUSING THE VEHICLE TO CRASH INTO ANOTHER VEHICLE. THE AIR BAGS FAILED TO DEPLOY. A POLICE REPORT WAS NOT FILED. THE CONTACT STATED THAT THERE WERE NO INJURIES. THE VEHICLE WAS DRIVEN TO THE CONTACT'S RESIDENCE. THE DEALER WAS NOT CONTACTED. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT REPAIRED. THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOTIFIED OF THE FAILURE AND A CASE WAS FILED. THE CONTACT STATED WAS AWAITING AN INSPECTION BY A MANUFACTURER FIELD INSPECTOR. THE CONTACT MENTIONED THAT THE VEHICLE WAS REPAIRED UNDER AN UNKNOWN BRAKE RECALL. THE APPROXIMATE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 59,600. *DT

NHTSA ODI 11307732

Dec 10, 2019BrakesCrash

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2016 GMC YUKON XL. WHILE DRIVING APPROXIMATELY 30 MPH, THE BRAKES MALFUNCTIONED AND CAUSED THE VEHICLE TO CRASH INTO THE REAR OF ANOTHER VEHICLE. THERE WERE NO INJURIES. A POLICE REPORT WAS FILED. PRIOR TO THE CRASH, THE BRAKE VACUUM PUMP WAS REPLACED, BUT THE BRAKES DID NOT FUNCTION PROPERLY. THE VEHICLE WAS LATER SERVICED AT MICK DONALD'S GMC(5155 STATE ST, SAGINAW, MI) PER NHTSA CAMPAIGN NUMBER: 19V645000(SERVICE BRAKES) IN WHICH THE ELECTRONIC BRAKE CONTROL MODULE WAS REPROGRAMMED. AFTERWARDS, THE BRAKES OPERATED NORMALLY. THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOTIFIED OF THE FAILURE. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 35,000.

NHTSA ODI 11288081

Sep 11, 2019BrakesCrash

A CAR BRAKED IN FRONT OF ME GOING AROUND 40 MILES PER HOUR. I WAS UNABLE TO STOP IN TIME AND REARENDED THEM. THIS CAR IS PART OF THE GM RECALL FOR BRAKES

NHTSA ODI 11254852

Jul 22, 2019BrakesCrash

WHILE IN SLOW TRAFFIC, I PRESSED BRAKES TO STOP. THE BRAKE PEDDLE DID NOT COMPRESS DOWN, CAUSING ME TO HAVE TO ENTER THE HIGHWAY MEDIAN TO KEEP FROM STRIKING THE VEHICLE IN FRONT OF ME. THE MEDIAN WAS WET AND MUDDY. OUR YUKON HAD TO BE PULLED FROM THE MEDIAN BY A GOOD SAMARITAN.

NHTSA ODI 11233760

Working with the data? Download all 497 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 2016 GMC Yukon Denali Xl 1500 verdict →