What 497 owners told NHTSA about the 2016 GMC Yukon Denali Xl 1500

While driving vehicle the vehicle appears to shut off as if someone is turning off the ignition. The steering control becomes stiff, power is lost and electronics flash and turn off and on. This has happened on multiple occasions and is intermittent during acceleration. The accessible grounds have been checked, battery checked and replaced, and alternator checked and verified to be charging appropriately. Several codes are present and have been cleared to return indicating low voltage issues with multiple systems.

NHTSA ODI 11699390

The car started to have issues shifting when driving- automatic transmission. It would jolt or shudder to try to shift. I was at a light intersection attempting to turn left to go on the on ramp of a highway, it attempted to shift as I sped up from a stop and it got stuck and started making a sound as if you were to press the brake and gas at the same time, similar to that, a car was coming in my direction at the same time and it finally clicked into gear. Absolutely terrified me, my father in law came and switched me vehicles and took mine to the dealership where it stayed for 3 days and they diagnosed it saying it needed a new transmission, quoting us at $11,000. Obviously we can’t afford that. We had all the filters and lines of the transmission cleaned. And now it’s just gotten worse and worse. That was the first time it happened. Now it’ll shudder like that any time it’s switching gears at any speed. Another time since then, it got stuck in the same situation after pulling out of my kids school driveway, it got stuck and wouldn’t click, when it finally did it started shaking uncontrollably in the street and thankfully I live two streets over and made it to my street before it just shut off on its own. I coasted it right into the front of our house and then it would not come back on, at this time we searched the internet over and over to find try to find an easy fix. We let it sit before it came back on. This is our family vehicle. I’ve seen that many many people have this exact issue with this exact same year and model. Its not coincidental and It’s extremely unsafe. Especially with kids in these vehicles. I’m terrified one day when it gets stuck or shuts off we will get hit.

NHTSA ODI 11696843

Engine light keeps appearing and when checked it shows catalytic converter needs replaces and its sensors need replaced. Brake light has short in it and I repaireable

NHTSA ODI 11659194

I WAS DRIVING MY CAR MONDAY AND I ALMOST CRASH WITH THE CAR IN FRONT OF ME THE BRAKES DOESNT WORK AND THEN IN THE PANEL START LIGHTS OF THE ENGINE THE SUPENSION LIGHT AND SIGH SAYING BRAKE ASISTANT, THE CAR IS PARK BECAUSE THE BRAKES AND I LOOK FOR RECALLS AND I CALL GMC AND THEY SAYS THAT I DONT HAVE ANY RECALL BUT I ALMOST DIE MONDAY BECAUSE THE VACUM PUMP FOR THE BRAKES FAIL AND ALL THE LIGHTS IN THE PANNEL START LIGHT UP.

NHTSA ODI 11639463

Driving a company vehicle [XXX], heavy smoke started coming from under the drivers side dash. Unhooked battery, the smoke stopped. I had vehicle towed to a local garage. They advised the engine wiring harness and other wiring had caught on fire. They couldn't repair it. On [XXX]. I had the vehicle towed to the local GMC dealer in Bedford, VA. At first they said they could fix it, then around 7/3/24 they said the couldn't fix it, charging several hundreds of dollars. On July 5/2024 I had the vehicle towed to a GMC dealership in Lynchburg, VA who I had check with and said they could fix it. The first part of September 2024, this dealership advised me the couldn't fix the vehicle. I had the vehicle tow to our companies office in Lynchburg. The dealerships are saying they can't get the needed wiring harnesses. Our insurance company had sent an adjuster to the GMC in Bedford, VA. No warning lamps came on before the smoke. INFORMATION REDACTED PURSUANT TO THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT (FOIA), 5 U.S.C. 552(B)(6)

NHTSA ODI 11632955

The car has all of a sudden had issues with the gas and breaking. When I press the gas, it stalls then rapidly accelerates. It has to be the transmission. Also, is making a noise and will barely drive when pressing on the gas. It does not accelerate!! Could have easily gotten into a car accident! What is going on??

NHTSA ODI 11625526

Loses power randomly. More prominent at low speeds and turns. Has lost power going down the road, will turn back on. Stabilitrak lights and jerking steering wheel are more common. Will not always start right back up when it shuts all the way off/loses power. Loses clock but keeps radio stations. Had it scanned. Asked dealer about issues/recalls and information with nothing more than “this is not common” and “we need to schedule a time for you to bring it in”. Times were not soon and they made it seem like it is not an urgent/emergent situation. Would not agree to me being able to talk with a tech. Looked into this as it seems common but nothing definite. Bad battery cables seem prominent, grounding issues, electronic steering module, and a few others. Seems like a GM problem that is known but not being handled. Greatly disappointed after reading up on it. Many vehicles with similar problems had recalls. Not sure how that process works. I was told it depends where it was manufactured/assembled. Wife was able to get a video of it the other day.

NHTSA ODI 11618632

i HAVE A SERVICE SUSPENSION LIGHT THAT CONTINUES TO POP UP ON DASHBOARD THE MOST IMPORTANT ISSUE THAT NEEDS TO BE ADDRESSED IS THE BRAKE LIGHTS. I have previously had the passenger side brake light stop working. In order to repair this you have to order a whole new taillight. My vehicle was approximatly 6 years old when this started happening. First incident (2022 with approximately 65000 miles) Yesterday, I was pulled over by a policeman and both of my brake lights are not working. We found a way to sauder (I know this is incorrect spelling) the broken metal piece back together in the taillight; however, this is not the correct way to fix the underlying problem and clearly it is only a temporary fix because the passenger side broke again in a new spot.

NHTSA ODI 11614329

I purchased a used 2016 Yukon xl may 20 2024. Over the last month only put 2k miles on it. I continue to receive a message to service trailer brake system. I dismiss this and it continues to chime and be a nuisance popping up blocking my dash from seeing important things like speed etc and the noise is extremely distracting as a driver. I’m unable to use the hands free talking through Bluetooth as it interrupts quite frequently. This makes driving an extremely dangerous and unpleasant ride

NHTSA ODI 11595344

LED Tail Light out

NHTSA ODI 11584539

I was driving and n the freeway around 70 miles and " TRAILER Brake SERVICE" message appears on the dash board screen We don't pulling nothing on that time and normally we don't use this car for pulling, the other message appears several times is very frustrating. I am the guy in charge for this vehicle.

NHTSA ODI 11563782

Like many other complaints..when your driving and accelerating it jerks and try’s to change gears ect. Most recent issue is the temperature sensor went out and my fan was running on full speed. Well I got it fixed and within 2 months it has gone out again! Lastly, the paint on the hood and roof. When I bought the dealership fixed the hood and yet again it’s failing again..

NHTSA ODI 11560465

The vehicle consistently alerts with service trailer brake system warnings and has progressively become more of a frequent problem with the system doing it constantly even when no trailer is being towed This has been occurring since time of purchase in March 2021 when we purchased the vehicle and has become consistently more frequent over time

NHTSA ODI 11534703

My vehicle randomly locks up and shuts off while I am taking a sharp turn or parking. A 'Service StabiliTrak' warning flahses on the dashboard. The steering wheel locks and the only way to get this warning to go away is to turn the vehicle off. This is a dangerous hazard as the vehicle can come to an abrupt stop in traffic.

NHTSA ODI 11523401

This is a very common problem with GM vehicles produced from 2015 to 2019 and is occurring in 5.3L and 6.2L gas engines. The engine coolant temperature sensor is failing and defaulting to a fail safe that turns the electric cooling fans on to full speed because it thinks the vehicle is overheating. When this sensor fails, the engine temperature gauge will not work. When the vehicle is turned off the fans will stay on for 15 minutes at full speed and will deplete the battery. The sensors are being replaced multiple times with different manufacturers and the problem returns in a matter of days or weeks. You can disconnect the battery negative post and reconnect and the problem corrects until it is tripped again at later date. GM has no solution for this. This issue will leave a driver stranded and will cause engine or transmission issues if driven while the vehicle is doing this. There is no check engine light or code tripped while this occurs either.

NHTSA ODI 11518685

There is a special policy to replace faulty tail lamps. However, the policy is only extended through 72,000 miles or 5 years which is ridiculous, and should be a recall. I had my drivers side tail lamp replaced in February 2022 because it was not working. I wasn’t aware of the mileage and year restrictions at that time. Fast forward to today, I have my passenger side tail lamp intermittently working. Now out of the specific time frame, I’m left to encounter this expense out of my own pocket. Clearly GM is aware of the problem, but has not issued a recall on the tail lamp issue. It’s not just a burned out brake light, but apparently an electrical issue with the way they were initially wired. This is a very dangerous situation, as I have no idea if and when my brake light is out. God forbid if they were to go out and I were to be rear ended due to GMs lack of taking responsibility.

NHTSA ODI 11511723

While driving down the freeway, I received a warning that the charging system was not working and had a red battery light come on on the dash. I exited the freeway trying to get to a safe place, the dash and infotainment system begun to flash on and off. We heard a loud pop, smelt something burning, saw smoke coming into the cabin and then flames from under the hood near where the battery is located.

NHTSA ODI 11483879

On our 2016 GMC Yukon Denali we have experienced intermittently working brake lights on our vehicle. We were first informed by a family friend following us that our passenger side was going in and out and now our driver's side brake light is completely out. The turn signal and reverse light still works but no brake light of any indication. No warnings or messages were given it just went completely out. I believe this is a safety hazard to myself and other driver's. It is also against the law to have a break light out. I've read that there was a recall but it was dismissed in 2021 due to faulty break lights. I also read that it was only fixed at no cost for drivers at 72,000 miles and the vehicle couldn't be older than six years.We purchased our vehicle at 73××× . Not everyone can afford the $1600.00 upfront to fix a problem like this. Please reconsider making this a recall as I have been doing my research alot of Gmc Yukon drivers have experienced this. I want my family to be safe.

NHTSA ODI 11474362

In my experience of transmission failure with my 16’ GMC YUKON, there was no warning. I had not experienced any issues with the slipping or jerking feel when accelerating or braking as described in the class action law suit. My vehicle had 105k miles, I took it in for regular maintenance including having the transmission flushed as I was told to do so for preventative maintenance. The transmission failed when I was traveling on the interstate with my family and I came upon some traffic so I applied the brake and the whole vehicle bucked and jerked as it shifted into down gear. I was traveling at 30-35 mph in the traffic and the whole time I felt a slipping motion in the car. I made it to a gas station, refueled, and tried to restart my journey. As I leery the gas station accelerating to get back on the interstate, the vehicle would not accelerate above 35 mph and the RPMs we’re to the max. At this point, my vehicle was in drivable. No prior warning, no issues that had been occurring over time, this all happened the same day. I towed my vehicle to a Chevrolet dealer where the problem was identified as a failed transmission in need of replacement and failed ABS braking system. The cost came at $6800.

NHTSA ODI 11470172

TAIL LIGHTS/BRAKE LIGHTS /SIGNAL LIGHTS GO ON AND GO OFF DANGER OF BEING HIT FROM THE REAR DEALER AND INDEPENDENT SERVICE HAS CONFIRMED DEFECT AND SAY IT IS COMMON VEHICLE HAS NOT BEEN INSPECTED BE THE POLICE OR INSURANCE THERE WAS NO WARNING LAMPS OR MESSAGES FIRST DISCOVER 2 YEARS AGO WHEN DRIVERS WOULD PULL UP AND SAY THE LIGHTS WERE OUT......WE WOULD STOP AND LOOK THEY WOULD COME BACK ON

NHTSA ODI 11468722

The driver’s side brake light assembly failure of no brake light when brake is applied. It can be inspected upon request. This may cause another driver to not notice intentions to stop or slowdown and cause an accident. This problem is constant. It has not been inspected. No warnings of the failure has been displayed.

NHTSA ODI 11467261

Both brake lamp assemblies are non-op, no warning in dash and no fuses. GMC #SCA N182180270 stating that 2015 and 2016 Yukon. Extended warranty to 6 years or 72,000 miles. We are out of warranty as of last month. $2,500 to replace the tail lamp assemblies. No letter was sent to owners regarding this safety hazard. This should be a RECALL

NHTSA ODI 11466444

I was driving with a trailer that has brakes. A warning system light came on “trailer brake system” service came on blind the digital speedometer. Brakes would not engage. A couple of day later same thin came on now with out a trailer. The warning would not go away and kept on chumming every 10 seconds.

NHTSA ODI 11462327

The largest issue was today, 2/22/2022, when I was driving doing 56 miles per hour it felt like it wouldn't accelerate. Then all of a sudden, the wheel kind of jerked right and the car shifted down all on it's own and I was doing 25 mph. The check engine light came on immediately after the violent jerking happened. I was on a 4 lane highway and had to immediately pull over onto the shoulder. It was jerking forward and back as I was trying to pull over on a freeway where the speed limit is 70 mph!!! I had my 80-year-old mother in the car with me. AND YES!! It put us both at great risk! I had to call a tow truck and they towed it to a dealership 9.8 miles away. When I talked to the Assistant Manager, he said that there were 3 other GMC Yukon 2016 that had come in today - ALL WERE 2016 GMC YUKON MODELS WITH 125K MILES. My GMC has 124,700 MILES all with Transmission problems. This can't be an anomaly. So I got online and there are many, many complaints about this transmission. As a matter of fact, it appears in 2019 there was a Class Action Lawsuit about this very thing. I will not know until tomorrow for sure what the issue is - because the dealership could not get to it today. However, something significant happened. As a side note, recently I had an electrical problem where sensors, etc are all saying need to be serviced and none of them are working. I had appt today at 10:30 am to have them check this. On the way there, the violent jerking and sudden downshift and check engine light came on. I was scared to death and so I pulled over and called a tow truck. The dealership did not tell me this is a common issue, nor was I aware. The dealership told me if it is in fact the transmission - cost is $6,000!!! I need someone to contact me to discuss this. Thank you, [XXX]phone - [XXX] INFORMATION Redacted PURSUANT TO THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT (FOIA), 5 U.S.C. 552(B)(6).

NHTSA ODI 11453520

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