What 295 owners told NHTSA about the 2021 GMC Yukon Denali Xl 1500

Vehicle had lifter failure. This could’ve have caused a devastating accident to myself or family which includes my 8 year old daughter. GMC has knowledge of this problem with this motor

NHTSA ODI 11737463

Motor started knocking My safety and my family safety was put at risk because we were driving down the street. The car is now at Woody dealership in Naperville, IL. Being inspected as we speak. No symptoms prior to failing.

NHTSA ODI 11736092

Transmission valve body failed while driving on highway.

NHTSA ODI 11735212

Hello, I was driving on the highway with my family and my engine had a sudden loss of power. I only have 52,000 miles on the engine and it has been serviced the entire time. We almost got in a major accident as we had cars and trucks moving around us at a very high speed as we tried to pull over in the breakdown lane. I brought the car to Daddario GMC in Shelton, CT. They did a diagnostic test and said that cylinder 2 was misfiring. Upon closer inspection they saw that there was oil sitting on top of the piston head which indicates engine failure. I have since contacted GM warranty services given my car was just past the warranty date of November 2025, but still under the 60,000 miles of coverage. I did some research and have seen this is a very common with these engines as GM did a recall on 600,000 already. For some reason my VIN # is not listed on the current recall even though my engine is in the same year as the others that were. I would like GM to cover my engine 100% but was told they may only pay a % to fix it. Can you do anything to help me get them to cover the engine at 100%? I also wanted to let you know about this issue as my VIN was not under recall and this may happen to other people/families who have the same engine as mine that isn't recalled. Thank you, [XXX] INFORMATION REDACTED PURSUANT TO THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT (FOIA), 5 U.S.C. 552(B)(6)

NHTSA ODI 11734302

While operating my 2021 GMC Yukon AT4, my vehicle suddenly developed a popping noise, the check engine light began flashing, and the traction control warning illuminated. The vehicle lost power and had reduced acceleration, forcing me to pull off the road because it was unsafe to continue driving. This created a serious safety risk and appears consistent with reported GM lifter or engine defects.

NHTSA ODI 11734192

Lifter failure.

NHTSA ODI 11733832

The contact owns a 2021 GMC Yukon. The contact stated that while driving at an undisclosed speed, the vehicle shuddered. The message to restart the vehicle was displayed. The contact stated that the vehicle shut off unexpectedly. Additionally, the check engine warning light was illuminated the day before the failure. The contact stated that while attempting to start the vehicle, the failure reoccurred. The vehicle was taken to Auto Zone and diagnosed with a fuel pump control module failure. The contact was made aware of an undisclosed recall. The contact was referred to the dealer for assistance. The vehicle was not repaired. The vehicle was later towed to the dealer, where it was diagnosed with a failed fuel pump control module. The contact was informed that the fuel pump control module needed to be replaced. The vehicle was not repaired. The contact referenced an unknown recall with a similar failure; however, the VIN was not associated with a recall. The manufacturer was made aware of the failure but provided no assistance. The contact was advised to contact the NHTSA Hotline to report the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 200,000.

NHTSA ODI 11732497

I was driving on the highway, I-55 N just north of Bloomington. I was on cruise control and was coming up to a lane merge going into construction zone. I braked, moved over, turned off cruise control and noticed the engine was cut off and rpm’s dropped to 0. Luckily I was able to get to the shoulder before the highway merged with no shoulder in construction zone. I have the 6.2 L engine in the GMC and have been through propulsion test and 2 oil changes since the test. My engine failed during highway travel and I see on several threads this unfortunately is an unsafe situation others have been in. What are my options as I do not feel safe in a vehicle that will turn off unexpectedly on highway travel.

NHTSA ODI 11732129

2021 Yukon Denali. Inspected by dealer under recall. Passed dealership test and new oil viscosity adjustment completed by dealer at 39k miles. Told no issues with vehicle continue to drive it. Today 4-14-26 on the interstate traveling 75mph the engine seized and lost all power. Instrument panel showed 0rpm as I coasted to a stop and the engine lost all power. I placed the vehicle in park on the shoulder and attempted to restart. Nothing! Engine would crank. Towed to Olathe gmc dealer and they took one looke at it , diagnosed it said it had all symptoms of total engine failure. Ordered me an engine and told 6 weeks out. Sent me home in a loaner. Service department told me They get one everyday sometime more than 1. They have hertz rental on standby for warranty loaner vehicle. I find it spilling that these vehicles come time to be sold. They’re all bad according to the service department. I also find it very frustrating that they park the broken defective vehicles at the very back of the dealer lot to hide the graveyard of 6.2’s from the public. My vehicle is under 5 year 60k warranty and engine is being replaced, but the tech could not share the extent of what would be replaced. All he mentioned was the block. Zero warning engine just went up like a grenade at 75mpg on the highway. Wife’s vehicle and left me stranded 2 hours from home on a work trip.

NHTSA ODI 11731242

Lifter and camshaft failure. Metal shards throughout the engine. Engine knocking and uncontrollable shaking. Safety was at risk of myself (driver) and two kids under the age of [XXX] while being broke down on a highway as vehicle was un-drivable. Reviewed by a Chevrolet dealership and Automotive repair shop both agreed on same repairs needed. No warning lights appeared before incident, multiple came up seconds after the problem occurred. INFORMATION REDACTED PURSUANT TO THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT (FOIA), 5 U.S.C. 552(B)(6)

NHTSA ODI 11730701

Loss of power while driving on highway, would not speed up. Shaky driving. Appeared to go into limp mode. Dealer informed me that the transmission valve body will need to be replaced. No prior messages or alerts, check engine light came on after power loss.

NHTSA ODI 11729441

Engine is leaking alot of oil from crankshaft..I was informed there was a recall on the same type and years for the problem I am having but I do not have a recall on mine

NHTSA ODI 11727698

The contact's daughter owns a 2021 GMC Yukon. While the owner was driving at an undisclosed speed, there was an abnormal ticking sound coming from the engine compartment. The sound was intermittent but frequent. The vehicle stalled intermittently with several unknown warning lights illuminated. The vehicle was taken to an independent mechanic, who advised that the vehicle needed to be taken to a dealer for additional assistance. The vehicle was taken to a dealer, but it was not yet diagnosed. The contact researched online and related the failure to NHTSA Campaign Number: 25V274000 (Engine and Engine Cooling); however, the VIN was not included. The manufacturer was informed of the failure and confirmed that the VIN was not associated with the recall. The failure mileage was approximately 154,000.

NHTSA ODI 11726913

ngine seized (according to GMC dealership service department). I was driving 75mph down the highway and the car shut down. I noticed it losing power so I was able to get off at the exit ramp, but not in a safe location. The car shut completely down in the right lane at the stop sign. Approximately 7:50pm car broke down - stuck on the road until 10:22pm. Yes safety of myself and others were put at risk. We purchased the car 2 weeks ago with no signs of issues. Bought the car with 103,499 miles. The car had very well maintained service records as well at time of purchase. We towed the car to the GMC dealership and they said the engine is seized up. No warning lamps or messages at time of failure. I drove the car early that day and it was running fine. I do not have any documents to upload at this time. Since this all happened on Friday and we are just now getting the report back today (Tuesday).

NHTSA ODI 11726739

Engine shut down in 2022 due to faulty lifters. Repairs were made. Same problem again in 2026.

NHTSA ODI 11726226

The contact owns a 2021 GMC Yukon. The contact stated that while driving at various speeds, the vehicle shuddered abnormally with blue smoke coming from the exhaust, with the message "Lane Departure Assist" displayed. The check engine and stabili-trak warning lights were illuminated. The vehicle was taken to a local service center, where it was diagnosed with cylinder #1 misfire. The local dealer was contacted. The vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired. Upon further investigation, the contact related the failure to the GMC Service Bulletin:15-06-01-002L. The manufacturer was made aware of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 110,000.

NHTSA ODI 11725844

I was pulling out of my driveway when I noticed that my mailbox was blown open from a recent storm. I stopped and put it in reverse (well tried to) but the vehicle would not shift. Quickly I continued to drive to make a u-turn instead and at that point my vehicle would not drive normally. The rpms would not go up despite pressing the gas and the engine was reving very high.gm dealer said 700 to pull the transmission to determine the issue, but after my research I’m certain it’s the valve failure in the transmission just as it’s done the same to others. Why is this transmission not recalled, but the disel engines on the same model are? Seems as though it is a similar issue. I’m afraid to see what they will charge me as my vehicle has 76,000 miles and I’m told is outside warranty coverage.

NHTSA ODI 11724498

I had just pulled off from street light, hit button to turn auto engine shutoff off, all of sudden I lose power as if I'm in neutral, engines reving up but won't go. Then kicks in but with less power like gears will not shift. I get to my destination but car will not go in reverse.

NHTSA ODI 11722391

Exhaust fumes and stink on cold start . vehicle only has 40,000 mi and I have exhaust smells coming in through hvac system!!

NHTSA ODI 11722482

My vehicle started making a weird noise and when I took it to the shop, they told me my crankshaft has gone bad and I was lucky I caught it before the entire engine blew

NHTSA ODI 11722330

My 2021 GMC Yukon suffered the same engine failure that is the subject of the recall. It has just over 70,000 miles. I'm now told I need a new engine. The dealer confirmed that this is the same issue that has impacted other similar vintage Yukons.

NHTSA ODI 11720183

Oil consumption is an issue. My vehicle is using a quart of oil every 1,000 miles. Manufacturer says oil changes are 5,000 mile intervals, however at 2500 miles the dipstick is dry and the low oil light comes on. There are no leaks in the driveway, nor is it smoking. The manufacturer claims this is normal. If I were to wait the 5,000 miles for an oil change I would only have three quarts of oil left in an engine that is supposed to have 8 quarts and therefore my engine would lock up. I fear that this engine will fail and I travel with our daughter all over the state of MO and OK for horse shows and do not wanted to be stranded on the interstate with my child in the car. After much research it is obvious this is a common problem with the 6.2L engines. There is an abundance of videos, forums, chats, etc stating how widespread this issue is and that GM continues to put off developing a fix or replacing the engines. We just completed an oil consumption test with the dealership and they are going to submit it to the warranty company. However, our fear is they will deny it saying it's a GM issue and kick it back to us.

NHTSA ODI 11719710

Air bag suspension does not work in sub freezing temperatures. Vehicle bounces up and down excessively and is extremely unstable and unsafe to drive at any speed. Vehicle speed was limited to 56 mph. Dealer stated that this is a known flaw but not recall has been issued. This is a design flaw that GMC should be responsible to correct.

NHTSA ODI 11718240

I own a 2021 GMC Yukon Denali XL with approximately 81,000 miles. On 4 separate occasions, after coming to a complete stop in traffic and then attempting to accelerate, the vehicle violently jerks and shifts itself into park. I am not pressing the brake when this occurs. I must manually shift the vehicle back into drive in order to continue moving. This happens so fast, that I am only able to see a red outlined box that intermittantly flashes on the dashboard but I cannot see what it says before it disappears. The incident feels as though the vehicle has been struck from behind due to the abrupt force. This has occurred more than once and creates a dangerous situation in traffic, particularly when vehicle are behind me. The vehicle has been taken to a GMC dealership, which has serviced the vehicle since 2021. The dealership reports they were unable to duplicate the condition after driving approximately 60 miles and therefore cannot perform a repair. This issue remains unresolved. Given that the vehicle is shifting into park while in motion or during acceleration, I believe presents a significant safety hazard.

NHTSA ODI 11717190

The contact owns a 2021 GMC Yukon. The contact stated that while shifted into drive(D), the accelerator pedal was depressed, and the vehicle lost motive power, and several unknown warning lights were illuminated. The contact stated that the check engine, stability control, and several other warning lights were illuminated. The contact stated that the vehicle was making abnormal whining sounds, and the vehicle failed to accelerate above 20 MPH. The contact had been experiencing the loss of motive power with the vehicle for approximately 2 years; however, the failure was intermittent. The contact had taken the vehicle to a local dealer on several occasions; however, the failure persisted. The contact notification of NHTSA Campaign Number: 25V274000 (Engine and Engine Cooling); and the vehicle was taken to a local dealer for the engine to be tested. The contact was advised by the dealer that the engine had passed the test, and a higher viscosity oil was added, and the oil filter and oil filler tube were replaced, along with updating the manual. The vehicle was repaired; however, it was still experiencing a loss of power with several warning lights illuminated. The manufacturer was made aware of the failures. The failure mileage was approximately 42,000.

NHTSA ODI 11717207