What 211 owners told NHTSA about the 2023 GMC Yukon Denali Xl 1500

2023 Yukon Denali has now broken down twice, leaving myself and my family (husband and children). This last time was on Friday 1/16/26 while we were out of town, the car began malfunction and then we had complete engine failure while drive 70mph down the highway, again, leaving my family stranded on the side of the road, on a busy highway, in an unsafe environment in the winter.

NHTSA ODI 11713912

Engine Failed 1400 miles from home on 6.2L Engine - Days after getting L87 Engine Loss of Propulsion Recall Service. Recall Service Completed on 12/1/2025 - Cap and Oil Change done - Full Engine Failure on 12/22/2025. 12/1/2025 - L87 Engine Recall Service Done at GMC Dealership - Quincy IL 12/16/2025- Check Engine Light came on - went to same Dealership - Cleared it told me I was fine to drive across country 12/22/2025 - Full Engine Failure on GMC Yukon Denali

NHTSA ODI 11713551

the Engine started running rough and the engine light came on. The dealer told my wife to drive there in limp mode (~15 miles), she did so on back roads. The diagnostics said that cylinder 7 was not firing and teh fuel injector control circuit was bad. they had to replace the Engine Control Unit.

NHTSA ODI 11713349

While driving approximately 63 mph on a busy roadway, my 2023 GMC Yukon experienced a sudden failure of the brake system, including loss of normal braking capability along with failures of the Electronic Stability Control (ESC) and ABS systems. The vehicle displayed warning messages stating “Brake System Failure” and “Service ESC” and entered a reduced-speed mode. Prior to this incident, there were no warning lights, messages, or symptoms indicating a problem. During the failure, the brakes became largely unresponsive, placing me, my two minor children who were passengers in the vehicle, and surrounding motorists at serious risk of a high-speed collision. After extended deceleration, a minimal amount of braking power partially returned, allowing the vehicle to eventually come to a stop. The vehicle has not yet been inspected by a dealer, manufacturer, police, or insurance representatives, and the issue has not yet been reproduced or confirmed by a service center. The vehicle remains available for inspection upon request and has not been repaired. This incident occurred without prior warning and involved a sudden and dangerous loss of braking capability at highway speed.

NHTSA ODI 11712998

We received a notification that our 2023 GMG Yukon Denali Ultimate engine needed to be tested as a part of a recall. We took the vehicle to our local GMC dealership. The engine was tested and determined to "pass". The "pass", we were told, meant that we did not need a new engine, just thicker oil, and that the engine was safe. Mind you, our car was a custom order, took 8 months to receive, and is not even 3 years old. The vehicle is my everyday driver. I have two kids and live in a large city with a lot of traffic. A few months after it was determined to "pass", I was driving with my kids and dog in the car. The abruptly stopped, putting itself in neutral. Luckily, I had just turned off of a major interstate and onto a side road. The car would not start or move out of neutral leaving me and my kids in the middle of the road. It now needs a new engine. Prior to this issue, the battery died a few weeks after we took delivery of the vehicle. SAFETY!!!! If this happened just a few minutes prior, I would have been on a major interstate in one of the nation's worst traffic cities. My car would have abruptly shut down absolutely risking other cars hitting my car. All of this could have been avoided if GMC recalled AND REPLACED all impacted engines. The GMC service tech admitted that they (GMC) knew it was a "band-aid" that wouldn't work. GMC is putting lives at risk. In addition, we now have a vehicle we paid more than $150k for that is virtually worthless.

NHTSA ODI 11712387

Vehicle had already "passed" the GM testing and received 0W-40 synthetic engine oil. Engine failure. Vehicle is currently at the dealership. This event put my family at risk of serious injury and possible death as the vehicle suddenly stopped working while drive on a bust street. Engine failure has been confirmed by the dealership, who have recommended installation of a new engine. There were no warning lamps on the dash at the time of the event. However, there was a loud noise immediately followed by lose of engine power.

NHTSA ODI 11712393

Vehicle was brought in for Campaign #25V274000 (6.2liter engine failure) and passed the manufacturer's testing. The oil was changed to a heavier weight with a new filter installed. Appx 770 miles later, the engine suffered a total failure. The engine was replaced under manufacturers warranty.

NHTSA ODI 11712214

Car driving down highway at ~70 MPH with wife and our three young kids. Engine spontaneously shut off while driving. Electronic and other systems continued to function (power steering, brakes, lights, screens etc). Dangerous situation but was able to stop car in shoulder. Tried turning car on and off but car would not restart. Police were notified but did not come. Tow truck came and tuck car to a GMC dealer (GMC Danvers). Next day when techs arrived at dealer, they were able to start and drive car without issue. There were no present or stored fault codes other than a warning pertaining to the battery. Battery has been replaced and GMC is stating car is now safe to drive. Because issue could not be replicated by dealer and car did not store any fault codes despite the engine shut off, we question whether the issue has been correctly identified and repaired. We noted to GMC that the issue experienced was the same issue associated with the recent recall (for which the car was previously serviced). At this time we do not believe the work GMC performed under recall properly addressed the known engine shut off issue. We requested GMC and dealer perform another picoscope test to conform no issues with crank shaft. GMC refused to perform the service, despite us offering to pay for the test out of pocket. GMC is not offering any additional solutions to identify the cause of the engine shut off issue.

NHTSA ODI 11711944

Engine had a burning smell and cranking sound. It lost propulsion, no indicator lights were illuminated and the car shutdown while driving. This is a recall item. It passed the recall inspection. I also had it inspected prior to leaving for my trip 2000 miles from home. Im currently stranded and awaiting my options. This is very unsafe, the engine failed while I had no service within 50 miles. Freezing temperatures at sunset. Im being told that my towing and rental car may not be covered. GM told the dealership to do the oil repair first. They covered up the failure. I also had an issue with electrical items after the purchase and that issue is why my alert lights never came on even when the vehicle was Inoperable.

NHTSA ODI 11711742

Engine siezed total engine failure at 31095 miles

NHTSA ODI 11711420

We are located in Henderson, NV and we were driving on the freeway in a construction zone with no emergency lanes when the vehicle lost all power to the engine going the speed limit. The engine had seized up which is a known problem with the 6.2L GMC motors. We have done all the recalls recommended by the manufacturer. The engine seizing, locking up , put our family in danger . We were luckily enough to be close to an offramp where people in other vehicles barley let us over so we can pull off the road or we would of been stuck in the middle of the highway with cars flying by us with little kids in the car. This is unacceptable and as much as this happening and GMC not fixing the issues, people are going to get hurt or killed. IT IS A HUGE SAFETY CONCERN! . ThIS is a known issue with these motors and problems and GMC is putting bandaids on the situations when lives are in danger. Our truck is a 2023 GMC Yukon Denali with only 53k miles on it

NHTSA ODI 11711193

My vehicle experienced a sudden and complete loss of OnStar and telematics functionality during or immediately following a routing/software update. I had taken my vehicle in for my engine recall and noted another software update was required and specifically was told by multiple service members over the phone that the onstar services/telematics module was impacted and this update should resolve it. After some initial research it appears this is related to N212331730, which impacts OnStar and telematics services. I brought the vehicle to an authorized GMC dealer for the recall. After inspection, the dealer informed me that the telematics control module has failed and must be replaced. This failure resulted in the loss of all OnStar safety-related services, including emergency response and vehicle communication features. The failure appears directly related to the recall condition or software update process, yet I am being told the module replacement is not covered. This creates a safety concern because emergency communication systems required for crash response and roadside assistance are nonfunctional. I am concerned that the recall remedy may be causing or accelerating telematics module failures and that affected vehicles may be left without critical safety systems unless owners pay out of pocket.

NHTSA ODI 11708547

Took my Yukon in for L87 engine recall. Advisor informed me my engine failed. No symptoms, sounds or messages appeared.’

NHTSA ODI 11707693

My vehicle was apart of the GM L87 recall. I took it to the dealership and it passed the recall and received the remedy which was an oil change. Now about 3 months later, I was driving in the highway at approximately 70 mph when the vehicle lost power and shifted to neutral. I had to attempt to veer off the highway with no acceleration. Upon getting it to the side of the highway, it wouldn’t do anything at all and had to be towed. The dealership has deemed it needs a new engine due to the failure the L87s are facing. We had no warning at all prior to the engine failure, and assumed that after passing a recall it had some degree of safety.

NHTSA ODI 11707538

The vehicle drove fine had no warning/ check engine lights. My girlfriend came up to a busy intersection and when she proceeded to cross the intersection the vehicles motor locked up stopping the vehicle in the middle of the intersection with traffic coming from both north and south direction. We had poor visibility due to blowing snow so she had to bail from the vehicle and stand on the side of the road so she would not be harmed if the vehicle was t boned. Vehicle stopped so hard and fast it threw her into the steering wheel. Was unable to get the vehicle restarted and could not get it to shift into neutral so vehicle blocked 1 lane of traffic completely and half of another lane until tow truck arrived to remove from road.

NHTSA ODI 11707179

In April 2022, I purchased a brand-new 2022 Yukon Denali from Roberts-Robinson Chevrolet GMC in Excelsior Springs, MO. Shortly thereafter, the first engine failure occurred in October 2022. The vehicle was towed to GMC AutoNation in Golden, CO, where it remained until repairs were completed in January 2023. Soon after the vehicle was returned, the second engine failure occurred in February 2023. The vehicle was again towed to GMC AutoNation, and repairs were not completed until April 2023. At that time, given the repeated failures, I worked with GMC and Roberts-Robinson Chevrolet GMC to replace the vehicle entirely. I took delivery of a new 2023 GMC Yukon Denali as a resolution. On October 8, 2025, the engine on the 2023 Yukon Denali also failed, marking the third major engine failure I have experienced across these vehicles. The vehicle was towed again to GMC AutoNation in Golden, CO, where it remained for two months. I picked up the "repaired" vehicle on Tuesday, December 9, 2025. This pattern of failures has caused significant disruption and distress. I have spent countless hours coordinating tows, securing rental vehicles, and seeking reimbursement for out-of-pocket expenses. More importantly, these repeated engine failures, all of which occurred while I was driving 65 MPH on I-70 through the Colorado mountains, have created extremely dangerous situations for me and my loved ones. Navigating heavy traffic during sudden engine failure and waiting on the roadside for assistance has been frightening and unacceptable for a vehicle of this caliber. Overall, this experience has been incredibly stressful and disappointing.

NHTSA ODI 11705913

Vehicle lost steering and brakes suddenly. Many errors on screen such as: Brake System Failure, ABS Failure, ESC Failure, Traction Control Failure, Maximum Vehicle Speed 43mph. Was able to slowly get home with no power assisted brakes. Did not drive it any more until it was taken to dealer 2 days later and the dealer could not replicate the errors. Dealer was able to see stored error codes; however, they could not verify any errors in any of the modules or computer. Dealer wants us to take it back and wife is scared to drive it due to no fixes or repairs. Loss of brakes and steering is NOT a situation to ask an owner to 'bring back when it happens again"

NHTSA ODI 11705535

While driving in approximately 10°F weather after the vehicle had been parked outside overnight during snowfall in Chicago, the vehicle displayed a warning that said “Do Not Drive — Maximum Speed 43 MPH.” At the same time, the brake pedal became extremely hard and the vehicle had significantly reduced braking ability, requiring much longer stopping distance. This occurred without any brake warning lights beforehand. After the vehicle warmed up and was restarted, the message eventually cleared but then there was a new transmission warning and the check engine light went on. After driving for a long commute, eventually all warnings disappeared. I personally know another 2023 Yukon owner who experienced the exact same message and braking loss under similarly cold conditions, which suggests this may be a broader safety issue affecting this model year. Because this involved a sudden safety-system activation combined with temporary brake loss, there was a real risk of being unable to stop the vehicle safely or avoid a collision. My vehicle is within the year range of GM’s brake-system software recall N242447990 (eBCM brake fluid loss detection issue), and it is unclear whether my case is related, but the symptoms point to a potential systemic braking or electronic brake control problem in the 2023 Yukon. This issue warrants investigation due to the combination of: • Hard brake pedal • Reduced braking performance • Speed-limiting safety warning • No prior diagnostic warning • Occurrence in very cold temperatures A sudden loss of braking ability is a serious safety defect.

NHTSA ODI 11704198

onstar telematic module failed. dealer stated it shorted internally. upon researching online this is a pretty common issue. this module is important to safety as it can detect & report crashes, help get first responders on scene in the event of a crash, etc. my vehicle was less than three years old and had an active onstar subscription at the time of failure.

NHTSA ODI 11704019

I brought my 2023 Yukon in for the 6.2 GM inspection, and was told my engine was good, and the engine oil was changed. Approximately 3 weeks later the engine in the Yukon failed (seized) while I was towing my boat at 55mph, nearly causing an accident. I was able to pull the vehicle and boat to the side of the highway in a precarious location, which put me, my family and property in danger. There were no warning signs or messages on the dash, and no engine sounds. I believe GM's recall inspection and "preventative" oil change did nothing, and gave me a false sense that the truck was safe to tow with. I want to make sure the NHTSA is aware that the engine failed even after being screened with the recall. THIS FALSE REASURRANCE THAT THE TRUCK IS SAFE IS PUTTING THE PUBLIC AT RISK

NHTSA ODI 11704091

GM has failed to resolve repeated issues on my vehicle (VIN: [XXX] ). I was never notified of any official buyback denial. GM Customer Assistance continues to avoid clarifying the status and refuses to provide documentation of the denial. This creates an unresolved safety and reliability concern. I need an investigation into the consistent mechanical defects paired with GM’s refusal to properly process my claim. INFORMATION REDACTED PURSUANT TO THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT (FOIA), 5 U.S.C. 552(B)(6)

NHTSA ODI 11702499

I bought my 2023 Yukon Denali Ultimate on or around August 9 2023, and I bought it brand new. On May 28 2024, around 30k miles, I was on the highway and could no longer accelerate. I luckily got myself into the breakdown lane before my car shut down & lost power, ended up being towed to the closest dealership. After 18 days at the dealership, I finally had my car back with a "new engine". Fast forward to November 25, 2025, I was on the highway again, my dash lit up telling me to "press start". As i figured that was not a good idea while driving in the fast lane on the highway, I did not. in a panic I got myself over to the breakdown lane where my car turned off. This time (November 2025), I still had power, but no car turnover. After 6 days of my car sitting at the dealership, they finally had the time to look at the issue. The Dealership did the recall and got the car started, but the car still had a funny sound that the mechanics didn’t like , so they were waiting to hear back from higher up people as to what to do. Today I got the call that they will be replacing the engine for a second time and I will not have my car back until the first week of January. There were zero warning lamps, Zero Symptoms, nothing. I am Lucky that the Highway wasn’t too busy in that moment, because there were many 18 wheelers on the road that day, and one almost swerved into my car missing it by about two feet while my dead car sat in the breakdown lane. Yes I called the state police, Yes one trooper kindly pulled behind me to ask if I was safe and had a tow on the way. But that truck that nearly plowed into my dead car could have prevented me from picking my [XXX] [XXX] [XXX] daughters up from school, forever . To say that I am disgusted with GM, is an understatement. They’re risking lives. I should not fear for my life, my kids lives in a new, "safe" vehicle. No pun intended, but this is highway robbery. INFORMATION REDACTED PURSUANT TO THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT (FOIA), 5 U.S.C. 552(B)(6)

NHTSA ODI 11702612

8/26/2025 I purchased the vehicle from Maguire in Syracuse, NY with open recalls. It is my understanding a dealership is required to have these fixed prior to selling a vehicle. I now have to drive 45 mins each way to get them fixed and miss additional 2 hours for wait time from work. Brakes could fail causing an accident.

NHTSA ODI 11699334

After GMC completed 4 recalls recently, my drivers side seat lumbar support started automatically inflating to the highest setting, as well as the shoulder support. I could not deflate the shoulder support at all, but could deflate the lumbar support, but had to do it every single time I got in the vehicle. After they did additional recalls about 30 days later, the issue got worse and often times I'm unable to deflate the lumbar support at all, making driving extremely uncomfortable and what I would deem slightly unsafe given how inflated the seat is. The fact that the 2nd set of recalls made this situation worse makes me suspect it's related to module updates as opposed to my particular seat. Now I am on the hook for a $1200 fix. 2 different GMC locations did the recalls.....I do not blame either of them, I believe this is a defect GMC should look into asap given they have had similar seat issues in the past.

NHTSA ODI 11698725

The vehicle engine experienced a failure on the highway at very high speeds with no warnings leading up to this occurrence, same as many of the experiences of the customers with the 6.2L engines, which have been recalled for these defects. This GMC Yukon has the 5.3L engine, however, has the same defects as the 6.2L engine, excessive oil consumption and eventually engine failure. I am without a vehicle, with an extremely high car loan, and have to replace an engine in a two year old $75,000 vehicle. This should be covered by GM as it was a known issue and continues to be sold to unknowing customers. Furthermore, I am paying even more money to put another engine in this vehicle with the potential of having the same issues as the problem has not been corrected. This is deceptive and theft by GM in my opinion, and not safe to have engines failing in the highway with no warnings at all.

NHTSA ODI 11698845