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

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

I was driving down 85 South bound at mile marker 16 the engine started messing up causing me and my family to be pushed over to the median. Once I was able to fight it over to the median it started smoking and i was afraid it was going to catch fire, so me and my family had to get out on the side of the interstate until help showed up and said it was safe to get back into the car. I had to use OnStar to get a tow truck, after the tow truck got there and i made it to the closest dealership to find out that the so called recall that the GM dealership fixed did not help the fact that the engine was messed up. So i tried to get a loaner or rental car for my family of 6 and they rented me a small SUV that I can not get all my kids into, I was told they did not have anything that bigger so now I am having to make multiple trips getting my kids to school. Plus they are saying it is going to be months before I can get my car back because the engine is on back order.

NHTSA ODI 11698529

my 2023 GMC Yukon Denali (VIN: [XXX] ), which is included in Safety Recall N252494003 for a known defect affecting the L87 6.2L V8 engine. My vehicle was first inspected under warranty in December 2024 at Serra Traverse City Buick GMC due to a burning smell. I was informed at that time that no issues were found. I was later told by the former service manager that the technician who evaluated my vehicle during that visit was let go due to poor workmanship and lack of product knowledge. Since that time, on two separate oil changes — January 8, 2025 and May 9, 2025 — my engine was found completely out of oil, with no oil on the dipstick. The documentation had to be retroactively added after my request. This pattern raises serious concerns about oil consumption or internal engine damage consistent with the recall defect. The dealership declined to replace the engine or perform any further diagnostics beyond the standard recall inspection. I was advised to retrieve the vehicle. However, I remain deeply concerned about the long-term safety and reliability of this vehicle, especially given GM’s acknowledgment that this defect may lead to engine failure and loss of propulsion. I have made multiple efforts to escalate this issue through both the dealership and GM’s customer service line. I was advised by Service Advisor [XXX] to contact the GM representative for regional review. He directed me to file a bbb claim.. Both GM and bbb denied my claim, stating out of warranty. However, the dealer explained that my issue were documented under warranty and would be handled appropriately if the issue persisted. GM contacted me an offered a $4000 credit. Unfortunately the problem still persist. I’m 3000 miles from being due for an oil change and again have no oil on my dipstick. INFORMATION REDACTED PURSUANT TO THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT (FOIA), 5 U.S.C. 552(B)(6)

NHTSA ODI 11692212

After stopping at a stop sign, I accelerated for a few seconds, but then it shifted to Neutral and the screen said "Press Start Again". I pressed Start, accelerated for a few seconds, and again it shifted to Neutral and the screen said "Press Start Again." I repeated this process a few times and luckily made it to the end of our driveway. I could no longer move the car nor could I shift gears. When trying to shift gears, the screen said "Conditions Not Correct for Shift." I requested Roadside Assistance. There is no way to get this car into neutral so he had to manually pull it onto the tow truck bed. The nearest dealership diagnosed it as engine failure and replaced the engine. There were no warning signs prior to this incident.

NHTSA ODI 11684451

Recall issued in April states that the Engine could experience a catastrophic failure and needs to be inspected for possible replacement. At this time (8-30-25) they are not allowing the dealers to perform these inspections. Why can't they at least perform the inspection to see if in fact the Engine will not need to be replaced? They are being irresponsible with their approach to this issue.

NHTSA ODI 11683857

Driving on the highway and the engine completely shut down. The car was automatically placed into neutral and I coasted off the highway to a nearby gas station. The car was taken to the dealer, and they confirmed that it requires a brand new engine.

NHTSA ODI 11676972

There is a safety recall but it has not yet been resolved, risking lives.

NHTSA ODI 11671417

There's a recall on my SUV ... recall ID 25V274. The dealer told me that there is no part available currently so they refuse to inspect my SUV. I believe if the inspection revealed that there is no defect relating to the recall, the dealer is required to use higher viscosity oil. I've asked them to perform this inspection while they wait for the parts, but they refuse to do so. As summer vacation is here, what if the defect in fact does exist in my SUV that will cause a dead engine while driving on the highway, and we get hit by a semitruck killing me and my family. That would be too late isn't it!? How long must I wait for the parts and continue to put my me and my family's safety at risk?

NHTSA ODI 11669908

Vehicle was brought to dealership Fountain Buick GMC 8701 S Orange Blossom Trail, Orlando, FL 32809 (866) 465-4364 for recall on engine. Dealership told our company that they were unable to repair or diagnose the recall this month June 2025. Vehicle has had an intermittent check engine light from time to time. I was instructed that it was safe to still drive the vehicle.

NHTSA ODI 11667605

I am filing a complaint regarding my 2023 GMC Yukon Denali Ultimate, equipped with the 6.2L L87 V8 engine, which is currently under NHTSA Recall 24V-266 for a potential engine failure due to defective bottom-end components. I received the official recall notice indicating that the issue poses a serious safety risk, including possible loss of propulsion and engine failure without warning. However, despite this being a mandatory safety recall, I’ve been informed by my dealership that no remedy is currently available, and I have been provided no timeline for repair or inspection. This effectively renders my $115,000 vehicle unsafe for normal use, yet I am left with no clear recourse, no loaner vehicle, and no repair timeline. I am now forced to restrict my driving to short errands only to reduce risk—completely unacceptable for a vehicle of this cost, class, and usage expectation. I am requesting that NHTSA formally investigate the timeliness and adequacy of GM's response to this recall and consider enforcing provisions of the Motor Vehicle Safety Act that require manufacturers to remedy defects within a reasonable timeframe. Thousands of affected owners are currently left without a fix for a potentially dangerous engine flaw. Vehicle: 2023 GMC Yukon Denali Ultimate Mileage: ~28,000 miles VIN: [XXX] Recall #: 24V-266 (GM internal reference N232414720) INFORMATION REDACTED PURSUANT TO THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT (FOIA), 5 U.S.C. 552(B)(6)

NHTSA ODI 11667271

I was driving on the highway going about 50 mph and the engine just stopped. It was very dangerous, and I couldn't get to a completely safe spot. I was stuck for 45 minutes there until police could get to my Yukon and help provide safety. I had 2 other passengers in the car. All of us were put at great risk and the surrounding traffic was also at risk. The Triple A towing took over an hour to get the vehicle on a flatbed because they couldn't get the Yukon in Neutral. There were absolutely no warning lights or any weird noises, the car shifted out of drive and would not go back into any gear. I am waiting for the dealership to decide what to do. My main reason for writing this complaint is this is a BIG HAZARD, not only for people who drive/ride in these vehicles but for every vehicle on the roads around them. When they stop with no warning, accidents and I'm sure some with fatalities will happen. This is a critical situation, and these vehicles should all be off the road. My Yukon was in my dealership service for an oil change about 1 week prior to this incident and I had a long conversation about the recall. They said my Yukon looked great and nothing was needed unless I had any problems. Since there have been so many others with the failed engine, ALL vehicles with this recall should be off the road to prevent totally innocent people from being in these dangerous situations. This is preventable if these cars are forbidden on the roads!!! GM must take responsibility before lives are lost due to this negligent reaction of issuing a recall but saying it is safe to keep driving unless there is a problem. If the first sign of a problem is failure with resulting catastrophic outcomes, then just issuing a recall is not enough. This must be addressed, PLEASE. This was a terrifying experience for me and my riders. I have no idea if the police filed the report but they spent alot of time trying to keep everything safe due to this issue.

NHTSA ODI 11664433

While traveling away from home with my son my vehicle said push to start. I was able to coast over to the side of the two lane highway and attempted several times to restart my vehicle. After several phone calls between two dealerships, I was told “If you can get it here we can help you”. So I had to file a claim with my insurance to have my vehicle towed to a dealership with only having service while the WiFi was operating. The tow truck kept getting pushed further and further back. Over 2 and a half hours later, keeping my son restrained inside the vehicle for safety, luckily an officer stopped and took myself and my son out of the 97 deg heat all the way to our destination another 2 hours away. From July to September my vehicle was in the dealership service dept waiting on a galactic back ordered 6.2 engine and main fuse repair.

NHTSA ODI 11663293

Recall for engine propulsion. Say that there is no remedy yet. I have read the warnings about what may happen and I am terrified to drive the vehicle. GM says to contact the dealer, dealer says to contact GM. No one wants to take initiative. If they cannot fix the car, they should buy the car go back so I can get something different. I have been driving an old car around because I’m am afraid of this one. Please help me.

NHTSA ODI 11661977

I own a 2023 GMC Yukon Denali with the 6.2L V8 engine. A safety recall was recently issued for this vehicle due to a potential engine defect that could result in sudden and severe failure. However, GM has not provided a remedy, and dealerships are unable to offer any repair or trade-in options while the recall remains open and unresolved. I live in a rural area with limited cell service and long distances between towns. This makes the potential for sudden engine failure even more dangerous. Out of serious concern for my family’s safety, I no longer feel comfortable allowing my wife or our [XXX] child to ride in or use the vehicle. The risk of being stranded—or worse, getting into an accident due to engine failure—is too great given our location and the nature of this defect. I attempted to trade in the vehicle at a GMC dealership to get into a safer and unaffected vehicle, but the dealer refused to accept it because of the recall. This leaves me stuck with a vehicle that has a known safety issue and no solution in sight, limiting both my transportation options and peace of mind. There were no warning lights or prior symptoms before the recall. The issue was disclosed by the manufacturer. A dealer has confirmed the recall is active, but no fix exists. This situation is unacceptable and has real-world safety and financial consequences for families like mine. I urge the NHTSA to hold GM accountable and ensure a remedy is made available immediately to protect consumers who are left in limbo by this unresolved and serious safety defect. INFORMATION REDACTED PURSUANT TO THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT (FOIA), 5 U.S.C. 552(B)(6)

NHTSA ODI 11660576

When i get in my truck to leave after my truck is parked for awhile, and take off after i stop i get a rattling which sounds like its coming from the engine. I brought my truck into the dealship when i noticed the probelm but of course the techs " couldnt hear it". I hear it everyday since!

NHTSA ODI 11659209

Driving on freeway, engine shut down and transmission shifted to neutral. Contacted onstar and remote diagnostics showed no issue. Truck would not start. Towed to dealership. After a week could not diagnose problem. Dealer had GM specialist diagnose vehicle who said required new engine. Claimed metal shavings in oil system but did not specify cause. Engine replaced at manufacturer expense. Did not receive reimbursement for rental car as promised. Dissatisfied with vehicle, traded out after owning for only a year.

NHTSA ODI 11658066

My engine failed while I was driving & I had no warning. It was very scary & dangerous. Luckily I was in an area where I could get off the road quickly. It started skipping then lost power. I basically coasted off the road & had to call for help. It was making a bad knocking noise. This happened 2 weeks ago on April 16. It has been sitting at Glynn Smith.GMC dealership since. I was told by the service manager that the engine failed & I will need a new engine. the engines are on back order now. I fear they will replace it with the same problem. I see the recall this week but will changing the oil viscosity really fix it?? Doubtful. Someone is going to get killed or hurt from this problem. I do not want the same issue to happen with a new engine.

NHTSA ODI 11657726

On March 28, my 2023 Yukon Denali stalled on a 4 lane road forcing me to make an emergency stop on the side of the road in a right hand turn lane. The vehicle required towing to a local GMC dealership. They could not restart the vehicle and upon evaluation found metal shavings in the oil. They have recommended an engine replacement. There was no warning, it just stalled and would not restart. My Yukon remains at the dealership and we are still waiting for an engine.

NHTSA ODI 11657331

While driving on the mass pike with my fiancé and 4 kids our motor suddenly died. We were using cruise control going 75mph and the vehicle shifted into neutral itself and the car died. I managed to make it to a break down lane and we had to sit there for 2.5 hours before a tow showed up to help. The dealership said the motor seized and we were under the 60K for warranty and it was covered. They got us a rental the next day and then on the 3rd day they called and said it was lack of oil changes that caused it and they asked if i had records of service history. We bought the vehicle used and only had the vehicle long enough to perform 1 oil change. We did our oil change on time and I'm trying to locate service records from the dealership we bought it from. However there were no signs of dark and contaminated oil when i did the oil change at my shop and also no sounds or warnings coming from the vehicle prior to the motor seizing up. I think they are trying to get out of paying for the motor when its clearly a known problem with these 6.2l engines.

NHTSA ODI 11655358

The evening of Tuesday [XXX] driving from College Station, TX to Pasadena TX my GMC 2023 GMC Yukon starting making a clicking noise but no warning lights. For about an hour the noise persisted louder and softer and the check engine light would flash 3 times then stop, for a while then flash again. I did notice that when applying gas I didn't get the normal increase in acceleration but I couldn't tell if it was a power issue or a transmission issue. I was traveling about 60mph on a freeway thankfully in the right lane the vehicle suddenly shut off with no warning. I had no power, brakes did work and I could steer and I was able to make it to the area between the main lanes of the freeway and the lane of an onramp. Once stopped I attempted to restart the vehicle and nothing happened. We were stuck. Onstar was contacted and a tow to a dealership was arranged. A sheriff deputy stationed his vehicle behind us to provide protection until the tow truck arrived. The vehicle is now at a GCM dealer and I have been told the engine has locked up and needs a complete replacement. I have no other information in those regards. There is a long back order for new engines and the estimate is at 4 weeks. I did see the check engine light flash 3 times and then go off for a while then start again, but we were no where close to home and it was somewhat late at night. I also had coworkers in the vehicle taking them back to our office. At this point this is as much as I know but thankfully i was already in the right lane or this might have been a much more difficult situation. INFORMATION REDACTED PURSUANT TO THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT (FOIA), 5 U.S.C. 552(B)(6)

NHTSA ODI 11655444

I was driving approximately 45 MPH and my 2023 Yukon STOPPED completely and it would not move at all, it stopped just into where the intersection starts. After 2 hours it was towed to the GMC dealership. I am now told that it needs a new engine at just 15,000 miles. Apparently this is a “thing” I had no warning whatsoever. The dealership has it now and it is waiting on a new engine. Extremes scary and now they said they will put a new one in and it “shouldn’t happen again”. Ridiculous Engines are on back order for at least 60 days because of this problem I’m told.

NHTSA ODI 11655218

Engine shut off twice driving down the highway at 70 mph. Electronics completely shut down then started back up, engine shifted to neutral and wouldn't let me shift out of it. Pulled over to shoulder and restarted engine. Took to Ewing GMC and no issue was found, vehicle was returned. A week later, exact same thing, but this time engine would not restart. Had to be towed to dealership. Engine is blown and have been waiting on a replacement for 3 weeks currently. This is an extremely dangerous issue, people will die from this if it is not corrected. Even once I get the vehicle back, I'm concerned about my family's safety while driving it.

NHTSA ODI 11655229

I was sitting at a stop light and my vehicle completely failed without any warning. Was not able to start, etc. it was completely dead. There was no notice of issues or problems; no messages, no lights, etc. The vehicle had to be towed to a dealer and has been sitting for over 5 weeks waiting for a new motor. I was told that there is no timeline for when a new motor will be available and that it could be months! I travel with my vehicle for work so it is really needed!

NHTSA ODI 11655277

Approximately 14’000 miles we were told a rod went through the engine. Our vehicle failed at a high rate of speed leaving myself, wife, and 2 young children to pull off a major highway and call for police to help slow traffic. This happened while driving 70 mph on the highway. The only warning we received was when the car went from “D” drive to “N” neutral on the highway. Fortunately, we had enough time to pull to the side of the road before complete engine failure. GMC road side was not helpful. We were told we would have to find a ride home over an hour away, and when our ride arrived, so did the tow truck. Then, they had to drag the vehicle onto the flatbed because the tow truck company did not have the unlocking device for the wheels. Upon getting it to our house, the tow truck company had to rock our vehicle off the bed! We were not able to tow it where we purchased it. We either had to tow it to the nearest GM dealer or our house. We chose our house because the nearest GM dealer from where we broke down would've been over an hour away from our house. Our second engine failed 2200 miles later while my wife was sitting at a light in a busy intersection. The car again went from “D” to “N,” and it was immovable. The cops had to be called because the tow company couldn’t come fast enough. We were towed out of the intersection, but I waited over 5 hours with several dropped tows for a tow company. That occurred on my birthday. We are now on our third engine, and GMC wouldn’t warranty the engine. Our brand new tires went at 32,000 miles because GMC could not confirm or deny that rocking our vehicle on and off the flatbed three times didn’t affect the alignment. The front two tires inside tread was worn. I was told the tires from the factory are 50+ thousand mile tires. We barely got 32,000 miles. We’ve had multiple issues with electronics, back up camera, and media package. The Lemon Law won’t cover us because our first engine did not fail before 12,000 miles.

NHTSA ODI 11655327

[XXX] [XXX] [XXX] April 17th, 2025 Spearfish Cadillac Attn: [Service Manager or General Manager] North Main Spearfish, SD 57783 Subject: Engine Failure and Safety Concerns – 2023 GMC Denali Ultimate (6.2L V8) Before ordering my 2023 GMC Denali Ultimate (MSRP $96,000), I raised concerns about online reports of engine problems with the 6.2L V8. I was assured by your staff that there were no known issues with this engine and that I had nothing to worry about. However, within the first year of ownership, I began reading verified reports about widespread engine failures involving this same 6.2L engine across various GM models. I contacted your dealership again and was told that my vehicle’s VIN did not indicate any problem or need for replacement. Since that time, I have experienced two severe engine failures, both at highway speeds of approximately 80 mph. Each failure caused my vehicle to abruptly shut down and lurch into a different lane of traffic—creating traumatic and extremely dangerous situations for both myself and surrounding drivers. In addition, I encountered another instance in which the engine would not start. A stranger helped me jump-start the vehicle on two separate occasions. Believing the issue could be battery-related, I replaced the battery (which was less than three years old), only to suspect later that the engine may have partially locked up. I am formally requesting the following: A written response confirming whether a replacement engine has been or will be installed in my vehicle, and if so, whether it is a new build, remanufactured, or an identical L87 engine model. Confirmation of whether any updated parts or engineering revisions were made to resolve known lifter or bearing issues. Full disclosure of any Customer Satisfaction Programs (CS INFORMATION REDACTED PURSUANT TO THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT (FOIA), 5 U.S.C. 552(B)(6)

NHTSA ODI 11655312