What 19 owners told NHTSA about the 2026 GMC Yukon Denali Xl 1500

Engine failed at 12, 430 miles. Dealer said it required a new engine. This happened on 06/06/2026 and I am still without my very expensive vehicle. There were no wanring lamps or other engine failure notificatioins before this occurred.

NHTSA ODI 11746300

So the ultimate failure is from a catastrophically failed crankshaft journal thrust bearing. Which could be caused from one of two things: 1) The crankshaft thrust bearings they are putting in these motors are made with inferior materials, probably cheap Chinese crap or 2) The crankshaft end play tolerance was never set properly, giving the crankshaft the ability to move forward and backward in the engine more than it was designed to. Which will over time beat up on the thrust bearing until it fails. In either case it would result in the same progressive issue showing itself. It will start as a squeak here and there. Which, as the soft thrust bearing material is unable to hold the proper oil film thickness for lubrication, will spiral into more and more heat being sent into the adjacent components, plus the buildup of metal particles being sent through the entire engine oiling system. Which will then start killing connecting rod and crankshaft bearings one by one. If the engine survived to this point, it’s now a ticking time bomb. It is either going to just seize up and not run anymore or the exciting route would be a connecting rod breaks and makes a window sized hole in the side of the engine block.

NHTSA ODI 11741409

My engine with less than 5,000 miles died (engine was blown). While driving on highway engine died and wheels locked and almost caused a major accident. I had to get a tow and bill cost me 700.00. GMC is giving me the run around. Dealer stated that engine will need to be replaced. GMC is doing nothing to assist me, I have a car note with no truck GMC is the biggest scam.

NHTSA ODI 11740744

The contact owns a 2026 GMC Yukon. The contact stated that while driving at 65 MPH the engine seized. All the warning lights illuminated after the failure. The vehicle was towed to the local dealer, where it was diagnosed that an engine replacement was needed. The vehicle was not repaired due to the part being backordered. The manufacturer was not contacted. The failure mileage was approximately 10,000.

NHTSA ODI 11740294

The vehicle experienced repeated failures involving the Electronic Stability Control (ESC), Traction Control System, and Check Engine system. Warning indicators for the ESC, traction control, and check engine illuminated while operating the vehicle. The issue has occurred on two separate occasions. The first incident occurred on May 4, 2026. The vehicle was taken to the dealership for inspection and repair, and the dealership advised that the issue had been corrected. However, the same problem reoccurred on May 7, 2026. The vehicle has been inspected by the dealership service department, and the malfunction was confirmed. The affected components and vehicle are available for inspection upon request. The failure created a significant safety concern because the ESC and traction control systems are critical safety features designed to assist with vehicle stability, traction, and driver control, particularly during emergency maneuvers or adverse road conditions. The warning indicators raised concerns that the vehicle could unexpectedly lose stability assistance, traction management, or engine performance while driving. This placed the driver and others at risk because the vehicle’s ability to respond safely during normal or emergency driving conditions could have been compromised. The repeated recurrence of the issue, even after dealership repair attempts, raises concern regarding the reliability and effectiveness of the corrective action performed.

NHTSA ODI 11738120

Nothing has happened yet. However, after only 308 miles… my 2026 Denali is knocking and ticking very loud. Why? How is this possible? We’ve only had it 2 weeks! I have only driven it 5-6 times in the past 14-15 days, too worried that this might happen. But I was reassured by the dealership it wouldn’t. But here I am now. I am so disappointed. Being a Disabled Vet I thought we could have something that we both liked. Now I am upset because I feel betrayed and lied to. I did a video but it’s too large to upload so I can’t get it under 10MB.

NHTSA ODI 11729324

Engine starting clicking during highway drive then engine failed mid-drive and engine was trying to restart on its own mid drive. Vehicle totally stalled out in the street, with numerous attempts the engine did not start. Total mileage on car was 2,900.

NHTSA ODI 11726546

The engine started a soft, cyclic tapping sound intermittently on 2/28/26 while I was out of town on a trip. No alerts showed on the GM systems app. On 3/1, while driving home from the trip, the car started hard braking at cruising speed and the engine died and would not restart. I had the car towed to the closest GM dealership and have been told the engine locked up. I just rolled 6000 miles and showed 18% oil life from the original engine oil it came with from the factory. I had been watching the engine problems for years now and waiting for them to be resolved before buying a new GM; only to be lied to that the issue was resolved. Now they're going to install yet another defective engine.

NHTSA ODI 11722970

2026 Yukon Elevation with 3,957miles. I was driving down the road and pulled into the turn lane at an intersection. Vehicle cut off with the Auto Start/Stop function and would not start back up. I continued and tried to restart the vehicle but would not start; I was blocking the lane with cars continuously going around me. Vehicle stated service transmission on the display- I was unable to put it into neutral to push it out of traffic; You are only allowed to put it into neutral when crank and couldnt get the accessory mode to come on without the vehicle trying to start. I called the local police department and they sent an officer to direct traffic until a tow truck showed up. Both observed the vehicle not starting. There were no symptoms prior to the vehicle cutting off, only once auto start/stop initiated did the vehicle not restart. Vehicle will be sent back to the dealership tomorrow to resolve this issue. I have dash cam footage of the incident and photos of the display on the screen.

NHTSA ODI 11721306

Engine failure while driving 75 miles per hour in highway in brand new Yukon Denali. 3,000 miles and got a “decreased acceleration” warning. Then couldn’t accelerate and loud knocking noise from the engine, likely a lifter issue. I will have to get a new engine according to GMC. Unbelievable. Recall was for 2021-2024, but my 2026 is havin the same issue.

NHTSA ODI 11716485

The contact owns a 2026 GMC Yukon Denali. The contact stated that while driving approximately 55 MPH, the vehicle stalled and failed to return to normal operation. The message "Shifting to Neutral" was displayed on the instrument panel. The vehicle was towed to the dealer, where it was diagnosed, and determined that the engine needed to be replaced. The vehicle was not repaired. The contact researched and became aware of an unknown recall however, the VIN was not under recall. The manufacturer was notified of the failure and referred the contact to the NHTSA Hotline to report the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 3,303.

NHTSA ODI 11715578