GMC Yukon Denali XL Problems by Model Year
NHTSA recorded 484 consumer complaints across the 14 model years of the GMC Yukon Denali XL (2003–2016) that have at least 5 complaints. 2011 has the most, with 69. Across all years, the part named most often is other or unknown (122 mentions). Pick a model year below to see its parts, mileage, recalls and service bulletins.
Best and worst Yukon Denali XL years →
All Yukon Denali XL model years
Years with fewer than 5 complaints are not listed. The score compares years of the same model, allowing for the era and for how long each year has collected complaints: 50 is a typical year, lower means fewer complaints. It is not adjusted for sales volume.
| Year | Complaints | Median mi | Recalls | TSBs | Score (50 = typical) | Trend |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2016 | 29 | 42,212 | 0 | 365 | 97 · More | Falling |
| 2015 | 65 | 60,000 | 0 | 404 | 94 · More | Falling |
| 2014 | 5 | 51,510 | 0 | 349 | — | Not enough data |
| 2013 | 13 | 68,975 | 0 | 1,477 | — | Not enough data |
| 2012 | 23 | 57,000 | 0 | 1,482 | — | Stable |
| 2011 | 69 | 76,000 | 0 | 1,407 | 40 · Typical | Falling |
| 2010 | 29 | 70,000 | 0 | 1,337 | 22 · Fewer | Stable |
| 2009 | 22 | 72,100 | 0 | 1,188 | — | Falling |
| 2008 | 42 | 86,000 | 0 | 1,102 | 50 · Typical | Stable |
| 2007 | 61 | 89,010 | 0 | 995 | Not compared (before 2008) | Rising |
| 2006 | 11 | 102,000 | 0 | 683 | — | Not enough data |
| 2005 | 34 | 82,000 | 0 | 533 | Not compared (before 2008) | Stable |
| 2004 | 49 | 103,000 | 0 | 390 | Not compared (before 2008) | Stable |
| 2003 | 32 | 130,000 | 0 | 98 | Not compared (before 2008) | Stable |
Parts named most often, all years
Counts add up complaint mentions across the listed years. A complaint can name several parts.
- Other or unknown122 22%
- Air bags100 18%
- Electrical system76 14%
- Body and structure66 12%
- Exterior lighting57 10%
- Brakes56 10%
- Engine41 7.5%
- Electronic stability control32 5.8%
Example complaints
One per model year, chosen for length and detail. Personal details are removed. They are consumer reports, not findings.
2011: “Takata recall: I am wanting to know when the recall will have a remedy? I had an accident in dec 2016 and the air bags didn't deploy. I had a pretty severe wreck running into 3 vehicles with substantial front end damage including broken tire rod. Below is just a picture of the damage. Body shop was in disbelief that the airbags didn't deploy??”
NHTSA complaint #11204291, filed 2019-04, 50,000 miles2010: “Dashboard is cracked above instrument panel. The crack is 12 inches long. It is also cracked completely to airbag on passenger side. This causes very loud rattling when driving. I am concerned it affects the quality of the airbag's ability to deploy. I am concerned that dashboard fragments may be propelled in the event of airbag deployment.”
NHTSA complaint #10986037, filed 2017-05, 75,000 miles2015: “Tail light no longer working. Safety hazard. It started flashing intermittently and smelling funny now it won't work at all. This will cause an accident and of course it's not under warranty as I'm at 60k but Gmc will do nothing for it even though this is a widely known issue. I contacted them and they will do nothing!”
NHTSA complaint #11121900, filed 2018-08, 58,000 milesOther GMC models
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2,712 complaintsGMC Envoy
2,456 complaintsGMC Yukon XL
2,442 complaints
About this data. Data from NHTSA (ODI) complaints, recalls, TSBs and investigations, updated Oct 27, 2026. Complaints are unverified consumer reports and may be duplicated or inaccurate. Methodology