2023 GMC Yukon Problems

What owners report

Complaints about the 2023 GMC Yukon are dominated by engine problems, most of them involving the 6.2L V8 and many tied in owners' minds to recall 25V274000. Owners most often describe a sudden loss of power or a seized engine, frequently at highway speed and sometimes after the vehicle had already passed the recall inspection. A smaller but consistent group of complaints involves the transmission and electronic displays.

1. 1
   Engine

   Sudden engine loss of power or engine seizure

   • 184 complaints (75%)
   • median 34,000 mi at 2.5 yrs old (21 state mileage)
   • owner-quoted repair $2,754 (median of 5 quotes)
   • filed 2023–2026

   Owners describe the engine quitting without warning while driving, often at highway speed, sometimes with a message asking them to press start again. Several report that the vehicle could not be shifted into neutral afterward and had to be dragged onto a tow truck. According to the complaints, dealers diagnosed seized bearings or metal debris in the oil and recommended engine replacement, with parts sometimes backordered for weeks or months. Some owners say the failure happened shortly after the vehicle passed the 25V274000 recall inspection and received an oil change. Mostly reported between roughly 20,000 and 80,000 miles, with several failures above 40,000 miles; a few occurred within the first few thousand miles.

   Recall 25V2740001 related service bulletin

   What to check: Ask for the recall 25V274000 repair record and whether the inspection and oil change were done, and have a pre-purchase inspection look for metal debris in the oil. Listen for knocking at startup and confirm the vehicle shifts into neutral and restarts normally.

   2 excerpts from owner complaints in NHTSA records

   “The 6.2L motor in my GMC Yukon failed due to the camshaft and stalled me in an intersection on a highway. Had to shut the lanes down to get towed. Lost all power and couldn’t do anything but sit in the road. Just did a PICO test and it “passed” but failed 3k miles after the recall was done.”

   NHTSA complaint #11726210, filed 2026-03

   “While driving at highway speed we experienced a bearing failure that let to an engine replacement. The engine was subsequently replaced for galling from the piston arm. No warnings or engine malfunction notices occurred prior to the incident. It is my understanding there is an investigation into this specific problem with the 6.2L GMC engine. We were fortunately able to exit the freeway and immediately stop the vehicle to avoid any further safety risks.”

   NHTSA complaint #11638779, filed 2025-01
2. 2
   Transmission and drivetrain

   Transmission slipping, stuck in neutral or harsh downshift

   • 79 complaints (32%)
   • median 36,500 mi at 2.5 yrs old (14 state mileage)
   • filed 2023–2026

   Complaints describe the transmission slipping, refusing to engage reverse, or shifting into neutral on its own while the vehicle is moving. A few owners report the rear wheels locking or a harsh downshift at highway speed, and dealers have pointed to the valve body, sometimes with parts on backorder. Others describe the shifter not moving out of park and warning messages for the brake and traction systems appearing at the same time. Spread from a few thousand miles up to about 72,000 miles, with many reports in the 30,000 to 45,000 mile range.

   1 related service bulletin

   What to check: Test drive at highway speed and check for slipping, delayed engagement or a clunk on downshift, and confirm reverse and park engage cleanly. Ask whether any transmission software update or valve body work has already been done.

   2 excerpts from owner complaints in NHTSA records

   “The contact owns a 2023 GMC Yukon. The contact stated that while driving 40 MPH, the vehicle unintendedly decelerated and failed to exceed 10 MPH. The message Reduced Acceleration was displayed. The vehicle was driven to the residence. The vehicle was then towed to the dealer, where it was diagnosed that an unknown transmission part needed to be replaced; however, the part was on backorder. …”

   NHTSA complaint #11669205, filed 2025-06, 37,000 miles

   “The contact owns a 2023 GMC Yukon. The contact stated that after starting the vehicle, the transmission shifter failed to shift from park. The contact stated that the Braking System , Brake Pad Monitor, and Traction Control messages were displayed. The vehicle was towed to the local dealer. The cause of the failure was not yet determined. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was not yet contacted. The failure mileage was 44,871.”

   NHTSA complaint #11627169, filed 2024-11, 44,871 miles
3. 3
   Electrical system

   No-start and low battery messages

   • 24 complaints (10%)
   • median 46,400 mi at 3.7 yrs old (3 state mileage, few)
   • filed 2024–2026

   Complaints describe the vehicle failing to start immediately, sometimes with a low battery message, and needing a jump start. In one case the battery was replaced but the problem returned and the dealer could not identify a cause. Related complaints mention warning messages for the brake system appearing alongside electrical faults and multiple control modules losing communication. Reported from around 11,000 miles upward, including vehicles with well over 50,000 miles.

   Recall 24V6740002 related service bulletins

   What to check: Ask about battery age and any history of no-start repairs, and have the battery and charging system checked. Confirm that brake system warning lights behave normally on startup before and after a short drive.

   2 excerpts from owner complaints in NHTSA records

   “On June 25, 2026 my 2023 GMC Yukon Denali with 53,456 miles was brought to an authorized GMC dealership after displaying a Service 4WD warning light and exhibiting a groaning noise when shifting into Drive and Reverse. The vehicle was diagnosed with the following brake system fault codes: P25A2, C0511, C0517, C1595 and C1596. These codes indicate brake control module failure and wheel speed sensor faults which are safety critical components. …”

   NHTSA complaint #11749116, filed 2026-07

   “The brake system control module, engine control module, and vehicle stability control system have repeatedly failed across 24 months and 9 repair attempts at two authorized GMC dealerships in Tennessee. As of March 17, 2026 the vehicle has 27 active diagnostic fault codes including U160F and U1610 (brake system control module lost communication on both CAN buses), U1611 (engine control module lost communication), and C2A0A (vehicle stability control disabling inhibited). …”

   NHTSA complaint #11728908, filed 2026-04

Buying note. Because engine complaints are the most common and some failures occurred after the recall inspection, ask for the complete service history on the 6.2L engine and have an independent inspection done before purchase. Confirm the recall and any related software updates were completed, and factor in that some owners waited weeks for engine parts.

Summary written with AI from a sample of 60 NHTSA complaints for this model year (picked at random, with complaints that state a mileage and recent ones taken first), then checked automatically against the source records. Where a problem shows a complaint count, every complaint for this model year was matched with fixed keyword rules (written with AI and tested against the sample), and the mileage, age and repair figures are calculated from those complaints; owners' figures are as stated, not verified. Other counts refer to the sample. The excerpts come from NHTSA's public complaint records and are unverified; capitalisation is normalised, NHTSA staff notes are removed, and shortened text ends with “…”. Something wrong? Request a correction.