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7.8

pretty bad
Crashes / Fires:
0 / 0
Injuries / Deaths:
0 / 0
Average Mileage:
5,503 miles

About These NHTSA Complaints:

This data is from the NHTSA — the US gov't agency tasked with vehicle safety. Complaints are spread across multiple & redundant categories, & are not organized by problem.

So how do you find out what problems are occurring? For this NHTSA complaint data, the only way is to read through the comments below. Any duplicates or errors? It's not us.

2021 GMC Yukon engine problems

engine problem

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2021 GMC Yukon Owner Comments (Page 1 of 6)

problem #119

Jan 182026

Yukon

  • miles

A D V E R T I S E M E N T S

Loss of power while driving, no warnings, no lights on dash, no unusual noises, and no codes. The Yukon just randomly went into neutral while driving 65 mph and "Press Start Again" popped up on the dash. I struggled to get the truck to the side of the road safely. After getting the truck into park it started back up, and I was able to make it the 3 miles home. I scheduled it to go into the dealership as it still is making no noises, and had no engine light or codes, about 2 miles from my house it shut off again while driving, only this time when it restarted it now has a ticking sound coming from the engine however no warning lights and no codes being displayed. I am reporting this as I believe it falls under the open investigation EA25007, although it clearly is the same failures others have experienced on models that were included in the recall 25V-274. I am also attempting to contact GM as my vehicle is no longer under the powertrain warranty that was not extended for the vehicles that were not included in the recall.

- Osceola, IN, USA

problem #118

Jan 162026

Yukon

  • miles
Internal engine failure Car just shut off on expressway, putting the safety of my husband and child at risk. Waiting for a tow at 12:30 in the morning. Problem has been confirmed by dealer. No warning lamps or warnings signs prior to failure. Car just shut down and was not able to start again. Had to be towed!

- Saint John, IN, USA

problem #117

Jan 092026

Yukon

  • miles
I have a 2021 GMC Yukon with 74,000 miles I was recently told I need a new transmission.I am am trying to understand why a car that is 5 years with all the services done by Lehman GMC in North Miami would need a new transmission they have been servicing this car and no one mention anything breaking down of need of repair until now. I spoke with the service manager Franklin and he stated to me another client had the same issue and he flush the transmission just like I am doing today and it only worked for a short time and afterwards he had to replace the transmission. I feel this is a problem with these models and GMC don't want to address it. they just want the customer to pay for the repairs. Now I spoke to the Manager and the salesman that sold me the car and nicely told me he was sorry and he could get us out of this into a 2026. Now why would I buy a new car if they cannot get the 2021 right. I have included my invoice below I feel some one should look into this I feel this is a recall matter and GMC is trying to pass the buck. Thank You [XXX] [XXX] INFORMATION REDACTED PURSUANT TO THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT (FOIA), 5 U.S.C. 552(B)(6)

- Miami, FL, USA

problem #116

Jan 092026

Yukon

  • miles

A D V E R T I S E M E N T S

I was driving down the highway at normal speeds under normal conditions and the engine light came on and started flashing. By the time I could find a safe place to pull over I heard the engine knocking. Left my wife, two young kids and myself stuck in the middle of the road with traffic coming. Managed to get it out of the road before going to get my truck and trailer to tow it home. I assume this is due to the L87 recall but mine was built in 01/21 and the recall is said to cover 03/21 and up. We don-??t really know what to do at this point being its my wife and kids only way to work and school.

- Gallion , AL, USA

problem #115

Jan 042026

Yukon

  • miles
On [XXX] driving to Denver the 52,000 mile yukon started making a clicking sound when accelerating on the interstate. Traction control light came on as well as the check engine light. Low power was noticed and we immediately pulled over as it sounded like it was going to blow up. Towed the vehicle 145 miles where we bought it and the shop confirmed the lifters and 5th cylinder are the issue and that the cams could be damaged. Recommend replacing each side. The car is basically new and under the 60K drive train warranty but about 100 days past the 5 year mark. Terrible timing. INFORMATION REDACTED PURSUANT TO THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT (FOIA), 5 U.S.C. 552(B)(6)

- Grand Junction , CO, USA

problem #114

Jan 022026

Yukon

  • miles
I was driving and a message popped up "Service Traction Control", then another message popped up "Forward Collision System Unavailable". Then the car started making this knocking sound and every time I would try and accelerate there would be a loud sound and almost a pulling stopping it from picking up much speed. I took the car into the dealer/repair shop and they said it was an issue with the lifters that had to be replaced and potentially an issue with the cam. They said this repair would cost upwards of $6,000 and I have never had this issue with the car before. This came out of nowhere and the car had not been showing any signs of this occurring before. This is a 2021 GMC Yukon and I drive my Wife and three sons in that car daily.

- Columbia, MD, USA

problem #113

Dec 252025

Yukon

  • miles

A D V E R T I S E M E N T S

On Christmas Day while driving on the highway, I noticed a ticking sound coming from the engine. Our 21 Yukon Denali just hit 85,000 miles. I first noticed the traction control light was became disabled and then the check engine light started flashing. The sound escalates when you step on the gas. It appears that the lifters and cams are damaged on the vehicle and had to be towed to a dealership were it currently waits to avoid further damage. I was advised by the dealership that this particular vehicle is not part of the engine, recall notice, but heard that they might be expanding vin numbers to the recall as more incidents occur. They did confirm that the lifters and Cam-??s are the issue.The vehicle has had a great maintenance record and was just at the same dealership five weeks earlier for oil change.

- Hampton, NH, USA

problem #112

Dec 292025

Yukon

  • miles
Driving the vehicle on the highway when I started to hear a ticking sound from the engine. After a few minutes, the check engine light came on and started flashing, traction control shut off and some system related to the rear end shut off. After inspection, it appears to have dropped a lifter.

- Coon Rapids, MN, USA

problem #111

Dec 262025

Yukon

  • miles
The vehicle shifted into Neutral while driving, locked out gear selection, triggered a transmission warning, and now will not restart.

- Houston, TX, USA

problem #110

Dec 222025

Yukon

  • miles
traction control system ESC system Suddenly and without warning, multiple warning lights started flashing including check engine. The vehicle lost power and traction. There was a loud knocking and metallic whining sound. The vehicle began to vibrate and struggled to move forward and felt like the wheels were slipping. The loss of these functions was alarming because it was dark, we were in a construction zone, and my 15-year old daughter was driving having recently earned her driver's permit. The car following us almost rear ended us. It was such an abrupt engine failure it scared me and my daughter.

- Lubbock , TX, USA

problem #109

Dec 122025

Yukon

  • miles

A D V E R T I S E M E N T S

Freedom, tire and automotive Inc. advised my 6.2LV8 engine has failed due to metal debris found in the new oil, indicating a mechanical failure of an internal engine component. I called GMC and they referred me to you.

- Apopka, FL, USA

problem #108

Oct 012025

Yukon

  • miles
At the time an oil change is needed, there is a warning light that says "low oil pressure and low oil." There also has been a "slipping" of the engine at around 60mph. GMC dealer states it is a torque converter. I am worried that the engine will fail or stall while driving The fuel pump control module has been replaced. Motor is not covered under the current motor recall and taking vehicle to transmission shop to have it checked as well

- Haleyville, AL, USA

problem #107

Oct 152025

Yukon

  • miles
Engine failure

- Spring Hill, FL, USA

problem #106

Nov 222025

Yukon

  • miles
I got 3 messages on the dash going off simultaneously 1. Service Traction Control System 2. Forward Collision System unavailable 3. Service ESC I could feel the truck bogging and shaking a little at this point Then soon after the check engine light was flashing and it was noticeably misfiring and rough idling. I pulled some codes at Oreillys and got back 1. P0300 misfire 2. P050D cold start rough idle

- Corpus Christi, TX, USA

problem #105

Nov 142025

Yukon

  • miles
On November 14,2025 my engine failed on the highway going 80 mph to 0 mph in the passing lane. Almost caused a major accident on US23. I-??ve asked my dealership Bowman Chevrolet repeatedly to inspect my engine for the recall and have been denied every time. Most recent was October when I had my oil changed and I was told it wasn-??t my turn and the recall for my vehicle was pending. I had my vehicle flatbed towed to the dealership where it sits dead in their parking lot. Thank God we didn-??t die on the freeway that night. It was a horrible experience.

- Tipton, MI, USA

problem #104

Nov 082025

Yukon

  • miles
While driving vehicle on 11/08/2025, vehicle made a popping noise and loss power. We were out of town and had to pay out of pocket to have vehicle towed to a dealership and hour away from our home. Dealership diagnosed issue with engine failure due to lifter fell and caused damage to cam shaft and bore. I will be without a vehicle for an additional 2 to 4 weeks waiting on a back ordered engine from GM, and continue making payments on vehicle as well. This issue seems to be an ongoing problem that GM is ignoring-??-??.GM should compensate towing, car rental, and repair/ replacement charges due to failure.

- Forest Home, AL, USA

problem #103

Nov 072025

Yukon

  • miles
I-??m not happy with just a change in oil viscosity because the car has already been on the road for 70000 miles before we were aware of the recall on the engine. Changing the oil viscosity doesn-??t help when there is a underlying engine problem it should be replaced not just change your oil and send you on your way because now I-??m always wondering and worried if the engine will still fail when my kids and wife are in the car. Furthermore I just had it inspected and the oil changed to new viscosity a week ago and the oil level is already half way on the dipstick so I-??m taking back to the dealership to express my concern. If I would have known this was going to be an issue with this suv I would have purchased something else. I-??d just like the engine replaced so that I don-??t have to worry every time I pull out of the driveway with my family. My power steering assist still whines and there is no open recall on it. I think GMC should be responsible for replacing engines and power steering assembly and power steering motors on 2021 GMC YUKON DENALIS because of the wear and tear they have endured before the recall was taken care of by adding a different viscosity oil because the damage has already been done.

- Dade City, FL, USA

problem #102

Aug 012025

Yukon

  • miles
My GMC Yukon with 6.2 is using 1 quart of oil every 1000 miles. An oil consumption test was performed and documented with the dealer. In addition there is now a very rough idle while at a stop. The date on the engine build is just months ahead of the current recall.

- Greenwell Springs, LA, USA

problem #101

Jul 132024

Yukon

  • miles
I purchased the vehicle in July 2024. I drove the car for 10 days, and when I was driving 65 mph, the check engine light blinked three times and then went off. After that, the engine made a sound that was not there before. I took the vehicle to the dealership and they had the car for many weeks, concluding that the lifters broke and the engine needed to be replaced. The dealership said they replaced the engine and the car was returned to me towards the end of August. Since then, the AC has been worked on three different times in the past year and on the third attempt, there is finally cool air coming out of the driver's air vents. The driver's seat AC blowers malfunctioned and were repaired. The dealership put the original engine's belt back on and then broke. The electric system inside glitches from time to time when you first start the car. The front windshield wipers will randomly swipe while driving. After getting a regular oil change, the car sprang an oil leak due to the cap not being tight enough. Over the past 5 months, there has been a random popping sound in the front driver's side area when coming to a stop that two dealerships can not figure out. The belt in the engine still makes a high-pitched sound when first starting up and lasts for about 1 minute. While in park or sitting at a light, the engine will idle up and down from time to time. The vehicle has been worked on by the dealership where it was purchased and also a GMC dealership.

- Wilson , TX, USA

problem #100

Oct 012023

Yukon

  • miles
GMC has not responded for the recall of the engine. My vehicle is running bad. I need the vehicle to be service as soon as possible. My saftey depends on GMC keeping there promise to repair the recall engine.

- Cutler Bay, FL, USA

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