2018 GMC YUKON Recalls, Complaints & Safety

I purchased my used GMC YUKON from a used car dealership 3/28/26. I signed the papers for the agreement while I was driving the vechicle home I lost power and it wouldn't go forward with gas applied. The check engine light came on, I pulled the suv over and it was towed. The code that popped up 0700 and 02723 both codes having to do with the transmission.

Please see attached letter

The 2018 Yukon Denali has been at the dealership for 7 weeks waiting for a valve body for the transmission. There are valve body recalls for other year GM vehicles with the same transmission, but not for the 2018 model even though it appears to be the same part number. The transmission was already replaced on this vehicle at 500 miles.

As of [XXX] , I witnessed a squealing sound coming from the rear end of my 2018 Denali Yukon XL truck. And it's affecting my braking. And it jerked when I changed my gears on my truck . And there are lights on in my dashboard on my truck. The engine light was blinking on and off and the traction control light was blinking on and off also. But the back driver side of the truck was squealing also. Please help me to resolve this situation. In the name of Jesus. Thanks again [XXX] and [XXX] . INFORMATION REDACTED PURSUANT TO THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT (FOIA), 5 U.S.C. 552(B)(6)

The contact owns a 2018 GMC Yukon. The contact stated after the vehicle was serviced, while driving 30 MPH and depressing accelerator pedal, the vehicle failed to respond. The contact stated that the vehicle hesitated, and the contact shifted to a lower gear to drive to the residence safely. A dealer was contacted. The vehicle was towed to the dealer where it was diagnosed and determined that the transmission needed to be replaced, and that the engine block was damaged. The transmission and engine block were replaced, and the vehicle was repaired. The manufacturer was not made aware of the failure. The failure mileage was 104,000.

Air conditioner condenser faulty and had to repaired. Premium Ride Shocks faulty and had to be repaired. Lifters and bent pushrod faulty and had to be repaired. Vehicle currently has approximately 70,000 miles. These are all known issues by GM and very expensive to fix and no recalls.

What component or system failed or malfunctioned, and is it available for inspection upon request? Engine failure due to lifter failure and bent push rod and needed cam replaced. It is available for inspection. How was your safety or the safety of others put at risk? Could have been catastrophic if I didn't bring in for repair if the engine failed completely while driving. Has the problem been reproduced or confirmed by a dealer or independent service center? YES Has the vehicle or component been inspected by the manufacturer, police, insurance representatives or others? No Were there any warning lamps, messages or other symptoms of the problem prior to the failure, and when did they first appear? Yes, May 10th.

Dealership did a tune-up in June 2025 and had my truck for 2 weeks, no issues with transmission discovered or discussed. Now in September 2025, 2018 GMC Yukon has developed a torque converter shutter when driving between 40 and 50 mph. I took the vehicle to an independent shop who told me they had some computer tool to manually control the transmission, and there is an internal failure. There was a transmission flush completed hoping to gain results, however it was very short lived.

I was driving on I75 North, just North of Chattanooga. I was in the Center Lane. I lost all power to the vehicle. The engine stopped. I had no power steering, no power brakes, and was in heavy traffic. I managed to shift lanes and get it to the shoulder of the road. The vehicle was towed in. Diaganostics were completed by a certified mechanic. The engine had seized. GM has several recalls on this issue. 2018 is not included. However, this is the exact same issue that is happening with 2019 and up. That were recalled. I urge you to order an extended recall to include 2018 vehicles as well before someone gets killed.

My 2018 GMC Yukon blew an engine with only 81,000 miles. Had four shops including (2 GM dealerships) look at the vehicle, pictures, and findings and concluded the engine had blown. The vehicle had began running very rough while driving down the road at 45mph. The CEL showed a misfire in cylinder one. The spark plug was pulled and soaked in oil. A borescope was put down the hole and found oil pooled on top of the piston. The engine has blow by the piston rings and the cylinder wall was scorn. Four shops. Four results. New engine needed. A quick google search of the engine (L83) showed multiple open class action lawsuits for this exact situation. The cause of the problem is the active fuel management system that GM created. When I contacted GM for assistance at the recommendation of the dealerships (which they have seen an increase in these engine blowing with low miles) I was informed by GM/GMC that they would look into it and could not guarantee assistance. Fast forward a couple of days I was contacted and made perfectly aware that I was 991 days outside and 21,000 miles out of warranty but they would offer “assistance” in the amount of 10% of the total cost. Four shops, four quotes for an engine replacement ranging from $14,750-$17,000 and GM was only offering $1,475-$1,700. Absolutely terrible. With multiple open class action lawsuits, stop sales, and well documented issues. I expressed disappointment and requested assistance to prevent having to seek litigation. I was told “if that’s what you want to do, you will need to talk to our legal department” and told there’s nothing they can do. Will not buy nor recommend anyone buy a GM product. They don’t respect or care for their customers.

All back light won’t turn on only brake lights but not night time running lights

driving the vehicle on a regular city street when the flashing engine light came on out of nowhere. immediately pulled off and had the vehicle towed to my dealership. result of the inspection, i have to replace my engine. as soon as i started researching the issue it is clear that this truck should be part of the GM recall. it is a known issue that GM slow played for years, but as of now this vehicle is not part of the recall. it is the same engine and failure mode as the 600,000 unit recall, but mine isn't covered by the recall leaving me responsible for their known and documented manufacturing issues

Vehicle (engine) shut off while driving on highway. Would not restart. Had vehicle towed from highway to repair shop. No check engine light ever came on. The engine was replaced and old one had to be returned in order to avoid paying a $5,000 core charge. I found out after replacing the engine that GM issued a recall but I read it starts with 2019 models and only reimbursement for original owners. I purchased this vehicle from a GM dealership in CT (Scranton of Vernon) in 2022 with approx 52,000 miles.

ENGINE WORK VALVE INTAKE LIFTER AND CAMSHAFT REPAIRS / OIL SENSOR HAS BEEN GOING HAYWIRE / REAR STRUTS KEEP POPPING OFF AND AFTER STRUTS REPAIRED BOUGHT THE TRUCK 05/2024 AND HAD TO TAKE TO REPAIR 12/2024 AND ONCE MONTH EVER SINCE.

Has lifter chattering / camshaft issues as a result of manufacture defect that so many people are complaining about from the research I have done

My 2018 GMC Yukon SLE has a Transmission Failure and a engine oil coolant failure. The issues occurred while driving when the vehicle had to go into limp status to prevent the transmission from complete failure. I have taken the vehicle to the dealership 2x and they changed the fluid once and replaced the thermostat the second time. Neither case fixed the vehicle, it is currently in the shop for transmission and radiator w/ engine oil cooler replacement - $8200 The vehicle has been inspected by Aamco of Dover, DE and is awaiting inspection by warranty company 3rd party inspector. There are no warnings before the system is overheated and goes into limp status and at that point an alarm sounds in the car.

The contact owns a 2018 GMC Yukon. The contact stated that the message "Transmission Hot - Idle Engine" was intermittently displayed. The vehicle was taken to the dealer, where the TCM was reprogrammed, and the thermostat and the water pump were replaced; however, the failure persisted. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was notified of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 101,000.

AFM lifter failure and cam shaft failure

While stopped and isling, the engine shut off and would not restart. had I been moving, steering, braking, etc would have been compromised. Repair facility identified catastrophic engine failure at 48k miles on the vehicle.

Abrupt engine failure associate with connecting rod - very similar to current t recall on 2021-2024 Yukons.

NHTSA's recall number 25V-274. This vehicle should fall under this recall it happed to the this motor at 58k miles and I had to put a whole motor in it at 58k miles in 2022. The Yukon Denali has the L87 V8. I bought the new motor threw GM so it should be tied to this vin number

I brought my 2018 yukon denali to dealer to see if there was a recall on the transmission. Warm or cold didn't matter because the truck jerks and slips constantly. Even when decelerating it will shift wrong and clunk. I have been complaining about this since the first year I bought it. This truck is a safety hazard when crossing traffic while turning. I have been to the gmc dealer many times and no recall.

For about a week my engine seemed to be bogging down. I thought maybe it was bad gas purchased that week . I was traveling on [XXX] in Ky a day later as I do everyday . My state speed limit is 70 mph, suddenly my car was bucking and felt like the engine was going to stall and speed immediately went from 70mph to 20 and a huge plume of white smoke came out of the tailpipe and check engine light came on . I was terrified I could have been killed or killed somebody else. I was able to get the car to my mechanic who diagnosed it as cylinder 4 complete fail this vehichle has AFM ( active fuel management ) lifters get stuck , loss of power and engine failure. It cost me 11k for a new engine. And car rental for 1k . After doing research, I was able to find that some vehicles from 2014 to 21 including mine Cadillac GMC Chevrolet among many other vehicles with AFM active fuel management had issues GM knew about this failure and that they engines were defective during production and sold the vehicles anyways upon further investigation because GM was aware of this They were offering to replace the vehicle if it was under warranty or the engine several states Atlanta in California have lemon laws for this. Unfortunately my state does not when I call GM to request a refund since they were aware that the engines should not have been sold while they were defective. They told me because I took it to my mechanic it was out of their hands. There was nothing they can do. . This is not acceptable. They have put consumers lives at risk knowing these engines were defective and decided to sell them anyways I want to know why there was not a lemon law at the beginning and how do I go about getting my money back for the cost of this engine.. INFORMATION REDACTED PURSUANT TO THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT (FOIA), 5 U.S.C. 552(B)(6)

My car was taken in for service in early January 2025 after just being serviced in November. The engine was making a ticking noise. The check engine light was not on, and appeared to be running fine otherwise so we drove it in for service. We were told upon inspection that the cam and lifters needed replacement, but we pushed for further inspection which found the car needs an entirely new engine, at the advice of multiple inspectors and the service department of two dealerships. Initially, the extended warranty company told us they would replace the entire engine instead of just the cam and lifters. Then they came back and said since we drove it in for repair rather than having it towed, they would not cover it. At the advice of multiple parties, it has been found this engine has so much metal in it, they've never seen anything this bad before. It is impossible it was due to driving it the 5 miles to be serviced. We have requested pictures and documentation about their findings and they are refusing to provide us with them. We have filed a dispute with the insurance company and they are not helping us.

As we were driving, without warning, the engine started to rumble and clank. We had to pull off the road in a neighborhood and have it towed to the dealership. Thankfully, we were driving on side/neighborhood roads at the time. If this would have happened on the highway it could have been very dangerous. They'll dealership said it was unsolvable and we needed to purchase an entirely new engine.

Without any warning while driving on the interstate the vehicle became disabled and released smoke. After being towed to dealership for diagnostics we were informed of engine failure. No warning on that day at time of the very dangerous event or prior warning of any engine related issue. All maintenance and service records are on file with GMC dealership. We requested our service advisor with Ewing Buick GMC to contact GM regarding this matter. We were told they reached out but that GM offered no assistance. After some research it does appear there are several issue reported concerning no warning engine failure with the GMC Yukon. This was a significant safety risk since the vehicle displayed no warning signs of any engine problem. It goes without saying the financial impact related to the very unexpected engine failure in a 2018 vehicle. Thanks in advance for your review and consideration regarding this safety matter.

I am writing as a concerned owner of a 2018 GMC Yukon Denali, which I purchased in 2018. Over the past six years, I have encountered multiple critical issues with the vehicle, specifically with the transmission and motor mounts. These issues have been both recurring and costly to address, raising concerns over the reliability and safety of the vehicle. Recently, I experienced a complete transmission failure that required a full replacement, which was both unexpected and financially burdensome. Additionally, I have had to replace two motor mounts, further highlighting what appears to be a design or manufacturing flaw affecting multiple components within the vehicle. These problems are not isolated incidents, as I have come across numerous accounts from other GMC customers facing similar challenges with their transmissions and motor mounts. The recurring nature of these failures suggests a systemic issue that impacts not only me but many others, both financially and in terms of vehicle safety. I’d like to note that these issues were confirmed by authorized GM dealers. The motor mounts were diagnosed and replaced at Koons in Woodbridge, VA, with the drive motor mount diagnosed in 2023. The transmission was diagnosed, repaired, and inspected by Jack Winegardner Chevrolet in Fort Washington, MD, in August 2024. What is particularly concerning is the lack of any warning lights or messages alerting me to potential problems. For the motor mounts, I noticed snapping and clicking sounds when accelerating or stopping, along with significant shaking while driving. For the transmission, the vehicle began slipping and jerking when changing gears, a problem that became apparent only upon experiencing it firsthand. General Motors’ mission statement emphasizes a commitment to innovation, sustainability, and safety. However, the persistent issues with the Yukon Denali’s transmission and motor mounts seem to undermine these values, especially concerning driver and passenger safety. Fa

I have noticed the amount of pressure needed to apply brakes at a slow speed is a lot to where it seems like I will crash into the car or object in the way of my vehicle. I took my vehicle to a GMC dealership and was told the brake vacuum pump needs to be replaced. These vacuum pumps were already recalled by NHTSA. NHTSA #19V645000, GM #N192268490. This recall was expanded to include additional vehicles. NHTSA #20V603, GM #N202300860. I strongly believe my vehicle needs to be included in this recall. GMC repair invoice is attached.

The vehicle will not go into reverse. The vehicle shifted into neutral while driving 30 mph in traffic and then shifted back to gear aggressively. No fault codes or check engine lights are displayed.

Possible cam shaft or lifter failure. The engines power greatly reduced speed and sputtered which significantly slowed the vehicle down and could have caused and accident. It has been inspected by a certified GMC service shop. There was a check engine light on and it was supposed to be all fuel injectors, that didn't solve the problem the shop kept on digging and digging and said that they don't know if it is the cam or lifter. It is my understanding that this is a very common issue amongst these vehicles and puts alot of people upside down and out of a vehicle due to this issues. The service shop said that a new engine would cost up to $20k and it could take 4 weeks to 4 months to get the new engine in. They are back ordered because so many people are going through this issue. The service shop also said that they didn't know exactly when the engine would come in.

The contact owns a 2018 GMC Yukon. The contact stated that the A/C unit failed to function properly. The vehicle was taken to a local dealer where it was diagnosed that the A/C coolant line was leaking and needed to be replaced. The vehicle was repaired under warranty. The contact was concerned that the failure could cause medical health risks during high weather temperatures. The manufacturer was not made aware of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 54,000.

After stopping and then go, like at a light or stop sign, on acceleration SUV will go slightly forward and stalls and high rev for a second and car feels like it’s dying or losing power and starts back up. I feel unsafe and that the car might stop middle of intersection from stop-and-go. Sometimes while driving I lose power driving and stepping on gas pedal has a few second lag time to pick back up. I’ve never had this issue before or any of my vehicles and I bought it new and we are original owners.

No warning light presented to warn of transmission issues. While driving is hesitating sluggish when accelerating and stalling around 60mph then shifts . Putt Putt then pick up a bit then back down.

I own a 2018 GMC Yukon Denali that keeps burning oil. I was told that the light had to be on or the issue had to be duplicated. I did an oil change and 2000 miles later the oil light came on. I was out of town so took picture of dipstick which was bone dry. The dealership GMC of Brandywine had my SUV. I am highly upset because in other states the started a lawsuit bit nothing in MD. If GM knows this is an issue then why aren't they doing something. My SUV has been down since October 16 and no ETA for the part. No loaner or rental help from GM as well.

Sunroof exploded while I was driving. Had I not had the shade closed I could have been injured by shattered glass. Glass has been replaced at the dealer of purchase, via insurance claim with my agent. There was no indication that this would occur.

GM already has extended the warrant for faulty AC Condensers model years 2015-2017. This model 2018 experiences the same exact condenser leak as the 2015-2017 models. In fact special coverage adjustment 17336 which omits the 2018 model has the same failure. This warranty should be extended into 2018 as well.

While driving I made a right hand turn. As soon as the turn was made, the powering steering completely went out. The power steering is found to fail upon cold starts, then return to normal after operating. The vehicle has been taken to gmc numerous times with no explanation as to why or how it has happened. When asked to replace the steering rack. They stated vehicle is working as expected. It is unsafe. GMC has had recalls on the steering for many years now.

Air conditioning intermittently working, but mostly not at all right to be a leak involved. Still need it fixed to know more.

Despite Wheelers fixing the vehicle’s recall, it still pulls one way and never improved.

Keeps showing a service trailer brake system, it does it once in a while but when it does it keeps showing the message after pressing dismiss, I was researching online and apparently there is a lot of people dealing with this same issue and looks like it is a defect from factory.