There are 17 owner-reported powertrain & transmission complaints for the 2002 GMC Yukonin NHTSA's database. These are unverified consumer reports and may not reflect confirmed defects.
KNOCKING NOISE IS HEARD COMING FROM THE FRONT OF THE VEHICLE AND IS FELT AS A "CLUNK" THROUGH THE STEERING WHEEL. HAPPENS WHEN PARALLEL PARKING....TIGHT, SLOW TURNS IN REVERSE. FEELS LIKE GEARS IN THE DIFFERENTIAL ARE STICKING AND LURCHING. IT HAS BEEN HAPPENING ON AND OFF FOR A LONG TIME. *TR
WHINING IN ENGINE-FOUND TO BE BAD BEARINGS AND METAL IN DIFFERENTIAL. WAS TOLD COULD HAVE MADE CAR LOCK UP AT ANYTIME (IMAGINE THAT IN HEAVY TRAFFIC). THIS IS SECOND CAR IN FAMILY WITH EXACT SAME PROBLEM ALTHOUGH WAS TOLD IT WAS "RARE". *TR
ON 2/24/2008 I TRIED TO MOVE THE AUTOMATIC GEAR SELECT LEVER ON MY 2002 GMC YUKON XL TO THE PARK POSITION. THE GEAR SELECT LEVER WOULD NOT MOVE INTO THE PARK POSITION. AS A RESULT, I COULD NOT REMOVE THE KEYS OR STOP THE VEHICLE FROM MOVING WHILE SITTING IN MY GARAGE. I COULD PLACE IT IN ANY GEAR EXCEPT PARK. AFTER LOOKING AROUND THE BASE OF THE SHIFT LEVER, I NOTICED A PART OF A BROKEN SPRING STUCK IN THE PIVOT POINT OF THE GEAR SHIFT LEVER. I REMOVED THE BROKEN SPRING PARTS AND THE SHIFT LEVER WILL NOW MOVE TO PARK. AS A RESULT OF THE RETURN SPRING BEING BROKEN THE LEVER NOW MOVES FREELY AND WE HAVE TO MANUALLY MOVE IT TOWARDS THE FRONT OF THE VEHICLE TO STOP THE ENGINE AND REMOVE THE KEYS. WITH THE VEHICLE RUNNING, AND THE GEAR SHIFT LEVER MOVED TOWARDS THE REAR OF THE VEHICLE ALL THE INDICATOR LIGHTS FOR THE TRANSMISSION TURN OFF, AT THIS POINT IT IS UNKNOWN WHAT GEAR THE VEHICLE IS IN. I CALLED MY LOCAL CHEVORLET DEALER ON 2/25/08 AND THEY SAID THIS IS MY PROBLEM AND I WOULD HAVE TO PAY TO EVEN GET DIAGNOSIS OR ESTIMATE FOR THE REPAIR. I FEEL THIS IS A SAFETY ISSUE, I DON'T THINK THIS SHOULD EVER HAPPEN TO ANY VEHICLE. *TR
TRANSMISSION FAILED IN 2004 AND NOW AGAIN THE EXACT SAME PROBLEM 2006. *JB
DT*: THE CONTACT STATED WHILE ATTEMPTING TO TURN AT 15 MPH, THE REAR DRIVELINE DIFFERENTIAL BROKE FOLLOWED BY A BANGING NOISE AS THOUGH IT WAS DRAGGING. THE VEHICLE WAS SEEN BY A DEALER FOR INSPECTION. WHILE THE MECHANIC TEST DROVE THE VEHICLE, THE DRIVELINE DIFFERENTIAL UNIT COMPLETELY SEPARATED. THE VEHICLE IS CURRENTLY AT THE DEALERSHIP AWAITING REPAIRS. UPDATED 05/04/06.
TRANSMISSION FAILS TO ENGAGE DRIVE UNLESS PLACED INTO REVERSE. WHEN STUCK IN DRIVE, PUSHING ON THE ACCELERATING WILL CAUSE CAR TO MOVE FORWARD SLOWLY, UNTIL THEIR IS A LOUD VIOLENT SOUND FROM THE REAR OF THE VEHICLE AR WHICH POINT THE VEHICLE WILL ENGAGE DRIVE AND PROCEED IN A SLUGGISH FASHION. THE VEHICLE HAS BEEN AT THE DEALER WHO HAD INVESTIGATED AND FIXED THE PROBLEM SINCE NOVEMBER 2005 AND THE PROBLEM PERSISTS TODAY (2-7-2006). THE PROBLEM PRESENTED ITSELF AFTER THE DEALERSHIP FLUSHED AND CHANGED THE TRANSMISSION FLUID AT APPROXIMATELY 53000 MILES (THE SERVICE DEPT RECOMMENDED THE SERVICE). THE TRANSMISSION HAS BEEN FAULTY EVER SINCE. THE VEHICLE IS 2002 GMC YUKON, 2 WD.*JB
GMC 2002, YUKON: THE REACTION SUNSHELL BROKEN INSIDE OF TRANSMISSION. ONLY 64,000 MILES. 1) NO EVENT LEADING TO FAILURE: CALLED GMC PETERSON IN GURNEE ILLINOIS, GMC KNOWS OF THIS PROBLEM AND IN FACT CHANGED THE DESIGN OF THE SUNSHELL YET WILL NOT RECOVER MY COST. I NOW LIVE IN MINNESOTA AND GMC HERE IS DOING THE TRANSMISSION FIX. 2) FAILURE AND CONSEQUENCES: COULD BE EXTREMELY SERIOUS IF DRIVING ON A BUSY HIGHWAY. LOSS OF POWER AND ACCELERATION COULD CAUSE AN ACCIDENT. 3) CORRECT FAILURE: GMC IS DOING NOTHING TO CORRECT THIS FAILURE THAT I KNOW OF. CUSTOMERS ARE BEING TOLD THAT THIS IS A RARE OCCURRENCE. HOWEVER, AFTER TALKING WITH GURNEE PETERSON GMC ILLINOIS AND VALLEY GMC FROM WACONIA MINNESOTA, THIS REPAIR IS NOT UNCOMMON AND IS OCCURRING EVERY COUPLE OF MONTHS. I FEEL THIS WARRANTS A CORRECTIVE ACTION. *NM
DURING ACCELERATION, TRANSMISSION LURCH AND SLIP OCCURRED CAUSING ENGINE TO OVER-REV RESULTING IN THE LOSS OF THIRD GEAR, FORTH GEAR, AND REVERSE. CAUSE WAS A MECHANICAL FAILURE INSIDE TRANSMISSION @ ONLY 46K MILES. TRANSMISSION RE-BUILD WAS NECESSARY. *NM
(1) NONE (2) PULLED OUT ON HWY AT NORMAL SPEED, LOUD WINING, AND LOUD POP.TRANSMISSION FAILED, LEFT WITH ONLY 2ND AND 3RD GEAR.(3) CALLED TRANSMISSION SHOP AND THEY DESCRIBED IN DETAIL THE FLAW THAT CAUSED FAILURE. THEY INFORMED ME THAT THIS WAS QUITE COMMON IN THIS MODEL. I FEEL THAT THIS SHOULD BE REPORTED AS A RECALL, TO CORRECT THIS DEFECT.
VEHICLE WILL NOT GO INTO REVERSE. WHEN TAKING TO BE SERVICED IT WAS DETERMINED THAT TRANSMISSION FAILED. *AK
ON 11/23/04 LEFT FOR VACATION NOTICED THAT FLUID WAS LEAKING ABOUT TWO HOURS INTO OUR TRIP. STOPPED AT DEALERSHIP IN BARSTOW, WHERE WE WERE TOLD TRANSFER CASE WAS HEATING UP AND EXPANDING AND THAT IT HAD TINY CRACKS THAT THE FLUID WAS LEAKING OUT OF. NEEDED A NEW TRANSFER CASE ORDERED ON 11/24 AND AUTHORIZED OVERNIGHT SHIPPING. CALLED FROM 11/29 TO 12/3 WHEN I WAS FINALY TOLD THAT PART WAS ON NATIONWIDE BACKORDER AND WOULD NOT BE SHIPPED. MY CAR WAS NOT READY UNTIL 12/15. I HAVE CONCERNS THAT THIS IS A WIDE SPREAD PROBLEM SINCE THE PART WAS ON BACKORDER AND THAT GMC WILL NOT REIMBURSE PARTS AND LABOR OR RENTAL CAR FEES. I WAS ALSO VERY DISAPPOINTED IN THE CUSTOMER SERVICE DEPARTMENT. CONTACTED THEM AND WAS TOLD WHAT INFO. TO SEND. SENT IT DID NOT HEAR FROM FOR APPROXIMATELY THREE WEEKS THEN WAS TOLD THAT THEY DID NOT RECEIVE ALL INFO. LEFT AT LEAST 15 MESSAGES AND NEVER RECEIVED PHONE CALL BACK CALLED AND ASKED TO SPEAK TO SUPERVISOR AND FIRST WAS TOLD NO THEN FINALLY FOUND A REPRESENTATIVE THAT GAVE ME SUPERVISOR. I RESENT PAPERWORK THAT WAS SUPOSSEDLY MISSING AND WAS TOLD ABOUT A WEEK AND A HALF LATER THAT THEY WOULD GIVE ME CREDIT TOWARD A NEW PURCHASE OR OIL CHANGES FOR THE EQUIVELANT OF 1 YEAR. *AK
WHEN SHIFTING THE GEARS TRANSMISSION DOWN SHIFTED ON ITS ON. VEHICLE FAILED TO MOVE. CONSUMER HAD THE VEHICLE TOWED TO THE DEALER FOR INSPECTION, AND MECHANIC DETERMINED THAT TRANSMISSION NEEDED TO BE REPLACED DUE TO WORN OUT PARTS. *AK
SEVERAL OCCURRENCES WITH VEHICLE'S TRANSMISSION. NAR 07/28/2003*MR DEALER NOTIFIED. *CB
FOUR WHEEL DRIVE MAKES GRINDING NOISE DURING TURNS. MANUFACTURER ADVISED ME THAT THIS IS NORMAL.
CONSUMER STATES THAT VEHICLE WILL NOT GO INTO REVERSE AND COULD CAUSE AN ACCIDENT. CAUSE UNKNOWN. DEALER NOTIFIED.*JB
WHEN THE KEY IS INSERTED INTO THE IGNITION CONSUMER IS ABLE TO CHANGE GEAR FROM PARK WITHOUT DEPRESSING BRAKE PEDAL. HOWEVER, WHEN VEHICLE IS RUNNING, NOT ABLE TO CHANGE GEARS WITHOUT APPLYING BRAKES.*AK
WHEN STARTING VEHICLE UP, IT LURCHES FORWARD. TOOK VEHICLE TO DEALER, AND CAUSE UNKNOWN.*AK CONSUMER STATES THAT WHILE THE VEHICLE IS IN THE PARK POSITION IT LURCHES FORWARD. *YD
Complaints are unverified consumer reports submitted to NHTSA. A high complaint count may reflect vehicle popularity, not defect severity. Data sourced from NHTSA public records.
Data synced from NHTSA on May 4, 2026