There are 7 owner-reported powertrain & transmission complaints for the 2006 GMC Yukonin NHTSA's database. These are unverified consumer reports and may not reflect confirmed defects.
This is the 2nd GMC Yukon with a faulty drivetrain I've acquired in 3 years. Both occasions were directly after the vehicle had professional service done related to the faulty system. The transmissions was fully serviced at reputable repair shops and within a month or 2, without warning, the transmissions started having mechanical issues without DTC being triggered. As well as a 2004 Buick Rendezvous with less than 70k miles on it. The 2001 GMC Yukon suddenly lost reverse and park while driving and imploded the transmission in the process. The 2004 Buick Rendezvous started slipping and ceased to move by it's own power when at operating temperature. The 2006 GMC Yukon Denali stopped shifting gears while on the freeway at 55 mph and systematically lost all moving gears within a day also while at operating temperature.
TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2006 GMC YUKON XL. WHILE AT A STOP, THE VEHICLE LOST POWER AND THE TRACTION CONTROL WARNING INDICATOR ILLUMINATED. THE VEHICLE ACCELERATED EVENTUALLY. THE FAILURE RECURRED SEVERAL TIMES. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO AN INDEPENDENT MECHANIC WHO PERFORMED AN ON-SCREEN DRIVING TEST, BUT WAS UNABLE TO FIND THE FAILURE CODES. THE DEALER WAS CONTACTED (JOHN PAUL'S GMC, GREENFIELD, WI, 414-482-6246) AND THE TECHNICIAN STATED THAT THE FAILURE COULD NOT DUPLICATED BECAUSE THE DEALER USED THE SAME DIAGNOSTIC SYSTEM AS THE INDEPENDENT MECHANIC. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT TAKEN TO THE DEALER. THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOT MADE AWARE OF THE FAILURE. THE FAILURE WAS NOT REPAIRED. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS APPROXIMATELY 180,000.
WHEN ACCELERATING FROM A RED LIGHT AND TURNING RIGHT, THE POWERTRAIN SUDDENLY DISENGAGED, NEARLY CAUSING AN ACCIDENT FROM UNSUSPECTING DRIVERS BEHIND MY YUKON. THE ENGINE REMAINS ON, THE SHIFTER (AUTOMATIC) HAS NOT MOVED AND INDICATES "DRIVE". MOVING THE SHIFTER TO OTHER GEARS DID NOT HELP EITHER. THINKING QUICKLY, I TURNED OFF THE ENGINE, PLACED VEHICLE IN "P", RESTARTED, AND SHIFTED BACK TO "D" WHICH DID NOT WORK. I THEN PLACED ENGINE IN "3" AND WAS ABLE TO CONTINUE DRIVING IN THIRD GEAR UNTIL ARRIVING HOME. THE GMC DEALER SAID THEY COULD NOT FIND ANYTHING WRONG, WENT AHEAD AND CHANGED A SHIFT CABLE FOR $1,100 AND I CONTINUE TO HAVE THE SAME PROBLEM. *JS
TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2006 GMC YUKON DENALI XL. THE CONTACT STATED THAT WHILE DRIVING APPROXIMATELY 30 MPH, THE BRAKE PEDAL TRAVELED TO THE FLOORBOARD ABNORMALLY UPON ENGAGING. THE VEHICLE FAILED TO DECELERATE UNTIL AFTER THE GEAR LEVER WAS SHIFTED INTO NEUTRAL. THE CONTACT ALSO NOTICED BRAKE FLUID LEAKING ON THE GROUND. THE VEHICLE WAS TOWED TO AN AUTHORIZED DEALER WHERE THE DRIVER'S SIDE BRAKE LINE WAS REPLACED. IN ADDITION, THE TRANSMISSION OIL LINE WAS PREVIOUSLY REPLACED. THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOT NOTIFIED OF THE DEFECT. THE APPROXIMATE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 54,000.
MY 22 MONTH OLD GRANDSON WAS SITTING IN MY 2006 GMC YUKON PRETENDING TO DRIVE. MY VEHICLE WAS NOT RUNNING THE KEYS WERE IN THE VEHICLE THE RADIO WAS PLAYING, I WAS STANDING 3 FEET FROM THE VEHICLE WITH MY BACK TO IT. I HEARD THE TRANSMISSION SHIFT. I TURNED TO SEE THE VEHICLE ROLLING DOWN THE DRIVEWAY. LUCKILY I HAVE A SHORT DRIVEWAY AND LIVE ON A CUL-DE-SAC. BY THE TIME I CAUGHT THE VEHICLE AND PUSHED THE E BRAKE TO STOP IT I WAS AT THE END OF MY DRIVE WAY. I THOUGHT I HAD TO PUT MY FOOT ON THE BRAKE TO TAKE THE VEHICLE OUT OF PARK AND INTO GEAR OR NEUTRAL. WHICH IS TRUE UNLESS THE KEY IS PUT INTO ACC MODE. I BROUGHT THIS TO THE DEALER AND THE SERVICE WRITER AND GM CERTIFIED MECHANIC DIDN'T KNOW THAT IF A VEHICLES KEY WAS IN ACC MODE ANYONE CAN SHIFT THE GEARS AROUND. EVEN MY 22 MONTH OLD GRAND SON A SAFETY FEATURE FOR GM VEHICLES IS A PERSON HAS TO STEP ON THE BRAKE TO TAKE THE VEHICLE OUT OF PARK. THE SERVICE WRITER AND MECHANIC CHECKED A FEW OTHER VEHICLE AROUND THE SHOP AND FOUND THIS TO WORK ON EVERYONE THEY TRIED. SO MUCH FOR THE SAFETY FEATURE. *TR
ONE OF THE OWNERS OF THE CAR WAS DRIVING IT TO WORK WHEN THE CAR STOPPED PULLING AND WOULD NOT SHIFT GEARS. BEFORE THIS HAPPENED, ON A FEW OCCASIONS THE CAR HAD TO GET A JUMP FROM ANOTHER CAR TO START. LAST, THE LIGHTER DID NOT WORK. WHEN THE OWNER GOT OFF WORK IN THE MORNING HE HAD THE CAR TOWED TO THE DEALERSHIP TO BE CHECKED. LATER THAT DAY THE OWNER WAS TOLD THAT THE TRANSMISSION WENT OUT AND THE PART WAS UNDER WARRANTY. THE OWNER WAS ALSO TOLD THAT HE COULD NOT GET A RENTAL CAR. THE NEXT DAY THE OWNER WAS TOLD THAT HEADQUARTERS DIDN'T WANT TO REPLACE THE TRANSMISSION BUT HE COULD GET A RENTAL. LATER IN THE WEEK THE OWNER WAS TOLD TO TAKE THE RENTAL CAR BACK AND THE DEALERSHIP WAS NOT GOING TO PAY FOR THE RENTAL. THE OWNER WAS ALSO TOLD THAT HE WOULD HAVE TO PAY $3500.00 FOR A NEW TRANSMISSION. AFTERWARDS, THE OWNER SPOKE TO SOMEONE AT HEADQUARTERS AND THEY SAID THE OWNER WOULD HAVE TO PAY AT LEAST $1500.00. THE OWNER DOES NOT HAVE THE MONEY TO PAY FOR THE REPAIRS AND BELIEVES HE SHOULD NOT HAVE TO PAY FOR THE REPAIRS DUE TO THE FACT THE CAR IS NOT THREE YEARS OLD UNTIL THE END OF JANUARY. *TR
2006 GMC YUKON XL - PURCHASED IN JAN. 2006, THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN IN FOR SERVICE 1 MONTH AFTER TAKING DELIVERY FOR FOUL SMELL EMITTING FROM VEHICLE WHILE MOVING. IT WAS DIAGNOSED AS THE REAR DIFFERENTIAL PRODUCING THE ODOR, THEY CHANGED THE FLUID TO THE OLD SYNTHETIC TYPE, AND CLAIMED IT WAS THE SMELL OF THE GRAPE SEED EXTRACT USED IN THE ORGANIC NEW TYPE FLUID. THIS DID NOT SOLVE THE PROBLEM, THE NEXT TIME THE SERVICE CENTER TRIED AN OIL WHICH HAD A HIGHER HEAT RATING, THIS DID NOT FIX THE SMELL PROBLEM. ON THE 4TH VISIT TO THE SERVICE CENTER AND AFTER OPENING A CUSTOMER CLAIMS CASE WITH GM, THEY REBUILT THE REAR DIFFERENTIAL. THIS SEEMED TO SOLVE THE PROBLEM FOR ABOUT THE FIRST 6-8 MONTHS, THE SMELL RETURNED AND GOT SIGNIFICANTLY WORSE UNTIL I OPENED ANOTHER CASE WITHGM CUSTOMER CLAIMS. WHILE WORKING WITH THEM THE DIFFERENTIAL WENT OUT ON THE VEHICLE LEAVING ME TO RENT A CAR ON MY OWN UNTIL GM DECIDED WHAT THEY WERE GOING TO DO ABOUT IT. I AM CURRENTLY IN A BBB CASE WITH GM.
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 Apr 26, 2026