2016 GMC Yukon Complaint Log

Ticking sound coming from engine, possible damaged camshaft lobe due to lifter roller failure. It can cause sudden engine failure, significant power loss, and unexpected stalling while driving, increasing crash risks. The issue is linked to AFM (Active Fuel Management) system failures. The problem has been diagnosed by dealer service department. No warning lamp or message, problem first appeared 7 April 2026.

Vehicle been in the shop 3 times. [XXX] suspension light repeat come on. Working with warranty company. Light came on again 3 more times after Vehicle left the shop INFORMATION REDACTED PURSUANT TO THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT (FOIA), 5 U.S.C. 552(B)(6)

The suspension service lights repeatedly coming on.

When making a slow turn in drive or reverse the park assist screen shows it’s not working. Then all screens in the car turn black and the steering locks while driving. Making it impossible to turn or move. This is happening while driving, while parking. Putting my safety and others at risk due to not being able to control the steering. Park assist failure screen pops up then all screens turn black. Car is still on just unable to move. I have not had it checked by a mechanic yet.

Misfire then replaced plugs,coils and wires, then change fuel injector, and problem still there, then started truck and was tossing power and motor started ticking. Every shop told me this is the same common problem they're having with all 6.2L engine and they're all on recall by GM. I know 2016 are not in recall but I think they should be because this problem is in all 6.2L engine

On [XXX], while idling in my driveway the engine abruptly stopped with a loud clunk and refused to turn over when I attempted to restart it. The vehicle was towed to Bergstrom GMC in Appleton WI. Upon inspection it was determined that a connecting rod and crankshaft bearing had failed requiring replacement of the engine. The vehicle has a 6.2-litre V-8 engine with 106,000 miles on it. The vehicle is currently still at the dealership waiting for the engine replacement at an estimated cost of $18,000. INFORMATION REDACTED PURSUANT TO THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT (FOIA), 5 U.S.C. 552(B)(6)

THE fuel pressure line from the fuel pump to the flex fuel sensor chaffed a pin hole leak near the front top of the fuel tank. This caused a significant fuel smell and trace leak at the front of the fuel tank which could lead to a fire or explosion. The new hose has a longer chaffing covering leading me to believe gm knew about this issue. vehicle has 127,000 miles. I feel gm should reimburse me for this repair as a fuel line should not have ever chaffed through and leaked.

The LED left turn signal and blind spot detection ( safety feature) on the left outside rear view mirror suddenly stopped working. The is a TSB for warranty for 2016-2018 GM YUKON (#10-08-64-002D) and it states that the bulletin has been revised to include 2016-2018 year models for this defect. I am starting this claim because I am told by GM that my VIN is not covered under this warranty, yet I am experiencing the same issue stated in the TSB listed above.

The contact owns a 2016 GMC Yukon. The contact stated while driving 70 MPH, and attempting to accelerate, the vehicle jerked, then briefly lost motive power before the engine seized. The contact was able to coast to the side of the road. The transmission warning light was illuminated. The vehicle failed to restart. The vehicle was towed to a friend's residence. The vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired for the most recent failure. Days before the failure, the vehicle jerked while driving at various speeds. The vehicle was taken to Auto Zone; however, no cause for the failure was found. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was not made aware of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 143,000.

Engine light keeps appearing and when checked it shows catalytic converter needs replaces and its sensors need replaced. Brake light has short in it and I repaireable

TRANSMISSION SHUDDERS, LURCHES FORWARD UNCONTROLABLY, AND HARD SHIFTS

The contact owns a 2016 GMC Yukon. The contact stated that while driving at an undisclosed speed, the vehicle unexpectedly downshifted with the check engine warning light illuminated. The vehicle was taken to the dealer, where it was diagnosed that the transmission had failed and needed to be replaced. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was not made aware of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 250,000.

A side detection module pin was corroded and was disrupting the electrical signals to major vehicle components, such as the dash (DIC). The DIC would lose communication with the rest of the vehicle while driving so no vehicle operation data was visible such as speed, alerts messages, etc. This likely also caused engine failure due to the incorrect operation of the afm which is on the same electrical circuit. No warning messages were given. The bad side detection module was diagnosed and fixed at a dealer and shortly after engine issues were noticed.

The contact owns a 2016 GMC Yukon. The contact stated that while driving at 65 MPH and attempting to accelerate, the vehicle briefly shuddered before returning to normal functionality. The check engine warning light was illuminated. The vehicle was taken to an independent mechanic, who diagnosed a failure with the torque converter. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was not notified of the failure. The failure mileage was unknown.

On two occasions while driving at low speed, my vehicle braked on its on a pulled hard to the left; the stabilitrac indicator also popped on briefly. I went online to determine if there were any recalls on my vehicle and found that one of the recalls on the 2016 Yukon was the exact issue happening with my vehicle. I checked my VIN and found that my vehicle was not one of the vehicles with this issue. I called GM to see if my vehicle had just not been published yet. I explain the situation too the customer service person; she understood my situation and informed me that until my specific VIN in identified with this issue, there's nothing that can be done. I'm thinking that until an accident happen because of this issue, there is nothing that can be done. I read that my issue was a problem with the EBCM, which needs to be reprogrammed. I thank you for any assistance with this issue.

There's alot of time while I'm driving in line going slowly and break pedal become hard and it will seem like the truck it's not stopping.

2 months ago our 16 gmc Yukon Denali 6.2 bent a push rod on cylinder 4 . So had to fix it when I took out DOD lifters put them on work bench and about 10 minutes out the DOD lifters flew apart and know having transmission issues it’s starting to shudder ! So I would liked the [XXX] thing recalled because engine still isn’t right either it only has 130000 miles. I’ll never buy a [XXX] gmc because of problems! I want the [XXX] thing fixed ASAP we paid to much money for it to be having problems!!!! Please send a recall letter to fix it ! [XXX] . 4/29/2025 6:53 p:m INFORMATION REDACTED PURSUANT TO THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT (FOIA), 5 U.S.C. 552(B)(6)

Without warning, giving vehicle low consistent pressure on gas pedal to move forward slowly (2-3mph) vehicle rpm jumped up then suddenly shifted and vehicle jerked forward in a school zone. Behavior continued and vehicle was ultimately towed.

I WAS DRIVING MY CAR MONDAY AND I ALMOST CRASH WITH THE CAR IN FRONT OF ME THE BRAKES DOESNT WORK AND THEN IN THE PANEL START LIGHTS OF THE ENGINE THE SUPENSION LIGHT AND SIGH SAYING BRAKE ASISTANT, THE CAR IS PARK BECAUSE THE BRAKES AND I LOOK FOR RECALLS AND I CALL GMC AND THEY SAYS THAT I DONT HAVE ANY RECALL BUT I ALMOST DIE MONDAY BECAUSE THE VACUM PUMP FOR THE BRAKES FAIL AND ALL THE LIGHTS IN THE PANNEL START LIGHT UP.

My brakes are not working properly. I can be backing up and put my foot on the brake. My truck will keep moving until I apply a lot of pressure on the brake pedal. I can be backing up and my truck will automatically brake and stop moving. I have to cut the truck off, start it back up for it to move. I was in a stand still traffic jam and braking a lot and my truck did stop it keep rolling. Sometimes when I apply the brake it slides.. This is the third time I have put it in the shop. I changed the brakes, brake sensor and replaced tires. I am scared to drive it. My truck is currently in the shop now for the brakes. please help.

The car has all of a sudden had issues with the gas and breaking. When I press the gas, it stalls then rapidly accelerates. It has to be the transmission. Also, is making a noise and will barely drive when pressing on the gas. It does not accelerate!! Could have easily gotten into a car accident! What is going on??

When driving through Eugene brakes suddenly got soft while at a stoplight, then pedal got stiff and very hard to keep pressed. An alert came on the dashboard 'Brake Assist Service' just about the same time the brake pedal changed and car would not fully stay at a stop. When checking to feel what had just happened, by letting up and repressing the brakes, it would not fully stop car, even with all my strength pressing. If another car would have been coming through, my young son or myself could have been killed or seriously injured and I could cause someone seriously to be hurt or killed from being in their lane of travel. I alerted my husband that I was unable to drive the vehicle safely, he is in the vehicle industry and looked up online and found there is a common known problem, recalls, and service bulletins, but apparently not for vehicle years prior to 2017, although this severe failure is seen on 2014 and later; and the manual tests/diagnostics that a person can do in a pinch per the bulletin, recall notice, and articles; and in his trials of how to tell if it is a failure or fleeting problem - nothing alleviated it, all the symptoms are present and system is failing and continually bringing up the brake assist service alert. This is the info that we found on the recall, but didn't appear to cover 2016 year models: [NHTSA campaign number: 20V603. GM's own number for this recall is N202300860.] We plan to get this yukon over to Guaranty Chevrolet in Junction City Oregon tomorrow 10/8. The only thing that has been very recently noticeable preceding this in recent week or so is a slight uneven braking feeling in the motion of the car when coming to a stop. Which it has not done before.

i HAVE A SERVICE SUSPENSION LIGHT THAT CONTINUES TO POP UP ON DASHBOARD THE MOST IMPORTANT ISSUE THAT NEEDS TO BE ADDRESSED IS THE BRAKE LIGHTS. I have previously had the passenger side brake light stop working. In order to repair this you have to order a whole new taillight. My vehicle was approximatly 6 years old when this started happening. First incident (2022 with approximately 65000 miles) Yesterday, I was pulled over by a policeman and both of my brake lights are not working. We found a way to sauder (I know this is incorrect spelling) the broken metal piece back together in the taillight; however, this is not the correct way to fix the underlying problem and clearly it is only a temporary fix because the passenger side broke again in a new spot.

Transmission failure, hard shifting, slipping and loss of power also severe shuddering. Very dangerous driving. I had to have the transmission replaced after taking the vehicle to a dealership and upon verification from same dealership reproducing the transmission failure. Massive financial loss, dealership stated these transmissions are known to fail. Manufacturer has been notified by numerous complaints. Compensation is warranted

The transmission malfunctions, shifting is inconsistent and shifts by itself. Shudders and causes the engine to increase and decrease in RPMS. This causes the engine to lose power. The truck will slow because of bad shifting and stall. The dealer did a diagnostic test and verified the transmission problem. The vehicle was inspected by the vehicle brand dealership. There were no warning lights or any other signs of the transmission failure.

Transmission failure at 90,000 miles

While taking my children to school, the vehicles RPMs began to jump, causing the vehicle to lose power. Which resulted in myself and two children stranded on the side of the road. The vehicle had just crossed over 110,000 miles when the transmission completely broke apart from the inside. There was no other warnings or lights that appeared on the dash prior to or after. We had been given an estimate from GM for $6200 for a new transmission.. but that was extremely difficult to afford. We ultimately had to have the transmission rebuilt due to it costing $3,000 less, so we could continue going to work. We are still having issues with the transmission even after taking to back for a 2nd time to be reprogrammed. It’s extremely frustrating to have paid so much for this Yukon to have transmission go out with as many miles as it did, plus with no warnings.

Both driver and passenger tail light/ brake light assemblies have failed. They started intermittently going out and then failed all together. There is a VERY common issue with these lights. They have been replaced at an approximate cost of $650.00 per light.

LED Tail Light out

GMC is stating that due to a recall my brake booster vacuum pump failed and now they are that is is not covered and I will be out of pocket on the issue after numerous phone called with GM they are still of no help and the vehicle is not safe to drive which is my only means of transportation

The contact owns a 2016 GMC Yukon. The contact stated that the taillights were inoperable. The vehicle was taken to the local dealer, who stated that the taillights needed to be replaced. The dealer informed the contact that the vehicle was no longer covered under Special Coverage Adjustment: N182180270 (Tail Lamps Inoperative). The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was not notified of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 104,000.

I used the remote to open the rear hatch and pressed the button on the hatch to close it. While it was closing it traveled about half way back down and the rear window on the hatch exploded in my face. Glass went everywhere behind the SUV in a 5ft radius. I'm getting it repaired this upcoming Monday.

Check engine light came on. Immediately went to reputable local repair shop. Shop advised push rod bent due to faulty engine. Advised to call GMC because not normal wear and tear. Called GMC expressed my frustration about this being preexisting issue w this engine. GMC corp told me I had to ship to GMC dealership at my own expense then they could help me. Local GMCs backed up 6-8 wks. Towed car 1.5 hrs away. Mechanic told me not to worry this happens all of the time, GMC will take care of it. Pointed out a row of new trucks with my incl new Escalade with same issue. I spoke to a sales rep about trading my car in for new but he said engine issue still not resolved. He advised me to lease Escalade for $900 because by the time my engine blew my lease would be up; if not GMC fix under warranty!! Mechanic said new engine but GMC will take care of it. I waited 3+ months for GMC to authorize repair. GMC said they did not get docs but mechanic sent me verification of conversation and repair order sent to GMC. Mechanic received an unrelated warranty from GMC that said my issue was not covered. Mechanic said docs sent made no sense bc he sent the right warranty and he was sorry and embarrassed by GMC behavior. I finally paid over 14K for new engine. Picked up my car and drive a block and car still knocking and engine light came back on. I had returned my rental and no way home. In tears dealership gave me my rental keys back still all at my expense. The mechanic calls me two days later to tell me my torque needs to be replaced. I am hysterical, 14k spent, and car still not fixed. GMC told me to pay additional funds for torque converter or pick up. Threatened to charge storage fees. When I discussed their liability GMC became very rude and antagonistic. They cut off my communication with their lead mechanic. Took care of back to local repair shop. He said this smells of a law suit so would not touch vehicle. I all communication 106 more files to share.

At 90k the engine stopped working, no warning or lights went off. 6.2L Lifters and bearings., The dealer gave us 14k for the car and we then went and bought and escalde with the 6.2L, that has also seized at 14k miles within 13 months of purchasing. The yukon has no reports of that on the car fax after our trade, which i found curious.

My 2016 GMC Yukon is hard to stop when pressing brake pedal. Vehicle shimmy’s when pressing the brake and it must be pressed very hard. Have read and watched many videos this is very common issue on 2014-2018 Yukons and Tahoes. This could be very dangerous and my question is, why has these vehicles not been recalled to prevent accidents when it seems to be a common issue and expensive to fix?

On [XXX], I was driving my 2016 Yukon Denali on a trip to Maryland. While in Maryland, I was driving my vehicle. As I approached a street to make a right turn, I braked to make the turn. I slowed down to make the turn. As I made the right turn, my steering wheel ability became hard. I felt a stiffness in the steering wheel as I came out of the turn. My Denali became un-maneuverable. I lost my power steering ability in the steering wheel and I observed my power steering service light indicator warning come on. I pulled my vehicle to the side of the road and turned off my vehicle. I started the engine with no change in the steering mechanism. After twenty minutes passed, I restarted the engine. I was able to drive with normal power steering conditions. On [XXX], while driving my Denali, I lost power steering maneuverability while driving. My power steering service light appeared and indicated service was needed and that the Electric Power Steering (EPS) Assist failure occurred. Based on research, It appears that the same problem has occurred in other models of GMC vehicles. INFORMATION REDACTED PURSUANT TO THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT (FOIA), 5 U.S.C. 552(B)(6)

“Service Trailer brake system” warning continually going off when driving

The vehicle consistently alerts with service trailer brake system warnings and has progressively become more of a frequent problem with the system doing it constantly even when no trailer is being towed This has been occurring since time of purchase in March 2021 when we purchased the vehicle and has become consistently more frequent over time

The engine failed and dropped down to limp mode while driving down the Hwy. Had to replace the engine for a toll of approx. $10,000. Truck only had 89,000 miles on it.

The rear taillights both went out due to a design issue with the LED circuit board - where the connections on the board crack and cause the lights to fail

During standard braking operations the vehicle (not a hard emergency situation) on dry ground the vehicle seems to activate the abs system or something similar which makes the braking effort non standard and increases stopping distance. The issue has occurred occasionally for over a year but is becoming more frequent. It has occurred at both highway speeds of 55 mph and almost stopped during parking activities of 2mph.

My vehicle randomly locks up and shuts off while I am taking a sharp turn or parking. A 'Service StabiliTrak' warning flahses on the dashboard. The steering wheel locks and the only way to get this warning to go away is to turn the vehicle off. This is a dangerous hazard as the vehicle can come to an abrupt stop in traffic.

This is a very common problem with GM vehicles produced from 2015 to 2019 and is occurring in 5.3L and 6.2L gas engines. The engine coolant temperature sensor is failing and defaulting to a fail safe that turns the electric cooling fans on to full speed because it thinks the vehicle is overheating. When this sensor fails, the engine temperature gauge will not work. When the vehicle is turned off the fans will stay on for 15 minutes at full speed and will deplete the battery. The sensors are being replaced multiple times with different manufacturers and the problem returns in a matter of days or weeks. You can disconnect the battery negative post and reconnect and the problem corrects until it is tripped again at later date. GM has no solution for this. This issue will leave a driver stranded and will cause engine or transmission issues if driven while the vehicle is doing this. There is no check engine light or code tripped while this occurs either.

My 2016 GMC Yukon Denali was taken in for a tune up. When I received the vehicle back, I was told that there was possibly a microscopic pin hole in my engine because fluid (engine coolant) was under one of the injectors. I was told that I may need to trade in or get another engine. I refused both. The mileage at the time was probably 120,000. I purchased this vehicle brand new and do not see how an engine is needed so quickly. I was barely finished paying for it. I was told by a co-worker that she had to trade hers in because it was doing the same thing. She had also investigated and had learned that many of these vehicles have the same issues around 114,000 miles and beyond. I think these issues need to be addressed.

Brakes will randomly stop working. When the brakes are pressed you have to press all the way down and then vehicle still won’t stop and the only way for the vehicle to come to a complete stop is to press the parking brake. Brakes and rotors have been replaced already and it still happens

Both rail lights went out at the same time. No reason whatsoever

Brake light keeps going off and on it’s like a short but when checked everything is connected

On December 6, 2022, while I was driving on a busy highway, my 2016 GMC Yukon jumped out of gear and slowed down until it was at a dead stop. I managed to pull over on the shoulder, but not before I came extremely close to another car running to the side of the vehicle at an intersection. Luckily the other driver had good breaks! Once I passed this busy intersection, I inched it very slowly to the shoulder. Luckly the road was on a decline and not an incline. I called a tow truck to tow the vehicle to a certified GM mechanic. The shop verified that the transmission went out. The mechanic stated that there was really nothing I could have done to prevent it without some type of warning. The vehicle only had 81,000 miles at the time and there were no warning lights blinking or signs that it was about to go out. Only sign was that morning while driving to work there was a hard shift between 2nd and 3rd gear but it wasn’t long after that the transmission went out. I had a new transmission installed on 12/09/2022.

I currently have 109024 miles on my yukon. At the time the issue first occurred, it had 108998 miles. Up til that moment, it was running perfectly. About 5 miles into my drive on 11/13/2022 it started to shutter at the top of 2nd gear, then a hard shift into 3rd. The shutter repeated at the top of 3rd, before a hard shift into 4th gear. I turned around & returned home. Checked the fluids, everything was fine. Let it sit, had to drive it to work (6 miles or so) on 11/14/22 & it shuttered at the top of 2nd & 3rd gear again. Took it to Wallingford Buick GMC (in CT) Tuesday 11/15/22. Upon inspection, it was confirmed the transmission failed. $6538.31 for a new, replacement transmission. It's still at the shop, waiting for the new transmission to be delivered. I've maintained my vehicle, have regular oil changes & inspections of the powertrain components. This came totally out of the blue. No warnings, or any indication of pending doom.

The contact’s wife owns a 2016 Yukon. The contact stated that while his wife was driving at approximately 5 MPH, the engine hesitated and stalled. The contact stated that his wife was able to coast the vehicle into a driveway. The check engine warning light was illuminated. The vehicle was towed to the dealer where it was diagnosed that a lifter in the engine block was damaged and the number two cylinder had failed, and the engine needed to be replaced. The vehicle was not repaired. The dealer was notified of the failure and the contact scheduled an appointment. The manufacturer was notified of the failure, but no assistance was provided. The failure mileage was approximately 102,000.