There are 22 owner-reported engine complaints for the 2016 GMC Yukonin NHTSA's database. These are unverified consumer reports and may not reflect confirmed defects.
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.
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)
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.
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.
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.
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.
Engine lifter failure causing complete engine failure at 70,000 miles without any warning. All vehicle maintenance done and serviced at dealer 30 days prior. Left our family stranded on a busy 2 lane highway and were lucky to even get off the road.
The contact owns a 2016 GMC Yukon. The contact stated while driving approximately 30 MPH, the vehicle began to shudder and she noticed that the park assists, stabilitrak, and check engine warning lights were illuminated. The contact stated that the vehicle then stalled. The contact was able to shift the vehicle to park and restarted the vehicle. Additionally, the contact stated that after the vehicle stalled, the vehicle lost power steering functionality. The contact stated that the failure was intermittent at first but had become constant. Additionally, the air bag warning light and an audible chime would sound when the engine stalled. The contact had taken the vehicle to a local dealer, where it was diagnosed and determined that the failure could not be duplicated. The vehicle was not repaired. The contact stated that the failure had recurred. The manufacturer had not been informed of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 90,000.
Radiator is leaking antifreeze because of excessive thermocycles within the cooling system caused by excessive cycling of the thermostat. Vehicle leaking antifreeze causing environmental hazards and possible overheating causing vehicle to shut off. GM knows about this and posted a service bulletin but will not repair when out of warranty.
The Active Fuel Management System caused excessive wear and tear on the engine, causing the lifters, push rods and valves to be damaged, while under normal operation and regular maintenance intervals. The damage caused, by this failure resulted in the yukon breaking down in the middle of the highway. Every shop/dealership we called all said the samething, this has been a common problem with vehicles equipped with this type of system and the only fix is to replace the motor. Luckily traffic was light that day or things could have been worse. Its dangerous enough to get stranded in the middle of the highway with no way to move the vehicle.
2016 YUKON SHUDDERING, HAD A TRANSMISSION FLUID CHANGE WHICH HELPED WITH THE SHUDDERING. WE'VE PUT 15K+M PLUS MILES ON IT SINCE THE FLUID FLUSH, IT'S STARTING TO SHIFT HARD BETWEEN 1ST AND 2ND GEAR AND THE ENGINE LIGHT COME ON INTERMITTENTLY.
CAR KEEPS RUNNING ROUGH, STUTTERING WHEN SWITCHING OFF, SMELLS LIKE GAS. ENGINE LIGHT COMES ON AND GOES OFF EVERY OTHER DAY. STARTED AFTER FUEL INJECTOR RECALL, DEALERSHIP SAYS IT'S THE FUEL PUMP LEAKING AND UNRELATED TO THE FUEL INJECTOR PROBLEM. I DON'T KNOW IF THEY CHANGED THE GASKETS AND THE LINES WHEN FIXING THE INJECTORS. IT'S A HIGH PRESSURE FUEL PUMP WITH DIRECT INJECTORS.
I TOOK MY VEHICLE IN FOR SERVICE OIL CHANGE AND BATTERY REPLACEMENT ON 6/29/20 AND THEY TOLD ME BY RADIATOR NEEDED TO BE REPLACED BECAUSE OF LEAK. I DID NOT KNOW IT WAS LEAKING. THEY SAID THIS IS A PROBLEM WITH VEHICLES OF MY TYPE. MY VEHICLE HAD 56434 MILES ON IT AT THE TIME. IT WAS $1204.82 PLUS TAX TO REPLACE.
The contact owns a 2016 GMC Yukon. The contact stated that the vehicle was initially repaired under warranty for a bent push rod in cylinder #4; however, the failure recurred. The vehicle was repaired another time at the expense of the contact's son, who previously owned the vehicle; however, the failure persisted. The contact stated that while idling and while driving, the engine was misfiring and running rough. Additionally, there was a significant amount of smoke coming from the exhaust pipe. The check engine warning light was illuminated. The vehicle was taken back to the dealer, where it was diagnosed, and the dealer determined that the engine needed to be replaced. The vehicle was not repaired due to the cost. The manufacturer was contacted and informed that the repair would not be covered because the vehicle was out of warranty. The failure mileage was approximately 27,000.
CAR ENGINE SHUT OFF WITH NO WARNING, I STARTED THE CAR, DROVE ABOUT 50 YARDS TO A STOP SIGN, STOPPED, STARTED TO PULL AWAY AND THE ENGINE COMPLETELY DIED. NO WARNING LIGHTS. I WAS HALFWAY INTO THE STREET. I PUT THE CAR INTO PARK AND WAS ABLE TO START IT AGAIN. THE CAR HAS ABOUT 37,000 MILES AND WAS SERVICED BY THE DEALER 11 DAYS PRIOR (ROUTINE SERVICE).
THE AIR CONDITIONING CONDENSERS AND ASSOCIATED PARTS ARE FAILING ON THE 2016 GMC YUKON. GMC HAS YET TO ISSUE ANY RECALL EVEN THOUGH THESE AC UNITS ARE CONSTANTLY BREAKING ON THESE VEHICLES.
10/1/2018 I WAS DRIVING MY VEHICLE ON THE 99 FREEWAY SOUTH BOUND IN LATHROP, CA AND OUT OF NOWHERE MY VEHICLE BEGAN TO OVERHEAT, THE TEMPERATURE GAUGE WAS TO THE VERY TOP, I WAS NOT ABLE TO DRIVE TO DRIVE TO A NEARBY GAS STATION, DUE TO THE VEHICLE LOST SPEED AND IT WOULD NOT LET ME ACCELERATE DURING THAT TIME THE ENGINE IDLE LIGHT CAME ON, SO I WAS FORCED TO PULL OVER ON A VERY NARROW SOFT SHOULDER, THEN IMMEDIATELY THE CHECK ENGINE LIGHT CAME ON AND ALSO THE SERVICE ENGINE LIGHT. THERE WAS A LIGHT SMOKE A LOT OF NOISES COMING FROM THE ENGINE. EVERYTHING HAPPENS SO FAST IT WAS VERY FRIGHTENING DUE TO THE HEAVY ONCOMING TRAFFIC PASSING ME BY. I HAD TO HAVE MY CAR TOED TO STOCKTON FOR REPAIR.
4 WEEK OLD 2016 YUKON DENALI XL, HAS STALLED 3 TIMES IN LAST 4 WEEKS, ENGINE CUTS OFF AFTER A LEFT OR RIGHT TURN, AND IT HAS TO BE RESTARTED! COULD HAVE EASILY HAD AN ACCIDENT OR WORSE. TOOK IT TO THE DEALER, 3 TIMES. 1ST TWO TIMES, ALL OF SERVICE DEPT. COULD NOT DIAGNOSE THE PROBLEM. TODAY, AFTER A STALL, CALLED ONSTAR, RAN A DIAGNOSTICS, FOUND NOTHING OF VALUE , I LEFT IT AT DEALERSHIP AND CONTACTED DISTRICT MGR. MATT TILLSON . I WAS TOLD THAT THEY WOULD ESCALATE THE ISSUE. I DID TELL DEALER THAT GMC AND DEALERSHIP WOULD BE AT FAULT IF VEHICLE IS IN AN ACCIDENT AND DIES WHILE I AM DRIVING. I DID NOT WANT THE VEHICLE BACK WITHOUT THE PROBLEM HAVING BEEN FIXED.
Showing 1–20 of 22 complaints
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 25, 2026