YearToAvoid

2008 GMC Yukon XL Problems, Recalls & Reliability

Verdict

Caution

Complaint Index

60/100

#9 most-complained of 21 Yukon XL years

Based on NHTSA complaints per model-year, not a reliability rating. Methodology

The 2008 GMC Yukon XL has 129 owner complaints and 4 safety recalls on file with NHTSA. Its Complaint Index is 60 out of 100 — #9 highest of 21 Yukon XL model years (verdict: Caution). The most reported problem area is airbags (63 complaints, 49% of the total). Complaints report 3 crashes, 1 fire, and 7 injuries.

Complaints
129
Recalls
4
Crashes / fires
3 / 1
Injuries / deaths
7 / 0
NHTSA overall rating
Not rated
EPA combined MPG
15
13 city / 19 hwy

Top 2008 GMC Yukon XL problems

NHTSA owner complaints by component group. Groups with 15+ complaints have their own page.

  1. Airbags63 (49%)
  2. Structure & Body30 (23%)
  3. Electrical System21 (16%)
  4. Other19 (15%)
  5. Engine10 (8%)
  6. Brakes6 (5%)
  7. Transmission & Powertrain5 (4%)
  8. Fuel System4 (3%)
  9. Visibility & Wipers4 (3%)
  10. Suspension, Wheels & Tires3 (2%)
2008 GMC Yukon XL complaints: complaints filed per quarter162008 Q12011 Q22013 Q12014 Q42016 Q32018 Q12019 Q42021 Q2
166 complaints filed with NHTSA from 2008 Q1 to 2022 Q3; peak 2017 Q4 (16).

2008 GMC Yukon XL recalls

4 NHTSA recall campaigns list this model year.

  1. NHTSA 21V050000Feb 5, 2021Airbags2,641,272 vehicles

    Air bags:frontal:passenger side:inflator module

    General Motors, LLC (GM) is recalling certain 2007-2011 Cadillac Escalade, Escalade ESV, Escalade EXT, Chevrolet Avalanche, Silverado 1500, Suburban, Tahoe, GMC Sierra 1500, Yukon, Yukon XL, and 2009-2011 Chevrolet Silverado 2500, Silverado 3500, GMC Sierra 2500 and Sierra 3500 vehicles originally sold, or ever registered, in the states of Alabama, California, Florida, Georgia, Hawaii, Louisiana, Mississippi, South Carolina, Texas, Puerto Rico, American Samoa, Guam, the Northern Mariana Islands (Saipan), and the U.S. Virgin Islands or "Zone A." Additionally, GM is recalling certain 2007-2008 Cadillac Escalade, Escalade ESV, Escalade EXT, Chevrolet Avalanche, Silverado 1500, Suburban, Tahoe, GMC Sierra 1500, Yukon, Yukon XL vehicles originally sold, or ever registered, in the states of Arizona, Arkansas, Delaware, District of Columbia, Illinois, Indiana, Kansas, Kentucky, Maryland, Missouri, Nebraska, Nevada, New Jersey, New Mexico, North Carolina, Ohio, Oklahoma, Pennsylvania, Tennessee, Virginia, and West Virginia or "Zone B." These vehicles are equipped with non-desiccated passenger frontal inflators containing phase-stabilized ammonium nitrate (PSAN) propellant. These inflators may explode due to propellant degradation occurring after long-term exposure to high absolute humidity, high temperatures, and high temperature cycling.

    Risk: An inflator explosion may result in sharp metal fragments striking the driver or other occupants, resulting in serious injury or death.

    Remedy: GM will notify owners, and dealers will replace the front passenger air bag inflator with an alternate one, free of charge. Interim letters notifying owners of the safety risk were mailed on February 22, 2021. Second notification letters will be mailed once the remedy is available. Owner notification letters were mailed on March 1, 2021. Owners may contact Chevrolet customer service at 1-800-222-1020; Cadillac customer service at 1-800-458-8006; and GMC customer service at 1-800-462-8782. GM's number for this recall is N212328760.

  2. NHTSA 21V052000Feb 5, 2021Airbags557,023 vehicles

    Air bags:frontal:passenger side:inflator module

    General Motors, LLC (GM) is recalling certain 2009 Cadillac Escalade, Escalade ESV, Escalade EXT, Chevrolet Avalanche, Silverado 1500, Silverado 2500, Silverado 3500, Suburban, Tahoe, GMC Sierra 1500, Sierra 2500, Sierra 3500, Yukon, and Yukon XL vehicles originally sold, or ever registered, in the states of Arizona, Arkansas, Delaware, District of Columbia, Illinois, Indiana, Kansas, Kentucky, Maryland, Missouri, Nebraska, Nevada, New Jersey, New Mexico, North Carolina, Ohio, Oklahoma, Pennsylvania, Tennessee, Virginia, and West Virginia or "Zone B." Additionally, GM is recalling certain 2007-2008 Cadillac Escalade, Escalade ESV, and Escalade EXT, Chevrolet Avalanche, Silverado 1500, Suburban, Tahoe, GMC Sierra 1500, Yukon, and Yukon XL vehicles originally sold, or ever registered, in the states of Alaska, Colorado, Connecticut, Idaho, Iowa, Maine, Massachusetts, Michigan, Minnesota, Montana, New Hampshire, New York, North Dakota, Oregon, Rhode Island, South Dakota, Utah, Vermont, Washington, Wisconsin, and Wyoming or "Zone C." These vehicles are equipped with non-desiccated passenger frontal inflators containing phase-stabilized ammonium nitrate (PSAN) propellant. These inflators may explode due to propellant degradation occurring after long-term exposure to high absolute humidity, high temperatures, and high temperature cycling.

    Risk: An inflator explosion may result in sharp metal fragments striking the driver or other occupants, resulting in serious injury or death.

    Remedy: GM will notify owners, and dealers will replace the front passenger air bag inflator with an alternate one, free of charge. Interim letters notifying owners of the safety risk were mailed on February 23, 2021. Second notification letters will be mailed once the remedy is available. Owner notification letters were mailed on September 20, 2021. Owners may contact Chevrolet customer service at 1-800-222-1020, Cadillac customer service at 1-800-458-8006, and GMC customer service at 1-800-462-8782. GM's number for this recall is N212328780.

  3. NHTSA 10V240000Jun 4, 2010Electrical System1,365,070 vehicles

    Electrical system

    Gm is recalling certain model year 2006-2009 buick, lucerne; cadillac dts; hummer h2; model year 2008-2009 buick enclave; cadillac cts; model year 2007-2009 cadillac escalade, escalade esv, escalade ext; chevrolet avalanche, silverado, suburban, tahoe; gmc acadia, sierra, yukon, yukon xl; saturn outlook; and model year 2009 chevrolet traverse vehicles equipped with a heated washer fluid system (hwfs). A recall was implemented in 2008 to add a fuse to the control circuit harness to address the potential consequences of a printed circuit board (pcb) electrical short. However, there have been new reports of thermal incidents on hwfs modules after this improvement was installed. These incidents resulted from a new failure mode attributed to the device's thermal protection feature. The significance varies from minor distortion to considerable melting of the plastic around the hwfs fluid chamber.

    Risk: It is possible for the heated washer module to ignite and a fire may occur.

    Remedy: Dealers will permanently disable and remove the heated washer fluid module. An updated page for the owner manual will be provided and inserted in the owner manual to document that the feature has been permanently disabled and removed from the vehicle. The safety recall began on june 11, 2010. Owners may contact buick at 1-866-608-8080, cadillac at 1-866-982-2339, chevrolet at 1-800-630-2438, saturn at 1-800-972-8876, gmc at 1-866-996-9463 and hummer at 1-800-732-5493 or at the owner center at www.gmownercenter.com.

See all 4 recalls for the 2008 GMC Yukon XL →

2008 GMC Yukon XL fuel economy and fuel cost

City
13 MPG
Highway
19 MPG
Combined
15 MPG
Annual fuel cost (EPA)
$4,350
15,000 mi/yr
Fuel
Regular
Current regular gas
$4.32/gal
national avg.

EPA figures; median across configurations of this model year. Estimate your own cost with the fuel cost calculator.

2008 compared with other Yukon XL years

Complaint Index by model year (0 = fewest issues, 100 = most)0255075100’05’06’07’08’09’10’11’12’13’14’15’16’17’18’19’20’21’22’23’24’25
Complaint Index: 0 = fewest issues, 100 = most, relative to other years of this model. Avoid Caution Good Best
YearVerdictIndexComplaintsRecallsMPG
2006Good533214
2007Avoid80218416
2008Caution60129415
2009Good3556516
2010Best2065316

All GMC Yukon XL years: best and worst →

Frequently asked questions

Is the 2008 GMC Yukon XL a reliable year?
Judged by NHTSA owner complaints and recalls, the 2008 GMC Yukon XL ranks #9 of 21 among Yukon XL model years (Complaint Index 60/100, verdict: Caution). It has 129 complaints and 4 recalls on file. This reflects reported safety-related problems, not an overall reliability rating.
What are the most common problems with the 2008 GMC Yukon XL?
The most reported problem areas are airbags (63 complaints), structure & body (30 complaints), and electrical system (21 complaints). The median mileage at the time of failure in complaints that report it is 85,150 miles.
Does the 2008 GMC Yukon XL have any recalls?
Yes — NHTSA lists 4 recall campaigns for the 2008 GMC Yukon XL, most recently reported 2021, covering airbags and electrical system.
What is the fuel economy of the 2008 GMC Yukon XL?
EPA rates the 2008 GMC Yukon XL at 15 MPG combined (13 city / 19 highway), with an estimated annual fuel cost of $4,350. Where several configurations exist, the median is shown.

Sources: NHTSA Office of Defects Investigation complaint and recall databases; U.S. EPA fuel economy data; NHTSA 5-Star Safety Ratings. Complaints are unverified owner reports.

Data updated Sep 24, 2026. Read the methodology and data sources. The Complaint Index is based on NHTSA owner complaints and recalls; it is not a reliability rating.