YearToAvoid

2011 GMC Yukon XL Problems, Recalls & Reliability

Verdict

Good

Complaint Index

47/100

#9 most-complained of 16 Yukon XL years

The 2011 GMC Yukon XL has 128 NHTSA complaints and a complaint index of 47, ranking 9th worst out of 16 model years with data. GM issued 5 recalls, covering airbags, steering, ignition lock, and rear axle. Owners rated it "Good" relative to other Yukon XL years.

Complaints
128
Recalls
5
Crashes / fires
1 / 2
Injuries / deaths
2 / 0
NHTSA overall rating
Not rated
EPA combined MPG
15
13.5 city / 18 hwy

Top 2011 GMC Yukon XL problems

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

  1. Other63 (49%)
  2. Airbags51 (40%)
  3. Structure & Body32 (25%)
  4. Electrical System8 (6%)
  5. Engine7 (5%)
  6. Transmission & Powertrain5 (4%)
  7. Visibility & Wipers2 (2%)
  8. Brakes1 (1%)
  9. HVAC1 (1%)
  10. Seat Belts1 (1%)

What owners report

  • Rear seat heaters have overheated and ignited, in one case burning through the cushion while a child was seated on it during highway driving.
  • Front passenger air bags tied to the Takata recall have failed to deploy in crashes, leaving vehicles with severe front-end damage and no airbag protection.
  • Some owners report abnormal burning odors and illuminated air bag warning lights while waiting for the Takata recall repair to be completed.
  • Power tailgates have closed unexpectedly after the button was pressed, striking occupants standing underneath before the lift piston failure was diagnosed.
  • Dashboards near the passenger airbag and instrument cluster have cracked and, in some cases, opened into a hole, raising concern about sharp edges near the airbag deployment zone.
  • One owner described the accelerator sticking at highway speed, requiring use of the emergency brake and eventually exiting the moving vehicle to stop it.
2011 GMC Yukon XL complaints: complaints filed per quarter172011 Q32015 Q12016 Q22017 Q32018 Q42020 Q12022 Q12026 Q2
172 complaints filed with NHTSA from 2011 Q3 to 2026 Q2; peak 2017 Q2 (17).

2011 GMC Yukon XL recalls

5 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 21V054000Feb 5, 2021Airbags1,778,128 vehicles

    Air bags:frontal:passenger side:inflator module

    General Motors, LLC (GM) is recalling certain 2014 Cadillac Escalade, Escalade ESV, Chevrolet Silverado 2500, Silverado 3500, Suburban, Tahoe, GMC Sierra 2500, Sierra 3500, Yukon, and Yukon XL vehicles originally sold, or ever registered, in the states of AL, CA, FL, GA, HI, LA, MS, SC, TX, PR, AS, GU, the MP, and VI or "Zone A." Additionally GM is recalling certain 2011-2014 Cadillac Escalade, Escalade ESV, Chevrolet Silverado 2500, Silverado 3500, Suburban, Tahoe, GMC Sierra 2500, Sierra 3500, Yukon, Yukon XL and 2011-2013 Cadillac Escalade EXT, Chevrolet Avalanche, Silverado 1500, and GMC Sierra 1500 vehicles originally sold, or ever registered, in the states of AZ, AR, DE, DC, IL, IN, KS, KY, MD, MO, NE, NV, NJ, NM, NC, OH, OK, PA, TN, VA, and WV or "Zone B." Additionally, GM is recalling certain 2010-2014 Cadillac Escalade, Escalade ESV, Chevrolet Silverado 2500, Silverado 3500, Suburban, Tahoe, GMC Sierra 2500, Sierra 3500, Yukon, and Yukon XL and 2010-2013 Cadillac Escalade EXT, Chevrolet Avalanche, Silverado 1500, and GMC Sierra 1500 vehicles originally sold, or ever registered, in the states of AK, CO, CT, ID, IA, ME, MA, MI, MN, MT, NH, NY, ND, OR, RI, SD, UT, VT, WA, WI, and WY 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 25, 2021. Second notification letters will be mailed once the remedy is available. Owner notification letters were mailed to 40 VIN owners on May 11, 2021. A second owner notification letter was mailed to all other owners on January 24, 2022. 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 N212328800.

  3. NHTSA 14V827000Dec 30, 2014Electrical System84,192 vehicles

    Electrical system:ignition

    General Motors LLC (GM) is recalling certain model year 2011-2012 Cadillac Escalade, Escalade ESV, Escalade EXT, Chevrolet Avalanche, Silverado HD, Silverado LD, Suburban, Tahoe, GMC Sierra LD, Sierra HD, Yukon, and Yukon XL vehicles. In the affected vehicles, the ignition lock actuator may bind, making turning the key difficult or causing the ignition to get stuck in the "Start" position.

    Risk: If stuck in the "Start" position, the ignition may suddenly snap back into the "Accessory" position, causing a loss of engine, steering, and braking power, increasing the risk of a vehicle crash. If the vehicle is in a crash, the air bags may not deploy, increasing the risk of occupant injury.

    Remedy: GM will notify owners, and dealers will inspect and replace the ignition lock housing, as necessary, free of charge. The recall began on February 12, 2015. Owners may contact GM customer service at 1-800-458-8006 (Cadillac), 1-800-222-1020 (Chevrolet), or 1-800-462-8782 (GMC). GM's number for this recall is 14696 for the original equipment, and 14912 for the service replacement parts.

See all 5 recalls for the 2011 GMC Yukon XL →

2011 GMC Yukon XL fuel economy and fuel cost

City
13.5 MPG
Highway
18 MPG
Combined
15 MPG
Annual fuel cost (EPA)
$4,350
15,000 mi/yr
Fuel
Gasoline or E85
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.

2011 compared with other Yukon XL years

Complaint Index by model year (0 = fewest issues, 100 = most)0255075100’10’11’12’13’14’15’16’17’18’19’20’21’22’23’24’25
Complaint Index: 0 = fewest issues, 100 = most, relative to other years of this model. Avoid Caution Good Best
YearVerdictIndexComplaintsRecallsMPG
2010Good2765316
2011Good47128515
2012Best1341415
2013Best735415

All GMC Yukon XL years: best and worst →

Frequently asked questions

Is the 2011 GMC Yukon XL reliable compared to other years?
NHTSA data gives the 2011 Yukon XL a complaint index of 47 and a rank of 9th worst out of 16 model years, with a "Good" verdict relative to other Yukon XL years.
What is the top problem area for the 2011 GMC Yukon XL?
Airbags are the top problem area, accounting for 51 of 128 complaints (40% share), including issues tied to the Takata airbag recall.
Does the 2011 GMC Yukon XL have any recalls?
Yes, NHTSA lists 5 recalls for the 2011 Yukon XL, covering front passenger airbag inflators, ignition lock housing, intermediate steering shaft bolts, and a rear axle cross pin.
At what mileage do airbag problems typically show up in the 2011 Yukon XL?
The median mileage at failure for airbag-related complaints is 80,734 miles, the highest median mileage among the reported problem areas.
How does the 2011 Yukon XL compare to the worst Yukon XL model years?
The 2011 model's complaint index of 47 is far below the worst years, such as 2023 with a complaint index of 100 and 372 complaints in 2015, both rated "Avoid."

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.