YearToAvoid

2016 GMC Yukon XL Problems, Recalls & Reliability

Verdict

Caution

Complaint Index

73/100

#5 most-complained of 16 Yukon XL years

The 2016 GMC Yukon XL has a Complaint Index of 73, ranking 5th worst among 16 model years, with 230 NHTSA complaints and 3 recalls. It carries a Caution verdict, driven mainly by electrical system issues (52% of complaints).

Complaints
230
Recalls
3
incl. Do Not Drive
Crashes / fires
9 / 2
Injuries / deaths
3 / 0
NHTSA overall rating
Not rated
EPA combined MPG
—

Top 2016 GMC Yukon XL problems

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

  1. Electrical System119 (52%)
  2. Brakes42 (18%)
  3. Transmission & Powertrain36 (16%)
  4. Engine32 (14%)
  5. Other18 (8%)
  6. Suspension, Wheels & Tires11 (5%)
  7. Steering9 (4%)
  8. Structure & Body8 (3%)
  9. Fuel System5 (2%)
  10. Airbags3 (1%)

What owners report

  • Rear tail lights fail before 40,000 miles, prompting owners to call for a recall.
  • Brakes lose assist unexpectedly, with some owners reporting delayed brake engagement leading to rear-end crashes around 30 to 60 mph.
  • Airbags fail to deploy after a crash, even with significant front-end damage.
  • Charging system warnings appear alongside dashboard flickering, followed by burning smells and smoke or flames from under the hood.
  • Engine wiring harness fires occur, sometimes producing heavy smoke from under the dash.
  • 4WD system fails shortly after purchase, with the transfer case locking into 4wdlo unexpectedly at very low mileage.
2016 GMC Yukon XL complaints: complaints filed per quarter412015 Q42017 Q42019 Q22020 Q42022 Q22024 Q12025 Q3
285 complaints filed with NHTSA from 2015 Q4 to 2026 Q3; peak 2019 Q3 (41).

2016 GMC Yukon XL recalls

3 NHTSA recall campaigns list this model year.

  1. NHTSA 17V437000Jul 10, 2017Seat Belts40,683 vehicles

    Seat belts:pretensioner

    General Motors LLC (GM) is recalling certain model year 2014-2016 Buick Lacrosse and Chevrolet Spark EV, Caprice PPV and SS vehicles, 2014-2017 Buick Encore and Chevrolet Corvette, Silverado 1500 and GMC Sierra 1500 vehicles, 2015-2016 Cadillac Escalade and Escalade ESV, Chevrolet Tahoe, Trax, Suburban and Silverado 2500 and 3500 and GMC Yukon and Yukon XL vehicles, and 2015-2017 GMC Sierra HD 2500 and 3500 vehicles. While being previously remedied for recall 16V-651, the affected vehicles may not have received the complete software update necessary to remedy the recall condition. Without the update, certain driving conditions may cause the air bag sensing and diagnostic module (SDM) software to activate a diagnostic test. During this test, deployment of the frontal air bags and the seat belt pretensioners would not occur in the event of a crash.

    Risk: A failure of the front air bags or seat belt pretensioners to deploy in the event of a crash necessitating deployment increases the risk of injury to the driver and front passenger.

    Remedy: GM will notify owners, and dealers will reflash the SDM software. Vehicles that have had a previous air bag deployment will have the SDM replaced. These repairs will be performed free of charge. The recall began on August 4, 2017. Owners may contact Buick customer service at 1-800-521-7300, Cadillac customer service at 1-800-458-8006, Chevrolet customer service at 1-800-222-1020, or GMC customer service at 1-800-462-8782. GM's number for this recall is 17287.

  2. NHTSA 16V651000Sep 8, 2016Airbags3,640,162 vehicles

    Air bags:frontal:sensor/control module-inactive

    General Motors LLC (GM) is recalling certain model year 2015-2017 Chevrolet Silverado 2500 HD, 3500 HD, Tahoe, Suburban, GMC Sierra 2500 HD and 3500 HD, GMC Yukon, GMC Yukon XL, Cadillac Escalade and Cadillac Escalade ESV vehicles and 2014-2017 Chevrolet Corvette, Silverado 1500, Trax, Caprice Police Pursuit Vehicle, GMC Sierra 1500, Buick Encore, and 2014-2016 Buick Lacrosse, Chevrolet Spark EV and SS vehicles. In the affected vehicles, certain driving conditions may cause the air bag sensing and diagnostic module (SDM) software to activate a diagnostic test. During this test, deployment of the frontal air bags and the seat belt pretensioners would not occur in the event of a crash.

    Risk: A failure of the front air bags or seat belt pretensioners to deploy in the event of a crash necessitating deployment increases the risk of injury to the driver and front passenger.

    Remedy: GM will notify owners, and dealers will reflash the SDM software. Vehicles that have had a previous air bag deployment will have the SDM replaced. These repairs will be performed free of charge. The recall began on October 13, 2016. Owners may contact Buick customer service at 1-800-521-7300, Cadillac customer service at 1-800-458-8006, Chevrolet customer service at 1-800-222-1020, or GMC customer service at 1-800-462-8782. GM's number for this recall is 16007.

  3. NHTSA 16V256000Apr 28, 2016Suspension, Wheels & Tires3,738 vehiclesDo Not Drive

    Suspension:front:control arm

    General Motors LLC (GM) is recalling certain model year 2016-2017 Chevrolet Silverado 1500 and 2016 Cadillac Escalade, Cadillac Escalade ESV, Chevrolet Suburban, Chevrolet Tahoe, GMC Sierra, GMC Yukon and GMC Yukon XL vehicles. The front upper control arms may have inadequate welds near the control arm bushing.

    Risk: Inadequate welds may allow the control arm to separate from the bushing, compromising steering and increasing the risk of a crash.

    Remedy: GM will notify owners, and dealers will replace the left and right front upper control arms and realign the vehicle, free of charge. The recall began on May 18, 2016. Until the repairs have been made, owners are advised not to drive their vehicles. Owners may contact Chevrolet customer service at 1-800-222-1020, Cadillac customer service at 1-800-458-8006, or GMC customer service at 1-800-462-8782. GM's number for this recall is 42190.

2016 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
2014Best016316.5
2015Avoid873722—
2016Caution732303 !—
2017Caution601511—
2018Good33552 !—

All GMC Yukon XL years: best and worst →

Frequently asked questions

Is the 2016 GMC Yukon XL reliable?
NHTSA data gives the 2016 Yukon XL a Complaint Index of 73, the 5th worst of 16 model years tracked, with a Caution verdict. Electrical system problems make up 52% of its 230 complaints.
What is the biggest problem with the 2016 GMC Yukon XL?
Electrical system issues are the top problem area, accounting for 119 of 230 complaints (52%), including tail light failures and reported fires, at a median mileage of 51,500.
Does the 2016 GMC Yukon XL have any recalls?
Yes, NHTSA lists 3 recalls for the 2016 Yukon XL, covering seat belts, airbags, and a suspension issue involving front upper control arms; one of these is a do-not-drive recall.
How does the 2016 Yukon XL compare to other years?
The 2016 model's Complaint Index of 73 is worse than years like 2012, 2013, 2014, and 2020, which are rated Best, but better than 2015, 2021, 2022, and 2023, which carry Avoid verdicts.

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.