2016 GMC Yukon XL Reliability Data: Problems & Recalls
Avoid The 2016 GMC Yukon XL has 230 NHTSA complaints, a complaint index of 75, and ranks 6th worst of 21 model years, earning an Avoid verdict. Electrical System problems dominate at 52% of complaints, with brakes and transmission issues also common.
Based on NHTSA complaints per model-year, not a reliability rating. Methodology
YearToAvoid Scorecard
- Complaint Index
- 75/100
- #6 of 21 Yukon XL years
- Verdict
- Avoid
- vs. other years of this model
- Complaints
- 230
- unique NHTSA reports
- Recalls
- 3
- 1 Do Not Drive
- Crashes
- 9
- reported in complaints
- Fires
- 2
- Injuries
- 3
- Top issue
- Electrical System
Top 2016 GMC Yukon XL problems
Share of this year’s NHTSA complaints by component group. Groups with 15+ complaints have their own page.
- Electrical System119 (52%)
- Brakes42 (18%)
- Transmission & Powertrain36 (16%)
- Engine32 (14%)
- Other18 (8%)
- Suspension, Wheels & Tires11 (5%)
- Steering9 (4%)
- Structure & Body8 (3%)
- Fuel System5 (2%)
- Airbags3 (1%)
A complaint can list more than one component, so shares add up to more than 100%. Shares are % of complaints.
What owners report
- Rear tail lights fail well under 40,000 miles, prompting recall requests.
- Charging system warnings and battery lights appear alongside dash and infotainment flickering, sometimes followed by smoke or fire under the hood.
- Engine wiring harnesses have caught fire, filling the cabin with smoke while driving.
- Brake pedal delays or vacuum pump failures cause drivers to rear-end vehicles ahead at moderate speeds.
- Airbags fail to deploy during rear-end crash situations despite hard braking.
- A 'service 4wd system' message appeared within days of purchase, with the transfer case locking up unexpectedly in 4WD low.
2016 GMC Yukon XL recalls
3 NHTSA recall campaigns list this model year.
- 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.
- 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.
- 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
Frequently asked questions
- Is the 2016 GMC Yukon XL reliable?
- Based on NHTSA owner complaints and recalls, the 2016 Yukon XL ranks 6th worst among 21 model years with a complaint index of 75, earning an Avoid verdict relative to other years.
- What are the most common problems with the 2016 GMC Yukon XL?
- Electrical System issues make up 52% of complaints (119 of 230), followed by Brakes at 18% and Transmission & Powertrain at 16%. Median mileage at failure for electrical problems was 51,500 miles.
- Does the 2016 GMC Yukon XL have recalls?
- NHTSA lists 3 recall campaigns for the 2016 Yukon XL, covering seat belts, airbags, and suspension. One of these, the suspension recall (16V256000), is a do-not-drive recall.
- How does the 2016 Yukon XL compare to other model years?
- The 2016 model's complaint index of 75 is worse than years like 2014 (index 0, Best) and 2013 (index 10, Best), but better than 2015 (index 90, Avoid) and 2023 (index 100, Avoid).