YearToAvoid

2011 GMC Yukon Problems, Recalls & Reliability

Verdict

Caution

Complaint Index

60/100

#7 most-complained of 16 Yukon years

The 2011 GMC Yukon has a Complaint Index of 60 and ranks 7th worst out of 16 model years, earning a Caution verdict. Airbags are the top problem area, with 105 complaints (41% share) and a median failure mileage of 72,000.

Complaints
254
Recalls
5
Crashes / fires
2 / 2
Injuries / deaths
3 / 2
NHTSA overall rating
4 / 5 ★
EPA combined MPG
17
15 city / 21 hwy

Top 2011 GMC Yukon problems

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

  1. Other116 (46%)
  2. Airbags105 (41%)
  3. Structure & Body45 (18%)
  4. Engine17 (7%)
  5. Brakes11 (4%)
  6. Electrical System8 (3%)
  7. Transmission & Powertrain8 (3%)
  8. Fuel System7 (3%)
  9. Suspension, Wheels & Tires7 (3%)
  10. Steering2 (1%)

What owners report

  • Seat warmers in the rear seats have reportedly caught fire while the vehicle was idling, with smoke and smoldering coming from under the booster seat.
  • Airbags failed to deploy in a rear-end collision at a stop sign, and the driver sustained a head injury.
  • Brakes have shimmied at highway speeds around 55-60 mph, with the check brake system light illuminating and hard transmission shifts reported.
  • Steering has locked up temporarily after cold overnight parking, showing 'service steering' and 'service battery' dashboard messages.
  • A wheel bearing seized while driving around 30 mph, producing a loud grinding noise and requiring replacement of the bearing, calipers, and rotors.
  • Rear suspension has locked up and raised the back of the vehicle after normal driving, accompanied by a burnt smell and a service suspension warning.
2011 GMC Yukon complaints: complaints filed per quarter292011 Q22014 Q42016 Q22017 Q42019 Q22020 Q42022 Q22024 Q2
328 complaints filed with NHTSA from 2011 Q2 to 2025 Q1; peak 2017 Q4 (29).

2011 GMC Yukon 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 →

2011 GMC Yukon fuel economy and fuel cost

City
15 MPG
Highway
21 MPG
Combined
17 MPG
Annual fuel cost (EPA)
$3,800
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 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
2010Good40158317
2011Caution60254517
2012Best1391317
2013Good33146417

All GMC Yukon years: best and worst →

Frequently asked questions

Is the 2011 GMC Yukon reliable?
Compared to other Yukon model years, the 2011 gets a Caution verdict with a Complaint Index of 60, ranking 7th worst out of 16 years tracked. It sits below the 2015, 2021, 2023, and 2024 model years, which carry Avoid verdicts.
What is the biggest problem with the 2011 GMC Yukon?
Airbags are the top problem area, accounting for 105 complaints, or 41% of all complaints for this year, with a median failure mileage of 72,000.
Does the 2011 GMC Yukon have any recalls?
NHTSA lists 5 recalls for the 2011 GMC Yukon, covering airbags, the ignition lock housing, steering shaft bolts, and a rear axle cross pin. None are do-not-drive recalls.
How does the 2011 Yukon compare to other years?
The 2011 Yukon's Complaint Index of 60 is worse than the 2010 (40), 2012 (13), 2013 (33), 2017 (47), and 2018 (27), but better than the 2015 (100) and 2021 (93), which are the worst years.
What is the fuel economy of the 2011 GMC Yukon?
The 2011 GMC Yukon is EPA-rated at 17 mpg combined (15 city / 21 highway), with an estimated annual fuel cost of $3,800.

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.