"How reliable is the 2021 Gmc Yukon?"

"Based on 375 NHTSA complaints, the 2021 Gmc Yukon has a median complaint mileage of 50000 miles. The most common issue is Engine."

"What are common problems with the 2021 Gmc Yukon?"

"The most frequently reported component in NHTSA complaints for the 2021 Gmc Yukon is Engine, accounting for a significant portion of the 375 total complaints filed."

2021 Gmc Yukon: Reliability Data

Source: NHTSA — 375 complaints

375

Total Complaints

50,000mi

Median Mileage

Engine

Top Issue

Crash Reports

When Do Complaints Happen?

Distribution of NHTSA complaints by vehicle mileage at time of report.

11,000 25th Percentile

50,000 Median Mileage

81,500 75th Percentile

What Fails?

Most reported component issues from NHTSA complaints.

Engine

132

Power Train

Fuel/Propulsion System

Engine And Engine Cooling

Electrical System

Unknown Or Other

Air Bags

Steering

Automatic Emergency Braking

Fuel System, Gasoline

Severity Assessment

Crashes

Fires

Injuries

Deaths

Sample Complaint Reports

"I RECEIVED THE CAR ON 9/8/2020, I STARTED NOTICED A ERROR MESSAGE ON 19SEP2020, THAT STATED SERVICE SAFETY RESTRAINT SYSTEM WITH THE AIRBAG WARNING LIGHT COMING ON. THIS LIGHT COMES ON AND OFF SO THERE IS NO WAY TO TELL FOR SURE IF THE AIRBAG IS WORKING APPROPRIATELY. THE MESSAGE COMES ON BOTH IF ..."

"WE WERE COMING BACK FROM A TRIP WITH MY CHILDREN AND THIS VEHICLE WAS BARELY 2 WEEKS OLD WITH 0 MILES AND WE WERE ON A HIGHWAY WHEN ALL THE EMERGENCY LIGHTS ON THE DASH WENT OFF. IT WAS FLAGGING THE ELECTRICAL SYSTEM, THE ENGINE, THE BRAKES. HONESTLY ALL THE LIGHTS POSSIBLE WENT OFF. THE VEHICLE WAS..."

Source: NHTSA ODI Complaints Database. Names and identifying details omitted.

When Were Complaints Filed?

Number of complaints by the year the issue occurred.

When Does Each Component Fail?

Median mileage at complaint for top components.

Engine 132 complaints

25th: 21,000 mi Median: 61,750 mi 75th: 87,250 mi

Power Train 39 complaints

25th: 42,675 mi Median: 61,825 mi 75th: 69,112 mi

Engine And Engine Cooling 25 complaints

25th: 65,000 mi Median: 86,000 mi 75th: 121,074 mi

Electrical System 21 complaints

25th: 4,000 mi Median: 11,000 mi 75th: 16,000 mi

Where Are Complaints Coming From?

Top states by complaint count.

TX: 44 FL: 40 NC: 29 MI: 29 GA: 20 AL: 17 CA: 13 CO: 13 MD: 11 OH: 11

Gmc Yukon — Other Years

See how this model compares across different model years.

Year	Complaints	Median Mileage	Top Issue	Crashes
1992	23	-	Antilock/Traction Control/Electronic Limited Slip	1
1994	71	120,000	Antilock/Traction Control/Electronic Limited Slip	13
1995	117	-	Seats	6
1996	90	88,000	Antilock/Traction Control/Electronic Limited Slip	10
1997	180	100,000	Hydraulic Power Assist System	13
1998	90	96,925	Antilock/Traction Control/Electronic Limited Slip	7
1999	262	90,000	Antilock/Traction Control/Electronic Limited Slip	23
2000	199	76,200	Antilock/Traction Control/Electronic Limited Slip	18
2001	258	69,999	Antilock/Traction Control/Electronic Limited Slip	29
2002	187	77,500	Service Brakes	16
2003	251	78,812	Service Brakes	11
2004	186	74,563	Instrument Cluster/Panel	7
2005	101	77,800	Electrical System	7
2006	49	85,000	Unknown Or Other	4
2007	579	88,000	Air Bags	27
2008	248	89,997	Air Bags	7
2009	116	80,000	Air Bags	3
2010	149	72,000	Air Bags	1
2011	216	69,000	Air Bags	4
2012	88	68,000	Unknown Or Other	1
2013	148	64,050	Unknown Or Other	6
2014	79	70,000	Unknown Or Other	4
2015	673	60,000	Exterior Lighting	12
2016	360	52,989	Exterior Lighting	4
2017	244	53,422	Exterior Lighting	10
2018	90	48,500	Engine	4
2019	62	34,000	Engine	0
2020	32	42,000	Power Train	0
2022	203	43,000	Engine	2
2023	244	31,000	Engine	2
2024	119	16,000	Engine	0
2025	64	-	Engine	0

Active Recalls (13)

Federal safety recalls issued for this vehicle.

Steering Control Module

Campaign 21V455000 | 17/06/2021

Increased steering effort, particularly at lower speeds, increases the risk of a crash.

The power steering module software will be updated by a dealer, or through an over-the-air (OTA) update, free of charge. Owner notification letters were mailed July 13, 2021. Owners may contact Chevrolet customer service at 1-800-222-1020; Cadillac customer service at 1-800-458-8006; or GMC custom

Driveshaft

Campaign 22V036000 | 27/01/2022

Driveshaft failure can cause a sudden loss of drive power, increasing the risk of a crash.

Dealers will replace the left and/or right rear driveshaft assemblies, free of charge. Owner notification letters were mailed on March 14, 2022. 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.

Software

Campaign 21V579000 | 29/07/2021

Overall braking performance may be compromised, increasing the risk of a crash.

Dealers will recalibrate the brake system control module, free of charge. Owner notification letters were mailed on August 27, 2021. Owners may contact Chevrolet customer service at 1-800-222-1202; GMC customer service at 1-800-462-8782. GM's number for this recall is N212340970.

Seat Belts

Campaign 20V811000 | 23/12/2020

If a seat belt assembly is not properly attached to the vehicle, the seat belt may not properly restrain an occupant in the event of a crash, increasing the risk of injury.

GM will notify owners, and dealers will replace the suspect bolts, free of charge. The recall began January 29, 2021. Owners may contact GMC customer service at 1-800-462-8785, Cadillac customer service at 1-800-458-8006, or Chevrolet customer service at 1-800-222-1020. GM's number for this recal

Tank Assembly

Campaign 21V064000 | 11/02/2021

A fuel leak in the presence of an ignition source increases the risk of a fire.

GM will notify owners, and dealers will replace the fuel tank, free of charge. The recall began March 6, 2021. Owners may contact Chevrolet customer service at 1-800-222-1020, and GMC customer service at 1-800-462-8782. GM's number for this recall is N212327720.

Seats

Campaign 20V735000 | 25/11/2020

If an occupied front seat has loose or missing attachment bolts, it may move during a crash, increasing the risk of injury to the seated occupant.

GM will notify owners, and dealers will inspect the seat attachments for both front seats and install attachment bolts as needed, free of charge. The recall began December 21, 2020. Owners may contact Chevrolet customer service at 1-800-222-1020, and GMC customer service at 1-888-988-7267. GM's n

Control/Drive Module

Campaign 21V739000 | 23/09/2021

An engine stall increases the risk of a crash.

Dealers will replace the fuel pump power control module, free of charge. Owner notification letters were mailed on October 14, 2021. 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

Srs Malfunction Warning Lamp/Light

Campaign 21V421000 | 10/06/2021

The air bag malfunction indicator light may fail to warn the driver of a problem with the air bag, increasing the risk of injury.

The communications gateway module software will be updated by a dealer, or through an over-the-air (OTA) update, free of charge. Owner notification letters were mailed on July 1, 2021. Owners may contact Buick customer service at 1-800-521-7300, Cadillac customer service at 1-800-458-8006, Chevrol

Seat Belts

Campaign 21V190000 | 18/03/2021

A damaged seat belt can break during a crash, increasing the risk of injury to the occupant.

GM will notify owners, and dealers will inspect the third-row outboard seat belts, replacing any damaged seat belts, and rerouting them if necessary, free of charge. The recall began on April 21, 2021. Owners may contact Chevrolet customer service at 1-800-222-1020, GMC customer service at 1-800-4

Critical Fasteners

Campaign 22V617000 | 11/08/2022

A seat belt with a deformed rivet may not properly restrain an occupant, increasing the risk of injury during a crash.

Dealers will inspect the rivet head formation on both the left and right side third-row seat belt buckle assemblies and replace seat belt buckle assemblies, as necessary, free of charge. Interim owner notification letters informing owners of the safety risk were mailed September 28, 2022. Owner no

Software

Campaign 22V827000 | 03/11/2022

Daytime Running Lights that do not deactivate as intended may cause a glare, reducing visibility and increasing the risk of a crash.

Dealers will provide an over-the-air (OTA) update for the Body Control Module software, free of charge. Owner notification letters were mailed December 15, 2022. Owners may contact GM customer service at 1-888-988-7267, Chevrolet customer service at 1-800-222-1020, or Cadillac customer service at

Software

Campaign 24V797000 | 24/10/2024

Rear wheel lock-up can increase the risk of a crash.

Dealers will install new transmission control module software, free of charge. GM will provide a special coverage program to cover the repair of transmissions that are identified by the remedy software as containing a defective control valve. Owner notification letters were mailed December 12, 202

Hard Parts Internal/Mechanical

Campaign 25V274000 | 24/04/2025

Engine failure increases the risk of a crash.

Dealers will inspect the engine, and as necessary, repair or replace the engine. For vehicles that pass inspection, dealers will add higher viscosity oil, install 6 oil fill cap, replace the oil filter, and update the owner's manual. Repairs will be performed free of charge. Owner notification le

Extend Your Engine Life

Based on the most common issues reported for this vehicle.

Change oil on schedule — this is the single most important thing you can do
Use the manufacturer-recommended oil weight and type
Replace the air filter every 15,000-30,000 miles
Don't ignore the check engine light — small issues become expensive fast
Let the engine warm up for 30 seconds before driving hard in cold weather
Address coolant leaks immediately to prevent overheating damage

Vehicle Rankings

Most complained Worst transmissions Worst engines Worst brakes Most crashes Compare vehicles

Looking for a replacement?

Based on the data above, here are relevant options.

2021 Gmc Yukon parts on Amazon

→

Affiliate link

Data source: View this vehicle on NHTSA.gov | NHTSA ODI Complaints Database. Public domain.

Methodology: Complaint counts and mileage distributions are computed directly from consumer-reported NHTSA complaints. This data represents reported issues, not failure rates — vehicles without complaints are not represented. Full methodology.

Data through: 2026-03-28