2019 GMC Yukon Problems & Owner Complaints
Age-normalised, this year draws ~6.6 complaints per year on the road — ranking 13 of 15 GMC Yukon years we track (1 = most complaints per year).
Thinking about buying a specific GMC Yukon?
This page shows problems reported across all 2019 GMC Yukons. Before you buy that one car, enter its VIN: get a free open-recall check, then unlock the full $19 safety report: every complaint, safety ratings & a downloadable PDF for that exact vehicle.
Checking a specific 2019 GMC Yukon? Enter its VINFree recall check · optional $19 full safety report before you buy
What owners report
Engine is the most-reported problem area on the 2019 GMC Yukon, cited in 27 of 53 filed complaints (51%).
Power Train is next (12 complaints, 23%), followed by Electrical System (9), Service Brakes (4), Steering (4).
Across all complaints, 1 report a fire, 2 report injuries.
The most safety-critical cluster is Engine: 2 injury report(s).
Complaints by vehicle system
Owner complaints filed with the U.S. NHTSA for the 2019 GMC Yukon, grouped by the vehicle system each cites. A single complaint can name more than one system, so the group totals can add up to more than 53.
Engine 27 2 injury
“TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2019 GMC YUKON. THE CONTACT STATED THAT WHILE OPERATING THE VEHICLE THE FRONT SEAT DRIVER AND PASSENGER HAD BECOME ILL AND SUFFERED DIZZINESS AND LIGHT HEADINESS AND THE PASSENGER ALSO SUFFER BREATHING PROBLEMS WHICH REQUIRED MEDICAL TREATMENT. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO THE LOCAL DEALER RIVERTOWN BUICK/GMC (1661 WHITTLESEY RD. COLUMBUS GA) WHO WAS UNABLE TO DETERMINE THE CAUSE OF THE FAILURE BUT WOULD REPLACED THE EVAPORATOR COIL. THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOT NOTIFIED OF THE FAILURE. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 2,000.”
NHTSA complaint #11220139, 2019 · 2 injury(ies)
“My wife drives this vehicle to work, it has started to experience reduced engine power driving on the highway causing her to pull to the side of the road due to no throttle to maneuver the vehicle in and out of traffic, leaving her on the side of the busy highway, we have now parked the vehicle after investigating problem there is a knocking noise coming from the lower part of the engine, after research of this 6.2l engine there are reports of the crankshaft and connecting rods seizing up and coming through the side of the engine block, knowing this we are hesitant to continue driving the vehi…”
NHTSA complaint #11754651, 2026
“I was driving home on the interstate from vacation and I was set on cruise control it was 1 am so not a lot of traffic was on the road thank god. It could have been really terrible if lots of traffic was present as the engine just died without notice! The vehicle was decelerating nothing was working I could not speed up. I was able to get over to the side of the road. I got a notification on my phone that said battery critically low start vehicle to charge battery. Well nothing would start at this point. I lot all power seconds later. I thought that the cruise control was locked up and restart…”
NHTSA complaint #11746019, 2026
Power Train 12
“The vehicle experienced a sudden and rapid mechanical failure of the 6-speed automatic transmission (6L80 model) within a span of less than two weeks. The light did not come on until the transmission was past salvage. The failure escalated rapidly from initial minor slipping to a severe loss of vehicle propulsion. A loss of acceleration while driving poses an immediate crash hazard, as the vehicle cannot safely maintain speed with surrounding traffic or accelerate out of dangerous situations. The failure required towing and a complete out-of-pocket replacement of the transmission unit at 116,3…”
NHTSA complaint #11748498, 2026
“Transmission is acting funny. Stuck in low gear /not shifting at low speeds. Vibration sometimes at higher speeds when shifting gears. 8 9 10 gears.”
NHTSA complaint #11746869, 2026
“I was driving home on the interstate from vacation and I was set on cruise control it was 1 am so not a lot of traffic was on the road thank god. It could have been really terrible if lots of traffic was present as the engine just died without notice! The vehicle was decelerating nothing was working I could not speed up. I was able to get over to the side of the road. I got a notification on my phone that said battery critically low start vehicle to charge battery. Well nothing would start at this point. I lot all power seconds later. I thought that the cruise control was locked up and restart…”
NHTSA complaint #11746019, 2026
Electrical System 9
“Engine failure at 114k miles required replacement.”
NHTSA complaint #11704342, 2025
“Driving out a town 400 miles away, with a young passenger in my car on [XXX] in rush hour traffic, i started hearing a slight ticking sound then moved into a full blown knock on my drivers side ( I recorded it). within minutes, my oil light came on and my dash notification reading "engine overheating idle" with the knocking really load. I had to cross 3 lanes to traffic quickly to get to the shoulder of the road, which was NOT a safe place. I smelled smoke and cut the the engine off. I popped the hood to see that there was now no coolant (that is all I knew to look for). I immediately…”
NHTSA complaint #11698205, 2025
“We received an alert/warning that is nearly constantly beeping and servicing the trailer brake system. We have never used the wiring or towed anything, and the trailer brake system is unused. The beeping is near constant, even after we “dismiss” the alert and is very distracting when driving.”
NHTSA complaint #11635425, 2025
Unknown Or Other 5 1 fire
“VEHICLE CAUGHT FIRE IN MY DRIVEWAY AND BURNED TO THE GROUND. MY WIFE AND I DROVE TO DINNER AND CAME HOME AROUND 830PM ON FRIDAY NIGHT (03/26/2021). THE NEXT MORNING (SATURDAY, 03/27/2021), I WAS WALKING PAST THE FRONT DOOR AROUND 8AM AND NOTICED FLAMES COMING OUT OF THE GRILLE (UNDER THE HOOD) WHEN I LOOKED OUTSIDE. TOLD MY WIFE TO CALL 911 AND I RAN OUTSIDE AND TRIED TO PUT IT OUT WITH THE FIRE HOUSE, BUT IT WAS TOO LATE AND THE FIRE TOOK OVER. THE FIRE MARSHALL STATED IT WAS AN ELECTRICAL SYSTEM FAILURE THAT CAUSED THE FIRE.”
NHTSA complaint #11405355, 2021 · fire
“Driving out a town 400 miles away, with a young passenger in my car on [XXX] in rush hour traffic, i started hearing a slight ticking sound then moved into a full blown knock on my drivers side ( I recorded it). within minutes, my oil light came on and my dash notification reading "engine overheating idle" with the knocking really load. I had to cross 3 lanes to traffic quickly to get to the shoulder of the road, which was NOT a safe place. I smelled smoke and cut the the engine off. I popped the hood to see that there was now no coolant (that is all I knew to look for). I immediately…”
NHTSA complaint #11698205, 2025
“The engine continues to slip and slows down when driving. The following codes are returned back from the onstar diagnostics, Transmission Control Module Requested Malfunction Indicator Lamp Illumination. The DTC is an informational DTC. The DTC indicates an emission related DTC set in the Transmission Control Module. The vehicle has only 132,000 miles, and I have maitain the vehicle in excellent shape. With maitainance, the transmission should last at least 300,000 miles. The Engine and Transmission System is not performing as expected. An issue has been detected in the Transmission System t…”
NHTSA complaint #11581808, 2024
Service Brakes 4
“Automatic emergency braking system deployed unexpectedly on acceleration from a traffic light stop. Vehicle was about 10-15 MPH and system operated with no brake pedal input. A vehicle behind had to do a panic stop to avoid collision. Deployment disengaged when accelerator pedal was released. My wife, principal driver, was in the car. She advised this had occurred two times before. No recalls are presently listed for the vehicle.”
NHTSA complaint #11716767, 2026
“I JUST PURCHASED THIS 2019 GMC YUKON DENALI. ABOUT 3 WEEKS AFTER; THE MESSAGE "SERVICE TRAILER BRAKE SYSTEM" STARTED BEEPING...DIDN'T REALLY PAY BOTHER ME AT 1ST SINCE I WEREN'T PLANNING TO PULL ANYTHING. THEN IT STARTED DOING IT MORE FREQUENTLY. NOW IT IS CONSTANTLY DOING IT EVERY FEW DAYS. CAN'T SEEM TO GET IT TO STOP. VERY ANNOYING... ANY SUGGESTIONS?”
NHTSA complaint #11683112, 2025
“Received a message on driver information system that states service trailer brake system. When towing a trailer, the trailer brakes are inoperable and pose a safety risk in the event of a sudden brake event. GM apparently has a service bulletin published for this message which indicated a replacement of the connector in the wire harness should be performed. Although I don't tow trailers often, I should be able to rely on this feature in my vehicle. My vehicle only has 70,000 miles and this is too soon for such a part to become faulty.”
NHTSA complaint #11464220, 2022
Steering 4
“the steering gear box became disassemble, steering wheel when to twelve o'clock, gears in steering gear box jump gear insurance inspector said a bolt back out,there was 439 recall for steering box recall in 2019 the part number changed several times with multiple bullets for same part.”
NHTSA complaint #11511545, 2023
“LOSS OF POWER STEERING, LOSS OF ELECTRONIC STABILITY CONTROL, LOSS OF ALL TRANSMISSION GEARS FORWARD AND REVERSE, LOSS OF AUTOMATIC HEADLIGHT CONTROL, LOSS OF INSTRUMENT CLUSTER GAUGES INCLUDING TACHOMETER, ENGINE OIL PRESSURE, AND ENGINE COOLANT TEMPERATURE, LOSS OF HEATED SEAT FUNCTIONALITY, LOSS OF HEATING, VENTILATION, AIR CONDITIONING, AND LOSS OF INFOTAINMENT/STEREO SYSTEM. THIS PROBLEM HAS OCCURRED ON TWO OCCASIONS NOW, THE FIRST ON 01/13/2020 AND THEN AGAIN ON 02/20/2020. THE VEHICLE WAS TOWED IN TO THE DEALER ON 01/13/2020 AND WAS ALSO TRANSPORTED TO THE SAME DEALERSHIP AGAIN ON 02/…”
NHTSA complaint #11310887, 2020
“STEERING WHEEL SURGES DURING TRAVEL ESPECIALLY WHEN TURNING AT SPEEDS.”
NHTSA complaint #11245258, 2019
Electronic Stability Control (Esc) 1
“LOSS OF POWER STEERING, LOSS OF ELECTRONIC STABILITY CONTROL, LOSS OF ALL TRANSMISSION GEARS FORWARD AND REVERSE, LOSS OF AUTOMATIC HEADLIGHT CONTROL, LOSS OF INSTRUMENT CLUSTER GAUGES INCLUDING TACHOMETER, ENGINE OIL PRESSURE, AND ENGINE COOLANT TEMPERATURE, LOSS OF HEATED SEAT FUNCTIONALITY, LOSS OF HEATING, VENTILATION, AIR CONDITIONING, AND LOSS OF INFOTAINMENT/STEREO SYSTEM. THIS PROBLEM HAS OCCURRED ON TWO OCCASIONS NOW, THE FIRST ON 01/13/2020 AND THEN AGAIN ON 02/20/2020. THE VEHICLE WAS TOWED IN TO THE DEALER ON 01/13/2020 AND WAS ALSO TRANSPORTED TO THE SAME DEALERSHIP AGAIN ON 02/…”
NHTSA complaint #11310887, 2020
Engine And Engine Cooling 1
“The contact owns a 2019 GMC Yukon. The contact stated while driving 40 MPH, there was an abnormal ticking sound coming from the vehicle. There were no warning lights illuminated. The vehicle was taken to the local dealer where it was diagnosed and determined that the water pump needed to be replaced. The vehicle was repaired; however, the failure recurred. The vehicle was taken to the dealer where it was diagnosed with engine failure, and lifters and cam phaser failures. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was not contacted. The failure mileage was approximately 7,000.”
NHTSA complaint #11664621, 2025
Equipment 1
Exterior Lighting 1
“Tailights are not working as per the dealer (Thompsons GMC of Placerville, CA). Unable to drive the car at night or near sunset.”
NHTSA complaint #11472135, 2022
Forward Collision Avoidance 1
“Automatic emergency braking system deployed unexpectedly on acceleration from a traffic light stop. Vehicle was about 10-15 MPH and system operated with no brake pedal input. A vehicle behind had to do a panic stop to avoid collision. Deployment disengaged when accelerator pedal was released. My wife, principal driver, was in the car. She advised this had occurred two times before. No recalls are presently listed for the vehicle.”
NHTSA complaint #11716767, 2026
Fuel/Propulsion System 1
“Engine failure at 114k miles required replacement.”
NHTSA complaint #11704342, 2025
Seat Belts 1
“The seatbelt on the second row driver side captain chair no longer works. It started not retracting about a year ago and now it won’t retract or pull out so it is stuck and cannot be used. The $85k Yukon is only five years old, seat belts should last longer than that. GMC wants us to pay $500 to fix a safety concern seat belt. I would understand if the vehicle was 10+ years old but we are still less than 100k miles and we just hit 5 years.”
NHTSA complaint #11605619, 2024
Seats 1
“The contact owns a 2019 GMC Yukon. The contact stated that the third-row seats electrically controlled failed to function as needed. The contact stated that that the seats failed to move forward or backwards. The contact had taken the vehicle to a local dealer, where it was diagnosed and determined that the third-row seat unit needed to be replaced. The vehicle had not been repaired. The manufacturer had not been informed of the failure. The contact researched online and related the failure TSB: PIT5550C (Left Side Third Row Seat will not Power Fold/Unfold Seats, Electrical System). The failur…”
NHTSA complaint #11543384, 2021
Structure 1
“VEHICLE STATIONARY IN CAR WASH AND WHILE MANUALLY USING HANDHELD AT FRONT OF VEHICLE TOWARDS VEHICLE GRILL, BACK OF VEHICLE OPENED/LIFTED. HAS NOW HAPPENED MULTIPLE TIMES AND DEALER HAS MADE NO REPAIR, BUT DISCONNECTED EXTERIOR SENSOR AT GATE (WHERE YOU KICK UNDER VEHICLE TO RELEASE GATE FOR LIFT/OPEN) IN EFFORT TO ELIMINATE THAT IF INSTANCE RECURS. CONCERN IS FOR SAFETY IF DRIVING IN RAIN AND BACK OPENS/LIFTS WHILE OPERATING ON HIGHWAYS/ROADS. OWNER IS FORMER SHERIFF'S DEPUTY KN KANKAKEE COUNTY.”
NHTSA complaint #11267719, 2019
Suspension 1
“Rear shocks are frozen (seized) Makes the vehicle hard to control on bumpy surfaces.”
NHTSA complaint #11496632, 2022
Visibility 1
How we read this (methodology)
How to read this: raw complaint totals are not a clean reliability score — a model year with more cars sold, or simply more years on the road, accumulates more complaints regardless of how good it is. So this page leans on two signals that are not distorted by sales volume: the share of complaints falling on each vehicle system (the breakdown above) and NHTSA's own crash / fire / injury / death flags. When we compare model years of the same model, we normalise by years on the road (complaints ÷ vehicle age) rather than comparing raw totals. Age-normalised, the 2019 GMC Yukon draws about 6.6 complaints per year on the road, ranking 13 of 15 among the GMC Yukon model years we have ingested (1 = most complaints per year on road).
Before you buy this GMC Yukon
Don't buy on the strength of a problems page alone. Check the exact VIN of the car you're looking at. The open recalls are free, and the full $19 safety report pulls every complaint, safety rating and a downloadable PDF for that one vehicle.
Related
Data source: U.S. NHTSA (nhtsa.gov). SaveVIN surfaces public recall data and is not affiliated with or endorsed by NHTSA.