U.S. public vehicle records

Gmc DENALI problems and owner complaints

Explore the records behind recurring owner reports.

Key facts

170 owner complaints analyzed

2 distinct recall campaigns

64,000 mi median reported failure mileage

Scope: 1999 to 2015 model years. Data snapshot: 2026-09-12 (September 12, 2026). 115 complaints include usable failure mileage.

Owner-reported patterns

Most common problems

Unknown Or Other is the most frequently named component, appearing in 25 of 170 complaints (14.7%). A complaint can name multiple components.

Recurring terms in complaint narratives
Topic	Matching reports	Share of complaints
Braking behavior	38	22.4%
Steering behavior	19	11.2%
Transmission and shifting	13	7.6%
Engine operation	10	5.9%
Electrical and battery issues	8	4.7%
Fuel system concerns	5	2.9%

Topic matches use published keyword rules. They describe mentions, including negations or comparisons, and do not confirm a diagnosis. Read the matching rules.

Component breakdown

Number of unique complaints naming each component. Top eight shown.

Unknown Or Other

Air Bags

Electrical System

Exterior Lighting

Engine And Engine Cooling:Engine

Service Brakes

Service Brakes, Hydraulic:Antilock/Traction Control/Electronic Limited Slip

Power Train:Automatic Transmission

Component breakdown data
Category	Count
Unknown Or Other	25
Air Bags	21
Electrical System	13
Exterior Lighting	9
Engine And Engine Cooling:Engine	8
Service Brakes	8
Service Brakes, Hydraulic:Antilock/Traction Control/Electronic Limited Slip	8
Power Train:Automatic Transmission	7

Unknown Or Other: 25; Air Bags: 21; Electrical System: 13; Exterior Lighting: 9; Engine And Engine Cooling:Engine: 8; Service Brakes: 8; Service Brakes, Hydraulic:Antilock/Traction Control/Electronic Limited Slip: 8; Power Train:Automatic Transmission: 7

Reported problems by failure mileage

Complaint counts in mileage bands. These are not failure rates per vehicle or mile.

Under 25,000

25,000 to 49,999

50,000 to 74,999

75,000 to 99,999

100,000 to 149,999

150,000 and above

Under 25,000: 13; 25,000 to 49,999: 27; 50,000 to 74,999: 30; 75,000 to 99,999: 17; 100,000 to 149,999: 21; 150,000 and above: 7

50,000 to 74,999 miles has the most reports with usable mileage (30). 55 complaints have missing, zero or invalid mileage.

Complaints over time

Year the complaint was filed, not the vehicle model year or incident year. The snapshot year is partial.

2000

2001

2002

2003

2004

2005

2006

2007

2008

2009

2010

2011

2012

2013

2014

2016

2017

2018

2019

2020

2021

2000: 1; 2001: 5; 2002: 6; 2003: 16; 2004: 14; 2005: 15; 2006: 13; 2007: 6; 2008: 5; 2009: 8; 2010: 4; 2011: 4; 2012: 3; 2013: 2; 2014: 6; 2016: 2; 2017: 21; 2018: 14; 2019: 10; 2020: 13; 2021: 2

Pattern summary

Unknown Or Other leads the component reports. Braking behavior appears in 38 complaint narratives. Steering behavior appears in 19 complaint narratives. Transmission and shifting appears in 13 complaint narratives. Use these patterns to inspect individual reports and prepare questions for a mechanic.

Calculated from recorded counts. An AI narrative has not been published for this selection.

Complaint evidence

Examples provide context, not a representative sample or a verified diagnosis.

Owner report 10063409 · 2004-03-17 (March 17, 2004)

BATTERY CABLES LOOSENED FROM THE BATTERY POST. THIS CAUSED VEHICLE TO LOSE POWER . ALSO, BATTERY LEAKED ACID ONTO THE ENGINE.*AK PURCHASED NEW. AT 11K MILES THE BATTERY EXPLODED DUE TO A LOOSE POSITIVE TERMINAL NUT WITHIN THE BATTERY CASING. AT 31K MILES, THE VEHICLE STALLED ON THE ROADWAY DUE TO THE POSITIVE BATTERY CABLE DISCONNECTING FROM THE BATTERY HOUSING. THE POSITIVE TERMINAL NUT CAME LOOSE FROM THE BATTERY HOUSING. AT 44K MILES, THE POSITIVE BATTERY POST LOOSENED AGAIN AND LEAKED BATTERY ACID ON THE BRAKE LINES, THE BATTERY CAB…

Owner-reported narrative. Look up ODI 10063409 at NHTSA ↗

Owner report 10135534 · 2005-09-07 (September 7, 2005)

DT: 1999 GMC DENALI. THE CONSUMER PUT NEW BRAKE SHOES/CALIPERS AND ROTORS ON THE VEHICLE. THE REAR BRAKE EQUIPMENT DID NOT NEED TO BE REPLACED DURING THE TIME THE FRONT BRAKE EQUIPMENT WAS REPLACED. THE REAR BRAKES SOON BECAME INOPERATIVE CAUSING THE FRONT TIRES TO WEAR OUT. THE CONSUMER FOUND THE RECALL 05V379000 FOR THE REAR BRAKES. WHEN HE CALLED THE DEALERSHIP THEY STATED THAT THIS VEHICLE WAS NOT INCLUDED IN THIS RECALL DUE TO THE VIN. THE REAR BRAKES HAVE NOT BEEN FIXED YET. *AK *MR

Owner-reported narrative. Look up ODI 10135534 at NHTSA ↗

Owner report 10105250 · 2004-12-22 (December 22, 2004)

THE STEERING COLUMN SHIFTER BROKE WHILE PLACING IT INTO DRIVE. THE ENTIRE STEERING COLUMN HAD TO REPLACED. *JB

Owner-reported narrative. 85,000 miles reported. Look up ODI 10105250 at NHTSA ↗

Owner report 10100421 · 2004-11-23 (November 23, 2004)

DRIVING HWY 65 SOUTH AT 70 MPH ENGINE SUDDENLY QUIT .... HARD STEERING AND LITTLE BRAKE HAD TO WEAVE BETWEEN CONSTRUCTION BARRELS TO AVOID TRAFFIC (CLOSE ACCIDENT). DEALER REPLACED THE CRANK SPEED SENSOR ($250.00). *AK

Owner-reported narrative. 22,400 miles reported. Look up ODI 10100421 at NHTSA ↗

Owner report 899539 · 2001-11-27 (November 27, 2001)

WHILE DRIVING ABOUT 15 MPH HAD HEARD A LOUD NOISE FROM TRANSMISSION LIKE SOMEBODY HAD STRUCKED VEHICLE AND CONTINUED DRIVING, BUT WHEN GOT IN FRONT OF HOUSE ENGINE STOPPED WORKING, AND NOTICED THAT TRANSMISSION HAD BLOWNOUT. DEALER WOULD LIKE TO FIX VEHICLE, BUT CONSUMER WOULD LIKE TO HAVE MORE INFORMATION ABOUT IT. PLEASE CONSUMER PROVIDE MORE INFORMATION.*AK

Owner-reported narrative. Look up ODI 899539 at NHTSA ↗

Owner report 10140731 · 2005-10-25 (October 25, 2005)

DT: THE CONTACT STATED THE TRANSMISSION SEAL WAS DEFECTIVE AFTER A CERTAIN AMOUNT OF MILES, IT ALLOWED THE COOLING SYSTEM TO LEAK INTO THE TRANSMISSION. WHEN ACCELERATING THE TRANSMISSION WOULD DOWN SHIFT INTO FIRST GEAR, THIS WOULD MAKE THE VEHICLE JUMP. THE TRANSMISSION FAILED AT AN INTERSECTION. WHEN THIS OCCURRED THE VEHICLE HAD TO BE DRIVEN HOME AND TO THE DEALERSHIP IN FIRST GEAR. IT WAS TAKEN TO THE DEALERSHIP WHO DIAGNOSED THE PROBLEM. THE TRANSMISSION SEAL BROKE BECAUSE THE TRANSMISSION WAS DOWN SHIFTING TOO HARD. *AK UPDATED 1…

Owner-reported narrative. 64,300 miles reported. Look up ODI 10140731 at NHTSA ↗

Owner report 10003766 · 2003-01-14 (January 14, 2003)

THE CONSUMER IS CONCERNED WHILE TRAVELING ON THE HIGHWAY WITHOUT PRIOR WARNING THE VEHICLE STALLED. HE WAS ABLE TO PULL OVER AND LIFT THE HOOD UP AND NOTICED THAT BATTERY ACID HAD EXPLODED FROM THE BATTERY. PLEASE FILL IN ADDITIONAL INFORMATION DEALER IS AWARE OF THE PROBLEM. TS

Owner-reported narrative. 52,000 miles reported. Look up ODI 10003766 at NHTSA ↗

Owner report 10093933 · 2004-10-11 (October 11, 2004)

RE: FUEL TANK LEAK 2000 GMC YUKON/DENALI ON THE EVENING OF SEPTEMBER 23, 2004 THE FUEL TANK WAS FILLED AT A LOCAL GAS STATION. UPON ARRIVAL AT HOME A STRONG GASOLINE SMELL WAS NOTICED FROM THE VEHICLE. THE NEXT MORNING NO OVERWHELMING SMELL OF GASOLINE WAS EVIDENT. ON OCTOBER 1, 2004 THE FUEL TANK WAS FILLED DURING THE DAY, AND GASOLINE WAS OBSERVED LEAKING DOWN THE SIDE OF THE FUEL TANK AND DRIPPING ONTO THE GROUND. THE VEHICLE WAS DRIVEN HOME AND NOT USED UNTIL AFTER THE FUEL WAS NO LONGER LEAKING ON OCTOBER 4, 2004. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN …

Owner-reported narrative. 72,000 miles reported. Look up ODI 10093933 at NHTSA ↗

Owner report 10263898 · 2009-04-01 (April 1, 2009)

TL*THE CONTACT OWNS A 2000 GMC DENALI. THE CONTACT WAS EXPERIENCING DIFFICULTY STARTING THE VEHICLE. THE INDEPENDENT MECHANIC COULD NOT DUPLICATE THE FAILURES, BUT PROVIDED HER WITH NHTSA CAMPAIGN ID NUMBER 05V155000 (FUEL SYSTEM, GASOLINE:DELIVERY:FUEL PUMP). THE MANUFACTURER STATED THAT HER VIN WAS NOT INCLUDED IN THE RECALL; HOWEVER, THE DEALER VERIFIED THAT THE FAILURES WERE CAUSED BY THE FUEL PUMP. THE REPAIR COST WAS ESTIMATED AT OVER $1,000. THE VEHICLE HAS NOT BEEN REPAIRED. THE CURRENT AND FAILURE MILEAGES WERE LESS THAN 100,405.…

Owner-reported narrative. 100,405 miles reported. Look up ODI 10263898 at NHTSA ↗

Compare model years

Recalls by model year

All campaigns in the snapshot affecting each model year, including recalls announced years later.

From yearThrough year

Recall campaigns

Shared campaigns appear once in each affected model year.

1999