2016 Gmc YUKON DENALI XL problems and owner complaints
Explore the records behind recurring owner reports.
Key facts
29 owner complaints analyzed
0 distinct recall campaigns
42,213 mi median reported failure mileage
Scope: 2016 model year. Data snapshot: . 24 complaints include usable failure mileage.
Most common problems
Exterior Lighting is the most frequently named component, appearing in 15 of 29 complaints (51.7%). A complaint can name multiple components.
| Topic | Matching reports | Share of complaints |
|---|---|---|
| Braking behavior | 10 | 34.5% |
| Transmission and shifting | 3 | 10.3% |
| Electrical and battery issues | 2 | 6.9% |
| Engine operation | 1 | 3.4% |
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.
| Category | Count |
|---|---|
| Exterior Lighting | 15 |
| Unknown Or Other | 6 |
| Electrical System | 4 |
| Power Train | 3 |
| Engine | 2 |
| Suspension | 2 |
| Service Brakes | 1 |
Exterior Lighting: 15; Unknown Or Other: 6; Electrical System: 4; Power Train: 3; Engine: 2; Suspension: 2; Service Brakes: 1
Reported problems by failure mileage
Complaint counts in mileage bands. These are not failure rates per vehicle or mile.
| Category | Count |
|---|---|
| Under 25,000 | 4 |
| 25,000 to 49,999 | 13 |
| 50,000 to 74,999 | 6 |
| 75,000 to 99,999 | 1 |
| 100,000 to 149,999 | 0 |
| 150,000 and above | 0 |
Under 25,000: 4; 25,000 to 49,999: 13; 50,000 to 74,999: 6; 75,000 to 99,999: 1; 100,000 to 149,999: 0; 150,000 and above: 0
25,000 to 49,999 miles has the most reports with usable mileage (13). 5 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.
| Category | Count |
|---|---|
| 2017 | 4 |
| 2018 | 11 |
| 2019 | 13 |
| 2020 | 1 |
2017: 4; 2018: 11; 2019: 13; 2020: 1
Pattern summary
Exterior Lighting leads the component reports. Braking behavior appears in 10 complaint narratives. Transmission and shifting appears in 3 complaint narratives. Electrical and battery issues appears in 2 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 11114026 · 2018-07-27 (July 27, 2018)
DRIVERS SIDE BRAKE LIGHTS WENT OUT, CAR IS ONLY TWO YEARS OLD. THREE WEEKS LATER PASSENGER SIDE BRAKE LIGHTS WENT OUT. DRIVING ON A HIGHWAY FOR THREE HOURS AS PEOPLE HONKED AND ROLLED THEIR WINDOWS DOWN TO LET US KNOW WE DIDN'T HAVE BRAKE LIGHTS. TOOK TO GET FIXED AND THE LIGHTBULBS, WHICH ARE LED AND SHOULD HAVE LASTED LONGER THAN TWO YEARS, ARE NOT REPLACEABLE, THE ENTIRE TAIL LIGHT ASSEMBLY NEEDS TO BE PURCHASED AT $700 A PIECE. WHEN PEOPLE ARE UNABLE TO AFFORD $1400 BEFORE LABOR THEY WILL DRIVE WITHOUT BRAKE LIGHTS. THIS IS A SERIOUS HAZARD…
Owner-reported narrative. 55,313 miles reported. Look up ODI 11114026 at NHTSA ↗
Owner report 11118810 · 2018-08-09 (August 9, 2018)
TAKATA RECALL - THE BRAKE LIGHTS WORK ON AND OFF. SOMETIMES THEY COME ON AND WE'VE BEEN STOPPED MULTIPLE TIME TO SAY THEY ARE NOT WORKING. I'VE ALMOST BEEN REAR ENDED AS A RESULT! EXTREMELY DANGEROUS DRIVING CONDITION. IT FHAS OCCURRED WHEN I AM AT A STOP LIGHT OR DRIVING AND SLOWING DOWN ON A CITY STREET. I HAVE SEEN MANY GMC YUKON XLS ON THE ROAD WITH NO TAIL LIGHT AND MY SISTER OWNS A 2016 YUKON XL AND IS HAVING THE EXACT SAME ISSUE.
Owner-reported narrative. Look up ODI 11118810 at NHTSA ↗
Owner report 11058223 · 2018-01-03 (January 3, 2018)
ELECTRICAL ISSUES: WHILE DRIVING THE INFORMATION PANEL GO'S BLANK. WE HAVE EXPERIENCED THIS TWICE WHILE DRIVING, WE LOSE THE SPEEDOMETER, TECH, AND EVERYTHING ON THE DISPLAY PANEL. RADIO, SKIPS CHANNELS EVEN AFTER THE SWITCH WAS REPLACED. DRIVE TRAIN: DOWN SHIFTS ABRUPTLY WHILE ACCELERATING ONTO INTERSTATE ON RAMPS, EITHER LUNGING FORWARD OR LUNGING BACKWARD. BEEN IN THE GM SHOP THREE TIME TO TRY AND FIX ISSUE. THERE HAVE BEEN BULLETINS ISSUED TO TRY AND FIX WITHOUT SUCCESS TO-DATE. THEY ARE AWARE THAT IS A PROBLEM, BECAUSE FORD AND GM ON THE…
Owner-reported narrative. 25,079 miles reported. Look up ODI 11058223 at NHTSA ↗
Owner report 11112728 · 2018-07-20 (July 20, 2018)
AT 76,000 MILES THE TRANSMISSION BEGAN TO SHUDDER VIOLENTLY AND HESTITATE. DEALERSHIP GMC WANTS ME TO SPEND 400 ON A FLUID UPGRADE AND HOPE IT FIXES IT IF NOT, I WILL HAVE TO BUY A NEW UPDATED TORQUE CONVERTER BECAUSE THEY SHREWDLY TOOK THE DRIVETRAIN WARRANTY DOWN TO 60000 MILES MONTHS BEFORE I BOUGHT NEW
Owner-reported narrative. 76,000 miles reported. Look up ODI 11112728 at NHTSA ↗
Owner report 11078824 · 2018-03-12 (March 12, 2018)
ON 2/28/2018 I HAD JUST LEFT THE AIRPORT IN OAKLAND CA, APPROX 8:00PM. I STOP FOR GAS AT THE CHEVRON STATION ON 98TH AVE, AFTER FUELING, THE CAR WOULD NOT START. REMINDER, THIS IS A 2016 DENALI. I HAD A FEMALE ASSOCIATE WITH ME AND WE HAD AN APPOINTMENT IN SAN FRAMSICO AT 8:30PM. THE CAR HAD LOST ALL POWER AND TWO OTHER PEOPLE HELPED ME PUSH INTO ADJACENT PARKING SPACE. THE AREA IS KNOWN FOR HIGH CRIME, BASICALLY WE WERE EXTREMELY NERVOUS AND STRANDED. FORTUNATELY, WE WERE ABLE TO CONTACT AAA AND SET AN APPOINTMENT TO CHECK OUT THE CAR. WE UBER…
Owner-reported narrative. 57,000 miles reported. Look up ODI 11078824 at NHTSA ↗
Owner report 11031722 · 2017-10-04 (October 4, 2017)
I HAVE A 2017 YUKON XL DENALI. IT HAS 6K MILES. I PURCHASED IT NEW JUNE OF 2017.I WAS DRIVING THROUGH A PARKING LOT,WENT OVER A SPEED BUMP AT ABOUT 3 MPH AND THEN I NOTICE THE AC TURNED OFF.THEN I REALIZED THE RPM WAS AT 0 AND WHEN I PUSHED THE GAS PEDAL THERE WAS NO RESPONSE. THE ENGINE HAD STALLED OUT WHILE DRIVING. I TOOK THE CAR IN FOR SERVICE AND THEY WERE UNABLE TO REPLICATE THE ISSUE. THERE WERE NO CODES STORED ON A CAR I'M TOLD HAS ABOUT A BAZILLION COMPUTERS (IMAGINE THAT) AND THAT THERE WERE NO OTHER CUSTOMER COMPLAINTS OR "SERVIC…
Owner-reported narrative. 6,000 miles reported. Look up ODI 11031722 at NHTSA ↗