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2008 Gmc YUKON XL: complaints, problems and recalls

Explore the records behind recurring owner reports.

Key facts

69 owner complaints analyzed

4 distinct recall campaigns

110,165 mi median reported failure mileage

Scope: 2008 model year. Data snapshot: . 35 complaints include usable failure mileage.

Owner-reported patterns

Most common problems

Air Bags is the most frequently named component, appearing in 42 of 69 complaints (60.9%). A complaint can name multiple components.

Recurring terms in complaint narratives
TopicMatching reportsShare of complaints
Electrical and battery issues34.3%
Steering behavior22.9%
Transmission and shifting11.4%
Braking behavior11.4%

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.

Air Bags
42
Electrical System
11
Latches/Locks/Linkages
7
Unknown Or Other
7
Structure:Body
5
Engine
3
Structure
2
Electronic Stability Control (Esc)
1
Component breakdown data
CategoryCount
Air Bags42
Electrical System11
Latches/Locks/Linkages7
Unknown Or Other7
Structure:Body5
Engine3
Structure2
Electronic Stability Control (Esc)1

Air Bags: 42; Electrical System: 11; Latches/Locks/Linkages: 7; Unknown Or Other: 7; Structure:Body: 5; Engine: 3; Structure: 2; Electronic Stability Control (Esc): 1

Reported problems by failure mileage

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

Under 25,000
4
25,000 to 49,999
8
50,000 to 74,999
2
75,000 to 99,999
3
100,000 to 149,999
5
150,000 and above
13
Reported problems by failure mileage data
CategoryCount
Under 25,0004
25,000 to 49,9998
50,000 to 74,9992
75,000 to 99,9993
100,000 to 149,9995
150,000 and above13

Under 25,000: 4; 25,000 to 49,999: 8; 50,000 to 74,999: 2; 75,000 to 99,999: 3; 100,000 to 149,999: 5; 150,000 and above: 13

150,000 and above miles has the most reports with usable mileage (13). 34 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.

2010
2
2011
4
2012
3
2013
2
2014
4
2015
2
2016
3
2017
15
2018
4
2019
9
2020
15
2021
5
2022
1
Complaints over time data
CategoryCount
20102
20114
20123
20132
20144
20152
20163
201715
20184
20199
202015
20215
20221

2010: 2; 2011: 4; 2012: 3; 2013: 2; 2014: 4; 2015: 2; 2016: 3; 2017: 15; 2018: 4; 2019: 9; 2020: 15; 2021: 5; 2022: 1

Pattern summary

Air Bags leads the component reports. Electrical and battery issues appears in 3 complaint narratives. Steering behavior appears in 2 complaint narratives. Transmission and shifting appears in 1 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.

Examples from the source records

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

Owner report 10325686 · 2010-04-14 (April 14, 2010)

MY 2008 GMC YUKON XL HAS TRANSMISSION PROBLEMS. TWO SEPARATE DEALERSHIPS HAVE REPLACED THE TRANSMISSION SEALS TWICE. THE CAR KICKS BACK UPON ACCELERATION QUITE FREQUENTLY, AT ALL SPEEDS. THREE WEEKS AGO, I WAS MERGING ONTO THE FREEWAY AT ABOUT 45 MPH AND THE CAR ACCELERATED ONLY WITHOUT KICKING INTO GEAR, CAUSING ANOTHER CAR TO ALMOST HIT ME. AFTER ABOUT 15 SECONDS THE GEAR FINALLY KICKED IN REALLY HARD THROWING MY SON AND MYSELF FORWARD. IT WAS VERY SCARY. I HAD THE SECOND DEALERSHIP COME AND FLAT BED TOW THE CAR IN OUT OF FEAR OF DRI…

Owner-reported narrative. Look up ODI 10325686 at NHTSA ↗

Owner report 10347205 · 2010-08-04 (August 4, 2010)

WHILE USING REMOTE START THE VEHICLE MAKES LOUD NOISE AND SHUTS OFF ENGINE. IN ADDITION THERE IS A RATTLING NOISE HEARD IN THE ENGINE. MANUFACTURER HAS ATTEMPTED TO FIX PROBLEM BUT STATES THERE ARE DOZENS OF VEHICLES THAT WERE MADE INCORRECTLY AND THERE IS NO WAY FOR THEM TO FIX THIS ISSUE. *TR

Owner-reported narrative. 19,816 miles reported. Look up ODI 10347205 at NHTSA ↗

Owner report 10373915 · 2011-01-03 (January 3, 2011)

I HAVE A 2008 GMC YUKON XL - I HAVE HAD THE DRIVERS DOOR AND THE BACK DOOR ON THE DRIVERS SIDE'S LOCK FIXED WHILE UNDER WARRANTY, NOW THE PASSENGER SIDE FRONT AND BACK DOOR LOCKS ARE NOT WORKING. THE ONLY WAY TO UNLOCK THESE DOORS IS TO CRAWL INTO THE VEHICLE AND MANUALLY LOCK AND UNLOCK THEM. *TR

Owner-reported narrative. 38,000 miles reported. Look up ODI 10373915 at NHTSA ↗

Owner report 10386963 · 2011-03-09 (March 9, 2011)

2008 DOOR ACTUATORS. *TR

Owner-reported narrative. 29,000 miles reported. Look up ODI 10386963 at NHTSA ↗

Owner report 10392488 · 2011-03-22 (March 22, 2011)

2008 YUKON XL POWER DOOR LOCKS BREAKING. DRIVERS DOOR WENT OUT AND WAS REPLACED UNDER WARRANTY, NOW A 58,000 DRIVER SIDE PASSENGER DOOR GOES OUT. IT IS ALMOST IMPOSSIBLE TO UNLOCK THIS DOOR WITHOUT GOING AROUND THE VEHICLE AND CRAWLING IN THE PASSENGER SIDE REAR DOOR TO REACH ACROSS, THE MANUAL LOCK IS AT THE REAR OF THE DOOR AND THE DOORS ARE SO LARGE YOU CANNOT REACH THEM. THEY SHOULD HAVE BEEN TOWARDS THE FRONT OF THE REAR DOORS. OBVIOUSLY FROM ALL THE POST HERE AND OUT ON OTHER FORUMS THIS IS A MAJOR ISSUE THAT GM HAS CHOSEN TO IGNORE. W…

Owner-reported narrative. Look up ODI 10392488 at NHTSA ↗

Owner report 10429173 · 2011-10-08 (October 8, 2011)

THE VEHICLE HAS HAD MULTIPLE FAILURES OF DOOR LOCKING MECHANISMS. MOST RECENT FAILURE HAS AFFECTED THE REAR PASSENGER DOORS WHICH ARE NOT KEYED FROM THE OUTSIDE, SO ONLY WAY TO UNLOCK IS TO CRAWL OVER SEATS TO UNLOCK. THIS IS A SIGNIFICANT SAFETY CONCERN SINCE WE HAVE HAD SMALL CHILDREN IN THE REAR OF THE VEHICLE THAT CAN NOT EXIT THEIR SEATS ON THEIR OWN. THIS COULD INCREASE THE CHANGE OF BODILY INJURY IN AN ACCIDENT AND RESULT IN EXTRA TIME NEEDED TO EXTRICATE PEOPLE FROM THE VEHICLE. THIS APPEARS TO BE A COMMON PROBLEM WITH THIS MODEL VE…

Owner-reported narrative. 30,016 miles reported. Look up ODI 10429173 at NHTSA ↗

Owner report 10448496 · 2012-02-19 (February 19, 2012)

CHROME OVER PLASTIC IS COMING OFF OR PEELING AND THIS PROBLEM RESULTED IN SEVERAL PEOPLE HAVING THEIR FINGERS CUT WHILE OPENING THE DOOR. THE CHROME COVERING WHERE IT HAS PEELED IS LIKE A RAZOR BLADE WHEN PRESSURE IS APPLIED TO UNLATCH THE DOOR. *TR

Owner-reported narrative. 25,000 miles reported. Look up ODI 10448496 at NHTSA ↗

Owner report 10476716 · 2012-09-21 (September 21, 2012)

WE HAVE OWNED THIS VEHICLE SINCE BRAND NEW. THREE OF THE DOOR LOCK ACTUATORS FROM THREE DIFFERENT DOORS WERE DEFECTIVE AND HAD TO BE REPLACED AT DIFFERENT TIMES DURING THE YEARS OF OWNERSHIP. FIRST THE FRONT DRIVER'S DOOR, THEN THE FRONT PASSENGER DOOR AND FINALLY AND RECENTLY THE REAR PASSENGER SIDE DOOR. WITH THE FRONT DOORS, THEY DIDN'T ALWAYS OPEN OR LOCK WITH THE REMOTE CONTROL OR USING THE ELECTRONIC CONTROLS CAUSING SAFETY AND SECURITY PROBLEMS. THE REAR PASSENGER DOOR IS THE SAME WHERE OUR YOUNGER DAUGHTER SITS AND DIDN'T ALWAYS LOCK OR…

Owner-reported narrative. Look up ODI 10476716 at NHTSA ↗

Recall history

4 distinct campaigns affect this selection. Announcement dates below are different from vehicle model years. A campaign may cover multiple years.

08V441000 · Electrical System

Reported: 2008-08-28 (August 28, 2008)

GM IS RECALLING 857,735 MY 2006-2008 BUICK LUCERNE; CADILLAC DTS; HUMMER H2; MY 2007-2008 CADILLAC ESCALADE, ESCALADE ESV, ESCALADE EXT; CHEVROLET AVALANCHE, SILVERADO, SUBURBAN, TAHOE; GMC ACADIA, SIERRA, YUKON, YUKON XL, SATURN OUTLOOK; AND MY 2008 BUICK ENCLAVE VEHICLES EQUIPPED WITH A HEATED WIPER WASHER FLUID SYSTEM. A SHORT CIRCUIT ON THE PRINTED CIRCUIT BOARD FOR THE WASHER FLUID HEATER MAY OVERHEAT THE CONTROL-CIRCUIT GROUND WIRE.

Consequence: THIS MAY CAUSE OTHER ELECTRICAL FEATURES TO MALFUNCTION, CREATE AN ODOR, OR CAUSE SMOKE INCREASING THE RISK OF A FIRE.

Remedy: DEALERS WILL INSTALL A WIRE HARNESS WITH AN IN-LINE FUSE FREE OF CHARGE. THE RECALL BEGAN ON SEPTEMBER 12, 2008. OWNERS MAY CONTACT BUICK AT 1-866-608-8080; CADILLAC AT 1-800-982-2339 OR HTTP://WWW.CADILLAC.COM; CHEVROLET AT 1-800-630-2438; SATURN AT 1-800-972-8876 OR HTTP://WWW.SATURN.COM, GMC AT 1-866-996-9436; OR HUMMER AT 1-800-732-5493; OR THROUGH THEIR WEBSITE AT <A HREF=HTTP://WWW.GMOWNERCENTER.COM>HTTP://WWW.GMOWNERCENTER.COM</A> .

NHTSA campaign record ↗
10V240000 · Electrical System

Reported: 2010-06-04 (June 4, 2010)

GM IS RECALLING CERTAIN MODEL YEAR 2006-2009 BUICK, LUCERNE; CADILLAC DTS; HUMMER H2; MODEL YEAR 2008-2009 BUICK ENCLAVE; CADILLAC CTS; MODEL YEAR 2007-2009 CADILLAC ESCALADE, ESCALADE ESV, ESCALADE EXT; CHEVROLET AVALANCHE, SILVERADO, SUBURBAN, TAHOE; GMC ACADIA, SIERRA, YUKON, YUKON XL; SATURN OUTLOOK; AND MODEL YEAR 2009 CHEVROLET TRAVERSE VEHICLES EQUIPPED WITH A HEATED WASHER FLUID SYSTEM (HWFS). A RECALL WAS IMPLEMENTED IN 2008 TO ADD A FUSE TO THE CONTROL CIRCUIT HARNESS TO ADDRESS THE POTENTIAL CONSEQUENCES OF A PRINTED CIRCUIT BOARD (PCB) ELECTRICAL SHORT. HOWEVER, THERE HAVE BEEN NEW REPORTS OF THERMAL INCIDENTS ON HWFS MODULES AFTER THIS IMPROVEMENT WAS INSTALLED. THESE INCIDENTS RESULTED FROM A NEW FAILURE MODE ATTRIBUTED TO THE DEVICE'S THERMAL PROTECTION FEATURE. THE SIGNIFICANCE VARIES FROM MINOR DISTORTION TO CONSIDERABLE MELTING OF THE PLASTIC AROUND THE HWFS FLUID CHAMBER.

Consequence: IT IS POSSIBLE FOR THE HEATED WASHER MODULE TO IGNITE AND A FIRE MAY OCCUR.

Remedy: DEALERS WILL PERMANENTLY DISABLE AND REMOVE THE HEATED WASHER FLUID MODULE. AN UPDATED PAGE FOR THE OWNER MANUAL WILL BE PROVIDED AND INSERTED IN THE OWNER MANUAL TO DOCUMENT THAT THE FEATURE HAS BEEN PERMANENTLY DISABLED AND REMOVED FROM THE VEHICLE. THE SAFETY RECALL BEGAN ON JUNE 11, 2010. OWNERS MAY CONTACT BUICK AT 1-866-608-8080, CADILLAC AT 1-866-982-2339, CHEVROLET AT 1-800-630-2438, SATURN AT 1-800-972-8876, GMC AT 1-866-996-9463 AND HUMMER AT 1-800-732-5493 OR AT THE OWNER CENTER AT WWW.GMOWNERCENTER.COM.

NHTSA campaign record ↗
21V050000 · Air Bags:Frontal:Passenger Side:Inflator Module

Reported: 2021-02-05 (February 5, 2021)

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.

Consequence: 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.

NHTSA campaign record ↗
21V052000 · Air Bags:Frontal:Passenger Side:Inflator Module

Reported: 2021-02-05 (February 5, 2021)

General Motors, LLC (GM) is recalling certain 2009 Cadillac Escalade, Escalade ESV, Escalade EXT, Chevrolet Avalanche, Silverado 1500, Silverado 2500, Silverado 3500, Suburban, Tahoe, GMC Sierra 1500, Sierra 2500, Sierra 3500, Yukon, and 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." Additionally, GM is recalling certain 2007-2008 Cadillac Escalade, Escalade ESV, and Escalade EXT, Chevrolet Avalanche, Silverado 1500, Suburban, Tahoe, GMC Sierra 1500, Yukon, and Yukon XL vehicles originally sold, or ever registered, in the states of Alaska, Colorado, Connecticut, Idaho, Iowa, Maine, Massachusetts, Michigan, Minnesota, Montana, New Hampshire, New York, North Dakota, Oregon, Rhode Island, South Dakota, Utah, Vermont, Washington, Wisconsin, and Wyoming 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.

Consequence: 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 23, 2021. Second notification letters will be mailed once the remedy is available. Owner notification letters were mailed on September 20, 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 N212328780.

NHTSA campaign record ↗