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NHTSA recalls & complaints · 2003–2018

GMC Yukon Denali XL complaints and VIN decoding

NHTSA lists 490 owner complaints for the GMC Yukon Denali XL from model years 2003 to 2018, and no vehicle recall campaigns filed under this model name. The 2011 model year drew the most complaints (69), and Air Bags is the component owners name most often.

Source: NHTSA recall and complaint flat files, updated September 25, 2026.

Decode your GMC Yukon Denali XL VIN

See the model year, plant and build details of one vehicle, then the recalls for its exact year.

  • 490 owner complaints (unverified reports to NHTSA)
  • 16 model years with data (2003–2018)
  • most complaints: 2011 (69 for that model year)
  • top component: Air Bags (100 complaints)
  • 15 complaints reporting a crash (3.1%)
  • 5 complaints reporting a fire (1.0%)
  • 10 complaints reporting an injury (2.0%)
  • 0 complaints reporting a death (0.0%)

GMC Yukon Denali XL complaints by model year

16 model years · NHTSA complaints

The 2011 model year has the most complaints: 69 of 490, or 14.1%. Next come 2015 (65) and 2007 (61). The fewest are for 2018, with 2 complaints.

Owner complaints per model yearHighest yearOther years
GMC Yukon Denali XL owner complaints to NHTSA by model year, 2003–2018Column chart of 490 complaints across 16 model years. The highest is 2011 with 69. The full figures are in the table below the chart.2003: 32 complaints3220032004: 49 complaints4920042005: 34 complaints3420052006: 11 complaints1120062007: 61 complaints6120072008: 42 complaints4220082009: 22 complaints2220092010: 29 complaints2920102011: 69 complaints6920112012: 23 complaints2320122013: 13 complaints1320132014: 5 complaints520142015: 65 complaints6520152016: 29 complaints2920162017: 4 complaints420172018: 2 complaints22018
Show the figures for all 16 model years
GMC Yukon Denali XL complaints by model year, with complaints reporting a crash, fire, injury or death
GMC Yukon Denali XL complaints by model year, with complaints reporting a crash, fire, injury or death
Model yearComplaintsReporting a crashReporting a fireReporting an injuryReporting a death
2003323000
2004493000
2005342100
2006111010
2007611260
2008421000
2009221010
2010290000
2011691110
2012230100
2013130000
201450000
2015650000
2016292000
201740010
201820000
All model years490155100

Crash, fire, injury and death columns count complaints that report at least one of them, not people.

Most-reported GMC Yukon Denali XL components

top 15 · NHTSA categories

Air Bags is the component named most often, in 100 complaints (20.4% of all 490), followed by Electrical System (77) and Structure (68). Another 119 complaints are filed under NHTSA’s “Unknown or Other” category.

Components named most often in GMC Yukon Denali XL complaints (top 15)
Components named most often in GMC Yukon Denali XL complaints (top 15)
ComponentComplaintsShare of complaints
Unknown or Other11924.3%
Air Bags10020.4%
Electrical System7715.7%
Structure6813.9%
Exterior Lighting5912.0%
Service Brakes459.2%
Engine418.4%
Electronic Stability Control (ESC)336.7%
Power Train275.5%
Vehicle Speed Control163.3%
Steering142.9%
Engine and Engine Cooling122.4%
Latches/Locks/Linkages122.4%
Suspension122.4%
Service Brakes, Hydraulic91.8%

One complaint can name several components, so the shares add up to more than 100%. Component names are NHTSA’s top-level categories.

What NHTSA owner complaints mean

These figures count complaints that vehicle owners and other members of the public have submitted to NHTSA's Office of Defects Investigation. NHTSA uses complaints, together with other data, to spot safety issues that may warrant an investigation and to check whether existing recalls go far enough.

  • They are reports, not findings. Each complaint is the submitter's own account. Its presence in the database does not mean NHTSA has confirmed a defect.
  • Counts are not defect rates. The data doesn't say how many vehicles were sold, so a raw count can't tell you what share of vehicles had a problem.
  • Popular models collect more complaints. A model sold in large numbers will usually gather more complaints than a rare one, simply because more people own it.
  • One complaint can name several components. Totals by component can therefore add up to more than the number of complaints.
  • Coverage starts in 1995. NHTSA's complaint file contains complaints received since January 1, 1995.

Use complaint patterns as a prompt for questions: whether a recall covers the issue, whether the vehicle you are considering has had the fix, and what a mechanic finds on inspection. For confirmed safety defects, see the recall list for this model.

GMC Yukon Denali XL questions

4 questions

Are there any recalls for the GMC Yukon Denali XL?

NHTSA lists no vehicle recall campaigns filed under the model name Yukon Denali XL. NHTSA sometimes files versions of a model under other names, so check the brand’s other models too, and use NHTSA’s VIN lookup (opens in a new tab) for any particular vehicle.

Which GMC Yukon Denali XL model year has the most complaints?

The 2011 model year, with 69 of the 490 complaints in NHTSA’s file (14.1%). The next are 2015 (65) and 2007 (61). Complaint counts also reflect how many vehicles of each year were sold and how long they have been on the road, so they are not a reliability ranking.

What is the most common GMC Yukon Denali XL complaint?

Air Bags is the component named most often: 100 complaints, or 20.4% of all 490. Electrical System (77) and Structure (68) follow. Complaints are unverified reports from owners, not confirmed defects, and one complaint can name several components.

How many GMC Yukon Denali XL complaints report a crash, fire, injury or death?

Of the 490 complaints, 15 report a crash, 5 a fire, 10 at least one injury and 0 at least one death. These figures count complaints, not people, and each complaint is the submitter’s own unverified account.

8 models · most complaints first

The GMC models with the most NHTSA complaints, and the GMC VIN decoder with every GMC model page, WMI code and VIN note.

  • GMC Sierra 1500 1995–2026 · 60 recalls · 8,852 complaints
  • GMC Acadia 2007–2026 · 38 recalls · 5,557 complaints
  • GMC Yukon 1995–2026 · 74 recalls · 4,874 complaints
  • GMC Sierra 1995–2017 · 52 recalls · 3,585 complaints
  • GMC Terrain 2010–2026 · 22 recalls · 3,110 complaints
  • GMC Envoy 1995–2009 · 27 recalls · 2,459 complaints
  • GMC Yukon XL 1999–2026 · 54 recalls · 2,403 complaints
  • GMC Jimmy 1995–2004 · 18 recalls · 1,869 complaints

All GMC models and WMI codesLook up recalls by year

Data: NHTSA recalls and complaints flat files, updated September 25, 2026. Recall campaigns are vehicle (V) campaigns listed for this model name; complaints are counted once per NHTSA ODI number and model year.