2008 GMC Yukon Problems, Recalls & Reliability

325 owner complaints sit in the federal file for the 2008 GMC Yukon, alongside 4 recall campaigns and 4 defect investigations. It scores 38/100 on the trouble index — a below-average year for this model. Airbags leads the reports, typically around 100,000 miles.

325Complaints
38/100Trouble index
4Recalls
90,000Typical trouble mileage

Below average

Where 2008 sits among all Yukon years

Darker = quieter yearsBrighter amber = more trouble

What owners report

Airbags 119 complaints (37%) · typically ~100,000 miles
“"takata recall" in may of 2016 has not been resolved with my vehicle. The dashboard also has cracks in it in the location of the air bags.”— owner report to NHTSA, 2008 Yukon
Other 52 complaints (16%) · typically ~108,865 miles
“The dash is cracked right over the odometer driver's side and the dash is cracked by the airbag on the passenger side”— owner report to NHTSA, 2008 Yukon
Electrical 37 complaints (11%) · typically ~40,000 miles
“The vehicle caught fire while parked and ignition turned off. Fire appeared to start in the engine area. Vehicle had been parked and turned off for approx 1.5 to 2 hours before the fire was reported.”— owner report to NHTSA, 2008 Yukon
Body & structure 34 complaints (10%) · typically ~72,250 miles
“Dashboard cracked near passenger airbag, also fractures around driver side vent and center channel speaker.”— owner report to NHTSA, 2008 Yukon
Latches & locks 24 complaints (7%) · typically ~40,000 miles
Engine 16 complaints (5%) · typically ~100,000 miles

Mileage when trouble shows up

Among the 175 reports that include an odometer reading, problems most often appear around 90,000 miles. Half of those reports fall between 45,000 and 118,000 miles — a useful range to weigh against the mileage of the exact car you're looking at.

Recalls (4)

AIR BAGS 21V050000 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…

Fix: 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…

AIR BAGS 21V052000 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…

Fix: 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…

ELECTRICAL SYSTEM 10V240000 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…

Fix: 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…

ELECTRICAL SYSTEM 08V441000 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…

Fix: 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…

Federal defect investigations

Still open as of the last data refresh. An investigation is not a recall; it may close with no action. All open investigations →

Desiccated Air Bag Inflator Rupture EA21002 opened September 17, 2021 · still open

Component: AIR BAGS:FRONTAL:DRIVER SIDE:INFLATOR MODULE

From 2000 through 2017, Takata produced millions of air bag inflators using two types of phase-stabilized ammonium nitrate ("PSAN") propellant -- propellant 2004 and propellant 2004L. After prolonged exposure to high temperature cycles and humidity, inflators using propellant 2004 can degrade,…

Model years named: 2007, 2008, 2009, 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

Interior Door Handle Laceration Risk PE09044 opened 2009, closed 2010
NON-CRASH ENGINE COMPARTMENT FIRES EA08010 opened 2008, closed 2008

Led to recall campaign 08V441000.

NON-CRASH ENGINE COMPARTMENT FIRES PE08010 opened 2008, closed 2008

Technical service bulletins

1,393 manufacturer communications — service bulletins, the biggest share on electrical and engine — are on file for the 2008 GMC Yukon. A TSB is factory repair guidance, not a recall — the repair is not automatically free.

See the 2008 Yukon TSB list →

Complaint history for this model year

When owners filed their reports — a long tail means problems kept surfacing for years.

2008peak 62 in 20172026

Questions buyers ask

Is the 2008 GMC Yukon reliable?

The 2008 GMC Yukon drew 325 complaints in federal safety records — a below-average year for this model. Its trouble index is 38/100, scored against the model's worst year (2007).

What are the most common 2008 GMC Yukon problems?

The top reported problems for the 2008 GMC Yukon are airbags (119 complaints), other (52), and electrical (37).

At what mileage do 2008 GMC Yukon problems show up?

Owners most often report 2008 GMC Yukon problems around 90,000 miles. Half of all reports that include an odometer reading fall between 45,000 and 118,000 miles.

Does the 2008 GMC Yukon have recalls?

4 recall campaigns apply to the 2008 GMC Yukon. Recall repairs are free at any franchised dealer.

← 2007 Yukon All Yukon years 2009 Yukon →
Data updated 2026-08-20 from NHTSA's public records

Every number on this page is a count of records in the federal complaint, recall, and investigation files published by NHTSA's Office of Defects Investigation. Check any specific vehicle's open recalls by VIN at nhtsa.gov/recalls.