2016 GMC Yukon Problems, Recalls & Reliability
396 owner complaints sit in the federal file for the 2016 GMC Yukon, alongside 5 recall campaigns and 1 defect investigation. It scores 42/100 on the trouble index — a below-average year for this model. Electrical leads the reports, typically around 52,000 miles.
Below average
Where 2016 sits among all Yukon years
What owners report
“The led tail lights go off and on and the only way to repair is to replace the whole unit”— owner report to NHTSA, 2016 Yukon
“When pressing the brake petal at low speeds and in bumper to bumper traffic the brake pedal becomes very hard to press and very difficult to get the vehicle to stop. This problem also is noticed when backing the vehicle in reverse and into a parking spot.”— owner report to NHTSA, 2016 Yukon
“Brake light keeps going off and on it’s like a short but when checked everything is connected”— owner report to NHTSA, 2016 Yukon
“The contact owns a 2016 GMC Yukon. The contact stated that while driving at an undisclosed speed, the vehicle unexpectedly downshifted with the check engine warning light illuminated. The vehicle was taken to the dealer, where it was diagnosed that the transmission had failed and needed to be…”— owner report to NHTSA, 2016 Yukon
“The engine failed and dropped down to limp mode while driving down the Hwy. Had to replace the engine for a toll of approx. $10,000. Truck only had 89,000 miles on it.”— owner report to NHTSA, 2016 Yukon
Mileage when trouble shows up
Among the 194 reports that include an odometer reading, problems most often appear around 53,500 miles. Half of those reports fall between 39,316 and 77,000 miles — a useful range to weigh against the mileage of the exact car you're looking at.
Recalls (5)
General Motors LLC (GM) is recalling certain 2015-2020 Chevrolet Suburban, Tahoe, and GMC Yukon, and 2014-2018 Chevrolet Silverado 1500 and GMC Sierra 1500 vehicles equipped with a 5.3-liter engine, a 3.08-ratio rear axle and four-wheel drive. If a…
Fix: GM will notify owners, and dealers will reprogram the EBCM, free of charge. The recall began December 11, 2019. Owners may contact Chevrolet customer service at 1-800-630-2438 or GMC customer…
General Motors LLC (GM) is recalling certain 2015-2017 Cadillac Escalade, 2014-2018 Chevrolet Silverado, GMC Sierra, 2015-2018 Chevrolet Suburban, Tahoe, GMC Yukon vehicles. The amount of vacuum created by the vacuum pump may decrease over time.
Fix: GM will notify owners, and dealers will reprogram the Electronic Brake Control Module, free of charge. The recall began October 8, 2019. Owners may contact Chevrolet customer service at…
General Motors LLC (GM) is recalling certain model year 2014-2016 Buick Lacrosse and Chevrolet Spark EV, Caprice PPV and SS vehicles, 2014-2017 Buick Encore and Chevrolet Corvette, Silverado 1500 and GMC Sierra 1500 vehicles, 2015-2016 Cadillac Escalade and…
Fix: GM will notify owners, and dealers will reflash the SDM software. Vehicles that have had a previous air bag deployment will have the SDM replaced. These repairs will be performed free of charge.…
General Motors LLC (GM) is recalling certain model year 2015-2017 Chevrolet Silverado 2500 HD, 3500 HD, Tahoe, Suburban, GMC Sierra 2500 HD and 3500 HD, GMC Yukon, GMC Yukon XL, Cadillac Escalade and Cadillac Escalade ESV vehicles and 2014-2017 Chevrolet…
Fix: GM will notify owners, and dealers will reflash the SDM software. Vehicles that have had a previous air bag deployment will have the SDM replaced. These repairs will be performed free of charge.…
General Motors LLC (GM) is recalling certain model year 2016-2017 Chevrolet Silverado 1500 and 2016 Cadillac Escalade, Cadillac Escalade ESV, Chevrolet Suburban, Chevrolet Tahoe, GMC Sierra, GMC Yukon and GMC Yukon XL vehicles. The front upper control arms…
Fix: GM will notify owners, and dealers will replace the left and right front upper control arms and realign the vehicle, free of charge. The recall began on May 18, 2016. Until the repairs have been…
Federal defect investigations
Led to recall campaign 19V645000.
Technical service bulletins
1,842 manufacturer communications — service bulletins, the biggest share on electrical and engine — are on file for the 2016 GMC Yukon. A TSB is factory repair guidance, not a recall — the repair is not automatically free.
Complaint history for this model year
When owners filed their reports — a long tail means problems kept surfacing for years.
Questions buyers ask
Is the 2016 GMC Yukon reliable?
The 2016 GMC Yukon drew 396 complaints in federal safety records — a below-average year for this model. Its trouble index is 42/100, scored against the model's worst year (2007).
What are the most common 2016 GMC Yukon problems?
The top reported problems for the 2016 GMC Yukon are electrical (168 complaints), brakes & stability (54), and other (40).
At what mileage do 2016 GMC Yukon problems show up?
Owners most often report 2016 GMC Yukon problems around 53,500 miles. Half of all reports that include an odometer reading fall between 39,316 and 77,000 miles.
Does the 2016 GMC Yukon have recalls?
5 recall campaigns apply to the 2016 GMC Yukon. At least one carries a do-not-drive or park-outside warning — check your VIN before driving.
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.