There are 50 owner-reported engine complaints for the 2021 GMC Yukonin NHTSA's database. These are unverified consumer reports and may not reflect confirmed defects.
I was driving on the highway, I-55 N just north of Bloomington. I was on cruise control and was coming up to a lane merge going into construction zone. I braked, moved over, turned off cruise control and noticed the engine was cut off and rpm’s dropped to 0. Luckily I was able to get to the shoulder before the highway merged with no shoulder in construction zone. I have the 6.2 L engine in the GMC and have been through propulsion test and 2 oil changes since the test. My engine failed during highway travel and I see on several threads this unfortunately is an unsafe situation others have been in. What are my options as I do not feel safe in a vehicle that will turn off unexpectedly on highway travel.
ngine seized (according to GMC dealership service department). I was driving 75mph down the highway and the car shut down. I noticed it losing power so I was able to get off at the exit ramp, but not in a safe location. The car shut completely down in the right lane at the stop sign. Approximately 7:50pm car broke down - stuck on the road until 10:22pm. Yes safety of myself and others were put at risk. We purchased the car 2 weeks ago with no signs of issues. Bought the car with 103,499 miles. The car had very well maintained service records as well at time of purchase. We towed the car to the GMC dealership and they said the engine is seized up. No warning lamps or messages at time of failure. I drove the car early that day and it was running fine. I do not have any documents to upload at this time. Since this all happened on Friday and we are just now getting the report back today (Tuesday).
The contact owns a 2021 GMC Yukon. The contact stated that while driving at various speeds, the vehicle shuddered abnormally with blue smoke coming from the exhaust, with the message "Lane Departure Assist" displayed. The check engine and stabili-trak warning lights were illuminated. The vehicle was taken to a local service center, where it was diagnosed with cylinder #1 misfire. The local dealer was contacted. The vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired. Upon further investigation, the contact related the failure to the GMC Service Bulletin:15-06-01-002L. The manufacturer was made aware of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 110,000.
The contact's daughter owns a 2021 GMC Yukon. While the owner was driving at an undisclosed speed, there was an abnormal ticking sound coming from the engine compartment. The sound was intermittent but frequent. The vehicle stalled intermittently with several unknown warning lights illuminated. The vehicle was taken to an independent mechanic, who advised that the vehicle needed to be taken to a dealer for additional assistance. The vehicle was taken to a dealer, but it was not yet diagnosed. The contact researched online and related the failure to NHTSA Campaign Number: 25V274000 (Engine and Engine Cooling); however, the VIN was not included. The manufacturer was informed of the failure and confirmed that the VIN was not associated with the recall. The failure mileage was approximately 154,000.
Engine shut down in 2022 due to faulty lifters. Repairs were made. Same problem again in 2026.
My vehicle started making a weird noise and when I took it to the shop, they told me my crankshaft has gone bad and I was lucky I caught it before the entire engine blew
The engine has started using large quantities of oil. Not dripping oil, burning oil. I have been doing oil consumption studies with GMC for months now. It burned 7 quarts in 5,000 miles. The dealership tells me it is not part of the current recall on others with the same engine, make and model. It is doing the same thing as what the recall is for and my VIN number should be added to GMC’s recall list and the motor replaced. It is a serious safety issue for me and my children,
Loss of power while driving, no warnings, no lights on dash, no unusual noises, and no codes. The Yukon just randomly went into neutral while driving 65 mph and "Press Start Again" popped up on the dash. I struggled to get the truck to the side of the road safely. After getting the truck into park it started back up, and I was able to make it the 3 miles home. I scheduled it to go into the dealership as it still is making no noises, and had no engine light or codes, about 2 miles from my house it shut off again while driving, only this time when it restarted it now has a ticking sound coming from the engine however no warning lights and no codes being displayed. I am reporting this as I believe it falls under the open investigation EA25007, although it clearly is the same failures others have experienced on models that were included in the recall 25V-274. I am also attempting to contact GM as my vehicle is no longer under the powertrain warranty that was not extended for the vehicles that were not included in the recall.
Internal engine failure Car just shut off on expressway, putting the safety of my husband and child at risk. Waiting for a tow at 12:30 in the morning. Problem has been confirmed by dealer. No warning lamps or warnings signs prior to failure. Car just shut down and was not able to start again. Had to be towed!
Engine is leaking alot of oil from crankshaft..I was informed there was a recall on the same type and years for the problem I am having but I do not have a recall on mine
I was driving down the highway at normal speeds under normal conditions and the engine light came on and started flashing. By the time I could find a safe place to pull over I heard the engine knocking. Left my wife, two young kids and myself stuck in the middle of the road with traffic coming. Managed to get it out of the road before going to get my truck and trailer to tow it home. I assume this is due to the L87 recall but mine was built in 01/21 and the recall is said to cover 03/21 and up. We don’t really know what to do at this point being its my wife and kids only way to work and school.
I habe a 2021 Yukon Denali and i have had engine failure on the road. Lifter issues and rod issues. i have paid out of pocket to fix it because my truck wasnt part of the recall. But i had the first failure in November 2024. Second failure January 2026.
2 days after the delearship changed my oil to a heavier weight, my engine began knocking. I’m told the rod is bent but not covered by warranty
I was driving and a message popped up "Service Traction Control", then another message popped up "Forward Collision System Unavailable". Then the car started making this knocking sound and every time I would try and accelerate there would be a loud sound and almost a pulling stopping it from picking up much speed. I took the car into the dealer/repair shop and they said it was an issue with the lifters that had to be replaced and potentially an issue with the cam. They said this repair would cost upwards of $6,000 and I have never had this issue with the car before. This came out of nowhere and the car had not been showing any signs of this occurring before. This is a 2021 GMC Yukon and I drive my Wife and three sons in that car daily.
NHTSA Team, I am the current owner of a 2021 GMC Yukon Denali (VIN: [XXX] ) with the 6.2L L87 V8. At approximately 148,239 miles, I experienced a catastrophic lifter failure. My mechanic diagnosed a failed AFM lifter and metal contamination, requiring full engine replacement. This is documented under GM Case #XXX. CARFAX revealed that prior to my ownership, lifters were replaced twice (~10,469 miles and ~25,572 miles). The dealership I purchased from did not disclose these prior repairs, as they used an alternative vehicle history check. Only upon this third lifter failure did my mechanic identify this recurring defect. I submit this to NHTSA’s investigation into post-repair failures of the GM 6.2L engines. The pattern shows prior remedies were insufficient. Supporting documents (CARFAX, mechanic report) are available. Please advise if further details or inspection of the failed engine components are needed. Thanks, [XXX] [XXX] [XXX] INFORMATION REDACTED PURSUANT TO THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT (FOIA), 5 U.S.C. 552(B)(6)
Driving the vehicle on the highway when I started to hear a ticking sound from the engine. After a few minutes, the check engine light came on and started flashing, traction control shut off and some system related to the rear end shut off. After inspection, it appears to have dropped a lifter.
On Christmas Day while driving on the highway, I noticed a ticking sound coming from the engine. Our 21 Yukon Denali just hit 85,000 miles. I first noticed the traction control light was became disabled and then the check engine light started flashing. The sound escalates when you step on the gas. It appears that the lifters and cams are damaged on the vehicle and had to be towed to a dealership were it currently waits to avoid further damage. I was advised by the dealership that this particular vehicle is not part of the engine, recall notice, but heard that they might be expanding vin numbers to the recall as more incidents occur. They did confirm that the lifters and Cam’s are the issue.The vehicle has had a great maintenance record and was just at the same dealership five weeks earlier for oil change.
I had the 25v-274 recall serviced at my GM Dealer and was never provide with any paperwork on the extended warranty that was part of the recall. as you can image, not having anything in writing is a big risk as these engines have been catastrophically failing. GM was supposed to provide a extended warranty and service manual update.
Freedom, tire and automotive Inc. advised my 6.2LV8 engine has failed due to metal debris found in the new oil, indicating a mechanical failure of an internal engine component. I called GMC and they referred me to you.
I got 3 messages on the dash going off simultaneously 1. Service Traction Control System 2. Forward Collision System unavailable 3. Service ESC I could feel the truck bogging and shaking a little at this point Then soon after the check engine light was flashing and it was noticeably misfiring and rough idling. I pulled some codes at Oreillys and got back 1. P0300 misfire 2. P050D cold start rough idle
Showing 1–20 of 50 complaints
Complaints are unverified consumer reports submitted to NHTSA. A high complaint count may reflect vehicle popularity, not defect severity. Data sourced from NHTSA public records.
Data synced from NHTSA on Apr 25, 2026