2011 GMC Yukon XL Problems, Complaints & Recalls

Source: NHTSA · Updated Apr 27, 2026 · 47 owner complaints analyzed

Compared with other Yukon XL years
Fewer complaints than other years 17th of 28 for complaints
NHTSA crash rating
Not rated

Owners have filed 47 complaints with NHTSA about the 2011 GMC Yukon XL. That ranks 17th out of 28 Yukon XL model years for complaints. The most reported problem area is air bags (21 complaints, 45%), typically at around 97,500 miles. Complaints mention 1 fire. There are 3 safety recalls covering this model year. NHTSA has opened 1 defect investigation involving it.

Complaints are unverified owner reports and are not adjusted for sales volume.

Compare with another car

Most common 2011 GMC Yukon XL problems

Complaints grouped by the part of the car owners reported, with the median mileage when the problem happened.

Air Bags21 · ~97,500 mi
Unknown or Other21 · ~68,600 mi
Structure8 · ~116,000 mi
Power Train4 · ~91,000 mi
Engine3
Electrical System2 · ~95,000 mi
Visibility2 · ~33,508 mi
Electronic Stability Control (esc)1 · ~72,200 mi
Seat Belts1
Suspension1 · ~271,000 mi
Problem areaComplaintsShareMedian milesOwners mention mostTypical repair cost
Air Bags2145%97,500——
Unknown or Other2145%68,600——
Structure817%116,000——
Power Train49%91,000——
Engine36%———
Electrical System24%95,000——
Visibility24%33,508——
Electronic Stability Control (esc)12%72,200——
Seat Belts12%———
Suspension12%271,000——
Vehicle Speed Control12%70,000——

One complaint can list several problem areas, so shares can add up to more than 100%.

Complaints by year received

Peak: 2017, with 11 complaints
2014: 3201432015: 1201512016: 4201642017: 112017112018: 4201842019: 9201992020: 6202062021: 3202132022: 2202222023: 1202312024: 1202412025: 1202512026: 120261

n = 47 complaints · Source: NHTSA

2011 GMC Yukon XL recalls (3)

Tap a recall to see the problem, the risk and the fix.

Air bags:frontal:passenger side:inflator moduleFeb 5, 2021 · NHTSA campaign 21V050000 · 2,641,272 vehicles

Problem: 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.

Risk: An inflator explosion may result in sharp metal fragments striking the driver or other occupants, resulting in serious injury or death.

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 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.

Air bags:frontal:passenger side:inflator moduleFeb 5, 2021 · NHTSA campaign 21V054000 · 1,778,128 vehicles

Problem: General Motors, LLC (GM) is recalling certain 2014 Cadillac Escalade, Escalade ESV, Chevrolet Silverado 2500, Silverado 3500, Suburban, Tahoe, GMC Sierra 2500, Sierra 3500, Yukon, and Yukon XL vehicles originally sold, or ever registered, in the states of AL, CA, FL, GA, HI, LA, MS, SC, TX, PR, AS, GU, the MP, and VI or "Zone A." Additionally GM is recalling certain 2011-2014 Cadillac Escalade, Escalade ESV, Chevrolet Silverado 2500, Silverado 3500, Suburban, Tahoe, GMC Sierra 2500, Sierra 3500, Yukon, Yukon XL and 2011-2013 Cadillac Escalade EXT, Chevrolet Avalanche, Silverado 1500, and GMC Sierra 1500 vehicles originally sold, or ever registered, in the states of AZ, AR, DE, DC, IL, IN, KS, KY, MD, MO, NE, NV, NJ, NM, NC, OH, OK, PA, TN, VA, and WV or "Zone B." Additionally, GM is recalling certain 2010-2014 Cadillac Escalade, Escalade ESV, Chevrolet Silverado 2500, Silverado 3500, Suburban, Tahoe, GMC Sierra 2500, Sierra 3500, Yukon, and Yukon XL and 2010-2013 Cadillac Escalade EXT, Chevrolet Avalanche, Silverado 1500, and GMC Sierra 1500 vehicles originally sold, or ever registered, in the states of AK, CO, CT, ID, IA, ME, MA, MI, MN, MT, NH, NY, ND, OR, RI, SD, UT, VT, WA, WI, and WY 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.

Risk: An inflator explosion may result in sharp metal fragments striking the driver or other occupants, resulting in serious injury or death.

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 February 25, 2021. Second notification letters will be mailed once the remedy is available. Owner notification letters were mailed to 40 VIN owners on May 11, 2021. A second owner notification letter was mailed to all other owners on January 24, 2022. 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 N212328800.

Electrical system:ignitionDec 30, 2014 · NHTSA campaign 14V827000 · 84,192 vehicles

Problem: General Motors LLC (GM) is recalling certain model year 2011-2012 Cadillac Escalade, Escalade ESV, Escalade EXT, Chevrolet Avalanche, Silverado HD, Silverado LD, Suburban, Tahoe, GMC Sierra LD, Sierra HD, Yukon, and Yukon XL vehicles. In the affected vehicles, the ignition lock actuator may bind, making turning the key difficult or causing the ignition to get stuck in the "Start" position.

Risk: If stuck in the "Start" position, the ignition may suddenly snap back into the "Accessory" position, causing a loss of engine, steering, and braking power, increasing the risk of a vehicle crash. If the vehicle is in a crash, the air bags may not deploy, increasing the risk of occupant injury.

Fix: GM will notify owners, and dealers will inspect and replace the ignition lock housing, as necessary, free of charge. The recall began on February 12, 2015. Owners may contact GM customer service at 1-800-458-8006 (Cadillac), 1-800-222-1020 (Chevrolet), or 1-800-462-8782 (GMC). GM's number for this recall is 14696 for the original equipment, and 14912 for the service replacement parts.

To see whether a specific car still has an open recall, enter its VIN on NHTSA's official recall lookup. You can also decode a VIN here.

NHTSA defect investigations

  • Desiccated Air Bag Inflator Rupture (EA21002) — opened Sep 17, 2021, still open.

Recent owner reports

Short excerpts of the latest complaints filed with NHTSA, with personal details removed. Full reports can be searched on NHTSA.gov.

My Yukon Denali XL GM engine that was put in on 07/2022 has already failed. It failed as I was driving down highway at 65 mile per hour. It failed on 04/12/2025. I paid almost $7,000 to have my engine replace due to the original engine failing in early 2022. Now the engine that I paid thousands of…

Power Train · received Apr 27, 2026 · NHTSA complaint 11733987

The contact owns a 2011 GMC Yukon XL. The contact stated that while attempting to refuel the vehicle at the gas station, fuel was leaking out of the fuel tank. The vehicle was towed to an independent mechanic, where the vehicle was lifted. The mechanic then informed the contact that the fuel pump…

Suspension · received Aug 22, 2025 · NHTSA complaint 11682477

Dash is cracking badly on its own. Is cracking also where airbag is held. Pieces can fly as projectiles and cause bodily harm when airbag deploys.

Air Bags · received Jul 8, 2024 · NHTSA complaint 11600217

We were driving on the freeway and our sunroof unexpectedly exploded. I didn't see any rock or object. It caught us all off guard.

Unknown or Other · received Jun 10, 2023 · NHTSA complaint 11526389

When attempting to install car seats on the 3rd row, the seat belts do not remain locked after pulled all the way out. Pulling all the way out should activate the ALR, but it does not. I am unable to seat belt install on my 3rd row which is required when a child is over 40lbs.

Seat Belts · received Sep 22, 2022 · NHTSA complaint 11485952

Other GMC Yukon XL years

← 2010 Yukon XL · 2012 Yukon XL →

See all GMC Yukon XL problems by year, every GMC model, or the GMC VIN decoder.

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Frequently asked questions

What are the most common problems with the 2011 GMC Yukon XL?

Owners most often report air bags, unknown or other, structure problems. The top one, air bags, accounts for 21 complaints.

Was there a recall on the 2011 GMC Yukon XL?

Yes, 3 safety recalls. Enter your VIN at NHTSA.gov to check whether the repairs were done on your car.

Was the 2011 GMC Yukon XL a good year?

Complaint data can't fully answer that, because counts aren't adjusted for sales. Compared with other Yukon XL model years, the 2011 has fewer complaints than most years. Always get a pre-purchase inspection and check the VIN for open recalls.