2012 GMC Yukon XL Problems, Complaints & Recalls

Source: NHTSA · Updated Dec 1, 2023 · 13 owner complaints analyzed

Compared with other Yukon XL years
Far fewer complaints than other years 26th of 28 for complaints
NHTSA crash rating
Not rated

Owners have filed 13 complaints with NHTSA about the 2012 GMC Yukon XL. That ranks 26th out of 28 Yukon XL model years for complaints. The most reported problem area is air bags (5 complaints, 38%), typically at around 72,500 miles. There are 4 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 2012 GMC Yukon XL problems

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

Air Bags5 · ~72,500 mi
Unknown or Other5 · ~78,000 mi
Electrical System3 · ~108,800 mi
Structure3 · ~72,500 mi
Engine2 · ~108,800 mi
Power Train1 · ~248,000 mi
Service Brakes1
Steering1 · ~101,600 mi
Visibility1 · ~98,000 mi
Problem areaComplaintsShareMedian milesOwners mention mostTypical repair cost
Air Bags538%72,500——
Unknown or Other538%78,000——
Electrical System323%108,800——
Structure323%72,500——
Engine215%108,800——
Power Train18%248,000——
Service Brakes18%———
Steering18%101,600——
Visibility18%98,000——

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

Complaints by year received

Peak: 2017, with 4 complaints
2015: 1201512016: 2201622017: 4201742018: 2201822019: 1201912021: 2202122023: 120231

n = 13 complaints · Source: NHTSA

2012 GMC Yukon XL recalls (4)

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

Air bags:frontal:passenger side:inflator moduleFeb 5, 2021 · NHTSA campaign 21V051000 · 284,645 vehicles

Problem: General Motors, LLC (GM) is recalling certain 2012 Cadillac Escalade, Escalade ESV, Escalade EXT, Chevrolet Avalanche, Silverado 1500, Silverado 2500/3500, Suburban, Tahoe, GMC Sierra 1500, Sierra 2500/3500, Yukon, and Yukon XL 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." 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 May 11, 2021. Owners may contact Cadillac customer service at 1-800-458-8006; Chevrolet customer service at 1-800-222-1020; and GMC customer service at 1-800-462-8782. GM's number for this recall is N212328770.

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.

Steering:gear box:shaft pitmanMar 22, 2012 · NHTSA campaign 12V112000 · 6,159 vehicles

Problem: General motors (gm) is recalling certain model year 2012 chevrolet express and suburban vehicles, and gmc savana and yukon xl heavy duty vehicles. The steering gear pitman shaft may not have been adequately hardened and could fracture.

Risk: If this condition occurs, a loss of steering could result, increasing the risk of a crash.

Fix: Gm will notify owners, and dealers will inspect the steering gear and, if necessary, replace the steering gear pitman shaft. This service will be performed free of charge. The safety recall is expected to begin on april 4, 2012.

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.

The contact owns a 2012 GMC Yukon XL. The contact stated that while in a parking lot, the contact attempted to shift the vehicle into drive however, the transmission failed to shift into gear. The contact stated that the gear shifter cable had detached. There were no warning lights illuminated. The…

Power Train · received Dec 1, 2023 · NHTSA complaint 11557861

Tl* the contact owns a 2012 gmc yukon xl. The contact stated while driving 50 mph, the vehicle stalled. Additionally, the brakes failed to engage when the brake pedal was depressed. There was no warning light illuminated. The vehicle was taken to midway chevrolet (2323 w bell rd, phoenix, az 85023)…

Engine · received Apr 28, 2021 · NHTSA complaint 11414353

TL* TAKATA RECALL. THE CONTACT OWNS A 2012 GMC YUKON XL. THE CONTACT STATED THE DASHBOARD WAS CRACKED IN THREE PLACES. THE CONTACT RECEIVED NOTIFICATION OF NHTSA CAMPAIGN NUMBER: 21V051000 (AIR BAGS) HOWEVER, THE PART TO DO THE RECALL REPAIR WAS UNAVAILABLE. THE CONTACT CALLED ALLEN GMC (28332…

Structure · received Feb 26, 2021 · NHTSA complaint 11398112

Dash has 2 cracks. One above speedometer. The other is cracked on the top left corner of the dash that surrounds the passenger airbag. Vehicle was purchased 1/16/19. I am simply adding mine to the large volume of complaints because i believe it may be a safety hazard. Not sure how long it has been…

Air Bags · received Jan 18, 2019 · NHTSA complaint 11170805

Rear brake lights are inoperable. Dealer says assemblies must be replaced at $2k. Seems to be a widespread issue and an extreme safety issue. Please ensure gmc recalls and repairs this widespread issue.

Service Brakes · received Oct 12, 2018 · NHTSA complaint 11139924

Other GMC Yukon XL years

← 2011 Yukon XL · 2013 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 2012 GMC Yukon XL?

Owners most often report air bags, unknown or other, electrical system problems. The top one, air bags, accounts for 5 complaints.

Was there a recall on the 2012 GMC Yukon XL?

Yes, 4 safety recalls. Enter your VIN at NHTSA.gov to check whether the repairs were done on your car.

Was the 2012 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 2012 has far fewer complaints than most years. Always get a pre-purchase inspection and check the VIN for open recalls.