2016 GMC Yukon XL Exterior Lighting Problems
Owners have filed 84 complaints with NHTSA about exterior lighting problems on the 2016 GMC Yukon XL, 42% of all complaints for this model year. Half of the reports with a mileage happened before 52,000 miles. The words owners use most often: “rear brake” (15% of reports).
- 84exterior lighting complaints
- 52,000median miles at failure
- 0mention a crash
- 0mention an injury
- 0related recalls
- $1,050typical repair cost reported by owners
- 36%of reports with a speed happened at 50+ mph
What owners describe
Phrases that appear unusually often in these complaints compared with complaints about other cars.
- Rear brake: mentioned in 13 of 84 complaints (15%)
- Side tail: mentioned in 8 of 84 complaints (10%)
- Work intermittently: mentioned in 5 of 84 complaints (6%)
- Circuit board: mentioned in 5 of 84 complaints (6%)
How much does it cost to fix?
Owners who wrote down what they paid or were quoted put the typical exterior lighting repair on the 2016 GMC Yukon XL at $1,050, and half of them between $910 and $1,100.
Based on 23 NHTSA complaints about this problem alone that state a repair bill or quote (2018–2023), converted to 2026 dollars with the U.S. consumer price index. These are owners' own figures, not a quote: they include dealer quotes, and owners who file complaints often faced larger repairs, so they can run higher than typical shop prices. Prices vary by shop, region and warranty coverage. How we calculate this.
At what mileage do exterior lighting problems happen?
Based on 61 complaints that reported the odometer reading.
How serious are the reports?
None of the 84 complaints report a crash, fire or injury.
GMC Yukon XL exterior lighting complaints by model year
| Model year | Exterior Lighting complaints | Share of that year | Median miles |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2024 Yukon XL | 4 | 6% | — |
| 2023 Yukon XL | 1 | 0% | — |
| 2022 Yukon XL | 1 | 1% | — |
| 2021 Yukon XL | 1 | 0% | — |
| 2020 Yukon XL | 2 | 4% | — |
| 2019 Yukon XL | 1 | 1% | 20,000 |
| 2017 Yukon XL | 39 | 27% | 58,050 |
| 2016 Yukon XL | 84 | 42% | 52,000 |
| 2015 Yukon XL | 140 | 45% | 70,000 |
| 2008 Yukon XL | 1 | 1% | 97,425 |
| 2007 Yukon XL | 2 | 2% | 69,500 |
| 2005 Yukon XL | 1 | 2% | 44,265 |
| 2004 Yukon XL | 2 | 2% | 173,060 |
| 2003 Yukon XL | 1 | 1% | — |
| 2002 Yukon XL | 1 | 1% | 16,471 |
| 2001 Yukon XL | 4 | 3% | 58,315 |
When owners reported it
Related recalls (0)
No safety recall lists exterior lighting for the 2016 GMC Yukon XL. A pattern of complaints does not always lead to a recall.
What owners report
Short excerpts of recent complaints, with personal details removed. Full reports are on NHTSA.gov.
The OEM LED taillights can fail due to a manufacturing deficiency. A metal strip that connects the LED's to the cars taillight circuit develops a crack and interrupts current flow to the taillight LED's. The above is common knowledge to the car community and is searchable on line. Concerns: 1) If…
There is a special policy to replace faulty tail lamps. However, the policy is only extended through 72,000 miles or 5 years which is ridiculous, and should be a recall. I had my drivers side tail lamp replaced in February 2022 because it was not working. I wasnât aware of the mileage and year…
The taillights, which included both the brake lights and running lights, quit working or only worked intermittently. Safety was put at risk because anytime we drove the vehicle in the dark (which is often!) the rear of the vehicle could not be seen, and the brake lights would not be activated when…
Frequently asked questions
Do all 2016 GMC Yukon XLs have exterior lighting problems?
No. NHTSA has 84 owner complaints about exterior lighting for the 2016 GMC Yukon XL (42% of the 201 complaints for this model year). Complaint data shows that the problem is reported, not how many of all cars sold are affected.
Was there a recall on the 2016 GMC Yukon XL exterior lighting?
No recall currently lists exterior lighting for this vehicle.
At what mileage do exterior lighting problems start?
The median reported mileage is 52,000 miles: half of the reports with a mileage came before that.
How much does it cost to fix exterior lighting problems on the 2016 GMC Yukon XL?
Owners report a typical cost of $1,050 (half paid between $910 and $1,100), from 23 complaints that state a repair bill or quote, in 2026 dollars.
What do owners say about exterior lighting problems on the 2016 GMC Yukon XL?
The most frequent phrase is “rear brake”, in 13 of 84 complaints, followed by “side tail” (8).
See all 2016 GMC Yukon XL problems or exterior lighting problems across all Yukon XL years.