2011 GMC Yukon Problems, Complaints & Recalls

Source: NHTSA · Updated Jan 24, 2025 · 158 owner complaints analyzed

Compared with other Yukon years
More complaints than other years 14th of 33 for complaints
NHTSA crash rating
4 out of 5 stars

Owners have filed 158 complaints with NHTSA about the 2011 GMC Yukon. That ranks 14th out of 33 Yukon model years for complaints. The most reported problem area is air bags (79 complaints, 50%), typically at around 69,000 miles. Complaints mention 2 crashes, 3 injuries. There are 5 safety recalls covering this model year. NHTSA has opened 1 defect investigation involving it.

GMC Yukon
25 GMC Yukon XL Denali - Shot at Earnhardt Buick GMC in Mesa AZ. Representative photo; appearance varies by model year. Photo: HJUdall, CC0, via Wikimedia Commons.

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

Compare with another car

Most common 2011 GMC Yukon problems

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

Air Bags79 · ~69,000 mi
Unknown or Other55 · ~70,000 mi
Structure27 · ~48,000 mi
Engine13 · ~125,000 mi
Fuel/propulsion System7 · ~38,000 mi
Power Train7 · ~98,000 mi
Electrical System5 · ~40,000 mi
Service Brakes5 · ~131,814 mi
Vehicle Speed Control5 · ~94,500 mi
Wheels3 · ~417,500 mi
Problem areaComplaintsShareMedian milesOwners mention mostTypical repair cost
Air Bags problems7950%69,000“takata air bags” (14%)—
Unknown or Other5535%70,000——
Structure2717%48,000——
Engine138%125,000——
Fuel/propulsion System74%38,000——
Power Train74%98,000——
Electrical System53%40,000——
Service Brakes53%131,814——
Vehicle Speed Control53%94,500——
Wheels32%417,500——
Electronic Stability Control (esc)21%41,697——
Steering21%27,000——
Engine and Engine Cooling11%185,000——
Exterior Lighting11%80,000——
Lane Departure11%———
Seats11%———
Suspension11%25,000——
Visibility/wiper11%———

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

Complaints by year received

Peak: 2017, with 39 complaints
2012: 1201212013: 2201322014: 3201432015: 4201542016: 312016312017: 392017392018: 212018212019: 172019172020: 132020132021: 9202192022: 7202272023: 4202342024: 6202462025: 120251

n = 158 complaints · Source: NHTSA

2011 GMC Yukon recalls (5)

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.

Steering:linkagesJun 28, 2011 · NHTSA campaign 11V339000 · 739 vehicles

Problem: Gm is recalling certain model year 2011cadillac escalade, escalade esv; chevrolet silverado hd, silverado ld, suburban, tahoe; and gmc sierra hd, sierra ld, yukon, and yukon xl vehicles. The intermediate steering shaft attaching bolts may not have been tightened to the proper specification.

Risk: This could allow the joints to separate, and the driver could experience loss of steering increasing the risk of a crash.

Fix: Gm dealers will inspect and ensure that the intermediate steering shaft bolts are tightened to the proper specification. The safety recall is expected to begin on or about july 13, 2011. Owners may contact cadillac at 1-800-458-8006, chevrolet at 1-800-630-2438 and gmc at 1-866-996-9463.

Suspension:rear:axle:spindleJan 6, 2011 · NHTSA campaign 11V007000 · 30,566 vehicles

Problem: General motors is recalling certain model year 2011 cadillac escalade, escalade esv, escalade ext; chevrolet avalanche, colorado, express, silverado, suburban, tahoe; and gmc canyon, sierra, savana, yukon and yukon xl vehicles. The rear axle cross pins were not properly heat treated and could fracture and become displaced within the rear axle. Should the pin shift out of position, it could create an interference condition and cause the rear axle to lock.

Risk: The driver may not be able to maintain directional control of the vehicle and a crash could occur without warning.

Fix: Dealers will install a new rear axle cross pin free of charge. The safety recall began on january 11, 2011. Owners may contact cadillac at 1-866-982-2339, chevrolet at 1-800-630-2438, gmc at 1-866-996-9463 and at the owner center at www.gmownercenter.com.

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.

Recurring System Problems: My vehicle continues to exhibit intermittent system failures, causing unpredictable and potentially dangerous driving conditions. These issues have included: engine stalling, braking issues, electronic system malfunctions].

Engine · received Jan 24, 2025 · NHTSA complaint 11638185

There are several incidents reported regarding ongoing assessment with GMC interplay activity I have noticed this have become a dangerous drive ability inside acceleration controls Governor sets whiling driving engine play transmission shifts this have gone beyond everyday practices during drive…

Vehicle Speed Control · received Aug 25, 2024 · NHTSA complaint 11610673

Numerous difficulties have arisen during the process of driving on multiple occasions. The tablet/Radio continues to reset, and the traction control sensor light continues to illuminate. I have communicated with the GMC service center on several occasions, and each time, no issues were found…

Unknown or Other · received Aug 2, 2024 · NHTSA complaint 11606013

I am writing to express my concerns and frustrations regarding the recurring issues with my vehicle despite multiple service appointments at Classic GMC Arlington. Despite numerous attempts to address these problems, I continue to experience issues with Continuity of service and performance Fueling…

Unknown or Other · received Jul 6, 2024 · NHTSA complaint 11599554

There have been several signal within system to have beyond service diagnostic and this have gone through many GMC SERVICE CENTERS EVERY TIME I HAVE SERVICE ARE NO ISSUES TO PROVIDE EVERY TIME AFTER THERE ARE MANY CONTINUED ISSUES ARISE. DEACTIVATIONS ARE OCCURRING MORE FREQUENT THAN BEFORE…

Unknown or Other · received May 12, 2024 · NHTSA complaint 11588344

Other GMC Yukon years

← 2010 Yukon · 2012 Yukon →

See all GMC Yukon 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?

Owners most often report air bags, unknown or other, structure problems. The top one, air bags, accounts for 79 complaints.

Was there a recall on the 2011 GMC Yukon?

Yes, 5 safety recalls. Enter your VIN at NHTSA.gov to check whether the repairs were done on your car.

Was the 2011 GMC Yukon a good year?

Complaint data can't fully answer that, because counts aren't adjusted for sales. Compared with other Yukon model years, the 2011 has more complaints than most years, and NHTSA rates it 4 out of 5 stars overall in crash tests. Always get a pre-purchase inspection and check the VIN for open recalls.