2012 GMC Yukon Problems, Complaints & Recalls

Source: NHTSA · Updated Aug 24, 2026 · 63 owner complaints analyzed

Compared with other Yukon years
Fewer complaints than other years 26th of 33 for complaints
NHTSA crash rating
4 out of 5 stars

Owners have filed 63 complaints with NHTSA about the 2012 GMC Yukon. That ranks 26th out of 33 Yukon model years for complaints. The most reported problem area is unknown or other (35 complaints, 56%), typically at around 66,002 miles. Complaints mention 1 crash. There are 3 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 2012 GMC Yukon problems

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

Unknown or Other35 · ~66,002 mi
Air Bags17 · ~60,660 mi
Structure14 · ~80,000 mi
Electrical System5 · ~122,250 mi
Vehicle Speed Control4 · ~95,000 mi
Engine3 · ~68,500 mi
Fuel/propulsion System3 · ~93,500 mi
Seat Belts2 · ~105,500 mi
Engine and Engine Cooling1 · ~175,000 mi
Fuel System, Gasoline1 · ~40,000 mi
Problem areaComplaintsShareMedian milesOwners mention mostTypical repair cost
Unknown or Other3556%66,002——
Air Bags1727%60,660——
Structure1422%80,000——
Electrical System58%122,250——
Vehicle Speed Control46%95,000——
Engine35%68,500——
Fuel/propulsion System35%93,500——
Seat Belts23%105,500——
Engine and Engine Cooling12%175,000——
Fuel System, Gasoline12%40,000——
Power Train12%———
Seats12%60,000——
Service Brakes12%5,000——
Visibility/wiper12%140,000——

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

Complaints by year received

Peak: 2020, with 14 complaints
2013: 1201312014: 3201432016: 7201672017: 8201782018: 6201862019: 7201972020: 142020142021: 7202172022: 1202212023: 4202342024: 2202422025: 1202512026: 220262

n = 63 complaints · Source: NHTSA

2012 GMC Yukon 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 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.

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. The contact stated that the radiator and the water pump were previously replaced due to an overheating failure. The contact stated that while driving at various speeds, the engine made a knocking sound. No warning light was illuminated. The vehicle was taken to…

Engine and Engine Cooling · received Aug 24, 2026 · NHTSA complaint 11759070

The contact owns a 2012 GMC Yukon. The contact stated that years ago, the engine was replaced with a rebuilt engine. Recently, after starting the vehicle, there was an abnormal banging sound coming from the engine. The banging sound continued, and the vehicle shut off without warning. Due to the…

Engine · received Feb 10, 2026 · NHTSA complaint 11717094

Driving on loop 20 overpass on Hwy 59 in Laredo Texas suddenly the engine lost power and started to skip and miss fire while a loud tapping noise was generated, due to the loss of power and skipping, alarms showed in the main console requiring immediate service to the engine, traction and braking…

Engine · received Oct 28, 2025 · NHTSA complaint 11696097

Yesterday while unloading the rear of our 2021 GMC Yukon Denali the tailgate came down on me without warning and with force. I googled to see what might have caused this to happen and it stated that the struts might be worn out. (I am having that checked out today) Fortunately, I am a 6 foot 220…

Unknown or Other · received Aug 19, 2024 · NHTSA complaint 11609310

Dashboard cracked, afraid that if airbag deploys shards of dashboard will come flying at both driver and passenger. It started as a little crack, than expanded across the entire dashboard

Unknown or Other · received Jan 17, 2024 · NHTSA complaint 11566052

Other GMC Yukon years

← 2011 Yukon · 2013 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 2012 GMC Yukon?

Owners most often report unknown or other, air bags, structure problems. The top one, unknown or other, accounts for 35 complaints.

Was there a recall on the 2012 GMC Yukon?

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

Was the 2012 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 2012 has fewer 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.