2016 GMC Yukon Recalls and Problems

NHTSA lists 5 safety recalls and 520 owner complaints for the 2016 GMC Yukon.

Recalled components: suspension, brakes, and air bags. Most-described problem: headlight or exterior light problems (180 complaints, 35%). Most-reported area: exterior lighting (210 complaints, 40%; median mileage when it happened: 52,000).

Data: NHTSA recall, complaint and investigation filesUpdated Nov 12, 2026

Year to avoid

Includes the longer Yukon XL.

5 safety recalls for the 2016 GMC Yukon

Do-not-drive and park-outside recalls first, then newest first. Summaries are NHTSA's own wording. Open a recall for the fix and the full notice.

Questions about any of these recalls: call NHTSA's Vehicle Safety Hotline at 888-327-4236 (TTY 888-275-9171) or check your VIN at nhtsa.gov/recalls.

NHTSA investigations

NHTSA has opened 1 investigation that names the 2016 GMC Yukon; it is closed. An investigation means NHTSA is reviewing reports of a problem. It is not a finding that the vehicle has a defect.

A preliminary evaluation is NHTSA's first step, to gather information and decide whether to look further. NHTSA lists investigations by make, model and model year only, so one can apply to only some versions of a model, such as one engine; its summary says which.

What owners report

Owners have filed 520 complaints with NHTSA about the 2016 Yukon. Below, they are sorted by the problems owners describe and by the areas NHTSA files them under. NHTSA does not verify complaints.

Problems owners describe

• Headlight or exterior light problems180 · 35%
  Median 50,000 miles at failure, from 125 reports with mileage
• Shaking, shuddering or vibration56 · 11%
  Median 48,200 miles at failure, from 33 reports with mileage
• Jerking, lurching or harsh shifting33 · 6%
• Transmission failure or replacement27 · 5%
• Check engine light23 · 4%
  Median 91,000 miles at failure, from 16 reports with mileage
• Loss of power or limp mode21 · 4%
• Brake failure or a soft or hard pedal20 · 4%
  Median 58,000 miles at failure, from 16 reports with mileage
• Engine failure or replacement19 · 4%

Counted from the complaint text: a complaint counts once for each problem it describes (how we match them). Some complaints describe none of these. Compare other models in the problem owners report most for every model year.

Areas named in complaints

• Exterior lighting210 · 40%
  Most named: tail lights (7); brake lights (6) · Median 52,000 miles at failure, from 146 reports with mileage
• Brakes98 · 19%
  Median 54,000 miles at failure, from 55 reports with mileage
• Electrical system90 · 17%
  Median 45,000 miles at failure, from 43 reports with mileage
• Powertrain76 · 15%
  Median 80,100 miles at failure, from 39 reports with mileage
• Engine64 · 12%
  Median 60,700 miles at failure, from 22 reports with mileage
• Steering22 · 4%
• Suspension19 · 4%
• Unknown or other51 · 10%
  Median 44,000 miles at failure, from 32 reports with mileage

A complaint can name more than one area, so shares add up to more than 100%. Mileage is shown where at least 15 owners reported it.

GMC Yukon recalls and complaints by model year

The highlighted bars are the 2016 model year. Newer model years have had less time on the road, so their counts are lower. Counting complaints filed in each model year's first three years, the 2023 Yukon drew the most (287) and the 2016 drew 83.

Crash test ratings

NHTSA's 5-Star Safety Ratings for each version it tested. Rollover risk is NHTSA's estimate of the chance of rolling over in a single-vehicle crash.

2016 Yukon MPG

Questions