← New search

2003 GMC Yukon Denali Xl

Owner reports · Recalls · Investigations

Similar to other model years

Owner complaints for the 2003 GMC Yukon Denali Xl do not stand out strongly from the model-year median of 29.

About this comparison →

How this year compares

Owner complaints by model year

Other model years Selected year
Compare all Yukon Denali Xl years →

Counts vary with age, sales and reporting. They are not failure rates.

What owners reported most

All reported categories

Tap a category to read its complaints. One report may name several components.

When problems were reported

Mileage at the reported incident

31 reports with mileage · 1 unknown

NHTSA’s mileage field refers to the reported incident, not necessarily the filing date. This shows report counts, not the likelihood of a failure.

What to inspect

Issues worth paying extra attention to based on owner reports.

  • Service Brakes. Review the 11 owner reports in this category and discuss these concerns during a pre-purchase inspection. Read reports →
  • Electronic Stability Control (esc). Review the 8 owner reports in this category and discuss these concerns during a pre-purchase inspection. Read reports →
  • Electrical System. Review the 7 owner reports in this category and discuss these concerns during a pre-purchase inspection. Read reports →

NHTSA owner reports · September 18, 2026 snapshot.

3 crash reports0 fire reports0 injury reports

Vehicle Speed Control complaints

4 reports
Clear category filter
145,000 miles · Nov 23, 2014
EnginePower TrainVehicle Speed ControlCrash

VEHICLE POWERS DOWN WITHOUT ANY PATTERN, RHYME OR REASON. IT WILL DO IT AT 5 MPH, AND AT 55 MPH, WHEN DRIVEN A LOT, AND WHEN NOT. REDUCED ENGINE POWER LIGHT TURNS ON, VEHICLE SUDDENLY SLOWS TO 25 MPH MAX, STEERING BECOMES HARD, BRAKES TOO. THEN WILL TOTALLY SHUT OFF IMMEDIATELY. I HAVE REPLACED THE BATTERY, THROTTLE BODY ASSEMBL…

Read full complaint

VEHICLE POWERS DOWN WITHOUT ANY PATTERN, RHYME OR REASON. IT WILL DO IT AT 5 MPH, AND AT 55 MPH, WHEN DRIVEN A LOT, AND WHEN NOT. REDUCED ENGINE POWER LIGHT TURNS ON, VEHICLE SUDDENLY SLOWS TO 25 MPH MAX, STEERING BECOMES HARD, BRAKES TOO. THEN WILL TOTALLY SHUT OFF IMMEDIATELY. I HAVE REPLACED THE BATTERY, THROTTLE BODY ASSEMBLY AND WIRING HARNESS TWICE. FUSES, FUEL PUMP AND FILTERS, OIL, AND EVERYTHING ELSE AS RECOMMENDED. IT PUT ME IN THE DITCH. IT STRANDED ME IN THE CENTER OF A FREEWAY IN WINTER. WHEN IT SITS FOR A WHILE, IT RESETS, ONLY TO DO IT AGAIN. T/C LIGHT TURNS ON ALSO. I FOUND OUT THAT I CAN MANUALLY RESET THE REDUCED ENGINE POWER FOR A FEW MOMENTS (TO GET OUT OF THE CENTER OF THE ROAD) BY TURNING THE IGNITION SWITCH ON AND OFF VERY FAST. IT IS A EXTREME SAFETY HAZARD! I HAVEN'T DRIVEN IT IN MONTHS DUE TO ABSOLUTE FEAR FOR MY LIFE. WHEN ITS IN REDUCED ENGINE POWER MODE, I CAN'T GET IT TO GO ABOVE 25, AND GOING UP HILLS CAN'T GO ABOVE 5MPH. IF I AM PULLING A TRAILER, IT STARTS TO GO BACKWARDS. THIS THING IS GOING TO KILL SOMEONE! PLEASE HELP *TR

NHTSA ODI #10660403

181,000 miles · Sep 11, 2013
Electrical SystemEngineVehicle Speed Control

DRIVING TO WORK AND "REDUCE ENGINE POWER" CAME ON. ENGINE STALLED OUT AND WOULD NOT GAIN SPEED. I WAS IN A LOT OF TRAFFIC WHEN THIS HAPPEN AND MY VEHICLE CAUSE A INCIDENT BECAUSE OF THE SUDDEN ENGINE REDUCED ALL SPEED. GMC SHOULD DO SOME RESEARCH ABOUT THIS PROBLEM AND INFORM THE PUBLIC OF ALL THE DANGERS THESE VEHICLES ARE CAUS…

Read full complaint

DRIVING TO WORK AND "REDUCE ENGINE POWER" CAME ON. ENGINE STALLED OUT AND WOULD NOT GAIN SPEED. I WAS IN A LOT OF TRAFFIC WHEN THIS HAPPEN AND MY VEHICLE CAUSE A INCIDENT BECAUSE OF THE SUDDEN ENGINE REDUCED ALL SPEED. GMC SHOULD DO SOME RESEARCH ABOUT THIS PROBLEM AND INFORM THE PUBLIC OF ALL THE DANGERS THESE VEHICLES ARE CAUSING FOR PUBLIC TRANSPORTATION. THIS IS LUDICROUS THAT GMC DOES NOT HAVE THESE VEHICLE OFF HE STREETS AND DESTROYED KNOWING THAT THEY ARE PUTTING PEOPLE LIVES IN DANGER. I WILL NEVER EVER BUY A GMC VEHICLE AGAIN. *TR

NHTSA ODI #10543184

68,650 miles · Dec 30, 2011
Electronic Stability Control (esc)Engine And Engine CoolingService Brakes, HydraulicCrash

WHEN DRIVING AT LOW SPEEDS (LESS THAN 10 MILES PER HOUR) OR STARTING FROM A STOP, THE TRACTION CONTROL WILL AUTOMATICALLY ENGAGE WHEN THE GAS PEDAL IS APPLIED. WHEN THE TRACTION CONTROL ENGAGES, A TOTAL LOSS OF INPUT TO THE ENGINE RESULTS AND THE VEHICLE DOES NOT MOVE (IT ESSENTIALLY STALLS). I WAS ALMOST STRUCK IN AN INTERSEC…

Read full complaint

WHEN DRIVING AT LOW SPEEDS (LESS THAN 10 MILES PER HOUR) OR STARTING FROM A STOP, THE TRACTION CONTROL WILL AUTOMATICALLY ENGAGE WHEN THE GAS PEDAL IS APPLIED. WHEN THE TRACTION CONTROL ENGAGES, A TOTAL LOSS OF INPUT TO THE ENGINE RESULTS AND THE VEHICLE DOES NOT MOVE (IT ESSENTIALLY STALLS). I WAS ALMOST STRUCK IN AN INTERSECTION WHILE WAITING TO MAKE A LEFT TURN ON A GREEN LIGHT IN EARLY DECEMBER OF 2011. I WAS STOPPED IN THE MIDDLE OF THE INTERSECTION WAITING TO TURN LEFT. WHEN I ATTEMPTED TO TURN LEFT, I GAVE THE GAS PEDAL SOME INPUT, THE TRACTION CONTROL ENGAGED, AND MY VEHICLE STOPPED BECAUSE THERE WAS NO ENGINE INPUT AND WAS ALMOST HIT BY AN ON-COMING CAR. LUCKILY, THIS HAD HAPPENED BEFORE AND I KNEW TO EITHER FLOOR THE GAS PEDAL OR TO LET OFF THE GAS ENTIRELY AND THEN FLOOR IT AGAIN TO GET THE TRACTION CONTROL TO DISENGAGE AND GET POWER TO THE ENGINE. ANOTHER RELATED ISSUE IS THE ABS ENGAGING FOR NO REASON. THIS ALSO HAPPENS AT LOW SPEEDS (LESS THAN 10 MPH). WHEN THE ABS ENGAGES, THE VEHICLE WILL TRAVEL ANOTHER TWO TO THREE FEET PRIOR TO STOPPING. THE ABS ISSUE RESULTED IN MY HITTING A POLE IN A PARKING LOT. IT TOOK SEVERAL YEARS TO FINALLY DETERMINE WHAT THE ISSUE WAS AND IT TURNS OUT IT WAS A RESULT OF FRONT WHEEL SPEED SENSOR CORROSION AND AN INCREASED AIR GAP BETWEEN THE WHEEL SPEED SENSOR AND THE RELUCTOR RING DUE TO RUST AND DEBRIS BUILT UP ON THE SENSOR MOUNTING SURFACE. GM ACKNOWLEDGED THIS WITH A SAFETY RECALL (#05068C: PRODUCT SAFETY) FOR SOME VEHICLE MODEL YEARS 1999-2002. THIS IS A SERIOUS SAFETY ISSUE AND GM FAILS TO RECOGNIZE THAT VEHICLES LIKE MINE (A 2003) AND EVEN LATER MODELS HAVE THE SAME PROBLEM. WHAT IS EVEN MORE FRUSTRATING IS THAT THE DEALERSHIP COULD NOT PROPERLY DIAGNOSE THE PROBLEM FOR SEVERAL YEARS BECAUSE THEY COULD NOT "REPLICATE THE PROBLEM ." I WOULD ENCOURAGE THE NHSTA TO INVESTIGATE THIS ISSUE. *KB

NHTSA ODI #10441727

175,981 miles · Oct 25, 2011
Engine And Engine CoolingVehicle Speed Control

I WAS DRIVING MY YUKON 2003 DENALI AND THE ERROR MESSAGE SHOWED UP "REDUCED ENGINE POWER". I WASN'T ABLE TO GET THE SPEED UP TO 30 MPH ON THE HIGHWAY. I PULLED INTO A PARKING LOT AND HAD SOMEONE COME PICK ME UP. WHEN I WENT TO PICK UP MY VEHICLE, THE MESSAGE NO LONGER APPEARED AND IT FUNCTIONED AT NORMAL SPEEDS. I AM NERVOUS…

Read full complaint

I WAS DRIVING MY YUKON 2003 DENALI AND THE ERROR MESSAGE SHOWED UP "REDUCED ENGINE POWER". I WASN'T ABLE TO GET THE SPEED UP TO 30 MPH ON THE HIGHWAY. I PULLED INTO A PARKING LOT AND HAD SOMEONE COME PICK ME UP. WHEN I WENT TO PICK UP MY VEHICLE, THE MESSAGE NO LONGER APPEARED AND IT FUNCTIONED AT NORMAL SPEEDS. I AM NERVOUS ABOUT TRAVELING WITH MY FAMILY IN THE VEHICLE NOW. *TR

NHTSA ODI #10432820

Official recalls

0

No recalls in this snapshot.

Model-level recall history does not show whether a particular VIN is affected or has received a repair. Check a VIN with NHTSA ↗

NHTSA investigations

0

No exact-year investigations in this snapshot.