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2005 GMC Yukon Denali Xl

Owner reports · Recalls · Investigations

Similar to other model years

Owner complaints for the 2005 GMC Yukon Denali Xl do not stand out strongly from the model-year median of 29.

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How this year compares

Owner complaints by model year

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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 · 3 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.

  • Electrical System. Review the 10 owner reports in this category and discuss these concerns during a pre-purchase inspection. Read reports →
  • Service Brakes. Review the 8 owner reports in this category and discuss these concerns during a pre-purchase inspection. Read reports →
  • Exterior Lighting. Review the 4 owner reports in this category and discuss these concerns during a pre-purchase inspection. Read reports →

NHTSA owner reports · September 18, 2026 snapshot.

2 crash reports1 fire reports0 injury reports

Exterior Lighting complaints

4 reports
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102,000 miles · Apr 18, 2016
Electrical SystemExterior Lighting

WHILE DRIVING I NOTICED THAT THE SPEEDOMETER NEEDLE WAS ERRATIC GOING FROM ZERO TO 120 MPH. WHEN I STOPPED THE NEEDLE WAS STUCK AT 30 MPH. AT THE SAME TIME THE GEAR SHIFT INDICATOR LIGHT WENT FROM DULL TO NON EXISTENT PREVENTING ME FROM KNOWING WHAT GEAR I WAS IN. THIS WAS HAPPENING SPORADICALLY BUT NOW THE SPEEDOMETER NEEDLE IS…

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WHILE DRIVING I NOTICED THAT THE SPEEDOMETER NEEDLE WAS ERRATIC GOING FROM ZERO TO 120 MPH. WHEN I STOPPED THE NEEDLE WAS STUCK AT 30 MPH. AT THE SAME TIME THE GEAR SHIFT INDICATOR LIGHT WENT FROM DULL TO NON EXISTENT PREVENTING ME FROM KNOWING WHAT GEAR I WAS IN. THIS WAS HAPPENING SPORADICALLY BUT NOW THE SPEEDOMETER NEEDLE IS ALWAYS ON ZERO AND THE GEAR SHIFT INDICATOR IS NEVER LIT. I SAW ONLINE THAT THERE HAS BEEN A RECALL FOR THE INSTRUMENT PANEL FOR THE SAME SPEEDOMETER PROBLEM I AM HAVING BUT THE RECALL ENDED WITH 2004 VEHICLES EVEN THOUGH THERE IS A LOT OF COMPLAINTS ONLINE WITH THE 2005 MODELS ALSO. I SAW A RECALL (#05023) FOR THE GEAR SHIFT INDICATOR LIGHT. I TRIED CALLING GMC TO HAVE IT FIXED AND WAS TOLD IT IS VIN SPECIFIC. I EXPLAINED THAT THE RECALL DID NOT SPECIFY SPECIFIC VIN NUMBERS. WAS RUDELY TOLD I AM OUT OF LUCK. I TRIED TO ADDRESS BOTH ISSUES WITH GMC TO NO AVAIL. THEY DON'T WANT TO KNOW WHEN THERE IS A PROBLEM. MAYBE THEY WILL LISTEN WHEN SOMEONE IS KILLED. I JUST HOPE IT IS NOT ME!

NHTSA ODI #10860204

42,000 miles · Jan 4, 2010
Exterior LightingInterior Lighting

2005 GMC YUKON XL, DASHBOARD DIMMER SWITCH/INTERIOR LIGHT SWITCH; DOES NOT ILLUMINATE IN THE DARK. THIS PRESENTS A SIGNIFICANT SAFETY ISSUE IN THAT IT DOES NOT ALLOW THE DRIVER TO ADJUST THE DASHBOARD LIGHTING LEVEL OR TURN ON INTERIOR LIGHTS IN THE DARK. THERE HAVE BEEN REPEATED ATTEMPTS TO REMEDY THE SITUATION BY THE DEA…

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2005 GMC YUKON XL, DASHBOARD DIMMER SWITCH/INTERIOR LIGHT SWITCH; DOES NOT ILLUMINATE IN THE DARK. THIS PRESENTS A SIGNIFICANT SAFETY ISSUE IN THAT IT DOES NOT ALLOW THE DRIVER TO ADJUST THE DASHBOARD LIGHTING LEVEL OR TURN ON INTERIOR LIGHTS IN THE DARK. THERE HAVE BEEN REPEATED ATTEMPTS TO REMEDY THE SITUATION BY THE DEALER, THE CONCLUSION OF THE DEALER NOW IS THAT ILLUMINATION IS NOT ALLOWED BY THE WAY THE SWITCH WAS ENGINEERED. *TR

NHTSA ODI #10297977

66,152 miles · Mar 9, 2007
Electrical SystemEngine And Engine CoolingExterior Lighting

PURCHASED NEW YUKON DENALI XL ON 3/19/05. INITIALLY MY HUSBAND AND I NOTICED THE SEAT POSITION MEMORY WAS FAULTY. PROBLEM WAS MINOR DID NOT REPORT IT. REPLACED THE HEAD LIGHTS EVERY 2 MONTHS ~ DROVE US CRAZY BUT WE DID NOT COMPLAIN. LESS THAN 8 MONTHS PAINT ON THE CONSOLE AND ACCESSORY BUTTONS PEELED. FINALLY ON 3/2/07 I WAS DRI…

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PURCHASED NEW YUKON DENALI XL ON 3/19/05. INITIALLY MY HUSBAND AND I NOTICED THE SEAT POSITION MEMORY WAS FAULTY. PROBLEM WAS MINOR DID NOT REPORT IT. REPLACED THE HEAD LIGHTS EVERY 2 MONTHS ~ DROVE US CRAZY BUT WE DID NOT COMPLAIN. LESS THAN 8 MONTHS PAINT ON THE CONSOLE AND ACCESSORY BUTTONS PEELED. FINALLY ON 3/2/07 I WAS DRIVING TO WORK AND GOT A TRANSMISSION HOT MESSAGE. FURIOUS AND CONCERNED I DROVE STRAIGHT TO THE DEALER FOR ASSISTANCE. LATER THAT DAY I FIND OUT THAT MY LESS THAN TWO YEAR OLD TRUCK COSTING ABOUT $50,000 NEEDED A NEW RADIATOR AND COOLANT SYSTEM, REPLACED RADIATOR HOSES UPPER AND LOWER,HEATER HOSES, REPLACED COOLANT JUG, REPLACED THERMOSTAT, REPLACE BYPASS HOSE AND TRUCK NEEDED AN EXTENSIVE ENGINE BLOCK COOLING FLUSH, FURTHER INDICATING THAT THE TRANSMISSION AND RADIATOR FLUID MIXED - TOTALING $2,100. TRUCK WAS IN THE SHOP ON 1/12/07 FOR REGULAR SCHEDULED MAINTENANCE, WHICH INCLUDED INSPECTION OF THE RADIATOR, COOLANT SYSTEM AND HOSES. ON 3/6/07, CALLED TO CHECK ON MY TRUCK TO FIND OUT THAT THERE WAS SLIGHT DAMAGE TO THE TRANSMISSION; HOWEVER, THE ADVISOR STATED " I WOULD NOT GET THE TRANSMISSION REPLACED RIGHT NOW, JUST BEGIN A SERVICE FOR A NEW VEHICLE" JUST THE WORDS YOU WANT TO HEAR AFTER WASTING YOUR MONEY ON A LUXURY SUV. I CONTACTED GMC CUSTOMER CARE AND THEY INDICATED THERE ARE NO RECALLS ON THE ISSUE. AFTER DOING AN IN DEPTH ONLINE SEARCH I AM NOW AWARE THAT MANY PEOPLE HAVE HAD THE SAME PROBLEM. GMC AS WELL AS THE DEALER ACT AS IF IT'S NOT A BIG DEAL SO OWNERS HAVE NOT PRESSED THE ISSUE. MANY OWNERS STATE THAT THEY ARE NOT INTERESTED IN THE RUN AROUND SO THEY GET THE CAR REPAIRED AND DON'T PURSUE THE ISSUE. THIS MATTER NEEDS IMMEDIATE ATTENTION AND POSSIBLE RECALLS. NO AUTOMOBILE SHOULD HAVE TRANSMISSION / RADIATOR/ COOLANT/ ELECTRICAL (HEAD LIGHT) /MEMORY MALFUNCTION OR CHEAP INTERIOR ISSUES WITHIN 2 YRS. GMC NEEDS TO STEP UP TO THE PLATE AND EXCEPT RESPONSIBILITY FOR THEIR POORLY MANUFACTURED YUKON DENALI. *JB

NHTSA ODI #10184650

23,000 miles · Nov 27, 2006
Exterior Lighting

THE HEADLAMPS ON BOTH SIDES HAVE BEEN REPLACED SIX TIMES. THE DEALER WANTED TO REPLACE THE ENTIRE HEADLAMP ASSEMBLY TO THE TUNE OF $450 THAT, WE WERE TOLD, WAS NOT UNDER WARRANTY. THE DAYTIME RUNNING LIGHTS ARE INTERMITTENTLY ON AND OFF AND REPLACEMENT OF BULBS DOES NOT FIX THE PROBLEM. *JB

NHTSA ODI #10174476

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.