Tap a category to read its complaints. One report may name several components.
When problems were reported
Mileage at the reported incident
20–25K
725–50K
450–75K
975–100K
6100–150K
3150K+
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
What owners actually said
34 reports
23,443 miles · May 7, 2007
Visibility
TL*THE CONTACT OWNS A 2005 GMC YUKON DENALI XL. WHILE DRIVING 75 MPH, THE VEHICLE'S WINDSHIELD WAS STRUCK JUST BELOW THE WIPER BLADE BY A MARBLE-SIZED ROCK. THE ROCK CAUSED FRAGMENTS OF GLASS TO SHATTER ON THE PASSENGER'S MOUTH. THE CONTACT STATED THAT NOTHING PENETRATED THE WINDSHIELD. THE CURRENT MILEAGE IS 23,553 AND FAIL…
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TL*THE CONTACT OWNS A 2005 GMC YUKON DENALI XL. WHILE DRIVING 75 MPH, THE VEHICLE'S WINDSHIELD WAS STRUCK JUST BELOW THE WIPER BLADE BY A MARBLE-SIZED ROCK. THE ROCK CAUSED FRAGMENTS OF GLASS TO SHATTER ON THE PASSENGER'S MOUTH. THE CONTACT STATED THAT NOTHING PENETRATED THE WINDSHIELD. THE CURRENT MILEAGE IS 23,553 AND FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 23,443.
NHTSA ODI #10190029
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
42,250 miles · Feb 5, 2007
SeatsFire
CAR: 2005 GM YUKON DENALI OCCUPANTS: FATHER, DRIVING; 16-YEAR OLD SON, PASSENGER FRONT; MOTHER, LEFT WINDOW SEAT MIDDLE ROW; 9-YEAR-OLD DAUGHTER, LYING ON RIGHT AND MIDDLE SEATS, OF MIDDLE ROW. (DAUGHTER HAS CEREBRAL PALSY; UNABLE TO WALK UNASSISTED; WHEELCHAIR STOWED IN REAR. ) BOTH REAR SEAT HEATERS ON. TIME: 9 A.M. 2/…
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CAR: 2005 GM YUKON DENALI OCCUPANTS: FATHER, DRIVING; 16-YEAR OLD SON, PASSENGER FRONT; MOTHER, LEFT WINDOW SEAT MIDDLE ROW; 9-YEAR-OLD DAUGHTER, LYING ON RIGHT AND MIDDLE SEATS, OF MIDDLE ROW. (DAUGHTER HAS CEREBRAL PALSY; UNABLE TO WALK UNASSISTED; WHEELCHAIR STOWED IN REAR. ) BOTH REAR SEAT HEATERS ON. TIME: 9 A.M. 2/3/07 OUR FAMILY WAS ALMOST 2 HOURS INTO A 3-HOUR TRIP, WHEN I SMELLED AN UNUSUAL ODOR. THINKING IT WAS FROM OUTSIDE, I TRIED TO IGNORE FOR A FEW MINUTES, AND THEN BECAME OVERWHELMED BY A NOXIOUS ODOR, AND OPENED ALL WINDOWS. MY HUSBAND PULLED INTO A REST AREA ON THE FLORIDA TURNPIKE ABOUT A MILE LATER. IMMEDIATELY WHEN WE PARKED, SMOKE BEGAN POURING OUT FROM UNDER MY DAUGHTER'S SEAT. WE FRANTICALLY UNBUCKLED HER, AS SHE HAS A DISABILITY. THE SMOKE WAS VERY THICK W/I A FEW SECONDS. WE SAFELY EXTRACTED HER AND ALL OF US. MY HUSBAND LIFTED HER PILLOW, WHERE SHE HAD BEEN RESTING ON THE SEAT, ONLY TO FIND IT CHARRED UNDERNEATH, AND TWO GAPING, STILL BURNING HOLES IN THE ACTUAL SEAT. HE WAS EVENTUALLY ABLE TO CUT THE SEAT HEATER CORD AND REMOVE THE CUSHION FROM THE FRAME. ONLY 2 INCHES OF PILLOW SAVED OUR PRECIOUS DAUGHTER FROM BEING BURNED. IN HER WORDS LATER, WITH LIMITED SPEECH, SHE TOLD US SHE COULD SMELL THE BURNING, BUT AS UNABLE TO EXPRESS IT. THE SEAT CUSHION HAD BEEN OUT OF THE VEHICLE FOR NEARLY 30 MINUTES, AS WE WERE TALKING WITH EMERGENCY PERSONNEL, AND INCREDIBLY, IT BEGAN TO SMOKE AND BURN AGAIN! THEY TOOK NO CHANCES AND DOUSED IT COMPLETELY WITH WATER. GMC IS NOW INVESTIGATING. *NM
NHTSA ODI #10181724
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.
2005 GMC Yukon Denali Xl Problems, Complaints & Recalls | Skip That Year