NHTSA owner reports · September 18, 2026 snapshot.
Exterior Lighting complaints
36 reportsClear category filter40,000 miles · Jul 28, 2021
Exterior Lighting
The contact owns a 2015 GMC Yukon Denali XL. The contact stated that the passenger’s side taillight failed to illuminate intermittently while depressing the brake pedal. Over time, the driver’s side taillight also would fail to illuminate with the brake pedal depressed. The contact then received a warranty notice from the local …
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The contact owns a 2015 GMC Yukon Denali XL. The contact stated that the passenger’s side taillight failed to illuminate intermittently while depressing the brake pedal. Over time, the driver’s side taillight also would fail to illuminate with the brake pedal depressed. The contact then received a warranty notice from the local dealer about the failure however, the contact was informed when speaking to the dealer that due to the mileage on her vehicle, the vehicle no longer qualified under the warranty program. The manufacturer was not notified of the failure. The vehicle was not repaired. The failure mileage was approximately 40,000.
NHTSA ODI #11426853
32,000 miles · Jun 26, 2019
Exterior Lighting
THE PASSENGER SIDE TAILLIGHT STARTED 'GOING OUT' RIGHT AFTER THE WARRANTY EXPIRED-MEANING, IT WOULD WORK OFF AND ON AT VARIOUS TIMES. THEN THE DRIVERS SIDE TAILLIGHT HAS STARTED DOING THE SAME THING. THIS IS A KNOWN ISSUE WITH THE GMC TAILLIGHTS AND YET GMC HAS YET TO RECOGNIZE ANY ISSUE. THIS IS A MAJOR SAFETY ISSUE FOR ANYON…
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THE PASSENGER SIDE TAILLIGHT STARTED 'GOING OUT' RIGHT AFTER THE WARRANTY EXPIRED-MEANING, IT WOULD WORK OFF AND ON AT VARIOUS TIMES. THEN THE DRIVERS SIDE TAILLIGHT HAS STARTED DOING THE SAME THING. THIS IS A KNOWN ISSUE WITH THE GMC TAILLIGHTS AND YET GMC HAS YET TO RECOGNIZE ANY ISSUE. THIS IS A MAJOR SAFETY ISSUE FOR ANYONE DRIVING THESE MODELS WITH FAILING TAILLIGHTS. THIS NEEDS TO BE INVESTIGATED
NHTSA ODI #11222648
65,000 miles · Jun 9, 2019
Electrical SystemExterior Lighting
FAULTY BRAKE-LIGHT AND COSTLY FIX. DEALERSHIP HAS TAILLIGHT ON BACK ORDER SO A REPLACEMENT ISNT EVEN AVAILABLE. DEALERSHIP WANTS $675 JUST FOR THE PART THAT CANT EVEN BE ORDERED. DANGEROUS TO DRIVE THE VEHICLE WITH NO SOLUTION AVAILABLE.
NHTSA ODI #11218774
67,500 miles · Jun 8, 2019
Electrical SystemExterior Lighting
TAIL LIGHTS INTERMITTENTLY GO OUT WITHOUT NOTICE. THIS CAN HAPPEN WHILE DRIVING OR STATIONARY
NHTSA ODI #11218606
53,000 miles · May 30, 2019
Exterior Lighting
WE HAVE HAD BOTH OUR TAILLIGHTS FAIL. THE BLINKERS STILL FUNCTION BUT BECAUSE THEY ARE LED THEY SAY THEY MUST REPLACE THE WHOLE UNIT. EACH SIDE COST $672. THAT IS OUTRAGEOUS FOR A TAILLIGHT. THERE NEEDS TO BE A WAY TO REPLACE EACH PIECE.
NHTSA ODI #11216937
44,500 miles · May 29, 2019
Exterior Lighting
VEHICLE HAS UNDER 45,000 MILES AND BOTH HEADLIGHTS NEED TO BE REPLACED DUE TO MALFUNCTIONING LED'S FROM WATER INTRUSION. THIS HAPPENS AFTER WASHING MY CAR AND NOW IT WILL NOT PASS STATE INSPECTION DUE TO DRIVER SIDE DAYTIME LED NOT TURNING ON, AND PASSENGER SIDE DRL NOT TURNING OFF. I CAN NOT GET THIS FIXED BECAUSE THE PASSENG…
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VEHICLE HAS UNDER 45,000 MILES AND BOTH HEADLIGHTS NEED TO BE REPLACED DUE TO MALFUNCTIONING LED'S FROM WATER INTRUSION. THIS HAPPENS AFTER WASHING MY CAR AND NOW IT WILL NOT PASS STATE INSPECTION DUE TO DRIVER SIDE DAYTIME LED NOT TURNING ON, AND PASSENGER SIDE DRL NOT TURNING OFF. I CAN NOT GET THIS FIXED BECAUSE THE PASSENGER SIDE LIGHT IS ON BACKORDER, YET MY LOCAL DEALER SAID THIS ISN'T A KNOWN PROBLEM. TAKE A LOOK ON THE INTERNET AND IT'S CLEARLY A MANUFACTURING ISSUE (HENCE BACKORDERED HEADLIGHTS)
NHTSA ODI #11210566
72,000 miles · May 23, 2019
Exterior Lighting
BOTH REAR LIGHT ASSEMBLIES HAVE HAD ISSUES. DRIVERS SIDE WAS FIRST, BRAKE LIGHT STOPPED WORKING. REPLACED UNDER WARRANTY. PASSENGER SIDE BRAKE LIGHT AND PARKING LIGHT HAVE NOW STOPPED WORKING, JUST OUT OF WARRANTY. PROBLEM COMES AND GOES DEPENDING ON TEMPERATURE. I WOULD THINK THIS WOULD BE CONSIDERED A SAFETY ISSUE AND BE THE S…
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BOTH REAR LIGHT ASSEMBLIES HAVE HAD ISSUES. DRIVERS SIDE WAS FIRST, BRAKE LIGHT STOPPED WORKING. REPLACED UNDER WARRANTY. PASSENGER SIDE BRAKE LIGHT AND PARKING LIGHT HAVE NOW STOPPED WORKING, JUST OUT OF WARRANTY. PROBLEM COMES AND GOES DEPENDING ON TEMPERATURE. I WOULD THINK THIS WOULD BE CONSIDERED A SAFETY ISSUE AND BE THE SUBJECT OF A RECALL SINCE IT IS WIDE SPREAD.
NHTSA ODI #11209404
120,000 miles · May 9, 2019
Exterior Lighting
DRIVER'S SIDE, REAR TAIL LIGHT FAILED TO LIGHT WHEN PARKED, OR WHEN DEPRESSING THE BRAKE PEDAL. DEALERSHIP QUOTED JUST UNDER $800 TO REPLACE. HAD LIGHT REPLACED, AND THE SAME THING IS HAPPENING AGAIN. DEALER STATES THAT "LIGHTS GO OUT SOMETIMES."
NHTSA ODI #11206599
65,000 miles · Apr 19, 2019
Exterior Lighting
BOTH REAR TAIL LIGHTS HAVE GONE OUT.
NHTSA ODI #11197341
51,000 miles · Mar 31, 2019
Electrical SystemExterior Lighting
APPROXIMATELY 51,000 MILES ON VEHICLE: REAR PASSENGER TAIL LIGHT IS INOP. WE WERE ON A TRIP WHEN WE NOTICED, IF YOU TAP THE SIDE OF IT THE LIGHT WOULD COME ON FOR JUST A SECOND. LED STRIP FOR BRAKE LIGHT IS DEFECTIVE. REPLACEMENT COST IS ABOUT $800 DOLLARS. LOTS OF COMPLAINTS AND ONLINE FORUMS REGARDING THIS ISSUE. GMC REALLY N…
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APPROXIMATELY 51,000 MILES ON VEHICLE: REAR PASSENGER TAIL LIGHT IS INOP. WE WERE ON A TRIP WHEN WE NOTICED, IF YOU TAP THE SIDE OF IT THE LIGHT WOULD COME ON FOR JUST A SECOND. LED STRIP FOR BRAKE LIGHT IS DEFECTIVE. REPLACEMENT COST IS ABOUT $800 DOLLARS. LOTS OF COMPLAINTS AND ONLINE FORUMS REGARDING THIS ISSUE. GMC REALLY NEED TO RESOLVE THIS ISSSUE. THESE RIGS COST WAY TO MUCH FOR THAT POOR QUALITY!
NHTSA ODI #11192777
NHTSA investigations
1PE18012 · Brake Vacuum Pump Failure
Opened Nov 20, 2018 · Closed Apr 10, 2022
Status: closed (inferred from source dates) · Service Brakes; Service Brakes, Hydraulic; Service Brakes, Hydraulic:power Assist:vacuum
On November 20, 2018, the Office of Defects Investigations (ODI) opened PE18-012 to investigate instances of sudden onset of a hard brake pedal that could result in extended stopping distance due to an issue with the brake assist vacuum pump in model year (MY) 2014 through 2016 GMC Sierra 1500 and Chevrolet Silverado 1500 series pickup trucks and MY 2015 through 2016 Cadillac Escalade, Chevrolet Suburban, Chevrolet Tahoe, and GMC Yukon SUVs.If the brake assist vacuum pump fails to operate as intended, the amount of brake power assist supplied to the driver can be significantly reduced, extending the subject vehicle stopping distance. GM stated that the root cause of pump failures was due to foreign debris such as oil sludge in the engine oil. GM stated that this debris can become trapped by the oil inlet filter screen. Under normal operation, this screen allows a small amount of oil into the brake vacuum pump. The foreign debris can, over time, clog the pump which can cause a loss of lubrication and a reduction in the amount of vacuum produced leading to a hard pedal and extended stopping distance.On December 13, 2018, GM issued a Special Coverage (N182202780) for the brake vacuum pump issue in MY 2014-2017 trucks and 2015-2017 SUVs on the K2XX platform for 6 years or 72,000 miles. Special Coverage repair includes the replacement of the vacuum pump and vacuum pump belt. Consumers received notification of the coverage via mail. On September 6, 2019, GM notified NHTSA that it was conducting safety recall 19V-645 which reprograms the electronic brake control module (EBCM) and included approximately 3.5 million trucks and SUVs. In October 2019, GM extended the terms of special coverage N182202780 to 10 years or 150,000 miles as well as now including the entire scope of recall 19V-645. In October 2020, GM expanded the scope of coverage N182202780 to include the MY 2018 Escalade and 2019 Tahoe.The remedy implemented in GM recall 19V-645 appears to be sufficient in addressing the safety-related concerns of this issue. Loss of vacuum assist now occurs at a progressive rate as well as there being a more timely warning of a brake problem to the driver through the driver information center (DIC). In view of the recall action and revision to the special coverage, this Preliminary Evaluation is closed. The agency reserves the right to take additional action if warranted by new circumstances. The ODI reports cited above are available for review online at NHTSA.gov under the identification numbers in the attached document.
Additional source detail variants (3)
Service Brakes
On November 20, 2018, the Office of Defects Investigations (ODI) opened PE18-012 to investigate instances of sudden onset of a hard brake pedal that could result in extended stopping distance due to an issue with the brake assist vacuum pump in model year (MY) 2014 through 2016 GMC Sierra 1500 and Chevrolet Silverado 1500 series pickup trucks and MY 2015 through 2016 Cadillac Escalade, Chevrolet Suburban, Chevrolet Tahoe, and GMC Yukon SUVs.If the brake assist vacuum pump fails to operate as intended, the amount of brake power assist supplied to the driver can be significantly reduced, extending the subject vehicle stopping distance. GM stated that the root cause of pump failures was due to foreign debris such as oil sludge in the engine oil. GM stated that this debris can become trapped by the oil inlet filter screen. Under normal operation, this screen allows a small amount of oil into the brake vacuum pump. The foreign debris can, over time, clog the pump which can cause a loss of lubrication and a reduction in the amount of vacuum produced leading to a hard pedal and extended stopping distance.On December 13, 2018, GM issued a Special Coverage (N182202780) for the brake vacuum pump issue in MY 2014-2017 trucks and 2015-2017 SUVs on the K2XX platform for 6 years or 72,000 miles. Special Coverage repair includes the replacement of the vacuum pump and vacuum pump belt. Consumers received notification of the coverage via mail. On September 6, 2019, GM notified NHTSA that it was conducting safety recall 19V-645 which reprograms the electronic brake control module (EBCM) and included approximately 3.5 million trucks and SUVs. In October 2019, GM extended the terms of special coverage N182202780 to 10 years or 150,000 miles as well as now including the entire scope of recall 19V-645. In October 2020, GM expanded the scope of coverage N182202780 to include the MY 2018 Escalade and 2019 Tahoe.The remedy implemented in GM recall 19V-645 appears to be sufficient in addressing the safety-related concerns of this issue. Loss of vacuum assist now occurs at a progressive rate as well as there being a more timely warning of a brake problem to the driver through the driver information center (DIC). In view of the recall action and revision to the special coverage, this Preliminary Evaluation is closed. The agency reserves the right to take additional action if warranted by new circumstances. The ODI reports cited above are available for review online at NHTSA.gov under the identification numbers in the attached document.
Service Brakes, Hydraulic
On November 20, 2018, the Office of Defects Investigations (ODI) opened PE18-012 to investigate instances of sudden onset of a hard brake pedal that could result in extended stopping distance due to an issue with the brake assist vacuum pump in model year (MY) 2014 through 2016 GMC Sierra 1500 and Chevrolet Silverado 1500 series pickup trucks and MY 2015 through 2016 Cadillac Escalade, Chevrolet Suburban, Chevrolet Tahoe, and GMC Yukon SUVs.If the brake assist vacuum pump fails to operate as intended, the amount of brake power assist supplied to the driver can be significantly reduced, extending the subject vehicle stopping distance. GM stated that the root cause of pump failures was due to foreign debris such as oil sludge in the engine oil. GM stated that this debris can become trapped by the oil inlet filter screen. Under normal operation, this screen allows a small amount of oil into the brake vacuum pump. The foreign debris can, over time, clog the pump which can cause a loss of lubrication and a reduction in the amount of vacuum produced leading to a hard pedal and extended stopping distance.On December 13, 2018, GM issued a Special Coverage (N182202780) for the brake vacuum pump issue in MY 2014-2017 trucks and 2015-2017 SUVs on the K2XX platform for 6 years or 72,000 miles. Special Coverage repair includes the replacement of the vacuum pump and vacuum pump belt. Consumers received notification of the coverage via mail. On September 6, 2019, GM notified NHTSA that it was conducting safety recall 19V-645 which reprograms the electronic brake control module (EBCM) and included approximately 3.5 million trucks and SUVs. In October 2019, GM extended the terms of special coverage N182202780 to 10 years or 150,000 miles as well as now including the entire scope of recall 19V-645. In October 2020, GM expanded the scope of coverage N182202780 to include the MY 2018 Escalade and 2019 Tahoe.The remedy implemented in GM recall 19V-645 appears to be sufficient in addressing the safety-related concerns of this issue. Loss of vacuum assist now occurs at a progressive rate as well as there being a more timely warning of a brake problem to the driver through the driver information center (DIC). In view of the recall action and revision to the special coverage, this Preliminary Evaluation is closed. The agency reserves the right to take additional action if warranted by new circumstances. The ODI reports cited above are available for review online at NHTSA.gov under the identification numbers in the attached document.
Service Brakes, Hydraulic:power Assist:vacuum
On November 20, 2018, the Office of Defects Investigations (ODI) opened PE18-012 to investigate instances of sudden onset of a hard brake pedal that could result in extended stopping distance due to an issue with the brake assist vacuum pump in model year (MY) 2014 through 2016 GMC Sierra 1500 and Chevrolet Silverado 1500 series pickup trucks and MY 2015 through 2016 Cadillac Escalade, Chevrolet Suburban, Chevrolet Tahoe, and GMC Yukon SUVs.If the brake assist vacuum pump fails to operate as intended, the amount of brake power assist supplied to the driver can be significantly reduced, extending the subject vehicle stopping distance. GM stated that the root cause of pump failures was due to foreign debris such as oil sludge in the engine oil. GM stated that this debris can become trapped by the oil inlet filter screen. Under normal operation, this screen allows a small amount of oil into the brake vacuum pump. The foreign debris can, over time, clog the pump which can cause a loss of lubrication and a reduction in the amount of vacuum produced leading to a hard pedal and extended stopping distance.On December 13, 2018, GM issued a Special Coverage (N182202780) for the brake vacuum pump issue in MY 2014-2017 trucks and 2015-2017 SUVs on the K2XX platform for 6 years or 72,000 miles. Special Coverage repair includes the replacement of the vacuum pump and vacuum pump belt. Consumers received notification of the coverage via mail. On September 6, 2019, GM notified NHTSA that it was conducting safety recall 19V-645 which reprograms the electronic brake control module (EBCM) and included approximately 3.5 million trucks and SUVs. In October 2019, GM extended the terms of special coverage N182202780 to 10 years or 150,000 miles as well as now including the entire scope of recall 19V-645. In October 2020, GM expanded the scope of coverage N182202780 to include the MY 2018 Escalade and 2019 Tahoe.The remedy implemented in GM recall 19V-645 appears to be sufficient in addressing the safety-related concerns of this issue. Loss of vacuum assist now occurs at a progressive rate as well as there being a more timely warning of a brake problem to the driver through the driver information center (DIC). In view of the recall action and revision to the special coverage, this Preliminary Evaluation is closed. The agency reserves the right to take additional action if warranted by new circumstances. The ODI reports cited above are available for review online at NHTSA.gov under the identification numbers in the attached document.
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