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2003 GMC Yukon Denali

Owner reports · Recalls · Investigations

Similar to other model years

Owner complaints for the 2003 GMC Yukon Denali do not stand out strongly from the model-year median of 32.

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When problems were reported

Mileage at the reported incident

58 reports with mileage · 14 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 25 owner reports in this category and discuss these concerns during a pre-purchase inspection. Read reports →
  • Service Brakes. Review the 10 owner reports in this category and discuss these concerns during a pre-purchase inspection. Read reports →
  • Engine. Review the 8 owner reports in this category and discuss these concerns during a pre-purchase inspection. Read reports →

NHTSA owner reports · September 18, 2026 snapshot.

6 crash reports1 fire reports1 injury reports

What owners actually said

72 reports
170,000 miles · Nov 27, 2018
Electronic Stability Control (esc)Unknown Or Other

LOSS OF POWER WITHOUT WARNING , WHILE ON HIGHWAY. FROM 65MPH TO 0 WITHOUT WARNING. ALMOST CAUSED A CRASH PILE UP....WAS ALMOST REAR ENDED. VERY DANGEROUS...WHOLE FAMILY CHILDREN AND ALL WAS IN THE VEHICLE.

NHTSA ODI #11154144

154,000 miles · Apr 7, 2018
Structure

I LIVE IN FLORIDA- IT WAS APPROX 8 AM, SITTING OUTSIDE DRINKING COFFEE ON MY PORCH. VEHICLE HAD BEEN PARKED SINCE PRIOR AFTERNOON AND WAS LOCKED (ALARM ENGAGED). SUDDENLY, MY REAR WINDOW SPONTANEOUSLY 'EXPLODED'. THERE WAS GLASS EVERYWHERE BOTH INSIDE AND OUTSIDE OF THE VEHICLE. AFTER RESEARCHING WHAT COULD'VE CAUSED SOMETHI…

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I LIVE IN FLORIDA- IT WAS APPROX 8 AM, SITTING OUTSIDE DRINKING COFFEE ON MY PORCH. VEHICLE HAD BEEN PARKED SINCE PRIOR AFTERNOON AND WAS LOCKED (ALARM ENGAGED). SUDDENLY, MY REAR WINDOW SPONTANEOUSLY 'EXPLODED'. THERE WAS GLASS EVERYWHERE BOTH INSIDE AND OUTSIDE OF THE VEHICLE. AFTER RESEARCHING WHAT COULD'VE CAUSED SOMETHING LIKE THIS TO HAPPEN, THERE ARE INNUMERABLE REPORTS OF THIS HAPPENING TO OTHER GMC OWNERS WITHOUT ANY PLAUSIBLE EXPLANATION. THIS IS A VERY CONCERNING ISSUE AS GLASS FLEW EVERYWHERE IN AND AROUND MY VEHICLE AND IT IS BY PURE LUCK THAT MY 15 YEAR OLD DAUGHTER AND USUALLY AT LEAST 1-2 OF HER FRIENDS, ALONG WITH MY ONE YEAR OLD DAUGHTER, WHO NATURALLY, IS IN THE REAR OF THE VEHICLE. MYSELF OR ANYONE ELSE MERELY WALKING BY THE VEHICLE COULD'VE BEEN INJURED JUST WALKING BY. HAD SOMEONE BEEN NEAR MY VEHICLE IN A PUBLIC PLACE, I.E. GROCERY STORE PARKING LOT, ETC. THEY COULD'VE BEEN INJURED BY THE SHARDS OF GLASS THAT SHOT OUT AND LANDED 4+ FEET FROM THE VEHICLE, LEAVING ME AT RISK OF FURTHER CIVIL ACTIO AND POSSIBLE SUIT. I AM ALSO A PROTECTIVE INVESTIGATOR FOR THE STATE OF FLORIDA AND OFTEN TIMES HAVE OTHER CHILDREN IN MY VEHICLE. THIS IS BOTH A HUGE CIVIL, AND MOST IMPORTANTLY, SAFETY CONCERN. THIS IS NOT OKAY AND IS NOT A FLUKE INCIDENT BASED UPON SO MANY REPORTED INCIDENTS FROM SO MANY OTHER GMC OWNERS. GMC REFUSES TO HELP. A RECALL ON THESE REAR WINDSHIELDS ARE A MUST AND I CANNOT BELIEVE THAT ONE IS NOT BEEN ISSUED IN ALL OF THE YEARS THAT THIS HAS BEEN HAPPENING TO PEOPLE. THIS IS NOT OKAY.

NHTSA ODI #11083732

152,000 miles · Mar 21, 2018
Electronic Stability Control (esc)EngineVehicle Speed Control

I HAVE A 2003 YUKON DENALI I PURCHASED AND IT HAS GIVEN ME THE REDUCED ENGINE POWER LIGHT AND ALMOST HAD A FEW ACCIDENTS ON THE HIGHWAY BECAUSE IT DROPS THE SPEED TO 20 MPH ALSO IT HAS THE CHECK ENGINE CODES AS P0120 AND P2135 I HAVE BEEN AWARE THAT GM HAS NOT FOUND A SOLUTION TO THIS AND WANTED TO SEE IF THERE IS ANY RECALLS A…

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I HAVE A 2003 YUKON DENALI I PURCHASED AND IT HAS GIVEN ME THE REDUCED ENGINE POWER LIGHT AND ALMOST HAD A FEW ACCIDENTS ON THE HIGHWAY BECAUSE IT DROPS THE SPEED TO 20 MPH ALSO IT HAS THE CHECK ENGINE CODES AS P0120 AND P2135 I HAVE BEEN AWARE THAT GM HAS NOT FOUND A SOLUTION TO THIS AND WANTED TO SEE IF THERE IS ANY RECALLS AS I AM VERY AFRAID OF BEING IN A VERY SERIOUS ACCIDENT WITH MY CHILDREN IN THE CAR. THE CONSUMER STATED THE VEHICLE WAS REPAIRED AND REQUESTED WITHDRAW THE COMPLAINT. *JS

NHTSA ODI #11080681

Mileage unknown · Jan 4, 2018
Electrical System

MY VEHICLE, DUE TO FACTORY ALARM SYSTEM, IS UNSAFE AND UNFIT TO DRIVE -- A DEATH TRAP ON WHEELS. IT TURNED THE VEHICLE OFF, WHILE DRIVING, AND LOCKED ME INSIDE! I WAS THANKFULLY DRIVING DOWN THE FL KEYS, ON A BRIDGE BUT AT THE END OF THE BRIDGE, SO I WAS ABLE TO COAST DOWN AND OFF THE BRIDGE TO A SHOULDER... IF IT HAD DIED AN…

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MY VEHICLE, DUE TO FACTORY ALARM SYSTEM, IS UNSAFE AND UNFIT TO DRIVE -- A DEATH TRAP ON WHEELS. IT TURNED THE VEHICLE OFF, WHILE DRIVING, AND LOCKED ME INSIDE! I WAS THANKFULLY DRIVING DOWN THE FL KEYS, ON A BRIDGE BUT AT THE END OF THE BRIDGE, SO I WAS ABLE TO COAST DOWN AND OFF THE BRIDGE TO A SHOULDER... IF IT HAD DIED ANYWHERE ELSE ON THE BRIDGE OR ON AN FLAT ROAD I MAY HAVE BEEN STUCK THERE, BLOCKING TRAFFIC AT THE MINIMUM, IN AN ACCIDENT AND DEAD IF REAR-ENDED AND PUSHED OFF BRIDGE...BECAUSE THE DOORS LOCKED AND I WOULD HAVE BEEN UNLIKELY TO ESCAPE MY SINKING TRUCK...TO SAY NOTHING OF THE FALL ITSELF. IF I HAD BEEN GOING ON THE INTERSTATE AND I WAS IN A MIDDLE LANE FOR EXAMPLE, I COULD HAVE EASILY DIED BECAUSE MY TRUCK SUDDENLY STOPPED, WITHOUT INDICATION, AND I GOT REAR ENDED BY ANY NUMBER OF VEHICLES, INCLUDING LARGE SEMI TRUCKS. IF I HAD A DEAD KEYCHAIN FOB FOR THE ALARM, I WOULD HAVE BEEN LOCKED INSIDE THE TRUCK AS WELL -- BECAUSE ONLY THE KEYCHAIN WAS ABLE TO UNLOCK THE DOORS. IF MY PHONE HAD DIED OR I HAD NO SIGNAL, I WOULD BE TRAPPED INSIDE AS WELL IF AND UNTIL HELP ARRIVED UNLESS I GOT DESPERATE ENOUGH TO SMASH OUT A WINDOW. ALL THE MECHANICS I HAVE TAKEN IT TO HAVE STRUGGLED TO RESOLVED THE ISSUE, BUT IT IS SOMETHING THE TRUCK SHOULD HAVE BEEN RECALLED FOR AND FIXED FOR FREE BY GMC -- A SERIOUS SAFETY ISSUE. I HAVE RESEARCHED AND SEEN OTHER SIMILAR TRUCKS BY GMC HAVING THE SAME PROBLEM WITH FACTORY ALARMS AND MY MECHANIC SAYS HE HAS HAD 2 OTHER, DIFFERENT MAKES/MODELS, JUST ARRIVE WITH NEARLY SAME PROBLEM, AS IF BY FATE AND HE IS HAVING TROUBLE FIXING THOSE AS WELL -- BECAUSE ITS A FACTORY EMBEDDED ALARM PROBLEMS. IT REMAINS UNFIXED TO THIS DAY AND I AM NOT ABLE TO DRIVE THE VEHICLE UNTIL IT IS FIXED.

NHTSA ODI #11058593

128,000 miles · Sep 14, 2017
Air BagsSuspensionWheelsCrash

I WAS TRAVELING SOUTH ON SUMMIT CROSSING RD. FREDERICKSBURG VA. 22408 AT APPROX.45 MIL.PER HR. ,WHEN I HEARD A BIG BANG ,THE STEERING LOCKED ,THE VEHICLE WENT DIRECTLY HARD LEFT,AND STRUCK LARGE TREES DESTROYING THE FRONT END. ABOUT 3 MINUTES AFTER THE CRASH THE STEERING WHEEL AIR BAG WENT OFF IN MY FACE.I EXITED THE VEHICLE TO …

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I WAS TRAVELING SOUTH ON SUMMIT CROSSING RD. FREDERICKSBURG VA. 22408 AT APPROX.45 MIL.PER HR. ,WHEN I HEARD A BIG BANG ,THE STEERING LOCKED ,THE VEHICLE WENT DIRECTLY HARD LEFT,AND STRUCK LARGE TREES DESTROYING THE FRONT END. ABOUT 3 MINUTES AFTER THE CRASH THE STEERING WHEEL AIR BAG WENT OFF IN MY FACE.I EXITED THE VEHICLE TO FIND A DAMAGED FRONT WHEEL AND BROKEN AXLE ASSEMBLY NEAR THE VEHICLE.

NHTSA ODI #11023455

Mileage unknown · Jul 28, 2017
Service Brakes

BRAKES LINES RUSTED WHICH LED TO CATASTROPHIC FAILURE OF BRAKE SYSTEM. REPAIR COST $1,000. THERE ARE MULTIPLE THOUSANDS OF COMPLAINTS REGARDING THIS TYPE OF BRAKE FAILURE IN THIS MAKE, MODEL, & YEAR. THIS SHOULD BE A MANDATORY FACTORY RECALL. SOMEONE IS GOING TO DIE BECAUSE GM IS NOT BEING FORCED TO FIX THEIR FAULTY EQUIPMENT. M…

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BRAKES LINES RUSTED WHICH LED TO CATASTROPHIC FAILURE OF BRAKE SYSTEM. REPAIR COST $1,000. THERE ARE MULTIPLE THOUSANDS OF COMPLAINTS REGARDING THIS TYPE OF BRAKE FAILURE IN THIS MAKE, MODEL, & YEAR. THIS SHOULD BE A MANDATORY FACTORY RECALL. SOMEONE IS GOING TO DIE BECAUSE GM IS NOT BEING FORCED TO FIX THEIR FAULTY EQUIPMENT. MY VEHICLE WAS IN MOTION AND WHEN I DEPRESSED THE BRAKE PEDAL THE PEDAL WENT COMPLETELY TO THE FLOORBOARD. I WAS DRIVING STRAIGHT AHEAD IN MODERATE CITY TRAFFIC & NARROWLY MISSED STRIKING THE VEHICLE IN FRONT OF ME ON A CITY STREET. MY MASTER CYLINDER WAS COMPLETELY EMPTY OF BRAKE FLUID WHEN EXAMINED. I WAS TRAVELING 25 MPH AND MY VEHICLE HAS 110,000 MILES. (THE NEXT PAGE WOULDN'T ALLOW ME TO ENTER THE SPEED & MILEAGE INFORMATION WHERE IT WAS REQUESTED)

NHTSA ODI #11011368

145,000 miles · Jun 19, 2016
Service Brakes

BRAKES FAILED WHILE DRIVING ON CITY STREET WITH NO WARNING COULD NOT STOP AT RED LIGHT. IMMEDIATELY PULLED OVER AND NOTICED BRAKE FLUID LEAKING FROM LEFT SIDE OF VEHICLE FROM A BROKEN BRAKE LINE.

NHTSA ODI #10875146

82,000 miles · Jun 8, 2015
Electrical SystemElectronic Stability Control (esc)Exterior Lighting

TRUCK STARTED TO HAVE MAJOR ELETRICAL ISSUES. BLUBS BURNING OUT OFTEN SOCKETS BURNING OUT HAD TO REPLACE TOO OFTEN. LIGHT COVERS MELTING. HEADLIGHTS OUT AND WILL NOT COME BACK ON FOR DAYS, HAVE TO TAP THEM TO GET THEM TO COME BACK ON. HORN BLOWS FROM ALARM ALL TIMES OF THE DAY AND NIGHT. INSIDE LIGHTS ON DASH, STEERING WHEEL AND…

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TRUCK STARTED TO HAVE MAJOR ELETRICAL ISSUES. BLUBS BURNING OUT OFTEN SOCKETS BURNING OUT HAD TO REPLACE TOO OFTEN. LIGHT COVERS MELTING. HEADLIGHTS OUT AND WILL NOT COME BACK ON FOR DAYS, HAVE TO TAP THEM TO GET THEM TO COME BACK ON. HORN BLOWS FROM ALARM ALL TIMES OF THE DAY AND NIGHT. INSIDE LIGHTS ON DASH, STEERING WHEEL AND DOORS WILL NOT WORK AT TIMES ALL LIGHTS ARE NOT FUNCTIONING CORRECTLY. LIGHTS AT TIMES TOO OFTEN WILL NOT WORK AT ALL. STABILITY WARNING LIGHT COMES OFTEN. AFRAID TRUCK WILL CATCH FIRE FROM THE ELECTRICAL ISSUES.. PLEASE HELP!!!!

NHTSA ODI #10724161

76,000 miles · Apr 21, 2015
Electronic Stability Control (esc)

MY WIFE WAS DRIVING 75 MPH ON THE INTERSTATE WHEN SHE HEARD A "DING" AND THE INFORMATION CENTER SAID "SERVICE STABILITY" "ENGINE POWER REDUCED" IT THEN TOOK ALL ENGINE POWER FROM THE VEHICLE IMMEDIATELY CAUSING IT TO SLOW TO A VERY UNSAFE 20 MPH ALMOST INSTANTLY AND CAUSED HER TO NARROWLY AVOID BEING HIT FROM BEHIND. THIS HA…

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MY WIFE WAS DRIVING 75 MPH ON THE INTERSTATE WHEN SHE HEARD A "DING" AND THE INFORMATION CENTER SAID "SERVICE STABILITY" "ENGINE POWER REDUCED" IT THEN TOOK ALL ENGINE POWER FROM THE VEHICLE IMMEDIATELY CAUSING IT TO SLOW TO A VERY UNSAFE 20 MPH ALMOST INSTANTLY AND CAUSED HER TO NARROWLY AVOID BEING HIT FROM BEHIND. THIS HAPPENED SEVERAL MORE TIMES. WE TOOK THE VEHICLE IN FOR SERVICE AND WERE TOLD WE NEEDED A NEW THROTTLE BODY CABLE WHICH WE BOUGHT AND HAD THEM INSTALL, BUT THE PROBLEM HAS NEVER GONE AWAY. I HAVE READ MANY MANY COMPLAINTS ABOUT THIS ON THE INTERNET BUT AFTER YEARS OF COMPLAINING NOTHING HAS BEEN DONE. DOES SOMEONE HAVE TO DIE BEFORE SOMETHING IS DONE? IT CERTAINLY SEEMS LIKE IT. I FILED A COMPLAINT WITH THE GOVERNMENT SEVERAL YEARS AGO ABOUT THIS ISSUE AND I AM SURE MANY OTHERS HAVE AS WELL. NOTHING HAS EVER BEEN DONE. TO CAP IT OFF, AND THE REASON I AM ON THIS AGAIN, IS BECAUSE THIS PAST WEEKEND I RENTED A BUICK ENCLAVE FROM BUDGET RENTAL CARS IN LITTLE ROCK ARKANSAS. THIS WAS A NEW VEHICLE THAT HAD ONLY 5 MILES ON IT WHEN I LEFT THE LOT. AT AROUND 65 MILES LATER THE VEHICLE DID THE SAME EXACT THING, AND REDUCED MY SPEED TO 25 WITH AN 18 WHEELER BEHIND ME THAT HAD TO SWERVE TO MISS ME AS I SWERVED TO THE SHOULDER TO GET OUT OF THE WAY. PLEASE DO SOMETHING BEFORE SOMEONE IS KILLED!!! *TR

NHTSA ODI #10712107

Mileage unknown · Oct 3, 2014
Service BrakesCrash

MY DAUGHTER WAS DRIVING AND WHEN SLOWING DOWN THE BRAKES FAILED TO WORK. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT ABLE TO STOP AND COLLIDED WITH THE VEHICLE IN FRONT. LUCKILY NOBODY WAS INJURED IN THIS COLLISION. AFTER INSPECTION, I NOTICED FLUID ON THE GROUND AT THE REAR LEFT (DRIVER'S SIDE REAR), AND LOOKED UNDER THE VEHICLE TO SEE WHERE THE FLUI…

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MY DAUGHTER WAS DRIVING AND WHEN SLOWING DOWN THE BRAKES FAILED TO WORK. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT ABLE TO STOP AND COLLIDED WITH THE VEHICLE IN FRONT. LUCKILY NOBODY WAS INJURED IN THIS COLLISION. AFTER INSPECTION, I NOTICED FLUID ON THE GROUND AT THE REAR LEFT (DRIVER'S SIDE REAR), AND LOOKED UNDER THE VEHICLE TO SEE WHERE THE FLUID MAY BE COMING FROM. I SAW THAT THERE WAS FLUID COATING A LARGE AREA OF THE UNDERBODY, AND ALSO SEE THE BRAKE LINE ATTACHED TO THE FRAME AS WET AND RUSTED. I HAVE PICTURES SAVED AS A REFERENCE. *TR

NHTSA ODI #10641315

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

1

DP05009 · Parking Brake Failure

Opened Dec 20, 2005 · Closed May 31, 2006

Status: closed (inferred from source dates) · Parking Brake; Parking Brake:conventional; Parking Brake:conventional:mechanical

ODI'S REVIEW OF COMPLAINT DATA RECEIVED SINCE THE CLOSE OF EA04-011 REVEALED NO INDICATION THAT THE INVESTIGATION SHOULD BE RE-OPENED.MORE DETAILS CAN BE FOUND IN THE FEDERAL REGISTER NOTICE ENCLOSED IN THE DP05-009 PUBLIC FILE.ODI RESERVES THE RIGHT TO REOPEN THE INVESTIGATION IN THE FUTURE SHOULD CONDITIONS WARRANT.

Additional source detail variants (3)

Parking Brake:conventional

ODI'S REVIEW OF COMPLAINT DATA RECEIVED SINCE THE CLOSE OF EA04-011 REVEALED NO INDICATION THAT THE INVESTIGATION SHOULD BE RE-OPENED.MORE DETAILS CAN BE FOUND IN THE FEDERAL REGISTER NOTICE ENCLOSED IN THE DP05-009 PUBLIC FILE.ODI RESERVES THE RIGHT TO REOPEN THE INVESTIGATION IN THE FUTURE SHOULD CONDITIONS WARRANT.

Parking Brake:conventional:mechanical

ODI'S REVIEW OF COMPLAINT DATA RECEIVED SINCE THE CLOSE OF EA04-011 REVEALED NO INDICATION THAT THE INVESTIGATION SHOULD BE RE-OPENED.MORE DETAILS CAN BE FOUND IN THE FEDERAL REGISTER NOTICE ENCLOSED IN THE DP05-009 PUBLIC FILE.ODI RESERVES THE RIGHT TO REOPEN THE INVESTIGATION IN THE FUTURE SHOULD CONDITIONS WARRANT.

Parking Brake

ODI'S REVIEW OF COMPLAINT DATA RECEIVED SINCE THE CLOSE OF EA04-011 REVEALED NO INDICATION THAT THE INVESTIGATION SHOULD BE RE-OPENED.MORE DETAILS CAN BE FOUND IN THE FEDERAL REGISTER NOTICE ENCLOSED IN THE DP05-009 PUBLIC FILE.ODI RESERVES THE RIGHT TO REOPEN THE INVESTIGATION IN THE FUTURE SHOULD CONDITIONS WARRANT.