transmission gave out while driving on the road at 50 mph
2018 GMC Yukon Xl
Owner reports · Recalls · Investigations
Similar to other model years
Owner complaints for the 2018 GMC Yukon Xl do not stand out strongly from the model-year median of 68.
About this comparison →How this year compares
Owner complaints by model year
Compare all Yukon 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
Limited mileage data: 16 of 52 reports include usable mileage. There isn’t enough coverage to show a useful chart.
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.
- Engine. Review the 13 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 →
- Power Train. 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.
Power Train complaints
8 reportsThe vehicle keep jerking in and out of gear the issue almost made me crash due to the harsh conditions Took to repair they stated this is a known problem. That is what worries me now
2018 Yukon XL: Safety of family put at risk over faulty transmission. Vehicle used to transport children many times daily. Transmission began slipping with slight lagging. Vehicle assessed by independent service center and we as customers told this is a common issue with GMC vehicles of this year. Service center was able to r…
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2018 Yukon XL: Safety of family put at risk over faulty transmission. Vehicle used to transport children many times daily. Transmission began slipping with slight lagging. Vehicle assessed by independent service center and we as customers told this is a common issue with GMC vehicles of this year. Service center was able to reproduce and confirm the issue. Total to rebuild entire transmission was $7,377.33. Total transmission failure. Entire transmission had to be replaced at tremendous expense to our family. Transmission began slipping with slight lagging. Engine RPM's would increase with no additional power or speed.
The contact owns a 2018 GMC Yukon XL. The contact stated that while her husband was driving 20 MPH in two wheel-drive(2WD), the vehicle started reversing while the transmission was in drive(D). The contact stated that after her husband switched to four-wheel-drive(4WD) and exceeded 40 MPH, the vehicle responded as needed. The ve…
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The contact owns a 2018 GMC Yukon XL. The contact stated that while her husband was driving 20 MPH in two wheel-drive(2WD), the vehicle started reversing while the transmission was in drive(D). The contact stated that after her husband switched to four-wheel-drive(4WD) and exceeded 40 MPH, the vehicle responded as needed. The vehicle was driven to the grandparent's residence, where it was parked. The check engine warning light was illuminated while the transmission was in park(P). The vehicle was then towed to an independent mechanic, who replaced the torque converter, the transmission, and several other unknown parts. No further information was available. The manufacturer was made aware of the failure and advised the contact to file a complaint with the NHTSA Hotline. The failure mileage was approximately 102,000.
The contact owns a 2018 GMC Yukon XL. The contact stated that after starting the vehicle, the gear shifter failed to function as intended. The contact stated that the gear shifter was shifted into the drive; however, the gear shifter inadvertently shifted back into neutral. The contact stated that the vehicle had just been drive…
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The contact owns a 2018 GMC Yukon XL. The contact stated that after starting the vehicle, the gear shifter failed to function as intended. The contact stated that the gear shifter was shifted into the drive; however, the gear shifter inadvertently shifted back into neutral. The contact stated that the vehicle had just been driven and parked prior to the failure. The contact turned off the vehicle. The vehicle was restarted, and the gear shifter was shifted into the drive. The contact stated that after driving the vehicle for approximately 100 feet, the gear shifter slipped back into neutral, and the vehicle failed to drive forward. The contact stated that the vehicle was started; however, the gear shifter unintendedly slipped back into neutral, and the vehicle failed to respond. The vehicle was towed to the dealer and was diagnosed with transmission failure. The contact was informed that the transmission needed to be replaced. The vehicle was being repaired. The manufacturer was made aware of the failure and a case was filed. The contact was advised to contact the NHTSA Hotline to report the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 148,000.
Vehicle started accelerating and loosing power randomly on highway traffic in [XXX] . Sudden jerking behavior was very dangerous and unpredictable and non controllable upon investigation at the shop, mechanic found it was transmission issue, clutch was slipping and engaging randomly, had to pay over $5500 out of pocket to re…
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Vehicle started accelerating and loosing power randomly on highway traffic in [XXX] . Sudden jerking behavior was very dangerous and unpredictable and non controllable upon investigation at the shop, mechanic found it was transmission issue, clutch was slipping and engaging randomly, had to pay over $5500 out of pocket to rebuild the Transmission As GMC had recall for same issue for different year Yukon but not for 2018. This should be part of recall as it can be very dangerous and life threatening situation specially on highway speed. INFORMATION REDACTED PURSUANT TO THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT (FOIA), 5 U.S.C.
Had transmission issues (slipping, jerking and jumping ), while driving on highway. it will not accelerate when pressing the gas and would accelerate randomly / jumping fast Uphill it wont move forward on drive grar, instead it rolls back, which can hit rear vehicle. very dangerous and not derivable with bad trans as it can …
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Had transmission issues (slipping, jerking and jumping ), while driving on highway. it will not accelerate when pressing the gas and would accelerate randomly / jumping fast Uphill it wont move forward on drive grar, instead it rolls back, which can hit rear vehicle. very dangerous and not derivable with bad trans as it can lead to accidents. its very common and reoccurring issue with GMC Yukon 2018 (SLT, SLE, Denali, Yukon XL..etc models )
The torque converter is too small for the vehicles transmission which then caused it to break and put metal into the transmission fluid. Which cause the transmission to break. My safety was at risk was because while on highway it shot high on RPMs and then made funny noise and wouldn’t go. The problem was confirmed at Aamco tran…
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The torque converter is too small for the vehicles transmission which then caused it to break and put metal into the transmission fluid. Which cause the transmission to break. My safety was at risk was because while on highway it shot high on RPMs and then made funny noise and wouldn’t go. The problem was confirmed at Aamco transmission where I have to get the transmission rebuilt. There was never a check engine light or check fluid or any codes Thrown before the problem.
Official recalls
226V289000 · Power Train:transfer Case (4-WHEEL Drive)
May 7, 2026
General Motors, LLC (GM) is recalling certain 2026 Cadillac Escalade and Escalade ESV, Chevrolet Silverado 1500, Suburban, and Tahoe, and GMC Sierra 1500, Yukon, and Yukon XL vehicles with four-wheel (4WD) or all-wheel drive (AWD), and certain 2015-2020 Suburban, Escalade, Escalade ESV, Yukon, Yukon XL, and Tahoe vehicles. A component missing from the drivetrain transfer case may cause the front and/or rear wheels to lock up without warning to the driver.
Consequence & remedy
Consequence: Front or rear wheel lockup increases the risk of a crash.
Remedy: Owners are advised not to drive their vehicle until the remedy is completed. Dealers will inspect and, if necessary, replace the transfer case assembly, free of charge. Owner notification letters were mailed May 18, 2026. Owners may contact GMC customer service at 1-800-462-8782, Chevrolet customer service at 1-800-222-1020 or Cadillac customer service at 1-800-333-4223. GM's number for this recall is N262557620. Vehicle Identification Numbers (VINs) involved in this recall became searchable on NHTSA.gov on May 7, 2026.
18V673000 · Seat Belts:rear/other
Sep 26, 2018
General Motors LLC (GM) is recalling certain 2018-2019 Cadillac CT6, Escalade ESV, Chevrolet Suburban, Volt, and GMC Yukon XL vehicles. Certain second-row or third-row rear seatbelts retractor assemblies may not automatically lock when the seatbelt is fully pulled out of the retractor, possibly preventing a child seat from being properly secured. As such, these vehicles fail to comply with the requirements of Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standard (FMVSS) number 208, "Occupant Crash Protection."
Consequence & remedy
Consequence: If the child seat is not properly secured in the event of a crash, it can increase the risk of injury.
Remedy: GM will notify owners, and dealers will inspect the rear seatbelt retractors and replace them if necessary, free of charge. The recall began November 7, 2018. Owners may contact Cadillac customer service at 1-800-458-8006, Chevrolet customer service at 1-800-222-1020 or GMC customer service at 1-800-462-8782. GM's number for this recall is 18315.
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
0No exact-year investigations in this snapshot.
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