Catastrophic engine failure of 3.0l Diesel engine with only 2000 miles on it.
2026 GMC Yukon Xl
Owner reports · Recalls · Investigations
Limited comparison data
There is not enough comparable history to draw a useful model-year comparison.
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: 3 of 32 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 20 owner reports in this category and discuss these concerns during a pre-purchase inspection. Read reports →
- Electrical System. Review the 6 owner reports in this category and discuss these concerns during a pre-purchase inspection. Read reports →
- Forward Collision Avoidance. Review the 2 owner reports in this category and discuss these concerns during a pre-purchase inspection. Read reports →
NHTSA owner reports · September 18, 2026 snapshot.
Engine complaints
20 reportsOn 3/14/26, on I-75 in Troy, Michigan at 70mph the vehicle, with 4000k miles on the odometer completely shut off. I pushed to restart the engine and it would not restart. My whole family was in the car and we were on a curve. I was able to coast to a flat shoulder. The vehicle would not restart or shift out of park. OnStar t…
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On 3/14/26, on I-75 in Troy, Michigan at 70mph the vehicle, with 4000k miles on the odometer completely shut off. I pushed to restart the engine and it would not restart. My whole family was in the car and we were on a curve. I was able to coast to a flat shoulder. The vehicle would not restart or shift out of park. OnStar took seven hours to tow the vehicle. The dealer is installing a new L87 6.2L engine. I do not have the vehicle back yet. I received an economy car as a loaner. The dealer says GM will not extend the factory warranty despite the engine replacement. My family could have been easily killed.
Engine failed with just 3,633 miles. Covert GMC is replacing the entire engine.
2026 GMC Yukon XL Denali, VIN [XXX] , 6.2L V8 L87 engine. At 3,168 miles, vehicle developed rough idle and knocking noise. Delivered to Sewell Buick GMC Dallas on 3/2/26. Dealer diagnosed crankshaft thrust bearing spun. Tech pinpointed bottom-end noise via stethoscope, found excessive metal debris in oil and oil filter. Engine t…
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2026 GMC Yukon XL Denali, VIN [XXX] , 6.2L V8 L87 engine. At 3,168 miles, vehicle developed rough idle and knocking noise. Delivered to Sewell Buick GMC Dallas on 3/2/26. Dealer diagnosed crankshaft thrust bearing spun. Tech pinpointed bottom-end noise via stethoscope, found excessive metal debris in oil and oil filter. Engine teardown confirmed thrust bearing failure. Required complete engine replacement (GM #xxx), plus oil cooler/radiator, oil cooler lines, torque converter bolts, and all one-time-use parts due to metal contamination. Old engine serial [XXX] , new engine [XXX] . Repaired under warranty 3/9/26, RO #XXX. This is the identical failure mode that caused NHTSA Recall 25V-274 covering ~597,630 L87-equipped vehicles (MY 2021-2024). GM stated manufacturing improvements were completed by 6/1/24 and 2025+ models were not affected. My 2026 model year failure directly contradicts this claim and suggests the defect persists in current production. SAFETY CONCERN: Bearing failure causes sudden complete loss of propulsion at any speed. NHTSA investigation PE25001 notes most failures occur without warning. Loss of power at highway speed creates serious crash risk due to loss of ability to accelerate and reduced power braking/steering. Had this failure progressed further while driving with my family, consequences could have been severe. No crash or injury occurred in this instance. This 2026 model year failure indicates NHTSA's investigation scope should expand to include current production vehicles. INFORMATION REDACTED PURSUANT TO THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT (FOIA), 5 U.S.C. 552(B)(6)
Engine lost power, making noises that sounded like an exhaust leak. Had vehicle towed to dealership. Advised the next day the main bearing had failed and engine needed to be replaced.
On [XXX], I was driving on the highway with my family in the vehicle and the check engine light came on, then it started running roughly. I headed off the highway on an exit ramp and the engine died about halfway down the ramp. It wouldn't restart after that. This happened about an hour away from my house in Painesville, OH. …
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On [XXX], I was driving on the highway with my family in the vehicle and the check engine light came on, then it started running roughly. I headed off the highway on an exit ramp and the engine died about halfway down the ramp. It wouldn't restart after that. This happened about an hour away from my house in Painesville, OH. I live in Erie, PA. I had to tow it to the nearest GMC dealer. They've since concluded that the engine failed and have ordered a replacement engine from GMC. The yukon only had about 4,900 miles on it. GMC has claimed that their engine problems were fixed for the 2025 and 2026 model years, or else I would not have purchased this vehicle. Obviously there are still major issues and the 2026 6.2L engines need to be recalled. I understand that there is an ongoing investigation into these issues: RQ26001. Please see that the investigators are made aware of this incident. INFORMATION REDACTED PURSUANT TO THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT (FOIA), 5 U.S.C. 552(B)(6)
Purchased brand new vehicle 2026 XL Denali, hadn’t even had my first oil change, and had a complete engine failure in the middle of the road. Prior to engine failure, car ran fine without an issue - so failure came out of nowhere. Towed, where GMC and dealer determined entire engine needed to be replaced. GMC did cover and deale…
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Purchased brand new vehicle 2026 XL Denali, hadn’t even had my first oil change, and had a complete engine failure in the middle of the road. Prior to engine failure, car ran fine without an issue - so failure came out of nowhere. Towed, where GMC and dealer determined entire engine needed to be replaced. GMC did cover and dealer did install a new engine. However: 1. I was out of a vehicle for almost a month. 2. I have incurred a depreciation cost of 10-15% on my vehicle due to this problem. 3. I have lost confidence in my brand new vehicle, as GMC has not fixed the reoccurring engine problems from previous years - despite promises to the contrary.
Vehicle has 2200 miles, equipped with the Diesel engine and failed at a red light. GM has to install a new engine.
Vehicle engine stopped working at 5200 miles. Was driving on highway and immediately stopped. Vehicle would not start. Towed to dealership and next day dealer confirmed that the engine needed to be replaced.
The contact owns a 2026 GMC Yukon XL. The contact stated that while starting the vehicle, there was an abnormal sound coming from the engine. The abnormal sound disappeared after the engine had warmed up. No warning lights were illuminated. The vehicle was towed to the dealer, where it was diagnosed and determined that the engin…
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The contact owns a 2026 GMC Yukon XL. The contact stated that while starting the vehicle, there was an abnormal sound coming from the engine. The abnormal sound disappeared after the engine had warmed up. No warning lights were illuminated. The vehicle was towed to the dealer, where it was diagnosed and determined that the engine had failed and needed to be replaced. The vehicle remained at the dealer unrepaired. The manufacturer was not notified of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 3,500.
Official recalls
326V304000 · Wheels:hub
May 14, 2026
General Motors, LLC is recalling certain 2025–2026 Cadillac Escalade, Escalade ESV, Chevrolet Suburban 1500, Tahoe, GMC Yukon, and Yukon XL vehicles with 24-inch wheels. Incorrect bolts may have been installed on the left and right front wheel hubs, which can result in the bolts loosening or deforming over time.
Consequence & remedy
Consequence: A bolt that loosens or breaks during vehicle operation can result in loss of vehicle control, increasing the risk of a crash.
Remedy: Dealers will replace the front left and right wheel hub bolts, free of charge. Owner notification letters were mailed June 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 N262554630. Vehicle Identification Numbers (VINs) involved in this recall became searchable on NHTSA.gov on May 14, 2026.
26V289000 · 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.
26V114000 · Equipment:other:owners/service/other Manual
Feb 26, 2026
General Motors has decided that certain 2027 Chevrolet Bolt EV, 2025-2026 Cadillac OPTIQ, Chevrolet Colorado, Equinox EV, GMC Canyon, 2026 Buick Enclave, Envision, Cadillac CT5, Escalade, Escalade ESV, Escalade IQ, Escalade IQL, LYRIQ, VISTIQ, Chevrolet Blazer EV, Corvette Convertible, Corvette Coupe, Corvette Convertible E-Ray, Equinox, Silverado 1500, 2500, 3500, Silverado EV, Suburban 1500, Tahoe, Traverse, GMC Acadia, Hummer EV Pickup, Hummer EV SUV, Sierra 1500, 2500, 3500, Sierra EV, Terrain, Yukon, and Yukon XL vehicles. The radio may not have been set to the correct status to download the electronic owner's manual during production. As such, these vehicles fail to comply with the requirements of Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standard number 208, “Occupant Protection.”
Consequence & remedy
Consequence: Without an owner's manual to consult, owners may not know how to safely use and operate the vehicle, increasing the risk of injury in a crash.
Remedy: Dealers will reset the vehicle radio, which will facilitate automatic download of the electronic owner’s manual, free of charge. Owner notification letters were mailed April 16, 2026. Owners may contact GM customer service at 1-866-467-9700, Chevrolet customer service at 1-800-222-1020 or Cadillac customer service at 1-800-333-4223. The manufacturer's number for this recall is N252540430. Vehicle Identification Numbers (VINs) involved in this recall became searchable on NHTSA.gov on February 26, 2026.
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
1EA26005 · Loss Of Motive Power Due To Engine Failure Post Recall Remedy
Opened Aug 20, 2026 · No close date supplied
Status: open (inferred from source dates) · Engine
On January 16, 2026, the Office of Defects Investigation (ODI) opened Recall Query RQ26001. This investigation was opened to assess the remedy effectiveness of Recall 25V-274. ODI has received complaints alleging engine failure in vehicles after the recall remedy had been completed, whether that remedy involved an oil viscosity change or a complete engine replacement. General Motors (GM) issued Recall 25V-274 to address concerns of engine failure in the L87 engines produced between March 1, 2021 and May 31, 2024. GM cited the root cause as a supplier manufacturing and quality issue. GM’s recall remedy for Recall 25V-274 consisted of two different repairs, either an oil viscosity change or an engine replacement, based on the results of the remedy inspection procedure. ODI continues to receive reports of engine failures after the completion of the recall remedy. To date, ODI has received 499 complaints alleging post-remedy engine failure in vehicles subject to Recall 25V-274, 473 of which involved an oil viscosity change and 26 a complete engine replacement. Additionally, ODI has received 191 reports of L87 engine failures in engines produced after the production period cited in Recall 25V-274. GM reported receiving 6,953 complaints of post-remedy engine failure. ODI is opening this Engineering Analysisto continue investigating complaints of post-remedy engine failure. ODI is expanding the scope of this Investigation to include engines produced after the production period cited in the recall. To review the ODI reports cited in the Opening Resume ODI Report Identification Number document, go to NHTSA.gov.
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