2016 GMC Yukon engine problems
64 of the 517 complaints owners filed with NHTSA about the 2016 GMC Yukon name the engine (NHTSA’s “Engine” heading — the engine and its cooling system). Filed under the same heading: 1,000 manufacturer bulletins. Every figure below is a document in a federal file, linked; none is a failure rate, and none is a verdict on any one car.
What owners filed about the engine
Source: NHTSA complaint database1 of the 64 reports a crash · 0 a fire · 0 injuries. Self-reported, unverified.
Filed per year: 2016: 5 · 2017: 2 · 2018: 1 · 2019: 7 · 2020: 4 · 2021: 4 · 2022: 10 · 2023: 3 · 2024: 4 · 2025: 14 · 2026: 10
Half of the 23 owners who gave an odometer reading reported the engine problem between 37,000 and 102,000 miles. A median of reports, not the life of a part.
517 complaints in all about the 2016 GMC Yukon, 10 filed in 2026. The whole picture, every system →
Counts are owner reports to NHTSA, not verified defects, and scale with how many of these were sold; nothing here is a rate. NHTSA groups complaints coarsely, so “Engine” means the same area of the vehicle, not one fault.
Across model years: GMC Yukon engine problems, every year on file →
In owners’ own words
Source: NHTSA complaint databaseFiled with NHTSA by the people who own these cars, about the engine. Quoted as written, with anything identifying removed; unverified reports — what was said, not a finding that it was true.
Merging onto highway and my car would not get up any speed . Was almost crushed by a tractor trailer. If I hadn’t had a long merge lane I could have been killed . Apparently my transmission failed. This is certainly a safety issue . Your car should not just quit!
The contact owns a 2016 GMC Yukon XL. The contact stated that while stopped at a red light and depressing the accelerator pedal, the vehicle jerked and jumped forward. There was a loud sound coming from the engine. The accelerator pedal was depressed but the vehicle failed to accelerate above 5 MPH.
The contact owns a 2016 GMC Yukon XL. The contact stated that while driving at approximately 55 MPH, there was a knocking sound coming from the engine compartment before the vehicle stalled. The vehicle was towed to the local mechanic who determined that the engine was faulty and needed to be replaced. The vehicle was not yet repaired.
At 90500 miles my Yukon xl started shuddering and the transmission started failing and I have never used it to pull anything so this was very dissatisfying for a 75k vehicle
Experienced tapping noise front right passenger side, took vehicle to Firestone diagnosed the problem - the vehicle was confirmed to have 2 broken exhaust manifold studs in the cylinder head. Mileage 85.407- This vehicle has never been used to tow anything
What is on file about the engine
Source: NHTSA recalls, investigations and manufacturer communications1,000 manufacturer bulletins filed under this heading
The 0 newest are listed; every one is on the model year’s page. Quote the document number at a service desk — it is a diagnosis the maker has already written down.
Trouble codes named on this system
P0300 P2635 P018B C1114 B3055 B3060 B3935 P0011
Codes a bulletin or an owner’s complaint about the 2016 GMC Yukon names on this model year; a code with a record of its own links it.
Other systems with a record on the 2016 GMC Yukon
Source: the same files- brake problems 98 complaints
- electrical problems 90 complaints
- transmission and drivetrain problems 75 complaints
Common questions
Source: NHTSA complaint database, recalls and manufacturer communicationsAre engine problems common on the 2016 GMC Yukon?
They are documented: NHTSA holds 64 owner complaints naming the engine on this model year (12% of everything owners filed about it), and 1,000 manufacturer bulletins are filed under the same heading. Whether it is a problem on one particular car is a diagnosis, not a count, and a count says nothing about how many were sold.
Is there a recall for the engine on the 2016 GMC Yukon?
No recall campaign is filed under this heading for this model year (there are 5 filed under other headings). A bulletin is not a recall: it carries no federal duty to repair for free.
When do engine problems show up on the 2016 GMC Yukon?
Owners who gave an odometer reading reported it at a median of 74,000 miles; half of them between 37,000 and 102,000. That is when reports cluster, not the life of a part.
What does NHTSA's "Engine" heading cover?
The engine and its cooling system. Owners choose the heading when they file, so it says which area of the vehicle the complaint is about, not which part failed.