Most common 2015 GMC Yukon XL problems
Share of the 308 complaints; one complaint can involve more than one system. "~" is the median mileage when the problem started.
GMC Yukon XL complaints by model year
Best Yukon XL years: 2014, 2012, 2013. Years to avoid: 2023, 2022, 2021, 2015, 2024. Compare all years →
2015 GMC Yukon XL recalls (2)
Air bags › Frontal › Sensor/control module-inactive
General Motors LLC (GM) is recalling certain model year 2014-2016 Buick Lacrosse and Chevrolet Spark EV, Caprice PPV and SS vehicles, 2014-2017 Buick Encore and Chevrolet Corvette, Silverado 1500 and GMC Sierra 1500 vehicles, 2015-2016 Cadillac Escalade and Escalade ESV, Chevrolet Tahoe, Trax, Suburban and Silverado 2500 and…
Remedy: GM will notify owners, and dealers will reflash the SDM software. Vehicles that have had a previous air bag deployment will have the SDM replaced. These repairs will be performed free of charge.
Seat belts › Pretensioner
General Motors LLC (GM) is recalling certain model year 2015-2017 Chevrolet Silverado 2500 HD, 3500 HD, Tahoe, Suburban, GMC Sierra 2500 HD and 3500 HD, GMC Yukon, GMC Yukon XL, Cadillac Escalade and Cadillac Escalade ESV vehicles and 2014-2017 Chevrolet Corvette, Silverado 1500, Trax, Caprice Police Pursuit Vehicle, GMC Sierra…
Remedy: GM will notify owners, and dealers will reflash the SDM software. Vehicles that have had a previous air bag deployment will have the SDM replaced. These repairs will be performed free of charge.
NHTSA defect investigations
Federal safety investigators have looked into a possible defect involving the 2015 GMC Yukon XL:
Brake Vacuum Pump Failure
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…
What 2015 GMC Yukon XL owners say
Lights all 140 →
The contact owns a 2015 GMC Yukon XL. The contact stated that while his wife was driving at an undisclosed speed, the contact stated he was following behind in another vehicle and noticed that the taillights were out. The vehicle was taken to the dealer. The vehicle was diagnosed with a failed exterior lighting assembly. The exterior lighting assembly needed to be replaced. The vehicle was repaired. The contact stated he replaced the exterior lighting assembly three times since March 2022. The vehicle was taken to the dealer to be repaired. The manufacturer was made aware of the failure but provided no assistance. The failure mileage was approximately 109,554.
The contact owns a 2015 GMC Yukon XL. The contact stated while driving at an undisclosed speed, the front passenger's side headlight failed to illuminate. The vehicle was taken to the dealer, where the passenger's side taillight was replaced; however, the failure recurred. The vehicle was taken back to the dealer, and the contact was informed that the front passenger's side headlight needed to be replaced. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was made aware of the failure. The failure mileage was 83,415.
Brakes all 64 →
The contact owns a 2015 GMC Yukon XL. The contact stated that while driving 70 MPH and exiting the highway, the brake pedal was depressed but the brake pedal was stiff and stuck, requiring that the transmission be shifted to neutral(N), and to stand on the brake pedal with both feet. The contact continuously pumped the brake pedal, but the vehicle slowly responded and almost crashed into other vehicles. There was no warning light illuminated. The contact's wife and daughter were also inside the vehicle during the failure and were frightened and concerned for their safety during the failure. The dealer was contacted and was provided a description of the failure over the phone. The dealer informed the contact that the vacuum pump and an unknown part had possibly failed. …
I was dropping my daughter off at school in the car line. I was at low speed trying to brake and with the brake all the way down couldn't stop immediately. I was able to stop but then went to go again and when tried to stop again, couldn't and hit the car in front of me. It was making a sound while trying to brake but wouldn't engage my brakes. Luckily it didn't leave any damage and the other driver said it was OK and accepted my apology as my brakes were not working correctly.
Electrical system all 58 →
The contact owns a 2015 GMC Yukon. The contact stated that while operating the vehicle, the power steering malfunctioned causing the steering wheel to become very difficult to turn in either direction. The contact indicated that recently when the failure occurred the vehicle also shut off nearly causing a crash. The vehicle was taken to the local dealer who diagnosed that the battery cables needed to be replaced. The vehicle was not yet repaired. The contact indicated that the vehicle was previously serviced under the NHTSA Campaign Number: 18V586000 (Steering) however, the failure recurred intermittently. The manufacturer was notified of the failure. The failure mileage was 75,000.
LED brake light on drivers side fails to illuminate (noticed first at about 72,700 miles). Upon further research, this appears to be a recurring issue with 2015-2016 Yukon and Yukon XL vehicles. The LED taillight assembly is a sealed housing and the individual brake light bulbs are not replaceable. There appears to be a design defect that is causing premature failures of these assemblies, which results in a safety hazard because the driver does not receive any notification that the brake lights have failed.
Frequently asked questions
Is the 2015 GMC Yukon XL a good car?
Based on 308 owner complaints filed with NHTSA, the 2015 Yukon XL rates avoid: 7.9× as many complaints as a typical year of the Yukon XL at the same age. It is one of the Yukon XL years we suggest avoiding. Complaint counts don't account for sales volume or individual maintenance, so have any used car inspected before buying.
What is the most common problem with the 2015 GMC Yukon XL?
The lights — 140 complaints, 45% of all complaints for this model year, most often about brake lights. Next are the brakes (64) and electrical system (58).
How many recalls does the 2015 GMC Yukon XL have?
There are 2 recalls for the 2015 GMC Yukon XL, the most recent from July 10, 2017 (sensor/control module-inactive). Recall repairs are free at any authorized dealer — check whether yours has been done with the VIN recall check.
What are the best and worst years of the GMC Yukon XL?
The best years by complaints, compared at the same age, are 2014, 2012 and 2013. Years to avoid or approach with caution: 2023, 2022, 2021, 2015 and 2024. See the full GMC Yukon XL years comparison.
At what mileage do 2015 GMC Yukon XL problems happen?
The median mileage reported in complaints is about 70,000 miles; 21% of problems with a recorded mileage started before 50,000 miles.
Source: U.S. National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) — owner complaints through October 20, 2026, recalls and defect investigations; fuel economy from the EPA. Complaints are unverified reports and are not proof of a defect. How we rate model years.