Mileage when the problem started
Owner reports
Selected complaints filed with NHTSA by 2016 GMC Yukon XL owners, lightly cleaned up (personal details are redacted by NHTSA).
The contact owns a 2016 GMC Yukon XL. The contact stated while driving 75 MPH with her husband driving behind her, he noticed that the taillights were inoperable. The vehicle was taken to an independent mechanic and the contact was informed that the taillight functions were inoperable. The contact was informed that the failure experienced was similar to the Special Coverage under N182180270. The vehicle was not repaired. The dealer was contacted and informed the contact that the vehicle was out of coverage. The manufacturer was contacted and the contact was informed that the vehicle was out of warranty. The failure mileage was 32,022.
2016 Yukon XL ~ 90,000 miles. This is the second time I get a low speed braking failure when trying to park, followed immediately by a "Brake Assist Malfunction" warning on the dashboard. Both failures have occurred after a long distance travel. The last one being from Detroit to Chicago on 7/30/22. The failure consisted on the SUV not stopping after I had applied the brake pedal at full when backing up for a parallel parking on a street in Chicago. Same happened after I drove forward almost hitting the car in front of me. The SUV continued moving for about a foot on both situations. Before this incident, similar situation happened on a trip from Detroit to Cleveland on March 2022. The SUV continued to move fwd after I had applied the brakes. In this occasion, I was on a ramp down getting into a parking garage. …
Driving back from Las Vegas for a family trip, traffic was heavy, a lot of stop-and go. I started to feel the brakes delay to stop. After a few minutes I was able to pick up a little speed and again traffic was built up. This time the brakes failed and got stiff. I had to slam on the brakes and practically stand up on the brakes in order for the car to stop. I barely avoided wrecking into the car in front of me. I was a few hours away from home and had to drive all the way with this problem. When I got home I took it in to the nearest dealer shop to get the brakes checked . I looked online and found out about the recall on the brakes.
Both brake lamp assemblies are non-op, no warning in dash and no fuses. GMC #SCA N182180270 stating that 2015 and 2016 Yukon. Extended warranty to 6 years or 72,000 miles. We are out of warranty as of last month. $2,500 to replace the tail lamp assemblies. No letter was sent to owners regarding this safety hazard. This should be a RECALL
The driver's side brake light assembly failure of no brake light when brake is applied. It can be inspected upon request. This may cause another driver to not notice intentions to stop or slowdown and cause an accident. This problem is constant. It has not been inspected. No warnings of the failure has been displayed.
I was driving and n the freeway around 70 miles and " TRAILER Brake SERVICE" message appears on the dash board screen We don't pulling nothing on that time and normally we don't use this car for pulling, the other message appears several times is very frustrating. I am the guy in charge for this vehicle.
I have repair the trailer brake system warning light prior. Now again this faulty wiring module is constantly dinging and flashing warning messages while driving. It's very distracting and irrelevant considering I not towing anything. It covers the speedometer and is a complete nuisance.
Tl* the contact owns a 2016 GMC Yukon. The contact stated that while driving at approximately 60 MPH, the brake pedal was depressed however, there was a delay for the brakes to engage causing the vehicle to crash into another vehicle. The air bags failed to deploy. A police report was not filed. The contact stated that there were no injuries. The vehicle was driven to the contact's residence. The dealer was not contacted. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was notified of the failure and a case was filed. The contact stated was awaiting an inspection by a manufacturer field inspector. The contact mentioned that the vehicle was repaired under an unknown brake recall. The approximate failure mileage was 59,600.
Tl* the contact owns a 2016 GMC Yukon XL. While driving approximately 30 MPH, the brakes malfunctioned and caused the vehicle to crash into the rear of another vehicle. There were no injuries. A police report was filed. Prior to the crash, the brake vacuum pump was replaced, but the brakes did not function properly. The vehicle was later serviced at mick donald's GMC(5155 state st, saginaw, mi) per NHTSA campaign number: 19V645000(service brakes) in which the electronic brake control module was reprogrammed. Afterwards, the brakes operated normally. The manufacturer was notified of the failure. The failure mileage was 35,000.
My wife was driving down a major road and a person pulled next to her at a stop to tell her that her brake lights were working only part of the time. GM had just serviced my vehicle and didn't catch it, and upon researching the issue, it is a known faulty design of the tail light assembly. The LED brake light starts intermittently failing at the 2 year point, leading to drivers following drivers to not know that the leading vehicle is stopping. This is a common issue and the only response from GM is to make the customer buy a new $700 brake light assembly. The issue is so common that multiple companies have started brake light repair services and multiple youtube videos exist to walk individuals through the process of repairing their own brake lights. …
NHTSA investigations
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…
Brake complaints in other Yukon XL years
Frequently asked questions
How common are brake problems on the 2016 GMC Yukon XL?
NHTSA has 41 complaints about the brakes of the 2016 GMC Yukon XL, 20% of the model year's 201 complaints.
Is there a recall for 2016 GMC Yukon XL brake problems?
No. NHTSA lists no brakes recall for the 2016 GMC Yukon XL, though it has 3 recalls for other components. If the problem is widespread, a repair may still be covered by an extended warranty or a manufacturer service bulletin — ask a dealer.
At what mileage do 2016 GMC Yukon XL brake problems start?
Half of the complaints with a recorded mileage happened before about 58,000 miles.
Is it dangerous?
Owners linked 5 crashes, 0 fires and 0 injuries to brakes problems on this model year. If you notice symptoms, have the car checked before driving further.
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.