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 that on numerous occasions while driving at various speeds, the vehicle hesitated and jerked. The contact stated that the vehicle lunged forward. There was no warning light illuminated. The vehicle was taken to the dealer several times and diagnosed that there was a defect with the transmission. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was not notified of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 134,000.
My vehicle has been in 16 times since I bought it the most recent incident is for the engine which started about six months ago. It's been in since then for other issues concurrently with this one it hesitates like it's getting stuck in sand before it wants to go first the mechanic told me he didn't sense it but the thermostat was stuck open so they fix that. Second time it went in they thought it was some sort of a filter and some other components I'm not sure. Again it was not fixed then my son and I were out in Minnesota freezing cold night in November and go and drive and then when again it was the drive train this time that got fixed a month ago about a week ago it starts making a noise like there's too much snow in the tires. I get my car washed every few days but I got it washed again and that didn't fix it so it's in the shop again and I'm paying for a rental again. …
When accelerating from a stop, the engines revs up to really high RPM's before shifting hard into 2nd gear, and again while shifting hard into 3rd gear. This started in the last week. The engine/trans currently have ~133,000 miles. Accelerating slowly, not exceeding 1,500-1,700 RPM will reduce this occurence, but it takes significantly longer to get up to speed, which is a problem when entering 55 MPH traffic. We've had to pull off the road to avoid causing an accident while merging with traffic since the transmission seems like it won't shift, causing me to have to let off the accelerator to try and allow the transmission to shift so I can continue accelerating.
Without warning my 2016 Yukon Denali jerked so forcefully into drive it felt like we were hit from behind. It went into gear and sped into intersection and stalled. We were almost hit. This is a huge problem with2016 GMC's and they are aware of it. It is the 8 speed transmissions that are causing this. They refuse to help get it fixed. I think they should be forced to! I will be out thousands if I can even find a shop that can get that transmission., They are back ordered because so many failures.
1. My vehicle is having transmission issues with shuddering and shifting. M5U RPO code 8L90 transmission. 2. My safety and the safety of others is a concern if the transmission is not working as intended my vehicle could be at risk an accident that could be avoided. 3. The problem has not be reproduced or confirmed by a dealer I work on my own vehicles and I am going to repair this issue myself if able. 4. There are no trouble codes on my vehicle when scanned with an OBD2 scanner.
2016 Yukon Denali Xl 4wd Shifts hard from 1st -2nd Shifts hard from 2nd -1st Random delay in accelerating from stopped (this is my main concern as i have 2 disabled child that almost gives them whiplash) 45-55 sometime feels like i am driving over. Rumble strips 45-55 has loss of power when attempting to pass a vehicle Local GMC dealer charged 300$ to change fluid to high performance & it still has same problems
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! .called dealer and they said the problem is known but gmc is not doing anything about it! Please help 75,000 $ car should last !
There is a hesitation when trying to accelerate. The car will then slam forward and there is a rattling noise that the car also makes. This has almost caused accidents. I was driving in town which is where I do most of my driving.
Transmission constantly jerks taking off under normal operating conditions from a stop, has a hard time staying into gear (hunts for gear) while cruising at highway speeds.slips/slams into gear when attempting to pass.
The car started to have issues shifting when driving- automatic transmission. It would jolt or shudder to try to shift. I was at a light intersection attempting to turn left to go on the on ramp of a highway, it attempted to shift as I sped up from a stop and it got stuck and started making a sound as if you were to press the brake and gas at the same time, similar to that, a car was coming in my direction at the same time and it finally clicked into gear. Absolutely terrified me, my father in law came and switched me vehicles and took mine to the dealership where it stayed for 3 days and they diagnosed it saying it needed a new transmission, quoting us at $11,000. Obviously we can't afford that. We had all the filters and lines of the transmission cleaned. And now it's just gotten worse and worse. That was the first time it happened. …
Transmission complaints in other Yukon XL years
Frequently asked questions
How common are transmission problems on the 2016 GMC Yukon XL?
NHTSA has 33 complaints about the transmission & drivetrain of the 2016 GMC Yukon XL, 16% of the model year's 201 complaints.
Is there a recall for 2016 GMC Yukon XL transmission problems?
No. NHTSA lists no transmission & drivetrain 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 transmission problems start?
Half of the complaints with a recorded mileage happened before about 60,000 miles, and 20% before 25,000 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.