Mileage when the problem started
Owner reports
Selected complaints filed with NHTSA by 2017 GMC Yukon XL owners, lightly cleaned up (personal details are redacted by NHTSA).
The contact owns a 2017 GMC Yukon XL. The contact stated that while at a stop, the vehicle hesitated while depressing the accelerator pedal. There was no warning light illuminated. The contact stated that the vehicle was jerking while driving forward at a slow speed. The contact was able to drive the vehicle to the dealer where the vehicle remained. The manufacturer was not notified of the failure. The vehicle was not repaired. The failure mileage was approximately 110,000.
Noting that prior to this we only had one issue with transmission and we did the flush and it did fine for several thousand of miles. Fast forward to a few days ago. As I was driving down the highway I came to a stop at the red light. Once it was green and I pressed on the accelerator with my foot per usual. And it did not move it pushed the gas peddle and nothing at all happened. I was stuck in the highway could not move until I'm assuming the transmission finally shifted jarring my entire car and it allowed me to get to a safe place at 20 miles an hour max. Keep in mind I was in the middle of the highway not knowing what was happening. With my precious babies in the car. Thanking God we were not injured. This problem is so common and notorious among GMC Yukons 2017 year models. It's saddening that now I have a car note on a car that will not go. …
Truck RPMs were running really high between shifting with normal acceleration. I took the truck to a transmission shop as I purchased an extended warranty. The transmission needed to be rebuilt as many parts were worn. The extended warranty repair was made. After repairs, the truck has started doing the same thing 4 weeks later. It appears the transmission is not properly shifting again, I am not sure if it's a transmission issue as all parts have been replaced, or a computer issue that's causing the malfunction. The vehicle is available for inspection. My safety is put as risk because if the transmission does not shift properly, it is at risk at breaking while in motion which could potentially cause an accident and if the transmission breaks will on the highway, i dont know what type of risk that can entail. …
In May 2025, my vehicle suddenly started jerking, shaking, and almost stalled out while driving. I was on a busy 3 lane roadway with 6 passengers total. As I would try to accelerate, the power was significantly decreased. I felt it jerk between shifting several times. My check engine light came on. I was so scared that someone would hit my vehicle and injure us. I brought it to a GMC dealership. They said that my transmission failed, metal in the transmission fluid. How is this possible? Upon researching this problem, this is a common issue with the 2017 GMC Yukon Denali. There are class action law suits and lemon law lawsuits against GMC regarding this problem which causes major safety concerns. My vehicle has been well maintained with lots of service records to prove it. I have babied her and I've never towed anything. This transmission issue needs to be addressed and recalled. …
Had the torque converter replaced at around 58,000 miles because of shutter in transmission. At around under 100,000 miles I called the dealership back up because the shutter is back again and now my NEW torque converter is bad. They said they only had a 25,000 mile warrantee on the new converter and I was out of my replacement window for warrantee. Everything online says torque converters can last well over 150,000 miles and sometimes even the entire life of a vehicle. I have now had two replaced. By searching online for info about this it is CLEARLY a known problem with these vehicles and gmc isn't doing anything about it.
The transmission begin to cause the vehicle to shudder and shake. This caused shifting problems that cause the vehicle to be unable to safely drive down the road. We have confirmed with a mechanic that has seen and fixed this same issue multiple times. Causing the transmission to need to be replaced. This is due to the issues that many vehicles like this one that continues to be a problem. This issues has caused my vehicle to be unable to accelerate and has caused it to stop in the road. This is very unsafe and needs to be fixed for all those with this similar vehicle so no one is severely injured.
We were on the freeway with my 4 small children. The freeway speed is 75 mph. The car had been jerking and hard shifting for over a week and I had it scheduled with a mechanic. As we were driving on the freeway, it lost total power as cars were going to the left and right around us. I was barely able to get it to the side of the road without being hit. This could have been tragic! I took it to the mechanic and the transmission is shaving a lot of metal (that was in the bottom of the pan). I have had to pay to have a whole new transmission redone. This is absurd with a car that is only 4 years old.
Car has 100k miles on it. At 59k the fuel injectors went out and needed to be replaced. Then the transmission went out and needed to be replaced, then the front differential needed to be rebuilt, also had to replace the struts. Now the lifters are going out and that, plus likely the camshaft, need to be fixed. Total costs for all the above is close to $20,000. If not fixed these problems could easily result in catastrophic engine failure while driving leading to personal injury and death. I see that there is a class action lawsuit for the latter.
I purchased a 2017 yukon xl denali. In the short time that I have had the vehicle the transmission has started to make a loud audible popping noise when coming to a complete stop. I have take the vehicle to the GM dealership multiple times to try and get the problem fixed and according to them it is something with the transmission that they don't know exactly how to fix. So I am stuck with this 8l90 transmission that is a piece of junk and can't even get a rebuilt transmission from companies like Jasper due to the issues of these transmissions.
Driving on city streets at approximately 45-50 MPH the transmission began shifting erratically and made significant squealing noises. After stopping, the transmission could not be shifted to another gear and was stuck in drive (D) for approximately 30 minutes. After evaluation from a professional auto mechanic, these transmissions were equipped with the incorrect fluid type from the factory that has since been taken off the market. The transmission needed to be replaced at ~99,000 miles.
Transmission complaints in other Yukon XL years
Frequently asked questions
How common are transmission problems on the 2017 GMC Yukon XL?
NHTSA has 36 complaints about the transmission & drivetrain of the 2017 GMC Yukon XL, 24% of the model year's 147 complaints.
Is there a recall for 2017 GMC Yukon XL transmission problems?
No. NHTSA lists no transmission & drivetrain recall for the 2017 GMC Yukon XL, though it has 1 recall 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 2017 GMC Yukon XL transmission problems start?
Half of the complaints with a recorded mileage happened before about 36,000 miles, and 27% before 25,000 miles.
Is it dangerous?
Owners linked 1 crash, 0 fires and 0 injuries to transmission & drivetrain 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.