Acceleration complaints by model year
| Year | Complaints | Share of year's complaints | Typical mileage |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2026 | 1 | 3% | — |
| 2025 | 1 | 4% | — |
| 2024 | 3 | 4% | — |
| 2023 | 7 | 3% | — |
| 2022 | 3 | 2% | 92,000 miles |
| 2021 | 7 | 3% | — |
| 2019 | 4 | 6% | 10,000 miles |
| 2018 | 2 | 4% | 5,000 miles |
| 2017 | 4 | 3% | 88,000 miles |
| 2016 | 4 | 2% | 97,000 miles |
| 2015 | 3 | 1% | 50,000 miles |
| 2014 | 1 | 9% | — |
| 2011 | 1 | 2% | 70,000 miles |
| 2010 | 1 | 4% | 120,000 miles |
| 2007 | 6 | 6% | 120,000 miles |
| 2006 | 3 | 18% | 40,000 miles |
| 2005 | 1 | 2% | — |
| 2004 | 4 | 5% | 49,000 miles |
| 2003 | 2 | 1% | 118,000 miles |
| 2002 | 1 | 1% | — |
| 2001 | 3 | 2% | 34,000 miles |
| 2000 | 4 | 6% | 80,000 miles |
Which parts fail
Components named in complaints (accelerator pedal, throttle, sudden acceleration, cruise control).
Mileage when the problem started
What owners report
My vehicle stalled while driving on a busy highway & I had no option but to pull over, which left me & my family in a very dangerous position. Had to remove my daughter's wheelchair onto a tow truck as the vehicle had no power to use the hoist for her powerchair. Again, on the side of a busy road! Towed the vehicle to a GM dealership, who stated there was catastrophic engine failure & the engine had to be replaced. Had no way to transport my daughter until I got a new engine since her hoist was stuck at the dealership.
Driving on highway at 80 MPH and accelerator stopped working and car turned off. We had to coast off toll rd and hope for the best. No warning and happened with our whole family in the car. I had a recall notice from manufacturer but last time I tried contacting manufacturer/dealer they said no resolution was available to repair recall yet and that I couldn't drop off my vehicle.
When driving in a parking lot, due to the design of the cruise control set switch, it is very easy to unintentionally set the adaptive cruise control. Specifically, when maneuvering in a parking lot at low speeds (below 5mph) and allowing the wheel to return to center by spinning in your hands, the cruise control switch which is a dial/lever that sticks out beyond the surface of the wheel, catches on your hand and engages the cruise. This sets the cruise control target speed to a 15 MPH even if you are currently going slower than that. The vehicle then accelerates on its own at a fairly aggressive pace to get up to 15mph. You can of course hit the brakes and cancel the cruise control, but in a tight parking lot scenario this unintended acceleration could easily cause you to strike another vehicle, obstacle, or pedestrian. …
At 9,900 miles my safety camera system failed which disabled the cruise control and all safety features that used the camera. Car was out of service for nearly two weeks and subsequently fixed by the dealer under warranty at no charge. At 11,300 miles I was driving on an interstate highway in the left lane at rush hour, without warning the car stopped accelerating the car shifted into neutral and totally lost power. It was a very dangerous situation with me in the left lane in heavy traffic. I am a skillful driver and thankfully I was able to make it off the travel lanes on the highway. The temperature was 18 degrees at the time and I had to wait outside for a tow truck. The engine seized without warning or noise and this presents a severe danger to the driver of the vehicle and other vehicles on the highway. …
The contact owns a 2022 GMC Yukon XL. The contact stated that while driving approximately 55 - 60 MPH and depressing the accelerator pedal, the vehicle failed to respond as intended for approximately one second before accelerating. A dealer was contacted. No warning light was illuminated. The contact stated that the failure had occurred on several occasions. The vehicle was taken to a dealer to be diagnosed; however, the diagnosis was unknown. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was notified of the failure and was in the process of towing the vehicle to another location. The approximate failure mileage was 92,000.
Traveling North bound on Highway 14 in Southern California on January 24, 2025. In the fast lane traveling approximately 70MPH when with no warning what so ever the vehicle shifted into neutral and lost power. Nearly rear ended trying to get out of traffic and to the right shoulder. Once stopped the vehicle would not start, stuck in Park, and could not turn the electronics off. Stuck in vehicle for 3 hours because it was too dangerous to exit vehicle. Tow truck arrived. Tried to jump the battery which by this time was dead. Had to drag the vehicle up the flatbed with wench do to vehicle unable to shift out of Park.
Was driving the vehicle at 70 mph on the highway without any issues for several hours and suddenly the vehicle lost power and had no propulsion. It went into neutral automatically and the engine shut off while driving. Thankfully I was on a downward slope and could steer the vehicle off the very busy highway. Once safe, I tried to restart the car but the engine would not start or turn over. Roadside assistance came to help as well as a flatbed tow truck. It was taken to a nearby GMC dealer but it remains completely dead despite the battery being fully charged and all of the electronics working. No known error codes are showing up. It's an L87 engine and was part of the GM recall. The recall work was completed in Nov 2025.
While driving my check engine light came on indicating that service was needed on the Electronic Stability Control (ESC), traction control, Anti-Lock Brake System (ABS), brake assist the vehicle top speed reduced to 43mph. My braking system was compromised and I have to travel at reduced speeds on busy roadways to arrive at my destinations. I have taken the vehicle to a certified GMC technician for diagnostics and repair.
NHTSA investigations
Throttle sticking closed
This investigation involves the general motors corporation (GM)throttle body (tb) utilized in model year (my) 1999-2002 silverado, sierra, tahoe, suburban, avalanche and yukon (subject vehicle(s)) with 4.8l, 5.3l, and 6.0l engines. The tb valve May intermittently stick in a closed position.in such a situation, an operator May apply additional accelerator pedal force to increase engine speed.the application of…
Frequently asked questions
Which GMC Yukon XL years have acceleration problems?
By NHTSA complaints, the 2021 (7), 2023 (7) and 2007 (6) model years. Acceleration complaints make up 3% of all complaints for the 2021.
Is there a recall for GMC Yukon XL acceleration problems?
No. NHTSA lists no speed control & acceleration recall for any GMC Yukon XL model year. A widespread problem may still be covered by an extended warranty or a manufacturer service bulletin, so ask a dealer.
At what mileage do GMC Yukon XL acceleration problems start?
Across all years, half of the complaints with a recorded mileage happened before about 71,000 miles; 39% happened before 50,000 miles.
What part fails most often?
Owners most often name the accelerator pedal (6 mentions), followed by the cruise control (1).
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.