Mileage when the problem started
Owner reports
Selected complaints filed with NHTSA by 2004 GMC Yukon owners, lightly cleaned up (personal details are redacted by NHTSA).
First the airbag warning light came on. This has been an ongoing issue since 2008. My speedometer registered the wrong speed. My settings for the seat and mirrors quit working over time.hot air would come out of my vents when the air conditioner was on randomly. Radio, navigation, heat, air conditioner and mirrors would turn on/off randomly without touching controls. The last 3 years went through 3 batteries in 3 years. Tests showed at least 5 things are actively draining battery in the fuse box. Issues happened mostly when car was on but mirrors would randomly move when car was not on, very creepy.
Tl* the contact owns a 2004 GMC Yukon denali. The contact stated that the traction control light illuminated and the vehicle became difficult to maneuver. When the failure occurred, the vehicle slammed to a stop as if someone struck the vehicle from the rear. The vehicle was taken to a dealer where the traction control sensor was replaced; however, the failure recurred. The vehicle was not repaired. The failure mileage was 116,000. The VIN was not available.
Surge happens while driving, then engine light comes on, decreased engine power occurs, tracktion stability indictors comes on. Car looses power. I have to pull over off the road, put into park,cut ignittion off, wait a few minutes and then restart the car. This could happen several times while driving.the vehicle is in motion and this is a driving hazard and big safety issue, it has happened on city street and on a highway. It happens daily.
Truck had a fault code flash on dash truck did not increase speed as pulling out onto a highway. Truck was hit on side of door. This has happened after a rear air ride code flashes. This is the 5th time in two weeks.
The "stability control disabled" sensor comes on followed by "reduced engine power" and my vehicle won't go faster than 5mph. This has happened at least 6 times in the past several months only upon start up of the vehicle. Sometimes, if I wait a couple of minutes and restart my car, it'll start just fine but the check engine light comes on. I first brought it into hendrick Chevrolet on 10/15/12. They charged me almost $700 to replace "app sensor assembly". Then I brought it in again on 11/6/12 for the same issue. They replaced the "connector at the throttle body" and charged me $223.09. The issue temporarily went away. I then brought it back on 12/20/12 with the same issue but this time the check engine won't turn off as a result of the reduced engine power-stability control disabled warning. They simply reset the warning and that was it. …
I recently had my vehicle in my service dept. For an on-going problem of which heritage GMC could not repair. From a standstill, when I would accelerate, the vehicle would lose power and not move after about 20 feet or so and a ?traction active? Message would appear on the display. This was a very serious safety concern as the vehicle would end up in the middle of the road with loss of power and cars behind me will almost re end my car. It is an intermittent happening 6 or more time daily, would happen when I would drive from a stop sign or red light. To regain power, you had to let off on the gas peddle and the drive would re-engage. …
While driving on interstate traction control lite came on in dash then power to SUV was lost then electronic message read out stated "stability control disabled " then " reduced engine speed" message appeared. I was able to pull off interstate but nearly got rearended hit by semi. Engine would run only at idle speed. After shutting off vehicle and waiting minute or two then restarting it ran fine. This has happened numerous times since then. Speeds vary 70,55,40 MPH it doesn't matter. After calling different GMC dealers about problem they act like this is something they never heard of."bull**** !!!!. Its the same problem numerous GMC owners are facing on the internet. GMC customers have spent thousands of dollars with no problems solved. All they want to do is hook you up to electronic machine and overcharge you for the same thing autozone ,etc. Businesses will do for free. …
Days after purchasing the vehicle, the check engine light came on, the vehicle powered down taking the speed from 35mph or above to 5-10 miles MPH with out warning. This continuously happened as years passed and GM certified repair shop never found what's wrong. Until about two years ago, I googled issue and found its related to accelerator pedal and wiring from pedal that leads to engine throttle control, I changed throttle control plug to new and replaced accelerator pedal with used part and worked fine for two years but has now started failing again. I am afraid of this issue because I could be on freeway going 65 MPH and if these fail as they have and are, I then slow down to 5-10 MPH in a matter of seconds and could cause a serious accident. Please help, there should be a recall for this.
2004 GMC Yukon xl denali system stabilization disabled warning light intermittently comes on. The dealer cannot repair this issue because there are no diagnostic codes in the car computer. I have taken the truck to the dealership with the warning light on, but still no error codes. After several trips to the service shop and it still is coming on. To date there have been no accidents nor injuries, I have lost confidence in the vehicle as I was told the stabilization system was mandated by the government and it must be operational. What recourse do I have to insure the truck is safe? Why can't they replace computer modules until there is a resolution? The truck did not do this for the first five years I owned it, driving the same exact roads that the warning flashes on now.
While in the middle of driving, the "stability control disabled" sensor comes on followed by "reduced engine power" and my vehicle just shuts off. I have been fortunate the 4-5 times it has happened as I have been able to pull off the road, wait a couple of minutes and restart my car. I have already replaced a hub that my mechanic said was causing a "traction control" problem from earlier. I am reading online all of the nightmares and I unfortunately do not have thousands of dollars to keep trying to fix an issue that GMC is clearly aware of. I have 5 kids and frequently drive them around and someone is going to get hurt and I think GMC should take some responsibility.
Traction Control complaints in other Yukon years
Frequently asked questions
How common are traction control problems on the 2004 GMC Yukon?
NHTSA has 22 complaints about the stability & traction control of the 2004 GMC Yukon, 8% of the model year's 268 complaints.
Is there a recall for 2004 GMC Yukon traction control problems?
No. NHTSA lists no stability & traction control recall for the 2004 GMC Yukon, though it has 2 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 2004 GMC Yukon traction control problems start?
Half of the complaints with a recorded mileage happened before about 125,000 miles.
Is it dangerous?
Owners linked 1 crash, 0 fires and 0 injuries to stability & traction control 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.