Most common 2008 GMC Yukon problems
Share of the 245 complaints; one complaint can involve more than one system. "~" is the median mileage when the problem started.
GMC Yukon complaints by model year
Best Yukon years: 2014, 2020, 2019. Years to avoid: 2023, 2021, 2015, 2022, 2024. Compare all years →
2008 GMC Yukon recalls (4)
Air bags › Frontal › Passenger side › Inflator module
General Motors, LLC (GM) is recalling certain 2007-2011 Cadillac Escalade, Escalade ESV, Escalade EXT, Chevrolet Avalanche, Silverado 1500, Suburban, Tahoe, GMC Sierra 1500, Yukon, Yukon XL, and 2009-2011 Chevrolet Silverado 2500, Silverado 3500, GMC Sierra 2500 and Sierra 3500 vehicles originally sold, or ever registered, in…
Remedy: GM will notify owners, and dealers will replace the front passenger air bag inflator with an alternate one, free of charge. Interim letters notifying owners of the safety risk were mailed on February 22, 2021.
Air bags › Frontal › Passenger side › Inflator module
General Motors, LLC (GM) is recalling certain 2009 Cadillac Escalade, Escalade ESV, Escalade EXT, Chevrolet Avalanche, Silverado 1500, Silverado 2500, Silverado 3500, Suburban, Tahoe, GMC Sierra 1500, Sierra 2500, Sierra 3500, Yukon, and Yukon XL vehicles originally sold, or ever registered, in the states of Arizona, Arkansas,…
Remedy: GM will notify owners, and dealers will replace the front passenger air bag inflator with an alternate one, free of charge. Interim letters notifying owners of the safety risk were mailed on February 23, 2021.
Electrical system
GM is recalling certain model year 2006-2009 Buick, lucerne; Cadillac dts; Hummer h2; model year 2008-2009 Buick enclave; Cadillac cts; model year 2007-2009 Cadillac escalade, escalade esv, escalade ext; Chevrolet avalanche, silverado, suburban, tahoe; GMC acadia, sierra, yukon, yukon xl; Saturn outlook; and model year 2009…
Remedy: Dealers will permanently disable and remove the heated washer fluid module. An updated page for the owner manual will be provided and inserted in the owner manual to document that the feature has been permanently…
Electrical system
GM is recalling 857,735 my 2006-2008 Buick lucerne; Cadillac dts; Hummer h2; my 2007-2008 Cadillac escalade, escalade esv, escalade ext; Chevrolet avalanche, silverado, suburban, tahoe; GMC acadia, sierra, yukon, yukon xl, Saturn outlook; and my 2008 Buick enclave vehicles equipped with a heated wiper washer fluid system.
Remedy: Dealers will install a wire harness with an in-line fuse free of charge. The recall began on September 12, 2008. Owners May contact Buick at 1-866-608-8080; Cadillac at 1-800-982-2339 or http://www.Cadillac.com;…
NHTSA defect investigations
Federal safety investigators have looked into 4 possible defects involving the 2008 GMC Yukon:
Interior Door Handle Laceration Risk
The statistical data regarding problem experience in the table above are net counts for unique vehicles.Review of information in this PE discloses that while accounting for approximately two-thirds of the total population, MY 2007 subject vehicles are cited in more than 90 percent of the consumer complaints, injury reports, and warranty claims, respectively.In addition, improvements in the door handle manufacturing…
Non-crash engine compartment fires
In response to an information request letter sent by the office of defects investigation(odi) during preliminary evaluation pe08-010, GM provided odi with 41 allegations of non-crash engine compartment fires including 16 allegations of fires originating with the ignition in the off position.one of the fires was determined to be caused by an arson event.odi has also received 5 reports, 4 of which are of duplicative…
Desiccated Air Bag Inflator Rupture
From 2000 through 2017, Takata produced millions of air bag inflators using two types of phase-stabilized ammonium nitrate ("PSAN") propellant -- propellant 2004 and propellant 2004L. After prolonged exposure to high temperature cycles and humidity, inflators using propellant 2004 can degrade, causing the propellant to burn too quickly when ignited.
Non-crash engine compartment fires
In a letter dated August 27, 2008, general motors corp. (GM) notified NHTSA that it will conduct a safety recall (NHTSA recall number 08v-441) to address a safety relateddefect that can result in engine compartment fire in approximately 850,000 vehicles equipped with a heated windshield washer fluid option.the subject vehicles of this investigation comprise over three-quarters of the recall population.
What 2008 GMC Yukon owners say
Air bags all 118 →
The contact owns a 2008 GMC Yukon. The contact stated that the vehicle was repaired under the airbag recall. After the recall repair was performed, the airbag warning light remained illuminated. The vehicle was not diagnosed nor repaired. The manufacturer was made aware of the failure. The approximate failure mileage was 185,000.
The contact owns a 2008 GMC Yukon. The contact received notification of NHTSA Campaign Number: 21V050000 (Air Bags) and the vehicle was taken to the dealer for the recall repair; however, the dealer failed to repair the vehicle on the scheduled date and retained the vehicle without providing a loaner vehicle. The contact stated that the manufacturer had exceeded a reasonable amount of time for the recall repair. The manufacturer was not notified of the issue. The contact had not experienced a failure.
Electrical system all 36 →
It started shutting off at a light for autostop.but when it would turn green it would intermittently just drop out of autostop without restarting. Then may start back up or maybe not, many time after restarting at the light it would died in the middle of the inspection. A parasitic draw kept killing the accessory 12 V battery replaced the 12 V battery but the problem continued. When the truck was running it would run flawlessly,before stalling. The code said to replace the auxiliary fluid pump. I had it a new auxiliary fluid pump installed. After this the vehicle wouldnt crank. They then worked through a service bulliten fixing a list of areas were the harness was chaffed and shorted. The truck has been out of commission the past 10 months and intermittently started twice during this time, it ran rough for 5 mins and died out at the first stop sign and wont crank again. …
The vehicle caught fire while parked and ignition turned off. Fire appeared to start in the engine area. Vehicle had been parked and turned off for approx 1.5 to 2 hours before the fire was reported.
Body & structure all 34 →
Dashboard is severely cracked & rattles so badly that it interferes with hearing outside & inside noises & communication. Has gotten worse over past year. Dealer confirmed that the problem was prevalent among several GM models, including my model. I was also told that a class action suit was filed against GMC for this problem, but was dismissed by judicial system.
My family's 2008 GMC Yukon has a cracking dashboard cover. This problem started earlier around 100,000 miles but now there is one large crack and one smaller crack above the portion of the dashboard where the instrument cluster is located. I am concerned that eventually this whole portion of the dashboard cover May crack and fall into the dashboard which could possibly affect electrical components located within the dashboard. Also I have noticed some signs of a crack forming next to the passenger side airbag cover. At any point while driving the vehicle I can hear the dashboard cracking and popping loudly.
2008 GMC Yukon engines & fuel economy
| Engine | Transmission | Drive | MPG city / hwy / combined |
|---|---|---|---|
| 6.0L 8-cyl hybrid | CVT | RWD | 21 / 22 / 21 |
| 6.0L 8-cyl hybrid | CVT | 4WD/AWD | 20 / 20 / 20 |
| 4.8L 8-cyl | 4-speed automatic | RWD | 14 / 19 / 16 |
| 5.3L 8-cyl | 4-speed automatic | RWD | 14 / 20 / 16 |
| 5.3L 8-cyl | 4-speed automatic | 4WD/AWD | 14 / 19 / 16 |
| 6.0L 8-cyl | 4-speed automatic | RWD | 12 / 17 / 14 |
| 6.2L 8-cyl | 6-speed automatic | 4WD/AWD | 12 / 18 / 14 |
| 6.0L 8-cyl | 4-speed automatic | 4WD/AWD | 12 / 17 / 14 |
| 6.2L 8-cyl | 6-speed automatic | RWD | 12 / 19 / 14 |
EPA ratings. Class: SUV.
Frequently asked questions
Is the 2008 GMC Yukon a good car?
Based on 245 owner complaints filed with NHTSA, the 2008 Yukon rates average: about as many complaints as a typical year of the Yukon at the same age. Complaint counts don't account for sales volume or individual maintenance, so have any used car inspected before buying.
What is the most common problem with the 2008 GMC Yukon?
The air bags — 118 complaints, 48% of all complaints for this model year, most often about side/window. Next are the electrical system (36) and body & structure (34).
How many recalls does the 2008 GMC Yukon have?
There are 4 recalls for the 2008 GMC Yukon, the most recent from February 5, 2021 (inflator module). Recall repairs are free at any authorized dealer — check whether yours has been done with the VIN recall check.
What are the best and worst years of the GMC Yukon?
The best years by complaints, compared at the same age, are 2014, 2020 and 2019. Years to avoid or approach with caution: 2023, 2021, 2015, 2022 and 2024. See the full GMC Yukon years comparison.
At what mileage do 2008 GMC Yukon problems happen?
The median mileage reported in complaints is about 80,000 miles; 31% of problems with a recorded mileage started before 50,000 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.