Most common 2011 GMC Yukon problems
Share of the 254 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 →
2011 GMC Yukon recalls (5)
Air bags › Frontal › Passenger side › Inflator module
General Motors, LLC (GM) is recalling certain 2014 Cadillac Escalade, Escalade ESV, Chevrolet Silverado 2500, Silverado 3500, Suburban, Tahoe, GMC Sierra 2500, Sierra 3500, Yukon, and Yukon XL vehicles originally sold, or ever registered, in the states of AL, CA, FL, GA, HI, LA, MS, SC, TX, PR, AS, GU, the MP, and VI or "Zone…
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 25, 2021.
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.
Electrical system › Ignition
General Motors LLC (GM) is recalling certain model year 2011-2012 Cadillac Escalade, Escalade ESV, Escalade EXT, Chevrolet Avalanche, Silverado HD, Silverado LD, Suburban, Tahoe, GMC Sierra LD, Sierra HD, Yukon, and Yukon XL vehicles.
Remedy: GM will notify owners, and dealers will inspect and replace the ignition lock housing, as necessary, free of charge. The recall began on February 12, 2015.
Steering › Linkages
GM is recalling certain model year 2011cadillac escalade, escalade esv; Chevrolet silverado hd, silverado ld, suburban, tahoe; and GMC sierra hd, sierra ld, yukon, and yukon xl vehicles. The intermediate steering shaft attaching bolts May not have been tightened to the proper specification.
Remedy: GM dealers will inspect and ensure that the intermediate steering shaft bolts are tightened to the proper specification. The safety recall is expected to begin on or about July 13, 2011.
Suspension › Rear › Axle › Spindle
General motors is recalling certain model year 2011 Cadillac escalade, escalade esv, escalade ext; Chevrolet avalanche, colorado, express, silverado, suburban, tahoe; and GMC canyon, sierra, savana, yukon and yukon xl vehicles.
Remedy: Dealers will install a new rear axle cross pin free of charge. The safety recall began on January 11, 2011. Owners May contact Cadillac at 1-866-982-2339, Chevrolet at 1-800-630-2438, GMC at 1-866-996-9463 and at the…
NHTSA defect investigations
Federal safety investigators have looked into a possible defect involving the 2011 GMC Yukon:
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.
What 2011 GMC Yukon owners say
Air bags all 105 →
Takata recall. The contact owns a 2011 GMC Yukon. The contact received a notification for NHTSA Campaign Number: 21V054000 (Air Bags) however, the part for the recall repair was unavailable. The dealer had been notified of the recall; however, the contact was informed that parts were not yet available. The manufacturer had been notified of the issue. The contact stated that the manufacturer had exceeded a reasonable amount of time for the recall repair. The contact had not experienced a failure. VIN tool confirms parts not available.
Takata Recall. The contact owns a 2011 GMC Yukon. The contact received notification of NHTSA Campaign Number: 21V054000 (Air Bags) however, the part to do the recall repair was not yet available. The contact stated that the manufacturer had exceeded a reasonable amount of time for the recall repair. The dealer was made aware of the issue and informed the contact that parts were not yet available. The manufacturer was not made aware of the issue. The contact had not experienced a failure. VIN tool confirms parts not available.
Body & structure all 42 →
The dashboard has progressively being cracking for over a year. It has now become very bad in two areas. Above the airbag on the passengers side and all around the housing above the odometers there are several long cracks. I am very concerned that the spreading rate will increase with pieces possibly creaking off and should an accident occur that shard's of plastic could injury passengers or my children. I have contact GMC and they have told me that they do not see any problem and that they would not address this situation. After reviewing the internet thoroughly it is very apparent that there is a defect problem and they do not wish to address. I am more than disappointed that GMC do not take this matter seriously.
Our dashboard cracked on a 3 year old car - the local dealer "repaired" it and the repair lasted all of a day. The crack got progressively bigger and GM refused to cover any of the cost to replace, telling us our only option was to replace the entire dash at a cost of over $1200. We have had it patched by a local repair place who did a better job than the dealer, but the dash still vibrates to the point of shaking and the patch is now coming apart again. The actual crack is now over a 1/2" big. We are worried about the airbags deploying and the sharp plastic causing serious injury.
Engine & cooling
There are several incidents reported regarding ongoing assessment with GMC interplay activity I have noticed this have become a dangerous drive ability inside acceleration controls Governor sets whiling driving engine play transmission shifts this have gone beyond everyday practices during drive times this have been very noticeable during anyone time RPM gauges constantly disrupted radio functions remote controls are at play many problems are being serious illegal assessed during drive compulsive fuel guagement.I have been placed at dangerous risk by interplay noticability. Now slight tick sounds after full services sparkplug and wire as tuneup oil changes fuel services and coolant same recurring problems continued after serviced alignment services.controls are very strong
I have replaced the battery and alternator. My door locks keep locking and unlocking on the own while driving, all my electrical in my car dim and keep resetting, my gauges are going all over the place. My car will turn itself off. While stopped at a red light, it seems to want to go on its own. While not running, I get in to leave, and my key at times don't want to turn over. Then at times I try to start it and it will tell me theft control and won't crank. When I'm out of my vehicle at home, my car will lock itself when the setting is turned off. The problem has been going on for a year but only getting worse now.
2011 GMC Yukon engines & fuel economy
| Engine | Transmission | Drive | MPG city / hwy / combined |
|---|---|---|---|
| 6.0L 8-cyl hybrid | CVT | RWD | 20 / 23 / 21 |
| 6.0L 8-cyl hybrid | CVT | 4WD | 20 / 23 / 21 |
| 5.3L 8-cyl | 6-speed automatic | RWD | 15 / 21 / 17 |
| 5.3L 8-cyl | 6-speed automatic | 4WD | 15 / 21 / 17 |
| 6.2L 8-cyl | 6-speed automatic | RWD | 14 / 18 / 16 |
| 6.2L 8-cyl | 6-speed automatic | AWD | 13 / 18 / 15 |
| 6.0L 8-cyl | 6-speed automatic | RWD | 10 / 16 / 12 |
| 6.0L 8-cyl | 6-speed automatic | 4WD | 10 / 16 / 12 |
EPA ratings. Class: SUV.
Frequently asked questions
Is the 2011 GMC Yukon a good car?
Based on 254 owner complaints filed with NHTSA, the 2011 Yukon rates use caution: 1.7× as many complaints as a typical year of the Yukon at the same age. It is one of the Yukon years we suggest avoiding. 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 2011 GMC Yukon?
The air bags — 105 complaints, 41% of all complaints for this model year. Next are the body & structure (42) and engine & cooling (15).
How many recalls does the 2011 GMC Yukon have?
There are 5 recalls for the 2011 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 2011 GMC Yukon problems happen?
The median mileage reported in complaints is about 74,000 miles; 25% 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.