Reliable Auto DB

2020 GMC Yukon XL reliability

Is it reliable?

Owners have filed 47 complaints with NHTSA about the 2020 GMC Yukon XL over 7 years — 2 per year. That is more complaints per year than most Yukon XL years here — over the median of the other years, which is 0. NHTSA has 2 recalls on file, including Tires and Fuel pump.

2015 GMC Yukon XL
Photo by Kevauto, resized from the original. Wikimedia Commons CC BY-SA 4.0
Complaints

47

Per year

2

Recalls

2

Years on the road

7

What owners report

The complaints owners file most often name Engine (24 of 47), then Powertrain (13) and Engine and engine cooling (3). Those filings include 2 that report a crash, 1 that reports a fire, and 1 that reports an injury.

Next to 2019 and 2021

The 2019 Yukon XL has 0 complaints, 0 per year, and the 2021 has 225 complaints, 11 per year. The 2020 has more complaints per year than the 2019. The 2020 has fewer complaints per year than the 2021.

The complaint rate is complaints filed in this year’s first 3 years on the road, divided by however many of those years have passed. Recalls are a separate count. The numbers are for the US-market 2020 GMC Yukon XL. How we count. Data as of .

Recalls (2)

Recall Tires 2021-02-25 · NHTSA campaign 21V115000
Summary General Motors LLC (GM) is recalling certain 2020 Buick Enclave, Cadillac XT4, XT5, Escalade, Escalade ESV, Chevrolet Suburban, Tahoe, Traverse, GMC Yukon, Yukon XL, 2018-2021 Chevrolet Express, GMC Savana, 2019-2020 Chevrolet Blazer, Silverado 1500, GMC Acadia, Sierra 1500, and certain Continental tires sold to the aftermarket for various model year 2018-2021 vehicles. The affected tires were cured for too long during production.
Remedy GM will notify owners, and dealers will inspect the tires, replacing them as necessary, free of charge. The recall began March 22, 2021. Owners may contact GMC customer service at 1-888-988-7267, Buick customer service at 1-866-608-8080, Chevrolet customer service at 1-800-222-1020 or Cadillac customer service at 1-800-458-8006. GM's number for this recall is N212329050.
Recall Fuel pump 2019-11-21 · NHTSA campaign 19V837000
Summary General Motors LLC (GM) is recalling certain 2020 Cadillac Escalade, Escalade ESV, Chevrolet Camaro, Silverado 1500, Suburban, Tahoe, GMC Sierra 1500, Yukon, and Yukon XL vehicles. The fuel pump may be missing a pressure regulator, allowing for over-pressurization of the fuel system.
Remedy GM will notify owners, and dealers will replace the fuel pump, free of charge. The recall began December 18, 2019. Owners may contact Cadillac customer service at 1-800-333-4223, Chevrolet customer service at 1-800-222-1020, or GMC customer service at 1-888-988-7267. GM's number for this recall is N192283991.

Complaints by component (47 total)

Engine
24
Powertrain
13
Engine and engine cooling
3
Fuel and propulsion system
3
Service brakes
3
Steering
3
Electrical system
2
Exterior lighting
2
Traction control
2
Air bags
1
Structure
1
Suspension
1
Show 4 more Show less
Crash-flagged

2

Fire-flagged

1

Injury reports

1

Death reports

0

Complaints filed per year

1202022021220225202332024172025172026
Excerpts from recent NHTSA complaint filings
  • "The transmission failed on August 8, 2026, while I was driving on a highway. I moved safely to the shoulder, but the vehicle became inoperable and required towing. The loss of propulsion in active highway traffic…"
    Powertrain · filed 2026-09-21
  • "Passenger door handle caused laceration in my sons hand. Peeling interior paint or chrome created a cut on hand. Causing it to bleed and get first aid. Noticed all door handles were in same condition. Very un safe and…"
    Structure · filed 2026-09-12
  • "The vehicle has an unpredictable and random tendency to hesitate when the gas is pressed. This has been happening at some level since the vehicle was new. The dealership service department was never able to get the…"
    Unknown or other · filed 2026-07-23
  • "My family drove from [XXX] to [XXX]. Upon arrival check engine light came on, we proceeded to a local shop, by the time we arrive check engine light was flashing and engine was knocking and was clearly malfunctioning.…"
    Engine · filed 2026-07-12
  • "Without any indications of a problem our transmission began making a loud whining noise. The evening before it was fine and the next morning on startup the noise just began. The Vehicle only has 45,000 miles on it and…"
    Powertrain · filed 2026-06-28

NHTSA crash ratings

Version Overall Front Side Rollover
2020 GMC Yukon XL SUV 4WD 4 stars 4 stars 5 stars 3 stars
2020 GMC Yukon XL SUV RWD 4 stars 4 stars 5 stars 3 stars

Stars are how this vehicle did in NHTSA crash tests. They are a safety result, separate from the complaint record. Not rated means that test was not run for this version.

Specs and fitment

K2XX generation, 2015–2020
Body styles SUV
Oil 0W-20 (5.3L and 6.2L) , 8 qt capacity
Tire size 265/65R18, 275/55R20, 285/45R22 (trim dependent)

Known issues for this generation

Recall 18V-673 covers certain 2018-2019 GMC Yukon XL vehicles among other GM models: certain second-row or third-row seatbelt retractors may not automatically lock when the belt is fully pulled out, which can keep a child seat from securing properly. Dealers inspect and replace retractors as needed.

Compare

Next year 2021 GMC Yukon XL See every GMC Yukon XL model year →

Frequently asked questions

Is the 2020 GMC Yukon XL reliable?

Owners have filed 47 complaints with NHTSA about the 2020 GMC Yukon XL over 7 years — 2 per year. That is more complaints per year than most Yukon XL years here — over the median of the other years, which is 0. NHTSA has 2 recalls on file, including Tires and Fuel pump.

What are common problems with a 2020 GMC Yukon XL?

The complaints owners file most often name Engine (24 of 47), then Powertrain (13) and Engine and engine cooling (3). Those filings include 2 that report a crash, 1 that reports a fire, and 1 that reports an injury.

Is the 2020 GMC Yukon XL more reliable than the years next to it?

The 2019 Yukon XL has 0 complaints, 0 per year, and the 2021 has 225 complaints, 11 per year. The 2020 has more complaints per year than the 2019. The 2020 has fewer complaints per year than the 2021.

Has the 2020 GMC Yukon XL been recalled?

The 2020 GMC Yukon XL has 2 recalls on file with NHTSA. See the recalls table on this page for dates, components, and remedies.

How many complaints have owners filed about the 2020 GMC Yukon XL?

Owners have filed 47 complaints about the 2020 GMC Yukon XL with NHTSA.

What oil does a GMC Yukon XL take?

0W-20 for the common 5.3L and 6.2L gas engines on both K2XX (2015-2020) and T1XX (2021-on). Confirm diesel viscosity in the manual if equipped.

What does safety recall 21V-739 cover on 2021 Yukon XL?

Certain 2021 Yukon XL vehicles among other GM full-size SUVs: the fuel-pump power control module can fail or run intermittently and stall the engine; dealers replace that module.

When did the T1XX Yukon XL generation start?

Model year 2021 (after K2XX 2015-2020).