Reliable Auto DB

2018 GMC Yukon reliability

Is it reliable?

Owners have filed 69 complaints with NHTSA about the 2018 GMC Yukon over 9 years — 4 per year. That is fewer complaints per year than most Yukon years here — under the median of the other years, which is 12. NHTSA has 3 recalls on file, including Vacuum and Wheel speed sensor.

2012 GMC Yukon
Photo by Kevauto, resized from the original. Wikimedia Commons CC BY-SA 4.0
Complaints

69

Per year

4

Recalls

3

Years on the road

9

What owners report

The complaints owners file most often name Engine (27 of 69), then Powertrain (18) and Suspension (8). Those filings include 2 that report a crash and 1 that reports an injury.

Next to 2017 and 2019

The 2017 Yukon has 196 complaints, 11 per year, and the 2019 has 55 complaints, 3 per year. The 2018 has fewer complaints per year than the 2017. The 2018 has more complaints per year than the 2019.

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 2018 GMC Yukon. How we count. Data as of .

Recalls (3)

Recall hydraulic brakes, power assist, vacuum 2020-10-01 · NHTSA campaign 20V603000
Summary General Motors LLC (GM) is recalling certain 2018 Cadillac Escalade, Chevrolet Silverado 1500 and Tahoe, GMC Sierra 1500 and Yukon vehicles equipped with either a 5.3L or 6.2L V8 engine. The output of the mechanical vacuum pump can decrease over time, decreasing the amount of vacuum/power brake assist.
Remedy GM will notify owners, and dealers will reprogram the Electronic Brake Control Module, free of charge. The recall began November 11, 2020. Owners may contact GM customer service at 1-866-522-9559, Cadillac customer service at 1-800-458-8006 or Chevrolet customer service at 1-800-630-2438. GM's number for this recall is N202300860.
Recall hydraulic brakes, antilock and traction control, wheel speed sensor 2019-10-24 · NHTSA campaign 19V761000
Summary General Motors LLC (GM) is recalling certain 2015-2020 Chevrolet Suburban, Tahoe, and GMC Yukon, and 2014-2018 Chevrolet Silverado 1500 and GMC Sierra 1500 vehicles equipped with a 5.3-liter engine, a 3.08-ratio rear axle and four-wheel drive. If a wheel-speed sensor fails, while the vehicle is traveling between 41 and 60 mph in four-wheel or automatic mode, the Electronic-Brake Control Module (EBCM) software may activate the driveline-protection system.
Remedy GM will notify owners, and dealers will reprogram the EBCM, free of charge. The recall began December 11, 2019. Owners may contact Chevrolet customer service at 1-800-630-2438 or GMC customer service at 1-800-462-8782. GM's number for this recall is N192261050.
Recall hydraulic brakes, power assist, vacuum 2019-09-06 · NHTSA campaign 19V645000
Summary General Motors LLC (GM) is recalling certain 2015-2017 Cadillac Escalade, 2014-2018 Chevrolet Silverado, GMC Sierra, 2015-2018 Chevrolet Suburban, Tahoe, GMC Yukon vehicles. The amount of vacuum created by the vacuum pump may decrease over time.
Remedy GM will notify owners, and dealers will reprogram the Electronic Brake Control Module, free of charge. The recall began October 8, 2019. Owners may contact Chevrolet customer service at 1-800-630-2438, Cadillac customer service at 1-800-458-8006 or GMC customer service at 1-800-462-8782. GM's number for this recall is N192268490.

Complaints by component (69 total)

Engine
27
Powertrain
18
Suspension
8
Service brakes
5
Steering
4
Air bags
3
Electrical system
3
Speed control
3
Exterior lighting
2
Fuel and propulsion system
2
Structure
2
Visibility and wipers
2
Wheels
2
Electronic stability control (ESC)
1
Engine and engine cooling
1
Forward collision avoidance
1
Lane departure
1
Tires
1
Visibility
1
Show 11 more Show less
Crash-flagged

2

Fire-flagged

0

Injury reports

1

Death reports

0

Complaints filed per year

1201852019720206202172022720237202422202572026
Excerpts from recent NHTSA complaint filings
  • "I started my vehicle and as I accelerated I started to hear a knocking noise. The vehicle and engine have been inspected by the dealership. The problem has also been confirmed by the dealership.There were no warning…"
    Engine · filed 2026-05-13
  • "The 2018 Yukon has been at the dealership several timeswaiting for a valve body for the transmission. There are valve body recalls for other year GM vehicles with the same transmission, but not for the 2018 model even…"
    Powertrain, Engine · filed 2026-04-13
  • "The contact owns a 2018 GMC Yukon. The contact stated that the vehicle was taken to a local dealer for service, and the contact was informed that the radiator was leaking and needed to be replaced. The contact stated…"
    Engine and engine cooling · filed 2026-04-03
  • "I purchased my used GMC YUKON from a used car dealership 3/28/26. I signed the papers for the agreement while I was driving the vechicle home I lost power and it wouldn't go forward with gas applied. The check engine…"
    Powertrain · filed 2026-03-29
  • "Please see attached letter"
    Engine · filed 2026-03-13

NHTSA crash ratings

Version Overall Front Side Rollover
2018 GMC Yukon SUV 4WD 4 stars 5 stars 5 stars 3 stars
2018 GMC Yukon SUV RWD 4 stars 5 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.

Fuel economy

Trim Engine Transmission Drive City Hwy Combined Annual fuel cost
Yukon C1500 two-wheel drive 6.2L, 8-cyl Automatic 10-speed Rear-wheel drive 14 23 17 MPG $4700
Yukon C1500 two-wheel drive 5.3L, 8-cyl Automatic 6-speed Rear-wheel drive 16 23 19 MPG $3400
Yukon C1500 two-wheel drive 5.3L, 8-cyl Automatic 6-speed Rear-wheel drive 16 23 19 MPG $3400
Yukon C1500 XL two-wheel drive 6.2L, 8-cyl Automatic 10-speed Rear-wheel drive 14 23 17 MPG $4700
Yukon C1500 XL two-wheel drive 5.3L, 8-cyl Automatic 6-speed Rear-wheel drive 16 23 19 MPG $3400
Yukon C1500 XL two-wheel drive 5.3L, 8-cyl Automatic 6-speed Rear-wheel drive 16 23 19 MPG $3400
Yukon K1500 four-wheel drive 5.3L, 8-cyl Automatic 6-speed Four-wheel drive 16 22 18 MPG $3600
Yukon K1500 four-wheel drive 5.3L, 8-cyl Automatic 6-speed Four-wheel drive 16 22 18 MPG $3600
Yukon K1500 four-wheel drive 6.2L, 8-cyl Automatic 10-speed Four-wheel drive 14 22 17 MPG $4700
Yukon K1500 XL four-wheel drive 5.3L, 8-cyl Automatic 6-speed Four-wheel drive 15 22 18 MPG $3600
Yukon K1500 XL four-wheel drive 5.3L, 8-cyl Automatic 6-speed Four-wheel drive 15 22 18 MPG $3600
Yukon K1500 XL four-wheel drive 6.2L, 8-cyl Automatic 10-speed Four-wheel drive 14 21 16 MPG $5000

Specs and fitment

K2XX refresh, 2015–2020
Body styles SUV
Oil dexos1 5W-30 (V8 per manual) , 8 qt capacity
Tire size 275/55R20, 285/45R22, 265/65R18 (trim dependent)
Towing capacity 8,500 lbs

Known issues for this generation

NHTSA safety recall 21V115000 covers affected vehicles after the agency found that 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. Over cured tires may develop a break in the sidewall resulting in sudden air loss or a belt edge separation which could lead to a tread/belt loss. Either condition can cause a loss of vehicle control, increasing the risk of a crash. 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. When NHTSA lists multiple GM nameplates in one campaign, the published unit count is shared across them.

Compare

Previous year 2017 GMC Yukon Next year 2019 GMC Yukon See every GMC Yukon model year →

Frequently asked questions

Is the 2018 GMC Yukon reliable?

Owners have filed 69 complaints with NHTSA about the 2018 GMC Yukon over 9 years — 4 per year. That is fewer complaints per year than most Yukon years here — under the median of the other years, which is 12. NHTSA has 3 recalls on file, including Vacuum and Wheel speed sensor.

What are common problems with a 2018 GMC Yukon?

The complaints owners file most often name Engine (27 of 69), then Powertrain (18) and Suspension (8). Those filings include 2 that report a crash and 1 that reports an injury.

Is the 2018 GMC Yukon more reliable than the years next to it?

The 2017 Yukon has 196 complaints, 11 per year, and the 2019 has 55 complaints, 3 per year. The 2018 has fewer complaints per year than the 2017. The 2018 has more complaints per year than the 2019.

Has the 2018 GMC Yukon been recalled?

The 2018 GMC Yukon has 3 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 2018 GMC Yukon?

Owners have filed 69 complaints about the 2018 GMC Yukon with NHTSA.

What mpg does a 2018 GMC Yukon get?

EPA-rated combined fuel economy for the 2018 GMC Yukon is 17.9 MPG. See the fuel economy table on this page for city and highway figures by engine and transmission.

What engine oil does a GMC Yukon use?

US Yukon manuals specify dexos-approved oil for your engine in the maintenance schedule.

What does NHTSA recall 13V-342 cover on the GMC Yukon?

NHTSA safety recall 13V342000 covers affected vehicles after the agency found that general Motors is recalling certain model year 2014 Chevrolet Suburban vehicles manufactured July 9, 2013, through July 22, 2013; and 2014 Chevrolet Tahoe vehicles manufactured July 16, 2013,…

What generation is the 2013 GMC Yukon?

K2XX generation (2012-2014).