2019 GMC Yukon Reliability Report

Power steering cuts out suddenly, usually with a "Service Power Steering" or "Power steering disabled" message. Some trucks lose assist at highway speed. In one case the wheel locks straight before the driver reaches an off-ramp. Others start with no assist until the system resets. Several cases begin under 17K miles. Drivers also report steering that feels disconnected at highway speed and a wheel that surges in turns. One crash with 2 injuries follows a sudden hard pull to the left at 60 to 70 mph.

In two reports the brakes lose power at road speed and the driver cannot stop normally. One case traces to a failed vacuum pump, after which a "Brake Assist" message appears. Automatic emergency braking also engages on its own while the truck pulls away from a light, which forces the car behind into a panic stop. The "Service Trailer Brake System" warning shows up in this category too, chiming repeatedly on trucks that never tow. One owner says the brake lights stopped working completely within the first year.

The engine ticks, knocks, or bangs, usually with no warning light. Misfires and heavy vibration at road speed are early signs. Diagnoses include failed lifters, failed cam phasers, and catastrophic engine failure that needs a full replacement. Most failures fall between 104,389 and 110,000 miles, though one occurs near 7,000. Owners link their cases to NHTSA action number PE25001, but their VINs fall outside any recall, so they pay for the repair or leave the truck unrepaired. In one case, coolant gets into the engine days after a lifter repair.

The most serious report is a fire. The parked truck catches fire overnight and burns completely, and the fire marshal blames an electrical system failure. The air conditioning blows hot air in two reports. One traces to a refrigerant leak that returns two months after a $2400 compressor and condenser repair. That owner points to a refrigerant leak recall on the Yukon XL that does not include their VIN. In another report the transmission slips and the truck slows while driving, with a transmission control module code at 132,000 miles.

Shocks and struts fail early. Rear shocks seize, which makes the truck hard to control over bumps. Front struts leak on both sides, and the body bounces excessively while handling and steering get noticeably worse. No warning lights come on before the problem appears. Dealers say the electronically controlled struts were a new design for 2019 and call the failure common on these Yukons.

The airbags fail to deploy in both reports, and both involve serious frontal impacts. In one, another vehicle at about 65 mph hits the driver's side front corner, and the driver suffers fractured ribs and a fractured hip. The other is an elk strike at 65 mph. These filings record 3 injuries in total. A separate steering complaint also describes a highway crash in which the airbags did not deploy.

The engine surges to high rpm on its own within minutes of starting, in drive or reverse, and nearly causes crashes. It happens about twice a week, and the problem cannot be reproduced on demand. The other report is an engine that gives out on the interstate at night, shaking and losing speed with no warning. The dealer says it sees this failure often and quotes $16,000 for a new engine, and the owner learns the 2019 is not part of the recall.