GMC YUKON XL 1500 · model year

2011 GMC YUKON XL 1500

16 NHTSA complaints, and 2 active recalls for this specific cohort.

NHTSA overall rating

Not crash-tested

New Car Assessment Program

The 2011GMCYUKON XL 1500 carries 16 consumer safety complaints in NHTSA's Office of Defects Investigation database for this specific model-year cohort. Within that volume, owners reported 0 crashes, 0 fires, 0 injuries, and 0 fatalities. For crash performance, NHTSA's New Car Assessment Program gave this cohort an overall Not Rated/5 rating, with Not Rated/5 front crash, Not Rated/5 side crash, and 3/5 rollover scores derived from standardized barrier and dynamic tests.

Component-level analysis is where model-year complaints become actionable: the top complaint category for the 2011 YUKON XL 1500 is unknown or other with 7 filings, followed by air bags (3) and electrical system (2). Concentration in one or two component groups is the classic signature of a systemic defect; a flat distribution usually reflects normal aging, warranty complaints, or isolated build-plant variability. This model year has 2 active recall campaigns, which means the manufacturer is obligated to remedy the covered defect at no charge for the life of the vehicle — the full NHTSA campaign numbers are listed below.

NHTSA currently has 2 investigation files overlapping the 2011 YUKON XL 1500. Owners comparing this cohort against neighboring years should pair the counters above with the complaint-by-year trend on the parent model page — a spike in a single year often tracks to a platform refresh, a new transmission supplier, or an updated ECU calibration. Use the related-complaint feed below to read raw owner narratives before deciding whether any pattern here affects your specific use case.

16
Complaints
0
Crashes
0
Fires
0
Injuries
0
Deaths

Total Complaints

16 filings

Crashes Reported

0 reports

Source

NHTSA ODI

Federal complaints database

Complaints vs. fleet median (215)

At or below the fleet median complaint volume.

NHTSA NCAP overall: Not Rated/5 — Not rated · Front: Not Rated/5 · Side: Not Rated/5 · Rollover: 3/5

Complaints by Component

ComponentCount
UNKNOWN OR OTHER7
AIR BAGS3
ELECTRICAL SYSTEM2
STRUCTURE:BODY2
POWER TRAIN1
STRUCTURE:BODY:TAILGATE1

Recalls (2)

11V33900028/06/2011

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.

11V00700006/01/2011

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. THE REAR AXLE CROSS PINS WERE NOT PROPERLY HEAT TREATED AND COULD FRAC

Recent Complaints

20220310AIR BAGS

Takata Recall. The contact owns a 2011 GMC Yukon XL 1500. The contact received notification of NHTSA Campaign Number: 21V050000 (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 confirmed that parts were not yet available. The manufacturer was made aware of the issue and confirmed that parts were not yet available. The contact had not experienced a failure. Parts distribution disconnect.

20190702AIR BAGS

DASH BOARD PANEL HAS CRACKED OPEN FOR UNKNOWN REASONS CAUSING A SAFETY CONCERN WITH SHARP EDGES AND OPENINGS THAT ALLOW OPPORTUNITIES FOR FOREIGN OBJECTS/ITEMS TO ENTER VEHICLE CONTROLS AND INSTRUMENTATION PANELS. PASSENGER AIR BAG AT DASH BOARD SEEMS DEFECTIVE DUE TO CRACKED DASH BOARD PANELS AND ASSOCIATED TRIM PIECES. IT APPEARS THAN UPON AIR BAG DEPLOYMENT THERE WOULD BE POSSIBLE ADDITIONAL OCCUPANT/PASSENGER INJURIES DUE TO THE BROKEN/LOOSE FITTING/SUB-STANDARD DASH BOARD PLASTIC PIECES.

Mileage: 59,276

20190702STRUCTURE:BODY

DASH BOARD PANEL HAS CRACKED OPEN FOR UNKNOWN REASONS CAUSING A SAFETY CONCERN WITH SHARP EDGES AND OPENINGS THAT ALLOW OPPORTUNITIES FOR FOREIGN OBJECTS/ITEMS TO ENTER VEHICLE CONTROLS AND INSTRUMENTATION PANELS. PASSENGER AIR BAG AT DASH BOARD SEEMS DEFECTIVE DUE TO CRACKED DASH BOARD PANELS AND ASSOCIATED TRIM PIECES. IT APPEARS THAN UPON AIR BAG DEPLOYMENT THERE WOULD BE POSSIBLE ADDITIONAL OCCUPANT/PASSENGER INJURIES DUE TO THE BROKEN/LOOSE FITTING/SUB-STANDARD DASH BOARD PLASTIC PIECES.

Mileage: 59,276

20190702UNKNOWN OR OTHER

DASH BOARD PANEL HAS CRACKED OPEN FOR UNKNOWN REASONS CAUSING A SAFETY CONCERN WITH SHARP EDGES AND OPENINGS THAT ALLOW OPPORTUNITIES FOR FOREIGN OBJECTS/ITEMS TO ENTER VEHICLE CONTROLS AND INSTRUMENTATION PANELS. PASSENGER AIR BAG AT DASH BOARD SEEMS DEFECTIVE DUE TO CRACKED DASH BOARD PANELS AND ASSOCIATED TRIM PIECES. IT APPEARS THAN UPON AIR BAG DEPLOYMENT THERE WOULD BE POSSIBLE ADDITIONAL OCCUPANT/PASSENGER INJURIES DUE TO THE BROKEN/LOOSE FITTING/SUB-STANDARD DASH BOARD PLASTIC PIECES.

Mileage: 59,276

20180601UNKNOWN OR OTHER

MY DASH IS CRACKED ABOVE THE INSTRUMENT GAUGES AND IF THE AIR BAG DEPLOYS THIS WILL HAVE DASH BOARD PIECES FLYING IN THE CABIN DUE TO THE CRACKS

20180503UNKNOWN OR OTHER

DASH IS CRACKING OVER INSTRUMENTS AND IT IS CRACKING MORE AND MORE EVERY DAY IF AIR BAG DEPLOY TIT WILL SEND DASH FRAGMENTS INTO THE FRONT 2 PASSENGERS FACE . THIS IS HAPPENING TO THOUSANDS OF PEOPLE WITH THE SAME CAR . THIS IS OBVIOUSLY A DEFECT FOR GENERAL MOTORS.

Mileage: 32,300

20180326UNKNOWN OR OTHER

DASHBOARD CRACK

20170403STRUCTURE:BODY

I AM HAVING ISSUES WITH THE ANTENNA IN MY TRUCK. THE RADIO IS CONSTANTLY GOING IN AND OUT. MY ONSTAR HAS STOPPED WORKING COMPLETELY. MY BLUETOOTH DROPS CALLS WITHIN A FEW MIN OF TAKING THE CALL IF I CAN EVEN GET IT TO ANSWER THE CALL. COSMETICALLY THE ISSUES I AM HAVING IS THE DASH HAS A HUGE CRACK RIGHT BEHIND THE STEERING WHEEL IT GOES ALL THE WAY ACROSS TO THE PASSENGER AIRBAG. IF I WAS TO HAVE A FRONT END CRASH SHARDS OF PLASTIC WOULD GO FLYING THIS IS A SAFETY HAZARD. I JUST PURCHASED THIS VEHICLE ABOUT 2 WEEKS AGO 3/11/17 AND HAVE HAD THESE ISSUES SINCE PURCHASED. ANY RECOMMENDATIONS ARE WELCOMED. THANK YOU.

Mileage: 88,000

20170403ELECTRICAL SYSTEM

I AM HAVING ISSUES WITH THE ANTENNA IN MY TRUCK. THE RADIO IS CONSTANTLY GOING IN AND OUT. MY ONSTAR HAS STOPPED WORKING COMPLETELY. MY BLUETOOTH DROPS CALLS WITHIN A FEW MIN OF TAKING THE CALL IF I CAN EVEN GET IT TO ANSWER THE CALL. COSMETICALLY THE ISSUES I AM HAVING IS THE DASH HAS A HUGE CRACK RIGHT BEHIND THE STEERING WHEEL IT GOES ALL THE WAY ACROSS TO THE PASSENGER AIRBAG. IF I WAS TO HAVE A FRONT END CRASH SHARDS OF PLASTIC WOULD GO FLYING THIS IS A SAFETY HAZARD. I JUST PURCHASED THIS VEHICLE ABOUT 2 WEEKS AGO 3/11/17 AND HAVE HAD THESE ISSUES SINCE PURCHASED. ANY RECOMMENDATIONS ARE WELCOMED. THANK YOU.

Mileage: 88,000

20161117AIR BAGS

I HAVE A 2011 YUKON XL, DASH CRACKED BELOW THE AIRBAG AND WAS REPLACED UNDER WARRANTY IN 2012. ON NOVEMBER 13, 2016 THE NEW DASH CRACKED ABOVE THE AIRBAG. I AM CURRENTLY FIGHTING WITH THE DEALERSHIP AND GMC CORPORATE. I'M BEING TOLD THAT AS A SECOND OWNER GMC WILL NOT REPLACE THE DASH, REGARDLESS THAT I'VE PUT 55,000 OF THE 66,000 MILES ON THE VEHICLE AND HAVE OWNED 90% OF ITS TIME ON THE ROAD. FROM EVERYTHING I'VE READ, THE DASH WILL BECOME A PROJECTILE IF THE AIRBAG IS DEPLOYED AND QUITE POSSIBLY SERIOUSLY INJURE ANY VEHICLE OCCUPANTS. THIS IS A VERY COMMON, DANGEROUS SITUATION THAT GMC NEEDS TO CORRECT VIA RECALL.

Mileage: 66,000

20161117UNKNOWN OR OTHER

I HAVE A 2011 YUKON XL, DASH CRACKED BELOW THE AIRBAG AND WAS REPLACED UNDER WARRANTY IN 2012. ON NOVEMBER 13, 2016 THE NEW DASH CRACKED ABOVE THE AIRBAG. I AM CURRENTLY FIGHTING WITH THE DEALERSHIP AND GMC CORPORATE. I'M BEING TOLD THAT AS A SECOND OWNER GMC WILL NOT REPLACE THE DASH, REGARDLESS THAT I'VE PUT 55,000 OF THE 66,000 MILES ON THE VEHICLE AND HAVE OWNED 90% OF ITS TIME ON THE ROAD. FROM EVERYTHING I'VE READ, THE DASH WILL BECOME A PROJECTILE IF THE AIRBAG IS DEPLOYED AND QUITE POSSIBLY SERIOUSLY INJURE ANY VEHICLE OCCUPANTS. THIS IS A VERY COMMON, DANGEROUS SITUATION THAT GMC NEEDS TO CORRECT VIA RECALL.

Mileage: 66,000

20160804UNKNOWN OR OTHER

THE DASHBOARD STARTED WITH A SMALL CRACK A MONTH AGO AND HAS GROWN INTO LARGE CRACK THAT CROSSES THE ENTIRE DASH. I FEEL THIS POSES A VERY DANGEROUS ISSUE IF A ACCIDENT OCCURS AND THE AIR BAG INFLATES, THIS CRACK COULD CAUSE THE PIECES OF PLASTIC DASHBOARD TO COME APART AND EITHER DAMAGE AIRBAG BEFORE INFLATION OR INJURE PASSAGER/DRIVER WITH FLYING PLASTIC DEBRIS. IT IS ALSO VERY UNSIGHTLY. I SHOULDN'T HAVE PAID OVER $50K FOR A VEHICLE AND HAVE ISSUES LIKE THIS OCCUR.

20160630UNKNOWN OR OTHER

DASHBOARD IS CRACKED

Mileage: 106,000

20151102ELECTRICAL SYSTEM

THE NHTSA WEBSITE SHOWS THAT FOR OUR VIN CAMPAIGN 14V827000 CALLS FOR ITS IGNITION SWITCH TO BE INSPECTED AND POSSIBLY REPLACED. PITRE GMC IN ALBUQUERQUE SAYS THAT THEIR INTERNAL LIST (VIS?) DOES NOT INCLUDE THIS RECALL, SO THEY WILL NOT DO THE INSPECTION. I HAVE HAD NO SYMPTOMS OF A PROBLEM. I JUST WANT TO PREVENT A POSSIBLE FUTURE SAFETY ISSUE. IS THE NHTSA DATABASE OR THE GM DATABASE CORRECT? WHAT CAN BE DONE TO FIX THE ONE THAT IS WRONG? I NOTICED THE DISCREPENCY ON 10/29/15.

Mileage: 60,575

20130621STRUCTURE:BODY:TAILGATE

PRESSED TAILGATE BUTTON TO OPEN AND AS OPENING TAILGATE FELL ONTO CHILD REMOVING A BAG FROM TAILGATE. MOTOR FOR THE TAILGATE ATTEMPTED TO REOPEN TAILGATE AND TAILGATE FELL AGAIN ON CHILD. PASSERBY AND PARENT HELD TAILGATE OPEN TO REMOVE CHILD. BROUGHT TO DEALERSHIP THEY WERE ABLE TO RECREATE AND REPAIR. FAILED LIFT PISTONS. THE ARE NO PHYSICAL INDICATORS, ELECTRONIC, ILLUMINATED OR AUDIO WARNING OF THIS POSSIBLY RECURRING. LIFT GATE HAS A GREATER WEIGHT THEN SIDE DOORS AND IS GRAVITY FED. *TR

Mileage: 13,502

20110725POWER TRAIN

2011 2-WD YUKON XL 1500 ENGINE STALL. TOOK DELIVERY 7/1/2011. ON 7/5/2011, WHILE DRIVING AT CITY SPEEDS, ENGINE STALLED (SHUT OFF), WAS ABLE TO RESTART. THIS HAPPENED TWICE CONSECUTIVELY. DID NOT EXPERIENCE AGAIN UNTIL 7/14/2011. THIS TIME WAS DRIVING IN CENTER LANE, 5 LANE FREEWAY, DURING RUSH HOUR AT POSTED 65 MPH SPEED. AGAIN, ENGINE STALLED (SHUT DOWN). DURING 3 CYCLES OF STALL/SHUT DOWN/RESTART, WAS ABLE TO MAKE MY WAY TO RIGHT LANE, DRIVE/COAST TO EXIT RAMP, EXIT FREEWAY AND ENTER A RETAIL PARKING LOT WITHOUT AN ACCIDENT. DURING PROCESS, HEARD A POP/CLICK TO MY LEFT IN THE DASHBOARD. TURNED OFF AIR CONDITIONER, RESTARTED TRUCK AND MADE MY WAY HOME. DURING THIS DRIVE HOME, THE ALTERNATOR/VOLTAGE GAUGE NEEDLE BOUNCED TO EXTREME RIGHT FOR A SHORT PERIOD OF TIME, THEN SETTLED BACK CLOSER TO CENTER. PRIOR TO INCIDENT, I HAD NOTICED SAME NEEDLE OCCASIONALLY/ODDLY SLIGHT TO THE LEFT. TRUCK WAS TOWED TO SELLING DEALERSHIP THAT EVENING. THE FOLLOWING DAY, THE SERVICE DEPARTM

Mileage: 900

Compare 2011GMCYUKON XL 1500 to Similar Vehicles

NHTSA Investigations

Frequently Asked Questions

How many complaints does the 2011 GMC YUKON XL 1500 have?
The 2011 GMC YUKON XL 1500 has 16 NHTSA complaints, 0 crashes, 0 fires, 0 injuries, and 0 deaths reported.
What is the safety rating for the 2011 GMC YUKON XL 1500?
The 2011 GMC YUKON XL 1500 received an overall NHTSA safety rating of Not Rated/5, front crash rating of Not Rated/5, side crash rating of Not Rated/5, and rollover rating of 3/5.
Are there any recalls for the 2011 GMC YUKON XL 1500?
Yes, the 2011 GMC YUKON XL 1500 has 2 recall(s). The most common affected component is STEERING:LINKAGES. Recalls are issued by NHTSA and manufacturers must provide a free remedy.
What are the most common problems with the 2011 GMC YUKON XL 1500?
The most-complained component for the 2011 GMC YUKON XL 1500 is UNKNOWN OR OTHER with 7 complaints. Other frequently reported areas include AIR BAGS and ELECTRICAL SYSTEM.
Is the 2011 GMC YUKON XL 1500 safe to buy?
Review the complaint history, crash and fire reports, safety ratings, and recall status on this page to make an informed decision. The 2011 GMC YUKON XL 1500 has an NHTSA safety rating of Not Rated/5. Compare with other model years using the links above.
Where does this data come from?
All complaint, recall, and safety rating data is sourced from the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA). Complaints are filed by vehicle owners through NHTSA's Office of Defects Investigation.

Vehicle Safety Guides

Data as of 2025. Sources: NHTSA Office of Defects Investigation (ODI) complaints database, NHTSA recall campaign API, NHTSA NCAP crash-test ratings, and NHTSA FARS for fatality cross-reference.