2021 Gmc YUKON XL - Ratings, Complaints and Recalls

The 2021 GMC Yukon XL SUV 2WD has shown good safety performance overall, with an overall safety rating of 4 out of 5 stars. In specific crash scenarios, it received impressive ratings such as 5 stars for front crash driver side, 4 stars for front crash passenger side, and 5 stars for overall side crash. It also scored well in side barrier and side pole crash tests. It is important to note that this vehicle comes equipped with electronic stability control as a standard feature, providing additional safety and control on the road. Furthermore, it has forward collision warning as a standard feature and lane departure warning as an optional feature, enhancing its safety capabilities.

On the aspect of potential issues, there have been 34 complaints reported for this vehicle. Additionally, there have been 10 recalls issued, indicating that there have been identified safety concerns that needed addressing. Overall, while the 2021 GMC Yukon XL demonstrates strong safety performance and features, prospective buyers should be mindful of the reported complaints and recalls to make an informed decision.

Top stats at a glance

Complaint Count

34

Recall Count

10

Investigation Count

1

Safety Rating

4/5

Search Vehicle Details

Advanced Search

The advanced search lets you search by safety ratings and features. This will return a list of vehicles that match your search criteria.

Safety Features

2021 GMC Yukon XL SUV 2WD Safety Features

Here are the safety features that come as standard on the 2021 GMC Yukon XL SUV 2WD

Electronic Stability Control (ESC)

ESC is an advanced safety feature in vehicles designed to help drivers maintain control during challenging driving conditions. By continuously monitoring various factors such as steering angle, vehicle speed, and individual wheel speeds, ESC can detect and reduce the risk of skidding or loss of control. It achieves this by automatically applying brakes to specific wheels to stabilize the vehicle.

Standard
Forward Collision Warning (FCW)

Forward Collision Warning (FCW) is a safety feature in vehicles that helps prevent frontal collisions by alerting the driver of an imminent collision with a vehicle or obstacle ahead. Using sensors such as radar or cameras, FCW monitors the distance and speed of vehicles in front, and if it detects a potential collision, it provides visual and/or auditory warnings to prompt the driver to take evasive action.

Standard
Lane Departure Warning (LDW)

Lane Departure Warning (LDW) is a safety feature in vehicles that alerts drivers when their vehicle unintentionally drifts out of its lane without signaling. Utilizing cameras or sensors to monitor lane markings on the road, LDW detects when the vehicle crosses these lines and triggers visual, auditory, or haptic alerts to notify the driver of potential lane departure.

Optional

2021 GMC Yukon XL SUV 2WD Safety Ratings

Here we have the crash and rollover ratings for the 2021 GMC Yukon XL SUV 2WD Where possible we've included the ratings for the oldest and latest models of this car so you can compare how the safety ratings have changed over time.

Frontal Crash Ratings

Combines Driver and Passenger star ratings into a single frontal rating. The frontal barrier test simulates a head-on collision between two similar vehicles, each moving at 35 mph.

Test 2005 Score 2021 Score 2024 Score
Overall Front Crash Rating Not Rated 4 4
Front Crash Driver Side Rating 4 5 5
Front Crash Passenger Side Rating 3 4 4

Side Crash Ratings

Combines Side Barrier and Side Pole Star Ratings into a single side rating.

Test 2005 Score 2021 Score 2024 Score
Overall Side Crash Rating Not Rated 5 5
Side Crash Drivers Side Rating Not Rated 5 5
Side Crash Passenger Side Rating Not Rated 5 5
Combined Side Barrier Pole Rating - Front Not Rated 5 5
Combined Side Barrier Pole Rating - Rear Not Rated 5 5
Overall Side Barrier Rating Not Rated 5 5

Rollover Ratings

The Rollover Resistance test measures the risk of rollover in a single-vehicle, loss-of-control scenario.

Test 2005 Score 2021 Score 2024 Score
Rollover Rating 3 3 3
Rollover Possibility % 0% 0% 0%
Dynamic Tip Result No Tip No Tip No Tip
Side Pole Crash Rating Not Rated 5 5

Complaints for the 2021 Gmc YUKON XL

This chart show the number of complaints for each car component. A Higher number of complaints could indicate that this car might have a common fault. Something to look out for when purchasing one.

Component Complaints

Choose a component to see what complaints people have made about them.

Complaint:
"1. fuel pump power control module code #p129f 2. sudden stalling of engine at potential high speeds/ dense traffic areas. this created a major safety hazard for a potential fatal accident. 3. it has been currently confirmed by the dealer gerry lane buick gmc after initial the breakdown it was sent there for investigation. 4. no, it has only been inspected at the dealership in gerry lane buick gmc in baton rouge louisiana. 5. no warning lamps or symptoms before complete and instant vehicle failure at night on 10/1/2023. additional information: please see nhtsa recall #n212332040 after our own investigation we have found a recall report for the same year make and model for the same issue of the fuel pump power control module. our vin was not included in this recall but has the exact issue and year as the recall. this is very dangerous to have these vehicles driving around without the owners knowledge of the potential fatal danger."
Components Involved: FUEL/PROPULSION SYSTEM
Date of incident: 2023-01-10

Complaint:
"vehicle without any warning quit running, had to be towed, 19,400 miles on vehicle. could have had a wreck since i was on a heavily traveled 4 lane highway. dealer heyward allen in athens ga. determined that it was the fuel pump and is on national backorder. this would tell me that there are other vehicles with this issue. there was another recall for these types of vehicles that could have also included this one n212332040. gmc could not answer why my vehicle was not included in the recall. gmc has of today done nothing about this issue except to say that the nhtsa issued recalls and they did not. would not even take responsibility for manufacturing the part."
Components Involved: FUEL/PROPULSION SYSTEM
Date of incident: 2024-07-06

Complaint:
"car lost power while driving at high speed. luckily was able to coast to the side of a busy controlled access highway. this was the second time for this to happen while driving, first was on a surface road driving at lower speeds. very first instance was trouble staring the car. this all took place over a month and half. dealer could never replacate while the had the card the first time. they are saying now that this is due to a failed fuel pump power control module, which there has been a recall on but my vin was not in the recall. there were no warning light that come on before or when this happened. after multiple time trying to start the car the check engine light would come on."
Components Involved: FUEL/PROPULSION SYSTEM
Date of incident: 2024-07-04

Complaint:
"my vehicle lost power while driving on the highway. it was later determined that the fuel pump controller module required replacement. losing power while driving 65 mph was not enjoyable or safe. the gmc dealer service department made the assessment, replaced the module, and the vehicle is now in my possession and functioning as normal. once i was able to pull over there was a service light. one note... it appears that this safety recall n212332040, covers my issue. when searching the database with my vin, this recall did not come up, or was i ever contacted. i am submitting this to make sure that a broader search is performed for this defect."
Components Involved: FUEL/PROPULSION SYSTEM
Date of incident: 2024-10-01

Recalls for the 2021 Gmc YUKON XL

Component Recalls

Choose a component to see what recalls people have made about them.

Recall:
"general motors, llc (gm) is recalling certain 2019-2021 chevrolet silverado 1500 and gmc sierra 1500, 2021 chevrolet suburban and tahoe and gmc yukon xl and 2020-2021 chevrolet silverado 2500 and 3500 and gmc sierra 2500 and 3500 vehicles. the seat belt brackets may not be secured to the seat frame in the front-row center seating position."
Consequence:
If a seat-belt bracket is not secured, the seat belt may not properly restrain an occupant in the front-row center seat position, increasing the risk of injury in a crash.
Remedy:

GM will notify owners, and dealers will inspect left-side and right-side front-row center seat-belt bracket attachments and reassemble it correctly as necessary, free of charge. The recall began January 26, 2021. Owners may contact GMC customer service at 1-800-462-8782, Chevrolet customer service at 1-800-222-1020. GM's number for this recall is N202314670.

Component(s) Involved: SEAT BELTS
Date of incident: 2020-12-17

Recall:
"general motors, llc (gm) is recalling certain 2020 chevrolet bolt ev and 2021 gmc canyon and sierra 1500, 2500 and 3500, yukon, yukon xl, cadillac escalade and escalade esv and chevrolet blazer, camaro, colorado, equinox, silverado 1500, 2500 and 3500, suburban and tahoe vehicles. incorrect bolts may have been used at one or more fastening locations to secure the seat belts to the vehicle. if an incorrect bolt was used, the seat belt may not be properly attached to the vehicle."
Consequence:
If a seat belt assembly is not properly attached to the vehicle, the seat belt may not properly restrain an occupant in the event of a crash, increasing the risk of injury.
Remedy:

GM will notify owners, and dealers will replace the suspect bolts, free of charge. The recall began January 29, 2021. Owners may contact GMC customer service at 1-800-462-8785, Cadillac customer service at 1-800-458-8006, or Chevrolet customer service at 1-800-222-1020. GM's number for this recall is N202322230.

Component(s) Involved: SEAT BELTS
Date of incident: 2020-12-23

Recall:
"general motors, llc (gm) is recalling certain 2021 cadillac escalade, escalade esv, gmc yukon, yukon xl, chevrolet suburban, and tahoe vehicles with third-row seating. the third-row outboard seat belts may have been entrapped or misrouted behind the outboard seat-folding mechanism, which could result in damaged seat belts."
Consequence:
A damaged seat belt can break during a crash, increasing the risk of injury to the occupant.
Remedy:

GM will notify owners, and dealers will inspect the third-row outboard seat belts, replacing any damaged seat belts, and rerouting them if necessary, free of charge. The recall began on April 21, 2021. Owners may contact Chevrolet customer service at 1-800-222-1020, GMC customer service at 1-800-462-8782, and Cadillac customer service at 1-800-458-8006. GM's number for this recall is N202313000.

Component(s) Involved: SEAT BELTS
Date of incident: 2021-03-18

GMC Overall Complaint Ranking

This table shows the ranking of car manufacturers when it comes to most complaints and recalls. The manufacturer with the most complaints is at the top. However this doesn't necassarily mean they should be avoided. Some manufacturers might just have more popular or affordable cars which a lot of people have bought. Which means there's more scope for a complaint to be made. Use the ranking table below as a part your wider research into buying a car.

GMC ranks 8 out of 44 in the complaints ranking table.

Manufacturer Complaint Count Recall Count Ranking
FORD 208,358 3,259 1
CHEVROLET 111,306 2,082 2
TOYOTA 81,019 1,852 3
HONDA 61,937 1,268 4
NISSAN 56,226 930 5
DODGE 45,756 827 6
HYUNDAI 44,150 649 7
GMC 34,441 1,410 8
KIA 29,832 501 9
CHRYSLER 27,698 254 10
TESLA 26,230 730 11
BMW 24,890 1,877 12
VOLKSWAGEN 23,125 829 13
MERCEDES-BENZ 19,066 2,925 14
SUBARU 18,513 703 15
MAZDA 10,599 364 16
PONTIAC 10,430 138 17
CADILLAC 9,434 444 18
AUDI 7,865 1,093 19
BUICK 7,851 279 20
SATURN 7,672 84 21
MERCURY 7,374 135 22
LEXUS 6,373 408 23
LINCOLN 5,897 423 24
ACURA 5,722 382 25
MINI 5,585 366 26
INFINITI 4,000 187 27
MITSUBISHI 3,912 397 28
VOLVO 3,875 727 29
PORSCHE 2,646 1,231 30
SUZUKI 2,272 123 31
FIAT 2,205 80 32
SAAB 1,536 76 33
JAGUAR 1,195 198 34
SMART 528 17 35
GENESIS 436 42 36
ISUZU 249 37 37
ALFA ROMEO 161 37 38
MASERATI 76 46 39
BENTLEY 46 159 40
POLESTAR 42 2 41
LUCID 14 6 42
CODA 4 2 43
MAYBACH 0 0 44

Related Vehicles

Why not check out other GMC vehicles?

2017 ACADIA LIMITED
GMC
  • Overall Safety Rating: 5
  • Complaints Count: 492
  • Recall Count: 4
View Car
2015 SIERRA 3500
GMC
  • Overall Safety Rating: Not Rated
  • Complaints Count: 83
  • Recall Count: 18
View Car
2008 ENVOY
GMC
  • Overall Safety Rating: Not Rated
  • Complaints Count: 75
  • Recall Count: 0
View Car
2015 SAVANA PASSENGER 3500 12 PASS
GMC
  • Overall Safety Rating: Not Rated
  • Complaints Count: 2
  • Recall Count: 4
View Car