2021 Gmc YUKON - Ratings, Complaints and Recalls

The 2021 GMC Yukon SUV 2WD has an overall safety rating of 4 out of 5 according to the data. It scored well in various crash tests including front crash and side crash ratings. The car is equipped with electronic stability control which is a great feature for ensuring better stability and control on the road. Additionally, it also has forward collision warning which can help prevent accidents by alerting the driver of potential collisions ahead. The optional lane departure warning system can assist in preventing lane departure accidents by alerting the driver if the car drifts out of its lane without signaling.

However, it is worth noting that there have been 52 complaints reported regarding this model and 11 recalls. These numbers indicate that there may be some issues with the vehicle that owners have experienced, so it is important to consider these factors when evaluating the overall safety and reliability of the 2021 GMC Yukon SUV 2WD.

Top stats at a glance

Complaint Count

52

Recall Count

11

Investigation Count

1

Safety Rating

4/5

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Safety Features

2021 GMC Yukon SUV 2WD Safety Features

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

Here we have the crash and rollover ratings for the 2021 GMC Yukon 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 4 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 Tip No Tip No Tip
Side Pole Crash Rating Not Rated 5 5

Complaints for the 2021 Gmc YUKON

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:
"my family and i purchased this vehicle brand new in august 2021. we live in phoenix arizona and bought it from earnhardt buick & gma in mesa, az. while driving the vehicle in the last few weeks i personally could smell a strong odor of fumes in the cabin when the a/c or heater were on. after a few days of noticing it my nose got numb to the odor as i dismissed it and kept driving the vehicle. after about a week, i had my two kids in the vehicle, they both noticed and made comments on how strong the odor of fumes were. we decided to not utilize the a/c or the heater and contacted the dealer for investigation and repairs. this is a very serious health hazard as i and my family were exposed to exhaust fumes entering the cabin. for a few days and nights i suffered headaches and some dizziness as i was driving mostly the vehicle. we did take it to earnhardt buick & gma in mesa, az for investigation and repair. the maintenance supervisor confirmed that indeed somehow the exhaust had some crack that allowed fumes to enter the ventilation system. the vehicle is now under repair at the dealership. i was notified by the maintenance advisor that this defect would not be cover under warranty as the vehicle is out of manufacture warranty. i also had purchased an extended warranty (platinum) which they had stated "bumper to bumper", but this also does not cover the manufactures defect. there were no warning lights associated with this problem. i would strongly recommend that inspections be made, especially if some drivers have problem with smell and odors. this is a big health hazard. thank you for your attention. [xxx] . [xxx] [xxx] information redacted pursuant to the freedom of information act (foia), 5 u.s.c. 552(b)(6)"
Components Involved: ENGINE
Date of incident: 2024-01-01

Complaint:
"on monday, november 20, 2023, i was operating my vehicle on interstate 80 in western nebraska when suddenly and without any notice, apparently an engine lifter in cylinder 8 failed causing the vehicle to lose power while in heavy semi-truck traffic, while operating at approximately 80 mph, forcing me to avoid a collision. since the incident, i have become aware that this is a known problem with gmc, and that they have extended their power train warranty under certain circumstances because so many engine lifters are failing, many without notice or warning. my vehicle is serviced every 6,000 miles at a gm dealer and also operates the onstar system. neither the dealer nor onstar detected the failure or warned me of any issues that cause a stall while in traffic. fortunately, i am an experienced driver and was able to safely pull the vehicle off the highway."
Components Involved: ENGINE
Date of incident: 2024-08-11

Complaint:
"total engine failure. cause unknown, driving on highway from family vacation. for 1-2 miles prior to incident car begins running rough, high rpms, engine pressure rising. receive a warning on dash. 'engine shutting down. no prior warnings or issues in the vehicle life. pull over' engine will not restart. have to call two tow drivers, neither are able to get engine into neutral to tow. second tow driver uses makeshift skids to pull car onto tow truck. is towed to nearest gmc dealer. at next business day the car is inspected and prognosis is total engine failure. this was a 2021 just over a year old with 22,000 miles. vehicle shut down every person in vehicle could have been injured if we had been unable to pull over to a safe location, were driving 70mph on highway."
Components Involved: ENGINE
Date of incident: 2023-04-07

Complaint:
"we have a 2021 yukon denali. it has just over 12,000 miles on it. my wife called me in a frenzy today saying the motor was making a poping noise and it was pulling her on the interstate. she was very concered, but managed to make it home from her 15 mile exit. when she got home, it was evident that the lifters are to blame for this incident. gmc needs to recall all these 2021 gmc yukons with all these lifter problems. very unsafe. we plan on getting rid of the vehicle."
Components Involved: ENGINE
Date of incident: 2023-11-04

Complaint:
"engine failed on my new vehicle. gm is aware of faulty lifters produced over roughly a 3 month period. my vehicle has been confirmed to have those faulty batch lifters. at this time gm is only replacing lifters on the side of the engine that failed. the local dealership is having 2-3 of these come into the service shop per day. this is a major problem and i am being told it could be 2 months before i get my vehicle back. when i get the vehicle back i want it fixed properly and safe to drive. i don't want my family broken down on the side of the road due to gm knowingly not replacing a faulty product let alone the inconvenience of not having the vehicle again for repairs."
Components Involved: ENGINE
Date of incident: 2022-12-09

Complaint:
"gmc yukon denali suv 2021, push rods and lifters in motor are bad, this could have cause an accident due to suv stopping in traffic or on the highway. please help with this safety issue. the gmc denali suv 2021 only has 7000 miles on it, it new. i thank you in advance for you support. regards george l patterson"
Components Involved: ENGINE
Date of incident: 2021-08-09

Recalls for the 2021 Gmc YUKON

Component Recalls

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

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

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