GMC Yukon Best and Worst Years

Counting owner complaints filed in each model year's first three years, the 2023 GMC Yukon drew the most (287; most-reported area: engine) and the 2020 the fewest (10).

Data: US EPA and NHTSAUpdated Sep 27, 2026

Every model year since 2016 in one place: EPA fuel economy, NHTSA recalls, owner complaints and crash test ratings. The best fuel economy rating, 23 mpg combined, arrived in 2021 and has held since. Includes the longer Yukon XL and the Denali trims.

Best and worst years, by owner complaints

Model years ranked by owner complaints filed with NHTSA in their first three years (model year Y: filed by the end of Y+2), so every year is measured over the same time on the road. Years without three full years of data, and launch or final years with very few sold, are left out. Counts are not adjusted for how many were sold.

Model year	First 3 years	All complaints	Recalls
2023 Yukon Most reported: engine	287	455	4
2016 Yukon Most reported: exterior lighting	83	515	5
2021 Yukon Most reported: engine	83	554	14
2017 Yukon Most reported: exterior lighting	78	359	3
2022 Yukon Most reported: engine	53	345	5
2018 Yukon Most reported: engine	24	126	5
2019 Yukon Most reported: engine	16	125	3
2020 Yukon Most reported: engine	10	83	4

Year by year

Model year	Best rating	Recalls	Complaints
2026 MPG · Recalls and problems	23 mpg Diesel	3	70
2025 MPG · Recalls and problems	23 mpg Diesel	2	81
2024 MPG · Recalls and problems	23 mpg Diesel	3	174
2023 MPG · Recalls and problems	23 mpg Diesel	4	455
2022 MPG · Recalls and problems	23 mpg Diesel	5	345
2021 MPG · Recalls and problems	23 mpg Diesel	14	554
2020 MPG · Recalls and problems	18 mpg Gas	4	83
2019 MPG · Recalls and problems	18 mpg Gas	3	125
2018 MPG · Recalls and problems	19 mpg Gas	5	126
2017 MPG · Recalls and problems	19 mpg Gas	3	359
2016 MPG · Recalls and problems	19 mpg Gas	5	515

Owner complaints by model year

All complaints filed so far. Counts rise with sales volume and with time on the road, so recent years look better than they may turn out. The highlighted bar is the model year with the most complaints in its first three years.

2023: 455 complaints

Show as a table

Owner complaints by model year, GMC Yukon
Model year	Complaints
2016	515
2017	359
2018	126
2019	125
2020	83
2021	554
2022	345
2023	455
2024	174
2025	81
2026	70

Best combined rating by model year

The best-rated version in each model year. Gas: 17 to 19 mpg (every year from 2016 to 2026); highest in 2016. Diesel: 23 mpg (2021 to 2026).

Best gas version
Best diesel version

2026: gas 17 mpg · diesel 23 mpg

Show as a table

GMC Yukon best combined mpg by model year
Model year	Best gas version	Best diesel version
2016	19	–
2017	19	–
2018	19	–
2019	18	–
2020	18	–
2021	18	23
2022	17	23
2023	17	23
2024	17	23
2025	17	23
2026	17	23

Questions

Which GMC Yukon years have the most problems?

Counting owner complaints filed with NHTSA in each model year's first three years, the 2023 (287) drew the most, then the 2016 (83). Most-reported area for the 2023: engine.

Which GMC Yukon years have the fewest problems?

The 2020 (10) drew the fewest complaints in its first three years. The 2024, 2025, and 2026 are not ranked yet: they have had fewer than three full years on the road.

Which GMC Yukon years should you avoid?

Complaint counts can't tell you whether a particular car is sound, but they show where owners reported the most trouble: the 2023, against 66 complaints in a typical GMC Yukon year. Whatever the year, check the car's open recalls by VIN at nhtsa.gov/recalls before you buy. Safety recall repairs are free at GMC dealers.

Which GMC Yukon years have the most recalls?

The 2021 has the most safety recalls in NHTSA's file (14), then the 2022 (5). A recall can cover a problem that affects only a few cars, so open a year's page to see what each one covers. Two recalls tell owners not to drive the car or to park it outside until it is repaired: NHTSA 16V-256 (2016 models) and NHTSA 26V-289 (2018 to 2020, 2026 models).

What are the most common GMC Yukon problems?

Of the 2,887 owner complaints NHTSA lists for 2016 to 2026 models, the areas named most are engine (46%), powertrain (18%), and electrical system (13%). One complaint can name more than one area. The recalls and problems page for each year breaks this down further.

Which GMC Yukon year has the best MPG?

The best EPA fuel economy is 23 mpg combined, first reached by the 2021 diesel version and matched by every year since.

Sources and method

US EPA fuel economy data (fueleconomy.gov), file dated Sep 18, 2026.
NHTSA recall file dated Sep 27, 2026 and owner complaint file dated Sep 26, 2026; NHTSA 5-Star Safety Ratings.

Complaint counts are unverified owner reports and are not adjusted for sales volume. How we build these pages. Spotted an error? Tell us.