NHTSA lists 5 safety recalls and 126 owner complaints for the 2018 GMC Yukon.
One recall for this model year tells owners not to drive or to park outside until repaired:Powertrain, do not drive (26V-289). Check your VIN below to see whether yours is affected.
5Safety recalls
126Owner complaints
8Complaints citing a crash
1Complaints citing a fire
Data: NHTSA recall and complaint filesUpdated Sep 27, 2026
Recalled components: powertrain, brakes, and seat belts. Most-reported area: engine (41 complaints, 33%). Includes the longer Yukon XL and the Denali trims.
5 safety recalls for the 2018 GMC Yukon
Do-not-drive and park-outside recalls first, then newest first. Summaries are NHTSA's own wording. Open a recall for the fix and the full notice.
A component missing from the drivetrain transfer case may cause the front and/or rear wheels to lock up without warning to the driver.
Risk: Front or rear wheel lockup increases the risk of a crash.
The fix and full notice
Fix: Owners are advised not to drive their vehicle until the remedy is completed. Dealers will inspect and, if necessary, replace the transfer case assembly, free of charge. Owner notification letters were mailed May 18, 2026. Owners may contact GMC customer service at 1-800-462-8782, Chevrolet customer service at 1-800-222-1020 or Cadillac customer service at 1-800-333-4223. GM's number for this recall is N262557620. Vehicle Identification Numbers (VINs) involved in this recall became searchable on NHTSA.gov on May 7, 2026.
General Motors, LLC (GM) is recalling certain 2026 Cadillac Escalade and Escalade ESV, Chevrolet Silverado 1500, Suburban, and Tahoe, and GMC Sierra 1500, Yukon, and Yukon XL vehicles with four-wheel (4WD) or all-wheel drive (AWD), and certain 2015-2020 Suburban, Escalade, Escalade ESV, Yukon, Yukon XL, and Tahoe vehicles.
3L or 6.2L V8 engine. The output of the mechanical vacuum pump can decrease over time, decreasing the amount of vacuum/power brake assist.
Risk: A decrease in brake assist can increase the brake pedal effort and distance required to stop the vehicle, increasing the risk of a crash.
The fix and full notice
Fix: GM will notify owners, and dealers will reprogram the Electronic Brake Control Module, free of charge. The recall began November 11, 2020. Owners may contact GM customer service at 1-866-522-9559, Cadillac customer service at 1-800-458-8006 or Chevrolet customer service at 1-800-630-2438. GM's number for this recall is N202300860.
General Motors LLC (GM) is recalling certain 2018 Cadillac Escalade, Chevrolet Silverado 1500 and Tahoe, GMC Sierra 1500 and Yukon vehicles equipped with either a 5.
NHTSA listing: YUKON. GMC campaign N202300860.
Brakes
Oct 24, 2019
antilock/traction control/electronic limited slip · wheel speed sensor/tone ring
3-liter engine, a 3.08-ratio rear axle and four-wheel drive. If a wheel-speed sensor fails, while the vehicle is traveling between 41 and 60 mph in four-wheel or automatic mode, the Electronic-Brake Control Module (EBCM) software may activate the driveline-protection system.
Risk: Unintended activation of the driveline-protection system will cause unintended braking on the wheel on the opposite side of the failed sensor, causing the vehicle to pull to one side unexpectedly, increasing the risk of a crash.
The fix and full notice
Fix: GM will notify owners, and dealers will reprogram the EBCM, free of charge. The recall began December 11, 2019. Owners may contact Chevrolet customer service at 1-800-630-2438 or GMC customer service at 1-800-462-8782. GM's number for this recall is N192261050.
General Motors LLC (GM) is recalling certain 2015-2020 Chevrolet Suburban, Tahoe, and GMC Yukon, and 2014-2018 Chevrolet Silverado 1500 and GMC Sierra 1500 vehicles equipped with a 5.
The amount of vacuum created by the vacuum pump may decrease over time.
Risk: As the vacuum level drops, the brake assist decreases, increasing braking effort, extending the distance required to stop the vehicle, thereby increasing the risk of a crash.
The fix and full notice
Fix: GM will notify owners, and dealers will reprogram the Electronic Brake Control Module, free of charge. The recall began October 8, 2019. Owners may contact Chevrolet customer service at 1-800-630-2438, Cadillac customer service at 1-800-458-8006 or GMC customer service at 1-800-462-8782. GM's number for this recall is N192268490.
General Motors LLC (GM) is recalling certain 2015-2017 Cadillac Escalade, 2014-2018 Chevrolet Silverado, GMC Sierra, 2015-2018 Chevrolet Suburban, Tahoe, GMC Yukon vehicles.
NHTSA listing: YUKON. GMC campaign N192268490.
Seat belts
Sep 26, 2018
rear/other
Fails federal standard 208 (occupant crash protection)
Certain second-row or third-row rear seatbelts retractor assemblies may not automatically lock when the seatbelt is fully pulled out of the retractor, possibly preventing a child seat from being properly secured. As such, these vehicles fail to comply with the requirements of Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standard (FMVSS) number 208, "Occupant Crash Protection."
Risk: If the child seat is not properly secured in the event of a crash, it can increase the risk of injury.
The fix and full notice
Fix: GM will notify owners, and dealers will inspect the rear seatbelt retractors and replace them if necessary, free of charge. The recall began November 7, 2018. Owners may contact Cadillac customer service at 1-800-458-8006, Chevrolet customer service at 1-800-222-1020 or GMC customer service at 1-800-462-8782. GM's number for this recall is 18315.
General Motors LLC (GM) is recalling certain 2018-2019 Cadillac CT6, Escalade ESV, Chevrolet Suburban, Volt, and GMC Yukon XL vehicles.
NHTSA listing: YUKON XL. GMC campaign 18315.
Questions about any of these recalls: call NHTSA's Vehicle Safety Hotline at 888-327-4236 (TTY 888-275-9171) or check your VIN at nhtsa.gov/recalls.
What owners report
The areas named in the 126 owner complaints filed with NHTSA for the 2018 Yukon. NHTSA does not verify complaints.
Engine41 · 33%
Powertrain26 · 21%
Brakes16 · 13%
Suspension13 · 10%
Electrical system7 · 6%
Steering7 · 6%
Air bags6 · 5%
Unknown or other18 · 14%
A complaint can name more than one area, so shares add up to more than 100%.
GMC Yukon recalls and complaints by model year
The highlighted bars are the 2018 model year. Newer model years have had less time on the road, so their counts are lower. Counting complaints filed in each model year's first three years, the 2023 Yukon drew the most (287) and the 2018 drew 24.
Owner complaints
2018: 126 complaintsTap or drag across the chart for other years.
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
Safety recalls
2018: 5 recallsTap or drag across the chart for other years.
Show as a table
Safety recalls by model year, GMC Yukon
Model year
Recalls
2016
5
2017
3
2018
5
2019
3
2020
4
2021
14
2022
5
2023
4
2024
3
2025
2
2026
3
Crash test ratings
NHTSA's 5-Star Safety Ratings for each version it tested. Rollover risk is NHTSA's estimate of the chance of rolling over in a single-vehicle crash.
Tested version
Overall
Frontal
Side
Rollover
GMC Yukon SUV 4WD
Rollover risk 22.2%
GMC Yukon SUV RWD
Rollover risk 22.9%
GMC Yukon XL 1500 SUV 4WD
Rollover risk 20.3%
GMC Yukon XL 1500 SUV RWD
Rollover risk 21.2%
Questions
What are the most common 2018 Yukon problems?
The areas owners name most often in NHTSA complaints: engine (41), powertrain (26), brakes (16). NHTSA does not verify complaints, and one complaint can name several areas.
Is the 2018 GMC Yukon safe?
In NHTSA crash tests every tested version of the 2018 GMC Yukon earns 4 stars overall. The table above lists each tested version.
How do I check if my Yukon has an open recall?
Enter the 17-character VIN from your dashboard, door jamb or registration at nhtsa.gov/recalls. The lookup lists unrepaired recalls for that exact vehicle. Safety recall repairs are free at GMC dealers.
Sources and method
NHTSA recalls file (NHTSA datasets), dated Sep 27, 2026; every campaign checked against NHTSA's recalls API.
NHTSA owner complaints file, dated Sep 26, 2026. Counted by complaint number, so a complaint naming three components counts once in the total.
Complaint counts are unverified owner reports. They rise with sales volume and time on the road, so compare model years with care. How we build these pages. Spotted an error? Tell us.