2011 GMC Yukon Denali: problems, recalls and reliability
0 recalls and 96 owner complaints on record; the weakest area is air bags (50% of complaints); the 2009 and 2010 and 2012 and 2013 model years look more trouble-free.
Data updated weekly
0
recalls
96
owner complaints
2
fire reports
75,000
typical failure mileage, mi
All counts are reports filed with NHTSA in the United States - US market only, not worldwide totals.
No recall campaignsOne of the most complained-about Yukon Denali years (#2 of 14, age-adjusted)Weak spot: air bags (50%)2 fire reports
Common problems
Computed from 96 owner complaints filed with NHTSA for this exact model year.
Air Bags (airbags and crash sensors)50% · 21 complaints
Structure (body, frame, doors, rust)26% · 11 complaints
Electrical System (battery, wiring, electronics)5% · 2 complaints
Seats5% · 2 complaints
Child Seat2% · 1 complaint
Service Brakes, Hydraulic (brakes)2% · 1 complaint
“The top portion of the dashboard is cracking in two places. One over the instrument cluster and the other crack is by the passenger dashboard airbag. This is a known defect with this generation of gmc/chevy trucks and suvs.”Owner report · Unknown Or Other · Mar 2019
“Dashboard cracking through out the top of the whole dashboard including surrounding the airbag on passenger side. I was told this happens in multiple trucks at the dealership as well as shown proof”Owner report · Structure · Jan 2019
“The car seat warmer in the back of the car caught on fire while our seven year old was asleep in the car. He was in his booster seat. The seat warmer was not on. (this was in august 2018.) we smelled a burning smell and there was a smoldering flame under his legs. The car was stationary, not in motion. It was idling in a parking lot.”Owner report · Electrical System · Aug 2018
Show 7 more owner reports
“The seat caught on fire while the car was running. My child was sleeping and smoke was coming out from under his booster seat and his legs. I contacted gmc and they said this had never happened before and we should contact our insurance company, though, when we took it to the technicians at the dealership (for the inspection), they saw where two wires were on top of one another and the seat had caught on fire. This is a serious problem. I searched online and there are many stories out there, I am just not sure if people are reporting them---or if they realize that gmc makes similar cars so cadillac, sierras, and other cars come from the same mold.”Owner report · Seats · Aug 2018
“Came out to my garaged yukon to find a small crack in the dash at the passenger side airbag. I now have another very large crack in front of the steering wheel. There is also a second crack near the airbag which has created a triangle piece of plastic that is nearly loose and looks like it could fall in the dash or become a projectile if the airbag was to deploy.”Owner report · Unknown Or Other · Feb 2018
“The dash has cracked in two places. One crack is above drive console and the other crack is on the left side of the passenger airbag. There is a safety concern over the passenger airbag. In addition, the cracked dashboard makes terrible noises. This car only has 64,000 miles and has been stored most of the time in the garage. There was no incident that caused the cracks, they just appeared one day mid january 2018.”Owner report · Unknown Or Other · Jan 2018
“Tl* the contact owns a 2011 gmc yukon denali. The contact stated that the dashboard in the vehicle had suddenly cracked. One crack was on the corner of the passenger air bag and the other was located above the steering wheel. The contact stated that the cracks may interfere with the air bag deployment. There were no warnings prior to the cracks appearing. The vehicle was not taken to a dealer. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was not notified. The VIN was unknown. The failure mileage was approximately 87,000.”Owner report · Unknown Or Other · Dec 2017
“2011 gmc yukon denali has 2 cracks on the dashboard posing a safety concern. One crack is at the corner of the passenger side airbag and the other in front of the steering wheel. This is an obvious defect that has yet to be addressed by the NHTSA or gmc. The concern is airbag deployment and pieces of the cracked dash becoming projectiles. I noticed this while the vehicle was in motion in december of 2017”Owner report · Unknown Or Other · Dec 2017
“The vehicle dash board has a crack right near the passenger side air bag, also a crack towards the top of the steering wheel. The crack appears to have compromised the dashboard all the way to the passenger-side airbag.”Owner report · Unknown Or Other · Nov 2017
“The dashboard is cracked at the corner of the passenger side airbag. This cracked has appeared to cause the middle section of the dash to sag. I'm afraid that if the airbag is deployed, the condition of the dash will cause unnecessary injury. This exact problem seems to be a common issue among this model.”Owner report · Unknown Or Other · Nov 2017
How other years compare
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Is the 2011 GMC Yukon Denali reliable?
NHTSA has 96 owner complaints and 0 recall campaigns on record for the 2011 GMC Yukon Denali. The most complained-about area is air bags (50% of complaints).
At what mileage do 2011 GMC Yukon Denali problems usually appear?
Half of the complaints that mention mileage were filed at 75,000 miles or less.
Source: NHTSA recall campaigns and owner complaints (public domain). Counts reflect reports on file and are not a defect rate.