2015 GMC Yukon Denali: common problems

Owners of the 2015 GMC Yukon Denali filed 73 complaints with NHTSA, most often about exterior lighting and electrical system. Details by component below, with sources.

Key figures

Owner complaints: 73
involving a crash: 2

What fails most often

1 Exterior lighting 53% of all complaints
2 Electrical system 15% of all complaints
3 Powertrain 11% of all complaints
4 Service brakes 7% of all complaints
5 Engine 5% of all complaints
6 Steering 5% of all complaints
7 Suspension 5% of all complaints
8 Engine and cooling 1% of all complaints

Circle size and colour show each component’s share of NHTSA complaints. Schematic only, not a drawing of the exact model.

Exterior lighting: 39 complaints (53% of all).
Electrical system: 11 complaints (15% of all).
Powertrain: 8 complaints (11% of all), 1 of them with a crash reported by the owner.
Service brakes: 5 complaints (7% of all).
Engine: 4 complaints (5% of all), 1 of them with a crash reported by the owner.

Symptoms owners describe

How many of the 73 NHTSA complaints mention each symptom (automatic count from complaint text; one complaint can mention several).

headlights and tail lights30 · 41%
A/C or heater9 · 12%
knocking, grinding or other noise7 · 10%
vibration6 · 8%
warning lights, check engine6 · 8%
jerking, harsh shifts4 · 5%
steering or power steering problems2 · 3%
battery drain1 · 1%
brake failure1 · 1%
engine failure or replacement1 · 1%

Components owners complain about

Component	Owner complaints	involving a crash
Exterior lighting	39	0
Electrical system	11	0
Powertrain	8	1
Service brakes	5	0
Engine	4	1
Steering	4	1
Suspension	4	0
Engine and cooling	1	0
Fuel system	1	0
Structure	1	0
Visibility	1	0
Wheels	1	0
Other	9	0

What owners report

Short excerpts of NHTSA complaints in the original wording. These are owner statements not verified by NHTSA; personal data removed.

Was driving about 7-10 mph in a wal mart parking lot when the steering on my 2015 gmc yukon denali completely gave out which caused me to scrap a pole on the back door behind driver. Finally when vehicle came to a complete stop the steering wheel would freely spin and not in gauge the tires to rotate.
Steering · crash · 2018-10-06 · NHTSA complaint #11138813
I put the truck in park, took off my seatbelt, leaned over to pick up item and put it back on the seat. I then put seatbelt back on and put foot on brake and put the truck into drive.
Powertrain · crash · 2017-09-14 · NHTSA complaint #11023490
The contact stated that while driving 80 MPH, the vehicle hesitated, and failed to accelerate as intended while depressing the accelerator pedal. In addition, there was an abnormal knocking sound coming from underneath the passengerâs side of the vehicle. The check engine warning light was illuminated.
Engine and cooling · 2025-08-13 · NHTSA complaint #11680375
The contact stated that while driving at undisclosed speeds, the contact heard an abnormal grinding sound, and the transmission was shifting hard. While making a turn, there was an abnormal sound coming from the vehicle. There were unknown warning lights illuminated.
Powertrain · 2024-10-28 · NHTSA complaint #11622331
The contact stated while driving at approximately 20 MPH, the vehicle started decelerating with a slight clunking sound coming from underneath the front passengerâs side of the vehicle. The vehicle then lost motive power. The contact coasted to the side of the road and turned off the vehicle.
Engine · 2024-09-05 · NHTSA complaint #11612810
The contact had not taken the vehicle to a certified mechanic or dealer to be diagnosed or repaired. The manufacturer was not made of the failure. The approximate failure mileage was 130,000.
Fuel system · 2022-07-28 · NHTSA complaint #11476364
The contact stated that while driving the air condition system was blowing hot air and then became inoperable. There were no warning lights illuminated. The vehicle was taken to the local dealer where it was diagnosed and determined that the A/C condenser and A/C control module needed to be repaired.
Electrical system · 2022-04-29 · NHTSA complaint #11462781
The contact stated that while his mother was driving approximately 50 MPH, the brake service warning light illuminated and the vehicle started to decelerate as if the brakes were engaged.
Service brakes · 2022-03-28 · NHTSA complaint #11458720

When owners complained

NHTSA complaints by filing year. The peak shows at what age the problems show up most.

20162
201712
201829
201922
20201
20223
20243
20251

Comparison

By complaint count this model year ranks 4,331 of 36,656 model years in the NHTSA data (top 12% most complained about).

On average one model year of the Yukon Denali has 45 complaints (20 years in the data). This year has 73, above average.

What to check before buying

Exterior lighting. Headlamps, leveling, sensors and mounts after a frontal hit.
Electrical system. Scan all modules, test the battery and alternator, inspect connectors near the impact zone.
Powertrain. Shift quality under load, harsh shifts, transmission codes, CV joints.
Service brakes. Pedal feel, ABS operation, leaks, discs and hoses.

Other years of this model

Questions and answers

What are the most common problems with the 2015 GMC Yukon Denali?

Owner complaints to NHTSA most often mention: exterior lighting, electrical system, powertrain. Total complaints: 73. The most frequent symptoms in complaint texts: headlights and tail lights (41%), A/C or heater (12%), knocking, grinding or other noise (10%).

How many service bulletins (TSB) were issued for the 2015 GMC Yukon Denali?

NHTSA lists 0 manufacturer service bulletins for this year. A bulletin tells dealers how to diagnose or fix a known issue; it is not a recall.

Should I buy a 2015 GMC Yukon Denali from a US auction?

Owner complaints describe defects, not crash damage. Before bidding, check the components listed above and review the lot photos: VinWind builds a report of visible and hidden damage by VIN.

Other 2015 models

Read also

Sources: public NHTSA data (USA): service bulletins and owner complaints; YouTube: links to videos credited to their authors. Complaints are owner statements not verified by NHTSA, and describe defects rather than crash damage. Data updated 2026-11-05.