AI Damage2001 GMC Yukon XL 1500: common problems
Owners of the 2001 GMC Yukon XL 1500 filed 29 complaints with NHTSA, most often about service brakes and structure. Details by component below, with sources.
Key figures
- Owner complaints
- 29
- involving a crash
- 1
What fails most often
- 1 Service brakes 48% of all complaints
- 2 Structure 17% of all complaints
- 3 Visibility 17% of all complaints
- 4 Engine and cooling 7% of all complaints
- 5 Air bags 3% of all complaints
- 6 Electrical system 3% of all complaints
- 7 Engine 3% of all complaints
- 8 Fuel/propulsion system 3% of all complaints
- Service brakes: 14 complaints (48% of all).
- Structure: 5 complaints (17% of all).
- Visibility: 5 complaints (17% of all).
- Engine and cooling: 2 complaints (7% of all), 1 of them with a crash reported by the owner.
- Air bags: 1 complaints (3% of all), 1 of them with a crash reported by the owner.
Symptoms owners describe
How many of the 29 NHTSA complaints mention each symptom (automatic count from complaint text; one complaint can mention several).
Components owners complain about
| Component | Owner complaints | involving a crash | Technical service bulletins (TSB) |
|---|---|---|---|
| Service brakes | 14 | 0 | 0 |
| Structure | 5 | 0 | 0 |
| Visibility | 5 | 0 | 0 |
| Engine and cooling | 2 | 1 | 0 |
| Air bags | 1 | 1 | 0 |
| Electrical system | 1 | 0 | 0 |
| Engine | 1 | 0 | 0 |
| Fuel/propulsion system | 1 | 0 | 0 |
| Fuel system | 1 | 0 | 0 |
| Wheels | 1 | 0 | 0 |
What owners report
Short excerpts of NHTSA complaints in the original wording. These are owner statements not verified by NHTSA; personal data removed.
The air bags failed to deploy. The driver sustained bruises. The engine did not shut off and the vehicle was smoking. The police had to climb into the vehicle to turn off the engine. The vehicle stopped smoking. The vehicle was damaged. A police report was filed. The current and failure mileages were 97,000.
A spring from a large vehicle on 20th street ensley exit got inbeded in my tire last night 1/17/17 at about 7:50pm. Which made a big hole and I am in need of a tire. I called aaa and had to get it towed because of how fast air came out and aldot stopped to help but had no plugs. So it was towed
While opening my rear liftgate glass the glass separated from the hinge holding it in place. This caused a safety concern that the only thing keeping my passegner compartment safe was the glass.
The contact also stated that while refueling the vehicle and attempting to start the vehicle, the vehicle would not start. The vehicle was taken to an independent mechanic for diagnosis, however the details of the diagnosis could not be provided. The vehicle was not repaired.
While attempting to open the rear liftgate window, the window detached from the vehicle. The vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired. The manufacturer was notified of the failure. The approximate failure mileage was 189,000.
I was driving on the expressway on 04/01/2015 when my vehicle suddenly lost power nearly causing a wreck. I pulled over and the reduced engine power error was illuminated. I turned off my truck and restarted it, I managed to make it home without other incident.
In june of 2010 my fuel pump went out and I had to have it towed to a shop and fixed 700.00. Then in july of 2011 the fuel pump went out again, same thing had to have it towed and fixed at the same shop another 700.00. Then again in november of 2012, towed to same shop and same price.
Applied brakes to stop in a parking lot. Brake pedal held briefly then went to the floor. Minimal stopping ability at that point. Narrowly missed a suburban which backed out of a parking space in front of me. All brake lines are severely corroded. Requiring replacement of all lines.
When owners complained
NHTSA complaints by filing year. The peak shows at what age the problems show up most.
Comparison
By complaint count this model year ranks 6,958 of 36,656 model years in the NHTSA data (top 19% most complained about).
On average one model year of the Yukon XL 1500 has 22 complaints (14 years in the data). This year has 29, above average.
What to check before buying
- Service brakes. Pedal feel, ABS operation, leaks, discs and hoses.
- Structure. Rails, pillars, panel gaps, signs of pulling or welding.
- Visibility. Wipers, mirrors, defrosters, cracked glass.
- Engine and cooling. Radiator and fan after a frontal hit, coolant level and condition, overheating.
Other years of this model
- Yukon XL 1500 200015 sources
- Yukon XL 1500 200223 sources
- Yukon XL 1500 200363 sources
- Yukon XL 1500 200436 sources
- Yukon XL 1500 200524 sources
- Yukon XL 1500 20065 sources
- Yukon XL 1500 200760 sources
- Yukon XL 1500 200818 sources
- Yukon XL 1500 200911 sources
- Yukon XL 1500 20108 sources
- Yukon XL 1500 201112 sources
- Yukon XL 1500 20125 sources
- Yukon XL 1500 2023407 sources
Questions and answers
What are the most common problems with the 2001 GMC Yukon XL 1500?
Owner complaints to NHTSA most often mention: service brakes, structure, visibility. Total complaints: 29. The most frequent symptoms in complaint texts: rust, corrosion (28%), windows, sunroof (14%), brake failure (10%).
How many service bulletins (TSB) were issued for the 2001 GMC Yukon XL 1500?
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 2001 GMC Yukon XL 1500 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 2001 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.