2003 GMC Yukon XL Denali
Safety record from NHTSA: recalls, owner complaints, investigations and service bulletins.
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Vehicles › GMC › Yukon XL Denali › 2003
These records cover every 2003 GMC Yukon XL Denali. To see whether one car still needs a recall repair, decode its VIN or check it with NHTSA.
Owner complaints
32 complaints2 involved a crash1 involved a fire2 injuries
What owners report most
Latest complaints
- Electrical system · Electronic stability control (esc) · Fuel/propulsion system
About a month a ago my 2003 yukon XL all of a sudden would not drive over15 miles an hr in rush hour traffic. I took the truck to the shop to have diagnostics ran. I was told it was the battery. The truck ran for about a month then all of a sudden the battery was back dead. Returned the truck back…
About a month a ago my 2003 yukon XL all of a sudden would not drive over15 miles an hr in rush hour traffic. I took the truck to the shop to have diagnostics ran. I was told it was the battery. The truck ran for about a month then all of a sudden the battery was back dead. Returned the truck back to the shop another battery was put in. It's been about another month. This time I was driving from miami to jacksonville and the truck lost power 100 miles outside jacksonville on I-95 north. It had all power just would not crank. Had it towed to the shop now I'm being to there's a problem with electrical.
- Service brakes
Driving home when I push the brakes, the brakes didn't work, brake service warning came on upon checking all the brake lines are rusted and when it press the brakes it appears the pressure puncture a line. *tr
- Electronic stability control (esc) · Engine
We were driving up in the mountains and we lost power briefly to the engine. The lights flickered and the dash board went out. Then the loss of engine power came on and the stability/traction came on too. This has happened weekly for the last two years. This last time was alarming since we were…
We were driving up in the mountains and we lost power briefly to the engine. The lights flickered and the dash board went out. Then the loss of engine power came on and the stability/traction came on too. This has happened weekly for the last two years. This last time was alarming since we were coming down a mountain in a storm and could have been stranded up there with no running vehicle to keep us warm. This needs to get a recall or investigation going on these vehicles. If you google this issue you will see that there are hundreds if not thousands of people that are affected with this issue. It will kill people if they expect to have power to get through an intersection fast enough and the vehicle gives out on them. *tr
- Service brakes
I was traveling on a two lane county road located in oldham county kentucky and upon approaching a curve, I attempted to apply the brake to slow the vehicle but the brake pedal went to the floor and provided no braking action (severely rusted brake lines burst and resulted in total brake failure ).…
I was traveling on a two lane county road located in oldham county kentucky and upon approaching a curve, I attempted to apply the brake to slow the vehicle but the brake pedal went to the floor and provided no braking action (severely rusted brake lines burst and resulted in total brake failure ). The curve was followed by an intersection with a stop sign in my lane. Luckily there were no vehicles in front of me and no opposing traffic at that moment, which enabled me, through the use of gears and the emergency brake, to get the vehicle stopped just beyond the stop sign. it was my understanding that modern vehicles were designed with redundancy in the braking system which would prevent total braking failure, but apparently that IS not true with this vehicle. I have read several accounts of similar failures with this family of vehicles and I think action needs to be taken quickly as the next victim may not be as fortunate as me and my 10 year old granddaughter were this past week. *tr
- Electronic stability control (esc) · Engine · Vehicle speed control
Driving 65 mph on the highway and all of a sudden my car loses power. This IS very dangerous! The dash says reduced engine power. Engine light comes on. Codes for the problem p0120, p0171, p0174, p0300, p2135. I got everything done that was suggested the codes are gone and it's still happening!! Not sure what the GMC dealership IS up to but they don't have a clue to what's causing it or how to fix it! *tr
- Electrical system · Electronic stability control (esc) · Unknown or other
Reduced engine power, stability system disabled
- Traction control system
For the last 2 years I've had a problem with the stability control / reduced engine power. The problem can occur anytime while driving or even after it has been sitting. I must stop the vehicle and turn it off several times for it to reset before I can continue. I've had the vehicle in the shop for…
For the last 2 years I've had a problem with the stability control / reduced engine power. The problem can occur anytime while driving or even after it has been sitting. I must stop the vehicle and turn it off several times for it to reset before I can continue. I've had the vehicle in the shop for repairs at the dealer, they can't seem to fix the problem. After several visits to repair shops and spending nearly $2000 on repairs it still has the same problem. This needs to addressed as a failure and dangerous situation by g.m. The vehicle IS a 2003 GMC yukon denali XL. *ln
- Visibility
The right hinge of the rear lift glass on my 2003 GMC yukon failed causing a dangerous condition whereby the rear glass could blow out, or otherwise fall off the car while driving. The dealer told me the entire rear lift glass module must be replaced. *Tr
- Seats
Burning smell in 2003 GMC yukon denali XL. eventually found child's velour car seat smoldering at base with holes burned through the leather heated seat. child had touched control with foot and turned heated seat on. when discovered, the car seat and leather seats were beginning to smoke.....could have been a tragedy. *Tr
- Service brakes, hydraulic
2003 GMC yukon XL denali brake lines rusty and burst while wife was driving and lost brakes. This caused a very dangerous situation. About a year ago the dealership replaced several brake lines due to the same problem. Also they replaced the calipers due to rusted bleed valves. They are using substandard materials and making a very dangerous situation for people that drive gm vehicles. *Tr
- Electrical system › Instrument cluster/panel
While driving down the road, tachometer stopped working. tachometer would either show 8,000 rpms or zero rpms no matter what speed or payload was on vehicle. *tr
- Electrical system › Instrument cluster/panel
Speedometer failure, speed of vehicle unable to be determined while traveling on highway and city roads.. *Tr
- Electrical system › Instrument cluster/panel
Tl*the contact owns a 2003 GMC yukon denali XL. while driving approximately 55 mph, the speedometer displayed zero and then increased to over 100 mph. the fuel and water gauges indicated that the vehicle was empty when the contact fills it up. the dealer acknowledged the failures and stated that…
Tl*the contact owns a 2003 GMC yukon denali XL. while driving approximately 55 mph, the speedometer displayed zero and then increased to over 100 mph. the fuel and water gauges indicated that the vehicle was empty when the contact fills it up. the dealer acknowledged the failures and stated that only vehicles with 70,000 miles or less would be covered under warranty. the vehicle has not been repaired. he filed a formal complaint with the manufacturer. the current and failure mileages were 98,000.
- Electrical system › Instrument cluster/panel
Speedometer cluster broken on 2003 GMC yukon XL denali. Chevy has a known problem with faulty speedometers. *tr
- Power train › Transfer case (4-wheel drive)
2003 GMC denali front transfer case failure. while driving on the highway I noticed a loud noise for a few seconds, then it stopped, so I drove on home and the next morning I dropped it off at my personal repair shop. To his findings it was the front transfer case. so he called the local…
2003 GMC denali front transfer case failure. while driving on the highway I noticed a loud noise for a few seconds, then it stopped, so I drove on home and the next morning I dropped it off at my personal repair shop. To his findings it was the front transfer case. so he called the local dealership and talked to someone he knew that worked at the dealership in the parts department and they told him that the dealership had repaired several denali's with the same or similar problem just this year. *jb
- Electrical system › Instrument cluster/panel
The speedometer on the 2003 GMC yukon denali xlwas acting erratic. It periodically displays speeds much lower than actual, and the needle jerked as it rose and fell.. Could you investigate thi. (it seemed to be a very common problem, and push gm to make this a recall.*ak
- Engine and engine cooling
2 incidents. 1) entire instrument panel failed while driving. vehicle was turned off, restarted and the problem was temporarily resolved. 2) while driving the speedometer needle failed. same corrective measures take, and problem was temporarily resolved. internet shows this to be a common problem, but there IS not tsb or recall. why? *Tr
- Electrical system › Instrument cluster/panel
The speedometer quits working. It will increase in speed, but not go down. When driving down the highway, the speedometer shows over 100 mph, or will point straight down. *Jb
- Electrical system › Instrument cluster/panel
I have a 2003 GMC yukon XL denali that has a faulty speedometer; doesn't work, or works erratically, reads zero when doing 60. If you turn the engine off it seems to correct the problem, but only briefly. With all the complaints that I've seen regarding this problem, I truly believe gm should recall this in the interests of safety. *nm
- Electrical system › Instrument cluster/panel
I was driving vehicle when I noticed that the speedometer was indicating a much higher rate of speed than I was going 120 mph. I pulled over and stopped but the speedometer only went down to 60 mph at a dead stop. Have not repaired problem. Dealer wants 750.00 to replace instrument cluster. I was referred to this site after reading more than 180 similar complaints on similar GMC models. *Jb
- Electrical system › Wiring › Interior/under dash
I was driving my daughter home from tutoring when I realized the speedometer does not work properly. I happened to be on the interstate at the time so I kept up with the other cars, but going down the streets to our house in the dark made me uncomfortable. sometimes it sticks at zero and other…
I was driving my daughter home from tutoring when I realized the speedometer does not work properly. I happened to be on the interstate at the time so I kept up with the other cars, but going down the streets to our house in the dark made me uncomfortable. sometimes it sticks at zero and other times it maxs out at 120 mph. the dealer I called said this was a common problem and would cost about $600+ to fix and also it would take a few days. *nm
- Electrical system › Instrument cluster/panel
Speedometer acting erratic, not reading correctly, or at all, on my 2003 GMC yukon XL denali. reads slower than actually traveling, especially when it sits at zero. *Jb
- Structure › Body › Hatchback/liftgate › Hinge and attachments
The window hinge on the rear window of my 2003 GMC yukon became disconnected from the window. this has been used very rarely, and the vehicle IS always garaged. it seems like a manufacturer defect, or design flaw...not something that failed because of normal wear and tear. without repair, this could lead to window separation and harm to other vehicles following me on the highway. *Jb
- Suspension › Front › Hub
My 2003 GMC yukon denali had just over 63,000 miles on the odometer. I am the original owner of the vehicle. the majority of the driving has been on paved roads/highways. the hub assemblies (both sides) began making a noise in march of 2006. since the vehicle was out of warranty, I took it to a…
My 2003 GMC yukon denali had just over 63,000 miles on the odometer. I am the original owner of the vehicle. the majority of the driving has been on paved roads/highways. the hub assemblies (both sides) began making a noise in march of 2006. since the vehicle was out of warranty, I took it to a local certified auto repair facility and had them look at it. they told me that both front wheel hub assemblies were in immediate need of replacement and that there was a danger in driving the vehicle. I had the work done on march 22, 2006. to the best of my knowledge the failed parts are still available. I contacted the bbb who, in turn, referred me to the GMC customer service office. after contacting these people they file a report #1-408898915. they indicated to me that GMC would do nothing for me due to the facts that the vehicle was out of warranty and that I had not used a GMC dealer for the repair work. the repairs were #613.59. the dealer would have charged me approximately $1,000 for this same work. they did give me the address of the GMC divisional office in michigan and suggested that I contact them to see if they will do anything for me. I will do this, but I have not done this yet as I do not anticipate a positive result from my efforts. I feel that this IS a defect of the parts and/or vehicle. especially since both the brakes and the tires out lasted the wheel assemblies. there should be an "implied warranty" that major components like these have a life expectancy that exceeds the written warranty. *nm
- Suspension · Suspension › Front › Wheel bearing
I had just gotten off the interstate from a 4 hour drive and heard a awful grinding noise coming from the front passenger side of the vehicle. it sounded like "metal against metal". at first I thought it was a brake pad, but the pads appeared to be fine. I parked it that night and on sunday…
I had just gotten off the interstate from a 4 hour drive and heard a awful grinding noise coming from the front passenger side of the vehicle. it sounded like "metal against metal". at first I thought it was a brake pad, but the pads appeared to be fine. I parked it that night and on sunday morning (6/6/2005) drove it to the dealership and asked them to call in the morning. the dealership called me monday morning and said that the front wheel bearing had gone bad. in my discussion with the service manager, he indicated that this IS a common problem with the surburbans, envoy's and yukons. my concern IS that how much longer would I driven before the bearing totally buned up and caused the loss of steering? I had the wheel bearing assembly replaced at a $494.70 expense to me and it IS currently driving fine. the vehicle had 46,369 miles on it at the time of failure. *nm
Defect investigations
NHTSA’s Office of Defects Investigation opened these reviews into vehicles including this one.
- Parking brake failure
Odi's review of complaint data received since the close of ea04-011 revealed no indication that the investigation should be re-opened.more details can be found in the federal register notice enclosed in the dp05-009 public file.odi reserves the right to reopen the investigation in the future should conditions warrant.
- Parking brake failure
In a letter dated april 20, 2005, gm notified nhtsa that it had decided that defects that relate to motor vehicle safety exist in certain model year (my) 1999-2002 c/k 1500 series (pbr parking brake system) and my 2001-2005 c/k 2500 and 3500 series (trw parking brake system) pickups with manual transmissions.according…
In a letter dated april 20, 2005, gm notified nhtsa that it had decided that defects that relate to motor vehicle safety exist in certain model year (my) 1999-2002 c/k 1500 series (pbr parking brake system) and my 2001-2005 c/k 2500 and 3500 series (trw parking brake system) pickups with manual transmissions.according to gm, some of these vehicles may have conditions that cause the friction linings to wear to an extent where the parking brake can become ineffective in immobilizing a parked vehicle.gm's action covers an estimated total of 142,585 vehicles.dealers will install a low-force spring clip retainer for vehicles equipped with the pbr parking brake system and install a redesigned parking brake cable assembly on vehicles equipped with the trw parking brake system. A total of 58 non-duplicative complaints were received by odi and gm concerning the approximately 59,000 my 1999-2002 c/k 1500 series pickup trucks with the pbr parking brake system.these included 22 alleged rollaway incidents, resulting in a rate of 38.5 rollaway incidents per 100,000 vehicles.odi IS aware of 24 complaints regarding the my 2001-2005 c/k 2500 and 3500 series manual transmission trucks recalled by gm, including 5 alleging rollaway incidents.though the conditions described in gm's letter are also present in the c/k trucks with automatic transmissions, the rollaway rate in those vehicles was similar to those observed in peer vehicles studied by odi in this investigation.this engineering analysis IS closed. For additional information, see the attached closing report.
Service bulletins
Technical service bulletins and other communications the manufacturer sent dealers about this vehicle. Ask a dealer for the full document by its number.
- 11010544This service bulletin explains how to measure for oil consumption and possible reasons for loss of oil.
- 11007208This Preliminary Information communication provides information to the technician about changing the tire and wheel size on vehicles. General Motors will only support a tire calibration for tires that have been sized, tested and designed for the vehicle in question and its applications. Technician should not use the information that is provided by the antilock braking system tire size selection.
- 11006621Vehicle Wide Programming (VWP) is a new process to update software on GM Vehicles. It provides the ability via a single selection within Techline Connect to first identify which modules need updating and then proceed to updating affected modules (with some exceptions). The updating of modules is completed in parallel instead of the technician needing to update one module at a time. This allows a more streamlined approach for dealers and customers.
- 11006421GM is receiving damaged (cracked or broken) transmission cores returned to the reman facilities. The damage is being caused either in the removal process by the technician, or inadequate packaging or shipping. This bulletin advises the dealers to be more careful not to damage the transmissions during removal and to package the core properly for return.
- 11004761This service bulletin advises of a new fuel injection cleaner kit used for decarbonizing the intake valves to correct conditions of rough idle, Crank no start, extended crank or misfire, MIL with DTCs, and explains how Top Tier fuels should be used to reduce carbon build-up.
- 11004557This bulletin provides information for use on a Product Assistance Claim (PAC), which is formerly known as a Product Allegation Resolution (PAR) claim.
- 11002312This service bulletin provides information for dealers/technicians on Service Programming System (SPS) Error Codes E4398, E4399, E4401, E4403, M4404, M4413, M6954, M6955, E4414, E4423, E4491, E4492, or E6961 and resolution information.
- 11000576This Warranty Administration bulletin provides retail and wholesale service personnel with the policies/procedures and the warranty transaction submission procedures that support the Personal Property Damage process.
- 10252735This bulletin provides information for electrical ground repairs using new General Motors replacement fasteners with conductive finish.
- 10252163XM Audio Traffic And Travel Link Availability And Operation.
- 10251890This technical bulletin advises of a new fuel injection cleaner kit used for decarbonizing the intake valves to correct conditions of rough idle, Crank no start, extended crank or misfire, MIL with DTCs, and explains how Top Tier fuels should be used to reduce carbon build-up.
- 10251887This bulletin advises the technician of possible location of an internal coolant leak from a specific cylinder head and location.
- 10250775This service bulletin provides service information to technicians on guidelines to replace Oil Cooler, Oil Cooler Lines and Oil Tank if the engine was replaced where large amounts of debris has flowed throughout the oiling system.
- 10249590This bulletin provides information for use on a Product Assistance Claim (PAC), which is formerly known as a Product Allegation Resolution (PAR) claim.
- 10249579This PI bulletin advises the technician on the proper way to install the pistons in an engine.
- 10249011This informational bulletin provides information for dealers/technicians on Headlamp, Tail Lamp, License Lamp or Fog/Driving Lamp Damage.
- 10248444Vehicle Recalls
- 10247748Speedometer Needle Accuracy Information.
- 10247747Speedometer Needle Accuracy Information
- 10247681Information On Requests To Add OnStar Bluetooth Option.
- 10247552This service bulletin provides information on Concerns or Questions Regarding Installation of Dealer Installed Accessories.
- 10246952Programming And Activation Of Replacement OnStar Modules.
- 10246951Programming And Activation Of Replacement OnStar Modules.
- 10246631Expanded Availability for Remanufacture and Return (R&R) Electronic Control Modules
- 10245951Canadian Customers Unable To Place Calls And Turn By Turn Inoperative In The United States.
- 10245950Canadian Customers Unable To Place Calls In The United States
- 10244274This service bulletin provides information about the Hunter wheel Road Force balancers that should be utilized for all repairs requiring balance and Road Force measurement.
- 10244214This informational bulletin provides information for the IPC odometer programming method quick reference guide.
- 10244201This service bulletin provides information for dealers on how to submit a product information report (PIR) (Canada Only).
- 10242843The service bulletin advises the tech of a normal transmission shift condition and the delay in throttle response when the throttle plate is opened rapidly and advises the customer that it is normal for the delay.
- 10242262This service bulletin provides graphics, information and guidelines for engine component wear to assist service personnel as a guideline to perform necessary engine repairs and prevent unnecessary engine replacement.
- 10240344This service bulletin explains how to measure for oil consumption and possible reasons for loss of oil.
- 10235802This diagnostic tip bulletin provides additional information on how to diagnose a possible valve, lifter or camshaft issue.
- 10235799This service bulletin provides information about the Hunter wheel Road Force balancers that should be utilized for all repairs requiring balance and Road Force measurement.
- 10235713This bulletin provides information on Warranty Administration Required Operating Procedures - 8 Points (U.S. Only).
- 10234141This diagnostic tip bulletin provides additional information on how to diagnose a possible valve, lifter or camshaft issue.
- 10234110This service bulletin provides service information on new torque specification and installation procedure for ACDelco Spin-On Oil Filters.
- 10232287This warranty administration bulletin provides information regarding the field action courtesy transportation policy.
- 10232156This service bulletin provides information for dealers/technicians on OnStar Module 2G Sunset Information.
- 10232136This service bulletin provides information for dealers/technicians on Exterior Lamp Condensation and Water Leaks and Replacement Guidelines.
Every GMC Yukon XL Denali model year
Bars are owner complaints, dots mark years with recalls. Select a year to open its report.