2001 GMC Yukon Denali problems & reliability
35 owner complaints filed with NHTSA for the 2001 GMC Yukon Denali, alongside 1 safety recall campaign. Last verified Aug 7, 2026. Complaints are unverified reports submitted by owners to the federal Office of Defects Investigation.
Each complaint is counted once (by NHTSA case number), even when it names several vehicles.
Most reported problems
| Component | Complaints | Share |
|---|---|---|
| Service Brakes | 8 | 23% |
| Service Brakes, Hydraulic | 7 | 20% |
| Engine and Engine Cooling | 3 | 9% |
| Fuel System, Gasoline | 3 | 9% |
| Tires | 3 | 9% |
| Electrical System | 2 | 6% |
| Fuel System, Other | 2 | 6% |
| Parking Brake | 2 | 6% |
| Suspension | 2 | 6% |
| Electronic Stability Control (esc) | 1 | 3% |
Component groups as classified by NHTSA. A complaint can name more than one component, so shares may sum to more than 100%.
All 16 reported components →Mileage when problems occurred
Among the 24 complaints that included a usable odometer reading, the median reported incident mileage was 96,000 miles (middle 50% between 71,500 and 136,158 miles).
Complaints by incident year
What owners report
“Having low speed (under 8mph) abs activation regardless of weather/road conditions. Basically the same issue as nhtsa campaign id number : 05v379000 but apparently my vin is not covered, I live in illinois. *tr”
Service Brakes · filed Nov 1, 2016
“Brakes completely failed. Traveling 35 mph, I had to brake suddenly and the pedal sunk to the floor. Had minor resistance, then just completely gave way. No brakes! Was able to avoid an incident by veering into the oncoming lane that was luckily vacant. Turned onto a side street to safely roll to a stop. Too scared to…”
Service Brakes · filed Jul 28, 2015
“The brake lines have rusted and at least 1 has ruptured leaving vehicle without any brakes. Brake petal goes directly to the floor and no brake fluid was found in the master cylinder reservoir. I have read that many other similar vehicles have had the same issue.”
Service Brakes · filed Jun 12, 2015
Verbatim excerpts from complaints filed with NHTSA. Reports are not independently verified.
Federal defect investigations
- PARKING BRAKE FAILURE
Defect Petition DP05009 · opened Dec 20, 2005 · closed May 31, 2006
- UNWANTED LOW-SPEED ABS ACTIVATION
Preliminary Evaluation PE05020 · opened Apr 28, 2005 · closed Sep 13, 2005 · led to recall 05V379000
- ALLEGED FAILURE OF 2ND ROW SEATBELT ALR
Preliminary Evaluation PE02067 · opened Sep 25, 2002 · closed Feb 11, 2003
Technical service bulletins
305 manufacturer communications (TSBs, service campaigns, warranty extensions) are on file with NHTSA for the 2001 GMC Yukon Denali. The 10 most recent:
This PI communicates the requirement to provide a pico file to receive diagnostic assistance from TAC.
PIP5601C · Service Bulletin/Repair Instructions · issued Jul 18, 2025
Vehicle 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…
General Communication · Service Campaign · issued Aug 26, 2024
GM 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…
24-NA-141 · Service Bulletin/Repair Instructions · issued Jul 24, 2024
This 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…
16-NA-383 · Service Bulletin/Repair Instructions · issued Jun 28, 2024
This bulletin provides information for use on a Product Assistance Claim (PAC), which is formerly known as a Product Allegation Resolution (PAR) claim.
18-NA-099 · Service Bulletin/Repair Instructions · issued Jun 17, 2024
This 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…
24-NA-098 · Service Bulletin/Repair Instructions · issued Jun 6, 2024
This bulletin advises the technician of possible location of an internal coolant leak from a specific cylinder head and location.
06-06-01-019C · Service Bulletin/Repair Instructions · issued Mar 14, 2024
This 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…
16-NA-383 · Service Bulletin/Repair Instructions · issued Mar 13, 2024
This 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…
22-NA-074 · Service Bulletin/Repair Instructions · issued Feb 22, 2024
This bulletin provides information for use on a Product Assistance Claim (PAC), which is formerly known as a Product Allegation Resolution (PAR) claim.
18-NA-099 · Service Bulletin/Repair Instructions · issued Jan 16, 2024
TSBs are repair guidance manufacturers send to dealers — they are not recalls and repairs are not automatically free. Full documents are available on NHTSA’s site.
Safety recalls
The 2001 GMC Yukon Denali has 1 NHTSA recall campaign — recall repairs are free at franchised dealers regardless of the vehicle’s age.
Check whether your specific vehicle is affected
Recall campaigns often cover only certain VIN ranges. Enter your VIN on the official NHTSA site to confirm whether your vehicle is included and whether the repair is still open.
Check VIN on NHTSA →Buying a used 2001 GMC Yukon Denali?
- · Decode the seller’s VIN with our free VIN decoder to confirm the exact year, engine and trim.
- · Check for unrepaired recalls by VIN on NHTSA’s official lookup — recall repairs are free.
- · Among complaints with usable mileage, the median reported incident mileage was 96,000 miles. This does not predict when a particular vehicle will develop a problem.