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2011 GMC Yukon problems: engine and transmission complaints and recalls

NO ELEVATED SIGNAL
13%
30 of 238 relevant owner complaints are about the engine, transmission or fuel system

No elevated drivetrain complaint concentration in the available NHTSA records for the 2011 GMC Yukon. Engine, transmission and fuel system account for 13% of relevant complaints.

Better than 96% of the 1,790 model years we track (2010–2023).

Excludes 161 airbag, lighting and seat-belt recall complaints that would otherwise mask the signal (unadjusted: 8%).

NHTSA data checked October 17, 2026
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The VIN is on the listing, the driver’s door jamb, and the bottom of the windshield on the driver’s side.

Does the 2011 GMC Yukon have engine or transmission problems?

Not as a pattern, going by owner complaints. 30 of 238 relevant complaints filed with NHTSA about the 2011 GMC Yukon concern the engine, transmission or fuel system (13%). For comparison, the 2010 scores 17% and the 2012 scores 15%. This describes the model year, not any one car: a well-maintained or already-repaired example can be fine, and a clean model year can still have a bad car in it.

Drivetrain complaints
30
engine, transmission, fuel
Total complaints
399
this model year
Fires reported
4
owner-reported
Recall campaigns
5
3 crashes · 5 injuries

Complaints by component

UNKNOWN OR OTHER188 · 47%
AIR BAGS161 · 40%
STRUCTURE74 · 19%
ENGINE20 · 5%
ELECTRICAL SYSTEM16 · 4%
POWER TRAIN13 · 3%

The years either side

2010
17%
21 of 229
2011
13%
30 of 399
2012
15%
15 of 138
2013
15%
18 of 186
2014
19%
12 of 77
2015
36%
179 of 992
2016
44%
131 of 517
2017
54%
144 of 359
2018
54%
61 of 126
2019
73%
88 of 126
2020
80%
63 of 83
2021
85%
453 of 560
2022
82%
279 of 350
2023
82%
371 of 460

Manufacturers fix things mid-generation. A bad year next to a clean one is common; the fix usually arrived in between.

In the full report

The rest of the picture on the 2011 GMC Yukon

What one owner reported

SEATS,ENGINE,FUEL/PROPULSION SYSTEM11/17/20232 INJURED
Engine coolant is usually water–based, and may also be oil. A three–valve–per–cylinder was originally slated for the LS7, and was abandoned imputable to design complexities. E85 ethanol should is an understatement to the ‘war on fossil fuels.’ The L98 is a modified version of the L76, with increased power and redu…

One of 30 drivetrain complaints. The full report shows them, with quotes about the engine in the car you are looking at first.

Are there engine or transmission recalls on the 2011 GMC Yukon?

No engine or transmission recalls. NHTSA lists 5 recall campaigns on the 2011 GMC Yukon, none of them for the engine, transmission or fuel system. A recall is the manufacturer admitting a defect and paying to fix it; whether a specific car still has one open depends on its VIN, which the full report checks. The owner complaints above are a separate record and often point at problems that never became a recall.

5 other recalls on this model year (airbags, lighting, brakes and the rest)
air bags: frontal: passenger side: inflator module21V050000 · Feb 2021
General Motors, LLC (GM) is recalling certain 2007-2011 Cadillac Escalade, Escalade ESV, Escalade EXT, Chevrolet Avalanche, Silverado 1500, Suburban, Tahoe, GMC Sierra 1500, Yukon, Yukon XL, and…
air bags: frontal: passenger side: inflator module21V054000 · Feb 2021
General Motors, LLC (GM) is recalling certain 2014 Cadillac Escalade, Escalade ESV, Chevrolet Silverado 2500, Silverado 3500, Suburban, Tahoe, GMC Sierra 2500, Sierra 3500, Yukon, and Yukon XL…
electrical system: ignition14V827000 · Dec 2014
General Motors LLC (GM) is recalling certain model year 2011-2012 Cadillac Escalade, Escalade ESV, Escalade EXT, Chevrolet Avalanche, Silverado HD, Silverado LD, Suburban, Tahoe, GMC Sierra LD,…
steering: linkages11V339000 · Jun 2011
GM IS RECALLING CERTAIN MODEL YEAR 2011CADILLAC ESCALADE, ESCALADE ESV; CHEVROLET SILVERADO HD, SILVERADO LD, SUBURBAN, TAHOE; AND GMC SIERRA HD, SIERRA LD, YUKON, AND YUKON XL VEHICLES. THE…
suspension: rear: axle: spindle11V007000 · Jan 2011
GENERAL MOTORS IS RECALLING CERTAIN MODEL YEAR 2011 CADILLAC ESCALADE, ESCALADE ESV, ESCALADE EXT; CHEVROLET AVALANCHE, COLORADO, EXPRESS, SILVERADO, SUBURBAN, TAHOE; AND GMC CANYON, SIERRA, SAVANA,…

Source: NHTSA recall campaigns filed against this year, make and model; one of NHTSA's listings did not answer when this page was built, so the list may be incomplete. Checked October 17, 2026.

Checking one particular 2011 GMC Yukon? This page is about the model year. Accidents, title brands and odometer records belong to the individual car, and that is what a vehicle history report covers.

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Questions people ask about the 2011 GMC Yukon

Does the 2011 GMC Yukon have engine or transmission problems?

Not as a pattern, going by owner complaints. 30 of 238 relevant complaints filed with NHTSA about the 2011 GMC Yukon concern the engine, transmission or fuel system (13%). It describes the model year, not any one car, so an inspection still matters.

Are there engine or transmission recalls on the 2011 GMC Yukon?

No. NHTSA lists 5 recall campaigns on the 2011 GMC Yukon, none of them for the engine, transmission or fuel system.

Which GMC Yukon years are better?

The 2011 has the lowest engine and transmission complaint share of the GMC Yukon years we track (13%). The other years run higher.

Should I buy a 2011 GMC Yukon?

That depends on the car in front of you, not just the model year. The 2011 GMC Yukon shows no elevated engine or transmission pattern in owner complaints, which is a good starting point. It is still one car with its own history, so get an independent pre-purchase inspection and a vehicle history report before you commit.

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Experimental model-level information. This is not a vehicle inspection, vehicle-history report, financial advice or purchase recommendation. It describes patterns across a model year, not the condition of any individual vehicle. Combined across 3 body styles NHTSA files separately.