RecallRepo

2012 GMC Yukon Xl Recalls

Recalls on record Updated July 2026

The 2012 GMC Yukon Xl has 4 NHTSA recall campaigns affecting an estimated 2,153,124 vehicles. Recall repairs are always free at any authorized dealer. Owners have filed 22 complaints with NHTSA, most often about the air bags. Last updated July 5, 2026.

Recall campaigns

AIR BAGS 21V051000 2021-02-05 284,645 affected
Defect

General Motors, LLC (GM) is recalling certain 2012 Cadillac Escalade, Escalade ESV, Escalade EXT, Chevrolet Avalanche, Silverado 1500, Silverado 2500/3500, Suburban, Tahoe, GMC Sierra 1500, Sierra 2500/3500, Yukon, and Yukon XL originally sold, or ever registered, in the states of Alabama, California, Florida,…

Consequence

An inflator explosion may result in sharp metal fragments striking the driver or other occupants, resulting in serious injury or death.

Remedy

GM will notify owners, and dealers will replace the front passenger air bag inflator with an alternate one, free of charge. Interim letters notifying owners of the safety risk were mailed on February 22, 2021. Second notification letters will be mailed once the remedy is available. Owner notification letters were…

AIR BAGS 21V054000 2021-02-05 1,778,128 affected
Defect

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 vehicles originally sold, or ever registered, in the states of AL, CA, FL, GA, HI, LA, MS, SC, TX, PR, AS, GU, the MP, and VI…

Consequence

An inflator explosion may result in sharp metal fragments striking the driver or other occupants, resulting in serious injury or death.

Remedy

GM will notify owners, and dealers will replace the front passenger air bag inflator with an alternate one, free of charge. Interim letters notifying owners of the safety risk were mailed on February 25, 2021. Second notification letters will be mailed once the remedy is available. Owner notification letters were…

ELECTRICAL SYSTEM 14V827000 2014-12-30 84,192 affected
Defect

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, Sierra HD, Yukon, and Yukon XL vehicles. In the affected vehicles, the ignition lock actuator may bind, making turning the…

Consequence

If stuck in the "Start" position, the ignition may suddenly snap back into the "Accessory" position, causing a loss of engine, steering, and braking power, increasing the risk of a vehicle crash. If the vehicle is in a crash, the air bags may not deploy, increasing the risk of occupant injury.

Remedy

GM will notify owners, and dealers will inspect and replace the ignition lock housing, as necessary, free of charge. The recall began on February 12, 2015. Owners may contact GM customer service at 1-800-458-8006 (Cadillac), 1-800-222-1020 (Chevrolet), or 1-800-462-8782 (GMC). GM's number for this recall is 14696…

STEERING 12V112000 2012-03-22 6,159 affected
Defect

GENERAL MOTORS (GM) IS RECALLING CERTAIN MODEL YEAR 2012 CHEVROLET EXPRESS AND SUBURBAN VEHICLES, AND GMC SAVANA AND YUKON XL HEAVY DUTY VEHICLES. THE STEERING GEAR PITMAN SHAFT MAY NOT HAVE BEEN ADEQUATELY HARDENED AND COULD FRACTURE.

Consequence

IF THIS CONDITION OCCURS, A LOSS OF STEERING COULD RESULT, INCREASING THE RISK OF A CRASH.

Remedy

GM WILL NOTIFY OWNERS, AND DEALERS WILL INSPECT THE STEERING GEAR AND, IF NECESSARY, REPLACE THE STEERING GEAR PITMAN SHAFT. THIS SERVICE WILL BE PERFORMED FREE OF CHARGE. THE SAFETY RECALL IS EXPECTED TO BEGIN ON APRIL 4, 2012.

Complaints by component

AIR BAGS
5
UNKNOWN OR OTHER
5
ELECTRICAL SYSTEM
2
ENGINE
2
STRUCTURE:BODY
2
ELECTRICAL SYSTEM:12V/24V/48V BATTERY
1
POWER TRAIN:AUTOMATIC TRANSMISSION:GEAR POSITION INDICATION (PRNDL)
1
SERVICE BRAKES
1
STEERING
1
STRUCTURE:INTERIOR PANELS:DASHBOARD
1
Total complaints22

What owners report

Verbatim reports filed with NHTSA, lightly edited for readability and with personal information removed.

“The contact owns a 2012 gmc yukon xl. The contact stated that while in a parking lot, the contact attempted to shift the vehicle into drive however, the transmission failed to shift into gear. The contact stated that the gear shifter cable had detached. There were no warning lights illuminated.…”

POWER TRAIN:AUTOMATIC TRANSMISSION:GEAR POSITION INDICATION (PRNDL) · reported 2023-11-01

“Tl* the contact owns a 2012 gmc yukon xl. The contact stated while driving 50 mph, the vehicle stalled. Additionally, the brakes failed to engage when the brake pedal was depressed. There was no warning light illuminated. The vehicle was taken to midway chevrolet (2323 w bell rd, phoenix, az…”

ENGINE · reported 2021-04-28

“Tl* the contact owns a 2012 gmc yukon xl. The contact stated while driving 50 mph, the vehicle stalled. Additionally, the brakes failed to engage when the brake pedal was depressed. There was no warning light illuminated. The vehicle was taken to midway chevrolet (2323 w bell rd, phoenix, az…”

ELECTRICAL SYSTEM:12V/24V/48V BATTERY · reported 2021-04-28

“Tl* takata recall. The contact owns a 2012 gmc yukon xl. The contact stated the dashboard was cracked in three places. The contact received notification of nhtsa campaign number: 21v051000 (air bags) however, the part to do the recall repair was unavailable. The contact called allen gmc (28332…”

STRUCTURE:INTERIOR PANELS:DASHBOARD · reported 2019-02-01

“Tl* takata recall. The contact owns a 2012 gmc yukon xl. The contact stated the dashboard was cracked in three places. The contact received notification of nhtsa campaign number: 21v051000 (air bags) however, the part to do the recall repair was unavailable. The contact called allen gmc (28332…”

AIR BAGS · reported 2019-02-01

“Dash has 2 cracks. One above speedometer. The other is cracked on the top left corner of the dash that surrounds the passenger airbag. Vehicle was purchased 1/16/19. I am simply adding mine to the large volume of complaints because I believe it may be a safety hazard. Not sure how long it has been…”

AIR BAGS · reported 2019-01-16

“Dash has 2 cracks. One above speedometer. The other is cracked on the top left corner of the dash that surrounds the passenger airbag. Vehicle was purchased 1/16/19. I am simply adding mine to the large volume of complaints because I believe it may be a safety hazard. Not sure how long it has been…”

STRUCTURE:BODY · reported 2019-01-16

“Rear brake lights are inoperable. Dealer says assemblies must be replaced at $2k. Seems to be a widespread issue and an extreme safety issue. Please ensure gmc recalls and repairs this widespread issue.”

SERVICE BRAKES · reported 2018-10-12

Defect investigations

Investigation EA21002 Opened 2021-09-17 · open

Desiccated Air Bag Inflator Rupture

From 2000 through 2017, Takata produced millions of air bag inflators using two types of phase-stabilized ammonium nitrate ("PSAN") propellant -- propellant 2004 and propellant 2004L. After prolonged exposure to high temperature cycles and humidity, inflators using propellant 2004 can degrade, causing the propellant…

Investigation EA21002 Opened 2021-09-17 · open

Desiccated Air Bag Inflator Rupture

From 2000 through 2017, Takata produced millions of air bag inflators using two types of phase-stabilized ammonium nitrate ("PSAN") propellant -- propellant 2004 and propellant 2004L. After prolonged exposure to high temperature cycles and humidity, inflators using propellant 2004 can degrade, causing the propellant…

Sources & methodology

Recall, complaint, and investigation records from official NHTSA datasets (FLAT_RCL, FLAT_CMPL, FLAT_INV), synced weekly. Counts reflect NHTSA records for the 2012 GMC Yukon Xl as of July 5, 2026. Complaint narratives are consumer-submitted and unverified. This page contains ads and affiliate links. Full methodology.