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2008 GMC YukonProblems, recalls & complaints

NHTSA has logged 188 owner complaints about the 2008 GMC Yukon, most often about the air bags. It is covered by 4 safety recalls, and for recall 21V-050 the manufacturer reports only 28% of affected cars repaired.

2008 GMC Yukon
44
CarFlaw IndexSolid year1.3× the Yukon median · #14 of 33 years by complaints
Safety recalls4Lowest repair rate 28%Owner complaints18811 with a crash, fire or injuryTypical failure mileage93kAir bags, median miles

Source: NHTSA complaints, recalls, investigations and manufacturer recall reports, through October 23, 2026. Updated daily. Photo: IFCAR, Public domain.

Complaints by system

Where the 2008 GMC Yukon has problems

188 complaints grouped by the system owners reported.

Box size = number of complaints naming that system. Darker = larger share. One complaint can name more than one system.
Complaints by system
SystemComplaintsCrash, fire or injury
Air bags963
Electrical system304
Structure261
Latches/locks/linkages170
Engine134
Power train82
Vehicle speed control71
Electronic stability control (ESC)60
Fuel/propulsion system40
12 other systems152

Source: NHTSA Office of Defects Investigation. Complaints are submitted by the public and are not verified by NHTSA.

4 recalls

2008 GMC Yukon recalls and how many were fixed

Each ring shows the share of affected cars repaired, from the manufacturer’s latest quarterly report to NHTSA. Recall repairs are free at authorized dealers.

28%repaired · 2023 Q1

Passenger side: inflator module

Recall 21V-050 · Feb 5, 2021 · 2,641,272 vehicles · 734,119 repaired

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

Problem, fix and repair progress →

38%repaired · 2023 Q3

Passenger side: inflator module

Recall 21V-052 · Feb 5, 2021 · 557,023 vehicles · 212,499 repaired

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

Problem, fix and repair progress →

–no report yet

Electrical system

Recall 08V-441 · Aug 28, 2008 · 857,735 vehicles

Risk. THIS MAY CAUSE OTHER ELECTRICAL FEATURES TO MALFUNCTION, CREATE AN ODOR, OR CAUSE SMOKE INCREASING THE RISK OF A FIRE.

Problem, fix and repair progress →

Recalls apply to specific cars. To see whether a recall is still open on yours, enter the 17-character VIN at nhtsa.gov/recalls or with GMC.

Mileage at failure

When do air bags problems start?

93kmiles, median

Based on the odometer reading in 31 air bags complaints. 58% were reported before 100,000 miles.

Only 49% of complaints for this model year include a mileage.

median0k50k100k150k200k+
2under 30k miles18under 100k miles13100k miles or more
Best & worst years

2008 vs. every other Yukon year

Bars show complaints per model year. Colors show the CarFlaw verdict: complaints weighted for crashes, fires and injuries, adjusted for years on the road and compared with the Yukon median. How we score

'92'93'94'95'96'97'98'99'00'01'02'03'04'05'06'07'08'09'10'11'12'13'14'15'16'17'18'19'20'21'22'23'24'25'26'27
  • Avoid
  • Caution
  • Solid
  • Best
  • Not rated
NHTSA crash tests

2008 GMC Yukon safety ratings

2008 GMC Yukon 4-DR. w/SAB in NHTSA's New Car Assessment Program. Photos are from NHTSA's crash tests.

  • Rollover: 3 stars (22.8% risk)
  • Stability control: Standard
  • Forward collision warning: No
  • Lane departure warning: No
4 investigations

NHTSA defect investigations

Federal investigations that included the 2008 GMC Yukon, and the recalls they led to.

  1. NON-CRASH ENGINE COMPARTMENT FIRESEA08010 · closed Sep 8, 2008
    Led to recall 08V-441
  2. Desiccated Air Bag Inflator RuptureEA21002 · still open
    Open
  3. NON-CRASH ENGINE COMPARTMENT FIRESPE08010 · closed Jun 12, 2008
    No recall
  4. Interior Door Handle Laceration RiskPE09044 · closed May 23, 2010
    No recall
In owners' words

What Yukon owners report

Recent air bags complaints filed with NHTSA, shortened. Personal details are removed.

The contact owns a 2008 GMC Yukon. The contact received notification of NHTSA Campaign Number: 21V050000 (Air Bags) and the vehicle was taken to the dealer for the recall repair; however, the dealer failed to repair the vehicle on the scheduled date and retained the vehicle without providing a…
Complaint 11753971 · Jul 31, 2026
the passenger-side frontal airbag inflators, The determination was made that the propellant in these inflators may degrade after long-term exposure to high humidity and temperature cycling, which could cause the inflator to rupture during a deployment.
Complaint 11691942 · Oct 7, 2025
The contact owns a 2008 GMC Yukon. The contact stated that the vehicle was repaired under the airbag recall. After the recall repair was performed, the airbag warning light remained illuminated. The vehicle was not diagnosed nor repaired. The manufacturer was made aware of the failure. The…
Complaint 11419318 · Jun 2, 2021 · 185,000 miles

Own a 2008 Yukon?

Decode your VIN to see the recalls for your exact car, then confirm open recalls with NHTSA.