2002 GMC Yukon problems & reliability
158 owner complaints filed with NHTSA for the 2002 GMC Yukon, alongside 3 safety recall campaigns. 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.
10 complaints report injuries (12 injured).
Federal crash records (FARS 2020–2023): 2002 GMC Yukon vehicles were involved in 53 fatal crashes with 39 occupant deaths. Involvement counts are not adjusted for how many are on the road and do not imply fault or a vehicle defect.
Most reported problems
| Component | Complaints | Share |
|---|---|---|
| Service Brakes → | 37 | 23% |
| Service Brakes, Hydraulic → | 35 | 22% |
| Air Bags → | 11 | 7% |
| Electrical System → | 10 | 6% |
| Power Train → | 10 | 6% |
| Seat Belts | 7 | 4% |
| Steering | 7 | 4% |
| Suspension | 6 | 4% |
| Engine and Engine Cooling | 5 | 3% |
| Fuel System, Gasoline | 5 | 3% |
Component groups as classified by NHTSA. A complaint can name more than one component, so shares may sum to more than 100%.
All 25 reported components →Common symptoms owners describe
Keyword analysis of complaint narratives; one complaint can describe several symptoms.
Mileage when problems occurred
Among the 104 complaints that included a usable odometer reading, the median reported incident mileage was 80,000 miles (middle 50% between 45,174 and 131,967 miles).
Complaints by incident year
What owners report
“No warning while exiting, I was able to hit the brakes. Then, when I reached for the brakes again, it didn’t break. There was no signals on the car. The car is total damage air bags came out.”
Service Brakes · filed Aug 14, 2025
“Front passenger seatbelt has always locked up after being put on, which does not allow the passenger the ability to move more than a couple of inches at best.”
Seat Belts · filed Aug 1, 2022
“Tl* the contact owns a 2002 gmc yukon. The contact stated after he drove the vehicle at a very low speed, the vehicle unexpectedly experienced unwanted antilock brake system (abs) activation. The contact stated he was forced to drive at a higher speed in order to avoid this issue. The contact notified the dealer…”
Service Brakes · filed Aug 7, 2020
Verbatim excerpts from complaints filed with NHTSA. Reports are not independently verified.
Federal defect investigations
- Brake line corrosion failure
Preliminary Evaluation PE10010 · opened Mar 30, 2010 · closed Jan 5, 2011
- 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
- THROTTLE STICKING CLOSED
Engineering Analysis EA02015 · opened Aug 1, 2002 · closed Jan 12, 2004
Technical service bulletins
555 manufacturer communications (TSBs, service campaigns, warranty extensions) are on file with NHTSA for the 2002 GMC Yukon. 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
This Preliminary Information communicates to the dealer the process for downloading or updating operating software for the Tire Pressure Monitor, Active Fuel Injector tester, multi media tester, PICO Scope, GR8…
PIP4723J · Service Bulletin/Repair Instructions · issued Oct 25, 2024
This Preliminary Information communication provides information to the technician about vehicles that the Heater-Vent-Air Conditioning blows warm air. Before calling General Motors Technical Assistance Center technician…
PIT5099H · Service Bulletin/Repair Instructions · issued Sep 12, 2024
This Preliminary Information communication provides information to the technician about vehicles that the Heater-Vent-Air Conditioning blows warm air. Before calling General Motors Technical Assistance Center technician…
PIT5099H · Service Bulletin/Repair Instructions · issued Sep 12, 2024
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 provides information for electrical ground repairs using new General Motors replacement fasteners with conductive finish.
10-08-45-001H · Service Bulletin/Repair Instructions · issued Mar 28, 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 2002 GMC Yukon has 3 NHTSA recall campaigns — 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 2002 GMC Yukon?
- · 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 80,000 miles. This does not predict when a particular vehicle will develop a problem.