GMC Yukon 2000–2006
2nd generation · GMT800 (GMT820/830)
NHTSA data through 13 August 20261,231 complaints, 787 with mileageMethod
- Reports with mileage
- 787
- Median of reported failures
- 76,000 mi
- Most-reported system
- Electrical system (14.8%)
- Recalls
- 0
Before-you-buy checklist ↓Check this VIN — NHTSA ↗
On this generation, failures are spread across the mileage range, with the middle half between 43,000 and 123,600 miles.
Figure 1 · GMC Yukon 2000–2006 · 787 reports with mileage
Mileage at failure
Complaints per 10,000-mile bin, 0 to 200,000 miles, equal bins on a linear scale. Tallest bar = 62 complaints.
- Rest of the range
- Median
- 200,000+ — 47 complaints (6.0%), plotted separately
- 10%
- 17,305
- 25%
- 43,000
- Median
- 76,000
- 75%
- 123,600
- 90%
- 170,000
Show the numbers
| Mileage | Complaints | Share |
|---|---|---|
| 0–10,000 | 62 | 7.9% |
| 10,000–20,000 | 23 | 2.9% |
| 20,000–30,000 | 43 | 5.5% |
| 30,000–40,000 | 55 | 7.0% |
| 40,000–50,000 | 54 | 6.9% |
| 50,000–60,000 | 59 | 7.5% |
| 60,000–70,000 | 60 | 7.6% |
| 70,000–80,000 | 56 | 7.1% |
| 80,000–90,000 | 53 | 6.7% |
| 90,000–100,000 | 37 | 4.7% |
| 100,000–110,000 | 42 | 5.3% |
| 110,000–120,000 | 32 | 4.1% |
| 120,000–130,000 | 35 | 4.4% |
| 130,000–140,000 | 25 | 3.2% |
| 140,000–150,000 | 30 | 3.8% |
| 150,000–160,000 | 24 | 3.0% |
| 160,000–170,000 | 17 | 2.2% |
| 170,000–180,000 | 16 | 2.0% |
| 180,000–190,000 | 11 | 1.4% |
| 190,000–200,000 | 6 | 0.8% |
| 200,000+ | 47 | 6.0% |
Source: NHTSA Office of Defects Investigation, public domain. Complaint counts reflect what owners reported and are not a measure of failure rate per vehicle sold.
What this can and cannot tell you: these are complaints owners chose to file, not a failure rate. Popular models accumulate more of them simply by being common. How this is built.
Owners filed 1,231 complaints with NHTSA about the 2000–2006 GMC Yukon, and 787 of them record the mileage at which the failure happened. That is enough to show not just what fails, but when.
Failures are spread across the mileage range, with the middle half between 43,000 and 123,600 miles. The median is 76,000 miles.
The most-reported areas are the electrical system (14.8% of complaints, typically around 69,000 miles), the hydraulic brake circuit (13.6% of complaints, typically around 61,000 miles), the brakes (12.2% of complaints, typically around 130,000 miles).
If you arrived asking “is it reliable?” — this page answers the version of that question the data can support: which problems owners reported, and at what mileage.
How many miles does a 2000–2006 GMC Yukon last?
Half of the failure reports on the 2000–2006 GMC Yukon were filed by 76,000 miles and 90% by 170,000 miles — figures drawn from 787 NHTSA complaints that record an odometer reading, so they time reported failures, not the cars whose owners never filed one.
47 reports (6%) came in past 200,000 miles — each one proof a Yukon reached that mileage, not that it died there.
Before you buy a 2000–2006 Yukon: the 3-minute check
Generated from 787 mileage-tagged complaints, 4 documented problem areas. Print this page — the checklist survives print.
- Check instrument cluster on 2003–2006 primarily cars. Instrument cluster gauge stepper motor failure: needles read incorrectly, stick, or die entirely — speedometer and fuel gauge most often. GM offered extended coverage on the affected clusters. Earlier 1999-2002 clusters…
- Check engine - intake manifold on 2000–2002 cars. Early-production 4.8L/5.3L plastic lower intake manifold and gasket seepage allowing coolant into the oil.
- Check steering on 2000–2006 cars. Intermediate steering shaft wear producing a clunk or knock felt through the wheel on turn-in; addressed by GM bulletins and a redesigned shaft.
- Complaint reports are not spread evenly across model years here — see the by-model-year table below before you settle on a year.
- End with a pre-purchase inspection of this car. Aggregate data describes the population; the example in front of you has its own history.
For a buyer, failures on this generation are spread rather than concentrated: the middle half falls between 43,000 and 124,000 miles, with a median of 76,000. There is no single mileage threshold to watch, which means condition and maintenance records are more informative than the odometer.
On inspection, the electrical system and the hydraulic brake circuit are where this generation's reports concentrate, so those are the areas worth a specific look. The hydraulic brake circuit in particular shows a median failure mileage of 61,000, which gives a concrete number to compare against the odometer of any car you are considering.
None of this is a substitute for a pre-purchase inspection on the individual car. Aggregate patterns describe a population; the example in front of you has its own history.
What fails, and when
Figure 2 · GMC Yukon 2000–2006
When each system fails
Bar spans the middle half of reports; the notch inside each bar is the median. Miles at failure on a proportional scale — equal distances are equal ratios, not equal miles.
- Tyres63 reports38,00024,000–69,000Tyres: 63 reports, median 38,000 miles, middle half 24,000 to 69,000 miles.
- Steering54 reports47,00027,000–96,000Steering: 54 reports, median 47,000 miles, middle half 27,000 to 96,000 miles.
- Transmission and driveline54 reports50,00013,000–81,000Transmission and driveline: 54 reports, median 50,000 miles, middle half 13,000 to 81,000 miles.
- Hydraulic brake circuit168 reports61,00039,000–92,000Hydraulic brake circuit: 168 reports, median 61,000 miles, middle half 39,000 to 92,000 miles.
- Electrical system182 reports69,00048,000–99,000Electrical system: 182 reports, median 69,000 miles, middle half 48,000 to 99,000 miles.
- Airbag system70 reports83,00038,000–142,000Airbag system: 70 reports, median 83,000 miles, middle half 38,000 to 142,000 miles.
- Brakes150 reports130,000101,000–166,000Brakes: 150 reports, median 130,000 miles, middle half 101,000 to 166,000 miles.
- Your odometer — appears after you enter it in “Where your car sits”
Ordered by median mileage, earliest first. The first 12,000 miles are shaded: that is the boundary this site uses between a manufacturing defect and ordinary wear, not a property of the world.
Source: NHTSA Office of Defects Investigation, public domain.
| System | Complaints | Share | Median | 25–75% |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Electrical system | 182 | 14.8% | 69,000 | 48,000–99,000 |
| Hydraulic brake circuit | 168 | 13.6% | 61,000 | 39,000–92,000 |
| Brakes | 150 | 12.2% | 130,000 | 101,000–166,000 |
| Airbag system | 70 | 5.7% | 83,000 | 38,000–142,000 |
| Tyres | 63 | 5.1% | 38,000 | 24,000–69,000 |
| Steering | 54 | 4.4% | 47,000 | 27,000–96,000 |
| Transmission and driveline | 54 | 4.4% | 50,000 | 13,000–81,000 |
| Fuel system | 49 | 4.0% | 62,000 | 28,000–87,000 |
| Visibility equipment | 47 | 3.8% | 55,000 | 18,000–97,000 |
| Throttle and speed control | 43 | 3.5% | 63,000 | 38,000–101,000 |
Where your car sits
Failure reports by the odometer reading they were filed at. Pick the anchor nearest your car — or type the exact mileage: your marker lands on this curve and on the timing chart above.
Figure 3 · GMC Yukon 2000–2006 · 787 reports with mileage
Share of reports below each mileage
Share of mileage-tagged reports filed at or below each odometer reading. Steps rise only at bin edges, by exact counted shares.
- 60,000 mi — 38% of reports below
- 90,000 mi — 59% of reports below
- 120,000 mi — 73% of reports below
- Median — the staircase crosses the 50% line here
- Your odometer — appears after you enter it below
The staircase tops out at 94%: the remaining 6.0% of reports (47) came above 200,000 miles.
Nothing is smoothed or interpolated. Linear axis, same as Figure 1.
Source: NHTSA Office of Defects Investigation, public domain.
At 60,000 miles
38% of the failure reports on this generation came below this mileage. That describes reports, not your odds.
In the reporting window
- Electrical system — middle half 48,000–99,000 mi
- Hydraulic brake circuit — middle half 39,000–92,000 mi
- Airbag system — middle half 38,000–142,000 mi
- Tyres — middle half 24,000–69,000 mi
- Steering — middle half 27,000–96,000 mi
- Transmission and driveline — middle half 13,000–81,000 mi
Mostly reported later
- Brakes — middle half 101,000–166,000 mi
At 90,000 miles
59% of the failure reports on this generation came below this mileage. That describes reports, not your odds.
Reported earlier than this mileage — ask for repair records
- Tyres — median 38,000 mi
- Transmission and driveline — median 50,000 mi
In the reporting window
- Electrical system — middle half 48,000–99,000 mi
- Hydraulic brake circuit — middle half 39,000–92,000 mi
- Airbag system — middle half 38,000–142,000 mi
- Steering — middle half 27,000–96,000 mi
Mostly reported later
- Brakes — middle half 101,000–166,000 mi
At 120,000 miles
73% of the failure reports on this generation came below this mileage. That describes reports, not your odds.
Reported earlier than this mileage — ask for repair records
- Electrical system — median 69,000 mi
- Hydraulic brake circuit — median 61,000 mi
- Tyres — median 38,000 mi
- Steering — median 47,000 mi
- Transmission and driveline — median 50,000 mi
In the reporting window
- Brakes — middle half 101,000–166,000 mi
- Airbag system — middle half 38,000–142,000 mi
Which systems, and when
Complaints about this generation are not spread evenly across the vehicle, and the systems that generate the most of them do not all fail at the same point in a car's life. The median failure across all systems here is 76,000 miles; the figures below show which parts of the car run ahead of that and which run behind.
The electrical system accounts for 14.8% of complaints (182 reports, 127 of them with a mileage figure), with a median of 69,000 miles, close to the vehicle's overall pattern. The middle half of these reports falls between 48,000 and 99,000 miles.
The hydraulic brake circuit accounts for 13.6% of complaints (168 reports, 123 of them with a mileage figure), with a median of 61,000 miles, close to the vehicle's overall pattern. The middle half of these reports falls between 39,000 and 92,000 miles.
The brakes account for 12.2% of complaints (150 reports, 140 of them with a mileage figure), and they fail late — a median of 130,000 miles, considerably beyond the vehicle's overall median. That pattern is consistent with normal service life rather than a defect, though it matters for anyone buying an example already near that mileage. The middle half of these reports falls between 101,000 and 166,000 miles.
The airbag system accounts for 5.7% of complaints (70 reports, 36 of them with a mileage figure), with a median of 83,000 miles, close to the vehicle's overall pattern. The middle half of these reports falls between 38,000 and 142,000 miles.
The tyres account for 5.1% of complaints (63 reports, 17 of them with a mileage figure), and they fail early — a median of 38,000 miles, well before the vehicle's overall median. Failures clustered this far below the rest of the car usually point to a design or manufacturing problem rather than wear, because wear does not selectively target one system on low-mileage examples. The middle half of these reports falls between 24,000 and 69,000 miles.
The steering accounts for 4.4% of complaints (54 reports, 33 of them with a mileage figure), and it fails early — a median of 47,000 miles, well before the vehicle's overall median. Failures clustered this far below the rest of the car usually point to a design or manufacturing problem rather than wear, because wear does not selectively target one system on low-mileage examples. The middle half of these reports falls between 27,000 and 96,000 miles.
Differences between model years
Within this generation, complaint volume is not constant across model years. The 2001 model year drew the most — 258 complaints — while 2006 drew the fewest at 49. The median year sits at 187.
Recalls and what they cover
No recall campaigns covering this generation appear in NHTSA's post-2010 recall file. That is not the same as an absence of problems — recalls address safety defects specifically, and many of the complaints above concern faults that are expensive or annoying without meeting that threshold.
Reported severity
What owners reported alongside the failure itself, out of 1,231 complaints against this generation:
- Crashes
- 92 (7.5%)
- Fires
- 11
- Injury reports
- 60
- Fatality reports
- 3
These flags are self-reported by complainants and unverified by NHTSA; one report can carry several flags, so the counts overlap and do not sum to a total. They are not adjusted for how many of these vehicles are on the road. No chart is drawn here on purpose: overlapping counts spanning very different magnitudes cannot be honestly encoded as lengths.
Documented problems
Instrument Cluster 2003–2006 primarily
Instrument cluster gauge stepper motor failure: needles read incorrectly, stick, or die entirely — speedometer and fuel gauge most often. GM offered extended coverage on the affected clusters. Earlier 1999-2002 clusters use air-core movements and fail less often than the 2003-2006 stepper-motor units.
Engine - Intake Manifold 2000–2002
Early-production 4.8L/5.3L plastic lower intake manifold and gasket seepage allowing coolant into the oil.
Steering 2000–2006
Intermediate steering shaft wear producing a clunk or knock felt through the wheel on turn-in; addressed by GM bulletins and a redesigned shaft.
Transmission 2000–2006
4L60-E/4L65-E harsh shifting from a cracked 1-2 accumulator piston, and 3-4 clutch wear.
By model year
| Year | Complaints | With mileage |
|---|---|---|
| 2000 | 199 | 67 |
| 2001 | 258 | 124 |
| 2002 | 187 | 128 |
| 2003 | 251 | 194 |
| 2004 | 186 | 146 |
| 2005 | 101 | 89 |
| 2006 | 49 | 39 |
What owners reported
The parking brake on my 2000 Yukon would not hold the vehicle when the parking brake was applied and the transmission was in neutral. This condition existed when i bought the vehicle new. When i took it back to have the problem fixed, i was told this vehicle has a new type parking brake. It was not designed to hold…
2000 · 100 miles · Parking brake
Rear seat belts in 2000 GMC yukons fail to retract, providing no safety for children in the rear seat when seated in child restraint seats that are not semi-permanently mounted in the rear with the seat belt threaded through them. Child seats that use the seat belt as the primary restraining device are useless when…
2000 · 2,500 miles · Seat belts
My 2000 Yukon has had problems with the engine stalling during braking and turns since i bought it in 2001 with 10,000 miles on it. I took it in to the dealership several times while still under warranty and i was given the run around. The problem is now severe and has almost caused me to crash more times than you and…
2000 · 10,000 miles · Transmission and driveline
Ref present recall on 1999-2002 chevy & GMC silverado, Yukon light trucks. I notice that rust is the factor in the anti-lock sensor recall. I would like to further add that rust is also responsible for breakdown in entire braking system. I have a 2000 Yukon with 26000 miles that has extreme rust decay to rear axle…
2000 · 26,000 miles · Hydraulic brake circuit
Built from 787 NHTSA complaints with mileage · snapshot 2026-08-18 · open data · reproduce this page