GMC Yukon, Yukon XL Transmission Problems

bigyukon

ive got a 1998 yukon 4in lift and 2in body lift.today the transmission made a loud pop.wouldnt shift into 2nd gear unless it was to 3000rpm and i let off the gas.when i got home it had no reverse.is the tranny fried or could it be a linkage of some sort.thanks for any info.

See also: Troubleshooting Common Problems in the Yukon 4L80E Transmission

big_pimpin

The tranny is done. My dad has a 2002 yukon sle with the 4L60E automatic Tranny in it and we were driving on the highway and hear a clunk and then we hear grinding gears. Now the truck is missing Park, Reverse, OverDrive, and my brother took it to the garage today on the way it blew a tranny line and it made the exaust catch on fire. He had the cops following him down the road for a mile or so.

usiff

Our 2002 Yukon XL has been having transmission problems. We are now on number 4 and counting... Four Times in the shop for transmission problems.

We got our truck back from the last service in June with 49,000 miles.. we now have 63,000 miles and yes... transmission problems again....

"Hard Shifting" Code 748 was the number this time.

If you are thinking of getting a GMC Yukon .... Good Luck... You will need it...

vinnyvee

i have an 07 yukon at 23 thousand i went to get on the highwat and herd a clunk and then it wouldnt go. i tried going in reverse to get it off to the shoulder and it worked. i put the shifter in 1st and got it home .i had it towed to the dealer thay said it was the falward clutch assembely.they repaired it under the warreny at no charge.now about 3 months later it started too clunk when taking off .its at the dealer now being repaired

rsht

So, what is the problem this time? Is it the clutch assembly again?
By the way, do you have the 5.3L Engine, or is this a Denali?

khmawa0b

i have 2007 tahoe (company suv) with 24000 miles and have the same problem. as a mater of fact i know more then 10 SUV's that had the same problems. also, i own a 2007 yukon with 1500 miles and from first day i notice that when it shifts at last gear and while it is at 2000 RPM(going 65 to 70 miles), i hear a noise as it is not in the right gear and it feles as you riding a stick shift and you driving at wrong gear.

khmawa0b

it is the 5.3L, 4X4,SLT. am not sure yet and am not planning to go to the dealer and let them to miss with the transmission unless the car stops completely because most of these service guys in Saudi dealer are not as qualified as the guys in the states.

1assman

:lemon:
My 2004 Yukon XL tranny just went out at 80K miles. Never pulled anything...always treated kindly...and boom...the tranny is gone. Really makes me sick. This was a great truck until yesterday. I thought about calling GMC but I know they won't help. Oh well, I am having a Jasper remanufacture installed and will drive till it drops...which may not be too long~!

ccarter30

I have a 2001 yukon denali and it runs great but when I drive the truck for awhile when I go and try to make a turn it jumps. One person told me it was the transfer case. is this true

yukon6

Our 2007 Yukon Denali XL had its first transmission failure at 1,850 miles. At 55MPH it came out of gear, would not re-engage until we turned the ignition off and on three times. Limped back to the dealer with only 4 operating gears. The dealer rebuilt it. At 2,430 miles, while in the Sierras outside Yosemite at 2500 feet, the transmission heated up to almost 200 degrees (outside temp only 78), and it came out of gear again. This time it would not shift out of first gear until we let it sit overnight. Drove it back to the dealer. Now they are talking about putting in a new transmission.

While at a meeting with some business friends, I found out another 2007 Yukon owner and a 2007 Suburban owner both had the same problem! The dealer was replacing the Chevy transmission at 15,000 miles after the transmission failed, would not come out of third, and heated up so bad the transmission was toasted. The other Yukon owner had a complete transmission failure while on vacation and the vehicle was not drivable. The dealer replaced the transmission. Coincidence or a fundamental design problem?

rsht

Its difficult to say these transmission problems are design related or not unless there is a significant amount of failure within a same model, year and type of transmission... In this case, it is my opinion, the quality of the parts used (GM's parts vendor) are in question as well as the transmission assembly quality. It would be interesting to learn if the two Yukons (possibly also the Chevy ??) mentioned in your post were assembled out of the same plant and each built date...

yukon6

Thanks for your response. I will check with dealer to see where my transmission came from. When the first transmission problem occurred I checked for TSB's (tech service bulletins) and postings on the net. I found a major gear assembly problem that was leading to catastrophic failures which supposedly was remedied by 2007. Another neighbor of mine had that problem with their Yukon.

yukon6

Our 2007 Yukon with the two serious transmission failures in the first 2400 miles was returned as "fixed" today. This time an internal solenoid was replaced. We shall see what happens next. How can you trust any vehicle that fails this much in such a short time? If you are considering a new Yukon DONT! Check out the transmission problems on the internet.

jerrybaho

I just had the same problem with my 2003 Yukon XL--only 84,000 miles. The dealer quoted over $2500 for a new factory transmission. Would you recommend Jasper remanufactured as a better quality option?

yukon6

Good luck on the transmission. i just had a third transmission issue at 2650miles. Jasper might be OK just make sure there is some type of warranty.

rsht

Sorry to hear about your transmission problems, isn't there some kind of lemon law that may be able to assist you by having the same problem within such a short window? By the way, do you have a 5.3L Engine 4-speed transmission or the 6.2L with 6-speed?

1assman

Yes I would recommend Jasper. Make sure you get the three year/30K warranty.

UPDATE:
GMC (customer service) paid me 60% of the $3000.00 tranny repair bill even with it being OUT of warranty. Gotta love those guys~!

adriennes

Hi - I have an 2004 Yukon that needs a new transmission - how did you get GMC to cover 60%???? thanks.

rosie08

Hi...I have a 2004 GMC Yukon with 50K miles that the transmission went. We didn't take it to the dealership we bought it from because we called and they said the warranty on the Yukon was 36K or three tears which ever came first. I called GMC after we took it to a local garage and they said they couldn't help us because it wasn't at a GMC garage. I believe it was just an excuse not to help!! How did you make out? Did you take yours to a GMC garage? I'm currently checking into the lemon law...Thanks!!

rosie08

Hi...I have a 2004 GMC Yukon with 50K miles that the transmission went. We didn't take it to the dealership we bought it from because we called and they said the warranty on the Yukon was 36K or three tears which ever came first. I called GMC after we took it to a local garage and they said they couldn't help us because it wasn't at a GMC dealership. I believe it was just an excuse not to help!! Can anyone help?? I just can't afford the repair bill on this transmission bill...Thanks...

02yukon

I've got a 2002 Yukon with just under 90,000 miles in showroom condition, drove like a charm until a few days ago. I was reversing out of a parking space and the car wouldn't budge, put it in park and got out to see if possibly something had gotten underneath the car...nothing. Got back in and tried again--this time after revving a bit it squealed as it jerked into reverse. I was hoping it was a fluke. Then today...I was driving the last 30 mins of a 3.5 hr trip when I heard a loud pop/breaking sound and then a whirring noise. I pulled off the road and walked 2 miles to a mechanic. He towed it in and without looking at it said there's a chance it could just be the transfer case, otherwise he was familiar with a specific part in the transmission that "tends to go early on Yukon transmissions". He was going to charge me $1,500 just to take it apart and look at it! Suffice it to say--I had it towed to my local mechanic in hopes that they give me a break or find a simpler solution (doubtful). The transmission alone can cost $2,000 rebuilt from what I've seen. I'll keep you posted when I find out what's wrong with the car tomorrow.

rosie08

My mechanic told me the same thing about a part failing early that their using in the transmission. You'd think with all the trouble with this part that their would be a recall on it! I ended up having my transmission rebuilt and my bill was $1280.00. I found a garage in Tyrone, Pa. that does it on the side is why it was so cheap. MY Yukon has never run so good. Good luck with yours!

PS: I prayed that mine was the transfer case too.....

yukon10

Same here, I have a 2003 Yukon with 47k miles. I first started experiencing transmission slippage about two weeks ago. According to the owners manual the transmission doesn’t require its first service till 50k miles. At 47k miles I figured it was just time for the transmission to be serviced. I took the truck to the dealer and paid $280 to have it serviced. A few days later I took the vehicle out for a drive around the city. It was a really hot day and while trying to go up a hill the transmission started to slip really bad. I barley made it back home and when I tried to park I wasn't getting reverse. The following day I took it back to dealer and I was told I needed a new transmission that will cost me $3K. I purchased this vehicle brand new in the dealer back in 2002 and paid $38K. I still owe $4k in payments plus $3K for repairs put the vehicle over what its worth. I called GMC customer care and they are currently working with the dealer to find a solution. I’ll keep you guys updated. What did I learn from this? Never buy an American car no matter if I’m getting 0% APR. Now I understand why that company is going under. My brother in law’s Nissan has 133k miles and its still going strong.

idtwalt

My transmission started slipping. I turned the engine off for a moment or two and I was able to drive a couple of miles before it started happening again. It was slipping to the point where it stopped completely and no matter which gear I was in it would move. ... but.... I turned of the engine ..waited a moment or two ...restarted and I could go a little ways again. Could this be some kind of sensor or an issue not inside the tranny? 200,000 miles... this has been an absolutely great truck but I don't know if I should go the dough to put a new transmission in it.
Any ideas out there? Anyone seen this before?
Thanks in advance, walt

mudbeast1

06 Yukon.. Worked fine until I had to go through some heavy mud. Reverses works, however forward gear position D and 3 not engaging. Trans gears 2 and 1 working fine.

Any ideas as to the problem?

rkg1

Our 2003 Yukon XL has 95,000 miles. Just started making random noises as if we were in a low gear. Sound comes and goes while driving. No other problems, just sounds as if we're in a low gear or "grinding" type noise. Sorry i'm not more specific.

Any advice before I bring it to the dealer? Any suggestions on what it could be? Not sure if this is a transmission problem.. It goes forward/ reverse no problems....

gdubb

Guess I have no real reason to complain. My 2000 Yukon XL has 210K miles and just yesterday started slipping. It will still shift, but I'm thinking the tranny will go fast now. What I need to know is "Should I rebuild what I have, purchase a rebuilt, or purchase a Jasper rebuilt?" The truck has also recently started burning a quart of oil between changes. Signs of engine troubles to come? The truck is in great shape otherwise. It's been a great vehicle for my family of 7. What are the thoughts about rebuilding the tranny when the engine will likely need servicing soon as well?

cpr21

I'm having the same problem with my 03 Yukon...how did you fix the problem?

clarmont

To anybody who has experience with GMC Yukons. I own a 1996 GMC Yukon 4dr 4wd and apparently it's extremely rare to come across a 96 in a pull and save/junkyard. The current transmission is out, to have a pro fix it is beyond my non-existent budget, to order a transmission and have a greasemonk put it in is still beyond it. I need to know if there is any other year that is compatible with my Yukon.

05yukon

Hi did you happen to find out what was wrong with your transmission?

05yukon

i have an 05 yukon 4x4 slt. i noticed a jerk a few times as it shifted into 3rd. a few lights later it felt like it would shift into 3rd but when you gave it gas it would not hold in 3rd. a few stop lights later my instrerment display said trans mission hot. when i got home i checked the fluid level and it was fine. but the fluid now does have a burnt smell. has anyoe had this happen to them, and how did you fix the problem?

05yukon

hey, I have a 05 yukon that is doing the same thing. did you find out what the problem was?

wheels16

When is gm going to get off there butts and get better eletronics in there suv,ford is kicking there [non-permissible content removed] all over with the new edge.

tsmc

I have a 2003 Yukon XL-w/ 90k miles (never a problem before now). Transmission began bucking and would not shift up past third gear on a recent trip from TX to GA. :sick: Stranded in MS, took car to GMC dealership only to hear that the transmission needed to be replaced. $3K!!! (but warrantied for 100k mi) Car has shifted into gears a little rough since new tranny. Now 5 weeks later, same problem as before (bucking and will not shift up past third gear). :mad: Taking car to dealership in GA this morning. Feeling taken advantage of by dealership service dept. Any advice welcomed.
Will post follow up on this issue... to be continued. :confuse:

marka09

I have a 2000 Chevy Tahoe with 74K miles and I just had to replace the transmission due to a catastrophic metal failure in the transmission. On the Tahoe forum several others a have had low mileage failures. My truck has only towed an open trailer with 20 bails of pinestraw and I have used 4WD a few times because of the little amount of snow we get here in GA. I wonder if something is being covered up and no recall is being issued.

jb416

just bought a 2003 yukon denali xl from a local dealer(dealer has no I in its name)
made it 150 miles trans pump broke
trans shop rebuilt (all new parts and torque converter) ?
made it 700 miles
both times was driving about 50-55 mph let off gas for a moment and tried to resume speed
no loud sounds or anywarning just no going
anyone have any ideas?

mgarcia4

i had the same issue wouldnt shift out of 3rd gear going from TX to MS what did you do to fix your problem

gmcustsvc

mgarcia4,
I apologize for your frustrations. Have you spoke with a dealer? If not, I would definitely recommend doing so. Please keep me updated on your situation. Have a great weekend!
Christina
GM Customer Service

kellerjoe

I also have a 2005 GMC Yukon XL 4X4, I currently have just over 60K miles! Very low miles, ALWAYS maintained.
Just started slipping while driving, finally went into a like neutral position in all gears, pulled over, put in park, killed engine, waited a couple of minutes, restarted and drove and shifted perfect, then started failing again within 5 minutes.
This is obviously a VERY common problem...I feel that GM should be held liable to some extent, otherwise the power of the internet will hurt our American made manufacturer.

gmcustsvc

kellerjoe,
I apologize for your frustrations. Have you spoke with a dealer or Customer Assistance? I look forward to your response. Have a great weekend!
Christina
GM Customer Service

tkrobinson

I have a 2003 Yukon Denali that I bought at the end of 2003 and the transmission went out before I put 300 miles on the vehicle. It would not pull in 3rd or drive. GMC did replace the transmission under warranty after having to push the issue up the chain of management within GM (GM wanted to let their mechanic tear the trans apart to see what went wrong). This new transmission has slipped most of the 150k miles that I have driven it. I started using Lucas in the transmission to help with the slipping back around 70k miles. Yesterday driving from MS to AL it started slipping again, stopped at gas station and check fluid level, a little low so I topped it off with some Dextron III (no Lucas). Back on the Interstate and not 5 miles later speed started dropping from 65 down to around 55 while rpms went to 4k. The car would pull in 1st and 2nd but not after shifting into 3rd (same thing it was doing when it was new). I had to rent a truck and car hauler to get the vehicle back to MS.

I think I'll just buy a Nissan......have a 93 Nissan 300ZX with 200k miles with absolutely no problems at all with it......ever!!!

05yukon

My 2005 Yukon that I bought new had about 100k on it when it would not shift into 3rd. (would just slip) Had it torn down and saw that the 3-4 clutches were destroyed. $2300.00 later and it is back on the road. Repair shop would not confirm nor deny that this is an issue with gm transmissions but does say it happens a lot.

put2slp

I have a 2001 denali xl. Does the transfer case have a filter in it?

mark278

my 03 yukon denali started shifting wrong and slipping at around 70000 miles i had filter and fluid changed and it didn't help so i would just let off gas for a sec and then it would go. around 150000 miles i decided to try lucus trans fix, i pumped 2 qt trans fluid out and replaced it with lucas and it really helped but didn't fix it. not long ago i got a new throttle body put on it when it had 270000 miles on it and from that day on it shifts like it did when it was new and has now for 10000 miles. I don't know how the throttle body could make a difference in how the transmission shifts but it does or did for mine anyway.

currera502

Hello there I have a Yukon XL with 129,000 miles with the 5.3 liter engine and I think the 4l60E transmission. Here s the problem When I put the car in drive or reverse the engine will kill, like it has a manual tranny. It will buck like you have let the clutch out to quick when driving a manual transmission. What I have to do to get it going is to put in drive and give it a lot of gas and put it in neutral and then give it more gas and then put it back in drive then it will go. But then it will not shift all all. The transmission does not slip at all. Did any one have this problem before and help would be appreciated. Thanks Mike.

bns66charger

This has been a bad month for my wife's Yukon XL! The transmission is starting to slip. It did this at about 30,000 miles and the dealer "fixed it". They rebuilt it but a recent check of service bulletins show that it should have been replaced. This check of service bulletins also show that there was one issued for the instrument cluster because they started to have problems between 70,000 and 80,000 miles. Our's has been having this problem for a while now and if we had been notified we could have gotten it repaired but we are now past the mileage. The local dealer is trying to be helpful but because everything is past the warranty there isn't much they can do. Do you have any suggestions or know of someone higher up that can help. I feel strongly that if the transmission had been replaced and if we would have been alerted to the instrument cluster problem we wouldn't be having these problems now. Ford has been diligent to keep us updated on our 2001 F-150 but GM has really dropped the ball on the Yukons.

gmcustsvc

bns66charger,

I apologize for the problems you are experiencing with your vehicle. Could you please email me your VIN and current mileage? I would like to look further into your situation.

You can get my email by clicking on gmcustsvc.

Thank you,
Caron, GM Customer Service

mrjohnb

Hello,
I am experianing the same issue as others. I have looked in the forum but have seen not posed awnsers. Please help.

Yesterday I was comming back from the lake pulling a small boat with the family. we stopped to drop one member off and when I went to turn agound it was like I was in neutral. I cycled thru the gears. and nothinging. I turned off the truck for 5 min came back to move it off the road and wallah it word again. I was 20 miles from home so I decied this was a one off.

I proceed home and right after I got off the freeway it started slipping again. and doing something else I have read in other forums. chuging batch and forth like when you put a manual into to low of a gear. all in all I had to turn off wait 5 min turn back on 3 times just to get home.

I never saw any trans too hot message in the message center and yes I was looking for that As I read the entire manual when I got the truck.

I bought this truck used. it had it's transmission replaced already at 68,000 miles. ( so I figured I was in the clear ) it now has 129,000 miles on it.

I have only put 500 miles on it pulling a small boat to the lake it is a 3 vehicle for family outings
GM customer service please contact me if you see this.
and or if someone has had this issue please do let me know what this fix was.

I cannot afford a new transmission let alone the $1200 tear down inspection fee. I am keeping my fingers crossed that this is a simple fix of GM might help out.

john

mrjohnb

ok me again.
I want to provide more info if someone is reading this. I was able to do a little troubleshooting the next day.

First I checked the transfluid cold and hot. cold it read like it was overfilled. I drove it around the block a few times. it drove just fine. all the gears shifted just fine. brought it back and checked it hot. it was a wee bit over full on the hole in the dip stick. so I set to drive it again to see if I could reproduce the issue.

well I got about 2 blocks and the issue stared happening again.
like it popped out of gear no, nothing in any gear. so i pulled over and did the usual turn off the key and start up and drove for about 30 seconds and it happened again. so I did the turn off. this time I started the car but did not drive off. I waited and about 30-45 seconds after ( did not have a watch to time) I heard a little clink , lite the sound of a solenoid disengauging something. I put in drive and nothing. I replaced the issue 3 times.

I turn on the car and I hear some soft of mechanical sound and then when I put in drive reverse or any gear manually nothing works.

I then turned off the ignition again turned on and stared off and drove just fine for about 30 seconds. so to me the transmission doesn't seem to be the culprit. possibly a PCM issue or maybe the tranny is hosed and this is a fail safe precaution.

if anyone could chime in I would greatly appreciated it.

john

05yukon

Well John, having gone thru this already... I can say it's not ur clutches. This may lay in the electrical parts, perhaps even the shift solenoids. Do you have an engine light on in the instrument cluster? Is the truck 4x4? U can talk directly to me at ssandell1@aol.com

casey_ailene

We bought ours used and now it has about 145,000 miles on it. Transfer case went, rebuilt transmission and now it wont shift past second gear. We are obviously missing something?!?! But can't seem to figure it out. It has all wheel drive, my huband says that makes a difference on what kind of help we get...Please if anyone has any insight, feel free to email me directly if need be... casey_ailene@yahoo.com