Owner complaints, recalls, fuel economy and safety ratings from public NHTSA and EPA data, updated Oct 17, 2026.
Fuel economy
16–18 mpgcombined; city 14–15, highway 20–23; every version of this model year
Five years of fuel
$18,050–$25,150U.S. average; Ohio $16,120–$23,700 at local prices; every version of this model year; fuel only, not other costs of owning it; 15,000 miles a year, at EIA fuel prices for the week of Oct 12, 2026
NHTSA's VIN data lists these trims for the 2020 Yukon. A trim's engine and numbers are shown as its own only where EPA names versions after the trim and no other version could be it; "seen with" means a source shows that engine on the trim, not that it was the only one. Recalls and complaints cover the whole model year: whether a recall applies to a car depends on its VIN, on NHTSA's recall lookup.
Owners have filed 83 complaints with NHTSA about the 2020 Yukon. These are unverified owner reports, counted by the part of the car they name; one complaint can name several parts. Counts aren't adjusted for how many were sold, so they don't show how reliable a car is.
Complaints by part of the car
Part
Complaints
Crashes
Fires
Injuries
Engine
36
1
1
0
Power train
27
0
0
0
Service brakes
6
0
1
0
Unknown or other
6
0
0
0
Electrical system
4
0
0
0
Engine and engine cooling
4
0
0
0
Fuel/propulsion system
4
0
0
0
Steering
3
0
1
0
Exterior lighting
2
0
0
0
Traction control system
2
1
0
1
Air bags
1
1
0
1
Back over prevention
1
0
0
0
8 more parts
Electronic stability control (ESC)
1
0
0
0
Forward collision avoidance
1
0
0
0
Fuel system, gasoline
1
0
0
0
Seat belts
1
0
0
0
Structure
1
0
0
0
Suspension
1
0
0
0
Tires
1
0
0
0
Wheels
1
0
0
0
Complaints by model year
Newer years have had less time to collect complaints, and counts aren't adjusted for sales, so a shorter bar doesn't mean a more reliable year.
NHTSA lists 4 recall campaigns for the 2020 Yukon over its history. Campaigns are matched by model and year, so each one may apply to a given car, and its repair may already be done: check a VIN on NHTSA's recall lookup for the open recalls on that exact car.
General Motors, LLC (GM) is recalling certain 2026 Cadillac Escalade and Escalade ESV, Chevrolet Silverado 1500, Suburban, and Tahoe, and GMC Sierra 1500, Yukon, and Yukon XL vehicles with four-wheel (4WD) or all-wheel drive (AWD), and certain 2015-2020 Suburban, Escalade, Escalade ESV, Yukon, Yukon XL, and Tahoe vehicles. A component missing from the drivetrain transfer case may cause the front and/or rear wheels to lock up without warning to the driver.
Risk: Front or rear wheel lockup increases the risk of a crash.
Remedy: Owners are advised not to drive their vehicle until the remedy is completed. Dealers will inspect and, if necessary, replace the transfer case assembly, free of charge. Owner notification letters were mailed May 18, 2026. Owners may contact GMC customer service at 1-800-462-8782, Chevrolet customer service at 1-800-222-1020 or Cadillac customer service at 1-800-333-4223. GM's number for this recall is N262557620. Vehicle Identification Numbers (VINs) involved in this recall became searchable on NHTSA.gov on May 7, 2026.
General Motors LLC (GM) is recalling certain 2020 Buick Enclave, Cadillac XT4, XT5, Escalade, Escalade ESV, Chevrolet Suburban, Tahoe, Traverse, GMC Yukon, Yukon XL, 2018-2021 Chevrolet Express, GMC Savana, 2019-2020 Chevrolet Blazer, Silverado 1500, GMC Acadia, Sierra 1500, and certain Continental tires sold to the aftermarket for various model year 2018-2021 vehicles. The affected tires were cured for too long during production.
Risk: Over cured tires may develop a break in the sidewall resulting in sudden air loss or a belt edge separation which could lead to a tread/belt loss. Either condition can cause a loss of vehicle control, increasing the risk of a crash.
Remedy: GM will notify owners, and dealers will inspect the tires, replacing them as necessary, free of charge. The recall began March 22, 2021. Owners may contact GMC customer service at 1-888-988-7267, Buick customer service at 1-866-608-8080, Chevrolet customer service at 1-800-222-1020 or Cadillac customer service at 1-800-458-8006. GM's number for this recall is N212329050.
General Motors LLC (GM) is recalling certain 2020 Cadillac Escalade, Escalade ESV, Chevrolet Camaro, Silverado 1500, Suburban, Tahoe, GMC Sierra 1500, Yukon, and Yukon XL vehicles. The fuel pump may be missing a pressure regulator, allowing for over-pressurization of the fuel system.
Risk: Over-pressurization can crack the fuel pump and cause leaks, increasing the risk of a fire in the presence of an ignition source.
Remedy: GM will notify owners, and dealers will replace the fuel pump, free of charge. The recall began December 18, 2019. Owners may contact Cadillac customer service at 1-800-333-4223, Chevrolet customer service at 1-800-222-1020, or GMC customer service at 1-888-988-7267. GM's number for this recall is N192283991.
General Motors LLC (GM) is recalling certain 2015-2020 Chevrolet Suburban, Tahoe, and GMC Yukon, and 2014-2018 Chevrolet Silverado 1500 and GMC Sierra 1500 vehicles equipped with a 5.3-liter engine, a 3.08-ratio rear axle and four-wheel drive. If a wheel-speed sensor fails, while the vehicle is traveling between 41 and 60 mph in four-wheel or automatic mode, the Electronic-Brake Control Module (EBCM) software may activate the driveline-protection system.
Risk: Unintended activation of the driveline-protection system will cause unintended braking on the wheel on the opposite side of the failed sensor, causing the vehicle to pull to one side unexpectedly, increasing the risk of a crash.
Remedy: GM will notify owners, and dealers will reprogram the EBCM, free of charge. The recall began December 11, 2019. Owners may contact Chevrolet customer service at 1-800-630-2438 or GMC customer service at 1-800-462-8782. GM's number for this recall is N192261050.
Carmakers sent NHTSA 851 service bulletins and notices that cover the 2020 Yukon, the latest on Sep 26, 2026. They tell dealers how to fix known issues.
The parts they mention most: equipment (234), electrical system (175), engine and engine cooling (139), power train (120), unknown or other (104).
NHTSA hasn't opened a defect investigation that covers this model year.
Maintenance
Oil
The owner's manual gives the oil and how often to change it. We show oil facts only once we've checked them against the manual, and we haven't yet for the 2020 Yukon.
These are searches on those sites; we don't copy or check their listings. Your ZIP is used for these links and never kept.
Specs
EPA class: standard sport utility vehicle. EPA greenhouse gas score: 2–3 out of 10. Each version EPA tested:
Swipe the table sideways for more columns.
Version
Engine
Transmission
Fuel
City / hwy / comb
Yukon C1500 Rear-Wheel Drive
5.3 L, 8 cyl
Automatic 6-spd
Regular Gasoline or E85
15 / 22 / 18
Yukon C1500 Rear-Wheel Drive
5.3 L, 8 cyl
Automatic 6-spd
Regular Gasoline
15 / 22 / 18
Yukon C1500 Rear-Wheel Drive
6.2 L, 8 cyl
Automatic 10-spd
Premium Gasoline
14 / 23 / 17
Yukon C1500 XL Rear-Wheel Drive
5.3 L, 8 cyl
Automatic 6-spd
Regular Gasoline or E85
15 / 22 / 18
Yukon C1500 XL Rear-Wheel Drive
5.3 L, 8 cyl
Automatic 6-spd
Regular Gasoline
15 / 22 / 18
Yukon C1500 XL Rear-Wheel Drive
6.2 L, 8 cyl
Automatic 10-spd
Premium Gasoline
14 / 23 / 17
Yukon K1500 4-Wheel Drive
5.3 L, 8 cyl
Automatic 6-spd
Regular Gasoline or E85
15 / 21 / 17
Yukon K1500 4-Wheel Drive
6.2 L, 8 cyl
Automatic 10-spd
Premium Gasoline
14 / 22 / 17
Yukon K1500 4-Wheel Drive
5.3 L, 8 cyl
Automatic 6-spd
Regular Gasoline
15 / 21 / 17
Yukon K1500 XL 4-Wheel Drive
5.3 L, 8 cyl
Automatic 6-spd
Regular Gasoline or E85
14 / 21 / 16
Yukon K1500 XL 4-Wheel Drive
6.2 L, 8 cyl
Automatic 10-spd
Premium Gasoline
14 / 20 / 16
Yukon K1500 XL 4-Wheel Drive
5.3 L, 8 cyl
Automatic 6-spd
Regular Gasoline
14 / 21 / 16
Sources and dates
U.S. EPA fuel economy data, file of Sep 29, 2026
NHTSA owner complaints, file of Oct 17, 2026
NHTSA recalls, file of Oct 17, 2026
NHTSA manufacturer communications, file of Oct 17, 2026
NHTSA defect investigations, file of Oct 17, 2026
NHTSA 5-Star Safety Ratings, file of Aug 7, 2026
U.S. Energy Information Administration, file of Oct 12, 2026
Fuel cost: EPA mpg with fuel prices for the week of Oct 12, 2026 and electricity prices for Jul 2026. Source: U.S. Energy Information Administration (Oct 2026). Complaints are unverified reports owners filed with NHTSA. About the data