'02 GMC Yukon XL Denali problems

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Miescha

Miescha

Joined
Jan 12, 2006
Threads
124
Messages
1,109
Location
St. Louis, MO
I was just commenting to a friend that when I bought the my Yukon XL back in '02 I was expecting problems, but after 5 years I've had none.

Sure, the fit and finish and overall quality of materials is not as high as BMW or even Toyota (IMHO), but the price was right and it fit the bill for my large family of 6 and our cargo needs. In fact, the only non-maintenance repair in 5 years was two battery replacements (both under warranty during the first year of ownership). I ultimately went with an Optima at my own expense when the third battery died b/c I didn't want the hassle.

All that aside, I must have jinxed myself by talking about the lack of problems. Sunday afternoon I loaded up the family and headed for dinner about a mile from the house (should have walked I guess). 20 feet out of the driveway and I hear an awful metal grinding/clanking noise from under the car. I turn off the radio and a/c and drop the window. Noise is gone (only lasted about 3 seconds). I drove around the neighborhood a few times and nothing. I looked under the truck and nothing. I figured a branch or something must have been hung up and maybe hitting the fan, so I head to dinner and forget it.

An hour or so later, we leave for home and immediately after backing out of the space, the metal clang/grinding returns on acceleration and this time, I can feel it in the floor board! I again check under the truck but nothing. I drive the ~1 mile home and the noise/feeling continues the whole way (20-30 mph max). At home, no noise when sitting idling in the drive.

I take it to the dealer Monday morning (all service done there since new) since it was due for oil change anyway (they use Mobile 1 5w-30). I explain the problem noise and vibration and they say they will call.

The service guys are great. They call around 3pm and say they cannot find anything in the area of the front differential or axle where I thought the noise originated, but they found a problem with the front driveshaft that is causing a clunk in the steering. They promise to keep working on it and keep me posted.

This morning, dealer calls around 10 am and says they located the problem. The front differential bearings are shot and the front drive shaft is also 'shot'. I didn't know there were bearings in the differential and I don't bother asking what "shot" means for either the diff or front drive shaft - b/c they say the extended warranty will cover everything including my rental car, and my Yukon should be back to me tomorrow.

Obviously, I'm really pleased with the dealer and their service. But I'm certainly left wondering how my '96 cruiser is doing great at 11 years old and 100k miles without ever having a front axle service (its on the way!) while the 5 y/o GMC has a blown diff after just 52k miles and nothing but pampering by the dealer).

I'm not really complaining b/c I'm not out-of-pocket on the thing and it has served my purposes just fine by hauling around the family and our junk for every long road trip in the past 5 years. It sits in the garage most days or does grocery duty when the young kids are along for the ride.

Toyota makes one heck of a vehicle.
 
That explains it for the diff.

The Yukon & Yukon XL (and Tahoe & Suburban) are all part-time 4 wheel. The Denali version is a full time 4 wheel system (not sure where else GM uses this system). I actually voted for the Excursion, but the wife felt the Denali would be easy for her to drive. I end up doing most of the driving on long trips, but oh well.

The service guys called again late today and said the drive shaft problem may have actually caused the diff problem. I don't know the inter-relation of these on the Denali, so I can't really say. I did remind them that I noted a 'bump' in the steering when making full turns in the past (service log shows I noted it 8 times in the past 5 years - starting with the first service :-) and was always told it was nothing.

Regardless, the extended warranty from CNA is covering everything and I will probably replace the vehicle around this time next year when the 72 month/100k mile warranty expires.
 
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The clunk in your steering shaft is likely this: TSB #00-02-35-003M. This is the latest and greatest up date of the GM steering clunk bulletin. Originally they had us replace the steering shafts, then they had us remove them and shove a lube kit in them, then they had us remove them and "excercise them" which meant to collapse and expand it quite a few times and reinstall them. Now they have a redesigned shaft which means full replacement again.

As for the front differential I have only seen one bad shaft on those trucks and it had mega miles on it. That doesn't mean yours wasn't bad though. We have rebuilt several (six in the last year) front differentials on these trucks. We note poor set up tolerances some times, axle seals that have leaked and therefore left low fluid. Results of low fluid are obvious.

More often that those causes are a T-case issue. Improper fluid or fluid level will cause failure in that transfer case very early in life.

I hope it works out for you. If you have more questions about the front end feel free to ask. I have never seen this happen twice to the same unit nor is it something for "ALL DENALI" people to worry about.

BTW, not ALL Denali's are awd, there are 2wd. This set up with the same T-case and front diff is used in several of GM's SUV's not just the Denali. Therefore this problem extends to Escalade, Suburban, Tahoe, etc.

Yes Toyota's rock and yes an Excursion would have been better (I'm biased though) but your Denali is still a very good vehicle. You were smart to buy an aftermarket service contract. My parents have an 03 GMC Yukon Denali XL with around 40xxx on it and it has been trouble free and comfortable for them.
 
A friend with a previous generation Escalade needed a new front diff at about 65K miles also.

GM quality at work. That 5.3/6.0 motor however is a work of art. It is just the rest of the truck is a POS.
 
Update

Hank: Are you a GM tech? Either way, you sound very knowledgeable and I appreciate the info. I got the truck back yesterday (Friday) and figured I'd post the update.

First, either the service manager mis-spoke on the initial diagnosis over the phone, or I misunderstood (most likely the later:o). Regardless, the final paperwork says the noise was the front diff and states "removed and disassembled front diff - found side and pinion bearings scored - replaced front diff side bearings and pinion bearing and seals" follwed by a long list of parts (seals, rings, bearings, spacers, lock diff, sealant, adhesive, gear lube . . . ) and 5 hours labor.

Second, the steering clunk is addressed and verified by road test with a conclusion of "found intermediate steering shaft noisy with excessive clearance - replaced intermediate steering shaft" with 1/2 hour labor and only the shaft listed for parts.

Total cost of the above, $1,112.41 plus 4 days rental car, BUT all was covered by CNA extended warranty with no deductible so total cost TO ME was a big ZERO. Other than minor inconvenience, pretty good outcome.

However, there is still issue number 3. As I was leaving with the truck on Thursday afternoon, a new but very similiar noise (still very loud) showed up on the way out of the parking lot. I turned around and on the drive back to the service dept it happened again. Really loud sound of something plastic being stuck into the blades of a plastic fan (my best description). I left the truck and got back in the rental car. In the end, it seems coincidence struck and the A/C compressor gave out while the truck was there (no previous noice or problems with A/C over the very hot summer with many long trips). I guess better to happen at the dealer than on a long, hot trip somewhere!

Official description was "A/C compressor is coming apart on inside - replaced A/C compressor & orifice and recharged A/C system." Total cost with labor and parts was $792.63 - again, covered by CNA extended warranty, including one extra day for rental car, so no cost to me.

I drove home in the 90 degree heat yesterday with nice cold (super cold in fact) A/C and that continued yesterday evening when out with the family. HOWEVER, on a few short trips this morning, I found there is no A/C - it just blows ambient temp air (and gets warmer the longer I drive as the engine temp starts to affect the ambient air). I double checked that the A/C was on, and switched back and forth a few times between fresh air and recirculating the cabin air. No luck.

Oh well, probably just a leak in the system somewhere or bad seal and I lost the charge overnight. I'll return Monday and see if I can get it resolved.

I'm still pretty darn happy. No troubles for 5+ years and when I did have issues (albeit seemingly early given the low miles) it was all covered by extended warranty so the only cost to me is the inconvenience which is still minor even with three trips. Not to mention that the vehicle has done what it was purchased to do: haul around the large family of 6 and all our gear in relative comfort, with plenty of power, including towing the FJ80 on its 20' trailer.

Thanks all for the input.
 
This is just the beginning.....

Seriously, if the AC never works now, you probably lost the charge, but if it is intermittent, it will be a couple more days....
 
Front diffs are common on the Denali line to take a s*** at 30k+ miles, If people refuse to do a 30k service I force them to do a front diff service as they eat fluid like crazy. 5 out of 10 front diffs are wiped out. Pull the plug and it is full of metal and the lube is silver in color. After that most will cough up the cash for the service if they are going to keep the truck. If nothing else go to Jiffy lude and get all your gear boxes done.

The I-shaft is common and no relation to the front diff, $179 fix if out of warranty and we do them every other day.

On your next oil change or close to warrantyend have the shop forman or heavy line tech inspect your lower intake manifold as they area weak link. Or just watch your coolant bottle for any slight loss of coolant. Any amount of loss and the warranty will cover it.

Also other weak links are oil cooler lines, rear output shaft seal and e-brake shoes. If your car moves when taken out of park with the ebrake on it's goinf to get expensive for rear rotors. They will not remove rotor on basic inspection to check e-brakes.

Cheers.
 
Thanks for the info guys. I really do like the vehicle - at least for its intended people/cargo hauler purpose.

I've only kept it this long b/c we still have youn-ish kids (twins are 3 and a 7 y/o) so the thing is constantly a mess in terms of crumbs and dirt. Nothing the weekly cleaning can't fix, but I see no reason to buy a new one and have it a mess all over again. I'm thinking by this time next year when the extended warranty expires, the twins will be a bit easier to control in terms of food/drink in the car. At that time, I'll spring for a new Denali XL or maybe even the Escalade (I really like HID lights and a few other Escalade-only options).

KliersLC: As for the current vehicle, I'm pretty sure the A/C is gone and not just intermittent. It worked fine on the way home Friday around 3pm including a few stops for quick errands. I left it running while we loaded up the kids around 5pm and headed for a school event. We drove home around 8pm and still had enough cool a/c that I didn't notice.

Saturday morning at 8:30 a.m. it was nothing but warm air. That has continued all weekend, but I've avoided driving it b/c it has been in the 90's here.

AAtlas1x: I'll keep an eye on the things you mentioned. I know the dealer did the diff fluids - I couldn't say when without looking at the file. They have done all the service per the factory specs and I don't question anything - if they say it is per the FSM or otherwise needed, I just tell them to do it. Still, sh*t happens. I'll keep an eye on everything as the last year of warranty comes to an end. As long as it doesn't leave the family stranded somewhere, its not that big of a deal.

Thanks again!
 
Just a final (I hope) update: Arrived at 9:00 a.m. this morning. Service advisor was really embarrased and had a tech take the car while I was standing there and get to work on it. I read a copy of Peterson's 4x4 mag (with Christo's solid front axle 100 series) until they were finished at 11:00 a.m. Longer than I had hoped, but they said they wanted to be certain. They didn't do a ticket this time, but mentioned something about a 'fill valve' being bad. Ice cold on the way home - hope it stays that way :)
 
sell it. get a 100.

I have 6 of these trucks at work. They are very very expensive and everything breaks. There is no such thing as pampering them.

I have replaced 4 plus trans, an engine etc. The guy above who thinks the 6.0 is a work art is blind and dumb(sorry) but search on the internet "piston slappers" . The 6.0 is a fawking crap engine. We replaced one with 30k miles on it. Had to fight for warrantee.

Good thing you have the extended. Average we always have one Suburban in the garage at any given time. If you have to trust your life to a vehicle don't make it a GM.

That said I like 99 and older Tahoe's
 
One more update (for now).

Monday morning this week, I walked out to leave an noticed a largish amount of fluid sitting in my otherwise very clean driveway. It was right where the Denali is normally parked (and was until just a few minutes prior). I waited for the Denali's return and slid under to take a look. I forgot about all the skid plates (I still don't know why it had that package when I bought it) so I couldn't see much, but it was clear that there was a LOT of fluid leaking. Ultimately, it looked like the DS seal on the front diff.

I drove it up to my dealer (no appointment, but I brought along 2 dozen donuts and a happy attitude) and got a loaner (free under the extended warranty). They called later in the day and confirmed that the front DS seal was leaking. They also confirmed my guess that it was more than 1/2 quart low - which seems a lot to me given that the normal volume is probably around 2 quarts.

The ticket was about $200 ($173 labor and the rest parts) and another $50 for the Nissan Pathfinder loaner. In the end, warranty picked up everything (Enterprise dropped the loaner cost to meet the $30 max coverage as I only had it about 6 hours).

I hope this isn't the start of a long series of problems. I guess the warranty is good through July of 2008, so it will only be the hassle and not a cost issue. Still, I don't want to be stranded on the side of the road with the family either.

BrownBear: I only wish the 100 would do what I need - haul 6 people in relative comfort while holding all their 'necessary' gear in the back (inside) and a bunch more 'unnecessary' gear on the roof in a carrier, plus occassionally towing my 80 on a tandem trailer behind it.

I still think I should have bought the diesel Excursion, but that ship sailed a long time ago. Maybe the long Escalade is the way to go come next year . . .
 
The new sequoia should do what you are asking. Even the 01-07 could do that very well, just a little slower towing the 80.....
 
I must be mis-remembering the Sequoia. I know it has the third row so the seating is there, but the access was a lot more difficult without center captains chairs (we have two 5-point child seats strapped in the second row captains chairs, so we need the middle aisle access to the third row).

Also, I specifically recall rear cargo room behind the third row was/is marginal. IIRC, the cargo space behind the second row with the third row removed was about the same as the Denali with the third row in place. I really need the extra space behind the third row.

I can deal with the towing issue, as I don't do it often. But unless the new Sequoia is much longer with more room in the post-third-row cargo area, it just can't compare with the long GM products (Suburban, Yukon XL, or Escalade EXV?).

Other suggestions?

I hear Ford will be (is) offering a longer version of the Expedition (maybe as a replacement for the now-dead Excursion).
 
fsusteve said:
I would look again at the Sequioa or a 100, deal with the cargo area for the reliability.
Click to expand...

While I don't disagree, I have to say I've had zero problems with the Yukon XL Denali until recently. So I'm still tempted to just buy another one (or the Caddy Escalade version). They have good power, tons of cargo room, plenty of people room, and decent features. The fit and finish are lacking, but I don't drive the thing on a daily basis as it is a kid-hauler.

I'd much rather be driving a Sequoia or 100/200 series on the few family trips where I do drive, and I'd much rather have another Toyota in the driveway. However, they are both greatly lacking in the people:cargo area.

And the Yukon XL is definately better than any of the mini-van options (which all have terrific features BTW, I just hate the styling).
 
I looked at the extended expedition, and they are nice, but not much (if any) bigger than a sequoia. The third row in the sequoia is adjustable too, so you can tailor it for comfort or cargo room. You can fold down one side and strap the car seats in the center position and the other side...
 
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