GMC TruckYukon XL2021Overview/gmc-truck/yukon-xl/2021/base/

2021 GMC Truck Yukon XL

Factory specifications, fluid capacities, torque values, EPA fuel economy and the federal safety record for the 2021 Yukon XL.

The 2021 GMC Yukon XL is a truck featuring a 7.0 qt engine oil capacity and 0W-20 viscosity requirements. This model year has seen 12 recalls and 201 total owner complaints, with the engine serving as the top complaint area. Within a broader model history spanning 2001 to 2026, the 2021 complaint volume sits between the 2007 peak of 776 and the 2025 low of 22.

Model year2026202220212019

Quick specs

Fluid capacities, tune-up values and fuel economy at a glance.

Engine oil capacity7.0 qtOEM · verified
Engine oil type0W-20OEM · verified
Lug nut torque140 ft-lbsOEM · verified

Fitment & sizes

Replacement part sizes and factory part numbers — battery, bulbs, filters and belts.

From the factory this vehicle uses a BCI Only use AGM VRLA Battery vented to the outside of the vehicle. 94R · 730 CCA battery, OE oil filter 12727115. Each part links to every other vehicle that shares it, so a part you already stock may fit more of your fleet than you'd expect.

Battery groupBCI Only use AGM VRLA Battery vented to the outside of the vehicle. 94R · 730 CCAOEM · verified
Tire size275/60R20 115SOEM · verified
Wheel / rim9 inOEM · verified

OE service part numbers OEM · verified

Engine oil filter12727115 alt 12731742
Engine air filter84121219 alt 84121217
Fuel filter13539108
Spark plug12622441
Battery88866099 alt 88864539
Front wiper blades84278338
Serpentine belt12658178 alt 12669858
Thermostat89018168 alt 12587397
Cabin air filter13508023

Service quick specs OEM factory data

Capacities, torques and tune-up values from the factory service manual.

This engine holds 7.0 qt of 0W-20 engine oil, Dot 4 brake fluid. Torque lug nuts to 140 ft-lbs. The firing order is 1-8-7-2-6-5-4-3.

Lubricants & capacities

Automatic Transmission FluidATF
Automatic Transmission Fluid Capacity8.1 qt
Brake FluidDot 4
Brake Fluid Capacity2.11 pt
Engine CoolantDEX-COOL
Engine Coolant Capacity15.70 qt
Engine CoolantDEX-COOL
Engine Coolant Capacity15.6 qt

Engine torques

Crankshaft Position (CKP) Sensor Bolt(s)6.25 ft-lbs
Camshaft Position (CMP) Sensor Bolt(s)6.25 ft-lbs
Crankshaft Position (CKP) Sensor Bolt(s)18.0 ft-lbs
Camshaft Position (CMP) Sensor Bolt(s)18.0 ft-lbs
Crankshaft Pulley and/or Damper Bolts43.0 ft-lbs
Engine Coolant Temperature (ECT) Sensor Bolt(s)6.6 ft-lbs
Engine Coolant Temperature (ECT) Sensor Bolt(s)15.0 ft-lbs
Oxygen (O2S) Sensor Bolt(s)31.0 ft-lbs

Chassis torques

Lug Nuts140 ft-lbs
Transfer Case Fill Plug15.0 ft-lbs
Transfer Case Drain Plug15.0 ft-lbs

Ignition

Cylinder Firing Order1-5-3-6-2-4
Cylinder Firing Order1-8-7-2-6-5-4-3
Spark Plug ManufacturerAC Delco
Spark Plug Gap.037-.043 in
Spark Plug Torque15 ft-lbs

Battery & A/C

RefrigerantR1234yf
Refrigerant Capacity2.0 lbs
Oil GroupPAG
Oil Capacity6.59 oz
RefrigerantR1234yf
Refrigerant Capacity2.0 lbs
Oil GroupPAG
Oil Capacity6.59 oz

Service checks

Key ON Engine OFF (KOEO)46.0-88.0

Brakes

Brake Caliper Bolt to Carrier TorqueFront: NS, Rear: 30.0 ft-lbs
ABS Sensor Torque6.7
Minimum Pad Thickness0.078 in
Vented Rotor Minimum Thickness for ReplacementFront: J55: 1.181", J61: 1.102"; Rear: .709"
Vented Rotor Minimum Thickness after RefinishFront: J55: 1.201", J61: 1.122"; Rear: .728"
Variation from Parallelism Thickness Variation.001"
Maximum Rotor Runout.002"

Multi-step torque procedures OEM · verified

Camshaft Sprocket and/or Gear Bolt(s) — tightening sequence 1 stages
118.0 ft. lbs., Step 2: 50°18 ft. lbs
Connecting Rod (Large End) Bearings — tightening sequence 1 stages
118.0 ft. lbs., Step 2: 110°18 ft. lbs
Connecting Rod (Large End) Bearings — tightening sequence 1 stages
115.0 ft. lbs., Step 2: 85°15 ft. lbs
Crankshaft Pulley and/or Damper Bolts — tightening sequence 1 stages
1Take old crankshaft balancer bolt and tighten to 240.0 ft. lbs., Step 2: Remove the old crankshaft balancer bolt and throw away., Step 3: Recess the nose of the crankshaft into the balancer bore: 0.94-0.176", Step 4: Use new crankshaft bolt: 110.0 ft. lbs., Step 5: Loosen 360°, Step 6: 59.0 ft. lbs. Step 7: Bolt with rotating washer: 200° or Bolt that has a flanged head: 125°240 ft. lbs
Cylinder Head — tightening sequence 1 stages
130.0 ft. lbs., Step 2: Bolts 13, 14, 5, 6, 4, 3, 11, 12: Loosen completely., Step 3: Bolts 13, 14, 5, 6, 4, 3, 11, 12: 30.0 ft. lbs., Step 4: Bolts 9, 10, 1, 2, 7, 8: Loosen completely., Step 5: Bolts 9, 10, 1, 2, 7, 8: 30.0 ft. lbs., Step 6: 59.030 ft. lbs
Flex or Driveplate Bolts — tightening sequence 1 stages
126.0 ft. lbs., Step 2: 70°26 ft. lbs
Flex or Driveplate Bolts — tightening sequence 1 stages
111.0 ft. lbs., Step 2: 22.0 ft. lbs., Step 3: 45°11 ft. lbs

Factory maintenance schedule OEM · verified

Normal service, condensed from the factory interval matrix.

Under the factory schedule, replace the spark plugs every 97,500 mi; coolant at 150,000 mi. The big-interval services (at 150,000 mi for coolant, and the transmission fluid) are the ones owners most often skip — on a lower-mileage example, assume the original fluids are still in it and check them first.

Every 7,500 miAccelerator Pedal (inspect) · Body Latches, Locks & Hinges (lubricate) · Brake Shift Interlock Solenoid (inspect) · Brake System (inspect) · CV Joint Boot (inspect) · Engine Air Filter Element (inspect)
Every 15,000 miWindshield Wiper Blade (replace)
Every 22,500 miCabin Air Filter (replace)
Every 30,000 miFuel Filter (replace)
Every 45,000 miEngine Air Filter Element (replace) · Fuel Evaporative Emission Control System (inspect)
Every 75,000 miHood Hinge (inspect)
Every 97,500 miSpark Plug Wires (inspect) · Spark Plugs (replace) · Transfer Case Assembly (drain & refill)
At 150,000 miAccessory Drive Belt (inspect) · Engine Coolant System (drain, flush & refill) · Timing Belt (replace)

Reliability & federal safety record

Owner-reported issues, recalls, investigations and service bulletins on record with NHTSA — an unfiltered look at what owners actually experience.

Owner complaints about the 2021 GMC Truck Yukon XL dominate in one area — the engine, 75 of 201 reports (37%), well ahead of the next concern. None of this vehicle's 12 recall campaigns target the engine, so those reports read as owner-reported wear-and-tear rather than an acknowledged defect. 2 of the reports describe a crash and 1 a fire — a small share of the total, but worth weighing against the engine pattern above. These are tallies of what owners actually reported to the federal government, not an editorial score — and higher-selling models naturally rack up more reports.

12
Open recalls
NHTSA campaigns
1225
Service bulletins
Manufacturer communications
4
ODI investigations
Office of Defects Investigation
201
Owner complaints
2 involved a crash · 1 a fire
NHTSA crash-test rating federal NCAP · out of 5 stars
Overall★★★★
Frontal★★★★
Side★★★★★
Rollover★★★★★
Owner complaints by model year NHTSA · this generation & adjacent

Owner complaints filed with NHTSA, by component

All 201 complaints on record, top 8 components.

Engine75
Engine & Engine Cooling17
Power Train,Engine17
Power Train12
Fuel/Propulsion System9
Engine,Fuel/Propulsion System6
Forward Collision Avoidance5
Unknown Or Other3

Source: NHTSA Office of Defects Investigation complaint database.

Recalls NHTSA · verified

Showing 2 of 12 campaigns on record for this vehicle.

21V455000Steering:Steering Control ModuleReported 17/06/2021

General Motors, LLC (GM) is recalling certain 2021 Cadillac Escalade, Escalade ESV, Chevrolet Suburban, Chevrolet Tahoe, GMC Yukon, and Yukon XL vehicles. A software issue may cause a loss of power steering assist at… Remedy: The power steering module software will be updated by a dealer, or through an over-the-air (OTA) update, free of charge. Owner notification letters were mailed July 13, 2021…

22V036000Power Train:Driveline:DriveshaftReported 27/01/2022

General Motors, LLC (GM) is recalling certain 2021 GMC Yukon, Yukon XL, Cadillac Escalade, Escalade ESV, Chevrolet Suburban, and Chevrolet Tahoe vehicles. The rear wheel driveshaft assemblies may have internal… Remedy: Dealers will replace the left and/or right rear driveshaft assemblies, free of charge. Owner notification letters were mailed on March 14, 2022. Owners may contact Chevrolet…

Technical service bulletins NHTSA · verified

Showing 5 of 1225 bulletins on record with NHTSA.

BulletinDateComponentSummary
PIT5966F2026-06-23Unknown Or OtherThis Preliminary information communicates an issue with an OTA pending message still…
PIT65222026-06-10Unknown Or OtherThis PI advises dealers that if the K160 Brake System Control Module sets DTC P0606 along…
PIT6132E2026-06-09Unknown Or OtherThis Preliminary information communicates an issues with the HVAC making a hum buzz noise…
PIT6477C2026-06-05Unknown Or OtherThis preliminary PI was created to advise techniians in the field that they will not be…
PIT5509M2026-05-14Unknown Or OtherThis PI provides diagnostic tips for diagnosing electric trailer brakes issues.

Common OBD-II trouble codes

The most common OBD-II codes for this vehicle's emissions system. These are standardized SAE J2012 definitions, not vehicle-specific fault reports.

P0420
Catalyst system efficiency below threshold — Bank 1
P0300
Random / multiple cylinder misfire detected
P0171
System too lean — Bank 1
P0455
Evaporative emission system leak detected — large leak
P0128
Coolant thermostat below regulating temperature
P0442
Evaporative emission system leak detected — small leak

VIN tools

Decode factory build data for a specific vehicle by VIN.

VIN
Decode a VIN to confirm the transmission and build data for a specific Yukon XL. OEM
Build data
Plant, GVWR class, engine and body data for any 17-character VIN.
Recalls
Check open recall campaigns against a specific vehicle by VIN.

Vehicles with shared specs

Find every vehicle that shares this one's battery, bulbs, oil capacity, platform or parts.

Reference guides

Cross-vehicle references for the kinds of data on this page.

Frequently asked

How much oil does the 2021 Yukon XL take?

7.0 qt of 0W-20, per the factory manual.

Does the 2021 Yukon XL have open recalls?

NHTSA lists 12 recall campaign(s) for this model year. Check your specific vehicle by VIN.