2021 Denali with major issues

[LemonDenali21]

Just in case anyone is on the line about whether to buy - I would wait if I could do it over again.

Ordered a 2021 GMC Yukon Denali. Traded my 2016 Yukon Denali and put $5K down and a friend gave me an employee discount code to save over $4.5K off sticker. Drove 2021 Denali off lot with only 2 miles on it. Drove it home to discover rear headrest would not stay upright. Drove back to dealer the following day, they looked at it and scheduled appointment 2 days later. Drove it the next day and "Service Driver Assist System" warning came on. Dropped it at dealer the next morning with 62 miles on it and they kept it for 8 days to replace the headrest and replace driver assist front radar module. Picked up from dealer on afternoon of 8th day and it had 124 miles on it due to the "testing" they did. Stopped at a store on the way home and noticed the park assist lights came and beeping on when there was nothing around me while parking. Later that night, drove to empty parking lot and recorded the vehicle malfunctioning over and over with park assist lights/alarms while nothing around the vehicle and screen blinking/glitching. I will post a video if I can.

Took it back to the dealer today and I can only imagine how long they will have it this time. At this point I'd just rather it be more than 30 days so I can file a lemon claim.

 

[Craigy]

That is rough.

If it goes in much more, definitely check the specifics of your state's lemon laws.

 

[91RS]

I hate that you're having problems but you really have to expect it and deal with it to have the first year model of something. Common advice is always to never buy the first year model for this very reason.

 

[Stbentoak]

They will fix it.. it may be frustrating, but hang in there. I think I'm going to wait till spring, as many early production issues will flush out by then. Happens on all new models.
I had 3 recalls on my 1st model year JEEP, but after that I'm at 93K and mostly no problems at all. How good you dealer is will tell the tale....

 

[PG01]

They will fix it.. it may be frustrating, but hang in there. I think I'm going to wait till spring, as many early production issues will flush out by then. Happens on all new models.
I had 3 recalls on my 1st model year JEEP, but after that I'm at 93K and mostly no problems at all. How good you dealer is will tell the tale....

Takes GM 2-3 model years to work out their shit..

 

[swathdiver]

Just in case anyone is on the line about whether to buy - I would wait if I could do it over again.

Ordered a 2021 GMC Yukon Denali. Traded my 2016 Yukon Denali and put $5K down and a friend gave me an employee discount code to save over $4.5K off sticker. Drove 2021 Denali off lot with only 2 miles on it. Drove it home to discover rear headrest would not stay upright. Drove back to dealer the following day, they looked at it and scheduled appointment 2 days later. Drove it the next day and "Service Driver Assist System" warning came on. Dropped it at dealer the next morning with 62 miles on it and they kept it for 8 days to replace the headrest and replace driver assist front radar module. Picked up from dealer on afternoon of 8th day and it had 124 miles on it due to the "testing" they did. Stopped at a store on the way home and noticed the park assist lights came and beeping on when there was nothing around me while parking. Later that night, drove to empty parking lot and recorded the vehicle malfunctioning over and over with park assist lights/alarms while nothing around the vehicle and screen blinking/glitching. I will post a video if I can.

Took it back to the dealer today and I can only imagine how long they will have it this time. At this point I'd just rather it be more than 30 days so I can file a lemon claim.

Well, you can get upset or look at it this way, you're the tip of the spear for this new technology and truck and some gremlins are going to pop up that GM will need time to fix. Being a completely new model, these trucks are arriving before the spare parts to fix them, so enjoy the rental cars (We always service our cars on the Cadillac side of the dealership!).

 

[cdgtahoe]

Any new model vehicle will have issues. No matter what brand it is or how much you paid for it. Every first year model vehicle I have had has bugs to work out. I love my 2021 Yukon Denali

 

[Rocket Man]

Way too much technology anymore, so much to go wrong and when it does go wrong it’s super annoying. Sorry you’re experiencing this.

 

[OR VietVet]

Yea, I was gonna say that thankfully you get a rental at no charge from them each time, Right? No charge? Plus make sure you have copies of all documentation in case the Lemon Law is used. Make sure when you drop off for a problem that you read and get a copy of just what the complaint is and not the writer's short hand code. Get it all DOWN!

Plus, I feel for ya and agree with @Rocket Man that these rigs have too much technology. I really like the 2000 to 2006 looks and less technology.

Plus, plus, welcome to the forum from Oregon and please post pics, inside and out.

 

[Rocket Man]

One thing I found out the hard way regarding the loaner vehicles is they require your insurance information. They don’t provide the insurance. My daughter had a loaner for warranty work on her Cruze and it got a scratch in a parking lot, on the rear bumper. She didn’t even know it happened but when she returned the car they saw it and filed a claim with her insurance company and charged them $1000 for work done in THEIR body shop that was more like $500 worth of paint work. She had to pay her $500 deductible AND her insurance dropped her because it was the 3rd payout on her vehicles in 5 years. Hard lesson.

 

[B520044]

Just in case anyone is on the line about whether to buy - I would wait if I could do it over again.

Ordered a 2021 GMC Yukon Denali. Traded my 2016 Yukon Denali and put $5K down and a friend gave me an employee discount code to save over $4.5K off sticker. Drove 2021 Denali off lot with only 2 miles on it. Drove it home to discover rear headrest would not stay upright. Drove back to dealer the following day, they looked at it and scheduled appointment 2 days later. Drove it the next day and "Service Driver Assist System" warning came on. Dropped it at dealer the next morning with 62 miles on it and they kept it for 8 days to replace the headrest and replace driver assist front radar module. Picked up from dealer on afternoon of 8th day and it had 124 miles on it due to the "testing" they did. Stopped at a store on the way home and noticed the park assist lights came and beeping on when there was nothing around me while parking. Later that night, drove to empty parking lot and recorded the vehicle malfunctioning over and over with park assist lights/alarms while nothing around the vehicle and screen blinking/glitching. I will post a video if I can.

Took it back to the dealer today and I can only imagine how long they will have it this time. At this point I'd just rather it be more than 30 days so I can file a lemon claim.

I posted similar issues with my 21 Yukon SLT. Experienced the same sensor alerts. Still waiting on my service report (will be emailed), but advisor said my park assist was way off and they needed to re-calibrate it. So far so good after 4 days.
Does your interior creak and rattle? Also, my transmission received an update while in service and I don't think it's helped.

 

[LemonDenali21]

To all the folks mentioning "new technology"...if you watch the videos, you will see it is the park assist that is having issues. This technology is over 20 years old. Proximity sensors in the bumpers as a feature has been around for decades. A system malfunction like this is NOT due to "because its new technology" and really shouldn't be due to the fact that it is a new model year.

Personally I feel that GM is hurrying production and that their quality control is lacking. Perhaps it is due to COVID shutdowns or maybe they are just slacking - doesn't really matter in the end. The point is that maybe after the negative feedback they are getting perhaps they will tighten up their QC, hence my thought that I wish I would have waited a bit (maybe waiting won't change the likelihood of having issues - who knows).

 

[Rocket Man]

To all the folks mentioning "new technology"...if you watch the videos, you will see it is the park assist that is having issues. This technology is over 20 years old. Proximity sensors in the bumpers as a feature has been around for decades. A system malfunction like this is NOT due to "because its new technology" and really shouldn't be due to the fact that it is a new model year.

Personally I feel that GM is hurrying production and that their quality control is lacking. Perhaps it is due to COVID shutdowns or maybe they are just slacking - doesn't really matter in the end. The point is that maybe after the negative feedback they are getting perhaps they will tighten up their QC, hence my thought that I wish I would have waited a bit (maybe waiting won't change the likelihood of having issues - who knows).

Nope and nope.

 

[sd172]

To all the folks mentioning "new technology"...if you watch the videos, you will see it is the park assist that is having issues. This technology is over 20 years old. Proximity sensors in the bumpers as a feature has been around for decades. A system malfunction like this is NOT due to "because its new technology" and really shouldn't be due to the fact that it is a new model year.

Personally I feel that GM is hurrying production and that their quality control is lacking. Perhaps it is due to COVID shutdowns or maybe they are just slacking - doesn't really matter in the end. The point is that maybe after the negative feedback they are getting perhaps they will tighten up their QC, hence my thought that I wish I would have waited a bit (maybe waiting won't change the likelihood of having issues - who knows).

No need to work on QC on the GM side if 401(k) millionaires will buy Denali en masse anyway. Those buyers will never switch brands. The same deal with the new Corvette.

 

[cardude2000]

No need to work on QC on the GM side if 401(k) millionaires will buy Denali en masse anyway. Those buyers will never switch brands. The same deal with the new Corvette.

Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

 

[PG01]

To all the folks mentioning "new technology"...if you watch the videos, you will see it is the park assist that is having issues. This technology is over 20 years old. Proximity sensors in the bumpers as a feature has been around for decades. A system malfunction like this is NOT due to "because its new technology" and really shouldn't be due to the fact that it is a new model year.

Personally I feel that GM is hurrying production and that their quality control is lacking. Perhaps it is due to COVID shutdowns or maybe they are just slacking - doesn't really matter in the end. The point is that maybe after the negative feedback they are getting perhaps they will tighten up their QC, hence my thought that I wish I would have waited a bit (maybe waiting won't change the likelihood of having issues - who knows).

First off, the new trucks were originally supposed to be released in 2020 and the date kept getting pushed back so nothing was ‘rushed’

GM definitely doesn’t have any QC, never has never will (as well as other manufacturers) and it should be expected from them.

the truck is built on a new platform so it’s all ‘NEW TECHNOLOGY’ whether or not they (or any other manufacturer) have been using it for years or not.

Lastly, never, never ever buy the first year of a model change, ever, from any manufacturer.... there are always bugs, no matter what brand.

Joining a forum to tell everyone what a piece of crap you bought is your problem, not ours. Most of us on here know what to expect and deal accordingly...some people have no problems with first model year productions, others have nothing but issue.... some people also call something like a piece of thread sticking out of a seat ‘poor quality control’ and, in my opinion, those people are clueless, in life, in general .

I hope you get your problems fixed and your issues resolved.

 

[Rocket Man]

First off, the new trucks were originally supposed to be released in 2020 and the date kept getting pushed back so nothing was ‘rushed’

GM definitely doesn’t have any QC, never has never will (as well as other manufacturers) and it should be expected from them.

the truck is built on a new platform so it’s all ‘NEW TECHNOLOGY’ whether or not they (or any other manufacturer) have been using it for years or not.

Lastly, never, never ever buy the first year of a model change, ever, from any manufacturer.... there are always bugs, no matter what brand.

Joining a forum to tell everyone what a piece of crap you bought is your problem, not ours. Most of us on here know what to expect and deal accordingly...some people have no problems with first model year productions, others have nothing but issue.... some people also call something like a piece of thread sticking out of a seat ‘poor quality control’ and, in my opinion, those people are clueless, in life, in general .

I hope you get your problems fixed and your issues resolved.

Amen.

 

[Lemondeanli2]

Just in case anyone is on the line about whether to buy - I would wait if I could do it over again.

Ordered a 2021 GMC Yukon Denali. Traded my 2016 Yukon Denali and put $5K down and a friend gave me an employee discount code to save over $4.5K off sticker. Drove 2021 Denali off lot with only 2 miles on it. Drove it home to discover rear headrest would not stay upright. Drove back to dealer the following day, they looked at it and scheduled appointment 2 days later. Drove it the next day and "Service Driver Assist System" warning came on. Dropped it at dealer the next morning with 62 miles on it and they kept it for 8 days to replace the headrest and replace driver assist front radar module. Picked up from dealer on afternoon of 8th day and it had 124 miles on it due to the "testing" they did. Stopped at a store on the way home and noticed the park assist lights came and beeping on when there was nothing around me while parking. Later that night, drove to empty parking lot and recorded the vehicle malfunctioning over and over with park assist lights/alarms while nothing around the vehicle and screen blinking/glitching. I will post a video if I can.

Took it back to the dealer today and I can only imagine how long they will have it this time. At this point I'd just rather it be more than 30 days so I can file a lemon claim.

 

[Lemondeanli2]

First off, the new trucks were originally supposed to be released in 2020 and the date kept getting pushed back so nothing was ‘rushed’

GM definitely doesn’t have any QC, never has never will (as well as other manufacturers) and it should be expected from them.

the truck is built on a new platform so it’s all ‘NEW TECHNOLOGY’ whether or not they (or any other manufacturer) have been using it for years or not.

Lastly, never, never ever buy the first year of a model change, ever, from any manufacturer.... there are always bugs, no matter what brand.

Joining a forum to tell everyone what a piece of crap you bought is your problem, not ours. Most of us on here know what to expect and deal accordingly...some people have no problems with first model year productions, others have nothing but issue.... some people also call something like a piece of thread sticking out of a seat ‘poor quality control’ and, in my opinion, those people are clueless, in life, in general .

I hope you get your problems fixed and your issues resolved.

 

[Lemondeanli2]

I totally agree with you ! I wish I had read your review before I bought my 2021 Yukon Denali . It’s been in the service department longer than with me it seems . I bought mine October 2020.
List of problems include
Third row seat head rest won’t stay up.
SD card says it’s been removed ,
It has not .
Rear seat media doesn’t work .
Been in shop 3 times for this and each time it’s a temporary fix.
Several electrical problems including the electrical harness that I had to wait almost 30 days for it so my vehicle sat in the service department all taken apart waiting for part .
The modules
Navigation system doesn’t work
The roof retains waiter and swishes around for hours . Been in shop 3 times including today .
Rear passenger seat door would not open.

so i agree it seems like production was rushed.
The electrical harness and rearseat media came off production line not working.
Don’t they test electrical parts or better yet the whole vehicle to make sure it works.
Especially when it costs over $87k??
I regret trading in my 2018 Yukon Denali. I neverhad problems with that one