Shopping For 2016 Yukon Denali XL - Any Major Problems?

[Fitz98]

Shopping for a Used Suburban, Yukon XL, Denali XL or similar.
Originally allocated 15k budget, but 15k doesn't get much. I was looking at 2013 models, but don't like the styling.
I accidently looked at a 2016 Denali and really liked the features and styling.
I will want to tow my RV with it and will be my wife's daily driver.
Obviously I would need to raise my budget. It seems like anything under 30k is over 150k miles and for a little over 30k, I can probably find something in the 100k miles range.
For me, 30k was outside my comfort level, but if I took this approach, I would want to know I am not getting into a lemon. I would be concerned about major expenses that could come up with the higher monthly payment.
Anyone have any higher milage experience with problems I could expect?
Any years to stay away from?
What years did this generation start and finish?

 

[CorvairGeek]

I believe they are 2014 to 2020. I have a 2019 Yukon Denali (not XL) and love it (6.2L 10 speed). Others have far more transmission knowledge and experience than I will ever have, but I believe the 8 speed is to be avoided. There is an A/C condenser issue (refrigerant loss, oily spot, top right corner, as viewed from the front). It is supposed fixed somewhere in the run (mine supposedly is, there is a black piece of tape in the area for the improved ones). I'm a little skeptical myself.

 

[jetman]

2015 thru 2020
Go here: https://www.tahoeyukonforum.com/categories/2015-2020-tahoe-yukon-escalade-models.113/

 

[CKN]

You need to tack on another 10K to that 30K for a decent one.......

 

[Fitz98]

FWIW the car fax on one I was looking at showed the torque converter changed at 35k miles.
Don't know if that helped to save transmission or if there are other factors that come into play on this 8 speed generation.
I see some generic posts stating that the transmission will fail and need to be replaced. I can't help but wonder, if it hasn't failed at 150 miles, will it be due shortly? Maybe part of the reason this 1 owner vehicle was traded in at 150k miles?
I don't want to buy a 30k dollar vehicle and have to dump another 5k into transmission.
I am partial to the 03 burb I have, but my wife can't accept that it is so old...I am surprised she keeps me and doesn't trade me in on a newer model.
It is quite a testament to have a vehicle go 222k miles without any major repairs..simple things like water pump, and PS pump and cooler and a couple more major things like rear main seal and fuel pump, but all in all, maybe I have 5k in repairs since I bought it at 66k miles..

 

[Fitz98]

You need to tack on another 10K to that 30K for a decent one.......

Your killing me!
I have a hard time accepting 40k for a used vehicle. That is 1/4 of my mortgage.
Is that even realistic? Maybe get something with 50k miles for that?
What would be a reliable Denali xl year to look at in a 40k price range?

 

[JustN89]

Look, I'm not going to tell you how to spend your money, or judge you for what you ultimately decide to spend your money on. I'm just going to give you my unadulterated opinion.

Spending $30k on a 7 year old, 100k+ mile luxury GM product, an amount you have already confirmed is uncomfortable, seems like a weird decision to make. I mean, you spend your money how you like, but realistically, there's no telling what kind of service life you're going to get out of that vehicle. Could last 10+ years, nickel and dime-ing you the entire way. Could last 10+ years without much else besides routine maintenance. Could crap out tomorrow. That's a lot of miles and a lot of years on a domestic vehicle.

@CKN is right- if reliability/longevity is the goal and it just has to be a Denali XL, I'd spend more money. Get one that's newer and with less miles. However, and I just have to ask, if you're willing (albeit uncomfortable with it) to spend $30k, does it have to be a GMC? Would a Suburban fit the bill? How about a Sequoia? The Sequoia is pretty pricey and might have higher mileage in order to get to the $30k mark, but I'd trust a Sequoia far and above a GM product.

Like I said, I'm not going to tell you what to buy or judge whatever purchase you make. I love Suburbans. My family has had 3 of them, each going over 200k miles. Now, it took a bit to get them there, but their size and functionality made the repair costs worthwhile. However, it sounds like you're pretty price sensitive and large repair bills could make ownership even more uncomfortable. It's impossible to tell you what you're going to get with that age and mileage, let alone from a GM. That said, if you like it so much that it's worth the uncomfortable sale price and any potential repair, then go for it. I'd rather drive a car that I liked, even if it meant spending more money to fix it from time-to-time, than a dead nuts reliable car that I disliked driving.

 

[CKN]

Your killing me!
I have a hard time accepting 40k for a used vehicle. That is 1/4 of my mortgage.
Is that even realistic? Maybe get something with 50k miles for that?
What would be a reliable Denali xl year to look at in a 40k price range?

autotempest.com or autotrader.com would answer your questions.

You know these vehicles in particular have really gone up in price in recent years.

I spent more than that on a 2020 F150 Lariat pickup truck. I did have a trade that took more than 50% off the final amount. The same truck in 2023 is $70,000.00 SO YEA......welcome to the real world.

 

[Skippy722]

Your killing me!
I have a hard time accepting 40k for a used vehicle. That is 1/4 of my mortgage.
Is that even realistic? Maybe get something with 50k miles for that?
What would be a reliable Denali xl year to look at in a 40k price range?

New they were around the $80,000 mark. We’re in the same boat, we want a Suburban/Yukon XL/Escalade ESV but man they’re pricey, but then again $40-50k is almost half off a the cost of a new one and much much more palatable. We’ll be avoiding the 8 speed models though, I’ve heard enough horror stories about them…. We’ll probably buy one through Carmax and tack on their warranty.

 

[CKN]

New they were around the $80,000 mark. We’re in the same boat, we want a Suburban/Yukon XL/Escalade ESV but man they’re pricey, but then again $40-50k is almost half off a the cost of a new one and much much more palatable. We’ll be avoiding the 8 speed models though, I’ve heard enough horror stories about them…. We’ll probably buy one through Carmax and tack on their warranty.

That Sir is a smart move.....

 

[4WD]

New they were around the $80,000 mark. We’re in the same boat, we want a Suburban/Yukon XL/Escalade ESV but man they’re pricey, but then again $40-50k is almost half off a the cost of a new one and much much more palatable. We’ll be avoiding the 8 speed models though, I’ve heard enough horror stories about them…. We’ll probably buy one through Carmax and tack on their warranty.

Good idea - I have the 6 speed and 10 speed …
Range module made our 2017 a better drive - and the 10 speed is the smoothest in my signature …

 

[RhondaHonda]

For a bit of pricing info, we had a 2017 Yukon XL Denali bought new for $71,xxx. MSRP was $81,xxx. My wife drove it for 74,000 miles without any issues except one bad injector. Traded it in May of 2021 and got $43,000 towards a new Suburban that we paid $71k for also.

The dealer listed it for $49k, no clue what it sold for.

I would have no problem buying one of MY old vehicles because I know they were well maintained, not beat on, never floored until the oil was up to temp, never overloaded, etc. the odds of one of those things occurring increases with each prior owner and as you get more mileage. I don’t mind spending $20-$30k out of pocket every 4 years for a brand new vehicle but realize it’s a dumb move from a pure financial viewpoint. I would NOT feel comfortable spending $40k on a 9 year old vehicle with 150k on it. Good luck, it was a great vehicle.

 

[meep]

my boss has one in that age range. It’s his 3rd XL. I find it to be the least desireable of the 3 he’s owned, as its had a lot more problems.

- lifters grenaded and the shrapnel killed it. Reman engine also blew within warranty and replaced again (jasper).
- air shocks
- the steering wheel is notably off-center to the drivers seat (common on GMs, but I notice it more in this one)
- all the paint on the hood crazed over in one single day. It was wild. Repaint was needed.
- the leaks are increasing.
- harder to work on than previous generations
- steering is heavy and lumbering for my taste
- he’s got the 6 liter … sounds good but it’s thirsty.

not to be down on them, but as someone who has helped him with repairs and maintenance, I definitely prefer the old ones much more.

 

[CKN]

my boss has one in that age range. It’s his 3rd XL. I find it to be the least desireable of the 3 he’s owned, as its had a lot more problems.

- lifters grenaded and the shrapnel killed it. Reman engine also blew within warranty and replaced again (jasper).
- air shocks
- the steering wheel is notably off-center to the drivers seat (common on GMs, but I notice it more in this one)
- all the paint on the hood crazed over in one single day. It was wild. Repaint was needed.
- the leaks are increasing.
- harder to work on than previous generations
- steering is heavy and lumbering for my taste
- he’s got the 6 liter … sounds good but it’s thirsty.

not to be down on them, but as someone who has helped him with repairs and maintenance, I definitely prefer the old ones much more.

And at what miles would you count them "not worth considering"? Because at the $30,000 .00 budget the OP was initially considering-that's 100,000 or more miles.

 

[Fitz98]

Thanks for the input.
I don't need a Denali...I liked the Denali.
I am partial to Chevy Suburban/Tahoe Xl, Denali XL for tow capacity and overall experience with the suburban vs expedition that I own.
I do like the idea of extended warranty, if there is a plan that covers older, higher mileage (90k +) vehicles that is reasonable. (Thanks for pointing that option out, I did not consider that)
I have looked at this many different ways. One way was to look at a new/newer vehicle and just plan on a payment for life and keep trading up.
At some point there will be a huge consideration where buying a used vehicle out of warranty with a 600.00 per month payment will not make sense to me. Too much risk. I will put a bunch of miles on it, so in a few years, no matter what I get will have too many miles to make it unsellable to recover cost, so I look at it as a 5 year payment to get something I will likely keep for 10 plus years.
Honestly, if this was for me, I would just sit on it and find the best great condition, older generation dependable low mileage, single owner, Florida vehicle out there and not have a monthly payment.
The 2016 Denali I looked at, checked off a lot of these boxes, but 30k for 140k miles I am not sure that makes sense either. By the time I was done paying that off, it will have 240k miles

This was the reason for starting the thread...not so much for how to spend the money or how much to spend, but what would be problems that these generations are known for to get a feel if they are dependable or problematic. I could do the 30k for 100 plus mile vehicle if the majority found 200k miles with few problems...but sounds like transmissions are problematic on these 8 speeds.

 

[meep]

And at what miles would you count them "not worth considering"? Because at the $30,000 .00 budget the OP was initially considering-that's 100,000 or more miles.

I may not be the right guy to ask, considering they have classically been one of my favorite vehicles but I’ve never been able to justify one.

I have a hard time buying anything for 30k, and at 100k, the only way I’d consider it is if:
a. I wasn’t compromising another budget need or goal
b. There’s money left for repairs I can’t handle
c. It’s a smart buy for the requirement.

C gets me here. Note - he’s towing an RV. Buying a 100k mile vehicle and asking it to tow heavy is not a great combo. If I needed a tow vehicle on a budget, I would absolutely avoid luxury trims and stick with something that first can be maintained well and fixed at reasonable cost. I want as much tow vehicle as I can get for the budget while avoiding complex things that break. He’ll want the 6.3L if he’s towing - they have a hard time getting out of their way as it is. Air springs will be wonderful for control, but they will work hard with 5500 pounds behind it.

I get that it’s his wife whos asking for it - not the OP.

I DID tow with a 100k mile vehicle, but it was a Toyota truck with such antiquated tech that it still used push-pull cables in the dash to control the AC. It was bare-bones simple … and over time I had to replace 2 wheel bearings, all the driveshaft bearings, all struts/shocks, resealed the top end and put some TLC into the brakes and transmission maintenance. Towing adds a load - fortunately the toyota was pretty basic to work on. if he’s pulling a pop-up, that’s an easy pull and a Camry can almost do it. If it’s a full-frontal area camper, whether it’s 19’ or 29, the ‘burn is gonna be worked pretty good. Idk. How many kids are coming with?

 

[CKN]

Thanks for the input.
I don't need a Denali...I liked the Denali.
I am partial to Chevy Suburban/Tahoe Xl, Denali XL for tow capacity and overall experience with the suburban vs expedition that I own.
I do like the idea of extended warranty, if there is a plan that covers older, higher mileage (90k +) vehicles that is reasonable. (Thanks for pointing that option out, I did not consider that)
I have looked at this many different ways. One way was to look at a new/newer vehicle and just plan on a payment for life and keep trading up.
At some point there will be a huge consideration where buying a used vehicle out of warranty with a 600.00 per month payment will not make sense to me. Too much risk. I will put a bunch of miles on it, so in a few years, no matter what I get will have too many miles to make it unsellable to recover cost, so I look at it as a 5 year payment to get something I will likely keep for 10 plus years.
Honestly, if this was for me, I would just sit on it and find the best great condition, older generation dependable low mileage, single owner, Florida vehicle out there and not have a monthly payment.
The 2016 Denali I looked at, checked off a lot of these boxes, but 30k for 140k miles I am not sure that makes sense either. By the time I was done paying that off, it will have 240k miles

This was the reason for starting the thread...not so much for how to spend the money or how much to spend, but what would be problems that these generations are known for to get a feel if they are dependable or problematic. I could do the 30k for 100 plus mile vehicle if the majority found 200k miles with few problems...but sounds like transmissions are problematic on these 8 speeds.

Translation-You don't want to spend $40,000.00 on a vehicle. That's OK. I'm one of those guys that always drive a new vehicle-but I always have a payment. I bought two vehicles in the last 18 months. A 2022 Toyota Highlander and the 2020 Ford Lariat I mentioned. But yea-two car payments. But even on the Highlander-the 2017 Hyundai Santa Fe provided a 50% down payment. So amount financed between the two vehicles is still much less than $40,000.00

 

[Corollaman]

AC condenser is really common, labor is expensive.

 

[dogememe]

Shopping for a Used Suburban, Yukon XL, Denali XL or similar.
Originally allocated 15k budget, but 15k doesn't get much. I was looking at 2013 models, but don't like the styling.
I accidently looked at a 2016 Denali and really liked the features and styling.
I will want to tow my RV with it and will be my wife's daily driver.
Obviously I would need to raise my budget. It seems like anything under 30k is over 150k miles and for a little over 30k, I can probably find something in the 100k miles range.
For me, 30k was outside my comfort level, but if I took this approach, I would want to know I am not getting into a lemon. I would be concerned about major expenses that could come up with the higher monthly payment.
Anyone have any higher milage experience with problems I could expect?
Any years to stay away from?
What years did this generation start and finish?

I've never owned any of the newer ones, but I can tell you from my experience at the parts store the newer ones are not nearly as solid as the older ones. We sell surprisingly many transmissions for them. As another poster suggested, AC condensors are so common we stock not one but TWO of them at any given time.

I'd suggest picking up a clean, well-maintained older one (GMT800s seem to be the best overall value/reliability, so that would be an 00-06 Suburban/Yukon XL) and go for a more basic trim vs a Denali/Escalade to keep parts prices down. Buy it in cash, set aside $5K if you ever need to throw a 4L60E in it, and otherwise enjoy. Perhaps use the money you saved to buy something more efficient/fancy inside for your wife as a daily driver and reserve the Burb for towing your RV?

 

[Fitz98]

I've never owned any of the newer ones, but I can tell you from my experience at the parts store the newer ones are not nearly as solid as the older ones. We sell surprisingly many transmissions for them. As another poster suggested, AC condensors are so common we stock not one but TWO of them at any given time.

I'd suggest picking up a clean, well-maintained older one (GMT800s seem to be the best overall value/reliability, so that would be an 00-06 Suburban/Yukon XL) and go for a more basic trim vs a Denali/Escalade to keep parts prices down. Buy it in cash, set aside $5K if you ever need to throw a 4L60E in it, and otherwise enjoy. Perhaps use the money you saved to buy something more efficient/fancy inside for your wife as a daily driver and reserve the Burb for towing your RV?

Interesting to hear from a parts guy...
That says a lot.
Also an interesting strategy about getting a better daily driver and a dedicated tow vehicle.
I am sure there are lots of dependable mid size SUV options for her to choose from, although she does like the big Expedition...just old and breaking too often.
I am all about the GMT 800. Would love to have the 6 speed tranny though.
Who knows, if I could get my hands on a nice enough one in good condition, she might grow to love it. She loved travelling in mine when we take road trips.
We travel once a year for about a month, so seems reasonable to me.