GMC Yukon XL Safety Ratings (2012-2026)
NHTSA has crash-tested the GMC Yukon XL across 15 model years from 2012 to 2026. Its overall safety rating averages 4.1 out of 5 stars, a strong four to five-star result.
These are NHTSA's own 5-Star Safety Ratings from its New Car Assessment Program. Each vehicle is scored on frontal crash, side crash, and rollover resistance, which combine into the overall star rating. The ratings use the tougher test methodology NHTSA adopted for 2011 and later, so they are not comparable to older results and are separate from the IIHS awards you may also see. Here is how the GMC Yukon XL scored by model year.
GMC Yukon XL NHTSA ratings by model year
| Year | Configuration | Overall | Frontal | Side | Rollover |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2026 | 2026 GMC YUKON XL SUV N/A 4WD | 5/5 | 5/5 | 5/5 | 3/5 |
| 2026 | 2026 GMC YUKON XL SUV N/A RWD | 5/5 | 5/5 | 5/5 | 3/5 |
| 2025 | 2025 GMC Yukon XL SUV 4WD | 5/5 | 5/5 | 5/5 | 3/5 |
| 2025 | 2025 GMC Yukon XL SUV RWD | 5/5 | 5/5 | 5/5 | 3/5 |
| 2024 | 2024 GMC Yukon XL SUV 4WD | 4/5 | 4/5 | 5/5 | 3/5 |
| 2024 | 2024 GMC Yukon XL SUV RWD | 4/5 | 4/5 | 5/5 | 3/5 |
| 2023 | 2023 GMC Yukon XL SUV 2WD | 4/5 | 4/5 | 5/5 | 3/5 |
| 2023 | 2023 GMC Yukon XL SUV 4WD | 4/5 | 4/5 | 5/5 | 3/5 |
| 2022 | 2022 GMC Yukon XL SUV 2WD | 4/5 | 4/5 | 5/5 | 3/5 |
| 2022 | 2022 GMC Yukon XL SUV 4WD | 4/5 | 4/5 | 5/5 | 3/5 |
| 2021 | 2021 GMC Yukon XL SUV 2WD | 4/5 | 4/5 | 5/5 | 3/5 |
| 2021 | 2021 GMC Yukon XL SUV 4WD | 4/5 | 4/5 | 5/5 | 3/5 |
| 2020 | 2020 GMC Yukon XL SUV 4WD | 4/5 | 4/5 | 5/5 | 3/5 |
| 2020 | 2020 GMC Yukon XL SUV RWD | 4/5 | 4/5 | 5/5 | 3/5 |
| 2019 | 2019 GMC Yukon XL 1500 SUV 4WD | 4/5 | 4/5 | 5/5 | 3/5 |
| 2019 | 2019 GMC Yukon XL 1500 SUV RWD | 4/5 | 4/5 | 5/5 | 3/5 |
| 2018 | 2018 GMC Yukon XL 1500 SUV 4WD | 4/5 | 4/5 | 5/5 | 3/5 |
| 2018 | 2018 GMC Yukon XL 1500 SUV RWD | 4/5 | 4/5 | 5/5 | 3/5 |
| 2017 | 2017 GMC Yukon XL 1500 SUV 4WD | 4/5 | 4/5 | 5/5 | 3/5 |
| 2017 | 2017 GMC Yukon XL 1500 SUV RWD | 4/5 | 4/5 | 5/5 | 3/5 |
| 2016 | 2016 GMC Yukon XL 1500 SUV 4WD | 4/5 | 4/5 | 5/5 | 3/5 |
| 2016 | 2016 GMC Yukon XL 1500 SUV RWD | 4/5 | 4/5 | 5/5 | 3/5 |
| 2015 | 2015 GMC Yukon XL 1500 SUV 4WD | 4/5 | 4/5 | 5/5 | 3/5 |
| 2015 | 2015 GMC Yukon XL 1500 SUV RWD | 4/5 | 4/5 | 5/5 | 3/5 |
| 2014 | 2014 GMC Yukon XL 1500 SUV 4WD | 4/5 | 5/5 | 5/5 | 3/5 |
| 2014 | 2014 GMC Yukon XL 1500 SUV RWD | 4/5 | 5/5 | 5/5 | 3/5 |
| 2013 | 2013 GMC Yukon XL 1500 SUV 4WD | 4/5 | 5/5 | 5/5 | 3/5 |
| 2013 | 2013 GMC Yukon XL 1500 SUV RWD | 4/5 | 5/5 | 5/5 | 3/5 |
| 2012 | 2012 GMC Yukon Xl 1500 SUV 4WD | 4/5 | 5/5 | 5/5 | 3/5 |
| 2012 | 2012 GMC Yukon Xl 1500 SUV RWD | 4/5 | 5/5 | 5/5 | 3/5 |
How NHTSA's crash tests work
NHTSA scores three crash tests and combines them into the overall rating. The frontal test drives the vehicle into a fixed barrier at 35 mph to model a head-on collision. The side test hits the vehicle with a moving barrier and, separately, slams it sideways into a rigid pole, which is the type of crash that puts the most force on occupants. The rollover rating is part lab measurement of how top-heavy the vehicle is and part dynamic maneuver test. More stars is better in every case, with five the top mark.
What the ratings do not tell you
Two caveats are worth holding onto. Star ratings only compare vehicles of a similar size and weight, so a five-star small car and a five-star large SUV did not face the same physics, and the heavier vehicle generally protects its occupants better in a collision between the two. The ratings also come from standardized lab tests, which cannot capture every real-world crash. They are a strong, independent measure of crashworthiness, not a guarantee, and they are separate from both the IIHS awards and the recall record on this site. See the GMC Yukon XL recall history and its common owner problems for the rest of the safety picture.
Common questions about GMC Yukon XL safety
- Is the GMC Yukon XL a safe car?
- In NHTSA crash tests, the GMC Yukon XL averages 4.1 out of 5 stars overall across the 2012 to 2026 model years, a strong four to five-star result. 4 of the 30 tested configurations earned the full five stars.
- What is the GMC Yukon XL crash test rating?
- The most recently rated GMC Yukon XL (2026) earned 5 out of 5 stars overall from NHTSA, with 5 stars in the frontal test, 5 in the side test, and 3 for rollover resistance.
- Are NHTSA stars the same as IIHS ratings?
- No. The star ratings here come from NHTSA's federal crash-test program. The IIHS is a separate insurance-industry group with its own tests and "Top Safety Pick" awards. Both are worth checking, and they do not always agree.
Ratings come from NHTSA's 5-Star Safety Ratings program (model year 2011 and later). See the methodology and data sources for detail. This page is a reference, not legal or safety advice.