118k Miles...transmission gone...

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bkrell

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Well, that's the short version. So, we bought one of the first of the current gen Yukon XL to arrive on the dealer lot in my city in May 2014. It's an SLT 4wd with tow package. The only previous transmission issue we had was about a year or two ago, a/the solenoid for shifting in/out of 4wd went out and stuck us in 4 low. I didn't fool around with that and had it towed to the dealer (on a trailer).

Flash forward to a week ago last night, my wife tells me she felt a little hesitation in 1st while she was out of town on a weekend trip. Seemed minor. The next day, she calls me upset telling me she thinks her car is about to break down and she almost hit someone because she's pressing the gas and nothing happens then the car takes off. I didn't even think slipping transmission. I thought it might have been one of the "hesitation issues" I've seen discussed on here and other places. So, I had her take it to the dealer that evening. The dealer waits 3 days then calls me late Friday afternoon that I need a new transmission to the tune of $4,400. Said "the torque converter went out and there's metal everywhere and it's lodged the valves open." I didn't know what to think and I wasn't going to tow it somewhere else for a second opinion. The next day was Saturday so we briefly looked at new Yukons before I told her I wasn't paying that much for another Yukon when the transmission went out that quickly or at least the dealer was going to try to fleece us for one.

It just doesn't make sense. I've driven a ton of Chevys for work trucks over the years and never had a transmission issue. Then I throw down over $65k on this beast for the wife and this #%$& happens. I've only towed with the thing 3 times over 4 years. Thought we were gonna get a boat but...we didn't.
 

SnowDrifter

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Not impossible. If you're in doubt, get a second opinion at a different shop. Drivelines in these are pretty weak, unfortunately. Though of note, a catastrophic torque converter failure like that is atypical. Clutch? Sure. But that wouldn't dump metal everywhere. Wonder if a different piece failed and they're misattributing cause and effect. Either way though, you'd need to replace trans, torque converter, and preferably transmission cooler - or at a minimum back-flush the hell out of it
 

SunlitComet

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I would ask how all that metal got past filters or safety mesh screens before jamming up valves or do they not use those in trannies any more?
 
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bkrell

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Not impossible. If you're in doubt, get a second opinion at a different shop. Drivelines in these are pretty weak, unfortunately. Though of note, a catastrophic torque converter failure like that is atypical. Clutch? Sure. But that wouldn't dump metal everywhere. Wonder if a different piece failed and they're misattributing cause and effect. Either way though, you'd need to replace trans, torque converter, and preferably transmission cooler - or at a minimum back-flush the hell out of it

It took them 3 days to figure it out so I don't doubt there being a misdiagnosis. We went and bought a new VW Atlas and the VW dealer agreed to take the Yukon XL on trade sight unseen. They're picking it up from the GMC dealer today.
 

b4z

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Some good friends of mine were in Brunswick Georgia towing their boat on i95 with in a last gen suburban and the transmission went out at 120k miles. They said no way are we buying another suburban. They had a 2018 expedition el sent up from a dealer in Jacksonville and completed the deal at 1030 at night and got back on the road. I like the atlas a lot but wish it had a little more power
 
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bkrell

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Some good friends of mine were in Brunswick Georgia towing their boat on i95 with in a last gen suburban and the transmission went out at 120k miles. They said no way are we buying another suburban. They had a 2018 expedition el sent up from a dealer in Jacksonville and completed the deal at 1030 at night and got back on the road. I like the atlas a lot but wish it had a little more power

It's not bad for regular day to day. It tows 5k lbs. It feels punchier off the line than it's hp/torque rating. Plus it's got about the best 3rd row of anything not full-size like the Yukon XL/Suburban. Maybe we're getting out of the frying pan and into the fire. But I was really gun-shy on buying another Yukon XL. Especially with how fast this came on. Like you say, if we were on vacation when this happened, we'd be SOL. Which sucks, because we really thought we'd be keeping the XL for a long time.
 

Doubeleive

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It took them 3 days to figure it out so I don't doubt there being a misdiagnosis. We went and bought a new VW Atlas and the VW dealer agreed to take the Yukon XL on trade sight unseen. They're picking it up from the GMC dealer today.
lol, well of course there just gonna slap a transmission in and put it on the lot for $35-40k hope you got a decent chunk from them
 
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bkrell

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Yeah, we got a good trade in out of them. That's the only reason I was willing to do it vs. pay for a new transmission.
 

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