2017 Yukon Denali Consideration

[CPCritter]

First post for me in these forums. Been lurking here for awhile to help keep my 2001 Yukon 1500 XL running, now with over 255k miles. Fell in love with these vehicles so considering a replacement. I moved away from the 2015 model year due to some advice given in some other threads on known issues.

I now have my eyes on a 2017 Denali with the 6.2L engine with 60k miles 2 wheel drive and a 6-speed trans for $45k from a national dealer. The maintenance history through the Carfax, looks good. It does have a minor damage incident listed, but I'm not too concerned about that. My use is for trailering a track car as well as my primary commuter, which isn't often in my case. I need reliability rather than beauty.

Since I don't have a deep knowledge on these SUVs I would appreciate any quidance in this purchase.

 

[OR VietVet]

Welcome to the forum. Other members with the newer rigs and their expertise will chime in.

 

[CMoore711]

Welcome.

That 2017 Yukon Denali with the 6.2L you're looking at will have an 8-speed transmission, not a 6-speed.

2015 Yukon Denali 6l90e 6 speed
2015i - 2017 Yukon Denali 8l90e 8-speed
2018 - 2020 Yukon Denali 10l90e 10-speed

Good luck in your search.

 

[avalonandl]

The 8 speed trans are known to fail around 100k plus an an FYI.

 

[CPCritter]

I would prefer to avoid expensive transmission issues. I would actually like to avoid all of the most expensive known issues...if possible. Should I assume that servicing the transmission only extends the likely failure?

What are the best years for reliability?

 

[dpollak81]

Yeah the 15 -16 8 speeds from what I’ve found don’t necessarily go out but they just shift really wierd. It’s like the programming is never right. We are still fighting isn’t ours in the 15. The 17s still have the 8 speed but I know a few people with 17s that don’t have the shifting issues.

The 15-20 Generation can be buggy in general but from all our friends it seems the 18-20 models are better than the 15-17. our 15 is definitely not as reliable as our 05 was and I’m not sure if we’ll keep it much more than another year…

You can go non Denali and get the 6 speed with the 5.3 but you definitely lose some oomph.

Sweet spot it sounds would be to find a 18-19 Denali if you want the 6.2 (which you do want!). If you can afford certified pre owned that’s definitely the way to go or a solid extended warranty.

 

[Joseph Garcia]

Welcome to the Forum from NH.

Lots of knowledgeable folks here who freely share their knowledge, experiences, and perspectives. Knowledge is power.

I hope that you will become a participating member in the Forum's discussions.

You are already receiving sage advice from the knowledgeable folks on this Forum.

 

[CMoore711]

The 8 speed trans are known to fail around 100k plus an an FYI.

That's the general consensus. Some last longer some fail even before that.

My 8 speed is currently at 135K miles, but it's slipping and I'm predicting it'll need replaced before winter.

Yeah the 15 -16 8 speeds from what I’ve found don’t necessarily go out but they just shift really wierd. It’s like the programming is never right. We are still fighting isn’t ours in the 15. The 17s still have the 8 speed but I know a few people with 17s that don’t have the shifting issues.

The 15-20 Generation can be buggy in general but from all our friends it seems the 18-20 models are better than the 15-17. our 15 is definitely not as reliable as our 05 was and I’m not sure if we’ll keep it much more than another year…

You can go non Denali and get the 6 speed with the 5.3 but you definitely lose some oomph.

Sweet spot it sounds would be to find a 18-19 Denali if you want the 6.2 (which you do want!). If you can afford certified pre owned that’s definitely the way to go or a solid extended warranty.

I would agree with this 100%.

I've ridden and driven in some 3rd gen CTS-V's and some C7 Vettes with tuned 8l90e 8-speeds and the drivability and gear changes are night and day compared to a stock unit. Before the 10-speed was developed GM put the 8-speed in all of their high-end performance vehicles; Camaro ZL1, CTS-V, C7 Z06 and C7 ZR1. I personally don't think the 8-speed is a bad transmission, I just think the stock programming and shifting patterns suck for both performance and daily drivability. That being said, the majority of K2XX SUV owners don't really want to mess with any sort of tuning to dial in their machine to their preferences or improve upon the stock drivability short falls.

Just as @dpollak81 stated above, if you're looking for the most reliable version of the K2XX '15 - '20 MY Denali you should be looking for the lowest mile CPO '18 - '20 MY Denali you can find. That'll get you the 6.2L L86 and 10l90e 10-speed transmission.

Hope this helps. Good luck in your search!

 

[mb1500]

For 45k you should be close to swinging an 18+, which is what I would recommend.

 

[SpyShops212]

I had a 2008 Escalade than 2016 Tahoe which both have the 6-speed and the mpg was terrible especially in the city. I owned both these trucks from new. Now I have a 2018 Escalade Luxury with the 10-speed and my gas savings is 30-40 percent better. I go on long highway trips and I get close to 28 mpg. I never seen better than 17 mpg on my 2008 & 2016 6-speed. I would suggest not to get a black or dark color because the sun will fade the paint if the previous owner did not wax the truck 3x a year. The Denali is such a nice truck in crystal white. The 2018 also fixed the control links from aluminum to steel which the mag suspension is improved. I also don’t recommend the power steps because they are expensive to fix once warranty ends. Most owners experienced issues at one point with the power steps. Get a 2018-2020 which is the same and you will have a real truck for many years to come. The 2015-2017 had issues with booming issues, vibration and 8-speed issues which gave the K2XX a bad rep. The K2XX is the last version of the suv that will be built on a truck frame which I feel it’s better. The 2021+ is technically not a truck anymore and had to be bigger, boxier plus taller due to the IRS. If you look at rear bottom it looks like crap. The 2018 has the EcoTec 3 & transmission which is the same as the 2023. I have not seen on any forum a complaint about the 10-speed.