Help Please: 2015 Yukon XL Test Drive

Disclaimer: Links on this page pointing to Amazon, eBay and other sites may include affiliate code. If you click them and make a purchase, we may earn a small commission.

ajs800

Full Access Member
Joined
Jun 24, 2009
Posts
706
Reaction score
198
Location
Michigan
Does anyone know what exactly causes the buffeting? It hasn't gone away the new ones still have it. Someone told me that it is actually a faulty roof/headliner design and that the roof flexes too much and causes it between it and the headliner and that their is no fix until they come out with a new body. It only happens in suburbans and XLs from what I understand.

It think it's still an unknown, however, I haven't heard many complaints with the 17s. It's more common with the burbs and XLs but the tahoe & yukon have the issue as well.
 
Last edited:
OP
OP
GTNator

GTNator

Supporting Member
Joined
Jul 24, 2017
Posts
1,289
Reaction score
863
I'm traveling and decided to rent a 2017 Yukon SLT (only 3,000 miles). Been driving it around a lot for the past day and no buffeting or vibration issues at all. It's so smooth. I love it. But who knows what quality demons lie underneath.

4dcc86e2d5e0ca22604229e5e50d84be.jpg


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk
 

Rdr854

Full Access Member
Joined
May 18, 2017
Posts
785
Reaction score
366
Location
Northern VA
I'm traveling and decided to rent a 2017 Yukon SLT (only 3,000 miles). Been driving it around a lot for the past day and no buffeting or vibration issues at all. It's so smooth. I love it. But who knows what quality demons lie underneath.

4dcc86e2d5e0ca22604229e5e50d84be.jpg


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk
On any vehicle, you never know what gremlins lie ahead. With my 17 Hybrid, I was shocked when the windows would not close due to a software glitch that had to be corrected a few times. Who would have thought, considering this was year 5 of the platform.
 

UrbanSuburban

Full Access Member
Joined
Sep 14, 2017
Posts
129
Reaction score
70
I have a 17 Sub and I do not have that Buffetting, I also had a 04 and it also did not have it, but one vehicle I did rent was a 17 Acadia, and boy did it buffet, I thought the windows were going to fall out due to the flex.
 

BMPNUGLS

Full Access Member
Joined
Apr 5, 2015
Posts
224
Reaction score
102
Location
Mid-MO
Vibration at 70+ mph is also a major concern/issue to watch for. I have a 21016 Denali XL and it didn't start showing vibration issues until after the 6K mark. Have been to dealer half a dozen times looking for cure and nothing has helped. Road force balance the wheel/tire assemblies and it calms down (doesn't completely go away) for a thousand miles or so then right back to a 'rattle box' at 70+ mph!
 

acainindy

Full Access Member
Joined
Jan 4, 2010
Posts
130
Reaction score
19
Location
Knoxville TN
Does anyone know what exactly causes the buffeting? It hasn't gone away the new ones still have it. Someone told me that it is actually a faulty roof/headliner design and that the roof flexes too much and causes it between it and the headliner and that their is no fix until they come out with a new body. It only happens in suburbans and XLs from what I understand.

It is not isolated to Suburban/XL. I have a 2015 Yukon and That feeling in your ears is a harmonic that creates pressure in the cabin. Here is what my dealer did to solve mine:

1. Re-attach the roof cross members
2. Replace 20inch tires with Michelin LTX2 tires
3. Roadforce balance and align the vehicle
4. Replace all 4 shocks
5. Replace rear ring and pinion (original had abnormal wear on edges of teeth)

The pressure booming in my ears was reduced after 1-4 but not completely gone.
It all went away after the ring and pinion replacement.....
 

WTSHARK

Full Access Member
Joined
Oct 15, 2016
Posts
135
Reaction score
97
Location
So. Cal.
I bought my 2015 Yukon XL, SLE new in 2015. I got a great deal on it, and have never experienced so much as a hiccup with ANYTHING- It's only got 8000 miles on it (being retired is nice, by the way) and love it-
I had a 1993 Chevy C3500 Crew Cab dually that I drove for 20+ years. If I had the back windows down, without the front, I'd get the air pressure "buffering" I hear so many discuss, it was increased when I put a "1/4" shell and removed the back window. I found that if I cracked the front windows, or rolled up the back, the buffering stopped. Ambient pressure in a vehicle, should remain consistent with the atmosphere, when you start to "funnel" air, you can create "higher/lower" pressure zones, which may cause a "buffering" effect on your eardrums and other air spaces within your body- This is all pure speculation and there is no science to this at all, just sharing an opinion. It is also not my intent to "dispute" any other opinions on this, but offer the observations in that someone may find them useful... or just keep scrollin' on.

Wax 96.jpg View attachment 183277
 

mt.davis

TYF Newbie
Joined
Jul 22, 2015
Posts
16
Reaction score
8
Location
Pensacola, FL
I have a 2015 Yukon. Are yall saying that the buffeting noise starts around 45-50 mph even when the windows remain UP or when the windows are rolled down and then back up at those speeds?
 

ajs800

Full Access Member
Joined
Jun 24, 2009
Posts
706
Reaction score
198
Location
Michigan
it's when truck is all closed up...and I don't believe it's an actual air leak as much as it's a very similar sound/feeling has having a rear(only) window down. Ours did/does it in the 40mph range and then again around 60mph-65mph. A deep ear pressure feeling. And it seems to not affect all while some get sick from it.
 

WTSHARK

Full Access Member
Joined
Oct 15, 2016
Posts
135
Reaction score
97
Location
So. Cal.
it's when truck is all closed up...and I don't believe it's an actual air leak as much as it's a very similar sound/feeling has having a rear(only) window down. Ours did/does it in the 40mph range and then again around 60mph-65mph. A deep ear pressure feeling. And it seems to not affect all while some get sick from it.
Eeesh, that sucks. Lots of "open" cubic space, something vibrating, causing a low frequency vibration in the cabin air pressure- Some people are more sensitive to it, than others (why some get miserably sea sick while others have never so much as felt the least bit ill). I don't know how to control that air pressure "vibration", aside from what most do to combat air pressure frequency changes; baffles. How you'd go about doing that is something I'm not sure about, aside from installing ply wood "bulkheads" between the rows of seats, but some may think that "impractical"... ;-)
 

Forum statistics

Threads
132,227
Posts
1,864,383
Members
96,774
Latest member
mcclish2012
Top