How to fix GKE cluster upgrade failed: timeout waiting for nodes to finish upgrading in Kubernetes

What this error means

This error occurs when GKE cannot complete the cluster upgrade process within the allowed timeframe. During upgrades, Google replaces nodes with new versions but must first evict pods and ensure cluster stability. If pods fail to evict, nodes hang during draining, or control plane components cannot migrate, the upgrade times out and rolls back. This leaves your cluster in an inconsistent state.

Typical symptoms

• Cluster upgrade process hangs at 50% completion
• Error message: "Timeout waiting for nodes to upgrade"
• Some nodes report "Ready,SchedulingDisabled" indefinitely
• Pods stuck in pending or evicted state
• Control plane upgrade succeeds but node upgrade fails
• Cluster reverts to original version after timeout
• GKE console shows upgrade status as "In Progress" for hours

Common causes

1. PodDisruptionBudget (PDB) preventing pod eviction during drain
2. Insufficient cluster capacity to schedule evicted pods
3. Local storage volumes preventing pod migration
4. Long-running batch jobs refusing to terminate
5. Node pool too small to handle rolling restart
6. Persistent volume claim conflicts during node drain
7. Control plane components taking too long to migrate

How to fix "GKE cluster upgrade failed: timeout waiting for nodes to finish upgrading"

Advanced notes

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Official resources & further reading

• 📚Kubernetes Official Documentation
• 📖
  Google Cloud: Upgrading GKE Clusters(Official Docs)
• 📖
  Google Cloud: GKE Upgrade Troubleshooting(Official Docs)
• 💬
  Stack Overflow: GKE cluster upgrade issues(Stack Overflow)