GM’s 6.2-liter V8 engine continues to be a massive headache for the automaker as the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration’s Office of Defects Investigation has opened an engineering analysis to examine complaints of engine failure, following a previous recall.
In 2025, General Motors recalled 597,630 trucks and SUVs equipped with the 6.2-liter V8 L87 engine. This included the 2021-2024 Cadillac Escalade as well as the 2021-2024 Chevrolet Silverado 1500, Tahoe, and Suburban. The company also recalled the similar GMC Sierra and Yukon.
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At the time, the government said the “connecting rod and/or crankshaft engine components … may have manufacturing defects that can lead to engine damage and engine failure.” The problems were blamed on rod-bearing damage from sediment on connecting rods and crankshaft-oil galleries as well as crankshaft dimensions and a surface finish that were out of specification.
This was a massive problem as the company identified 28,102 field complaints or incidents in the United States alone. There were also 12 alleged crashes as well as 12 potentially related injuries.
As part of the recall, dealers inspected the engines, repairing or replacing them as necessary. Vehicles that passed inspection were switched to a higher viscosity oil.
While that’s a quick and dirty overview, the supposed fix has come under the microscope. The Office of Defects Investigation opened a Recall Query in January to “assess the remedy effectiveness” after receiving 36 complaints that engines failed in vehicles that had been recalled and remedied. This included vehicles that had the basic oil swap as well as models with a replacement engine.
The number of complaints to the government has now ballooned to 499 and that suggests the fix isn’t working. This includes 473 vehicles that were changed over to a higher viscosity oil as well as 26 models that had their engine replaced. Furthermore, “GM reported receiving 6,953 complaints of post-remedy engine failure.”
On top of that, the government has received 191 reports of engine failures that occurred in models produced outside of the recall window.
Needless to say, this is shaping up to be a huge mess for General Motors and the NHTSA is “expanding the scope” of the investigation with the engineering analysis, which includes engines produced after the initial production recall period. The government noted this now involves 2025 and 2026 models.