GM Says 14,000 6.2L V8 Engines Have Failed While People Were Driving
NHTSA has officially asked General Motors to recall more than 721,000 full-size SUVs and pickup trucks equipped with 6.2L V8 engines after the company voluntarily issued a stop sale late last week. As a consequence of the defect, the automaker has reported over 14,000 engine failures while driving.
Key Points
- GM is recalling 721,000 vehicles globally due to defects in the 6.2L V8 engine, potentially causing engine failure and a loss of power, increasing crash risks.
- The recall affects 2021-2024 Cadillac, Chevrolet, and GMC vehicles, with 28,102 complaints and 12 crashes linked to engine failures.
- Affected owners will receive reimbursement and have their engines inspected or replaced, with potential costs of up to $10,000 for engine replacements out of warranty.
The recall affects 2021–2024 model-year Cadillac Escalade, Escalade ESV, Chevrolet Silverado 1500, Suburban, Tahoe, GMC Sierra 1500, Yukon, and Yukon XL vehicles equipped with the L87 V8 gas engine. According to documents submitted as part of the NHTSA campaign, GM's own internal investigation counted 28,102 reports of engine failure between April 2021 and February 2025.
14,332 of those failures were catastrophic, causing a loss of propulsion—the engines went boom, and the trucks stopped going. 42 of the failures were accompanied by fires, though GM says they might not be related to the engine problem.
The failures are reportedly caused by issues with the crankshaft, connecting rods, and engine bearings—specifically rod-bearing damage from sediment on connecting rods and in crankshaft oil galleries, and out-of-spec crankshaft dimensions and surface finish. The connecting rods came from a supplier in Michigan, while the crankshafts are Mexican-made.
The symptoms of failure are obvious, including abnormal engine noises or knocking, a check engine light, hesitation, high RPMs, and reduced power. In some cases, the issues result in a no-start condition. The company said it has introduced several manufacturing improvements for the crankshafts and connecting rods used moving forward.
For affected owners, GM is expected to issue notices with instructions for reimbursement if they’ve already spent money on repairs due to the engine defect.
Dealers will scan for diagnostic trouble code P0016, which indicates crankshaft or camshaft misalignment. Vehicles that pass inspection will be updated with higher-viscosity 0W-40 oil, a new oil cap, and a revised owner’s manual insert. Vehicles failing inspection may require engine replacement.
GM manufactures the 6.2L L87 V8 engine at Tonawanda Propulsion, the company's longstanding engine assembly plant in Buffalo, N.Y.
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An experienced automotive storyteller and accomplished photographer known for engaging and insightful content. Michael also brings a wealth of technical knowledge—he was part of the Ford GT program at Multimatic, oversaw a fleet of Audi TCR race cars, ziptied Lamborghini Super Trofeo cars back together, been over the wall during the Rolex 24, and worked in the intense world of IndyCar.
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are any engines ever built with parts from the same supplier/
I am surprised this doesn't happen more often with so many parts of an engine being made to be just parts.
What are the chances that the Mexican company knows what is going on in the Michigan companies mfg plant?
How much R&D time must be spent running engines to make them last 500k miles
Mexican made cranks. Sounds familiar. In the late 80s, the small block of that time in 5.0 and 5.7 displacements had Mexican cast blocks. Thousands ended up with porous/cracked blocks in the lifter valley. Losing coolant over time, and destroying the lower end bearings from the glycol contamination. They never learn. The LS/LT engines with their lifter/cam failures, now spreading to the bottom end. Their 2.7t 4 cylinder "truck" engine splitting themselves in half from lower end failures, the 3.0 diesel I6 doing the same thing... Ultimate in quality.