Federal safety regulators are once again scrutinizing General Motors’ 6.2-liter V8 engine after receiving complaints that engines kept failing even after recall repairs were completed.
Ford Sets New Recall Record in 2025
New Complaints Despite the Fix
The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration’s Office of Defects Investigation confirmed it has received 36 Vehicle Owner Questionnaires alleging engine failures in vehicles covered by Recall 25V-274. In every one of those reported cases, owners say the prescribed recall remedy had already been performed before the engine suffered damage or catastrophic failure.
What the Original Recall Covered
That recall, issued in April 2025, covered more than 721,000 full-size GM trucks and SUVs built between 2021 and 2024, including the Chevrolet Silverado 1500, Tahoe, and Suburban; the GMC Sierra 1500, Yukon, and Yukon XL; and the Cadillac Escalade and Escalade ESV. It addressed problems tied to the naturally aspirated 6.2-liter L87 V8.
GM’s own internal investigation had documented more than 28,000 engine failure reports between April 2021 and February 2025, with roughly half occurring while vehicles were actually in motion. The company pinned the problem on two main issues: rod-bearing damage caused by machining debris left behind in connecting rods and crankshaft oil passages, and crankshafts that didn’t meet dimensional or surface finish specifications.
The Fix That May Not Have Worked
Under the recall, dealers were told to inspect engines for a diagnostic trouble code tied to crankshaft and camshaft misalignment. Vehicles that passed got higher-viscosity oil, a new oil filter, a revised oil cap, and updated owner’s manual guidance, while engines that failed inspection were repaired or replaced outright.
Despite all that, regulators are now evaluating whether the remedy actually addressed the underlying defects. NHTSA has opened a formal recall query after reviewing the post-repair failure complaints — a step the agency typically takes when there’s concern that a recall fix hasn’t fully resolved the safety issue it was meant to fix.
A Wider Net Already Being Cast
Separately, the agency has already expanded its review to include additional vehicles equipped with the L87 engine dating back to 2019, following more than 1,100 reports of engine bearing failures outside the original recall population.
The current inquiry doesn’t guarantee a second recall, but it could lead to expanded corrective action. If the scope does widen, nearly 600,000 additional vehicles could end up affected. GM builds the 6.2-liter L87 V8 at its Tonawanda Propulsion plant in Buffalo, New York.
For owners, the renewed investigation raises fresh concerns about reliability, particularly given the risk of sudden engine failure and loss of propulsion while driving.