- The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration is expanding its investigation into General Motors’ 6.2-liter L87 V8 engine.
- The agency has received 499 complaints that recalled vehicles with the remedy are experiencing engine failures.
- NHTSA is also investigating L87 engines produced after the period cited in the recall after receiving 191 reports of L87 failures in engines produced after May 2024.
General Motors’ 6.2-liter L87 V8 engine continues to create headaches for the Detroit automaker. Last year, it issued a recall for nearly 600,000 vehicles equipped with the engine. Then in January, the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) began investigating the effectiveness of the remedy. Now, the agency is expanding its scope.
NHTSA announced yesterday it is opening an Engineering Analysis to continue investigating the remedy and will begin looking int engines produced after the production period cited in the recall. The new investigation includes the following vehicles:
- 2021-2026 Cadillac Escalade
- 2021-2026 Chevrolet Silverado 1500
- 2021-2026 Chevrolet Suburban
- 2021-2026 Chevrolet Tahoe
- 2021-2026 GMC Sierra
- 2021-2026 GMC Yukon/Yukon XL
According to the agency, its Office of Defects Investigation has received 499 complaints of engine failures in vehicles that GM has allegedly already fixed. When the automaker recalled the vehicles, it offered two fixes: higher-viscosity oil or an engine replacement.
Of the nearly 500 complaints, 473 received new oil while 26 had complete engine replacements. The agency has also received 191 reports of L87 failures in engines produced after May 2024, while the automaker has reported receiving 6,953 post-remedy complaints.
The expanded investigation affects 997,743 vehicles.
GM’s Engine Headache
General Motors closed its first investigation into the L87 in 2022. It opened and closed a second investigation in 2023 and a third in 2024. It wasn’t until the fourth inquiry opened in January 2025 that it resulted in the recall.
During that time, the automaker received 28,102 field complaints relating to 6.2-liter engine failures. Of those, over half alleged the vehicle lost motive power, increasing the risk of a crash or injury.
In the last investigation, GM identified supplier manufacturing and quality issues. These included out-of-spec crankshaft dimensions, rod-bearing damage, and more.
Motor1’s Take: The L87 is proving to be quite a headache for the automaker even as it launches its next generation of V8 engines. It appears the 6.2-liter will continue to cause issues for General Motors for the foreseeable future.
Source:
National Highway Traffic Safety Administration
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