General Motors 6.2L V8 engines face escalated NHTSA investigation

The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) has escalated its investigation into General Motors’ 6.2-liter L87 V8 engines to an Engineering Analysis. The probe focuses on whether previous recall remedies adequately addressed manufacturing defects that can lead to sudden loss of propulsion, engine seizure, and severe damage.

While an initial recall (25V-274) covered approximately 597,630 Chevrolet, GMC, and Cadillac vehicles produced between March 2021 and May 2024, new reports indicate engines are failing even after owners completed the prescribed repairs. General Motors has reported 6,953 complaints regarding failures following the recall remedy, while NHTSA's Office of Defects Investigation had recorded 499 such complaints as of August 20.

The investigation is also examining whether engines produced outside the original recall window are affected, following 191 additional reports involving L87 engines manufactured after May 2024. The underlying issues involve supplier quality problems, including rod-bearing damage from sediment and crankshafts with out-of-specification dimensions.