The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration and General Motors have issued a recall for certain examples of the Chevy Silverado HD and GMC Sierra HD over an issue related to the engine block heater.
The problem: in affected vehicles, an electrical short-circuit may occur in the cable for the engine block heater, or in the terminals that connect the heater cable to the block heater.
The hazards: if the engine block heater cable or terminals short circuit, there would be an increased risk of fire.
The fix: GM dealers will be instructed to disable the engine block heater in affected vehicles. The automaker will provide free replacement block heaters and cords under a separate customer satisfaction campaign at a later date. This recall is only for Chevy Silverado HD and GMC Sierra HD trucks with the optional 6.6L Duramax V8 diesel engine and the optional block heater.
Affected components: engine block heater, engine block heater cable.
Affected vehicles:
- 2017-2019 Chevy Silverado HD (with optional 6.6L Duramax V8 and engine block heater)
- 2017-2019 GMC Sierra HD (with optional 6.6L Duramax V8 and engine block heater)
Number of affected vehicles: a total of 331,274 vehicles are affected by this particular issue.
Owners should: GM will notify owners of affected vehicles and instruct them to make an appointment with their dealer. Owner notification letters are expected to be mailed August 16th, 2021. If owners are unsure whether or not their vehicle is affected by this recall, they can visit my.gm.com/
Contacts:
- NHTSA Campaign Number: 21V496000
- GM recall number: N212329840
- Chevrolet Customer Service: 1-800-222-1020
- GMC Customer Service: 1-800-462-8782
- NHTSA Toll Free: 1-888-327-4236
- NHTSA (TTY): 1-800-424-9153
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Comments
I know this is a GM site and I only get GM recalls. I cant but wonder if the rest of the industry get as many recalls as GM? It seems that every day a GM vehicle is being recalled for one thing or another. No minor how small they may be constant recalls got to hurt your reputation.
Seems to me, may be me, but a lot of this is foreign, out of the country parts being used. I know, I have nay sayers. But just seems like it me. As a whole. Neighbors truck went up in smoke a couple of years ago. No one in it, sitting in his driveway. Poof. Short circuit, diesel. Seen it at work too, at the factory, GM. As I said, just my thoughts.
It’s one bad thing if your vehicle catches fire. But if it takes your home and contents with it, that’s a disaster! One reason I’ll never have an electric car or truck. Not parked in my garage anyway!
So I live in northern Alaska and purchased a 2019 Sierra dramax truck which has an engine block heater recall, we are entering winter and I’ve heard nothing about a replacement yet, in an area where temps reach 30-40 below zero. Has anyone heard of a replacement for this yet?
I find this block heater issue disturbing in the sense that winter is now here, I can’t plug in my truck and GM’s only response to me is take to your local dealership. Well, I emailed them back and said I have already done that and the only option they gave me I to buy an oil pan heater and install it at my expense. I didn’t pay for this very expensive truck and extended warranty for a dealership to tell me it’s my problem. It is now the start of winter and we have already seen -25C and still no fix. I have always bought GM but this issue and lack of customer service is making me question my loyalties.
I just got off the phone with a GM representative and he has told me a fix should be annonced in mid-December. I hope he ment this year lol.
-34 last week still waiting on my new block heater, DanO
This is now disabled for two winters out of three. I am shocked that GM Engineers can’t develop a reliable block heater. I am tired of a battle at -30, not to mention how hard it is on our engines.
Or is it just trying to engineer the cheapest design and then outsourcing it so more corners can be cut.
Looking forward to seeing all the Duramax hoods in the air the winter. If I wanted a no start I would have bough a Cummins.
I’m up in Edmonton, it was -32 C overnight with a -40 C windchill, now the truck won’t start and this is the forecast for the next couple of days. I’ve already cancelled a winter trip due to this block heater issue because I can’t trust the truck to start. Now I’ve lost the use of the truck for several days and no way to start it. I can’t believe this wasn’t given priority to fix before winter, agree with the comments that GM may not be my next truck over this issue.
Yep -33 this mourning, love having a high price truck I can’t use, let’s go GM , I’m really thinking about trading it for a Toyota
I am in Spruce Grove with the same issues. I started my truck at -27 and high pressured the oil filter (leaked). I need that heater now, not next spring.
Nothing like having a duramax diesel in winter in Saskatchewan without a block heater. I have been driving a ford gasser with a working block heater, while my expensive chevy diesel sits in the nice warm shop looking pretty. C’mon GM deal with the frickin recall already, I am starting to like the Ford.
My Truck (2019 2500 Duramax) would not start for two days as well. Had to take the wife’s Honda to work. Taking a lot of crap from the guys at work who want me to trade in for a Dodge. I’ve been Chevy since I was 16. (40 years) Not having a reliable $70,000 truck because of a block heater issue is unacceptable.
My dealer said they fixed the problem with the block heater and I was good to go. This was last spring of 2022…..well this morning on Christmas day I go out to plug it in because it’s -24 degrees out… and the cord is not where it is supposed to be?? It was always on the passenger side by the negative terminal on the battery….it’s not there now…..when they did the fix …did they re-route the plug or did they lie to me and just removed the block heater all together?? It is now December 2022….has the problem with the recall been fixed? Does anyone know? Thank you!
The cord is very easy to miss. It’s actually right on top of the plastic radiator shroud passenger side front, there is a rubber cover over the plug. I could not find mine either and was just about to close the hood and it’s right there.
It’s December 2022. Has the problem been fixed? I just noticed my plug is gone…..so the dealer lied to me and pulled out the block heater without telling me!
Thanks Mike…..I will go look for it now! Merry Christmas!