How GM Dealers Handle Engine Valve Lifter Issues
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A few days ago, we published a report highlighting the valve lifter issues some General Motors customers were experiencing in certain vehicles equipped with either its 5.3L V8 L84 gasoline engine or 6.2L V8 L87 gasoline engine. In light of this article, we’ve decided to provide some insight into how GM typically handles valve lifter issues on vehicles still covered under warranty.
If a customer brings their vehicle to a GM dealership and reports a valve lifter problem, the dealership will first determine whether or not the customer has experienced a previous valve lifter issue with this particular vehicle. If they have not and the vehicle has less than 8,000 miles on the odometer, the dealer will replace the lifters on both cylinder banks. If the vehicle has more than 8,000 miles, only one bank of lifters will be replaced.
5.3L L84 V8 engine
If the customer has experienced prior valve lifter failures, dealers can choose one of three options: replace one bank of lifters and offer the customer a 60-month, 100,000-mile Powertrain Component Coverage Letter, replace the entire engine, or reach out to the District Manager of Aftersales for further guidance. The solutions are similar for a customer that has experienced valve lifter issues in the past and had one bank of lifters replaced. In this case, the dealer can replace one bank of lifters and offer a 60-month, 100,000-mile Powertrain Component Coverage Letter or reach out to the District Manager of Aftersales.
The aforementioned valve lifter problem affects 2019-and-later model-year Chevy Silverado 1500 and GMC Sierra 1500 pickups, as well as 2021 model-year full-size GM SUVs, including the Cadillac Escalade, Chevy Suburban, Chevy Tahoe, and GMC Yukon. More information on the issue is available in our dedicated report.
GM Authority intends to follow the valve lifter story closely and report on further updates as we receive them.
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Good ! Likely the only way to make them sit up and listen. But it would be so much “louder” if everyone screwed by the General did the same .
Idiots berating folk for stating problems and calling out the General for the crap they are building is hardly constructive. Firstly bad lifters or not, when paying the coin for a new vehicle you shouldn’t need to fight for the repairs. Secondly, you shouldn’t have to put up with the childish tirades of of the uninformed. Obviously these childish uninformed are only lashing out like infants with loaded diapers. Lets just fix the engineering problem instead.
100% correct.
THANK YOU!
To ACZ I’d be very surprised if the General reads anything past their bonus bucks. But really what’s your issue with reality ?
Your right in a few years no cylinders. All these cars gonna run off Budweiser and stripper glitter. Heck we might even see some sunshine and a black cat with a red bird in its mouth too.
How about the facts? Has anyone seen the root cause failure analysis on the lifters? I’m sure GM has done this as part of any significant problem, it would be SOP, and driven at eliminating a repeat. Removes speculation and guessing and dart throwing.
My son came home to Texas on leave last Christmas and traded his 2019 Ram 4×4 for a 2021 Silverado and drove back to Phili. In May this year he came back to Texas from Phili for his sisters graduation and he never got past Roanoke Va. before his engine failed.
They gave him a loaner and he drove back after his leave was up and picked up his truck. Again he has made the drive from Phiili to Texas for his last Christmas before he is reassigned to Korea and made it 6 hours past Roanoke to the middle of Tenn and once again his engine has crapped out.
I guess that Chevy engines are not suitable for cross country driving. He should have kept his Ram. I am on my 4th Ram since 1997 and have no issues in over 100k each.
Yep . They went from 1 of the sweetest engines to a bucket full of crap in just a few years. Just for the sole purpose of being able to claim (on paper) a mileage improvement. At what cost? Reliability , Reputation and lost Customers . Hmmm. I’m not sure that was a great trade off.
Well Dennis… You can deny the logical and the truth but it’s the science based facts that your feeble mind won’t grasp. Too bad. History tells us you are doomed. Doomed to continue making the wrong decisions over and over. Oh well just another doomed lackey.
So rather than bi*ch at each other, how about we focus on the issue of these lifters…
I have 21’ Denali, @ 8k miles pulling our travel trailer for a quick trip the left bank goes out. Bring it in to my local GM dealer, they have it for 7 weeks, I hook up to trailer again to deliver to some friends for a weekend and the right side goes out. Return to local GM dealer where they end up doing right side, wish they would have done that originally butttt NO, would never allow that to happen. I got the pickup back this time in about 2.5 weeks.
Now, cold starts in the morning is a pretty active “ticking” that I can’t pinpoint. Anyone else having continued issues??
All I can do to help you in your issue is to tell you to get rid of it immediately.. The ticking is the lifters.. Do you have the 5.3 leader L84 engine? If so sell it immediately. If the next bank of lifters goes out you will most likely have to replace the entire engine..
Some say they have driven it until it “blew”. New engine, No problems (YET)
Not being at the factory we’re the components are made. Isn’t there a system of quality control? From the steel coming in to the plant. Then from construction to final product is QC completed? I know how it should function just not in this application? Anyone?
Should , would and DO seems to evade them. Plus after a few hundred “went” early on… They shoulda ,coulda ,woulda… But didn’t bother.
Does this lifter issue affect the 2022 models? I’m looking at the 2022 silverado with the 6.2L ecotec3 with DFM.
All their V-8 engines are going to have the lifter issue. Junk.
Good for you fireboots. Take no prisoners and never take the 1st No from the dealer.
Have a 2009 and a 2017. Had to replace the motor due to a oil issue. Didn’t know we’re the oil was going. The 2017 had a lifter go out. They had my truck in the shop a month already. Told me they would replace both banks. It’s now only one lifter being replace. I’m never buying a junk Chevy. Done with GM. They can’t take responsibility.
Had a broken lifter on my 2021 Silverado at 9300km. Dealer got it fix. A week later, I have notice a weird noise when the engine runs a few km especially on the highway and then stop to run idle. A month after back and forth discussion with my dealer to fix the noise, they came back to inform that they need to open up the engine head to replace the head gasket since the mechanic got it installes backwards. Basically 2K km later. Does this sounds normal? Am I entitled to be compansated with and extended warranty offered by the dealer? Should I request a new engine? Thanks
How many times for the same problem before it’s a lemon?
Dropped my 2020 GMC Sierra x31 truck off at local GMC dealership for an oil, lube and filter change…Everything was running perfectly
when I had dropped truck off … While driving away and before leaving lot, “Service Parking Brake “, “Service ECM” and engine/wrench light came on. Backed it up to drive through oil change to report to Service advisor. This is my first new truck and I’m soooooo frustrated with the “gremlins” that have popped up…it has less than 17,000 km
My lifter failed on Cyl 1 in a 2021 Suburban. I think it’s total BS that they will only replace one bank of lifters. The GM mech told me chances are one will fail from the other side. This puts my family at a safety risk as we’re driving a new vehicle that has a know failure major failure issue. Why the F wouldn’t you just replace the other side while you’re already in there? I called GM while at the dealership and they wouldn’t do anything more. I have bought 14 Chevy vehicles in the last 6 years 4 suburbans , 2 Tahoes rest service trucks and they could care less. Well as far as I’m concerned, I will care less too. I’ve always been pro Chevy and buy American and this is how they treat their loyal customers. NOT ANY MORE. Should have done what’s right.
I agree with you 100% I bought a new 2016 corvette, it was junk from New, I sold it back to a dealer two days before the five year warranty was up. A friend bought a 2022 gmc p.u. with the straight 6 diesel, the tranny went out at 240 miles, the dealer has had it for two months now.I am convinced G.M. has no quality in their products. They just don’t care.. They are planning to surpass Tesla by 2025 with evs, I won’t be helping them do that.
I agree with you 100% I bought a new 2016 corvette, it was junk from new, I sold it back to a dealer two days before the five year warranty was up. A friend bought a 2022 gmc p.u. with the straight 6 diesel, the tranny went out at 240 miles, the dealer has had it for two months now.I am convinced G.M. has no quality in their products. They just don’t care.. They are planning to surpass Tesla by 2025 with evs, I won’t be helping them do that.
I have also really lost my confidence in GM. I’ve been buying their products for 50 years and will not again. My 2021 GMC 5.3 had one side replaced already, now I”m getting a check engine light again at 18k. GM really has their heads up their ass telling the dealers only to do one side…. this shouldn’t be an issue. They also need to freely hand out 100k warranties on their products, if they want to gain any trust at all in their products.