General Motors has issued a service update for 2021 model year full-size truck and SUV models that are being shipped to dealerships and may be affected by valve lifter problems.
The problem: affected vehicles may have or may be prone to experiencing a broken valve lifter lock pin spring. This problem only affectes vehicles equipped with the naturally aspirated 5.3L L84 V8 or 6.2L L87 V8 gasoline engines.
The hazards: this problem does not pose a safety hazard, however a broken valve lifter long spring can lead to various engine problems. As we reported in a previous article that addressed these widespread GM V8 engine valve lifter issues, affected vehicles may produce a service engine light, along with a misfire, peculiar engine noise and engine damage.
The fix: dealership technicians are instructed to replace both banks of cylinders in affected vehicles. These repairs must be performed upon arrival at the dealership and before the vehicles are sold to customers.
Affected vehicles:
- 2021 Cadillac Escalade
- 2021 Cadillac Escalade ESV
- 2021 Chevrolet Tahoe
- 2021 Chevy Suburban
- 2021 Chevy SIlverado 1500
- 2021 GMC Yukon
- 2021 GMC Yukon XL
Affected components: valve lifter, valve lifter lock pin spring.
Number of affected vehicles: it’s currently not clear how many vehicles were delivered to dealers in need of a valve lifter repair.
Owners should: this service update is for dealerships only and only affects vehicles that are en route to or have already been delivered to GM dealerships. No action is required by owners.
GM Authority has reported on these V8 engine valve lifter problems in the past, including an article outlining how GM dealers address the issues on customer vehicles. If you own a 5.3L L84 V8 or 6.2L L87 V8-powered GM vehicle, it may be worth reading up on these problems.
Contacts:
- GM service update number: N212353840
- Chevrolet Customer Service: 1-800-222-1020
- GMC Customer Service: 1-800-462-8782
- Cadillac Customer Service: 1- 800-333-4223
- National Highway Traffic Safety Administration Vehicle Safety Hotline: 1-888-327-4236
Subscribe to GM Authority for more General Motors Service Bulletin news, Cadillac news, Chevy news, GMC news and around-the-clock GM news coverage.
Comments
Stop using substandard engineering and parts to build an engine! Seriously, these things breaking down for lifters is all over social media and it’s a black eye on the company….again. Garbage in garbage out. But hey at least Mary got a leadership award despite all her vehicles breaking down.
Let’s be clear. This was a supplier issue that seemingly met manufacturer specifications for these 2021.
For legacy issues maintenance is key. The old.boys who say “synthetic oil is a crock; causes leaks” are then the one with issues. I literally hit 200,000 pulling onto my street tonight with mine and zero mechanical issues in my truck. Outside of routine fluids, brakes, tires, I 9nly had to replace my coolant reservoir cap which broke. $7 replacement. And it was the oring that swelled/became dislodged.
My truck is rated to tow 9300lbs and has towed 12,000. I towing 5,000+ frequently. It gets beat up on land development sites daily which is more off roading than most people who claim to “offroad” actually ever do. It sees dead cold starts at -5 for 3 months of the year and gets hit with heavy salt for 4 mont-s of the year.
Maintain a machine. And the machine will work. Put Big Macs and disease ridden women in it and it’ll die young.
The 1 in 100,000 trucks with AFM that had issues I bet you trace back maintenance on them and there would be key markers that lead to it.
I can assure you that maintenance was wholly unrelated to the valve train failure in my 2016 6.2 with 170k miles. 100% Mobil 1 synthetic with premium filter at every change. Never towed anything. Virtually exclusively highway miles – 21 mpg average over those 170k miles, and with the original brakes. Yet I had to replace the engine because the #3 intake lifter rotated modestly and scrubbed the associated cam lobe. $7k to replace a cam and lifters in a 170k engine that had made metal, or $11k for a new engine with a 100k warranty; not a hard decision. But a painful one just a few months after having to replace the 8L90 at $4.5k out of pocket. I’ve spent more on repairs on this truck than all vehicles I’ve owned, combined, including boats.
“21 mpg average over those 170k miles,”You might have averaged 12mpg and changed the motor out 3 times in 170k and been on par.
In 170k miles that AFM engine might have saved you 3,000 gallons of fuel and you are complaining.I doubt that there are many V8 engines out there that would last 170k without the AFM.For the life of me I cannot understand why anyone could complain about this.Do you know of any other 6.2L engine that can average 21mpg?A Subaru will only get 19mpg.
John,
I get 32MPG with my Subaru.
In my 2018 Silverado with the 6.2L I was getting 25mpg on the highway. But only AFTER I deleted the AFM. It was about 22mpg before I deleted it.
It doesn’t cost 7k to replace a cam and lifters in those either.
The company that just serviced my transmission on my 2003 Yukon Denali said that she see a LOT of 2020-2021 GM products coming in under 80,000 for a complete transmission changeout to the tune of $7200.
My 2021 Yukon Denali spent the last MONTH in the dealership. They had to take apart the engine and send the heads off to the machine shop and have them drill out a lifter spring and something else… Now my engine makes a different noise. 26,000 miles is when it all started. First, it was there for a week and the lifters were changed out. A week or so later, it failed again and it was there for a month and they said they changed out the lifters, changed the CAM, and the finally, off to the machine shop. I leased it and it’s still under warranty. I don’t think I want to keep it because I can’t trust it that it won’t strand me again, especially while towing my trailer. Bums me out big time. Lemon laws exist for this reason.
Well I don’t know $7200 about a transmission. I paid 4800 labor and transmission included with 100k mile warranty. But I pull heavy loads daily. Regret not getting a 2500. But I changed it at 119,000 miles and the engine runs strong no issues. It’s a 2019 Silverado
I seen this other idiot complaining that his AFM engine was burning a half quart of oil every 5,000 miles but it was saving him 40 gallons in fuel.
Responding to “John Brennan” comments:
The AFM didn’t save me (or anyone else) “3,000 gallons of fuel.” The EPA gives it one mpg one the highway; my personal experience is that I lost 0.4 mpg when I turned off the feature in the new engine – 20.6 mpg vs. 21.0 – approaching 50k miles on the new engine now – we’re not talking about a tank or two. Using the (bigger) EPA numbers, AFM “saved” $1,215 in fuel (@ $3/gal.) over 170k miles. I would have rather paid for the gas than the engine.
Cam & lifter replacement in an AFM LT engine requires head removal and oil pan removal (to remove/replace what we used to call a timing chain cover) – which necessitates the engine’s removal from the vehicle. I shopped five shops and was quoted from $6,800 to $8,000. I’m sure YOU would do it for less, but I don’t trust your judgement. Whether or not this carries over to a DFM LT engine is beyond my scope of knowledge.
I’ve owned six LS/LT engines. The first (2000 5.3) went 250k miles without being tocuhed, and used 0.25 quarts of oil every 5k miles when I sold it. My first 5.3 AFM, by 100k miles, was burning over 1 quart per 1k miles. My second (simultaneous to first) 5.3 AFM began burning 1 qt/1k at 180k miles. My (only) 5.3 LT is “good” at 140k miles. I’ve already descirbed my 5th/6th experiences. Relative to GEN-I small blocks, 250k miles with only a water pump replacement was common. An LS without AFM can easily do that, too.
This comment makes the 161st on this topic. A few pipe smokers like you say “oh, there’s nothing wrong, just idiots that don’t know (fill in the blank).” Well I know what a lot of the other 160 on here know: We’ve dealt with catastrophic failures of AFM/DFM valve trains in non-abused, well-maintained, relatively low-milage vehicles – repeatedly – and we never had these problems in non-AFM/DFM engines. This year alone two friends have had failures in 2021 GM 5.3’s – the second one “did it right” and drove it until it took a crap (with just 3k miles on the odometer) and forced a new engine from GM, not a repair to one lifter bank. The first one is back in the shop again as I type.
There’s a problem. It dates back to the debut of AFM in 2007. It’s not about a “bad batch” of this part or that part from a particular supplier. Not everyone experiences it in a single vehicle. But, if you own enough of them, or for long enough, clearly the odds are you will experience a valve train failure in an AFM/DFM equiped LS or LT engine. That’s why I’m done with them. They don’t save enough gas to compensate for their maintenance and repairs that will *likely* be required.
very well said. Thank you
Supplier issues or not….Unreliable engines should not have ever reached consumers. GM selected the supplier and are responsible for assembling the engine and vehicle. They should have caught this before it was an issue.
It’s causing even more damage to GM’s brands. And they can’t afford any hits.
First of all you need to stop spreading false information. These engines are far from unreliable and you need to do some research as opposed to reading some online forums with a few disgruntled owners that whine while trying to make it sound like 50% of these trucks have this issue. There are three parts to this.
First, the bad batch due to a supplier issue. That happens across all brands, a 3rd party supplier misses a batch or run of bad parts. It sucks but happens from Kia to Mercedes.
Two, maintenance. That goes a long way. Running incorrect oil or going outside of the service intervals has been known to cause some issues.
Three, rogue issues. It is a mechanical engine assembled by robots and humans, there will be rogue issues. It sucks when it is a something a little more major like an internal engine component so people throw a fit. What is the difference between a starter going out or a lifter? Both make the truck undriveable, but those guys (who most know nothing about the actual interworking of an engine) just hear it is internal and they start to whine and smear like it is some huge issue yet it is covered by warranty when done in the first 5 year and 100k and you move on.
All brands have those, the Hemi also has some of the same rogue issues and noise on the forums. Toyota has had bad batches of parts. These engines are far from unreliable. Yes there will be those that fail at 170k on occasion, but those are few and far between and honestly that starts to get up there in life. The one guy talks about cruising on the highway most of it, that keeps the revs and heat low so it probably had some other related babying impact by not getting run hard or hot (yes cycle play a big role in things). The C5 Z06 had issues long term when owners of them that never ran them hard leaving power, oil consumption and other issues on the table.
Either way I know a few people past 200k on these motors with out issue, we have had a few of ours go past 100k+ without issue. Most don’t have issues and you never see them on the forums or comment sections, only those few that have issues and want to whine and complain and try and smear them or owners of other brands trying to troll. Don’t make a mounting out of a mole hill, the failure percent is probably less than 1% with the millions of the engines they make a year…
The vehicles refereed to have not even had there first oil change or maybe there first oil change. new vehicles
They are junk. GM is a joke and can’t fix issues with these new models. I had tp lemon-law out of my 2019 and my 2020 has some of the same issues. GM does not care about their customers these days. I’ve owned 6 Silverados and this will be my last.
My 2021 Silverado with 8,029 miles failed 330 miles from home with dog, horse in tow, etc. on November 24, 2021. Lifters replaced one side only. Will drive it home today. I am going to sue to have ALL lifters replaced with non-defective pins.
These are defective parts from a supplier and these vehicles are being repaired before they are delivered to the customers if you had read this correctly and as far as your claim your ’19 and ’20 having the same issues I seriously doubt that.In other words I am saying that you are lying for some weird reason.We have not been seeing many issues at all with them.”Owners should: this service update is for dealerships only and only affects vehicles that are en route to or have already been delivered to GM dealerships. No action is required by owners.”
John Brennan, no action required by owners because they are not repairing sold vehicles. And these DFM lifters have been faulty since last year. almost all 2020’s and ALL 2021’s have faulty lifters. its a design flaw, not supplier issue. I see it first hand. Every day. they will all fail at some point
Totally agree I’ll never own another one a $7,000 plus repair hit’s really hard
Right “incorrect oil or going outside the service interval”. Explain how the majority of these engines lifters fail under 8k miles. Mine was 4K miles, well under service interval and the oil installed by the manufacture.
My right side failed at 5k and left side failed 2 weeks later after getting it back from the dealership. I asked why didn’t they replace them both and said GM stated they needed to replace the one that failed not both. I’ve only have my vehicle for 5 months is a 2021 Sierra 1500. My first truck and having buyers remorse.
This same thing can happen to any brand and does.Everybody is being forced to squeeze every ounce of fuel mileage.UPS trucks get beat up hard and they are getting 400-500k out of those 6.0 L and they are the best gas engines ever.The AFM and 0W20 oil has been an issue but they get awesome fuel mileage and they still average a very long life although a few may have problems.
GM sells 10 trucks for every Tundra It’s like 200,00 to 20,000 and go to any Tundra complaint forum.
Me & my friend both having the same issues. It’s with the dealership as we speak to replace left side lifters, right side were replaced before 4 months. 2021 GMC SIERRA 1500 DENALI 5.3L V8 with barely 17,000 miles. Without vehicle TWICE for a month each in just one year. What a joke GMC is? This is my first and last any GM vehicle. I am going to sell it as soon as it get fixed this time. Going back to my original Lexus brand.
Commonsense ain’t so common, and you have zero.
200,000 miles on a 2021? I highly doubt that. Did you read the article? This is only regarding 2021 model year vehicles with DFM, which was supposed to be the best engineered fuel management system ever.
You need to stop being obtuse and face reality.
These are unreliable engines with widespread problems and a long list of complaints from customers dating back to at least 2007. Cylinder deactivation is likely one of the reasons GM dropped their standard 100,000 mile powertrain warranty.
The way GM has elected to prioritize 1 MPG improvement in their CAFE ratings at the expense of their customers is particularly insulting to those of us who owned T400 or earlier GM trucks. We know that they are capable of making reliable engines. They simply decided not to. And clearly thought that their pickup and SUV owners were too dumb or unsophisticated to realize that they are being screwed.
You can make excuses for these terrible leadership decisions and shoddy products all day long. Those of us who have owned them know that GM is peddling hot garbage right now. They don’t make a single light duty gas engine that I trust anymore.
I have first hand experience with a 5.3L with AFM. AFM is why there is a 2021 Toyota truck in my driveway now instead of a another Chevy. I spend my money on something that I know will work for years.
Amen.
i have a 2019 with lifter and bent push rod issues..is there recall. im out of my warranty.
GM sells 10 trucks for every 1 Tundra.Go to any complaint board about Tundra’s and as far as AFM only being a 1 mpg increase is wrong too.Another fellow on here is complaining that his 6.2L with 170k miles on it averaged 21 mpg.These are defective parts from a supplier and were not even delivered to any customers yet if you had read this correctly.This is just an opportunity for you to mouth off.”Owners should: this service update is for dealerships only and only affects vehicles that are en route to or have already been delivered to GM dealerships. No action is required by owners.”
amen. there are hundreds of thousands of these out in the field and GM ignores all these customers. There needs to be ATTORNEY GENERALS FROM EVERY STATE ON TOP OF THIS PROBLEM!!!!
I doubt many of these idiots even own one of these trucks and are probably Tesla stockholders taking pot shots.Tesla is dead last on all the reliability charts and they are butt hurt.They are all over YouTube saying anything they can possibly say to pump their stock prices up.
John Brennan, seems like you own most of the GM stocks. Idiot defenders like you can’t make brand new 2021 GMC vehicle owners any more pissed off than they already are. Thousands of faulty built vehicles were sold to consumers by GM even after knowing they are defective and why? Just to make stock holders like you happy. I am in favor of class action law suite against GM and it’s dealers. Dealers should hold accountable also as they knowingly sold the vehicles even after having multiple vehicles in their warranty repair shop with the same issues over and over.
You know what you are talking about.These other people on here are just being malicious and did not even read this story correctly.This is not about any defective engines or designs it is only about some defective lockpin springs from a supplier that have not even reached the customers yet.”Owners should: this service update is for dealerships only and only affects vehicles that are en route to or have already been delivered to GM dealerships. No action is required by owners.”
My 2021 Yukon Denali lifters/“bent pushrod” failed at approx 26,000 miles. I took possession of it mid 2020-before the lifter bulletin to dealerships. The dealer replaced the full banks of lifters but it happened again a couple hundred miles later. It’s been in the shop over two weeks this time. Even if they change the cam, the issue still remains and is unreliable. I tow a trailer and no longer have peace of mind that this vehicle won’t strand me and my family. My 2003 Denali is almost at 250,000 miles and I feel so lucky it has only stranded me once due to fuel pump. I’ve maintained it meticulously and when I turn in the 2021 for lemon law, I will keep driving the 2003. It’s too bad-the 2021 has a huge cargo area and is gorgeous inside and out. Just a crying shame. It was my first brand new vehicle. ;(
I received a 2021 from Karl Chevrolet and it is setting in shop right now with a cracked head and busted lifters at 12,000 miles. So obviously they didn’t fix this truck before it was sold to me.
If no owner action is required why is my 2021 Tahoe with 6949 miles on it in the shop to get the lifters replaced ????
This same thing can happen to any brand and does.Everybody is being forced to squeeze every ounce of fuel mileage.UPS trucks get beat up hard and they are getting 400-500k out of those 6.0 L and they are the best gas engines ever.The AFM and 0W20 oil has been an issue but they get awesome fuel mileage and they still average a very long life although a few may have problems.
Amen
Doesn’t GM make their own lifters at Grand Rapids? Not a supplier issue…
The lifters are made in Grand Rapids, the springs are made by a supplier that provides them to Grand Rapids
The spring is not the problem, it’s the lock pin that retains the spring.
Trust me, this issue is the spring. The spring had a tiny crack in the wire that would after around 5000 miles shear off and break in half. This would cause the lockpins to stick in and the lifters to fail
” broken valve lifter lock pin spring.”
My,2021 Silverado 1500 with 5.3 dfm broke down at 6000 miles. Lifter failed on driver’s side bank. Dealership only replaced the one side bank. Hopefully it’s not going to break down again. Transmission is shifting hard in to 2 gear only on first take off then it doesn’t do it again until it sits.until next time I drive it. Dealership says nothing is wrong.
What was the build date? Mines doing exact same thing with tranny. Waiting on lifters
To fail. I’m just about 5400 miles.
It a 2021 Silverado 1500 5.3 with DFM . Don’t know if that helps you. Not sure what you mean by build date.
we have had multiple vehicles with lifter failure before the first oil change was due.
And after the second one you still purchased more of the same?
Bingo, the failure rate is less than 1% with the millions of these they make a year. Maintenance and how they are ran make a difference. Babying it 100% of the time is never good either, you want some of that fluid flowing fast and hot on occasion. Think what hot water does to your dishes versus cold with stuck on food and on low vs high pressure. Run them hard, let them circulate fast and hot and helps clean out little particles that collect and gets them filtered.
I’m curious. How do you know the failure rate? A failure rate of 1% would be pretty high ( 1 in every 100 vehicles). Are there some statistics that are kept on failure rates of GM engines? I think only GM would know. These forums usually are biased to those that have had problems and are not a good source to determine failure rates. I have a 2022 Tahoe and have been following these forums and can’t determine just how prevalent the lifter problem is.
I dont know if there is a real chart up there anywhere but the 3 chevrolet dealers I work with nearby and 2 GMC dealers all have similar results of 1 in every 400 to 500 fail.
AFM 5.3 engines in 2006 and up are junk and self destruct after 100k miles. Due to lifter problems. GM needed and needs to recall all of these engine. Non AFM 5.3 and 6.0 seem to not have these issues. Even synthetic oil did not save them.
Or put Big Macs and disease-ridden men in there and it’ll die young just as well
Other than that ignorant statement my Denali gets treated the same way yours does and you have a point…maintain it and it will remain maintained…
wrong. every AFM lifter is bad by design. before the engine is ever even filled with oil. the internal lock springs fail constantly. and its FAR more than 1 in 100,000 when GM is ordering Dealers to replace lifters on every new truck they receive before they can be sold
My 21 Tahoe with 5.3 at 2200 miles lifter failure then again at 5200 miles never toed or driven over 70 mph its a grocery getter
I was thinking the same thing about my 2021…a $90K grocery-getter!
Considering GM delivered 765,000 trucks in 2021, I would say it’s far more prevalent than “1 in 100,000. There’s a lot more than 8 trucks with AFM lifter problems. A LOT more.
Let me clear this up !!!!!!! My brand new 2022 Chevy Silverado Trailboss with 11,484 miles on it just broke down from lifter failure. The only maintenance that was done on my vehicle was the first oil change at 7,000 miles at the dealership. Then the dealership could not find me a rental so they put me in a uhaul !!!!!!! I am currently waiting for them to replace the lifters. I don’t even want this vehicle anymore. People need to be aware of this issue !!!!!!!! I thought what I saw on youtube was bad, it’s a whole lot different when it happens to you
I have a 2021 Silverado Z71 with 34000 miles that has the lifter problems
Had to replace LT engine in my 2015 Tahoe at 133K. Lifter failure. 0-20w Mobile one oil and WIX filter every 4K miles.
It appears that Lifter/rod problems have been around for a while and maybe caused by multiple issues – defective parts on some 2021’s as one set of issues but possibly DFM on others…. Or maybe defective or out of spec material/parts issues are compounded and magnified by the DFM technology as well???? Not sure fixing or replacing the parts would solve DFM related issues if indeed DFM has any part to play (besides defective lifter/rod material). I wonder if I should invest in a DFM deactivation module on my yet to be delivered 2022 6.2L or just walk away from my $1000 deposit and shop another brand??? I usually keep and drive my vehicles for 12-15 years and 200,000 miles and honestly always push maintenance intervals – doesn’t sound like GM can handle my bad habits!! Comments?
Personally, I would not buy a DFM-equipped vehicle. I bought two AFM-equipped vehicles after GM swore they’d addressed their issues; they hadn’t. Ultimately, doing so cost me a replacement engine (my dime, not GM’s). I would absolutely consider the diesel engine, but I absolutely would NOT consider the 5.3 or 6.2.
Regarding maintenance…it’s irrelevant: They fail when they’re ready to fail. You see the comments here about 1k, 2k, 10k mile failures. Those are not maintenance-induced. I had an earlier (LS-based) AFM start drinking oil at 30k miles, another at 180k. I had a later (LT-based) AFM engine eat a cam at 170k miles – all meticulously maintained and not abused.
My advice, for what it’s worth, is this: If you MUST have a gasoline engine, shop elsewhere.
Why isn’t Sierra on the list?
The Sierra isn’t on the list because GMC is their “premium” brand. You pay more and you get a better product (at least that’s what they want you to believe).
2020 Sierra AT4 6.2 engine replaces at 4000 miles
I had the same vehicle.
for two days. 350 on the odometer
spent the next 60 days at the dealership
sold it back to GM, only took them 3 1/2 months to get my money back
and they wouldn’t cover the interest on the loan over that period of time.
Me – $650
Got off cheap
My 2021 high country Tahoe actually received this fix last year back in November. Is this simply a late report or is GM finally sending out the public notice? Dealerships were already aware as I couldn’t buy mine until after it was fixed.
Had the fix last year as well ‘21 LT Trail Boss @ 4,000 miles and was livid GM was still knowingly selling these engines without a fix. This article is saying dealers have to fix them before they are sold. Finally doing the right thing.
I just spoke to a service rep at a Chevy dealer today . If you can believe it , she told me this service bulletin was only for a very specific time frame of vehicles shipped in October and November of 2021. I don’t remember what the exact dates were , but it was only about 1 month of vehicles that were in transit or on the lot during that time frame. I bought my truck on December 6 th and she said my truck was outside of the time frame because they received it in October , before this “in transit “ service bulletin was released. I don’t know whether to believe them or not.
My 2021 GMC had to go in the dealership for the valve problems at 10,000 miles
Its about time, GM, These bad lifters went on way too long… This is going to be an expensive recall,
Can’t even get a pushrod v8 right anymore.
Oh my.
You can, it’s called the L8T 6.6L devoid of this non-sense Gretta tech that saves drops of fuel.
The supplier is at fault here. At least they are trying to fix them before they get into the customers hands now. Not all will have the issue but if you do, they do take care of it.
Is this really a separate issue from the lifter problem engines were having that were built between Sept of 2020 and March of 2021? Yikes…this has been quite a large issue it seems if that’s the case. It’s kind of embarrassing really.
No, same issue, article is saying GM is FINALLY stepping up and doing the right thing before they sell it to a customer and actually fixing them first. I found it pretty disturbing, knowing how widespread the issue was and they were still selling them all year with a smile on their face.
Its been over a year of the same issues lol wow
Apparently they are not stepping up at all . I spoke to a dealer today and they told me this service bulletin was only for some vehicles that were in transit for a about 1 month during October and November. She gave me specific dates and said if my truck didn’t fall in those dates then you are on your own.
She said there’s nothing wrong with it…drive it until it blows up. Then tell her that her bulletin was wrong.
The primary element that, traditionally, made these engines immensely more durable, efficient and compact that OHC variants – and GM has screwed it up.
Sometimes I think it’s all on purpose…in an effort to make us WANT electric vehicles that they will promote as more reliable.
What makes you think they can produce reliable electriq (see what i did there) cars?
It’s all outsourced to the lowest bidders.
I don’t think they can make reliable electrik (see what I did??) cars. I only think they can market them as such, and because they’re “different” than what’s been having all the the problems, many will buy in.
Like their BOLT fire-starter. EV’s are a fraud and so is Barra.
You are probably too young to remember the OPEC embargos.
Let’s be clearer.
supplier’s of these components don’t have their name on the vehicle.
GM is responsible for reliable, quality sourcing.
GM has the responsibility to select sources that are capable; and verifies they can meet the requirements – not because they have the lowest bid and can meet the delivery schedule.
In the end, It says GMC, or Chevrolet, or Cadillac on the badge.
The parts from gm suppliers are built to gm specs.and should undergo gm QC testing to the point of failure.
.They own the problems, most parts are supplier acquired today, they are basically assemblers and make a small amount of parts in-house.
I am a spring maker by trade. I have made untold millions of springs. WHO is this spring supplier? Who else are they making parts for ?
So pop the I6.
I have a 2005gmc and my lifter make ing noise iam I in the recall I have the 5.3 let know please thank you
A 2005 you have, correct? No, your truck would not be part of this issue…just the 2021 models with Dynamic fuel management lifters.
Your 2005 is probably one of the better engines, prior to any AFM/DFM technology.
A 16 year old vehicle and you have issues and you want gm to fix it for free?
Good luck with that.
I’m normally not one to complain against innovation but this cylinder deactivation system has been a headache for many people since day one. The Gen 3 and gen 4 4.8Ls were the pinnacle of GM engineering and were damn near bulletproof. I’m in line for a 2022 Sierra and I’m probably gonna go with the duramax option even though I’m not a big diesel guy
And Mary was $23 million dollars last year. 😂 She should be kicked to the curb.
For the amount of money makes she should embarassed to take it. Maybe donate some to chip manufacturer.
I just paid $5,000.00 to replace leftside lifters in my 2016 sierra. Five years and three months old, 93,000 miles.
Pursuing Marty’s of Kingston where I purchased vehicle brand new with 5 year 100,000 mile warranty.
I had brought vehicle in at 1,000 miles complaining about vibrations and growling caused by left side lifters.
Marty’s said that I was three months outside my warranty when lifters failed,
they will not honor warranty.
When they told you the price of fixing half the problem you should of took it to knowledgeable independent tech and fixed the problem permanently.
You got sold a 5 large band-aid.
I’ve got a pre-AFM / DFM Sierra. I’ve been waitin, waiting, waiting until it was “Safe” to buy a new Chevy truck.
Looks like I’ll be driving it till I die.
The question is… Will they have the parts to do the repairs? Will those with (now) used vehicles be at the top of the list OR the bottom? So … Dealer 1st or Customer ? I’m betting on customer Dead Last.
This issue or issues very similar to this has been going on for a long, long time. We had brand new 2006 Impala SS that used AFM. Took excellent care of it, oil and filter changes all on time. And after only 35K miles started to have oil use issues. And spark plug fouling about 20K miles later.The dealer provided what they thought was going on, a several page GM TSB (service bulletin)that spelled out a number of things that could cause it, but mainly “nicked” valve stems that could be caused by a lack of lubrication when AFM was active. The TSB indicated changing heads would repair it, along with a newly modified oil pan, and an oil check valve of some kind. But GM would not cover the TSB repair in a passenger car. Only Chevy or GMC pickups. Crazy!
But Fords pickups have cam-phaser issues that continue to plauge their engines, and RAM has transmission and rear end issues.
Pick your truck, and pick your problems!
GM has ignored these engines for a while. Just not as many value-added updates, and far too many changes that compromise the design. The 5.3L has been needing a power boost for a while, but instead it gets really shoddy, expensive, and unreliable add-ons that save a small amount of fuel but guarantees a very expensive repair before 100,000 miles.
They took what was one of the most reliable engine lineups in the world in 1998-2006….and completely ruined it.
Engine durability is no longer a selling point of GM trucks…and that’s a real shame.
Finally!
To many owners trading them in for Rams?
RAM has it’s own share of MDS failure (their version of AFM). Google Hemi tick. Pop in on some forums. They love AFM/DFM/MDS just as much.
I currently purchased a 2021 chevy silverado crew cab WT,5.3 gas motor,
Purchased date was august 2021,
How could i tell if my truck falls in the valve lifter defect??
You will know it when you hear it.
Push the blue on-star button.
I have 2018 sierra,6.2 11,ooo miles,cam and lifters ,, 24,000 , reman engine,same lifter problems,,,don’t they ever learn??????
Lmfao I have a 2019 Silverado and this just happened in July at 91,000 kms truck was in for 9 weeks as global shortage of head gaskets. Still have issues. 4 new truck since 2014. Where to turn? What to buy next?
This is accurate. I was without my 2021 Sierra for a month due to collapsed lifters and the head gasket shortage.
My buddy who lives in the northwoods of WI. said a tech told him that these repairs were being done with parts sourced from NAPA.
It’s pretty sad you spend over $50k on a vehicle and the first thing that needs to be done is replacing all the lifters and rods. Texas Speed AFM/DFM delete kit to the rescue!
I have a 2015 Yukon Denali with the 6.2 and it’s a piece of junk. I have been buying GM products for 45 years and this is the worst. I’ve had it in to the dealer more times than I can count and have had multiple transmission services. at 170k these things are scrap. I have replaced the magnetic ride struts and shocks, taillights, door wiring harnesses, GPS antenna, transfer case shift motor, and now I have a ticking on #2 lifters. If I weren’t able to do the repairs myself, this piece of junk would have been scrapped. I should have lemon lawed this pile of … I am extremely fussy about servicing my vehicles, nothing but the best parts regardless of cost. Amsoil is used in everything. My 2003 Suburban with 360k on it is still running perfectly and everything works. Good thing I hung on to it, the Denali is down so often I’m using the old Burb more than anything else. I used to work for GM final assembly and I recognize bad engineering when I see it. I have had to do significant reprogramming on the transmission because of bad programming from the factory that they wouldn’t fix. When I’m done this will be a great vehicle, although not much will be original other than the shell.
.Gm should put solid lifters in their engines and call it the day. Yes when you have an oil change done adjust the lifters if needed. My 383 motor (350 stroker) has them and it runs like a clock. Red line 7200 rpm. She’s a “quarter pounder’…runs 10’s all day long…maintain
GM engine issues is why God gave us Lexus…
Wow. I’m amazed that this is happing in 2021 going on 2022. These trucks are expensive if yiu can get one. I feel bad for everyone. I replaced my 6.0 litre in my 08 Tahoe Hybrid with a used motor. Gm could not get a engine for me. That’s ok. My tahoe had a collapsed #5 cylinder and a oiling issue on #1. Used motor was $6000.00 installed. Good luck to everyone
Holy Crap! I have a 2004 Savana 5.3 and a 2012 Express 5.3, no problems and neither one uses oil. Your saying I should consider myself lucky and just keep running them as the new engines will not be as reliable? My nephew just took delivery on a new Yukon. I hope he got a good engine. He sold his Toyota Tacoma to get the Yukon because he has a family now. I’m going to feel mighty bad if the Yukon turns out to be a lemon.
I have an 01 silverado with 300k plus on original engine. Bought a 2017 5.3L non E85 Z71 pickup dealer maintained completely and lifter failure before 124k very diappointed. Dealer tried hitting me for 14k to replace engine and 8k for a bandaid repair. Been a lifelong gm owner and one time dealer drivability tech and never saw these kinds of issues. Gonna stick with my older trucks for sure. Never will I buy another and was considoring a new 2500 with 6.6 gas engine.
gm does not put afm/dfm crap on the 6.0/6.6 in HD trucks they know better than to piss-off the HD crowd.
Hey, I’m going to my Chevy dealer RIGHT NOW to buy a brand new new $50K Chevy truck with a rebuilt engine!!!! May have to wait in line until they get more head gaskets.
To Sean Do they still make Lada’s ? Sure an S… box but you know that going in. Maybe 1 to consider.
The NAPA repair probably works.
WOW !!!! This is going to cost GM big $$$$ !!! I’m glad I don’t own one.
Maybe GM should have skipped the $10 billion stock buy-back and used the money to improve vehicle reliability.
THIS ^^^^^^^^^
G m needs to repair all the chevy dash that just crack. They crack because of bad product.
Just turned 16K miles and 21 Trail Boss in shop. And no word on getting parts to fix. Total BS!! Make better parts/engines and from this country.
Just turned 15,025 on my 21 LTZ 6.2. Hauled to dealership on a rollback last Monday. They are pretty sure it’s lifter related. Teardown investigation started yesterday. Update expected Monday of this week. Hope parts are readily available now.
You hope NAPA has the parts to fix your new truck.
18000 miles and lifters are out. They said would be two weeks.
My friend has a 2007 Chevy Tahoe ltz had same problem with his engine cylinder 4 lifter stuck be paid alot of money to have this replaced got about 4500 miles then problem happened again to this day truck still has this problem I have a 2000 GMC Yukon xl 5.3 l almost 278000 miles on it still going strong the afm was the worst thing gm came out with I had rented a suburban once with that system I used more gas with that then my 2000
If the engine has to be rebuilt, it just makes sense to delete the AFMDFM before putting it back together.
The traverse had engine issues as well, gm knew this but had bought x amount of engine’s they couldn’t return so they just shoved them in there anyway and passed it onto the consumer.
The issue isn’t that they can’t fix the problem as much as won’t. After all it may affect the bottom line. That may affect their bonus’s. That just can’t be allowed. I wonder how many will buy other brands and affect the Generals bottom line after all the smoke clears. My last new GM was in 86. Haven’t really felt the need to keep the Generals bonus’s high. Now if everyone felt the same maybe things would improve but I doubt it .
I have a 2017 Chevy Silverado and I had to replace my lifters on my own money I had Chevys all my life I’m thinking about going to Toyota
I am a life long GM customer, and I am sorely disappointed that they are doing the things they’re doin to those that have bought vehicles that are much older than 2021, some of us like me own vehicles from as far back as 2002 and we have no recourse, unless we choose to deal with the cost or get rid of the vehicles.
You all are really passing off current and future customers with inferior products and you really don’t care!
I love my vehicles but this unwillingness on your part to even remotely address this defect is very disheartening.
The author used incorrect terminology in this article. This is really a valve spring issue, not a valve lifter issue. Yes, they received a bad batch of valve springs from a supplier. Probably not correctly heat treated.
My 2021 Sierra has 23000km on it purchased in March 2021 and had this issue and was repaired. Then the catalytic converter needed to be replace due to the lifter issue. Maintenance has been performed every 5000 km eventhough that’s overkill with synthetic oil. The Maintenance on my vehicle is not a contributing factor in my case. Just bad part(s) that caused the problems. Shouldn’t have this type of issues so early in the life of such and expensive vehicle. The next major problem with this truck will be my last. I’ll have it declared a lemon and ask for my money back.
This has been an issue for many years with the GM motors I have an 07 Denali with a 6.0.
And I had to replace lifters and a cam at 113k. There should have been a recall back then.
It is a bad batch of valve springs, not valve lifters.
So those of us who already own a 2021 affected model just have to wait for them to fail to get the upgraded fix? But they decided to fix every brand new one that comes on the lot before selling them. Why not recall every affected vehicle on the road and fix them before failure? It seems if they do fail while in service it can take out the cam and/or bearings as well, or damage them enough so they fail later. I have a 2021 Suburban Z71 5.3 with 11,000 miles. I run it all the time in L9 instead of D to defeat the DFM, which I think is the problem. Do I knock on wood and wait, or trade it in while it still has value (it’s actually worth a little more now than what I paid for it)? My thoughts are trade it in for a 2021 or 22 with the I-6 diesel motor, but I really hate diesels. Fords are ugly (and unsure of the twin turbo V6 for longevity), don’t trust Jeep/Mopar, Toyota too small…not many choices in this Large SUV category….
Read up on the diesel I know of numerous people that had the motors blow up one at 3600 miles and one at 9400 miles and gm bought both of them back for more then they paid due to a 12 week lead time on a motor not to mention you have to drop the transmission at 75k miles to replace the fuel belt all on your dime!
Sure glad I’m not wrenching at a gm dealer… talk about monotonous…
I will gladly pay for the AFM/DFM delete kit and have them install the upgraded cam and non AFM lifters and delete the VLOM. I pay for the parts, GM covers the labor. 😁
There is no DFM delete kit made for the 2021 and newer SUVs, only for the pickups, but they aren’t interchangeable.
Actually, there are no DFM delete kits available for anything 2019 and newer with the 10 speed – pickup or SUV.
There will be too new most are still under a factory warranty.
I have a 2019 AT4 6.2 and it is going in with 35k to get the engine tore down for this issue. It has had the problem since 12k but it took them this long to do something about it. My co worker had his 20 AT4 with 2400miles have his engine replaced and another friend is getting new heads on his 21 Denali with only 36miles on it. It’s sad to see them having so many problems since I used to be a fan.
GM trucks are crap. I own a 2007 and 20013 trucks and had lifter failure. The oil pumps in those trucks are crappy. Trans problems also. They look good but aren’t worth a damn.
Chevrolet is a joke I bought a 2019 RST with 17 miles its spent over 5 months in the shop 2 transmissions, lifters,push rods and cam not to mention a back window that poors water in and has ruined my headliner as well as interior they don’t have an ETA on a new window truck smells like pure mold and they expect me to drive my 3 young kinds around in this junk these trucks should be bought back with no issues but they don’t want to back there junk. Not to mention the truck was 60k and is about to go back to the shop for the 5th time just for the transmission alone and it’s due to transmission slamming into gear again. Contact lemon law group it’s your best bet!
I just looked up direct comparisons of the EPA numbers for identical trucks with and without cylinder deactivation: ONE mpg on the highway in the 5.3’s (no data available on 6.2’s). All of this misery over ONE mpg on the highway. Using their numbers straight-up, that means – at $3/gallon – a $650 difference over 100k miles. A price I would gladly pay to have a truck that doesn’t fail – and immensely cheaper than the repair costs when they do fail.
Holy Crap! My 2004 and 2012 5.3 V8’s are looking better and better! Does anybody make a good engine? This topic really ripped some scabs off of a bunch of wounds. Does anybody at gm read this stuff?
I have a 2019 Silverado 1500LD and with 150k logged. Towing everyday nonstop while idling overnight too. Haven’t had a problem yet.
This happen with my 2008 tahoe LS 5.3L and I had to pay almost 4000 to chevy dealership to fix
If you have an out of warranty lifter issue DO NOT take it to the dealer.
Buy a AFM delete kit from Summit Racing and have a skilled independent tech install it.
A quality catch can also recommended.
At the minimum an AFM shut off device will have to be plugged in to the diagnostic port or take it to a tuner that can shut the AFM off and put an economy tune in it and you will probably get that 1 MPG on a good day back or go for a performance tune if you care to put premium fuel in.
2013 GMC Sierra rigorously maintained, at 101,xxx new motor do to right side valve issue on #5. Valve collapsed ate my camshaft. Full motor replacement with non dod motor.
Never happened this early on with any other Chevy/gm models. Horrible design and even worse with the newer ones. Gm needs to stop being cheap and take care of clients. How does this not affect units sold before this notice? Just trying to avoid recalls cheap move! Never again will I buy a gm product and I’ll talk anyone out of every chance I get. Good luck gm
People are so dramatic. If You read these comments you would think no trucks from Ram or Ford were never recalled. You would also think that every vehicle GM ever produced is being recalled. Read each article thoroughly and you will get a better idea of what you are talking about. EVERY CAR MAKER HAS RECALLS AT SOME POINT!
Dramatic? How would you like to own a 2021 vehicle that was upwards of $90K, only for it to be in the shop multiple times, sometimes for months waiting on parts? Most less than a year old with under 12K miles.
Plus, if it were a recall most would be happier, but the real point is THEY HAVEN’T RECALLED ANYTHING YET!!!!
Yes, every manufacturer has recalls. But only the General continues to pump out a defective design concept after 16 years of perpetual issues, claims and failures – all in the name of one extra mpg on the highway.
Recalls aren’t the problem. The lack of their abilities to fix what they know is wrong is. I’ve had a differential issue that is still an issue two years in with no resolution in the future. I’m just stuck with it. And those that complain about the people upset that their 70,000 vehicles run like crap need to understand we know there are trucks that don’t have problems yet. It’s like saying “my kid has never been kidnapped and I don’t know anyones that has so relax and calm down”. For those of us that GM has taken advantage of how bout a little sympathy
I’m just glad that I purchased the 2018 GMC Sierra SLT with the 5.3 engine. I’m retired & only have 22k on this truck. There are ways to keep it a strictrly V8 and to avoid issues with afm or dfm. I feel bad for folks that have so many problems with the trucks- vehicles. I still own my 1995 Toyota pick-up.
Flipped my 2013 Sierra 5.3 with 275k April 29. Nothing but a dream truck the whole time. Was my 2nd Sierra Crew. Bought the 2021 Sierra 6.2 in June. Turned 20k this week with no issues. I definitely don’t baby my trucks. Last ticket I got was for 82 and I’m just glad he didn’t catch me 10 miles back. Tow heavy loads from time to time. I work hard to play harder! The safety when I flipped up side down and slid down the highway on the top sold me on Sierras for life!! Walked away with a small bruise on my left arm and a sore neck from the impact. Wished I could show photos on how well the truck held together. Never done anything but routine maintenance on all my trucks and 2 O2 sensors that I replaced myself.
When the powertrain warranty expires shut that DFM crap off.
People who drive like you need to install a quality catch can.
114 comments thus far, mostly negative – individuals relating their personal experiences with failed valve trains on their AFM- and DFM-equipped ’07 and later GM 5.3’s and 6.2’s. I don’t recall a thread ever getting this much activity – not even new model introductions. GM should be paying attention. I’m sure they aren’t.
I had a 2000 Silverado with the 5.3 and it had lifter bleed down issues and piston slap from the time I bought it new now that they have the fuel management system it is even worse than ever I’d rather burn more gas than deal with major engine issues
I have a 2021 Trailboss LT with the 5.3, lifters out at 4500 miles. One of the reasons I bought a new truck is to have a warranty!! Dealership fixed it, gave me a loaner for the 30 days, everything has worked well since!! Didn’t let it stop me from buying my wife a 2022 Tahoe…
How to stop those extended warranty calls….
THEM: “We’ve been trying to contact you regarding your vehicles extended warranty.”
ME: I have a GM and want to make sure my engine is covered.
THEM: CLICK!
I own multiple trucks and SUV. GM has always honored their warranty and products unless you modify the truck. I have not had this issue and have owned 6 trucks with these engines from 20 to 21. I have not had any problems with the engine and my trucks have been run hard. You can’t baby a truck. They are made for work and do well when they are used for that and properly maintained at the dealership. They know their products better than anyone else. I wouldn’t own anything but Ford or GM products. We live in America buy American. These manufacturers make the best trucks by far.
The first 5 Silverados I owned were great. The last two are/were junk. Too many issues they couldn’t fix. Warranties aren’t work anything if they can’t fix the problems. I’ll never buy GM again.
There are people that use their trucks for work Or pleasure. Jeez if your new truck that you bought to plow driveways or haul a horse trailer is sitting at the dealer needing a fix is nit good. Any vehicle from any manufacturer doing that. I’m sure and this won’t be pleasant to read. If a horse or mule was lame, it was put out of its misery. Can’t shoot a Silverado.
I have a 5.3 L84 with DFM from a Silverado made 8/2021, four months ago. I called the Chevy 800# and my local dealer. Gave them each both the VIN and bulletin # and neither could give me a VIN or build date range for affected trucks. I’m told the bulletin doesn’t have VIN or date ranges and only applies to vehicles in dealer inventory. Well my truck never was in dealer inventory because it was damaged in transit and the salvage yard didn’t have the dealer name the truck was ordered by so I can’t contact that dealer for more info. The truck was given a junk title and sold to the salvage yard. I understand that the truck was made during the chip shortage so I believe it has internal DFM parts, just not the chip to operate in DFM mode. My question is even if my engine has the lifters that are supposed to be replaced, since there is no chip and I can’t run in DFM mode, is there a risk of those lifters failing? Also it would be nice to know if my engine was made after the affected date range if anyone out there reading has insider knowledge because right now there is no detailed info online.
I have had issues with my 2021 GMC 1500. I’ve taken it in for service with very clear explanation of when the issue happens and because their service guy cannot replicate it, GM will not perform the work under warranty. Even though many consumers have shared similar stories.
I have a 2006 gmc envoy Denali xl with 5.3 ls with afm and i have over 276,000k on my suv and still running great no lifter issues so far and i put my envoy to work hard and besides the normal maintenance and replacing 1 transmission i can say i love my gmc and i have owned 3 myself and what i can say is that if you take care of them they will last and yes a few of the ls engine’s with afm did have lifter problems but that doesn’t mean all of the engine’s where junk just bad parts and really an easy fix by just changing all of the lifters and lifter trays at the same time and i had to do that on my 2007 gmc envoy denali with 197,560k and after i did the work myself i had on other issues other than after 8 months someone totaled my truck
Good for you. You bought early enough to avoid the junk parts. But I think the larger issue is if you have just bought a 2020 or 2021 you might feel a bit different having issues before 10K. Especially if they only replace 1 side and you’re back in soon after for the other side. That and being “bumped” so a brand new can get fixed before leaving the lot leaving you to continue waiting and waiting etc.
I totally agree. Although a bit anemic my 04 Avalanche with the 5.3 runs just fine. Yes a bit thirsty BUT it runs just fine.
2022 suburban rst
Congratulations on your new vehicle! I have located your order (XXXXXX) and can see that your vehicle is at the Event Description 3000-Accepted by Production Control. The TPW at this time is on 01/03/2022 but it is still subject to change. The actual TPW (Target Production Week) will be posted once it progresses to the 3400 – Broadcast status.
I’m not really sure I want a new truck with an engine that’s already been torn into. I mean , I wouldn’t want to pay $70000 for a repaired engine. And….. I don’t know if they’re if a gas engine out there for its purpose that’s any tougher on the bottom end then the ls and LT platform engines there’s no argument about that and I love the design of the LT engine. But on the other hand, it’s been a better part of 15 years and it’s constant torque converter and lifter issues in these trucks and it just seems to me there’s no use for it if you look across the GM models even the cars, do you have been in business for 100 years and still can’t get a transmission right torque converter problems fluid problems you name it but at the end of the day I’m still out $5,000 for a transmission rebuild for a 2011 Silverado with 160,000 miles on it, and my first engine crapped out at 90,000 miles and again the valvetrain cratered at 101,000 Mi had to change the engine. in 2012 I spent $25,000 on a 2011 Silverado I drove it until October of this year and it cost me another $22,000 in repairs
This is an ongoing problem for many years. My 2016 6.2 broke a lifter with 48k. Out of nowhere.
Brought it to gmc…. They replaced ONE LIFTER!!!!!!!
All I can say….. I bought a brand new 2021 6.2 trail boss last December. It virtually stays in the dealership service dept. and yes, it dropped a valve due to a faulty lifter and spring. I’m very dissatisfied with GM. Just ordered a Ford, we’ll see if it’s any better!! Oh, by the way….. it has 19,000 miles on it !!
Been a lifelong Silverado fan/owner. Fought with GM for 2 years with constant issues with a 2019 and a 2020. Will never own another one. GM know the problems they have and don’t seem to care. Just bought a 2021 F-150. Not sure anything could be worse than my experience with GM. Good riddance.
I hear you. Personally I have NOT bought anything new from the General since 1986 and I have to plans to change.
Well after careful consideration and the fact I was able to take advantage of the current truck market. I traded in my 2021 GMC Sierra that had all the lifters replaced and then the Catalytic converter replaced, before I had another major issue with this truck. Bought it in March and traded it in December. There were other minor issues that popped up as well that just started to annoy me about the truck. The hands free working intermittently and an issue with the display screen just shutting off for no reason the transmission shuddering during shifting and I don’t even want to discuss the fuel mileage. To all the GMC/Chevy people out there best of luck with your trucks.
OPEC you say ? Like 911 that was not as it seemed. There really were other forces involved. All of the sky high gas profits weren’t Middle eastern driven.
Hello everyone, I wanted to get some positive feedback on my 2021 GMC Sierra. First of all, I have been driving GM trucks for over 30 years and I have been very happy with the longevity, Especially the 5.3 motor. So, I am loyal to GM Brand.
I purchased my GMC 2021 Sierra end of April 2021, I currently have 10,869 miles on it, three days ago I started experiencing what seems like a miss in the engine or a jumping feeling from the engine compartment. when I am stopped at idling same thing feels like it wants to stall before the engine shuts off. I drove it again today for a short distance and before long it started acting up again. There are no dash lights on. I have parked the truck in my garage now.
Some of the Commets I have read say it’s a lifter problem?? that GM was supposed to fix this problem before selling these to the customers. I will be taking to the dealer Monday, I hope it is nothing to serious. Any help would be appreciated
Thanks
Randy
Re $1000 deposit. Personally I will not buy new vehicles from the General. However if you still want to support a giant that really cares only about their next bonus. Then maybe negotiate to have the problem not installed at the factory or deleted by the dealer. Supposedly your new truck will not be delivered until the correction (upgrade) is made. Let’s hope so. But if you’re not comfortable with the gamble… check your options. Educated consumers are their biggest fear.
Amen brother. You read my mind. You are preaching to the choir. Except I won’t buy new. Rather buy used with an extended warranty and forgo the “new car smell” and let someone else “break it in”. That new car smell isn’t worth the price of admission or depreciation. But that’s only if I wear out my Toyota Rav or my 04/Avalanche.
I wonder how much ($) the fuel mileage savings has cost the General AND consumer so far ? There’s a very good reason those early air cooled VW Beetles sold so well and lasted so long… They Kept It Simple . There are other ways to pretend to save fuel Without making the vehicle unreliable .
2021 Silverado with 10,000 miles had the right bank of lifters go out. The service manage asked about my first oil chane for some odd reason. I told him the dealership gives oil change for lifetime, so they changed it. The vehicle has been at the dealership starting the third week and a teardown has not even started. Asked about loaner and told they sold all loaners It has ben the pits without a vehicle. Was told from teardown to finsh would be 5 days . So another week witout a vehicle!
Why was this vehicle sold .The part was bad. now i have a vehicle that i cannot trust because i do not know what kind of Technician may have fix the engine. Do they warrenty the engine for 50,000 plus the 10,000 i already have? Payed cash for the vehicle thinking it would be my last vehicle due to age but now i doubt that.
I can’t believe no loaner. Feel for ya. I have a 2019 and this happened in July. Dealer had truck for 8 weeks global supply shortage for head gasket after fixing lifters cam shot. Truck had 92k on it near end of warranty. Rental truck bill was 4250 bucks covered by gm Canada. Don’t know why they can’t get you something. Brutal
You could ask the dealer.. If they are honest (IF) you might get an answer. Or find a dealer tech and ask he or she. In my experience they are often more honest then the dealer themselves.
I have an honest service writer and he said to avoid the 2020 and 2021 all together and if I wanted a new truck find a 2022 without the afm.
Sounds like real good advice.
Has anyone seen any owners be successful at getting both banks of lifters replaced even if the failure so far was found only on one side? My 2021 Yukon XL is in the shop now with the lifter problem, but the service team says they can only replace the one side. I have 11,000 miles on it, so it is past the 8000 mile cut off where they could have replaced both banks of lifters (according to what I read here). But I was wondering if there is a way I could push to have both banks replaced.
Also, anyone know about how much it would cost for me to pay for the other bank of lifters to be replaced if I wanted to do that? If the dealer is not allowed to do it yet under warranty, I am curious what it might cost if I offered to pay for it so they can do it at the same time they replace the faulty bank. Thanks
Less than two weeks after getting one bank replaced, I dropped off to dealership again with same problem. Seems other bank went out. Don’t know if it will be a replacement of that bank or another motor. 16K miles on a 21 Trail Boss.
I know someone who rolled into the nearest dealer with a failure in their ’21 Suburban with <10k miles and was told (paraphrasing) "We have too many to deal with right now, take it back to where you bought it…and if you drive it there instead of having it towed, by the time you get there you'll need a replacement engine, not a repair." He got a new engine. It's a BS way to get the issue 100% addressed (vs 50%), but if GM demands you play a stupid game, play their stupid game to get your truck 100% fixed.
My thoughts exactly. Probably easier to get a complete engine anyway.
Same issue on 2021 Silverado High Country 6.2L engine….lifter collapsed and bent the push rod….when it happened truck sounded like a ticking piece of junk….service manager and mechanic admitted GM installed bad batch of lifters causing the issue….not the only issue, first was low oil and not even reading on stick, second issue was loud winding noise diagnosed as bad alternator, replaced alternator, belt and tensioner, third issue was failure to start properly and would not cut off using push start….after several attempts truck started and I immediately headed to dealer where service manager said it was the lifter issue. Obviously, some parts were not available, so truck sat at dealership for one month and I was provided a used suburban to drive until the lifter issue can be fixed. One month later, all lifters we’re replaced along with high pressure fuel line, push rod replaced, and gaskets. I’m not going to keep the vehicle, looking for best 2022 model, and get rid of junk GM/Chevy truck.
Gee must be one of their best examples of automotive engineering. Sounds like you had no issues with the tires though. Once known for quality. Now known for Crap.
Your last Chev ever I imagine ? We can only hope this legal action actually proceeds and costs the executives their bonus’s for years to come.
Funny how it works. They claim they get better, new technology etc. But my 04 Avalanche with a 5.3 is still running fine. Of course it doesn’t have that garbage fuel “saving” 4/6/8 feature.
Re Attorneys General. Totally agree ! You are Preaching to the choir. But Amen Brother.
For those saying its due to lack of maintenance, exactly what maintance is recomended at 1000 miles, or 2000, or 4200? Because if you actually research this its happened on brand new vehicles before the first oil change even
Sure . But it gives the General’s trolls something to rattle on about.
I am late posting on this but what the heck my two cents. 2021 5.3 Elevation without AFM system, apparently they decided to ship some configurations without the AFM due to chip shortages.
Long story Short I had a lifter failure and bent push rod at 16,400 miles in a non AFM engine and I followed all the maintenance guidelines to a Tee. From my research a bad run of lifters was installed in trucks with Build dates from June 2020 through March 2021. According to one GM tech post they switched to a different Lifter in March 2022. Unfortunately for me my Truck had a November 2020 build date and experienced the failure.
Your truck didn’t have the equipment (“chip”) needed to turn the AFM/DFM on and off, however, it does have the actual AFM/DFM hardware – e.g. the crappy lifters that fail (among other parts and pieces). You got the worst of both worlds: you’re not going to “save” 1 mpg on the highway, and your valvetrain is still going to fail. Hopefully you got both banks replaced, and not just the one that’s failed thusfar.
They would only replace the bank on the side with the lifter failure since it was over the 8,000 mile threshold sent out in the GM Service Bulletin. Seems kind of ridiculous to me since the other side is most likely going to fail at some point. IDK Guess it will go back in the shop when it does or get sold / traded before the warranty is up on it.
Did that GM tech post say switched to a different lifter in March 2022 or 21? Do you happen to have a link to it? Thanks
As a shop owner for more than 40 years and a lifetime tech, these engines are a nightmare for owners and a huge bottleneck for all shops. No availability for parts or engines is exactly what GM told us on the phone today. That’s fine though. Their own reman engines fail in the exact same manner a year later. This is a long, long line of years where they know the problem and simply continue as if nothing is wrong. My advice is to stop buying this trash. You’re all blind and just continually line up for this. WTF is wrong with you???
Right on Willie. They may not ALL be junk …but enough are. Thus bringing to mind Russian Roulette with 1 bullet in the chamber. The 1st squeeze may not get you… but really why keep pulling that trigger?
My old 5.3 V8s looking better all the time.
Bert
I have a 2019 Chevy Silverado bought it brand new right out of the dealership show room. My only issue is my service engine light every so often comes on I take to the dealership they tell me they can’t find anything wrong with the truck. It only has 13,000 should this be happening ?
Oh yeah, lots of Glory Days going on here. I love how the the early 2000s GM engines that were known for PISTON SLAP, are now the finest engines ever made! At the time, I bet some of the same actors here proclaimed to never buy another GM again!
I was looking at other truck forums because this bothered me, and I noticed that every manufacturer has issues. I also noticed that a majority of upset people from said forums claimed they were going to buy a gmc or chevy next vs any other specific brand…
Re Julie’s comment. Obviously the bonus obsessed “top dogs” at the General Do Not care about the product they are pushing. Just (if you can) S T O P supporting them. Keep your ol clunker for another year. Only if their “big buck bonus’s” start to dry up will they listen. Only when it effects them personally will they try to fix things. Before anyone buys another from the General look up the definition of crazy before you hand over your money.
No excuses for these issues with new trucks. Mine has 9,100 mikes and had the first oil change at the GM dealership at 5k miles. I’ve never towed anything and normally drive it about 30-40 miles a day. Very well maintained and it failed this week. The dealer said they’re seeing more of them like mine with even fewer miles fail. GM uses cheap parts probably from China and we pay the price. This will be my last GM truck.
I own a 2021 High Country Tahoe, During the first year it had various recalls repair, now as I post this comment the service department at my local chevy dealer says that it has lifter issues and that due to lack of shortage of parts, delays and labor that it’s going to take about a week in a half or so. Now I don’t have another vehicle to move around to pick up my kids from school, my husband takes them in the morning. Can any tell me if some how Chevy can loan me a car?
I appreciate if anyone can give me an answer.
When I had our truck serviced last, our GM dealership didn’t have any loaners either. I called the local Enterprise car rental agency and they rented us a car while our truck was being serviced.
I have also heard that other local used car dealerships have been renting out cars for uses such as this, so that could also be a possibility for you if there is another local used car dealer or dealers in your area…at least to call and check.
Good Luck
My 2021 with 16K miles is in the shop for lifter issues :*(. Being told its going to be out of service for at least a month.
Mine was at the shop for a long time, too. After a month and them disassembling the whole engine, they sent off the piece with the stuck pushrod in it (lower portion)… anyway – It’s been approved for the lemon law and goes to hearing in August… I should be getting back my deposit and all payments, including registrations… Let us know if you got yours back and what they said… I documented all voicemails also.
2021 Silverado Trail Boss. Estimated 10k miles. Don’t know the exact miles because I am in Virginia and my truck is in West Virginia. The truck left me stranded for 2 days in West Virginia. My brother eventually picked me up and drove me to my destination in Virginia (5 hrs) because the dealership didn’t have a loaner and couldn’t get me a GM rental. I have been in Virginia for almost 2 weeks without my vehicle. GM told me they would deliver it to the nearest GM dealership but has yet to “find a driver”. I am in Virginia to visit my mother. She is 90 and fell on Easter shattering her shoulder. I came here to visit with her while she is in recovery. I and staying 45 minutes from the facility she is at and as I write this I still don’t have my truck. I have to say that this is the worst experience I have ever had with a product I have purchase. This truck is still under warranty and being maintained by the dealership I purchased it from so whoever out there thinks this is a lack of maintenance issue you are completely and entirely wrong!
Signed – Still Stranded
I’m getting a new engine supposedly….it’s been at the dealer since May 16. Has anyone else had to wait this long?
I “fixed” my problem with the 21’ GMC by trading it for an F150. I know they have some issues too but I didn’t want want to wait until the other bank of lifters failed too. The left side failed at 9,100 on mine. Not sure I’ll ever buy a new GM again either.
Have driven Suburbans, then Yukons since early 1990s, trading in every 3 to 5 years. Purchased latest Feb 2021. At 5000 miles, lifter(s) went out and all replaced (6 weeks in shop). Back in shop now at 20,000 miles for steering module (?) failure. Been stranded on trips twice now. Not happy. Repairs covered by GMC, but we’re out thousands on van rental fees. Will miss my Yukon, but I no longer trust it, especially night driving.
What will you buy to replace the huge body? Just curious
GM is no stranger to these tactics, do some research on the faulty valve train of the now discontinued ls7…. complete valve train failures at 5k on up mine failled at 42 k almost dropped 3 valves into the engine and yet they get away with it
I have a 2016 GMC Yukon with 79,000 miles. My lifters fell and it cost me almost $3,000 to get it fixed. Where is the recall on this?
I Have a 2021 Chevy Silverado with less than 80,000 miles on it. I have had to replace the transmission, water pump and now the lifters. All three have been an issue with GM and still no recall. GM needs to take responsibility for these issues and make it right not just for me but everyone who is experiencing these issues.
This is what happens when you incorporate complex systems into a product using the cheapest parts available. GM is not alone in this. Nor is it an uncommon phenomena. I worked in a QC and R&D lab for 25 years. Engineers were constantly requesting we test cheaper parts for validation. Often times to save as little as 1 or 2 pennies. Results were 50/50.
Do an AFM delete and the engine will be a beast forever.
I’d say Lark’s right, that’s my plan. I’ve read many comments of people getting 300-400k miles out of 5.3s before they used DOD.
2020 Chevy Silverado RST 89,000 miles all highway miles then lifter failure that why they only give you 60,000 mile warranty
because they know it’s a problem Trucks not even paid for yet but it broken down thanks keep buy them china parts and doing what the goverment says what going to happen is im going to go park it at the dealer leave the keys and they can have this piece of crap and loose all the money i was paying ill just Drive my ford it has 607,000miles on it and never had any problems you have lost a customer
GM has a long history of not recalling their defective trucks. 70’s and 80’s square bodies are the worst fire bombs in the history of auto manufacturing, they paid off Clinton and never recalled them. They have burned and killed thousands and still kill 5 or 6 per year. I owned two of the fire bombs and did not know it for 20 years. So a little lifter issue does not bother GM. Just type pick up fires in you web browsers.