GM To Repurchase Silverado HD, Sierra HD Units Due To Duramax Diesel Engine Quality Issue
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GM Authority has learned that GM intends to buy back certain Chevy Silverado HD and GMC Sierra HD units back from customers due to apparent quality issues with the 6.6L L5P V8 Duramax turbo-diesel engine.
The affected vehicles, which have been sold to both retail and fleet customers, will be repurchased by the Detroit-based automaker in an upcoming Dealer Order Submission Process on April 21st. This includes vehicles that have already been delivered to customers. It’s currently unclear what kind of quality issues affected the Duramax turbo-diesel engines in these trucks.
6.6L L5P Duramax Turbo-diesel V8
While GM has agreed to replace affected trucks, the replacement vehicles will be subject to certain feature constraints due to the semiconductor chip shortage. There are currently multiple feature constraints on the Silverado HD and Sierra HD, limiting the availably of heated and ventilated front seats, heated outboard rear seats, heated steering wheel and front and rear park assist. Due to these supply constraints, it may not be possible for GM to exactly match the replacement trucks with the ones being repurchased. These feature constraints vary from trim to trim, however, so some units may be less affected than others.
The 6.6L L5P V8 Duramax engine is produced at the DMax Ltd. engine assembly plant in Moraine, Ohio. The facility has produced more than two million Duramax diesel engines since operations began in 2000 and began producing the L5P-generation engine in 2016 for the 2017 model year Silverado HD and Sierra HD. DMax Inc. is a joint venture company between GM and Isuzu Diesel Services of America, Inc., with GM claiming a 60 percent stake and Isuzu owning the remaining 40 percent.
The current 6.6L L5P V8 Duramax engine produces 445 horsepower and 910 pound-feet of torque in the 2022 model year Silverado HD and Sierra HD. This turbocharged diesel V8 enables a maximum towing capacity of as much as 36,000 pounds in properly equipped Silverado 3500HD and Sierra 3500HD models.
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It’s bound to be a small number of largely very new and unsold vehicles, otherwise they’d swap the engine or engineer a countermeasure. (See Hyundai/Kia’s piston rings and Ford Ecoboost head gaskets)
Yeah why can’t they just swap the engine? That would be the smarter move.
Because how’s the customer gonna feel about their brand new truck getting the cab pulled and engine swapped lol. They are saving themselves the headache
Actually Holden’s the right answer! They should ship them over to Australia for conversion to RHD, they rip the cab apart anyway, doesn’t make a difference if they put it back together with a new engine.
They can easily sell it, seems a little strange to buy them back.
MFR’s buy them back due to lemon laws and makes the consumer whole again.
How do I find out if my truck is one of them?
Inside scoop is that most if not all of those are at the factory and weren’t released to dealers. But swapping motors makes more sense for any effected units that may have made it to customer, especially where customers have added bodies and other customization. Is GM going to pay to swap those things?
They would generally buyback the entire vehicle including modifications. Reasons include the fact the vehicle may be inoperable or unusable in the future without the mods (fuel tank relocates, things welded to frame), and it would cause problems with financing/leasing where the collateral is based on the value of a single working vehicle.
Anybody know where we going to find if my truck is part of the repurchase program?
I have the same question?
Anyone know how to find out?
My 2020 2500hd as been at the dealership for a month now over a recall on Def Tank that is apparently back order..
I had the DEF tank issue as well.
Hit me up for the solution
I have the same issue. Been without truck for 2 months. Please let me know the solution.
i have a 2020 high country second def tank vehicle at the dealership gm put me in a rental with no idea when i will get let them buy it back
What was the def tank issue and how did you fix it
Mark:
Appears to be a vendor supply chain issue. Around 90% of the parts on a motor vehicle are vendor sourced.
I had 2012 duramax 3500 Hd at 84000 miles I had many issues with fuel sensors then injectors then they had to replace the injector pump so I traded it in for 2017 3500 high country both brand new now at 86000 it’s in the shop as we speak getting three new injectors and sensors as much as theses trucks cost they need to buy them back .
My new truck 3500HD has been at the dealership since the 2nd week of February waiting for a Def tank
Facing the same DEF tank/wiring harness issue on my 2020 2500hd now on national back order… Is there a work around to enable truck use while waiting,,,, presently crippled with speed limitation
Mine won’t start at all. Has been in the shop well over a month
Could you let me know how it worked out. Dealing with them now for a DEF issue.
there is no way to check. they will contact you. usually via mail. so don’t call them, they’ll call you. they may use the dealer you purchased from to contact you.
Buford:
The way I look at this it has to be a total drive train design / matching issue. Notice it’s unique to the HD models. More performance matching for hauling. Engines are randomly pulled and used from the assembly line. Coupled with an Allison automatic transmission set for HD application, hooked to a heavier duty driveline or engineering term, propeller shaft.
There is a major mismatch concern in these components maybe even leading to stoutness of the differential.
Anyway to me it is a major component mismatch issue. Not a manufacturing issue. To me, I bet it relates to torque production and stress, either under or over.
I know that in Caterpillar diesels and transmissions there is a ” black box ” control unit that talks back and forth between the engine fuel delivery, and transmission gear selection to provide proper torque and speed for the load in various applications.
This control unit was originally developed by Woodward Governor Co. of Fort Collins, Colorado.
Very sad that these new HD trucks are going to be crushed.
worked at Gm plant for 30 years, no engines are not randomly pulled and used from the assembly line. Engine is matched and placed in sequence the moment the order is received at the plant. The engine and trans all have barcodes which are matched and recorded. There is no random engine or trans installs. Everything is matched and married to that vin. The engines are defective, that’s all. They just don’t have the engines to spare on warranty. Every new engine made goes into a new production vehicle right now, there are no extras!
I’m a technician and for years I’ve got engines pulled from the assembly line for replacement in customer vehicles. 41 years under my belt.
Carl Ohsowski:
I’m with you. Pull the component from the assembly line and do an R & I on the affected vehicle.
It’s totally insane to scrap the entire vehicle as Buford claims.
I think there is something amiss with the galleries in the aluminum engine heads when the engine is subject to HD applications.
The engine head is the most complex cast part in a vehicle. I am not a big fan of aluminum castings. Gray iron is so much better for heat sink. Most people do not understand what heat sink is in a diesel engine. Many people do not know how to drive a diesel engine.
My mother, RIP, thought that vehicle operation consisted of getting into the driver’s seat, lighting a cigarette, put the key in the ignition, start the car, shift into desired direction and go.
We will note this issue is unique to the HD models which are subject to higher loadings.
Your dealer has VINs they’ve sold where this would apply.
I got. 2017 Chevrolet 2500 High Country diesel Duramax with Allison wonder if that’s one of them
I had to get an injector change already to
Sure glad I decided to go with the Cummins after reading this. I drove all models in 2021 and though I preferred the Allison transmission as I have a 2002 Chevy 2500 8.1L big block Allison combo also. The Dodge Ram 2500 checked all of the boxes and now after owning one for a year / 36,000 miles in, it’s by far the best truck I’ve ever owned coming from a lifelong Chevy fanatic.
too expensive, if it was cheap to do, then thats what the customers would get. All these trucks will be destroyed and written off.
Buford: I don’t think GM will crush the returns. GM will make the fix and then list them with Richie Brothers auctions, or insurance salvage pool auctions.
no they won’t, worked at GM for 30 years. They will be destroyed. If they are repaired they are used, no warranty. GM is not in the business of selling used vehicles.
I work there where it’s built! Back ordered parts keeping parts unavailable to dealers to do just an engine swap
Mike do you have any inside info as to what is actually going on with the engines and or exactly which ones may be bought back by Gm? I have a 2022 Duramax Hd with 4k miles and no known issues yet. Thanks!
2022 Ford F-350 king Ranch , ordered it, 8 weeks later in hand , truck has 11K miles on it , runs flawless , and it does not have cheap unfinished plastics , stupid looking door mount mirrors, good for a year tires, or a blown plastic interior with a car like dash. EL CHEAPO motors INC = GM trucks
Yeh, Ford got a major recall for ALL super duds for towing problems to electrical problems too!!
It was a software update , took 6 minutes in service lane and back out of there , it did not have a bad motor and quality issues like General Junk Motors with the fake Allison
You mean like the Ford 6.0 what a piece of crap spend another 4 grand to make it bulletproof lol
You can’t make a Ford 6.0 bullet proof. Friend spent 6k doing his and it just cracked the heads again.
It’s interesting that US automakers realized they know squat about diesels and went to diesel makers for their diesel engines after GM’s 350 miserable failure. Ford went to International for the 6.9 and Caterpillar for the 3208. Chrysler went to Cummins. GM went to Isuzu.
Ford also went to a Brazalian diesel maker.
Ford decided to go it alone and struggled with the 6.0.
Cummins and Caterpillar are the best go to outfits for diesel know how.
However, Caterpillar in not wanting to invest in Tier 4 final, and sadly producing two dogs, the C 13 and C15, sadly abandoned on highway diesels leaving the playing field open to Cummins, Detroit Diesel and Scania.
Cummins is rocking and Detroit Diesel has expanded their Outer Drive East plant in Detroit.
Eaton is in Fat City with their Roadranger on highway truck transmissions.
This is a very fascinating, very competitive and interesting business.
A Happy Easter to all.
Thanks for the info. I really had never thought of the different manufacturers in this light. Always loved Chevrolets, probably why I just love the diesel that’s in it….. but truth be told…..
My 2017 HD I bought new has been riddled with various failures. I’m planning to sell her. F#%&!#@ shame, but I’ve bought 5 new Chevys in my life so far.
NEVER had problems like this ones got.
Nice review but Ford went alone for the 6.7 Scorpion engine from 2011 up. It is the only manufacturer building it’s own diesel powerplant in the medium duty truck as of now.
Ya but ford is still using the CP4 injection pump, with the 6.7, have fun when it generates, taking your Ford out for a while.
Well, you’re lucky you didn’t buy 2003-2006 6.0 Powerstroke Diesel engines in the F250 HD & Superduty Fords. The worst of the worst and you wouldn’t have gotten a buy back offer! You were stuck with this junker engine!!
Well actually I just skipped them altogether, both 6.0 AND 6.4 after having owned three 7.3’s! I bought a 2017 6.7 Lariat and very glad I did!
Sell the defective trucks to the Chinamen!
How stupid! Congratulations moran
mo·ron
/ˈmôrˌän/
Learn to pronounce
nounINFORMAL
a stupid person.
“we can’t let these thoughtless morons get away with mindless vandalism every weekend”
“Almost” everyone of these trucks are sold before they the lot. Weeks, if not months, before.
Cheap hardly efficient virtually runs on luck every time.
Gotta mechanic coming?
Found On Road Dead. Flipped Over Reservation Decorations.
I thought people only bought GM products because they know for certain the vehicles are defective. Cutting corners and skimping on quality earns management their bonuses, and making cars that spontaneously turn off and Kill their drivers – well that’s just icing on GM’s cake.
I work for a GM dealer in Canada, and the issue that affects these trucks is Hydro Lock. I only learnt late yesterday afternoon that one of the High Country trucks 3500 is being purchased back and I will get a replacement unit from GM. The issue seems to be very serious to the point that they want the engine swap done at the Flint assembly.
i heard the same thing ,heat treat issues on the block at causing cylinder head to block mating surface warpage, causing hydro lock. I believe this issue is also on certain L5d engines for medium duty trucks.
Bill:
You state, “Heat treat issues on engine block “, I never heard of either an aluminum or gray iron engine block being heat treated. ??? The 6.6 is an aluminum block. Perhaps the Mazak machining center for the aluminum blocks had a programming issue.
BTW: Mazak is superb in their turning and machining centers. Always enjoy the Mazak machine tool display at SEMA.
My mother was in quality control at Clevite on St. Clair Avenue in Cleveland, Ohio. She hounded the millwrights to adjust the bearing shaping tools when they got out of whack by just a few ten thousanths. The millwrights hated her, but Clevite made the best bushings and engine bearings in the world in their heyday.
An engine is like a Swiss watch. Keep her clean and treat her well.
The 6.6 D-Max does NOT have an aluminum block. The 3.0 in half-ton trucks does. The 6.6 is iron block with aluminum heads.
I don’t have an engine issue but I have a transmission issue. I would like for them to buy back my 2018 GMC Sierra Denali. 28000 MI and they tell me the transmission is fine the way it is. I would say that the transmission is just as important as the engine.
So this is the only comment that actually addresses the article. Does anyone have any info from any other source beside GMAuthority?
I looked on GM, Chevy and GMC sites for news or service bulletins and I’m finding nothing. The NHTSA site has nothing.
Is this just click bait?
I’m sorry but GM has NEVER sold a diesel pick up truck that worked, ever.
Idiotic statement. I had 2008 Duramax; 125k without any issues. Guy I sold it too is still trucking at 250k
I was a builder for a decade routinely saw various vintages of them with 300-400k to include some whose lot in life was towing 10k+ in equipment daily.
Well you definitely are sorry. That’s for sure
I ordered a 3500 single axle two months ago. I bet this delays my July delivery expectation date
Very vague article/information unfortunately. This can cover what 5 or 6 years worth of truck engines, or hell it could be one bad batch from one single shift at the engine plant
7000 engines! Half made it to customers! Roush Automotive swapping the rest out for GM
william wahl I hope you bought a FORD 6.0 diesel I’ve never had problems with gm diesel and now amdfighting a def problem on my ram What color Prius do drive
Obviously as demonstrated by your comment, you don’t need to be literate to purchase a gm diesel.
Which trucks will be replaced? Where can I find out if my truck is one to be replaced??
i heard the same thing ,heat treat issues on the block at causing cylinder head to block mating surface warpage, causing hydro lock. I believe this issue is also on certain L5d engines for medium duty trucks. I believe its a relatively low number of 2022 engines affected.
They buy them back so it doesn’t go thru the court system and they become lemon law titles and GM will lose their ass better to repurchase them and repair the problem then sell them as repaired and someone buying them will sign papers that they know this making it a win win for GM they will be re-sold to GM dealers only across the country and GM will take a lose on taxes! So no lose!
repair them? Not a chance every truck bought back will be crushed. Worked at Gm for 30 years, its all a right off for them.
Uh guess we’re getting a new 2500 cause my trucks been in the shop for 45 days. They say can’t find the part for the turbo diesel.
same here!
Is this an issue with the Def tank? Truck in limp mode? Production on those tanks are causing issues. GM is slowly getting them shipped to the dealers starting last week.
If there were alot of them, they would deny it.
i have a recall letter currently over injector issues they cant repair 2019 GMC denali duramax. GM has a ton of problems folks and all they do is turn out new paint colors , and more cheap sh!t.
Little will be known because of “corporate secret policies. All companies, especially manufacturers, will only release information through marketing channels one of which is TSB’s. Manufacture defects or engineering design errors is usually tightly guarded. The manufacture is only tied to the warranty statements.
We are on our third chevy 4dr gas, 1989 old gray 480+ on a single rebuild engine still pulling gooseneck, 2002 duramax 410 miles still running drive everyday, 2020 duramax 54000, no problems with it either..we are truly chevy fans. At least they are owning the error and fixing it.
I’m running a 2003 GMC 2500HD that bought brand new….only issue I have…people trying to steal my truck.
Ford has never built a reliable diesel. Duramax>Powerchoke
Strange things are happening here. Remember the suspension of 6.6 production for a couple of months last year.
you believe this buy back is related to the two month suspension? please explain. Very curios because I own a new 2022 Duramax Hd with 4k miles and no known engine problems, thankfully. Just wanting to learn more about this buy back. I contacted my salesman a day after this news broke and he has heard nothing of this yet.
Everyone needs to actually read the article on this. It clearly says ” will be repurchased by the Detroit-based automaker in an upcoming Dealer Order Submission Process on April 21st.” So no real information until then.
The 6.6 D-Max was the last bullet-proof drive train component GM had. It’s a shame they’ve screwed it up, too.
Considering they’ve substantially turned their back on owners with failed valve trains in AFM & DFM vehicles, failed 8L90 automatics, and 3.0 diesels that won’t start, I cannot imagine how bad these D-Max engines have to be for GM to replace the whole truck and not just try some chicken $#!+ partial repair that may or may not keep it running until it’s out of warranty.
I would think it would make more sense to just replace the engines.
no it would just cost them more, Gm will destroy them. Replacing engines too expensive. All they end up with is a used truck that they can barely break even on.
Now I understand why they want to go all EV. Let’s go Brandon!
Buford: Very sad that GM will cube these trucks for melting into hot rolled strip steel at the steel mill.