As covered previously, a variety of GM models equipped with the naturally aspirated 6.2L V8 L87 gasoline engine are reportedly undergoing complete engine failure, leading to frustration among customers and a long backlog of repairs for dealers. In fact, the issue is so prevalent, the NHTSA opened up an investigation into the issue last month. Now, we’re watching a video teardown of a 6.2L V8 L87 plucked from a 2023 Cadillac Escalade that failed after only four miles.
The video was posted online by Dave’s Auto Center on YouTube, and clocks in at 16 minutes, 40 seconds.
At the outset, the engine shows a failed connecting rod. The dealership that originally received the Escalade confirmed that the vehicle had sufficient oil, eliminating lubrication failure as a possible cause. Additionally, several other dealerships are reporting similar failures on other low-mileage L87 engines. During the teardown, the technicians discover that the wrist pin clip may have been improperly installed.
Additional signs of damage were found in the valves and pistons, including a broken piston skirt. Although the camshaft and lifters did not show obvious signs of damage, metal debris was found inside the engine.
During the discussion, the team highlights broader reliability concerns regarding GM’s Active Fuel Management (AFM) system, which has been known to cause issues in various GM LS and LT engines. The video hosts recall that one of their 6.2L-powered GM vehicles experienced lifter failure stemming from the AFM system, which left them stranded.
As for this L87 from a 2023 Cadillac Escalade, the most probable culprit behind the failure appears to be a poorly installed wrist pin clip, which caused the piston to move erratically and destroyed the engine in just four miles. Given the increasing number of reports regarding low-mileage L87 engine failures, this may be part of a larger pattern of defects rather than an isolated incident.
Check out the full teardown video right here:
Comments
if that 2023 engine has 4 miles on it then its warranty and gm would want that back to investigate it themselves, all warranty engines go back to gm, so how did dave’s auto center get this one?
All warranty engines do not go back to GM lol. Do you think a regular production engine goes anywhere besides the dealer it’s being serviced at? This isn’t some limited production engine only available in an exotic. At most GM sends an engineer to tear it down and report, I doubt that even happened, the techs at the dealer probably diagnosed the failure, tossed it on a pallet, and waited for a service to come and junk it and that’s probably where this got got his hands on it.
all warranty engines go back to gm unless dealer pays the core charge, dont know why they would keep it, about a $2000 charge to keep it, and having 4 miles on it! doubt it! no question the engine failed but that is no 4 mile engine replaced under warranty..
Yes. You are right. This is a strange video.
back in the early 70’s we would replace motors and after the motor was replaced GM told us to take a sledge hammer to the block & damage it so it could not be rebuilt
not anymore, all go back or charged for the core
sledge hammer lifter galley .. and side of block
I agree. A LITTLE suspicious.
100%
I watched this video the other night. It’s got a reman heat tab on it and the heads are caked with carbon. This wasn’t a 4 mile engine and the author should have done a little more investigation before putting this out there like it was real
If you knew anything about Dave’s Auto Center, you’d discover this is a Five Star +++, honest and experienced man and his service and information he provides to the public is Golden. Dave’s Auto Center rebuilds and builds motors from the ground up and has the personnel and the very expensive machinery to do a better job of it than the factories where the engines are produced. The question is not how they got it to diagnose this ridiculous failure (possibly at GM’s request ? ) but why is GM turning out so many extra-cost engines with an asinine mistake installing simple wrist pins and not catching it before now ? Dave’s has also exposed the frequent Duramax Diesel failures that cost so many HD GM buyers untold thousand$ and how to fix it.
NOT disputing the failure or Dave’s know how, its the mileage and how he has posession of a warranty motor, i dont believe the mileage, that engine never left the dealership or even the factory with that amount of mileage, take a close look at the motor in video, definetly more than 4 miles on it!
Also by the time a vehicle leaves the factory floor, loaded onto a truck or train, unloaded and gone through pdi it has more than 4 miles on it, which tells me this engine was never owned by anyone other than gm or the selling dealer, heck customers put more than 4 miles on a test drive, as far as a buyback situation he mentions, never heard of that, engine would have still gone to gm for investigation, and i highly doubt they would let it out with out either destroying it or rebuilding it….
GM and buy back are not in the same conversation. GM= 100%DENIAL/Made in Mexico
Meanwhile, the 3800 V6 (great engine) on my bought new 2002 Impala LS destroyed a connecting rod, piston & block at 200,600 miles due to a hole in the cheap plastic intake manifold that my longtime mechanic didn’t find. Immediately went from about a $2000 used car to a $350 offer from the junkyard.The hole allotted antifreeze to enter the cylinder. Really liked the car over 22 years. I think many of these engine & transmission issues are due to complexity (EPA regulations) & cheapest parts from lowest bidders worldwide.
I had a 1995 Buick Regal LS with the 3800 cc (3.8 L) V6 and it never failed after 21 years. (I sold it to a friend who had it for 7 more years). Maybe Buick builds them with better parts.
GM owner,
Those engines were manufactured at the Tonawanda engine plant when I work there, along with the 3.4L V6 they were very dependable and durable engines.
I know I’m getting off topic, but when you mentioned the 3.4L, I winced. I had a ’93 Lumina Z34 with that engine- It went through timing belts faster than oil. ‘No easy feat in repairing it either, as the OHC transverse-mounted sixer had to be tilted forward for access. After months/ years of frustration, root cause was found to be a crappy plastic idler pulley, that caused the belt to wobble and rub against its housing. Fun times!
We had an alternator go bad twice on a Z34 and the mechanic said it was extremely hard to replace.
Johnny B. ,
’93 Lumina. I came to Tonawanda engine in 1997. The 3.1 & 3.4 were built on the same assembly line the engines were pretty much identical except for the bore diameter.
Both of those engines had timing chains.
There were 2 different 3.4 engines.
Front wheel drive and rear wheel drive…lumina was a
FWD. The camaro was a RWD.
Son had a 95 Riv, 100k it sucked coolant through a hole burnt through the composite intake from the EGR. Bent a rod, was able to rebuild it.
Wouldn’t happen if it had the diesel.
Mike Wheeler, I had that go too, another expen$ive repair. Alternator accessible through the right front wheel well?!? WTF…
One needs to question the intelligence of someone who spends this much coin on a chromed up Suburban. In 10 years it will be just a rusted Cadillac with bad exhaust at the Dollar General worth $2500 at best.
Actually the resale in the GM full size utilities is the best in the category. Way better than the rest. They hold their value pretty well. As far as what people buy, that’s their business. Just like your modest title.
So what else is new. Junk!
I work for GM. We get everything back that’s warrenty related. No idea why this isn’t back at Tonawanda Propulsion, especially in light of the current issues with this motor.. somethings fishy..
It sounds like a parts quality problem ,too many with the same problem
Sorry, but it sounds more like a failed engine assembly problem either caused by inexperienced or poorly trained employee(s) or faulty robotics or incorrect assembly procedures not inspected properly by QC protocol. Do the piston/rod assemblies come pre-assembled from a parts vendor or are they assembled at the GM plant ? Video shows the wrist pin clip incorrectly installed, not cheap parts failure like the stretching timing chains on the DOHC 3.6 V6 .
M,
I retired from Tonawanda engine. In situations like this they would have done their own engine autopsy at the plant.
When I worked there they didn’t use clips to hold in the wrist pin. The Pistons went through a warming tunnel that brought them to aprox. 120°. The piston end of the rods were flash heated blue hot using electric induction. A room temperature wrist pin was then inserted into the piston and rod assembly. There was no need for wrist pin clips.
Maybe you could enlighten us does this engine use wrist pin clips.
Sometimes I think the engine build assembly line may be going too fast for the manual capabilities of the assemblers. I have worked on a GM assembly line.
#1 Where is this engine made?
#2 What Quality Controls are OR Not in Place?
#3 This is UNACCEPTABLE if I am in Management of this Engine Division?
#4 Be Held Accountable for this Poor Performance…
SADLY you can never fire a union employee for poor job performance or not doing their job
I am so glad GM flatly refused my order for one of those engines 2023. I think they already knew something was wrong.
That was because there was a CSP on the 6.2s, and MY23s seem to have been blowing up since then.
I think the 5.3 is probably better, even with its lifter issues. I have heard of low mileage LZ70 failures with backorders involved too…so the 6,2 is not alone.
Anyways, I will see after 2027.
The UAW wants big many yet they can put a simple clip in a piston.
Over paid hacks.
What is worse GM can’t get rid of the hack.
You sound like a guy who wasn’t qualified to work at GM!
And you have no idea whether a UAW employee or a robotic process is assembling the rod/piston or if they come pre-assembled from a parts vendor.
HEY Dipwad, Did you not read the comment From M above….They DON”T use CLIPS they are a PRESS FIT. What is ” big many yet” your words? Seams like you can’t write a simple sentence.
M’s said “when I worked there” no that I work there, so there is no way to know if the clips are now being used, although I think its unlikely they are.
Maybe you should read a little slower so you might actually understand what you’re reading. Who’s the real Dipwad Rand? I think we all know now.
Exsanguinate, Wrist pin clips are a common point of failure. If they eliminated them, I do not see why they would go back to them.
Car gurus, GM has full schematics of their engines. See if you can find one and confirm weather those engines use wrist pin clips.
The whole story sounds like major 🐂 💩💩💩💩💩!
Kenny,
I agree. A lot of what you see on YouTube is a bunch of Bologna. The main objective on YouTube is to get as many people to watch the video as possible. The more that watch the more money they make.
For all you hater’s, this one case of a 6.2 engine and maybe a few more, that had a problem. They are building thousands of these engines and for getting this engine, it’s a 2023 vehicle and has a engine which was built before this Escalade came out, it went through the warranty process with emails and photos.
I assume they are making 250k or so 6.2s between the trucks yearly. Of course we are going to run into issues…
The best thing I expect is either they give a 30 year /300k mile guarantee on the models or recall all of them (likely what is going to happen based on where this is going…).
No amount of speculation, raging customers with backordered engines on the Internet will actually change anything, those angry fellows can file a lawsuit if they wish….
I am feeling ever since this issue came out a month ago that some things are probably exaggerated. TONs of Internet articles largely throwing up the same issue are appearing…it is EXTREMELY annoying and I wonder if it was just for seeking attention . Sure, there HAVE been people that suffered issues and technically this issue CAN CAUSE fatalities, but still….
I think I am more confused now that I was before reading this article. I don’t trust what anyone here is saying . Obviously the 6.2 has been a reliable engine for years or GM would’ve done away with the long ago. Seems to me if you don’t like GM products you are going to put them down. Show me a car company that produces thousands of cars and tell me they don’t have problems once in a while. I dare you.
my 2018 PU had a 6.2 with no problems and preformed great, Sold it and got a 2024 GMC AT4 with a 6.2 and this engine locked up and only had 4600 miles on it. I had it towed to the dealer here in Denver area and they had the engine in stock. That tells me GM has a problem with this engine. Do I trust this truck ? not yet .. On another note when the tow truck came to pick it up we couldn’t get it out of park BECAUSE the engine has to be running in order to do this. In order to get this out of park you need a special tool to do this .. how stupid is this ?
I think EPA requirements are too much and are pretty ridiculous…
Where were these engines built usa or Mexico.?
EXACTLY
US, is they were built in Mexico they might not have had those problems.
I’ve owned corvettes for years. The 6.2 has been know for creating lifter/valve problems with the supposedly fuel management system switch from 8 cyl to 4 cyl mode. We just purchased a new Tahoe High Country with the 6.2. I am taking it to the dealer tomorrow at their request @500 miles for them to run some computer test. They are well aware of the 6.2 problems.
I have a 2016 Corvette with the 6.2 engine. It has the AFM, I immediately bought an aftermarket device that prevents the 4 cylinder mode. Best move I ever made. The engine works perfectly and still has all 460 HP.
I agree but unfortunately no one has come out with a deactivator for the C8 corvettes. I really wish they would.
Should have gotten the escalade with the 3.0 Duramax.
Instead you get to experience peak junkmobile.
Can’t understand the big mystery. Somebody half asleep, or on purpose, installed the wrist pin wrong. The problem is how many engines did he or she mess up.
And you too, have no idea how the rod/piston is assembled by a GM plant employee, or, a robotic process, or, is received pre-assembled from a parts vendor. Get some facts before placing blame.
Based on all the videos and reading all the blogs regarding issues with the 5.3 and 6.2 engines, the culprit seems to always point to the AFM or DOD systems, and oil starvation during the time these systems are active. I have a ‘22 High Country Silverado and have been bypassing the DOD by always driving the vehicle in L9 gear, which is the only gear that will deactivate it. Premium quality Royal Purple Dexos 2 synthetic oil changes, and installed an oil catch can. So far, and at 60K kilometres, no issues at all. Bit of a hassle ensuring it’s in L9 all the time, but better than failure!
Piston Wrist pin clips being installed incorrectly have NOTHING to do with the ridiculous AFM/DFM stupidity that GM installed on their V8’s. Buy a cheap aftermarket AFM/DFM disabler dongle that plugs into the OBD port and defeats the AFM/DFM crap and drive your nice truck in the proper gear. I had one of the dongles and they work well, you just want to drive often since they draw millivolts of power even when the truck isn’t driven. Used a tuner to turn off the AFM/DFM crap completely.
Must be due to ‘Diversity and inclusion’
I have a 2025 Tahoe with the 6.2 in my garage that’s been waiting for me since Thanksgiving. It has 9 miles on it, hasn’t given me a lick of trouble.
The name goes on before the quality goes in, GET RID OF MARY !!
Huh? So what else other than some rogue issues with a single engine (that other brands have had larger problems with) causes her to need to go? The company is performing better than the other brands…
While the veracity of this article may be in question, the problems are well known. I just bought a 2025 Silverado LTZ with the 6.2. I also bought a Range device which disables the DOD and Auto-Stop. I have also stepped up to 0-30 Amsoil Signature oil. I have added a catch can as well. I had AFM on my 2015 Yukon Denali and had lifter failure at 176k. I think the reason it lasted so long is that I was running Amsoil. The wear on the cam and lifters indicated the oil film strength was insufficient. I know 2 different Escalade owners that had engine failures at 5000 miles. So far, I’ve made it to 7700 miles and no unusual noises. I also bought the extended warranty, knowing I would probably need it.
Haha, Amsoil. So you are saying that if you ran Pennzoil or Mobil it wouldn’t have lasted as long? Man, those snake oil guys sure have you gullible. Or are you one of the many pyramid scheme salesmen?
If you’re running the highest grade of any of the oils, then it doesn’t matter that much which type you use. Claiming amsoil is snake oil is ignorant, and ignoring facts. (look at all the tests, it’s always near the top)
Just because they have a private dealer/pyramid scheme sales strategy doesn’t mean the product isn’t any good. I used to see it at retail locations, it was stupid expensive though.
Man, are you ever underinformed about synthetic OIL base stocks and independent lab testing of Oils. It’s NOT “how long” the Oil “lasts”, it’s how it lubricates and resists wear and shear. Another dummy yapping.
If you would be so kind, would love to know which RANGE devise you purchased that disables the DOD and Autostop… It says all over their website that neither the Pulsar LT unit, nor the small ODB2 plug in unit will work on 2022 and newer “refreshed” models of the L87’s. I’ve both emailed and called their technical department, and they said units that will operate on 2022 and newer refresh models – is still in development.
Sorry, this was meant for “ThisisLivin”‘s post.
If you would be so kind, would love to know which RANGE devise you purchased that disables the DOD and Autostop… It says all over their website that neither the Pulsar LT unit, nor the small ODB2 plug in unit will work on 2022 and newer “refreshed” models of the L87’s. I’ve both emailed and called their technical department, and they said units that will operate on 2022 and newer refresh models – is still in development.
Normally at 4 miles I’d blame an improper break-in of the engine…but being a Chevy 6.2L that is now getting quite a tarnished reputation, I’ll chock it up Chevy 6.2L behavior.
Dave’s auto is probably the best option to actually find the cause and fix it.
I appreciate the comments and agree that the video and report don’t quite match. I hate that the 6.2L is having issues. I’ve owned two, one L86 and one L87 – both were great (preferred the L86). I wrestled with the decision to purchase a new vehicle with the L87 or the LZ0 engine. Went with the LZ0 and am pleased with the performance but not so much GMC’s support.
It looks to me like the best way to add everything up is that the original engine failed, DAVE’S rebuilt it and it lasted 4 miles. How else do you get an engine looking like that from a 23 year model and only ‘4 miles’. Obviously just my guess but… it looks fishy anyway.
Don’t believe anything you see on Youtube. The majority is phony and inaccurate.
What’s the matter can’t GM make engines anymore or sabotaged purposely to buy ev ,, just a thought..
They are going to pay dearly for this one. Just like the 1980’s Cadillac 8-6-4 followed by the HT 4100 fiasco nobody will trust the 6.2 engines for years after this.
Too early to tell.
These SUVs will be produced until 2027, and the T1 trucks will be produced until 2027 too…
I suspect there will be a MASSIVE recall issues sometime later this year, given the severity of the issue….and it will be painfully expensive.
GM is an equal employer. Recently the engine department have hired people of all nations with dyslexia. If your engine has a knock don’t call the warranty people. They don’t care. GM quality at it’s best. Another reason to buy Ford.
Unacceptable. These engines are NOT BMWs to require rod bearings as maintenance items, they are designed for heavy duty service.
Evidently is a QC issue. I will not even look at one, LET ALONE touch it until they get IT RIGHT.