As we’ve been reporting since last Spring, GM has been having some issues with the 6.2L V8 L87 that powers full-size trucks and SUVs on the T1 platform. These include the Chevy Silverado 1500, GMC Sierra 1500, Chevy Tahoe and Suburban, GMC Yukon, and Cadillac Escalade. Now, engine failures are affecting the best-selling full-size truck in the Oceania region, the Chevy Silverado.
The Silverado sold by General Motors Specialty Vehicles (GMSV) in Australia and New Zealand is available in two trims: LTZ Premium and ZR2. Marketed as an upmarket, premium vehicle Down Under, the 6.2L V8 L87 comes standard. GMSV is bringing the 2025 GMC Yukon Denali to Australia and New Zealand as well, and the plan is for the 6.2 V8 L87 to be the sole engine in that as well.
However, these V8 engines are failing at a rate that makes it hard for GM to keep up with the replacements. Reports of engine failures have surged, leaving many owners stranded with disabled vehicles and no clear timeline for repairs. The problem has become so severe that the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) has launched an investigation after receiving over a thousand complaints from affected owners, with 877,710 vehicles now under the microscope.
“Our team in North America is working with the relevant authorities to fully investigate,” GMANZ told Australian outlet CarExpert. “We remain committed to our customers and will share more details on the potential impact to Australia and New Zealand customers in due course.” It’s unclear at this time how many units are affected in the Oceania region, but many anecdotal cases of engine failures are being reported in social media groups.
So, what’s going on with these V8s? The failures are rooted primarily in bearing failures and collapsed lifters, both of which can render the engine completely inoperable. In extreme cases, the 6.2L V8 L87 fails in brand-new vehicles after just a few miles, like the one in this Cadillac Escalade that blew after four miles. These issues are especially problematic for businesses using GM trucks and SUVs in fleet applications, which rack up many miles, pushing them out of warranty when their engines fail.
Comments
These V8 engine failures have proven to be a utter embarrassment and a further confirmation that gm is indeed a lower case company. I sometimes wonder of this is a case of deliberate managerial sabotage to end V8 production and sales to focus on EVs. All I know the powers that be in gm better move to rectify this shameful issue with alacrity to protect buyer confidence.
Evo,
I agree 100%. There’s no concern about reputation which is the first flag that pops up in my book.
To late, buyer confidence is gone. I’m a lifelong GM buyers, 3 used in my teenage and 20’s (65 Chevy, 67 Pontiac 68 Buick) and 6 new (75 3/4 ton, 82 GMC K2500, 85 S10 Blazer, 96 Astro, 02 2500HD, 18 Equinox). I still own the last 4. I would have never considered looking at another brand but will now. Ford and Chrysler both have their own issues for sure but who knows what it will be in the future. Maybe only purchased quality used with a known service history with little to no factory reported issues. SMH. Thanks.
Other brands all have different serious issues. EPA has been slowly over the years killing everyone…
Whataboutism won’t save General Mediocre.
At some point, Ms Mary might go. I see this in the future….
I doubt they will avoid this too long, they might be working on a full scale recall further down the road this year.
Losing with mediocrity is GM’s corporate philosophy.
This is clearly fake news being spread by the Toyoda-Ford family kabal. No issues here at gm. No customer loyalty to be burned. No reputation to tarnish.
Spoken like an uneducated enabler to mediocrity.
I mostly ignored this subject up until now because I had no idea it’s so pervasive. This engine has been in production for what, decades? I’m subject of an engine failure (potentially) issue at Ford with some of its EcoBoost engines and all Ford does is stall the lawsuits in court, over and over. Why? Because a recall would bankrupt the company. This affects fewer engines in total but the fix is more costly and I see this going down the same path. At Ford, it was not a design issue but a manufacturing one. Which baffles me, as does this one.
There is also no guarantee recalled interval vehicles will also be non failure prone. Look at the MY24 tundras, as an example. the V35A was failing in those too. Some recalled engines even failed after replacement….
I suspect GMC/Chevrolet might quietly decide either to issue a fix at the end of the generation, or extend the warranty, or, well…..recall them.
The V35A is a manufacturing issue. And in MY24, it was NOT FIXED. Forget the hybrids…
It’s not a design related. Select blocks had their lifter bores (hole in the block where the lifters ride) oversized by several thousandths. Went unnoticed for ~ a whole year! Problem is it’s so close to spec that the engine runs perfectly fine for approximately 20,000-40,000 miles with no indication when it will blow. Then the lifters shread, shards go through the bearings, and pushrods get bend. Whole block needs trashed. It’s not a design issue, so every 6.2 pre-2022 is golden, 200K+ engine, ditto 2024+. Those in-between, it’s like playing Russian roulette. You got what seams like a 1/10 shot it’s a bad engine from the factory.
And FYI, as it’s a MFG issue, it’s not AFM related or EPA related, just a freak incident like Toyota saw on the 3.5, or Ford had with the Godzillas when they first came out.
Further with that, why recall 2 million trucks, pull the heads off each of them and mic every single bore to made sure it’s in spec? That really is too hard on customers and dealerships. It’s more prudent to wait till one blows and the swap it.
What isn’t prudent and the most infuriating part is that they aren’t allocating 6.2 production for this issue and instead are looking to sell more new units with the 6.2 to make more money at current customers expense. At least take the old blocks and send them to Jasper engines to have a massive rebuild effort to keep pace.
And if they do that, they could keep customers happy by boring out the rebuilt engines to 6.4L so if your on the recall, you essentially get an upgraded engine.
That is one possible solution. But, I think from what I see, people are STILL BUYING these 6.2s…I am honestly stumped.
Why cannot they just downgrade to the 5.3 (which has lifter issues but aside from one rogue case or a couple of lemons have never heard of one blowing its rods..)…?
If anything, they are probably assessing the situation and I THINK either a recall will happen, or as you said, a complete stop sale WILL ALSO OCCUR (either both or one or the other)….
We will never know until the manufacturer decides to TAKE ACTION. But given how long this dragged on, I suspect they will be forced to do it SOONER this year.
By 2027, the full picture will be known. The trucks and SUVS will finish production by MY27….and the next generation small block news have not been coming out as of late. I wonder if there is a connection…..
I will NOT be surprised if they decide to put these L87s (after likely the FIX) into the next generation trucks (at least the first couple of years) before switching to the new small blocks…
Cause the issue has been rectified. All 2024-2025 6.2’s have good motors. Also, the 5th Gen 5.3 doesn’t have lifter issues any more than other lemons, alongside VVT, spun bearings and clogged oil passengers. One in a million oops issues.
6.2 issue is ongoing as more trucks reach 40,000 miles and are discovered to be a bad motor. In a year from now all should have been worked over.
I think we also may not be considering engines which have probably excess of 200k+ miles or 300k+ miles as hotshots…..
Not everyone needs to come on here and say about it.
But will those high mileage L87 engines get replacements? Time will tell…
As for the Ford 7.3 camshaft delamination issues, there is a software update but it apparently has never reached all trucks. The strangest thing is that I also have heard of one 6.8 minizilla fail as well….
What you describe happening to the 6.2s is what I was told in Qatar from the dealer…..
Steve 29,
You can make a small hole bigger, you can’t make a big hole smaller.
Jasper Engines doesn’t have the greatest reputation. The last thing GM would want to do is to have to warranty somebody else’s poorly rebuilt engines.
You oversized, home and drop in an oversized lifter.
Steve 29,
I retired from Tonawanda engine. One of my fortes was machining engine blocks. Aluminum and cast iron. The procedures don’t change. What’s your machine first, and what you machine last. How often, and how you measure the machined features is standardized. I will give you a quick rundown.
I ran an inline machine, these are used for high volume machining. It was about the size of two school buses end to end. It held 25 V6 blocks,- cases actually. The difference between a case and a block is where the centerline of the crank lies in relation to the oil pan.
The lifter bores are drilled with multiple pass drills, but that’s not important. If a drill breaks the machine will catch it and you scrap those blocks. If a drill chips the holes will go oversize. The machine won’t catch it, but you will. There is a set of hand gauges you use to measure every feature your machine is machining.
This is done at the start of your shift, and throughout the day, and after any tool that’s changed, you measure that feature.
Let’s say I changed the drills for the lifter bores. When that block exits the machine you measure the lifter bores using a go-no go gauge for the diameter. One gauge will fit the hole, the other will not, hence the word go-no go gauge. The other gauge used is a paddle gauge. You spin it inside the lifter bore to check it for roundness. These are basic hand gauges, but accurate just the same.
Early in your shift you wash and take your engine block to a coordinate measuring machine. It measures every feature that your machine has machined within a couple of microns. Coordinate measuring machines not only measure the features but where they are on the block. It would check the lifter bores for taper, or hourglass shaped . This is also done again towards the end of your shift. These printed reports are checked by an engineer and signed off by your supervisor.
As the engine blocks continue to be machined and move through the system, the cylinder hone is the very last feature to be machined on any engine block.
The hone operator will take his blocks to a coordinate measuring machine and measure a complete profile, every feature on that engine block.
In order for engine blocks to have a year’s worth of oversized bores, the operator would have to have hand gauges that were made in the wrong parameter. The coordinate measuring machine would also have to have the same wrong parameters programmed into the machine. If the lifter bores were that oversized they should have been caught in cold test with low oil pressure anomalies.
You must remember GM Authority is just articles. Their main goal is to get you to read them. Some of the stuff I read from GM Authority I think is pure bologna. And some of the posts are even more ridiculous.
I believe the engine plant knows what’s going on. They’re just not saying. Certainly heads will roll if they haven’t already.
As I mentioned before the coordinate measuring machines at Tonawanda Engine, or any coordinate measuring machine for that matter are extremely accurate plus or minus a couple of microns.
1,000ths of an inch equals 25 microns. A human hair is is said to be approximately 3,000ths of an inch, or 75 microns.
I think I may stop reading GM Authority. When I retired after 40 years I told myself I was never going to think of that place again.
Sorry about any inaccurate words in this post. I use a small tablet. The GM Authority website only gives me a small window to type in, it also makes it harder for me to have to scroll to proofread. It’s only after I hit send that I get a full page that’s easy to read.
Steve 29,
Drill out lifter bores and use oversized lifters I doubt GM would ever do that. For an example . GM stopped using oversized Pistons over 30 years ago. In manufacturing either an engine block is to spec or it’s not. If it is not it is scrapped. No repairs, no Jerry rigging. This would void their QS9000 quality standard.
I have been a die hard GM guy my whole life. Father is a retired mechanic and he has stated ever since GM went to shutting down cylinders, it would be the death of the V8 engine. Before AFM/DFM. GM small block V8s were basically bullet proof. Now you have a V8 just waiting to explode because you’re shutting down cylinders while driving down the highway!! GTFO!!!
GM needs to cancel DFM on their new 2026 V8s or they will be suffering……
My 2018 denali 6.2L has AFM turned off and is getting better MPGs then any of my previous 16, 17, or 18 SLTs, I had with AFM on. It’s a joke!
AFM is what the EPA has shoved down our throats….
If the EPA did not need it by 2007, we would basically have had the 5.3 without it.
Our ’18 Yukon Denali with the 6.2 and 136K on the clock routinely gets 22 highway mpg with the engine destroying AFM eliminated by a tuner but, otherwise bone stock and 3.23 final gearing. Compared to our ’10 Sierra Denali ( both are AWD/FWD) with 98K and Thorley shorty headers, a flow thru muffler and K&N cold air intake gets 18 mpg highway and has 3.42 final gearing. Both run 91 Octane, Ethanol-free tier one Gas.
If you get better MPG with AFM disabled, it’s cause you jackrabbit the accelerator. AFM will retard the spark when it switches to smooth transition, wasting your compression. If you drive a pre-2019 AFM engine, when you can keep AFM in V4 mode, you’ll easily see 24-28MPG highway, if you can keep it there. Now DFM, doesn’t have the spark issue, but the EPA got to the engines and instead of allowing them to run lean up to a 24:1 AFR, they have to run a perfect stoicometric ratio, so DFM will see 23 with the system working, 17-18 with it disabled, back to 20-22 with it disabled, but tuned to run lean again.
I don’t understand why people lie to try and make themselves look better, you aren’t getting better mpg with it turned off, period. There have been countless independent and 3rd party test showing otherwise. Common sense shows it doesn’t, not to mention plain science.
As far as the problems motor has had, it is a mountain out of a mole hill. If it was as bad as some of you make it seem, they would have done a full blown recall. Corporations have a calculation based on cost and image perception for major component failures and it is in the low to mid-single digit percentage until it deems a recall, if this was worse, you’d see a massive 6.2 recall, but you aren’t.
There have been four (well five) causes of failures. Bearings, lifter bore, valve springs, neglect (lack of oil changes) and rogue just flat out failure not because of any have been prior issue. Most have been caught and addressed (valve spring, lifter bore and attempted oil change interval), the other two one is on going (bearings) and the other can impact ANY manufacturer (rogue mechanical failure). Either way, the total failure are much less than and it is sad the haters trying to make this in to come huge 50% failure rate when it is false and nowhere near it.
So you drive my truck and can tell ME if I’m getting better mpgs without AFM? I have had 4 K2 trucks. The 16 and 17 had 5.3L in them and never tuned. My 18s. One SLT and one Denali both been tuned around 40k miles. The mileage was 1 to 2 mpgs better after the tune. I have absolutely no reason to lie. It’s the truth and if you have HALF a brain, any common sense, and a fourth of mechanical knowledge, you would know that AFM and DFM are a disaster waiting to happen.
You sure comment on a lot of things but your information is totally lacking. You comment constantly on new Traverses and Trucks. Do you even own one of these? I own BOTH. Proceed.
Atrocious indeed. The only other engine with similar problems is the V35A. Recalled motors of V35A have blown up as well…
By 2027, BETTER FIX IT. Judging from the scale of the issue, I think they might be working on issuing a massive recall that might carry the risk of enormous expenses……That recall likely will hit the Middle East and Australia as well…..
Then again, how many have failed in Australia? New Zealand? Out of the TOTAL production? The key question IS THE EXACT NUMBERs…..
How about getting the failures from Middle East i.e: Saudi Arabia, Kuwait, Qatar….
As for the Escalade breaking down at 4 miles, that likely was a manufacturing error.
Honestly how long does it take to figure out what’s going on. Gm is putting this off and pissing off customers. Come on gm, take care of your customers. Limit new sales and get new engines to customers that are affected. Making payments on a large paperweight is unacceptable.
I think you better consider the scale of this….
This issue is NOT AN easy issue where they can just say, yes we will recall all now…from the direction this is going it will be a MASSIVE RECALL this year.
They are not stupid, they know IT IS AN ISSUE. The problem is, HOW MUCH exact numbers are affected?
They figured out what was going on pretty quickly. Once several dozen 6.2’s blew, they brought them back to look at what was the root cause. Found the oversized bore issue, and 1/10 6.2’s from 2022-2023.5 were made on that line. Problem is locating each individual engine that was made on the faulty machine. They would need to recall every single 6.2, remove, tear down, inspect, rebuild, and replace plausible faulty engines
Or just wait till the subject engines fail and replace then under warranty. Which is less hassle? Only issue really is lack of 6.2 availability. It’s a popular motor.
Steve 29,
They bought them back, who is they ?
Who looked at the root cause ?
What factory, what line ?
Faulty machining oversized lifter bores, your assertions are laughable.
Sure there are problems in machining, almost all problems are caught by the numerous layers of measuring and testing. All engines are finally cold tested before leaving the engine plant. Cold test consist of hooking the engine up to computers and spinning it over. It checks and records all data for that engine.
They used to hot test the engines. They found that cold testing was more comprehensive, accurate, and safer.
Occasionally a few bad engines do get out.
Your theory that a years worth or more of oversized lifter bores due to a faulty machine is simply ludicrous.
Lifter bores, along with all machined features are checked numerous times a shift, every shift, every day. Using the same measuring machines NASA uses.
The problem is customers are shutting off the AFM and that is causing the failures. LEAVE IT ON. Internet Trolls spreading false hoods to turn it off and it causes the oil passages to not flow and gum up causing lifter collapse. This engine was not designed to have the AFM turned off and to turn is off concurrency it requires 3k in mechanical work. The users are causing the issue because of some old tales that it caused issues with people who didnt change there oil. If you change your oil every 3k you will be fine with these engines lasting over 500k
I have to disagree with you. I have and still own several AFM Silverado’s and they have all dropped the lifters at one time or another. I own a 2008 Z-71 6.0, a 2015 & 2018 Z-71 6.2 and they have lost the lifters as well. I also own a 24 Tahoe High Country with a 6.2. It is too new to complain about yet. Each one of the failures had a different cause, but it wasn’t that the AFM was disabled as I haven’t done that in any of my vehicles.
What oil are you running? Never ever had a lifter issue after 220K of farm slogging with minimal oil changes. You using Walmart oil? That blew the first engine in my college car.
Walmart, Costco and Amazon oil is the same thing.
Research tells me there are only about 4 companies that make base oil and 4 companies that make additives.
They all pay gm to test the oil and put the Dexos approved on the packaging.
The L86 engines even with their lifter issues were more tolerant to neglect than L87s….
What about the Covid era trucks that had dfm disabled from the factory due to chip shortages? What’s the failure rebate of these? What about Camaro 6.2l? Manual transmission cars have the same hardware but no cylinder deactivation. What’s the failure rate of these?
The 6.2s had auto start stop on some models removed. the DFM was still active. 5.3, you could get DFM and ASS out if you were lucky…
The engines with the oversized lifter bores were 2022-2023.5 6.2 blocks only. Chip issue was resolved by them
Not AFM related. The 5.3 with AFM has now become the #1 engine for LS/LT swaps. AFM not a reliability issue.
That is what I’m wondering. Wife has a 2022 Camaro SS auto tranny & I was thinking the problem might be all 6.2 engines during that time.
Not all. Seams to be just one tooling line, nearly 1/10 6.2’s, but when they sold 400k of that engine every year, that’s a lot of engines.
I bought new, in 2020, changed the oil regularly, never disabled AFM, the lifters failed and took the cam with them while under warranty. When back from repairs I installed a Range chip to disable AFM …. I was advised to by the Service Manager at the GM dealer that fixed it! He said he had one on his truck, he also said I made it further than most owners,… “normally happens between 9 and 13 thousand miles”. It’s been over 70,000 miles now since the repair and engine still runs great.
Dude, WTF?
WRONG ! So wrong it’s laughable.
What is different about the replacement engine? Nothing?
Guest,
Nothing ? You don’t know that unless you’re inside the engine plant manufacturing them.
Given lowercase gm’s recent history, I can’t help but think this is intentional to further push the EV BS. This company is now trash, run by the trash WEF folks, and a Karen leader.
Soon Ms Mary will leave..
At one point someone will NOT take it….
I bought a new C8 & new Silverado last year, both with 6.2 engines. All good so far.
My next car or truck won’t be big three American, but Porsche & Tundra until you get that dictator out of office.
Tundra has similar issues in the V35A…..the MY24s have also blown up. Even recalled engines have failed….I will NOT recommend it.
Do you want to know how much the engine costs of out warranty?
Porsche is well…Porsche. So, the QC of course will be loads higher than these trucks.
Up to you.
Dictator Biden was ushered out of Office on January, 20, 2025. The day Americans re-gained their freedom from Democrat greed and corruption. So your asinine attempt at a comment is, once again, irrelevant.
Keep drinking the Kool-Aid, billj598. You will see. Only 150 million people voted for DJT, and the other 7.5 billion on this planet would not!
The EPA has caused more pollution and global warming / climate change than would be if all MFGs were left alone to build a quality product. Instead of all these failures by all MFGs. Building new engines is NOT environmentally friendly. And it’s not just GM and Ford that has suffered reliability issues.
Absolutely.
I read of one person in Saudi Arabia asking why AFM was needed because here in the GCC countries fuel is cheap…..
And besides, other than saving fuel, the savings are very marginal. In stop and go traffic it is not exactly what I will call completely useful….17 liters per kilometer, guess how much that is?
Ask yourself why GM Oceania is making the larger displacement, premium fuel, L87 standard in these South Pacific Countries with sky-high fuel prices. Seems like their 5.3L motors got such a well-deserved BAD reputation that they had to do it to sell vehicles. Lack of Quality Control seems to the standard modus operandi for the Barra regime at GM.
Around 30 years ago a friend bought a 84 suburban, with 5.7 350 engine , he put an aftermarket overdrive automatic transmission with a Holly carburator, still we kept the original catalyst converter… still we managed 20mpg at 65 70 mph. Non computer control.
How com new truck can’t match that mileage? He still have the suburban traveling all over USA. Forget this new cars. I’m for the market for an old suburban or full size station wagon. With a little talent we can match emissions and mileage of new car with no digital control
Consider this: You have a 6.2L or maybe a 5.3L that fails due to AFM, faulty machine work or perhaps, bad lifter(s) and/or pushrod(s). You decide to trade in the vehicle. CARFAX record shows a major engine repair or replacement. The market value of your trade is diminished. Unlikely that GM will offer financial renumeration to help.
You say that like it is a bad thing, getting a new engine prior to trade in is a huge plus!
Frank,
Don’t trust Carfax they’re a joke.
I got in an accident in my GMC Yukon. A police report was written. An insurance claim was filed. The truck was repaired at a collision shop.
To this day the Carfax report states that this vehicle was never in an accident.
GM has had the same exact part number lifter in these engines since 2008. They failed constantly back then and here we are 16 years later with the same lifters in 25 model Sierra’s/Silverado’s/Yukon’s/Sierra’s/Escalades. Come up with a permanent fix like having a better lifter made!
Solution…..get rid of the AFM, bring back old school lifters, use oil that feels like oil(not cooking oil), manufacture engines with pride again, not quantity and don’t cut corners and you will get engines that do not have any serious issues for hundreds of thousands of miles. maybe a little old school thinking might solve something. they worked well in the past….not ?
new technology, over priced junk. Just my opinion.
Do they have problems in the Camaro & Corvette 6.2 engines as have not heard of any here in New Zealand, but have failed in the 1500 Silverados