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General Motors has confirmed it’s voluntarily recalling Chevrolet Silverado 1500s powered by its ‘L87’ V8 due to a defect that has resulted in engine failures, with 9451 vehicles impacted in Australia.
The global recall campaign involves not only 2021-24 Silverado 1500s sold in our market with the naturally aspirated 6.2-litre V8, but also certain Chevrolet Tahoe and Suburban, GMC Yukon and Yukon XL, Cadillac Escalade and Escalade ESV, and GMC Sierra 1500 models sold in other markets.
In all, a total of 721,000 GM vehicles are impacted by the global recall.
It doesn’t affect 2025 Chevrolet Silverado 1500 models, nor does it affect the new GMC Yukon Denali for which local deliveries are starting imminently.
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“GM discovered supplier manufacturing quality issues with the connecting rods and crankshafts used in certain vehicles within the affected population. While some L87 engines are affected, others are not,” said a spokesperson for General Motors.
“The defect can lead to engine bearing damage, and some engines can fail as a result. For this reason, GM has voluntarily elected to recall vehicles that are at elevated risk of engine damage.
“GM will replace or repair engines that fail an initial inspection and provide owners of vehicles that pass the inspection with additional protection against this condition. Engines that pass inspection will receive an oil change to a higher viscosity [thicker] oil.
“These vehicles will receive a new oil fill cap and an insert for the owner’s manual will be provided designating the recommended oil.
“GM will also implement a special coverage program to provide additional warranty coverage for this condition in vehicles that pass inspection and receive the higher viscosity oil.
“Other vehicles that do not pass inspection will undergo engine repair or replacement.
“We are not recommending owners of affected vehicles take any interim precautions. Drivers may be alerted to an issue with their engine prior to failure either from knocking, banging, or other unusual engine noises or from illumination of the check engine light, or both.
“Drivers may also experience a no-start condition or notice engine hesitation, high RPMs, abnormal shifting or reduced propulsion prior to engine failure.
“The condition has no impact on braking operation and does not cause an abrupt vehicle stop, allowing the driver to coast down and manoueuvre safely to the side of the road.
“The safety and satisfaction of our customers are the highest priorities for the entire GM team, and we’re working to address this matter as quickly as possible.”
GM told GM Authority the company has addressed issues with the engine for model year 2025 (MY25) vehicles.
“A series of crankshaft and connecting rod manufacturing improvements implemented on or before June 1st, 2024, addressed contamination and quality issues,” a spokesperson told the publication.
“Model-year 2025 vehicles were built after these improvements and are not included in the recall.”
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Source: Facebook
A report by the US National Highway and Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) found complainants had experienced a bearing failure resulting in either engine seizure or breaching of the engine block by the connecting rod, and that there was “no detectability prior to the failure”.
Of the 597,630 US-market vehicles included in its safety recall report, NHTSA estimated three per cent had the defect.
It said an engine teardown analysis found “rod-bearing damage from sediment on connecting rods and crankshaft-oil galleries and out of specification crankshaft dimensions and surface finish”.
Some owners on the Australian Silverado 1500 GMSV Complaints group on Facebook have reported their engines replaced on condition of signing a non-disclosure agreement.