BREAKING: GM is officially recalling the L87

[headwest]

Do they have it now?

 

[the 18th letter]

GM had to be paying in pesos to make the logistics of shipping back and forth work.

 

[hellz]

just took my 23 Z71 in for the PICO test yesterday, and passed.
31k on the odom

curious about the extended warrantry i read about vehicles that apss will get the 10yr 150k warrantry.

hopefully it will update in the app soon

 

[Stbentoak]

GM had to be paying in pesos to make the logistics of shipping back and forth work.

You would be surprised of the logistical stupidity been done in the name of cheap labor and no EPA oversight... In all industries.....

 

[vcode]

just took my 23 Z71 in for the PICO test yesterday, and passed.
31k on the odom

curious about the extended warrantry i read about vehicles that apss will get the 10yr 150k warrantry.

hopefully it will update in the app soon

The warranty is only for bottom end oiling issues from what I understand, not the entire engine.

 

[viven44]

What's this bit about insurance not covering in case of an accident on a vehicle that's been recalled ? Truth or TV sensationalism ? Go to 1:30 in the video below

 

[the 18th letter]

Insurance companies are masters at finding out ways to deny a claim.

 

[James Fagin]

just took my 23 Z71 in for the PICO test yesterday, and passed.
31k on the odom

curious about the extended warrantry i read about vehicles that apss will get the 10yr 150k warrantry.

hopefully it will update in the app soon

Here’s the breakdown of GM Special Coverage N252494003 (released May 23, 2025):

---

What It Covers​

• Applies to GM vehicles with the 6.2L L87 V8 engine (Cadillac, Chevy, GMC 2021–2024 models).
• Addresses a manufacturing defect in the engine’s connecting rods and/or crankshaft.
• If the defect causes an engine failure, GM will cover the entire engine replacement at no cost to the owner.

---

Coverage Details​

• Length: 10 years or 150,000 miles (240,000 km), whichever comes first.
• Starts from the original in-service date of the vehicle.
• Coverage follows the vehicle, not the owner (so even if sold, the next owner still has coverage).
• Only applies if the failure is caused by the known defect (dealers confirm this through inspection and service records).

Vehicles Covered​

Models from 2021–2024 with the L87 6.2L engine:

• Cadillac Escalade / Escalade ESV
• Chevrolet Silverado 1500, Tahoe, Suburban
• GMC Sierra 1500, Yukon, Yukon XL

---

In short:
Special Coverage N252494003 gives you 10 years / 150,000 miles of free coverage for engine failures tied to the defective connecting rods or crankshaft in the L87 engine. If your engine fails because of this issue, GM replaces it at no cost — even if you’re not the original owner.

 

[JTGZ71]

I noticed at the 2 minute mark of the video, the quote from the GM spokesperson said "...owner notification of an available remedy is a phased launch estimated to run from June 9th, 2025 through November 2025." We all knew it was a phased approach, but this is the first time I recall seeing November 2025 as the estimated date by which they would notify owners of an available remedy. To me, that means those of us who have only received the first letter from GM, should receive the second letter by November (if their estimated timing holds up). Is that how others interpret that?

 

[James Fagin]

I noticed at the 2 minute mark of the video, the quote from the GM spokesperson said "...owner notification of an available remedy is a phased launch estimated to run from June 9th, 2025 through November 2025." We all knew it was a phased approach, but this is the first time I recall seeing November 2025 as the estimated date by which they would notify owners of an available remedy. To me, that means those of us who have only received the first letter from GM, should receive the second letter by November (if their estimated timing holds up). Is that how others interpret that?

I never got a letter if that helps. My app said there was a recall so I scheduled the appointment and took it in. I would not wait on a letter that for whatever reason might not get to you.

 

[JTGZ71]

I never got a letter if that helps. My app said there was a recall so I scheduled the appointment and took it in. I would not wait on a letter that for whatever reason might not get to you.

Thanks. I suppose I could try that. But given that my VIN hasn't been released yet (still showing "remedy not available"), I doubt they would take it in for inspection. I did get the first letter, so I assume I'll get the second one too, hopefully before November.

 

[James Fagin]

Thanks. I suppose I could try that. But given that my VIN hasn't been released yet (still showing "remedy not available"), I doubt they would take it in for inspection. I did get the first letter, so I assume I'll get the second one too, hopefully before November.

If it helps mine said the same thing for a few months and I just so happened to call the Dealership and they said they were ready to test it so bring it in. Its at least worth a call and give them your VIN and they can tell you right away.

 

[JTGZ71]

If it helps mine said the same thing for a few months and I just so happened to call the Dealership and they said they were ready to test it so bring it in. Its at least worth a call and give them your VIN and they can tell you right away.

I called my preferred dealership's service department. The girl answering calls and scheduling appointments of course wasn't very well versed on the situation, but said that a remedy was not available for my specific vehicle. I then asked to speak to a service advisor. He said GM is releasing the VINs based on likelihood of failure, and so I asked how GM was determining that. He said GM doesn't release that information to them. He did mention that he has personally handled 25-30 inspections, with none of them failing, and that no one else in the shop had seen a failure from the inspection yet either. So, I will just continue to wait for my turn.

 

[zbad55]

Don't be misled by the new 10 year warranty, keep in mind that this is from the original "In-Service: date. For some 2022 models they could have a 2021 in-service date so the extended warranty may only be good for another 5 or 6 years not 10 years. Just another way for GM to minimize their potential costs. The other issue is they are only going to cover the crank and rod bearings, this new thicker oil may cause other top end engine issues since the engine is designed for 20W oil, notice how they are not covering that.

 

[BADRIDES]

Don't be misled by the new 10 year warranty, keep in mind that this is from the original "In-Service: date. For some 2022 models they could have a 2021 in-service date so the extended warranty may only be good for another 5 or 6 years not 10 years. Just another way for GM to minimize their potential costs. The other issue is they are only going to cover the crank and rod bearings, this new thicker oil may cause other top end engine issues since the engine is designed for 20W oil, notice how they are not covering that.

Ditto

 

[tagexpcom]

Ditto

Yes - it's a 10yr warranty but like all warranties I've seen on a new rig, it's from when the rig was put in service, not from a pico test date where no engine parts were changed except the oil cap. If they put in a new engine, then the new engine would have it's own warranty? / different situation.

My 2021 Yukon, put in service at 2021-04-13, now has this additional 10yr (since new) warranty.... till 2031-04-13 or 150,009 miles.

 

[DontTaseMeBro]

Don't be misled by the new 10 year warranty, keep in mind that this is from the original "In-Service: date. For some 2022 models they could have a 2021 in-service date so the extended warranty may only be good for another 5 or 6 years not 10 years. Just another way for GM to minimize their potential costs. The other issue is they are only going to cover the crank and rod bearings, this new thicker oil may cause other top end engine issues since the engine is designed for 20W oil, notice how they are not covering that.

Please explain what kind of head failure could possibly occur whilst running 0W-40?

 

[West 1]

The note says Defect in connecting rods or crankshaft??? IF the Rods are too large in the big end and not putting enough crush on the connecting rod bearings they would be free to spin, once they spin oil supply is cut off and the engine is dead. The aftermarket has oversize housing Rod bearings to repair this. The shop oversize hones the connecting rod and the new oversize bearing gives you 100% new life.

The problem is to fix this type issue the Pistons all have to come out, the rod needs to be removed from the piston for resize and all needs to go back in.

Is this really the root of the 6.2L failure issue? Until reading the GM bulletin I was thinking it was a poor bearing material choice by GM?

On tear down you can inspect the back side of the rod bearings. If crushed properly on install the bearings will show the cross hatch pattern that was honed into the rod when it was built. If the bearing shows the cross hatch it was properly crushed on assembly and never moved over the life of the engine. This is normal. If the back of the bearing shows movement it was not crushed properly. The crush holds the bearing in place. The little tangs on the bearing are only there to help assemble the engine, the tangs offer zero help keeping the bearing from spinning, that job is done by the bearing crush as you torque the connecting rod bolts.

Brings up one last thought, a lot of the new engines use torque to yield bolts even for connecting rods, this has been done going back to the year 2000 at least. Maybe the TTY bolts are not to spec and not giving proper crush.

Lots of possible things that could cause the issue in the 6.2L.

GM knows what happened, we may never know.

 

[zbad55]

Please explain what kind of head failure could possibly occur whilst running 0W-40?

For one is the variable displacement oil pump, these engines and components are designed based on the oil which is 0-20W and not 0-40W and there could/may be long term issues with the higher viscosity oil. As for what could/may happen is not known for sure at this point in the recall and too early to tell. The issue is with the crankshaft and it's improper machining or contamination from the machining process. The 0-40W is to take up the gaps due to the under tolerance of the crank journals, or out of round or tapered journals. Changing to 0-40W is the quickest and cheapest way to satisfy the NHTSA recall.

 

[DontTaseMeBro]

For one is the variable displacement oil pump, these engines and components are designed based on the oil which is 0-20W and not 0-40W and there could/may be long term issues with the higher viscosity oil. As for what could/may happen is not known for sure at this point in the recall and too early to tell. The issue is with the crankshaft and its improper machining or contamination from the machining process. The 0-40W is to take up the gaps due to the under tolerance of the crank journals, or out of round or tapered journals. Changing to 0-40W is the quickest and cheapest way to satisfy the NHTSA recall.

With all due respect, I have never heard of an engine failing due to higher viscosity oil. I seriously doubt that the oil pump and other components will fail in time due to this thicker oil.

If that were to happen, then GM would be dumber than we thought. Because they would get hit with more lawsuits and perhaps another recall etc. I’m pretty sure they knew all along that running thicker oil was the way to go for the L87, but because of EPA regulations decided to spec the thinnest stuff they could for the sake of marginal fuel and emissions efficiency.