So truck owners, I have some breaking news to share with you watch this video from start to finish and see if you are affected. But what I’m hoping is that this investigation will spark some sort of recall that will take care of your 877,000 pickup trucks on the road right now. The investigation applies to the 6.2 L V8 l87 and specifically to the trucks and SUVs from Chevy, GMC and Cadillac, equipped with the engine from 2019 to 2024 model years. Previously, I made a YouTube video about the Allison 10speed 1000 valve bodies causing the rear ends on these diesel trucks to lock up on them, while they’re driving.
If you guys want to check that video out, I will leave that link in the description below, but this involves the gas 6.2 L, and this is very concerning what’s actually causing this problem is the connecting rod bearing it’s failing and it’s causing the engine to cease. It’S literally locking up the engine and sending metal shards all through the engine oil system, and what that basically means is that the truck will need a full engine replacement and anything that oil touches will need to be replaced as well like the oil cooler lines. The engine oil cooler and to you owners out there if it’s not fully covered. This is going to be extremely expensive and before I dive deep into this topic, I wanted to give you guys a huge heads up, we’re giving away a brand new SP tools toolbox.
If you plan on repairing or upgrading your vehicle definitely check us out, every $ 1 spent is one automatic entry in to win, and this contest ends March 3rd and, with all of that being said, let’s go ahead and get right into this. Gm has an engine problem on its hand. The automaker 6.2 L gasoline V8 is now under the magnifying glass. The nhtsa has launched a preliminary probe into over 870,000 GM vehicles, and the engine in question is formerly known as the l87 and branded as the Ecotech 3.
It comes from the broader LS small block engine family. It delivers an impressive 420 horsepower and 460 lb feet of torque and it’s a modern and complicated engine featuring variable valve timing, cylinder deactivation and even a variable pressure. Oil pump and this 6.2 L, which is commonly known as the l86. It was first launched in 2019 and reports received by the nhtsa indicated that the l87 engines, built from 2019 onwards, are suffering bearing failure with major consequences and the complaints indicate that the engines May seize or in extreme cases, eject connecting rods through the engine block and Clearly, this is no small problem, we’re talking about the bottom end.
It’S not like you could just throw a software update at it. If this thing goes, It’s very possible that your engine can lock up and what does that mean to the driver, especially if you’re doing highway speeds and as I’ve been doing my research? I just want to reiterate that there has not been a recall. That’S been issued as of yet it’s just the fact that GM is now under investigation, but this affects a lot of vehicles, because, if you think about it now, I don’t want to over exaggerate the number, but we’re talking about almost a million vehicles. I want you guys to pay close attention to this.
I’M going to read this complaint from November 2024, which really wasn’t that long ago, as of this month, that I’m posting 2025 January, but listen to this. Our 2021 GMC Yukon XL for the third time has now shifted from drive to neutral and then turned off on us on the highway. The first time GM changed the motor at approximately 35,000 Mi. The second time was about a month ago, we were at the White Mountains and it shut off on a highway. The third time was yesterday with 61,000 Mi, my wife and I were driving in Massachusetts, and I accelerated the vehicle shifted from drive to neutral and then shut off on me.
This vehicle is not safe. On all of these three occasions, I have been lucky not to be hit and have been the driver, and I got to give GM credit, that’s pretty cool that they replace the motor in this guy’s truck. But the fact that this happened twice after that it raises a lot of eyebrows. Now it doesn’t take a genius to know that a sou engine failure can leave you in a danger situation. The agency notes the severity of the problem and the inherent safety risk, explaining that failure of malfunction of the engine results in loss of Motive Power of the vehicle, which may lead to increased risk of a crash resulting in injury or property damage.
Thankfully, as of yet no crashes, injuries or fatalities are known to have occurred and as it stands, the nhtsa has received 39 complaints regarding the matter with submissions stretching back several years. Submissions to the agency indicate that the problems often tend to crop up Suddenly without prior warning and at best some owners hear strange noises or ticking or get a warning for low oil pressure pressure as the engine seizes up and in some cases the issue has occurred In trucks with under 5,000 Mi on the clock did y’all hear that did. Did you hear that bro something is jacked up on my truck right now, legit 5,177 milesi, but it dude it’s ticking and that’s with the nhtsa recording multiple cases of total engine failure under 20,000 miles. But then again some vehicles have approached over 100,000 Mi before failure and here’s a few other complaints. I wanted to read to you guys my first 6
2, L swap was done at 4,400 Mi and it is now again as a replacement.
Let go with 500 Mi, that’s crazy and I baby both of them first swap took almost a month. They’Ve had it for 2 weeks again this time I’ve replaced five. Six .2 L l87 engines in the last year, all from main bearing failure. That says something right there.
So obviously, there’s probably way more than 39 cases, and this guy says I’m doing a second engine on one now 11,000 Mi first engine was 8,000 Mi, laugh out loud, good luck, and then it says same here I’m on my second engine on a brand new 2024 Silverado with a 6.2 L – and this one is coming from Steve hi, everyone have a 2022 Sierra 1500 Denali crew cab with a 6.2 in it. Had it since August 22nd has 8200 M on it started with a slight engine. Rattle knock one evening did some research and thought it was lifters took it into the dealership very next morning, driving there, it was starting to squeal and knock pretty loud and the main bearing cover had grenaded totally replaced the engine.
Oil pump and radiator said the last engine that they had to replace was a 5.3 L and it took them 4 months to get in and I’m telling you guys if you go on the internet, this is popping up everywhere and some owners cite that their problems. First became apparent when the vehicle suddenly shifted into neutral only for them to later find the true issue to be major engine damage and others have found that they were able to restart their vehicles after an initial loss of power. Only for the problem to reoccur. Most cases, however, seem to involve a single sudden incident where the engine loses power and totally seizes up.
In many cases, the engine has suddenly failed, while owners are traveling at highway speeds, leaving them with zero power in dangerous situations, and another person stated that, while traveling at highway speeds the vehicle suddenly and without warning lost power upon pulling off the road, the engine would Not restart so the vehicle was towed to a dealership for repairs, while inspecting dealership found internal engine bearing material in the oil indicating internal mechanical failure. This dealership states that they removed the engine oil pan number one and number two connecting rod and found bearing spun, causing catastrophic engine failure, and this is a pretty interesting one right here. It says one owner was out camping when disaster struck. We were approximately 30 minutes out of town when the engine blew, we lost all electronics and had to drive off the side of the road. Their vehicle was towed to a dealer in Arizona and fitted with a new engine only for lightning to strike twice after 10 minutes of running the new engine seized as well.
The owner told nhtsa. My vehicle has been down for 30 days and I still do not have it back and at this stage the root cause of this problem is unknown. Something is causing connecting rod, bearing failures that are seizing up these engines and, of course, this is the exact question that everybody wants to know. Why are these bearings failing? What we do know is that some of the engines have failed at an incredibly low mileage, and some owners have suffered multiple failures after engine replacement.
This would hint towards a design flaw rather than some minor or intermediate material or manufacturing issue, and without a full engineering analysis, it’s impossible to say with any certainty what the cause could be at this stage. Nor is it clear how many vehicles are affected amongst the total population of over 87 70,000 vehicles with a 6
2 L engine GM has issued bulletins regarding the matter as published via TechLink. It’S a platform for gmtech and the document concerns investigating bearing damage in the l87 engines, with a no crank condition and this bulletin instructs the text to look for bearing material and other metal debris in the oil filter. It also contains several images indicating what to look for when diagnosing bearing failure. Note the heavy scoring metal debris and the heat marks, all of which, which indicate bearing failure, so pay close attention to that picture right there.
That’S the picture, that’s on their GM Tech leak bulletin and that’s what they’re actually looking for and in case of bearing failure, a total engine replacement is indicated. Gm has also specified that it is important to fully replace other components in the lubrication circuit too. If the main bearing debris is sent through the oil Galleries and other components that are in the lubrication circuit, which are very difficult to completely clean, it could lead to additional damage when in installed on a new engine, when there is extensive damage, oil, cooler, oil, cooler Line and oil tank replacement ensures all debris is completely removed and that any bearing failure debris is not transferred into the new service engine, and this is coming from the GM Tech link and if you own one of these trucks, I want you guys to pay close Attention to this picture right here. This is the engine oil filter. If you pull this and you look in between those fins right there and you start seeing a bunch of metal debris that pretty much Spells game over for you you’re going to have to replace that engine, and I really don’t want to beat up the 6.
L Engine, but it also has other issues as well like lifter issues. It has plagued the model for some time becoming a Hot Topic on owner forums over the last few years, and some owners have talked about noisy lifters and even bent push rods, some of which failed. After less than 20,000 Mi and GM also issued a bulletin regarding certain 2023 models that received engines with oversized lifter boards mandating engine replacement for affected models, and these issues seem to be largely separate from the bearing failures now being investigated by the nhtsa, but are nonetheless Another blackm Mark against the l87 engine in the times that we’re living in obviously Supply is going to be a huge issue, and it appears that the failure could be common enough to cause Supply. Problems for GM in some stories of long weights are becoming increasingly common, but moving forward here, it’s ultimately a difficult situation for GM and other customers alike, and at this stage it’s unclear whether the 6.2 L engine has a fundamental design flaw or whether there’s a manufacturing Issue to play, or something else entirely until the root cause of the problem is understood.
Gm can do little more than replace the engines and hope for the best. The fact that several owners have reported engines failing after replacement, suggests that the issue is poorly understood and look. I want to reiterate this: there’s only been 39 cases reported to the nhtsa, but after doing a bunch of research, even I’ve been hearing some service writers and some service Managers from other dealerships saying that across the board, customers have been coming in with their pickup trucks. Complaining about the same issue and if you look at that 877,000 truck number right there and you compare it to that 39 reports there’s clearly a bigger issue at hand, so the biggest concern is failure, while you’re driving that’s number one. Obviously, that’s going to hurt you, the family, that’s in the vehicle with you and, of course, the drivers around you and it’s going to cause property damage, but there’s just two things.
That kind of concerned me here of obviously that first one’s the biggest one, but the fact that the dealerships are just installing brand new engines or used engines in these trucks. I don’t even know if they’re just doing junkyard poles. I have no idea but they’re putting the same exact 6.2 L in these trucks and hoping that it doesn’t happen again, I’m sure. After all of these complaints, the engineers are taking a look at the bearing design.
Maybe they can come out with a new upgraded bearing that won’t. Allow this to happen. They’Re talking about debris being introduced into the engine which can cause this issue. I don’t know if maybe there might be some excess debris in the engine that might be getting into the bearings. I don’t know if maybe it’s a cast issue but as stated it’s a pretty big mark on the GM Community.
Again, I know I talked about the Allison 10speed being an issue, but I would say this is more of an issue and unfortunately, that’s a big hit on the 6.6 L gas, not to mention the 6
6 L Duramax guys I posted a YouTube video prior to this, but it’s the Allison recall basically the valve bodies and these Transmissions caused the rear end to lock up while people were driving, not cool and GM’s response to that recall was that they were going to Install a software in the system in the ECM to alert the driver before they have an issue which I mean that’s great, but why don’t they just revamp the valve body so that doesn’t happen again. There’S kits out there I’m not going to sit here and defend General Motors by no means, but if you look across the board, Toyota pickup trucks are having issues. Ford definitely is having issues Dodge is having issues it’s across the board. 90 % of my channel is me working on GM pickup trucks.
So that’s why I’d like to report some of this stuff to give you guys a heads up. I know a lot of you guys drive these pickup trucks and again I want you guys to. Let me know in the comments drop it below what vehicle you drive. Are you affected again? It’S not a recall, it’s an investigation, I’m pretty sure it will be a recall eventually, but owners.
Let me know how your truck is doing. Let me know if you’ve had this issue already, what is your experience share it in the comments below we all would love to read it. I’M sure this is a very, very small percentage of truck owners versus the 870,000 th pickup trucks on the road, but at the end of the day, this is a huge heads up. I’M hoping that this will help somebody out if you have found any value in this video whatsoever, hit that like button for me, I really would appreciate it and, of course, subscribe to the channel if you do own a pickup truck and you plan to upgrade check Out my website, truckmaster diesel.com, we sell a lot of stuff like lift kits Wheels, tires turbos intakes manifolds, not to mention all the YouTube merch like t-shirts, hats, key tags and by the way, if you spend $ 1 on the website, that’s going to get you one Automatic entry in to win a brand new toolbox, we’re running a contest until March 3rd 2025, so definitely get entered in.
I leave that link in the comments below, as well as in the description, but with all of that being said, I am done talking we’ll see you on the next one stay tuned,