The U.S. National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA), the equivalent of Transport Canada, has opened an investigation into incident reports of alleged failures of General Motors' (GM) 6.2L V8 engine, which powers a range of full-size pickup trucks and SUVs in the U.S. auto giant’s model range.
In all, 877,710 vehicles are under investigation. At this stage of the process, NHTSA has not yet ordered a recall. The results of the analyses currently underway will determine whether or not a campaign will be launched.
The cause
The U.S. agency has received 39 complaints of engine trouble. The problem is apparently caused by the failure of a bearing, which in turn “can lead to either engine seizure or engine block rupture from the connecting rod”.
This is obviously a problem with major consequences. As the NHTSA points out, “engine failure or malfunction results in a loss of motive power to the vehicle, which can increase the risk of accidents resulting in personal injury and property damage”.

A number of models
Since the 6.2L V8 engine is used in a wide range of vehicles, the models potentially affected are many. The list includes the Chevrolet Silverado 1500, Suburban and Tahoe and Cadillac Escalade, as well as the GMC Sierra 1500 and Yukon. Most of the vehicles on the affected product list were built between 2021 and 2024, but Silverado and Sierra 1500 pickups assembled in 2019 and 2020 are also being monitored.
It would be interesting to find out what has changed with this powertrain over time, as it's been in use at GM for a long time, and the alleged problem hasn't been identified before. We may never know the answer to that, mind you.
If the NHTSA investigation reveals a recurrent problem, a major recall could follow.