General Motors is recalling some 880,000 pickups and SUVs that feature the company’s 6.2L V8 engine. This follows an inquiry by the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) prompted by a number of complaints received by owners, some of whom have had to their vehicle’s engine replaced.
The models affected are the Chevrolet Silverado 1500, Tahoe and Suburban, GMC Sierra 1500, Yukon and Yukon XL and Cadillac Escalade and Escalade ESV, all from the 2021-to-2024 model-years.
The total provided for the number of vehicles being recalled is for the U.S. only. GM in Canada will be issuing a recall of the same models over the same problem.
Update: General Motors Canada has confirmed that some 50,000 vehicles in Canada are affected by the recall campaign.
The problem
The company says manufacturing issues affecting the crankshaft and/or connecting rods can lead to engine damage, which can result in a loss of power and stalling. The company doesn’t specify the exact issue, but the fix being proposed suggests it may have to do with a lubrication issue that becomes apparent at high temperature.
The solution
Owners will be asked to bring their vehicle into their dealer service centre, where technicians will inspect the engine. If no damage is found, they will change the oil and filter using a higher-viscosity product. A new filler cap will be installed as well to suit the new oil.
In cases where engines have suffered damage, the company has not specified their course of action either, but the likelihood is that those engines will have to replaced.
GM says it will send out notices to owners of affected vehicles. The company also plans to inspect all targeted vehicles still in inventory at dealers to be repaired as needed.
