GM Recalls 1 Million 6.2L V8 Engines And It Just Got Worse: What Truck Buyers Should Know

For years, truck buyers have been told that a big, naturally aspirated V8 is the “safe” choice — proven, simple and dependable.

Unfortunately for thousands of General Motors owners, that reputation is being put to a very serious test.

GM recalled hundreds of thousands of Chevrolet, GMC and Cadillac vehicles equipped with its 6.2L L87 V8 after acknowledging that manufacturing defects involving internal engine components could cause severe engine damage, engine failure and a sudden loss of propulsion.

Now, the story has taken another turn.

In August 2026, the U.S. National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) escalated its investigation after receiving reports that some engines were still failing after the recall remedy had already been performed.

And the numbers aren’t small.

The Original GM 6.2L V8 Recall

In April 2025, General Motors issued a major safety recall involving certain 2021–2024 vehicles equipped with the 6.2L L87 V8.

The affected vehicles included:

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

In the United States alone, GM’s recall covered approximately 597,000 vehicles.

Here in Canada, Transport Canada Recall 2025-225 covered approximately 49,848 vehicles.

This wasn’t a recall for a faulty screen, troublesome sensor or inconvenient software bug.

It involved the engine itself.

Transport Canada states that connecting rods and/or crankshaft components in certain engines may not have been manufactured properly. The result can include abnormal engine noises, warning lights and ultimately engine failure.

Most importantly, Transport Canada warns that engine failure can cause a sudden loss of power to the wheels, increasing the risk of a crash.

GM’s Solution Included Changing the Oil

The remedy is where this story gets particularly interesting.

Vehicles covered by the recall were inspected to determine whether the engine required replacement or further repair.

Engines that passed GM’s inspection procedure didn’t necessarily receive new internal engine components.

Instead, the recall procedure included draining the original engine oil and switching the engine from its previously specified 0W-20 oil to dexosR SAE 0W-40, along with a new oil filter, new oil-fill cap and an owner’s manual insert reflecting the new oil requirement.

Engines that failed the inspection could require repair or replacement.

Changing an engine’s specified oil viscosity as part of a safety recall involving potential crankshaft and connecting-rod defects is noteworthy by itself.

What happened afterward is considerably more concerning.

Engines Reportedly Continued Failing After the Recall

In January 2026, NHTSA opened an investigation specifically to determine whether GM’s recall remedy was actually effective.

By August, regulators had gathered enough information to escalate the matter to an Engineering Analysis.

According to NHTSA’s investigation, the agency has received:

499 complaints alleging engine failure after the recall remedy had been completed.

Of those:

473 involved vehicles that received the oil-viscosity remedy.

Another:

26 involved vehicles that had received a replacement engine.

Perhaps most concerning of all, regulators have also received 191 reports involving L87 engines produced after the manufacturing period covered by the original recall.

GM itself reported receiving 6,953 complaints of post-remedy engine failure, according to NHTSA.

Read that again.

The federal investigation isn’t simply looking at whether the original engines could fail.

Regulators are now investigating reports of engines failing after the vehicles had already undergone GM’s recall procedure.

The Investigation Has Now Expanded to Nearly One Million Vehicles

NHTSA’s Engineering Analysis, opened August 20, 2026, covers approximately 997,743 GM vehicles equipped with the 6.2L L87 V8.

The investigation now reaches beyond the original 2021–2024 recall population and examines L87-equipped vehicles through the 2026 model year.

That does not mean every 2021–2026 GM 6.2L V8 is defective, nor does it mean that another recall has already been announced.

It does mean federal safety regulators believe the reports warrant a much broader investigation.

That distinction matters.

But so does the fact that we’re talking about nearly a million vehicles.

This Isn’t Just About Reliability

An engine failure is expensive and inconvenient under the best circumstances.

An engine that fails while you’re driving is something else entirely.

GM’s own recall documentation acknowledged that failure of the affected engines could result in a loss of propulsion and increase the risk of a crash.

Before issuing the original recall, GM identified more than 28,000 complaints, according to reporting from Reuters, with roughly half alleging a loss of propulsion.

GM also identified 12 crashes and 12 minor injuries in the United States that could potentially be related to the issue, along with 42 reports of fire that were possibly related.

Those figures help explain why regulators aren’t treating this as an ordinary reliability complaint.

What About Newer GM Trucks?

This is where the latest investigation becomes particularly important for shoppers.

When the original recall was announced, GM said manufacturing improvements had been implemented by June 1, 2024 to address contamination and quality problems, which is why newer vehicles weren’t included in the original recall population.

NHTSA is now investigating 191 reports of L87 engine failures involving engines produced after the period covered by that recall.

Again, that does not establish that every newer 6.2L engine has the same defect.

But it does explain why NHTSA expanded the scope of its investigation.

For someone shopping for a truck today, that’s information worth knowing.

Maybe “New Technology” Isn’t the Risk People Think It Is

Whenever a new truck engine arrives, you’ll hear the same argument:

“I’ll wait a few years. I’d rather have the proven V8.”

It’s understandable.

But an engine’s age or cylinder count doesn’t automatically make it more reliable.

The current GM situation is a perfect example.

The 6.2L L87 is a naturally aspirated pushrod V8 — exactly the sort of traditional truck engine buyers often describe as the conservative choice.

Yet hundreds of thousands were recalled for potential internal engine defects, and regulators are now examining reports of failures occurring even after the recall remedy.

Meanwhile, Ram’s current-generation 1500 has moved to the 3.0L Hurricane twin-turbo inline-six, available in Standard Output and High Output configurations depending on the model.

Different engine designs come with different strengths, weaknesses and long-term questions.

The important thing is to judge them on actual data rather than assuming “V8” automatically means dependable and “turbo” automatically means risky.

Shopping for a Used Silverado, Sierra, Tahoe, Yukon or Escalade?

If you’re considering a used GM vehicle equipped with the 6.2L V8, checking the VIN for outstanding recalls should be one of your first steps.

For affected 2021–2024 vehicles, buyers should also determine whether the recall was completed and what remedy was performed.

Was the engine replaced?

Did it receive the inspection and 0W-40 oil remedy?

Has the replacement engine accumulated significant mileage since installation?

Are there maintenance records?

Those questions have become particularly relevant now that NHTSA is investigating reported failures after both forms of recall remedy.

The Bottom Line

Recalls happen to every major automaker. Ram, Jeep, Dodge, Chrysler, Ford, Toyota, GM and virtually every other manufacturer have issued safety recalls.

The existence of a recall by itself isn’t extraordinary.

What makes the GM 6.2L situation noteworthy is what happened next.

GM recalled hundreds of thousands of vehicles because internal engine manufacturing defects could lead to engine failure and loss of propulsion.

A recall remedy was introduced.

Owners had that remedy completed.

Reports of engine failures continued.

Regulators opened an investigation into whether the remedy was effective.

And in August 2026, NHTSA escalated and expanded that investigation to cover nearly one million L87-equipped GM vehicles through the 2026 model year.

That’s no longer just an old recall story.

It’s an active investigation — and one that anyone shopping for a full-size truck or SUV should know about.

At Southside Dodge Chrysler Jeep Ram in Red Deer, Alberta, we believe shoppers should compare trucks based on facts, not brand mythology.

If you’re comparing a Ram 1500 against a Chevrolet Silverado 1500 or GMC Sierra 1500, we’ll happily show you the differences in engines, capability, technology, warranty coverage and ownership experience so you can decide which truck makes the most sense for you.

Because when you’re spending new-truck money, what’s under the hood matters.