Automakers issue recalls for all sorts of reasons—some serious, like bad transmissions or broken safety gear, and others pretty minor, like leaky seals or a typo in the owner’s manual.

Some recalls are barely a blip, affecting just a few cars. Ford even had one recently that applied to only two vehicles—yes, two.

GM isn’t so lucky this time. Their latest recall is anything but small.

Related

Ford Is Finally Tackling Its Recall Issues—Ignore the Noise

Ford has faced its share of recalls, but the situation is turning around.

Guess Who’s Making Noise? It’s Your Connecting Rod

GM is dealing with a big issue involving its 6.2-liter L87 V8 engine. Key parts like connecting rods and crankshafts—essential for keeping the engine running—might be flawed.

If these components fail, it could mean serious engine damage or even a total failure. And if that happens while you’re on the road? That’s a real safety concern.

Digging into the details, the problem seems to stem from manufacturing slip-ups. We’re talking about sediment in the oil passages and crankshafts that don’t meet specs or have rough surfaces.

The parts came from two suppliers: American Axle & Manufacturing in Detroit, and Questum Macimex in Mexico. Whether it’s a supplier issue or a quality control miss, the result is the same—bad news under the hood.

What makes this situation even worse is the size of the recall. This engine was used in a huge range of GM vehicles from 2021 to 2024.

We’re talking 32 different models, including the Chevy Silverado, GMC Sierra, Tahoe, Yukon, Suburban, and even the Cadillac Escalade. In total, nearly 600,000 vehicles are being recalled.

The silver lining? GM estimates only about 3 percent of those might actually have the defect. That still adds up to roughly 18,000 affected vehicles.

GM’s Next Move

Before the engine gives out completely, there might be some warning signs. Think knocking sounds, odd noises, a check engine light, or performance hiccups like hesitation, rough shifting, or hard starts.

According to a notice posted on the NHTSA website, GM’s internal investigation turned up over 28,000 potential complaints in the U.S. linked to this issue. About half of those involved claims of the vehicle losing power entirely.

To fix the problem, GM has laid out a few solutions. Dealers will inspect the engines and either repair or replace them as needed.

For engines that aren’t showing symptoms yet, technicians will change the oil to a higher-viscosity type, swap the filter, and install a new oil cap labeled with the updated spec. They’ll also add a note to the owner’s manual so future owners and techs know what’s required.

All of this will be done at no cost to the customer. It’s an unfortunate situation for an engine that’s generally well-regarded, but recalls happen.

If you need more info, the NHTSA campaign number is 25V274000, and GM’s internal reference is N252494000. You can reach NHTSA at 1-888-327-4236 or visit NHTSA.gov; Cadillac owners can call 1-800-333-4223, Chevrolet at 1-800-222-1020, and GMC at 1-800-462-8782.

Source: NHTSA, TopSpeed