GM 6.2L L87 Update: Replacement Engines Are Failing Again?

Added: 2026-05-24

[00:00:00]A brand new 2026 Chevrolet Silverado High Country with barely 2,000 miles suffers catastrophic engine failure. And another owner says their replacement engine failed just after a few thousand miles. And the NHCSA's investigation into the 6.2 L87 just exploded with hundreds, literally hundreds of new document uploads. Meanwhile, owners and prospective buyers continue to ask the big question, can these trucks be trusted? long term. And to be honest, following this is exhausting.

[00:00:40]Welcome back to Don's Life and welcome to the channel. Now, before we get started, let me be clear. I am living in this situation and not just reporting on something that doesn't directly affect me. You could say I have skin in the game. My own 2021 GMC Sierra AT4 is not part of the official recall, but it is part of the expanded investigation from the NHTSA where they've requested documents from GM so it can help them determine if the official recall should be expanded to pretty much all model years for the 6.2 L87. Now, our 2022 Cadillac Escalade is part of the official recall. It passed the Pico test, received the oil change, and now has the special coverage. So, this isn't me trying to create panic or add drama.

[00:01:24]I see dozens, if not hundreds, of these trucks and SUVs seemingly driving around just fine. But I'm also paying attention to the startling amount of failures that people are experiencing with these engines, which is now amplified over the past few weeks because the amount of information surrounding the 6.2 L engine failures has increased dramatically. So, over the past few weeks, the NHTSA has uploaded more than 700 documents under investigation EA25007.

[00:01:53]By the time you see this video, that number could have increased. I'll provide a link so you can keep watching it on your own in the video description below. And these aren't just complaints.

[00:02:02]We're talking service records, repair orders, inspection documents, engine replacements, and owner photos. There's now an enormous amount of evidence being added to public record. This is just crazy how much is here. Let me click on some of these and just show you the variety. Remember that between the three brands, GM, Cadillac, and Chevrolet, there are an estimated 1.8 to 2.5 million of these sold to date. I looked it up. Look at that. It's actually 886 documents. Now we have examples of sales contracts.

[00:02:47]We have images showing defects.

[00:02:50]Have more sales invoices.

[00:02:53]We have a buyback offer from 135 down to 125.

[00:02:59]We have repair estimates.

[00:03:01]This one totals $12,000.

[00:03:04]Another image of defects and wear.

[00:03:07]Looks like some car payments. People are tracking everything. Looks like another sales invoice. There's so much here. I don't have the time to go through every one of these, but they appear to be just customer records that are helping the cause. At the same time, GM's request to extend document deadlines and keep portions confidential still appears to be ongoing. But then I received another story from a viewer. Brad reached out to me after purchasing a brand new 2026 Chevrolet High Country. Less than 3 months later, the engine failed while crossing a double lane highway. The truck had only 3,400 km on it, about 2,000 mi. According to Brad, the engine suddenly stalled and nearly caused a T-bone collision. The dealership diagnosed the issue as main bearing failure. Now, to be fair, Brad actually had positive things to say about the service department and the technician involved. But what caught my attention was this section right here, possible casting debris and/or manufacturing errors. That just hurts when you see a statement like that written directly on a repair order. But it does confirm everything that we know about the act of recall and also what they continue to investigate. And I think this is where most people's minds go. It's whether you can actually trust the replacement engines long term. Many owners aren't just angry because something broke, they're losing confidence in the platform entirely. You may remember John's story from one of my previous videos, which many of you asked for me to continue updating you when we have more information. Now, in John's words, I do have a few updates since then. I haven't received any follow-up from GM since they confirmed they're proceeding with another engine replacement and not offering a buyback. I've started speaking with attorneys around potential class action involvement and legal options. Although the timelines they're quoting me are 4 to 6 months and about 33% contingency, which makes that path uncertain. The Better Business Bureau autoline has now engaged and is in the process of gathering facts on the case.

[00:05:07]Separately, I was able to find a dealer willing to take the truck on trade while it's still being repaired. So, we're evaluating getting out of it entirely.

[00:05:14]We're actually going to look at a Ram tungsten tonight. At this point, it's less about the inconvenience and it's more about the lack of confidence in the vehicle after a full engine replacement failed in under 3,000 miles. Happy to keep you posted if anything materially changes and appreciate you helping bring visibility to this. Thanks again, John.

[00:05:33]Thanks for the update, John. But what really stands out to me is this line, the full engine replacement in under 3,000 mi. At this point, like I said, it's much bigger than inconvenience.

[00:05:44]It's where your confidence and ownership just collapses. And John mentions they're considering walking away from General Motors entirely. Now, because the recall and the ongoing investigation does affect me, that's why I continue to report on this. I also receive too many stories that I can share. So, I'm sorry if I haven't been able to share your story. At a minimum, make sure you do share it with the NHTSA so they can keep track of what your experience is. That being said, I do have a new story that I am going to share from Shawn. Sean's situation might be one of the more complicated ones that I've received so far. I'll just take a quick minute here and read the email. Follow along if you want. We'll just make sure we didn't miss anything. Hi, Don. I'm reaching out regarding an ongoing issue with the 2022 GMC Sierra 1500 AT4X and wanted to see if you'd be open to reviewing my situation. Sean and I have had a little bit of back and forth. Earlier this year, this vehicle experienced a major engine failure which resulted in a full engine replacement under warranty. The repair process took approximately 46 days. After getting the truck back, I began experiencing additional issues, including electrical malfunctions that affected multiple systems and ultimately required the vehicle to be towed back to the dealership. More recently, the replacement engine began showing similar symptoms to the original failure. I had the vehicle inspected again, and a PicoScope test was performed, which failed immediately. The dealership now has recommended a second full engine replacement, despite the current engine having under 8,000 mi. My interactions with GMC throughout the process have been difficult. My concerns have been repeatedly minimized or dismissed. And when I've tried to push for clarification or escalation, the responses have often felt abrupt and unhelpful rather than focused on resolving the situation. I've made consistent good faith efforts to address the issue, but the overall approach has not reflected the seriousness or the defects or the impact they've had. At this point, I've documented everything in detail, including a full timeline, repair orders, invoices, and communication history. I'm trying to understand what the appropriate next steps are and whether this situation meets the threshold for a larger warranty claim or other resolution. If you're open to it, I'd like to share my full documentation and get your perspective on how to proceed. Let me know if this works on your end. Thanks, Sean. Now, keep all that in mind and let me share where we're at with Shawn now.

[00:07:57]So, buckle up. Here we go. Don, thanks for the attention to this matter. I filed a report with the NHTSA and Better Business Bureau. Since the 20 lawyers I called want no part of the case, I will still be looking for a lawyer, but it seems firms don't want to touch this against GMC. I called some local and national. GMC contacted me today through the Better Business Bureau case and told me they wouldn't buy back and couldn't say anything about if the 6.2 L engine had been fixed, if the new engine wouldn't have the same issue. They offered me $1,500 in credit as a down payment on a GMC vehicle, which I laughed at and hung up. I'll take out my address in these pictures, but not my name. If you do show any of this on your page, could you kindly remove my last name before displaying? I will also show a detailed timeline in our emails as well. So, you can see the timeline here.

[00:08:41]Mid 2025, brought it in for the inspection, told everything passed, no issues found. Late December 2025, notice abnormal engine noise. January 2nd, 2026. Contacted the dealership about the issue, told to bring it in. Planned the drop off for January 5th. Followed up multiple times asking for updates.

[00:08:59]January 5th was the drop off for the diagnosis and repair. In January during service, there were delays in both communication and progress. I was told at different times that the technician working on the engine was unavailable due to vacation and illness, which contributed to extended downtime.

[00:09:14]February 11th, 2026. After not receiving updates, I went to the dealership in person. This was the first time I was told the issue was related to the 6.2 L engine and that a replacement engine had been ordered. I was also told a newly installed radiator turned out to be defective after the fluid was added, which caused further delays. February 20th, the vehicle was returned to me after about 46 days out of service.

[00:09:36]February 25th, I returned to the dealership because of abnormal horn sound. I was told it was normal, but the concern remained. March 3rd, in the morning, the technician who replaced the engine told me the tailgate had opened multiple times while the truck was at the dealership. The battery was tested, passed, and the vehicle was returned to me. Later that same day, he went outside to the truck without the key fob, which was about 50 ft away in the house, and heard a mechanical noise coming from the vehicle while it was parked, as if the systems were cycling. March 4th, called the dealership to report the issue, scheduled the next available appointment. Immediately after the call, the infotainment touchcreen stopped responding. He restarted the vehicle multiple times with the same issue before it eventually started working again later in the day. March 6th, in the morning, when he unlocked the truck, the tailgate opened immediately on its own. The vehicle needed to be jump started and displayed a service four-wheel drive message. March 6. Later in the day, the vehicle was dead again and needed another jump. After starting, multiple systems failed, including power steering, four-wheel drive, traction control, trailer brake system, brake warnings, and the accelerator pedal. The vehicle was unsafe to drive. March 9th, the vehicle was towed to the dealership.

[00:10:38]The tow cost was $155. March 10th, in the evening, I was told the vehicle was ready and the issue was attributed to a tailgate switch. I was charged $228 without prior authorization. The main tailgate button had already been in a known condition since around summer 2025. A separate tailgate step button, which was not damaged when I dropped the vehicle off or when I went back to get it after the engine replacement, was later found to have been damaged and repaired March 6th to March 10th. During this time, even when the vehicle was in my possession, it remained unreliable.

[00:11:09]It required multiple jump starts and had repeated system failures contributing to the continued loss of use. April 17th, while driving home from work, I heard abnormal engine noise and pulled over.

[00:11:19]The noise is present at idle and when revving the engine. Dealerships were closed at the time. April 20th, I contacted multiple dealerships and got the earliest available diagnostic appointment for April 24th, I went back to where multiple employees, including the technician who replaced the engine, listened to the vehicle and said it sounded like the same 6.2 engine issue again. A service ticket was opened. I informed them I would still be going to another dealership for an official diagnosis. April 24th, I brought the vehicle to a different dealership for diagnosis. A PicoScope test was performed, which failed immediately.

[00:11:51]Based on those results, I was told the engine would require another full replacement. Thanks, Sean, for sharing in such detail, and I'm sure we'll speak again. Now, that's just one of many stories, and at this point, this is evolving well beyond just isolated engine failures. owners are contacting attorneys, the Better Business Bureau auto line, the NHTSA, Transport Canada, and now many are questioning whether a long-term fix will ever be identified.

[00:12:15]Now, I do have one bonus story for L87 owners that I don't really know is meant to make you feel better, but I'm still going to share it. This one's from Brit.

[00:12:22]Hi, Don. I started watching you after I purchased a 2020 Ford Denali with the 6.2 L issue. Loving your updates. Thank you very much. My personal story is the motor has been inspected, oil viscosity changed, so now waiting to see what happens next. By the way, as to fuel economy, I took a picture of my 5900 mile fuel economy on the way to the dealer. Came out at 18.6 m per gallon.

[00:12:46]I'm currently at 16.2 m per gallon with 5600 m. So GM has cost me 2.4 m per gallon. I also own a 2020 Acura MDX with a 3.5 L motor which just had a connecting rod failure at 110,000 miles.

[00:13:02]See the attached video.

[00:13:18]Lo and behold, exactly like General Motors, Acura, and Honda recalled a set of 2015 to 2020 motors, all manufactured at the same plant for main bearing issues. My 2020 wasn't included in the recall. Since I'm not on the list, I'm out of warranty. My dealer is currently repairing and replacing the motor with a 30,000mi one at $7,500, my expense. After looking, I'm not the only one. others online complaining and filing reports with the NHTSA like I have done here. I was worried about losing the Denali motor when the Acura is in the same situation. Keep up the great work, sir.

[00:13:57]Now, for the most part, I've only been reporting on the L87 recall and investigation issue. I talked a little bit about the transmission issues with some of the 10-speeds connected to the diesel motors. I know there's other faults and other recalls, but I've been following this big one because I'm impacted with the truck that's part of the investigation as well as our Escalade, which is part of the official recall. Now, if you direct your attention to other major manufacturers, you are going to find an overwhelming amount of recalls, more than any of these manufacturers really have seen in decades. There's just something about the last 5 to 10 years that everything has just gone downhill when it comes to quality control in manufacturing. Now, as always, I want to hear from you. If your vehicle passed the PICO test, received the special coverage, would you trust it long-term? If your engine failed once, would you keep it after the engine was replaced? And if you were in any of these owner situations, would you pursue a buyback, trade it in, or move on entirely? I'll continue following the story closely because obviously the situation has not been resolved. If you want to support the channel, check out some of the Donslife merch. Mrs. Donsai puts it all together. It's at donslife.com or the Donsife Swag Hub.

[00:15:08]Both are linked in the video description below. But if you like these videos, definitely support them by hitting that like button. Drop a comment. Please consider subscribing and we'll talk to you next time.

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