Chevrolet Silverado 1500 6.2L V8: Recall and Engine Failure Investigations

Recall 25V274 and the L87 engine investigations cover different vehicles. Before buying a 6.2L Silverado, check the VIN and request the repair order for any recall work, including what was inspected and whether the engine was replaced.

Check the scope: of the model years CarTold tracks, recall 25V274000 covers 2021 — while the investigation records also cover 2019, 2020 as well. A 2019 or 2020 Silverado 1500 with the 6.2L sits inside the investigation's scope and outside this recall's. An investigation does not establish a fault in a specific truck or create recall eligibility. Ask the dealer about any separate coverage for the VIN.

Investigation update, August 20, 2026: NHTSA opened EA26005 following RQ26001 to examine reported failures after recall repairs and failures in L87 engines built after the recall's production period. The new case includes 2021–2026 GM models. Its opening report is newer than the case selection displayed below.

The recall

Campaign 25V274000 2025-04-24

General Motors LLC (GM) is recalling certain 2021-2024 Cadillac Escalade and Escalade ESV, Chevrolet Silverado 1500, Suburban, and Tahoe, GMC Sierra 1500, Yukon, and Yukon XL vehicles equipped with a 6.2L V8 gas engine. The connecting rod and/or crankshaft engine components may have manufacturing defects that can lead to engine damage and engine failure.

Consequence: Engine failure increases the risk of a crash.

Remedy: Dealers will inspect the engine, and as necessary, repair or replace the engine. For vehicles that pass inspection, dealers will add higher viscosity oil, install 6 oil fill cap, replace the oil filter, and update the owner's manual. Repairs will be performed free of charge. Owner notification letters were mailed June 18, 2025. Owners may contact Cadillac customer service at 1-800-333-4223, Chevrolet customer service at 1-800-222-1020, or GMC customer service at 1-800-462-8782. GM's number for this recall is N252494000.

Silverado 1500 model years covered, of those CarTold tracks: 2021

The investigations

These cases address the scope of engine-failure reports and the effectiveness of the recall remedy. The status labels reflect CarTold's imported records; read the dated update above for the newer case. See how a recall, a bulletin and an investigation differ.

PE25001 (PE) Closed

Opened 2025-01-16. Silverado 1500 model years covered, of those CarTold tracks: 2019, 2020, 2021.

On January 16, 2025, the Office of Defects Investigation (ODI) opened Preliminary Evaluation PE25001 after receiving complaints and field reports concerning engine failures in MY2019-2024 GM’s full-size truck and SUV T1XX platform equipped with the L87 6.2L V8 engine. These complainants alleged engine bearing failures resulting in knocking and growling noises from the engine’s bottom end and in some cases more severe consequences such as broken connecting rods leading to engine damage, or engine failure. If the engine fails during vehicle operation, the vehicle will lose propulsion, increasing the risk of a crash. On April 24, 2025, GM issued recall 25V-274 to address the concern with L87 engines produced between March 1, 2021, and May 31, 2024. GM cited the root cause as a supplier manufacturing and quality issues. GM’s recall remedy will be either an oil change to an oil with a different viscosity or engine replacement depending on the results of the remedy inspection procedure. To date, ODI has received 1,157 allegations of engine bearing failure. GM submitted 55,464 reports in total, with 29,752 unique VINs. ODI continues to receive allegations of L87 engine failures which fall outside of the scope of recall 25V-274. Based on GM’s recall, ODI will close this PE. NHTSA will continue to investigate complaints of engine failure outside the scope of recall 25V-274 as part ofEngineering Analysis (EA25007). To review the ODI reports cited in the Closing Resume ODI Report Identification Number document, go to NHTSA.gov.

EA25007 (EA) Open

Opened 2025-10-23. Silverado 1500 model years covered, of those CarTold tracks: 2019, 2020, 2021.

The Office of Defects Investigation (ODI) has received 1,157 reports of engine bearing failure failures in the L87 6.2L engine produced by General Motors (GM). Of the 1,157 reports received, 173 are outside of the scope of recall 25V-274. These engines are installed in Model Years (MY) 2019–2024 Chevrolet Silverado 1500 and GMC Sierra 1500, and 2021-2024MY Chevrolet Suburban and Tahoe, GMC Yukon/Yukon XL, and Cadillac Escalade/Escalade ESV vehicles. The subject engine failures were investigated as part of a Preliminary Evaluation (PE25001). GM determined that these engine failures were due to multiple supplier manufacturing and quality issues. GM issued recall 25V-274 to address the supplier manufacturing and quality issues produced between March 1, 2021, and May 31, 2024. Based on the issuance of recall 25V-274, NHTSA has closed PE25001. ODI continues to receive a significant number of reports of engine failure in vehicles outside the scope of 25V-274. This presents a potential safety risk that warrants further investigation. ODI is opening this Engineering Analysis (EA) to further evaluate the scope and severity of the potential problem and to fully assess the potential safety-related issues of vehicles built outside the recall scope. To review the ODI reports cited in the Opening Resume ODI Report Identification Number document, go to NHTSA.gov.

RQ26001 (RQ) Closed

Opened 2026-01-16. Silverado 1500 model years covered, of those CarTold tracks: 2021.

On January 16, 2026, the Office of Defects Investigation (ODI) opened Recall Query RQ26001. This investigation was opened to assess the remedy effectiveness of Recall 25V-274. ODI has received complaints alleging engine failure in vehicles after the recall remedy had been completed, whether that remedy involved an oil viscosity change or a complete engine replacement. General Motors (GM) issued Recall 25V-274 to address concerns of engine failure in the L87 engines produced between March 1, 2021 and May 31, 2024. GM cited the root cause as a supplier manufacturing and quality issue. GM’s recall remedy for Recall 25V-274 consisted of two different repairs, either an oil viscosity change or an engine replacement, based on the results of the remedy inspection procedure. ODI continues to receive reports of engine failures after the completion of the recall remedy. To date, ODI has received 499 complaints alleging post-remedy engine failure in vehicles subject to Recall 25V-274, 473 of which involved an oil viscosity change and 26 a complete engine replacement. GM reported receiving 6,953 complaints of post-remedy engine failure. ODI will close this RQ and continue to investigate complaints of post-remedy engine failure for Recall 25V-274 as part of an Engineering Analysis (EA26005). To review the ODI reports cited in the Opening Resume ODI Report Identification Number document, go to NHTSA.gov.

Bearing reports and lifter reports are different subjects

The recall concerns connecting-rod and crankshaft components. Owner complaints also mention lifters and camshafts; those mentions should not be counted as confirmed cases of the recalled condition.

Bearing failure — connecting rod and crankshaft bearings. This is what the recall and the investigation records address. In the 794 engine complaints filed for 2019–2021, "bearing" appears 58 times, "rod" 90 and "knock" 71.
Lifter and valvetrain — a separate complaint theme: "lifter" appears 240 times and "camshaft" 86. GM has filed 22 service bulletins mentioning lifters and 27 mentioning the camshaft for these years. Recall 25V274 does not cover this. A service bulletin alone does not establish free-repair eligibility.

These are counts of reports containing each term, not diagnoses. The imported complaint fields do not consistently identify the engine: "6.2" appears in 97 reports. The table combines all engines offered in these Silverado model years.

Complaint volume in context

This table shows the engine category's share of complaints for each tracked Silverado model year. It includes multiple engines and reported problems. Vehicle age, mileage and reporting differences prevent these percentages from serving as a comparison of engine failure rates.

Year	Total complaints	Engine-category	Share
2016	797	40	5%
2017	836	76	9%
2018	514	59	11%
2019	1076	282	26% in scope
2020	724	183	25% in scope
2021	815	329	40% in scope

A complaint count is a count of reports filed, not a defect rate — see what complaint counts can and cannot tell you.

What this means if you're buying one

Check the VIN and get the repair history. NHTSA's lookup shows open recalls, not a complete history of completed work. Ask a Chevrolet dealer to confirm 25V274 eligibility and any completion record. See how to check.
Read what the recall repair involved. The RQ26001 opening report cited 36 complaints of failures after the remedy across the recalled GM vehicles, not just Silverados. EA26005 continues that work. Ask whether the truck received an inspection and oil change or an engine replacement, and request records of any subsequent engine trouble.
For a 2019 or 2020, check beyond this recall. Those years are outside 25V274's stated scope but appear in the investigation records. Ask about previous engine work and any coverage for the VIN.
Arrange an independent inspection and give the mechanic the engine and repair history. Our inspection guide covers what a pre-purchase inspection can and cannot establish.

Limitations

CarTold's Silverado tables cover 2016–2021; the NHTSA cases extend beyond those years and include other GM models. The 1,157 reports cited in EA25007's opening document concern GM's L87 engine across those models, not Silverados alone. Neither that count nor the keyword totals gives a failure rate. Investigation scopes can change, and an investigation alone does not establish a defect in a particular truck. This analysis does not assess the 5.3L, 4.3L, 2.7L or 3.0L engines.

Sources

Recalls, investigations, complaints and manufacturer communications: National Highway Traffic Safety Administration
NHTSA opening reports: EA25007, RQ26001 and EA26005.
Engine lineup by model year: FuelEconomy.gov (EPA/DOE)
See our methodology and data sources for how this page is built.