The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration recently announced it will open an investigation into almost 900,000 General Motors vehicles, all pickup trucks and SUVs, that may have a critical defect in their engines that causes them to fail or seize up unexpectedly. Today we're going to look at all the facts that have so far been released.
Which GM Vehicles are Affected by Possible Engine Failure?
The announced NHTSA probe will investigate vehicles with GM’s 6.2-liter "L87" model V8 engine. This includes the following vehicle models and years:
- 2019-2024 Chevrolet Silverado 1500
- 2019-2024 GMC Sierra 1500
- 2021-2024 Chevrolet Tahoe
- 2021-2024 Chevrolet Suburban
- 2021-2024 GMC Yukon
- 2021-2024 Cadillac Escalade
An estimated 877,710 vehicles could be affected by the issue. Since this is a preliminary probe, the NHTSA didn't provide a more precise breakdown of the numbers by model. If the probe progresses to a recall, more specifics may be provided.
What Exactly is the Problem with the Affected GM Vehicles?
According to reports, the federal agency has received dozens of complaints that a bearing failure within L87 engines used by many larger GM vehicles "can cause the engine to seize or a breaching of the engine block by a connecting rod."
The most likely effect of a bearing failure, especially if it sends a rod through the engine, is subsequent engine failure. Complainants also reportedly told the agency "there is no detectability prior to failure," meaning there were no warning signs (loud noises, stability problems, smoke) before their vehicles suddenly shut off.
What Could the Alleged GM Defect Do?
An engine bearing failure can cause problems ranging from moderate to serious depending on how totally the bearing fails. Some of the most common issues are:
- Engine Knocking or Tapping Sounds: Worn engine bearings, like those in the crankshaft or connecting rods, often produce irregular sounds within the engine while driving.
- Oil Pressure Drop: Failing bearings can cause a drop in oil pressure. Inadequate lubrication can lead to other damaged engine components.
- Overheating: Increased friction from worn bearings can lead to engine overheating.
- Severe Engine Damage: If the bearings seize or fail completely, it could result in bent rods, damaged crankshafts, or a complete engine failure, requiring extensive repairs or replacement.
From the language of the NHTSA post, it seems like the investigation is focused mostly on total bearing failure—including a connecting rod going AWOL and penetrating the engine block. The most obvious side effect of such a failure is what the agency's notice rather politely calls "a loss of motive power." Other people might call that a sudden engine stop, which rarely goes well for a vehicle in motion.
The lightest of the listed models being investigated, the Silverado, still weighs more than two tons. The heaviest ones, the Escalade and the Suburban, clock in much closer to three tons. Imagine that much steel and fiberglass barreling down a highway at 70 or more miles per hour when its engine suddenly turns off and the driver loses power steering and power brakes. In ideal circumstances they can coast to a stop or wrestle with the car enough to steer to the shoulder, but worst-case scenarios involve major traffic accidents and the serious injuries that go with them.
Has Anyone Been Hurt by the GM Engine Failure Defect?
To date there have been no reports of any injuries or fatalities due to the engine defect—which again is only under investigation, not recall, at this time. The agency received a total of 39 complaints about the defect, prompting their Office of Defects Investigation (ODI) to start the probe.
What Can Consumers with a Listed GM Vehicle Do?
For the time being, neither GM nor the NHTSA have put out any consumer advisories or instructions about their vehicles. If the agency finds enough evidence to suggest that GM put faulty bearings in several years' worth of vehicles, that will likely change and a recall will be issued. At that point, the company will likely release letters and/or emails to notify known owners of the defect and encourage them to visit a dealership for repairs.
While I'm not the boss of what anyone does, my advice at this point is just to keep an eye on announcements through the recalls pages of the NHTSA website or GM's website—and pay attention to any unusual sounds or vibrations coming from under the hoods of their vehicles.
Should GM Owners Care about This Investigation?
People may be inclined to shrug this matter off; after all, even 880-ish thousand vehicles isn't a huge slice of the millions of GM units on U.S. roadways. Moreover, it seems from reports that nobody has crashed or been hurt by this issue in roughly 40 reported incidents. With those in mind, I suspect some people will see this as nothing to worry about. That can be tempting, especially since daily life already has plenty of concerns.
However, it's important to consider this in light of GM's questionable track record over the last decade or so. For example, GM is already responsible for one of the most egregious recalls in history: Ignition switch failures in millions of GM and Chevrolet vehicles (particularly the Chevy Cobalt) caused plenty of injuries and more than a few casualties, but it took experts years to find out just how serious a problem it really was.
I'm not saying manufacturers make every component that goes into their vehicles in-house, but it's still their responsibility to vet and watch anything they get from partner firms. For example, if GM sourced bad bearings from somewhere else, then it's still responsible when those parts break and an Escalade swerves off an American highway.
All I'm saying is that just about any company would love nothing more than for its customers to ignore all the times things go wrong. That gives them leeway to incorporate faulty elements and weak quality control, which ultimately ends up hurting the people who buy from them. The best way to keep them operating on the level is to recognize when they're acting out of line and then to hold them accountable for the damage that negligence causes.