GM Says A Seizing V8 Isn’t A Defect If Only 3% Of Them Failed

GM says the L87 lawsuit should be dismissed because recalled vehicles were repaired for free.
Automaker argues supplier defects, not engine design flaws, caused most failures.
NHTSA is still examining whether the recall fully addressed the problem.

GM has spent the better part of a year fielding legal action over its L87 V8, the 6.2-liter engine bolted into some of its most popular trucks and SUVs. The problem is the rod bearings, which have a habit of failing. Now, with at least 11 class-action suits piling up, GM wants a judge to toss one of them, a case with 44 plaintiffs. Its argument: it’s already giving those plaintiffs everything they’re asking for.

The lawsuit covers roughly 600,000 GM trucks and SUVs equipped with the 6.2-liter EcoTec3 V8, including the Chevrolet Silverado, Tahoe, and Suburban, GMC Sierra and Yukon, and Cadillac Escalade. Forty-four current and former owners claim the engine suffers from a defect that can lead to bearing failures, broken connecting rods, loss of power, and complete engine failure.

But GM says the plaintiffs’ entire case falls apart because the company has already addressed the issue through a massive recall campaign.

Read: GM Switches Oils Again On Lawsuit-Plagued V8

According to court filings brought to our attention by CarComplaints, GM’s investigation identified two root causes behind the failures, both linked to manufacturing and quality-control issues at suppliers rather than a flaw in the engine’s design. The automaker says some engines suffered from contamination in connecting rods and crankshaft oil galleries, while others were affected by crankshafts that didn’t meet other specifications.

GM Says A Seizing V8 Isn’t A Defect If Only 3% Of Them Failed

So this isn’t just one component, according to plaintiffs; it’s several that can cause issues. Essentially, they allege the engine itself was fundamentally defective. GM counters that only about 3 percent of affected engines experienced problems. If the design were truly defective, the company argues, failures would be far more widespread across the entire population of engines.

It leans on that figure for a second reason, too. GM tells the court the plaintiffs can’t ride on defects or breakdowns suffered by other owners, and that without showing they personally experienced a failure, their claims don’t hold.

Read: GM Switches Oils Again On Lawsuit-Plagued V8

GM also notes that its April 2025 recall was approved by the NHTSA. Vehicles that failed inspection received replacement engines at no cost, while those that passed were switched from the factory-spec 0W-20 to thicker 0W-40 oil, fitted with a new fill cap and filter, and handed a 10-year, 150,000-mile extended warranty. Owners could also buy the heavier oil going forward at a price comparable to the standard stuff. The fix for an engine that fails from poor lubrication, in other words, is partly just thicker oil.

That all said, the agency has opened an inquiry to confirm whether the recall is sufficient or not. So GM might think it’s done enough, but the NHTSA could soon decide otherwise.

Vehicles included in the GM L87 V8 engine lawsuit: