GM 6.2L V8 Engine Issues Worsen: Post Remedy Engine Failures Lead to ODI Recall Query

GM 6.2L V8 Engine faces more scrutiny as NHTSA opens investigation into original recall’s potentially inadequate remedies.

GM’s ongoing issues with its widely-used 6.2L V8 Engine keep getting worse. As we reported in October, the already critical recall was being expanded to include even more vehicles than originally reported. Now, to compound the issue, the NHTSA‘s Office of Defect Investigation has opened a recall query due to numerous reports of the engine failure defect occurring on vehicles that had already received the recommended remedy.

As we covered in October, the recall is a major one, affecting as many as 600K owners, and the issue itself is a serious defect. To quote our original report:

At the heart of the issue are potential flaws in the L87’s internal components. Federal documents and owner complaints describe scenarios in which connecting rods and crankshafts fail due to debris in oil passages or out-of-specification parts. These failures can occur suddenly, often destroying the engine and rendering the vehicle inoperable.

The original recall specified remedies including an engine inspection and potential replacement, among less serious remedies including using a different oil weight. Unfortunately, the data received since suggests the fixes are inadequate, and the issue is still occurring in vehicles that have been recalled and supposedly had the defect addressed and repaired.

The NHTSA’s ODI Resume document details 36 VOQ (Vehicle Owner Questionnaire) reports of engine failure of vehicles subject to the original recall, after the vehicles had received the recommended fix. In light of this data, the ODI opened the query to assess the adequacy of the remedy. Presumably this could, and likely will, lead to additional recalls of the affected vehicles for a new, more effective remedy.

It’s an alarming issue for the company and drivers of the affected vehicles. Loss of engine power, the primary risk from this issue, is highly dangerous at highway speeds, and the hassle of yet another recall for a supposedly fixed issue (especially in such a critical component) is likely to upset many owners. Considering the issue affects as many as 600K owners, this is bad news on a major scale.