As of Could 1, American automaker Normal Motors, which has a producing plant in Tennessee, has recalled almost 600,000 full-size SUVs and vehicles (721,000 globally). That is the most important recall of 2025 by way of affected automobiles. Whereas mass remembers are huge information, there’s far more to this story than meets the attention.
The recall itself is trigger for concern, however its timing has been much more troubling for some customers who’ve lengthy complained of engine points, together with a lawsuit filed months in the past.
What GM automobiles are being recalled?
Normal Motors’ recall extends to:
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2021-2024 Cadillac Escalade (and Escalade ESV)
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2021-2024 Chevrolet Silverado 1500
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2021-2024 Chevrolet Suburban
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2021-2024 Chevrolet Tahoe
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2021-2024 GMC Sierra 1500
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2021-2024 GMC Yukon (Yukon XL)
The Nationwide Freeway Site visitors Security Administration (NHTSA) is offering a safety recall report detailing the problems. In line with the report, “GM opened a product investigation following notification from NHTSA of its investigation into alleged engine failures in GM automobiles geared up with the L87 V8 engine.”
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The product investigation was opened January 16, however in accordance with a lawsuit, a number of automotive publications and Reddit forums, GM homeowners have been complaining about points with the L87 V8 engine for months and doubtlessly even years. One consumer on a GMC forum posted “numerous folks have had this similar concern with the most recent GM V8 seizing up on them whereas driving” in response to a consumer venting about their GM V8 woes again in December 2024.
Earliest this month, GM Authority published a poll with regard to ideas on the severity of L87 engine points, calling GM “comparatively elusive on the matter.” Ballot respondents voted in favor of L87 points being severe against minor.
Normal Motors faces lawsuit over V8 engine
The NHTSA claims that “automobile security developments helped elevate the annual variety of lives saved” over the previous couple of many years. Whereas automobile security has improved drastically in latest occasions, drivers nonetheless expertise extreme automobile defects that may change their possession expertise fully.
One such expertise is detailed in a lawsuit filed Feb. 18, 2025 within the U. S District Court docket Jap District of Michigan, Southern Division on behalf of plaintiff James S. Powell II which seeks to be licensed as a category motion.
“On or about October 22, 2022, Plaintiff (Powell) bought a brand new 2023 GMC Yukon Denali manufactured by GM and containing an L87 V8 engine,” the lawsuit states. Powell took the automobile to a certified GM supplier after a examine engine gentle got here on in 2024. After inspection, Powell was knowledgeable that the engine was faulty and would get replaced with one other engine. Powell continued to have points with the brand new engine following the substitute, in accordance with the lawsuit.
An auto present employee polishes a 2019 Normal Motors GMC Yukon Denali SUV earlier than press days of the North American Worldwide Auto Present in Detroit, Michigan, U.S., January 12, 2019.
The lawsuit goes on to say that automobiles geared up with the L87 V8 engine share a “widespread defect relating to the bearings of their engines that are vulnerable to, and have skilled failure, leading to breaching of the engine block by the connecting rod and/or engine seizure.”
The April 24 NHTSA recall notice points to a defect involving “the connecting rod and/or crankshaft engine elements in these automobiles … that may result in engine injury and engine failure.”
The lawsuit additional alleges that “GM has identified in regards to the engine defect for a number of years however did not disclose it” to at the very least 100 class members who leased or bought GM automobiles.
The lawsuit cites quite a few client complaints reported to the Nationwide Freeway Site visitors Security Administration relating to automobiles geared up with the L87 V8 engine. It claims that “it’s indeniable that GM has had data of the engine defect previous to March, 24, 2023,” which is years earlier than a recall was issued. A similar lawsuit was filed earlier at the beginning of April in Georgia.
When requested in regards to the lawsuit, an announcement from GM mentioned it is not their coverage to touch upon ongoing litigation.
What to do in case your GM automobile is being recalled
Normal Motors is taking the recall very significantly and can give particular person consideration to each L87 engine that arrives at sellers. When requested in regards to the recall, GM mentioned they are going to ” examine, and, as essential, restore or substitute the engine. Autos that cross inspection might be supplied the next viscosity oil, which may also require a brand new oil fil cap, an oil filter substitute, and an proprietor’s guide insert.”
So, In case your automobile is a part of the continuing recall, it’s best to take it to a certified GM supplier for service instantly to keep away from any potential engine bother. You’ll be able to search for recalls on your specific GM model here utilizing your automobile identification quantity.
What does the recall imply for GM?
Reliability is a big concern for automobile customers. In any case, nobody needs to take care of automobile bother, particularly if it might lead to excessive mechanic charges or accidents. It is unfair to name GM automobiles unreliable based mostly on the recall in query. That mentioned, Normal Motors does have combined reliability scores for a few of its best-selling fashions. In distinction, Toyota produces the entire high 5 longest-lasting automobiles based mostly on a research by iSeeCars.com.
Assembled vehicles are prepared for supply at GM’s Chevrolet Silverado and GMC Sierra pickup truck plant in Fort Wayne, Indiana, U.S., July 25, 2018.
Moreover, GM’s latest recall is not its solely main recall in recent times. In 2021, Normal Motors recalled every Chevrolet Bolt mannequin as a consequence of a hearth threat. Reports of Bolt fires made this recall much more harrowing for the corporate and its customers. Ought to GM have issued its latest recall sooner? There are many offended customers taking to forums expressing outrage relating to how lengthy it took for L87 V8 engine points to be addressed.
Charles Singh is an automotive reporter with the USA TODAY Community. Contact him at CSingh@gannett.com, or on X, previously Twitter: @CharlesSingh.
This text initially appeared on Nashville Tennessean: GM recall comes after lawsuit detailing engine defects since 2023
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