General Motors is recalling nearly 600,000 large trucks and SUVs in the United States after identifying an engine defect that can abruptly cut power, disabling propulsion and key safety systems in traffic. The company has also ordered a stop sale on some of its most popular models while dealers prepare repairs, underscoring how serious the risk of sudden engine failure has become for owners.
The recall centers on full size Cadillac, Chevrolet and GMC vehicles equipped with a specific V 8 engine that can suffer internal damage, leading to stalling, loss of power steering and braking assist, and an increased chance of a crash. I see this as more than a one off quality problem, because it lands on top of separate fuel pump issues and mounting legal pressure over the same engine family.
What is behind GM’s latest 600,000 vehicle recall?
At the heart of the campaign is a mechanical flaw inside General Motors’ 6.2 liter L87 V 8, an engine used to move some of the heaviest and most profitable vehicles in the company’s lineup. Investigators have tied the problem to defects in connecting rod and crankshaft components, which can fail under load and trigger catastrophic engine damage that cuts power without warning, a risk that has now prompted General Motors to recall nearly 600,000 vehicles and halt sales of affected SUVs and pickups. Owners have reported engines seizing or shutting down while driving, and internal documents cited in legal filings describe how a sudden stall can also knock out power steering and power brakes, sharply raising the odds of a collision.
Technical summaries of the defect point to manufacturing issues with the L87’s rotating assembly, where out of spec crankshaft or connecting rod bearings can generate metal debris, oil starvation and eventual failure of the 6.2 liter block, a pattern echoed in owner discussions that describe bearing noise followed by a dead engine on the highway and that align with forum accounts of crankshaft and rod bearing defects shared in BMW MOA threads. Legal analyses of the campaign stress that the defect is not just inconvenient but safety critical, because a stall at speed can instantly remove propulsion and electrical support, a scenario that consumer advocates say should always trigger a safety recall rather than a quiet service bulletin, a view reflected in law firm summaries of the engine issues.
Which Cadillac, Chevrolet and GMC models are affected?
The recall sweeps across the core of GM’s full size portfolio, including luxury SUVs and workhorse pickups that define the Cadillac, Chevrolet and GMC brands. Consumer advisories list the 2021 to 2024 Cadillac Escalade and Escalade ESV, the Chevrolet Silverado 1500, Suburban and Tahoe, and the GMC Sierra 1500, Yukon and Yukon XL, all equipped with the 6.2 liter L87 V 8, as vehicles that can suffer sudden engine failure, a roster that matches the model breakdown detailed in independent analyses of full sized SUVs. All of these vehicles share the same 6.2 liter configuration, and technical write ups emphasize that every affected truck or SUV carries that specific displacement and cylinder count, a point reinforced in engineering focused coverage that notes that all affected vehicles use a 6.2 liter V 8.
Regulatory filings and regional news reports describe how General Motors notified federal safety officials that nearly 600,000 Cadillac, Chevrolet and GMC vehicles in the United States could experience engine failure that leads to a stall, a figure echoed in coverage that frames the campaign as a nationwide action touching every major GM truck and SUV showroom. One breakdown of the recall notes that the total includes hundreds of thousands of Chevrolets and 297,395 GMC vehicles, while also highlighting that the campaign covers the flagship Cadillac Escalade, a model promoted heavily on the official Cadillac site and central to the brand’s image.
How the stall risk plays out on the road
From a driver’s perspective, the most alarming part of this defect is not that an expensive engine might fail, but that it can do so in the middle of traffic, instantly stripping away power and key safety assists. Safety summaries explain that when the L87 fails, the vehicle can lose propulsion, power steering assist and power brake assist at once, leaving a heavy SUV or pickup far harder to control, especially at highway speeds or while towing, a scenario that federal regulators treat as a serious crash hazard in their guidance on recalls. Owners have described situations where the engine suddenly shut down while merging or turning, forcing them to wrestle a dead weight vehicle to the shoulder without the usual steering and braking support.
Legal commentary on the campaign underscores that this is precisely the kind of failure that can turn a mechanical defect into a life threatening event, because a stalled vehicle may be rear ended or may drift into oncoming traffic before the driver can regain control. One law firm that has begun fielding calls from affected owners notes that the defect can cause engine failure or a crash, language that mirrors the safety risk described in its analysis of the Vehicles Over Engine. That framing aligns with consumer focused explainers that warn that a sudden loss of propulsion and assist systems in a three ton SUV is far more dangerous than a typical breakdown in a parking lot.
What GM and regulators are doing for owners
General Motors has told regulators that it will inspect and, if necessary, replace the engines in affected vehicles at no cost to owners, a remedy that reflects the high stakes of a defect that can destroy the heart of a vehicle. Company guidance directs drivers to check their VINs through the GM owner portal, where the recall is listed alongside other campaigns, and to schedule service with dealers who will perform diagnostics and swap out damaged or at risk engines, a process described in detail on the company’s recall support page. Some advisories also note that GM has issued a stop sale on certain new and used inventory until repairs are completed, a step that prevents additional customers from driving off the lot in vehicles that might stall.
Regulatory filings and regional coverage emphasize that General Motors is recalling 600,000 vehicles and that owners will be notified by mail, while also encouraging drivers to proactively search their VINs on federal databases that track open safety campaigns. Consumer advocates point out that the same trucks and SUVs have been the subject of other safety actions, including a separate campaign over failing fuel pump control modules that can also cause stalling, a problem detailed in technical write ups of a fuel pump control recall and in brand specific coverage of GMC Yukon and Terrain models.
A pattern of engine trouble and growing legal fallout
For GM owners, this recall does not exist in isolation, it is part of a broader pattern of engine and fuel system problems that have dogged the company’s trucks and SUVs in recent years. Earlier coverage of the L87 campaign described how General Motors announced a massive recall of nearly 600,000 vehicles and a stop sale on some of its most popular full size SUVs, including Cadillac Escalade and Escalade ESV, Chevrolet Silverado, Suburban and Tahoe, and GMC Sierra and Yukon models, a list that matches the model coverage summarized in separate explainers that ask Which GM vehicles are being recalled. Broadcast and online reports have also highlighted that GM is recalling nearly 600,000 trucks and SUVs equipped with L87 V8 engines, reinforcing that the problem is tied to a specific powertrain.
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