A safety investigation has been launched in the US after the small-block V8 “L87” that powers the Chevrolet Silverado pickup and other General Motors models reportedly suffered failures even after repairs were made as part of a recall of 721,000 vehicles in 2025.
The U.S. National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) issued the investigation on January 16, 2026, after 36 owners complained to the auto safety agency about engine failure after their vehicles were “repaired” during the previous recall.
“The Office of Defects Investigation (ODI) has received 36 Vehicle Owner Questionnaires (VOQs) alleging engine failure in vehicles subject to recall 25V-274,” the NHTSA notice said.
“In each VOQ, the engine recall remediation was completed prior to the reported failure incident…ODI opens this Recall Query (RQ) to assess the adequacy of the remedial action for recall 25V-274.”
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A second recall has not yet been issued in the USA, Australia or New Zealand. We have contacted GM Australia and New Zealand (GMANZ) for comment.
It is unclear whether the recall “solution” was not applied correctly or whether various problems led to subsequent engine failures in L87-powered vehicles.
The global recall in 2025 affected 721,000 vehicles with the 6.2-liter V8 engine, including nearly 10,000 vehicles in Australia and New Zealand.
They were 2021-2024 Silverado 1500s sold in Australia and New Zealand. The Silverado 1500 was the second best-selling full-size pickup in Australia in 2025, behind the Ram 1500 but ahead of the Toyota Tundra and Ford F-150.
The recall did not affect the 2025 Chevrolet Silverado 1500 models or the related GMC Yukon Denali that was launched in Australia last year.
Overseas, the recall affected certain models of the Chevrolet Tahoe and Suburban, the GMC Yukon and Yukon XL, the Cadillac Escalade and Escalade ESV, and the GMC Sierra 1500.
The cause was defective crankshafts, which were noticeable, among other things, through excessive wear on the connecting rods and in some cases led to complete engine failure.
“The defect can lead to engine bearing damage and some engines may fail as a result. For this reason, GM has voluntarily decided to recall vehicles that are at increased risk of engine failure,” the automaker said in a statement at the time.
As part of the remedy, GM said it would replace engines if necessary, although GMANZ has not said how many V8 engines in the Silverado 1500 pickups were replaced locally. Vehicles that passed inspection were fitted with higher viscosity oil and a new oil filter and filler cap.
It said improvements in the manufacturing of crankshafts and connecting rods implemented on or before June 1, 2024 had “addressed contamination and quality issues.”
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