Class Action Lawsuit Filed Over ‘Dangerously Defective’ GM 6.2L V8 L87 Engine

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General Motors faces a proposed class action lawsuit that alleges the company’s “dangerously defective” 6.2L V8 L87 engine is prone to sudden and catastrophic failure, a problem allegedly so widespread that the automaker has reportedly told service centers that it lacks enough replacement parts for repairs.

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The 22-page General Motors lawsuit warns that vehicles equipped with the 6.2L V8 L87 engine, introduced in 2019, may fail entirely “with little or no warning” and necessitate “complex, expensive, time-consuming” and often futile repairs. Per the case, some GM drivers have reported experiencing engine failure “within days” of buying their vehicle, while one engine allegedly failed after only four miles of driving.

According to the class action suit, the problematic GM engine is found in nearly one million model year 2019–2024 Chevrolet Silverado 1500, 2021–2024 Chevrolet Tahoe, 2021–2024 Chevrolet Suburban, 2019–2024 GMC Sierra 1500, 2021–2024 GMC Yukon, 2021–2024 GMC Yukon XL, 2021–2024 Cadillac Escalade, and 2021–2024 Cadillac Escalade ESV vehicles. General Motors has marketed these vehicle models as “rugged” and “reliable” workhorses, the suit notes.

The alleged GM 6.2L V8 L87 engine defect has caused a drastic decrease in the value of affected vehicle models and left drivers nationwide without the use of their Chevy, GMC and Cadillac vehicles, the filing says. 

General Motors has known of the L87 engine problems since at least 2021, the class action lawsuit alleges. In January 2025, the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) commenced an investigation into the affected vehicle models, as some 877,710 cars are equipped with the same engine, the filing shares.

Since the NHTSA began looking into the GM engine issue, more than a thousand complaints of sudden, catastrophic engine failure have been reported, indicating the existence of “a major quality control issue,” the case states.

Per the filing, the NHTSA describes the alleged GM engine defect as "internal engine component failure," resulting from "improper installation of the wrist pin and circlip (a.k.a. retainage clip), or due to missing circlips." Failure of either of the components allows for wrist-pin displacement and connecting rod failure, the lawsuit says.

Even with the express warranties it offers for the affected vehicle models, GM has “left many customers stranded for weeks” as they await engine repairs, the complaint stresses.

The GM 6.2L V8 L87 engine defect lawsuit looks to cover all individuals in the United States who bought a 2019–2024 Chevrolet Silverado 1500, 2021–2024 Chevrolet Tahoe, 2021–2024 Chevrolet Suburban, 2019–2024 GMC Sierra 1500, 2021–2024 GMC Yukon, 2021–2024 GMC Yukon XL, 2021–2024 Cadillac Escalade, or 2021–2024 Cadillac Escalade ESV, other than for resale, between the launch of the L87 in 2019 and the present.

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