Report: Parts Availability for General Motors’ 6.2-Liter V8 Becoming Major Issue

General Motors’ small-block V8s have long been famous for boasting solid reliability at competitive prices. But the 6.2-liter L87 motor (found in late-model Chevrolet Silverado 1500, Chevrolet Tahoe, Chevy Suburban, GMC Sierra 1500, GMC Yukon, and Cadillac Escalade) is presently under investigation by the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) for defects. The issue has created a parts bottleneck and is reportedly creating serious problems for customers in need of repairs.

The probe was launched earlier this month after the NHTSA’s Office of Defects Investigation placed 877,710 GM under the microscope. As we previously reported, the agency had received 39 complaints and field reports claiming engine failures. While there’s still debate about what is causing the problems, initial assumptions are that defective rod bearings are failing and causing catastrophic engine damage. Some have argued that the connecting rod bearing caps are still being made with nodular cast iron that simply wasn’t up to snuff. But others have claimed that bad lifters have likewise been a known issue and are arguing that GM’s 5.3-liter V8 was encountering similar problems.

We don’t know anything for certain, which is why the NHTSA has launched an investigation. However, this isn’t helping customers with damaged engines in the interim and reports are now circulating that dealers are hoarding motors.

According to The Drive, General Motors cannot supply enough components for service centers to repair busted L87 motors. The outlet focused on the owner of a limo company that has been unable to use her 2023 Cadillac Escalade for business because nobody has been able to repair it for weeks. Aware that her relatively new, albeit high-mileage, vehicle was starting to show signs of lifter failure and went out of her way to order a new engine in advance.

The initial price quote for a fresh powertrain was $10,000. But there weren't actually any motors on hand to install and allegedly haven’t been for weeks. Her independent repair shop told her that they’ve had trouble sourcing engines for months, forcing her to turn to her local dealership. However, they said that they couldn’t help her because she reportedly didn’t have enough sway with the business. Despite having several 6.2-liter V8s that they could have installed, they reportedly refused to let them go via the usual channels.

This isn’t an isolated incident. While some have had no issues getting their L87 repaired, there are plenty of posts online about customers having to wait months for a new motor and the issue has only gotten worse over the past twelve months. Some mechanics are now rebuilding the same engines that are under investigation against the wishes of General Motors. But this solution also requires there being enough parts supply to do the job and that’s becoming a bigger problem.

I contacted a couple of local repair shops to see what they were doing and I was told that rebuilds were still an option in most cases. While replacement engines were plentiful a few months ago, most customers weren’t interested in the substantial wait time and repair costs involved. The vehicles coming in were likewise carrying a lot of miles on the odometer, meaning they were out of warranty, and only appeared sporadically.

Hunting for engines myself, I found that there are still L87s are out there. But that you'll be paying a minimum of $7,000 for one in decent shape.

Dealerships were a little less forthcoming. One said that they were hesitant to use up the few motors they have on hand on out-of-warranty vehicles when demand is high and the units might end up being recalled — which was surprisingly frank. But the other two wouldn’t even talk about it until I brought in “my vehicle” so it could be assessed and I don’t currently own any GM products.

The manufacturer has issued notices to dealerships requesting that they only order for applicable VINs and not via shelf stock.

“Dealers should place engine orders CSO (Customer Special Order) and upgrade to [Special Parts Acquisition Code] with a [Vehicle Identification Number],” explained the dealer memo shared by The Drive. “All orders will be reviewed prior to being filled. All CSO’s will be cancelled daily. Only SPAC orders with a valid VIN associated with the vehicle engine listing will be released. Due to limited parts availability, parts may have quantity limiters in effect.”

This is currently a problem without a good solution, especially for fleet operators and small-business owners that cannot necessarily supplant an L87-equipped vehicle with something else. But the real question is how widespread the issue actually is. There’s very obviously a worsening parts shortage while GM and the NHTSA decide what the next step should be. But it doesn’t seem like the situation has totally devolved into something where every person needing major repairs on their 6.2-liter V8 has to resort to bribery or threats.

Meanwhile, the Web forums are front loaded with owners bemoaning how the situation is being handled or sharing stories where the worst-case scenario plays out. The rest is just General Motors customers bickering about how emissions compliance ruined the L87 and that the affected party should have optioned a different engine because that’s what some truck guys do when they have some spare time.

[Images: General Motors]

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