We’ve known for months that General Motors‘ service network has struggled to keep up with demand for replacement V8 engines, and that some of their critical components have been amidst a rash of reported engine failures. But thanks to the documentation the company was required to submit to the feds after last week’s bombshell truck and SUV recall, we’re finding out that GM has an even bigger problem on its hands than perhaps anybody realized.
As part of their reporting to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, automakers are asked to submit chronological accounts of any related internal investigations. And in this case, the play-by-play is quite eye-opening. The NHTSA initially launched its investigation after nearly 350 customer complaints of engine failure. Obviously, that was a significant enough population to get the attention of investigators, but the far more damning number comes from GM itself. The company amassed nearly 30,000 reports of L87 V8s that failed due to this defect between April 29, 2021, and February 3, 2025.
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