Silverado, Sierra and Escalade 6.2L engine failure: the L87 recall and your lemon law rights

If your Silverado 1500, Sierra 1500, Tahoe, Suburban, Yukon or Escalade with the 6.2-liter V8 started knocking, threw a check-engine light or lost power, you are not alone. A Silverado 6.2L engine failure, or the same failure in one of GM's large SUVs, is the subject of a 2025 safety recall, a federal investigation that widened in 2026, and consolidated class litigation. For a California owner, the most direct remedy is often the lemon law: if GM cannot fix a warranty defect in a reasonable number of attempts, it must repurchase or replace the vehicle.

This guide covers what the recall says, what NHTSA is investigating, how engine replacements and recall visits count under California law, and what records to keep. It is general information as of October 2026, not legal advice, and it does not suggest that every GM vehicle with this engine is defective.

The 6.2L L87 recall: 25V-274

In April 2025 GM filed recall 25V-274 covering 597,571 vehicles with the 6.2L V8 gas engine. According to NHTSA's record, connecting rod and crankshaft components may have manufacturing defects that can damage the engine and cause it to fail, and engine failure "increases the risk of a crash."

Recall	NHTSA 25V-274 (GM recall N252494000), filed April 24, 2025
Vehicles	2021–2024 Chevrolet Silverado 1500, Tahoe and Suburban; GMC Sierra 1500, Yukon and Yukon XL; Cadillac Escalade and Escalade ESV, with the 6.2L V8
Engines	Built March 1, 2021 to May 31, 2024, according to NHTSA's investigation file
Remedy	Dealer inspects the engine and repairs or replaces it as needed. Engines that pass get higher-viscosity oil, a new oil fill cap, a new oil filter and an updated owner's manual.
Owner letters	Mailed June 18, 2025

The oil change is a big part of the remedy. Carscoops reported that engines passing the inspection were switched from 0W-20 to 0W-40 oil. If your truck got the oil remedy, keep using the oil GM now specifies and keep every receipt.

NHTSA's investigation into failures after the fix

NHTSA opened a recall query, RQ26-001, in January 2026 to look at whether the remedy worked. On August 20, 2026, it upgraded the matter to an engineering analysis, EA26-005, covering an estimated 997,743 model year 2021–2026 GM vehicles with the L87 engine. The agency's opening document reports:

• 499 complaints to NHTSA of engine failure after the recall remedy, 473 after the oil change and 26 after an engine replacement;
• 6,953 complaints of post-remedy engine failure reported by GM; and
• 191 reports of L87 failures in engines built after the recall's production window, which is why the investigation was widened.

The investigation is open. It is not a new recall, and it has not reached a conclusion about the cause. But for an owner whose engine failed after the recall, it is important context: the federal safety regulator is examining the same pattern.

The consolidated class litigation

Owners have also sued GM as a group. Carscoops reported in March 2026 that 11 lawsuits filed during 2025 had been consolidated into one class action in Michigan. The plaintiffs allege the recall did not go far enough, and the case as reported reaches 2019–2024 Silverado 1500 and Sierra 1500 trucks as well as the recalled SUVs. These are allegations, not findings.

A class action and a lemon law claim are separate. A lemon law claim is about your own truck's repair history and can lead to a full repurchase. Before you respond to any class notice, have a lawyer review how it would affect your individual claim.

How California's lemon law applies to an L87 engine failure

Under Civil Code § 1793.2(d), when a manufacturer cannot conform a new vehicle to its warranty after a reasonable number of attempts, it must replace the vehicle or make restitution, and you choose which. Civil Code § 1793.22(b), the Tanner Act, creates a presumption within the first 18 months or 18,000 miles, whichever comes first, when:

1. the same defect is likely to cause death or serious bodily injury if the vehicle is driven, has been subject to repair two or more times, and you directly notified the manufacturer at least once;
2. the same defect has been subject to repair four or more times, and you directly notified the manufacturer at least once; or
3. the vehicle has been out of service for repair for more than 30 calendar days in total since delivery.

Direct notice is required only if the manufacturer clearly disclosed the requirement in the warranty or owner's manual. If a qualified dispute program exists and you were told about it in writing, you may need to use it before relying on the presumption (§ 1793.22(c)). Many recalled trucks are past 18 months, and that is not the end of the question. A claim can succeed later in the warranty if the record shows GM had a reasonable number of chances and the engine still failed. Our guide to how many repair attempts are needed covers that.

Is engine failure a safety defect?

The two-attempt rule applies to a defect likely to cause death or serious bodily injury. NHTSA's recall record says the L87 engine failure "increases the risk of a crash." That supports treating it as a safety defect, though the answer always depends on the facts.

Does the recall visit count?

A recall inspection or repair for the same defect is an opportunity the manufacturer had to fix it. If your engine passed inspection, got the oil remedy and then failed, the recall visit and the failure are both part of your history. If GM replaced the engine and the replacement also failed, that is a strong fact for a claim.

Days out of service

Engine replacements can take weeks, especially when parts are back-ordered. Days out of service for repair count toward the 30-day presumption, added up across visits. Civil Code § 1793.2(b) separately requires warranty repairs to be completed within 30 days unless you agree otherwise in writing, with extra time only for delays outside the manufacturer's control. Do not sign anything agreeing to extra time without reading it.

Engine failure after the warranty

Some earlier trucks may be past their basic warranty, and some owners paid for engine work themselves. The recall remedy itself is free. Whether a lemon law claim remains depends on when the problem first appeared, what the powertrain warranty covers, and the deadlines below. Our guide to lemon law after the warranty expires explains the options.

What to keep

• Every repair order, including the recall inspection result (pass or fail), diagnostic codes, and whether the engine was replaced.
• Oil change receipts before and after the recall, showing the oil grade used. Engine claims often turn on maintenance.
• Tow records and photos or video of warning lights, knocking or loss of power, recorded only when safe.
• Your GM case number. The NHTSA recall record lists Chevrolet customer service at 1-800-222-1020, GMC at 1-800-462-8782 and Cadillac at 1-800-333-4223.
• A log of days in the shop, loaners and rental costs.

Deadlines and what you can recover

A repurchase generally includes the price paid, taxes, registration, finance charges and incidental costs, minus a mileage offset for miles driven before the first repair visit for the defect (Civil Code § 1793.2(d)(2)). The buyback calculator shows how. If GM willfully failed to comply, a court can add a civil penalty of up to two times actual damages, and a buyer who wins recovers attorney's fees and costs (Civil Code § 1794).

GM has been reported among the manufacturers that opted in to California's 2025 lemon law procedures. For opted-in manufacturers, a lawsuit generally must be filed within one year after the warranty expires and no later than six years after delivery, and a specific pre-suit notice is required to seek civil penalties. Check the Department of Consumer Affairs list and our guide to the 2025 changes under AB 1755. For other GM issues, see our Chevrolet and GM lemon law guide.

How LaCour handles 6.2L engine claims

LaCour Trial Lawyers handles California lemon law claims statewide, in English and Spanish, with trial counsel leading each case. When a claim succeeds, GM pays the buyer's attorney's fees and costs. Send your repair orders and recall paperwork for a free, confidential review.

Frequently asked questions

This guide is general information about California and federal law and about public records as of its date. It is not legal advice, and reading it or contacting us does not create an attorney–client relationship. Allegations in lawsuits are claims, not findings. Prior results do not guarantee a similar outcome. Attorney advertising.