• by Tanya Gazdik , 8 hours ago

Photo Credit: Tanya Gazdik/MediaPost

General Motors is facing a giant recall — 721,000 globally — along with a lawsuit that alleges the automaker knew about the dangerous engine issues years before the recall. 

“The recall itself is cause for concern, but its timing has been even more troubling for some consumers who have long complained of engine issues, including a lawsuit filed months ago,” according to USA Today. “The product investigation was opened Jan. 16, but according to a lawsuit, several automotive publications and Reddit forums, GM owners have been complaining about issues with the L87 V8 engine for months and potentially even years.”

National Highway Traffic Safety Administration opened the investigation into GM trucks and SUVs after the federal agency received 39 complaints regarding engine failures. All of the vehicles share the same 6.2-liter V-8 engine.

“GM said it identified 12 crashes and 12 injuries in the United States that may be related to the recall issue,” according to Reuters. “GM previously closed three prior investigations into the issue since 2022 based on available safety field information. It identified 28,102 field complaints or incidents in the United States potentially related to failure of the engine due to crankshaft, connecting rod or engine-bearing issues, including 14,332 involving allegations of loss of propulsion.”

The recall includes 2021-2024 Cadillac Escalade (and Escalade ESV), 2021-2024 Chevrolet Silverado 1500, 2021-2024 Chevrolet Suburban, 2021-2024 Chevrolet Tahoe, 2021-2024 GMC Sierra 1500 and 2021-2024 GMC Yukon (Yukon XL).

“The problem stems from internal manufacturing defects, and vehicles must pass inspection or possibly require an engine replacement,” according to Car and Driver. “The automaker has also issued a stop-sale order for affected vehicles in dealer inventory.”

Reliability is a huge concern for car shoppers.

"After all, no one wants to deal with car trouble, especially if it could result in high mechanic fees or accidents,” notes USA Today. “It’s unfair to call GM vehicles unreliable based on the recall in question. That said, General Motors does have mixed reliability scores for some of its best-selling models.”