This Is What A GM 6.2-Liter V8 Engine Failure At 4 Miles Looks Like

We’ve previously reported on the woes General Motors has been facing regarding the L87 6.2-liter V8 found in its trucks and SUVs. The growing number of engine failures has meant a shortage of replacement parts, leaving owners’ vehicles stranded at the service department without an immediate fix. One such car found its way into the hands of Dave’s Auto Center in Utah, a 2023 Cadillac Escalade with just 4 miles on the odometer. The repair shop decided to tear apart the failed 6.2-liter and see just what was going on inside, and luckily, there’s a video on YouTube documenting the process.

In the video embedded below, Dave’s Auto Center began the teardown by removing the oil pan, noting that it was full of oil that seemed to be in good condition. Next came removing the harmonic balancer, which attaches to the crankshaft at the front of the engine. Immediately upon doing so, a piece of connecting rod fell out of the bottom of the block, an obvious problem. The connecting rod, which connects the piston to the crankshaft, is one of the most common failure points for an engine, but not usually for hundreds of thousands of miles. So why did this one fail before the Escalade had even turned over a second digit on its odometer?

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The culprit, in this case, is an improperly installed wrist pin. The wrist pin sits at the top of the connecting rod where it attaches to the piston and allows the rod to move laterally as the piston goes up and down. The assembly defect went unnoticed as the big Caddy rolled down the production line, and it led to almost immediate engine failure. Of note, connecting rod problems are among the top issues reported by L87 owners to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, which is investigating the engine for a potential recall.

Replacement Engines Are In Short Supply

The story, originally broken by The Drive, states that the L87 is in such short supply that owners have been waiting weeks just to get slotted in line for a replacement engine. One such customer, who owns a limousine company, was forced to purchase a new Chevrolet Suburban to replace her broken-down 2023 Escalade because leaving the luxury SUV out of service meant she was losing business on top of needing to pay for the engine repairs.

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Of note, the limousine driver’s Caddy failed because of lifter failure, a problem that GM is aware of. The company offered anyone who owned a 2023 Chevrolet Silverado, Tahoe, and Suburban; GMC Yukon and Sierra; or Cadillac Escalade with the affected 6.2-liter V8 a free engine replacement, owing to a known lifter bore casting issue from a specific engine plant that supplied those model-year engines.

Source: Dave’s Auto Center via The Drive