General Motors is once again in the hot seat over its big 6.2-liter L87 V8 engine. This time, with federal investigators taking a closer look at whether the company’s recent recall went far enough.

The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) announced a new engineering analysis that could expand GM’s existing recall to include roughly one million total vehicles.

Engine bearing failure in the L87 V8 is nothing new for GM

Drivers have long reported catastrophic breakdowns that often required full engine replacements, sometimes costing tens of thousands of dollars out of warranty.

In truck forums and owner groups, frustrated drivers have shared photos of destroyed bearings and seized crankshafts, fueling calls for a broader fix.

In May, MotorBiscuit covered a mechanic who showed followers what a failed L87 engine looks like inside.

The probe follows more than 1,100 complaints from owners who reported V8 engine failures in GM trucks and SUVs

The automaker installed the L87 in the following 2019 to 2024 products:

• Chevrolet Silverado
• GMC Sierra 1500
• Chevrolet Tahoe
• Chevrolet Suburban
• GMC Yukon
• GMC Yukon XL
• Cadillac Escalade
• Cadillac Escalade ESV

According to NHTSA’s Office of Defects Investigation, 1,157 total reports of bearing failure have now been logged.

The failures reportedly cause a sudden loss of motive power

Essentially, the engine can seize while moving down the road, leaving the driver with little or no ability to accelerate.

Of those complaints, 173 came from vehicles not included in GM’s earlier L87 V8 recall campaign, labeled 25V-274.

That earlier recall, announced in the spring of 2024, covered models built between March 2021 and May 2024.

GM traced the failures to multiple supplier manufacturing and quality issues, which it said had been corrected

The company replaced affected engines and closed its internal review once the recall was underway.

But the steady drumbeat of complaints from drivers whose cars fell outside that V8 recall window has forced NHTSA to reopen the issue

The new engineering analysis, launched October 23, will determine whether more vehicles should be included. It will also look into whether the defect poses an ongoing safety risk.

If NHTSA determines the defect extends beyond the current recall range, GM could be required to recall hundreds of thousands of additional V8 vehicles, possibly pushing the total affected past the one-million mark.