An April GM engine recall promised to assess, repair, or replace the L87 V8 engines in roughly 598,000 SUVs and pickup trucks. However, a recent lawsuit alleges that the recall remedies aren’t enough. In fact, the lawsuit says replacing defective engines with defective mills is straight-up “inadequate.”  

9 owners launched a lawsuit with lawyers from 5 firms following a GM recall of L87 6.2L V8 engines

The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) initiated a federal investigation into General Motors’ L87 engine, specifically the 6.2L V8 found in many Chevrolet, Cadillac, and GMC vehicles. 

That was in January. Since then, GM has announced a recall for nearly 600,000 SUVs and trucks equipped with the L87 engine. The specifics? General Motors said the L87 mills may fail due to issues with crankshafts, bearings, and connecting rods. In short, the failing components could cause catastrophic damage to the L87’s aluminum block, essentially destroying the engine.

Now, as with any other recall, GM has solutions. Owners can take their vehicles to a Chevrolet, Cadillac, or GMC service center. Technicians will look for the code “P0016.” If they find it, it’s a “repair or replace” situation. Therein lies the specifics of the latest GM engine recall lawsuit.

Nine owners with representation from at least five law firms filed a lawsuit asserting that the fixes weren’t up to snuff, per Car Complaints. The lawsuit suggests that GM is simply replacing defective engines with “equally defective” ones. It’s a move that the owners’ legal representation called “egregiously inadequate.” 

The filing parties also say that the repairs aren’t a sufficient fix due to the lack of redesigned components like bearings or connecting rods. What’s more, the lawsuit alleges that GM wasn’t quick enough to inform owners, nor has the Chevrolet parent company offered compensation for “loss of value.” You can find a list of models with the 6.2L EcoTec3 L87 V8 engine from the lawsuit below.