Full-size GM trucks and SUVs with the 6.2-liter L87 V-8 have been through a federal safety recall, yet owners are still reporting sudden loss of power. In August 2026 the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration moved its review into an Engineering Analysis, the step NHTSA takes when it needs engineering evidence before deciding whether a prior fix actually solved the problem on US roads.
What changed when ODI opened EA26005
The case began earlier in 2026 as Recall Query RQ26001, which asked whether the remedy for Recall 25V-274 was working after drivers said their engines failed anyway. On August 20, 2026, NHTSA’s Office of Defects Investigation escalated that work to Engineering Analysis EA26005. An Engineering Analysis is not a new recall by itself; it is a deeper federal review that can end in no further action, a demand for an expanded remedy, or other enforcement steps. Opening EA26005 signals that post-repair engine failures remain frequent enough to warrant full technical scrutiny across roughly 997,743 vehicles, not just the subset originally tied to the recall production window.
Which GM models carry the L87 in this investigation
NHTSA lists the affected population as 2021–2026 model-year vehicles equipped with the L87 6.2L gasoline engine. On dealer lots and driveways that usually means Chevrolet Silverado 1500, Tahoe, and Suburban; GMC Sierra 1500, Yukon, and Yukon XL; and Cadillac Escalade and Escalade ESV. If you tow a boat out of Florida, haul construction gear in Texas, or daily a luxury SUV in the Northeast, the engine family is the same even when the badge changes. Not every V-8 in GM’s lineup is an L87, so the first practical check is your window sticker, Monroney label, or under-hood emissions label for the 6.2L L87 designation before you assume this case covers your truck.
What Recall 25V-274 already required
GM launched Recall 25V-274 for L87 engines built between March 1, 2021 and May 31, 2024, citing a supplier manufacturing and quality issue tied to connecting-rod and crankshaft damage. The remedy was not one-size-fits-all. Dealers ran an inspection procedure; engines that failed inspection could receive repair or replacement, while engines that passed were steered toward an oil-related fix that included replacing the oil filter and cap and switching from 0W-20 to a higher-viscosity 0W-40 oil. Many owners treated that visit as closed paperwork. EA26005 exists because NHTSA continues to receive allegations that motive power disappeared after those visits, including after complete engine replacements.
The complaint pattern regulators cite
In its opening summary for EA26005, NHTSA reported 499 owner complaints alleging engine failure after the Recall 25V-274 remedy was completed. Of those, 473 involved the oil-viscosity branch and 26 involved a full engine replacement. Separately, ODI logged 191 reports of L87 failures on engines built after the production dates named in the original recall, which is why the Engineering Analysis expanded beyond the first recall cohort. GM’s own complaint count in the same filing reached 6,953 post-remedy engine-failure reports. NHTSA also noted one crash and one injury linked to the defect pattern under review. Those numbers do not prove every 6.2L engine will fail, but they explain why federal investigators are still active months after the recall campaign started mailing notices.
Symptoms that should change how you drive today
Owners describing L87 failures commonly report warning lights, knocking, rough running, or a complete shutdown while merging, climbing a grade, or towing. Because the alleged defect concerns loss of motive power, treat any sudden power loss, repeated crank-no-start after a hot soak, or new engine-related warnings as a same-day service issue rather than a wait-until-oil-change item. If the truck stalls in traffic, use your hazard flashers, exit the travel lane when safe, and call for a tow instead of attempting repeated restart cycles on a busy freeway. Keep the repair order from any Recall 25V-274 visit; it documents which remedy branch the dealer chose.
Owners, lessees, and shoppers while the case stays open
If you already completed Recall 25V-274, watch for new symptoms and report them to NHTSA through a Vehicle Owner Questionnaire at NHTSA.gov as well as to your GM dealer. Federal complaints become part of the public record investigators use in EA26005. Warranty and goodwill decisions still run through GM and your state lemon-law framework, not through NHTSA directly. If you are buying a used 2021–2026 Silverado, Sierra, Tahoe, Yukon, or Escalade, ask for service records that show whether Recall 25V-274 is marked complete and whether any engine work followed. A VIN lookup helps confirm open recalls before money changes hands, and a pre-purchase inspection that listens for bearing knock and pulls stored powertrain codes is cheap compared with a surprise short block. CarDiary’s service log is a practical place to store recall completion dates and dealer RO numbers so you are not reconstructing paperwork from memory if powertrain symptoms return.
How this differs from a telematics or tax tool
EA26005 is a federal safety investigation run by NHTSA engineers, not a registration renewal clock and not an IRS mileage program. CarDiary does not file complaints for you, does not stream GPS, and is not an official government register; it is a digital vehicle cost and deadline log that replaces scattered spreadsheets when you need proof of maintenance and recall visits. Until NHTSA closes EA26005 or orders a new remedy, the actionable step for L87 drivers is unchanged: complete any open recall work, document what was done, and treat new power loss as urgent.
