General Motors has been dragged to court several times this year, and it’s headed there again after another displeased customer filed a lawsuit against the conglomerate over dissatisfaction with the faulty L87 V8 engine. Earlier lawsuits have included one for a braking defect and another for an unsatisfactory fuel pump recall fix, but the V8 engine problem is one that seems to be drawing the most ire from customers, and the latest to voice their concerns is Illinois plaintiff Ronald S. Hermanowicz, reports CarComlaints.com. As with earlier L87-related lawsuits, the argument is that the 6.2-liter EcoTec3 engine is defective due to connecting rod bearings that are prone to failure.
Numerous Affected Vehicles Named In Lawsuit
The plaintiff purchased a new 2024 GMC Sierra 1500 in June 2024, and in March 2025, heard a loud ticking noise indicative of bearing failure coming from the engine, after which “the truck died.” But this isn’t the only vehicle equipped with the troublesome power plant; others include the following:
- 2021-2024 Cadillac Escalade
- 2021-2024 Cadillac Escalade ESV
- 2019-2024 Chevrolet Silverado 1500
- 2021-2024 Chevrolet Suburban
- 2021-2024 Chevrolet Tahoe
- 2019-2024 GMC Sierra 1500
- 2021-2024 GMC Yukon
- 2021-2024 GMC Yukon XL
In the case of Hermanowicz, the truck was towed to a GM dealer, where the worst was confirmed: “Rod bearing has spun, damaging the rods and crankshaft and putting metal throughout the engine.” Three weeks later, the L87 was replaced at no cost to the plaintiff, along with the radiator and oil cooler lines. But Hermanowicz says that’s not good enough. According to the lawsuit, GM has “purportedly known the engines are defective since at least 2021,” and the engines “suffer from crankshaft dimensions that are out of the intended specifications.” An independent teardown of the engine has confirmed as much.
The Feds Are Involved In The L87 Issue
GMC
The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration last month expanded its probe into hundreds of thousands of L87-equipped vehicles, which led to one of GM’s biggest recalls in recent memory, with over 877,000 vehicles affected. The NHTSA is aware of at least 28,102 field complaints or incidents, 14,332 of which involved claims of loss of propulsion. Compounding the severity of the issue is that there have also been at least 12 crashes and 12 injuries allegedly related to the failures. The lawsuit goes on to explain that aggrieved customers who dealt with dealers who found no obvious engine problems would simply replace the engine oil, and that this would “[increase] drag on internal engine components, negatively affecting performance and fuel consumption, and [decrease] the vehicle’s resale value.” Hermanowicz’s class action – asking for $5 million – was filed in the U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of Michigan. If this or other lawsuits find GM guilty, it’ll start a chain reaction of settlements.
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