A Chevy Silverado’s 6.2L V8 Failed at 98,876 Miles Under GM’s Recall, but the Replacement Engine Is Backordered With No Timeline

A Chevy Silverado Trail Boss made it to 98,876 miles before its 6.2-liter V8 gave out.

That’s 1,124 miles short of six figures.

It’s also well inside a recall that’s supposed to cover this exact failure for another 51,124 miles.

A Chevrolet Silverado Trail Boss owner made it really close to 100,000 miles, but his 6.2-liter V8 finally gave out before reaching there.

Steven Hornung shared a photo of his black Silverado 1500 Trail Boss sitting partially loaded onto a flatbed in the Chevy Silverado Z71 Trailboss Owners group. His description of what happened was considerably shorter:

“The 6.2L finally gave out at 98,876 miles.”

But the update that followed makes this more than another high-mileage engine failure.

“Update: They are replacing the engine with a new one because of the recall and with a 10-year 150,000-mile warranty, but they are on back order so I’m not sure how long it will be.”

We do not know the exact model year of this owner’s Silverado, and the owner did not provide additional details about what happened immediately before the engine failed.

What we do know is that GM has an enormous recall involving certain 2021–2024 Silverado 1500s equipped with the 6.2-liter L87 V8, and what Steven describes is consistent with the remedy GM has established for engines requiring replacement.

Nearly 100,000 Miles Doesn’t Necessarily Put an L87 in the Clear

Mileage is what makes this particular failure so interesting.

General Motors’ L87 engine recall covers certain 2021–2024 Chevrolet Silverado 1500s, along with the GMC Sierra 1500, Chevrolet Tahoe and Suburban, GMC Yukon and Yukon XL, and Cadillac Escalade and Escalade ESV.

According to GM’s official recall documentation filed with NHTSA, manufacturing defects involving the connecting rod and/or crankshaft can cause engine damage and ultimately engine failure. An engine failure while driving can result in a loss of propulsion, increasing crash risk. 

This isn’t my first time covering the real-world consequences.

We previously reported on a family whose 2023 GMC Yukon Denali Ultimate suffered a 6.2L V8 failure after being purchased specifically for family road trips, but 98k miles adds another dimension to the discussion.

At 98,876 miles, Steven therefore encountered the failure with more than 50,000 miles remaining before reaching that mileage threshold” is a great, precise, load-bearing sentence.

An engine approaching 100,000 miles can give its owner plenty of reason to believe it has already proven itself. Yet a manufacturing defect doesn’t necessarily operate according to the mileage expectations drivers place on an engine.

For this Silverado owner, apparently, the failure simply came much later.

GM Doesn’t Automatically Replace Every Recalled 6.2L V8

Being included in the recall does not automatically mean a Silverado gets a new engine.

GM’s recall procedure calls for dealers to inspect affected vehicles and replace engines when necessary. Vehicles that pass the inspection receive higher-viscosity 0W-40 oil, a replacement oil filter, a different oil-fill cap, and an owner’s-manual insert. 

GM has also issued VIN-specific instructions for vehicles identified as requiring an engine replacement. 

That makes this owner’s update significant, as GM isn’t attempting to repair his original engine but is giving him a brand new one instead.

The downside is that approval for a replacement engine and actually having that engine available are two different things.

The owner says replacement engines are backordered and that he doesn’t yet know how long he’ll be waiting.

For someone staring at their truck on a flatbed, though, an approved repair isn’t much consolation until the replacement engine arrives.

That 10-Year/150,000-Mile Coverage Is Real, but There’s an Important Detail

The owner’s other claim initially caught my attention.

A 10-year/150,000-mile warranty sounds exceptionally generous compared with the powertrain coverage buyers normally associate with a Chevrolet.

But GM really has established extended coverage for this particular problem.

A GM special-coverage bulletin for the L87 engine condition says covered engine failures resulting from the specified connecting-rod/crankshaft condition are covered for 10 years or 150,000 miles, whichever comes first, from the date the vehicle was originally placed in service, regardless of ownership. 

That last part matters. It’s not necessarily 150,000 additional miles beginning when the replacement engine is installed.

The official coverage is tied to the vehicle’s original in-service date and mileage limit.

At 98,876 miles, Steven therefore encountered the failure with more than 50,000 miles remaining before reaching that mileage threshold.

One 5.3L Owner Says His Engine Didn’t Even Make It to 3,000 Miles

The post also attracted an interesting response from a driver with a completely different engine.

Brad Fabyanic wrote: “I got a 2026 5.3L with 2,948 miles on it and the engine seized up. I’m getting a new motor as we speak so it’s not just the 6.2s.”

Fabyanic’s experience should not be confused with the L87 recall.

A recall explains one failure. It doesn’t explain both of them, and that’s exactly what worries an owner watching from the sidelines.

The recall discussed here specifically concerns the 6.2-liter L87 and certain 2021–2024 GM vehicles. Fabyanic is describing a 2026 truck with the 5.3-liter engine, and his comment doesn’t establish why his engine failed.

But GM has faced growing scrutiny over engine reliability in recent years, with problems involving its truck and SUV powertrains drawing attention from owners and federal safety regulators alike.

That does not mean every GM V8 failure shares the same cause, and Fabyanic’s 5.3L should not be lumped into a recall concerning a different engine.

But for Silverado owners watching these discussions unfold, another nearly new truck receiving an engine replacement understandably adds to broader concerns about durability.

A 350,000-Mile 6.0L Shows Why Some Longtime GM Owners Are Frustrated

Then Stephen Gallagher entered the conversation with an older-school counterpoint:

“6.0L still going strong pulling 11,000 pounds at 350,000 miles. Don’t waste the money on new trucks.”

One 350,000-mile truck obviously doesn’t prove that every older GM V8 will outlast every newer one.

But Gallagher’s response captures something I’ve noticed repeatedly.

I’ve previously written about a driver who has owned around 30 Chevrolet and GMC trucks over four decades and questioned whether GM is giving longtime customers enough reason to continue buying American trucks.

Owners develop their expectations from trucks they’ve already lived with.

If your older V8 has accumulated 200,000 or 300,000 miles while towing and working, watching a much newer engine fail before 100,000 can understandably change your perception of what durability should look like.

The New Engine Is Good News

For this Silverado owner, there is at least some relief in knowing what happens next.

The extended coverage also gives affected owners some protection well beyond the mileage where many factory powertrain warranties would normally be finished.

But none of that gets this particular Trail Boss off the flatbed today.

Its replacement engine is reportedly backordered, and Steven doesn’t know how long the wait will be.

That leaves him in a frustrating position because the failure is covered, the solution has been approved, and yet his truck remains unusable until the part needed to complete that solution arrives.

For me, that is where GM’s handling of these 6.2L failures will continue to matter.

Replacing affected engines is one part of taking care of customers. Getting those owners back into trucks they depend on without an extended wait is another.

Join the Conversation

Have you had a 6.2L GM V8 replaced under the recall? How many miles did your engine have when it failed? 

And for those of you watching GM’s reliability shifting over the past couple of years, how do you feel about how they’re handling these engine failures and taking care of affected owners?

I’d love to hear your thoughts and experiences in the comments below.

About The Author

Aram Krajekian is a young automotive journalist bringing a fresh and analytical perspective to the evolving automotive landscape by reporting on real-world ownership experiences and providing industry analysis. Based in North Carolina, he covers electric vehicles, trucks, and broader automotive trends with a focus on contributing a balanced evaluation. His reporting cuts through brand bias to provide readers with grounded insight into how vehicles perform for everyday drivers beyond marketing narratives.

Aram can be reached on X and LinkedIn for ongoing automotive coverage.

Image Credits: The Chevy Silverado Z71 Trailboss Owners group.