GM V8 Engine recall

[dtech]

Interesting that 0w-20 oil will be replace by 0w-40 . Part of the modernization of bread and butter engines in some cases involved narrowing oil passages, reducing oil pump size and going to low viscosity oil. Hyundai had to replace over a million of Theta II engines and they are still being replaced owing to crank bearing failures, like GM they have never identified the exact cause. With Hyundai the fix involved increasing the oil capacity shown with a new dipstick and using the engine knock sensor to detect impending crank bearing failures. Their OEM oil was I believe 5w-30 but as with many Hyundais they become oil burners with higher miles, on the one I had I began using 5w-40 at 80k miles.

https://gmauthority.com/blog/2025/0...all-doesnt-apply-to-2025-model-year-vehicles/

"General Motors trucks and SUVs affected by the recall will be inspected for manufacturing defects. Vehicles that pass inspection will receive an engine oil and filter change, this time using high-viscosity 0W-40 Mobil 1 Supercar oil. The owner’s manual for L87-equipped trucks calls for 0W-20 oil. The oil fill cap will also be replaced (to reflect the new oil type). It’s unclear what happens if an affected truck does not pass inspection, but an engine replacement is likely."

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[Friday yet?]

Yea, took GM long enough. I have two people I know at my job that have had GM products eat their engines. While I am a Ford guy, normally can’t hate on a GM V8. But they have really ? the bed the past few years.

news today says that internal docs confirm that 30K engines had failed prior to GM issuing the recall. Nice customer service GM.

 

[Dereku]

GM V8 was always the cornerstone of reliability. I mean I am a life long ford guy but it is hard not to respect the LS motors. Sad really.

 

[TJC]

Lower viscosity oils in all major components, Engines, Transmissions, Differentials, etc. What could go wrong. I think Dana/Spicer still recommends 75/140 in the diffs, when Ford states 80-90 weight.

 

[dtech]

Yea, took GM long enough. I have two people I know at my job that have had GM products eat their engines. While I am a Ford guy, normally can’t hate on a GM V8. But they have really ? the bed the past few years.

news today says that internal docs confirm that 30K engines had failed prior to GM issuing the recall. Nice customer service GM.

Hyundai got their a**es kicked to the tune of a $100m fine for concealing a known safety defect when the Theta II engines were seizing owing to crank bearing failures. At 1st they claimed it was as result of improper crank cleaning after machining and was fixed but the engines kept on seizing, as mentioned they have had to replace over 1m engines and provide owners a lifetime warranty .

Wife's 2025 Outback calls for 0w-20 oil but I will likely go to 0w-30 0r 5w-30 when I change it.

 

[Dgc333]

Lower viscosity oils in all major components, Engines, Transmissions, Differentials, etc. What could go wrong. I think Dana/Spicer still recommends 75/140 in the diffs, when Ford states 80-90 weight.

FWIW, back around 2006 there was a technical service bulletin that stated that any time an 8.8 differential is serviced, use 75w-140 gear oil. This applied to all platforms that used the 8.8 differential. If you buy gears for your 8.8 from Ford Performance they supply Royal Purple 75w-140 synthetic gear oil with the kit.

The 2.3 Ecoboost in our Rangers recommends 5w-30 oil. The same engine in a Mustang recommends 5w-30 except for when you are tracking the car then they recommend 5w-50 oil. If you purchase the high performance package on your Ecoboost Mustang they recommend 5w-50 oil all the time.

The 5.0 Coyote recommends 5w-20 except when tracking the car then it recommends 5w-50.

The 5.7 Hemi in my hot rod recommends 5w-20 but the same basic engine in 6.4 displacement recommends 5w-40 oil.

What this tells me is that in bread and butter applications they are selecting fluids that that can help with the corporate fuel mileage goals. But in lower volume high performance applications they are recommending fluids that provide better protection.

I almost in all of my vehicles use higher viscosity fluids that what is recommended or at least use synthetics over blend or dino juice

 

[dtech]

Take a very reliable design from yrs back like GM V8 and then increase the power , add direct injection, change the oil pump design and use a very low viscosity oil with extended drain intervals - really a roll of the dice. If you get lessening of the 0w-20 viscosity - be it from fuel dilution and short trips or longer oil changes - all these could increase the odds of bearing failure, some makers even went as far as reducing the overall crank bearing surfaces in the interest of weight reduction.

 

[Frenchy]

I want to know how much that "Supercar" Oil runs per quart

 

[dtech]

I want to know how much that "Supercar" Oil runs per quart

Had they been using Amsoil from the get go the whole thing could have been avoided

 

[Frenchy]

Had they been using Amsoil from the get go the whole thing could have been avoided

For all we know that's what they've been using from the start

 

[rang19ca]

All the lighter weight oil is used for higher Corporate Average Fuel Economy numbers being pushed by the government. We pay one way or another, Ha Ha.

 

[Langwilliams]

Looks like the "supercar oil" is about $12 a quart. I was looking at used M3 BMW's back when they were the inline 6 an I read they use a lot of oil an it's bmw specific from the dealer 0w60 for $30 a quart. This was like ten years ago. I wisely decided the cost of ownership of German cars wasn't worth it. My daughter ditched her Mercedes a year early because she got tired of the $800 "oil services" an got a Navigator that she loves.

 

[awd.nv]

My buddy had a 6.2L fail in their then 1-2 year old GMC Yukon XL (2023?), then the dealer said the replacement engine failed on the tech's road test. The second replacement was fine till they were hit at a red light and the vehicle was totaled (all safe, vehicle was a tank). Combined with the lifter issue some of the 5.3L are having, I don't feel horrible I had a 2.3L replaced on the Ranger considering how rare it seems.

 

[Buckbull]

I had a 2003 silverado that had the 4.8 LS engine that I put 286,000 miles on before I traded it in. Saw the truck around town for years after that. Never had an issue with the engine. Buddy has a 2022 Sierra with the 5.3 and the AFM was giving him lots of trouble. First thing he did once the truck was out of warranty was to disable the AFM. Said that has made a huge difference.

 

[got3fords]

I had a 2003 silverado that had the 4.8 LS engine that I put 286,000 miles on before I traded it in. Saw the truck around town for years after that. Never had an issue with the engine. Buddy has a 2022 Sierra with the 5.3 and the AFM was giving him lots of trouble. First thing he did once the truck was out of warranty was to disable the AFM. Said that has made a huge difference.

What's the AFM?

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