I Took My Chevy Silverado ZR2 In for the Engine Recall, But It’s a Joke That GM Thinks Thicker Oil Will Fix the Real Problem

That saved me a lot of shopping.

It begs the question, how long before consumers demand a return to vehicles that are solidly reliable and 'wear like iron' without the prospect of facing so many items that break with frequency unheard before 2007? The night my dream of a new re-creation of trucks as they were prior to 2000 that owners could 'shade tree mechanic' arriving soon at dealerships everywhere but available only in a shiny Khaki Brown which ended with happy buyers gleefully spray painting in the desired colors that woke me was my mental solution for what GMC and other brands that are GM products need to do: 'get back to basics!' As customers we do not want trucks or vehicles with so much obvious and unnecessary functional obsolescence and complexity built in that we can't easily do much of our own maintenance and repairs and the burden and expense of frequency of repairs over the ownership life through reliance on the dealer or other certified mechanics who have even uploaded videos on YouTube with titles along the lines of GM Hates Mechanics revealing the absurdly byzantine efforts needed to get to the water pump, fuel pump or other engine parts to service them!

Our 2022 Sierra 1500 AT4 V8 L87 that we bought in June of 2024 with under 14000 miles on it is part of GMs recall is one that we would never have purchased had we known of the issues related to it and all vehicles manufactured since 2007. We brought the truck in to our dealer as regards the recall and received the 'GM Bandaid' for the recall following it passing criteria for a simple oil change to the new recommended higher viscosity oil and a new oil cap showing the recommended oil and the dealer did provide us with the paperwork showing we now have the 150,000 mile warranty that should 'cover the bases' for now but in no way resolves the issues related to the design and especially the devaluation of the truck. Who in their right mind would buy our truck at the value it would have if it had no issues for the year, make and model?! We have a loan on this truck and are stuck with it and the truck! If you go to topclassactions.com and their search bar, key in GM and read the replies section of each class action beginning with the one for loss of propulsion initiated by Powell.

We have a 2007 Nissan Frontier manual 4WD with over 160,000 miles on it regularly maintained but my husband has too much back pain to drive it beyond 2 hours and when we need to drive that long, I drive it but he really likes to drive too! We thought the Sierra was a bargain at $36K because it's 'fully loaded' and 'like new' and now we truly regret the purchase! We found many things 'not right' for example, we tried several times on long stretches of back roads to reach 140 mph. and the most it will go is 107, makes a 'lugging sound' then goes to 80. A few weeks into ownership and we were searching online and found keeping it in L9 is best to prevent lifter damage. The dealer says it has a 'governor' on it to prevent driving the max 140 mph. Then he said something about the tires it has having something to do with the max speed and the governor. We asked if we change the tires to a type that can handle more speed if it can be recalibrate to 140 mph. and he said no and we said 'That's BS!' to him. I call this fraud, plain and simple! Neither of us has ever purchased a vehicle unable to clock the highest speed on the speedometer! Also, the parking brake is in the form of a button and it is electronics dependent and WIFI which means in an emergency if the foot brake fails and electronics fails, there is no mechanical emergency brake to pull to save us and in the past, when we lived in Reno, NV driving Donner Pass and other steep areas my husband who drove HAZMAT big rigs pointed out where the runaway behicle brake stop off ramps were as we drove explaining that option long before we ever purchased the GMC Sierra here in Texas.

Ideally the truck we and likely many more consumers want is one that is not encumbered by the obvious complications of electronics, functional obsolescence (too many things to list that fail often and require dependence on dealer mechanics or 'authorized mechanics' that owners should be able to do themselves) Also, the fact that these vehicles cannot take multi-weight oil like 5-40, 10-30, 10-40 etc. since it meets the California Cafe standards heavy weight truck, it falls under California Cafe Standards like an 18 wheeler under 'The Green New Deal' and this is all due to collaboration by Carlos Tevares and Stellantis overseeing all of this from political and corporate corruption!

In closing, how does one go about starting an auto company so we can get those Khaki Brown trucks I dreamed of?😂

Send an oil sample from your truck to Black Stone Lab. Third party , written analysis of your truck's oil.Period

Stick with older used trucks that have proven track Records. Last purchase f150 with 5.0 Coyote.

My son and I both have the 6.2 in our 2022s. Him a GMC SLT and me a Chevy 1500 High Country. His was making strange noises so he asked me to take it to the dealer. 2 miles from the dealer the engine shut off and would not restart. I sat there for about 2 hours, in the middle of the road, blocking traffic. The dealer did install a new engine but it took 2 months. As for mine, who knows?

These new car dealers & car manufacturers want to sell everybody these fancy whistles & bells vehicles and charge you outrageous prices and when it comes to handling issues that come up with these vehicles they give u the run around and lie to you and delay delay that's why there is lemon laws tell them to take there junk back & not pay another penny on it that's exactly why I like the older vehicles due the dealer &, manufacturers!!

To anyone who's vehicle is affected by this recall do not blame any issues u are having with the process on the dealership. The inspection can only be performed on vehicles that gm has released the Vin number for and they are only releasing them in a handful of numbers at a time. So if u got a notice from gm and u take your vehicle to the dealer and they say they can't do anything it's because gm hasn't "opened" the recall to the dealer for your VIN yet. It literally will.noot allow the computer software to perform. The Pico scope test on your engine until the recall is listed as "open" in GMs programs. And as far as the fix goes the dealership is just doing what GM is telling them to do. So I agree GM has a huge problem and as frustrating as it may be please do not take it out on the people at the dealership.

This isn’t just a 6.2L problem unfortunately. The 5.3 with the “active fuel management “ has cause so many transmission problems it’s mind blowing. NOW…they’re not even putting real Allison transmissions in the 2500 and 3500. They worked out a deal with Allison where GM builds the 10 speeds and puts Allison’s name on it. That’s because Allison DOES NOT make a 10 speed transmission.

I grew up in a GM family where my Dad was a certified mechanic in the 70's. He always told me how he hated working on other brands, but all vehicle's need working on sometimes as well as warranty issues. Yes the dealers don't make it sound like want to help, but their hands are tied until they are given the go ahead to make everything right. It is unfortunate that for the price we pay for these vehicles now days they cant be more reliable. Knock on wood, l have not had anything major since my first brand new truck in 2001. I've bought a new truck every 5 years since. I own a 2022 Silverado LTZ with the 6.2L and currently have 30'000 miles on it with no issues yet. I figured if there was going to be failure it would have happened by now. I know that's positive thinking , but more people need to do that these days. I am a picky person when it comes to taking good care of my truck appearance wise and keeping up the maintenance that I can do. Anything beyond my mechanical knowledge I leave up to the paid professionals. I just received my first letter the other day in the mail and supposed to be getting a second one before I take it in for inspection. I'm sure if it passes inspection I'll get the same 0W-40 treatment. Not really the answer or fix that I want either, but as long as they will stand behind it and treat me right I will continue to drive GM.

I use to be a GM fan back in the day when they made beautiful cars from the 60,70s and 80s my dad had a couple of your products. Chevy and pontiac were most admired. The problems started 4 years ,since new . The shocks went, relentless brake jobs, a few mufflers that did not last. Carburetor rebuilt twice, clutch replacement three times, the recliner seat went twice. The timing belt failed ,the thermostat went ,the heater core. Then after a year and a bit the same parts went again.
We were so fed up with the product they were making my friends car the ecu went cost him 1500 to replace, and the wire harness later,my other friend had issues as well with the Covertable top not closing correctly ,took it to GM ,theydid not fixing properly. They both had lots of issues later, my friends ecu other lasted a year and had to replace it yet again.
I left the the brand in the late 80s cause I had enough of American cars, they use to be giants in the industry.
The imports started coming in the engines and bodies were not good ,they had issues in the late 70s and 80s . In a few years they have surpassed the American cars ,people wanted quality lasting cars , I have bought Honda,Toyota and Lexus I have have the least amount of problems. The only few things I replace was brakes,tires ,timing belt and wear and tear on the ball joints that's it. I had an 1990 Acura Integra till 2018 racked up 550,000 kilometers,engine and transmission still running. The body started to rot, other wise I would of kept it. I had 2000 Acura Tl also hardly no issues.i still drive Japanese the quality are in those vehicles.
I hear alots of recalls in the last year especially GM ,Ford and Stillantis I remember the ignition issue for the cobalt,Saturday Ions that resulted in deaths. GM had to pay large , the bailout and covid. This hurt so many manufactures and most companies are cheaping their way in quality.
You always here safety recall, brake defects, warning systems ,oil consumption,transmission failures. The list goes on, especially the price we pay for these automobiles is staggering.

Nowadays you do not know what you are getting , it seems like we are getting an unsafe vehicle,because of cheap or unsafe materials,.There are always recalls,and there are bulletins,but when you bring it in there is an excuse not to fix it,even if it is under warranty. Manufactures have the upper hand especially the government gets involved in fixing these dangerous vehicles.i know people who have had warranty work done , cause the dealers do not make money on these. But if you are going to pay, they will have the parts on hand,seems like a catch 22, but not really.
My view is quite simple these vehicles are monet pits and death traps, the manufacture and dealership will do everything necessary to avoid to properly fix the issue under warranty.

I use to be a GM fan back in the day when they made beautiful cars from the 60,70s and 80s my dad had a couple of your products. Chevy and pontiac were most admired. The problems started 4 years ,since new . The shocks went, relentless brake jobs, a few mufflers that did not last. Carburetor rebuilt twice, clutch replacement three times, the recliner seat went twice. The timing belt failed ,the thermostat went ,the heater core. Then after a year and a bit the same parts went again.
We were so fed up with the product they were making my friends car the ecu went cost him 1500 to replace, and the wire harness later,my other friend had issues as well with the Covertable top not closing correctly ,took it to GM ,theydid not fixing properly. They both had lots of issues later, my friends ecu other lasted a year and had to replace it yet again.
I left the the brand in the late 80s cause I had enough of American cars, they use to be giants in the industry.
The imports started coming in the engines and bodies were not good ,they had issues in the late 70s and 80s . In a few years they have surpassed the American cars ,people wanted quality lasting cars , I have bought Honda,Toyota and Lexus I have have the least amount of problems. The only few things I replace was brakes,tires ,timing belt and wear and tear on the ball joints that's it. I had an 1990 Acura Integra till 2018 racked up 550,000 kilometers,engine and transmission still running. The body started to rot, other wise I would of kept it. I had 2000 Acura Tl also hardly no issues.i still drive Japanese the quality are in those vehicles.
I hear alots of recalls in the last year especially GM ,Ford and Stillantis I remember the ignition issue for the cobalt,Saturday Ions that resulted in deaths. GM had to pay large , the bailout and covid. This hurt so many manufactures and most companies are cheaping their way in quality.
You always here safety recall, brake defects, warning systems ,oil consumption,transmission failures. The list goes on, especially the price we pay for these automobiles is staggering.

Nowadays you do not know what you are getting , it seems like we are getting an unsafe vehicle,because of cheap or unsafe materials,.There are always recalls,and there are bulletins,but when you bring it in there is an excuse not to fix it,even if it is under warranty. Manufactures have the upper hand especially the government gets involved in fixing these dangerous vehicles.i know people who have had warranty work done , cause the dealers do not make money on these. But if you are going to pay, they will have the parts on hand,seems like a catch 22, but not really.
My view is quite simple these vehicles are monet pits and death traps, the manufacture and dealership will do everything necessary to avoid to properly fix the issue under warranty.

I grew up dreamng of working for gm in the 1970s which I did for 9yrs. I was a generational die hard GM fan. My very expensive 2024 Cevy 2500 had 13 repairs in 15 months 15000 miles. The truck left me stranded 3 times. I sold it wholesale back to a dealer because they refused to invoke lemon law. Then gm customer service ghosted me on all emails and all phone calls after I asked to replace the truck. Im so happy to be driving a Ford superduty now with zero issues. This lesson cost me $15k but i am so glad to have the Silverjunko out of my driveway.The total lack of gm support was appalling. If they stay the course i expect they will be bankrupt in next 5 years.

I see the point and all since it's a new truck. But thicker oil will raise oil pressure. My dad's 2003 gmc started knocking at 260 thousand put thicker oil in it. Now it at 299and still running.

Please stop buying GMC trucks. The company doesn't care about the customers. If they change the oil viscosity it means the other oil viscosity destroyed the engine already. They are buying time, so the trucks will be without warranty.

Wake up. GMC doesn't make good trucks. The used resell value is already bad. Stop buying their trucks.

I can see the recall listed on my app for my truck but when I click on schedule service, it shows "page not found". I called the dealership and they told me I have to wait for the recall letter, sometime in July. They told me for the time being drive it like normal.

I drive out of town every weekend, sometimes late at night. What happens if it blows up in the middle of the night between long exits, who is going to come get me and the truck?

Thicker oil, how does that fix the issue and what happens if she blows past the current warranty?

Not the same issue, but shows a pattern by GM. I own a 2020 and a 2021 Silverado. The 2020 rear window began leaking and after researching and discovering it was a known problem, I took it in for repair. They corrected the problem by doing it right and removing the window and repairing the seal. A short time later, the 2021 had the same problem. (I may have the years reversed...I can't remember for certain which year failed first) GM, in their corporate wisdom, had decided the new correct way to repair the problem is to just caulk it. They no longer remove and repair. Just like the thicker oil....let's delay the full failure past the warranty period and pass the burden to the buyer.

This is just one of many issues I've had with new Chevy's. Failed DEF sensor (truck out of service for 6 months as a result due to Covid supply issues), failed coolant sensor, transmission recalls and the leaking windows. In looking at the forums, these are all known failures that Chevrolet does nothing to address or warn customers about.

The transmission fix is a software upgrade that will now warn you if it is ready to fail. Then you take it back for the real fix.

Not sure if Ford does better, but my next new truck will be one.

We're all frustrated, we've spent a lot of money on our trucks. GM does not have engines available to start changing all of them, so this will be done in intervals (like Toyota is doing). Oil geek has great videos how this change in oil will provide better protection. All engines will get updated warranty. I have changed mine to new oil, I'm not waiting. Dealerships also do not have enough capable techs to change these engines.

For me I have been buying a new truck every 2 years. So there is a bigger issue, you can't trade them in to a dealer because GM won't let them sell it until the recall has been done.

I did however get a difference quote to trade mine in from a 2023 Denali Ultimate to a 2025 Denali Ultimate....
My trade in is $25k less then what historically I've been paying.

So in the bigger picture...everyone's vehicles have been devalued because who wants to buy it with the potential of catastrophic engine failure.

Failing engines in Chevy, Ford, Toyota. So for a full sized your only option seems to be a Ram? Other than Toyota, the "fixes" are a joke.
Also, you people spending $100k on a pick up truck need to have your heads examined.

What owners should really be concerned about is resale value. Unless there's proof of an engine replacement no one is going to buy these POS Chevy's. Trade in values have to be dropping like a rock.

I recently, like last week, got a call from the closest GM dealership about bringing my 2022 Silverado LTZ, to the dealership to be "inspected" for any issues. After an hour and half I was told that, and I quote, " As far as we can tell, there's nothing wrong with your truck, but you should be getting an official notification from GM to bring it in for the full inspection." Something about using a PicoScope to test the engine and if it turns out the lower end is the problem, we will most likely replace it. If it's the upper end we will repair it. I don't have a lot of confidence in the so called fix. And changing the viscosity of the oil sounds like a bandaid fix. So we replace the oil, and a few thousand miles down the road, the engine gives out. What then? I seriously doubt GM will replace the motor or at least repair it at no cost to the owner. I'd been an avid FoMoCo guy most of my life. Then the same trouble with both the last 2 trucks I had. That's why I switched to GM. Now I'm not so sure.

Thicker oil might actually solve the issue on engines that have not already failed. With a thicker oil, you will have more of a “cushion” that sits between the crank bearing and crank journals.

I, like many other people who modify or race their vehicles, regularly put thicker oil in them what the Oem states for this very reason.

You are not an engineer and your article is based off of social media posts from people who have zero clue about how engines and hydra-mechanical assemblies work.

I purchased a 2022 Silverado High Country with less 23000 miles on it at the time of purchase, drove it less than 400 miles before before the truck died pulling out in traffic, was able to coast into a grocery store parking lot just missed being hit in the rear of the truck. . The motor had locked up. Had the truck hauled back to the dealer I purchased it from and had to have the engine replaced. Took 4 weeks and being out over $ 4000 dollars in rental car fees that was promised to be refunded to me. It's been over a year now and still no refund. I have been a Chevrolet person my whole life , 50 plus years. This is the last GM That I will own. The people at GM do not know how to be fair and truthful.

If your buying a Chevy made after 99 that's the problem right there 1. Chevy already owes every American a 25k vehicle from us bailing them out 2. Nothing Chevy has made since 99 is worth keeping more then the first 50k miles they just start falling apart and I mean everything your more likely to find a 95 Chevy impala still running then any other model year that's crazy to think a 30 year old impala that's been beat to hell and back still runs but a lightly used 5 year old one needs a new engine trans or is just to costly to fix