GM Recall

Hello and welcome to the Introverted Soap Box where I talk about current events, what is on my mind, and a few odds and ends.

If you have a GMC, Chevy, or a Cadillac pickup or SUV with the 6.2 litre V8, I have some bad news for you. General Motors has issued a voluntary recall for the after mentioned vehicles for the 2021-2024 model years due to a issue with the connecting rod possibly separating and destroying the engine. However, if you own one of these vehicles, and the engine still runs with no check engine light or a decline in performance, you are to bring your vehicle in to have the engine inspected, then the dealer will recommend changing the oil viscosity from 0W20 to 0W40; hence the term voluntary recall.

Okay. I have questions: Why are the affected engines on a galactic back order, and is GM taking engines out of the assembly line to replace the ones that failed? Why are parts not available? My guess is that the engines are built in either Canada or Mexico, and it would cost GM possibly millions of dollars to bring them to the States due to tariffs.

As I write this, GM stock is currently trading at $45.30 per share on the New York Stock Exchange, up 0.55% at the close of Friday’s trading session. The high was $45.82, the low was $44.95. The company beat Wall Street analyst expectations in the second quarter by $47.9 billion, or $3.06 per share. Analysts were expecting $45 billion, or $2.71/share. So they are operating in the red despite this recall, but that could change if the investors panic and start selling their shares,

What I find interesting is that the 2025 Chevy Corvette Stingray has the same engine, and 0W40 is the factory recommended oil viscosity. So it begs the question: Is this a manufacturing defect, or, is it a case of GM recommending the wrong viscosity, or is it a quality control issue? It remains to be seen. Right now, I say it is too much of a risk to buy any car that has that engine.

I believe that by using 0W20 oil in the 6.2 engine that is causing the connecting rod issues. But I get the feeling that there is more to the situation than it seems. This could cost GM billions for the third quarter. It is possible that it could indeed be a manufacturing defect, and using the wrong oil only aggravated the issue. So if that’s true, then that’s why GM wants owners of the affected engines to use the thicker oil. It makes me wonder if I should do the same for my car, which uses the thinner oil for fuel economy and better lubrication during a cold start.

Those are my thoughts, and you wish to comment, or share your take on it, please do so respectfully as the platform deletes any comments with abusive language. That will do it for me. I hope you enjoyed the blog and pleased stay tuned for another post. Be safe, be strong, be wary, be smart.