US car giant General Motors is being taken to court by lawyers representing owners of Chevrolet Silverado pick-ups with allegedly defective V8 engines.
More than 10,000 Chevrolet Silverado 1500 pick-ups are the subject of a class-action lawsuit in the Federal Court of Australia for V8 engines with alleged defects as serious as "complete engine failure".
Australian owners can sign up for the class action here at no cost – and could receive compensation if the case is successful – irrespective of whether they have experienced engine problems in their vehicle.
Silverado 1500 pick-ups fitted with the 'L87' 6.2-litre V8 have "serious engine defects affecting performance, reliability, and safety" resulting in "significant engine problems," according to the firm leading the collation of class-action registrations.
It is alleged customers who have had their engines replaced by GMSV as part of the recall have still experienced failures.
"In one case, an owner received a replacement engine after three months, only for it to seize completely within 27 kilometres of leaving the dealership," the firm collating class-action registrations, Handle My Complaint, said in a media release.
US motor-vehicle regulator NHTSA is investigating reports of failures in engines that have already been replaced.
While the Australian recall only includes 9468 vehicles, owners of Model Year 2020 and 2025 models are being encouraged to sign up for the legal action.
It is unclear if the engines in these vehicles are affected by the alleged defects of 2021 to 2024 models, but counting them brings the total to an estimated 11,700 Silverados in Australia with the 'L87' V8.
The L87 engine was introduced with the current-shape Silverado 1500 launched in Australia in early 2020, when it was sold through Holden Special Vehicles (HSV) dealers after being remanufactured to right-hand drive in Melbourne by HSV's parent Walkinshaw, with factory support.
In late 2020, the closure of Holden saw GM head office establish dedicated GMSV showrooms, and vastly expand its involvement in the sale of Walkinshaw-converted Chevrolet pick-ups in Australia, skipping an international distributor.
More than 800 people have registered for the class action to date, Handle My Complaint told Drive, with the case to be run by law firm Johnson Winter Slattery, and funded by litigation finance organisation CASL.
"We’ve heard from many Silverado owners across Australia who are dealing with the same frustrating problems," Kim May, CASL Senior Litigation Manager, said in a media statement.
"Many Silverado owners affected by these issues, frustrated by the lack of customer care and the absence of compensation, came together to form the Australian Silverado 1500 GMSV Complaints Facebook group which now comprises more than 2000 members.
"This class action is about ensuring affected owners are not left to bear the cost of a defective engine. We are committed to ensuring a fair outcome for all Silverado owners with fair compensation and through extended warranties and free engine replacements."
"We are aware of the class action but cannot comment on ongoing legal proceedings," a GM spokesperson in Australia told Drive today.
"Our focus is on customers: we have implemented a recall for certain Silverado 1500 vehicles and are inspecting recalled vehicles and, if necessary, repairing affected vehicles at no cost, including engine replacement where required, supported by long-term special coverage for this engine issue."
When the Australian recall was issued last year, a global GM statement issued to local media said "the connecting rod and/or crankshaft engine components in these vehicles may have manufacturing defects that can lead to engine damage and engine failure."
A local statement provided by General Motors Specialty Vehicles at the time said: "Dealers will inspect and, as necessary, repair or replace the engine.
"Vehicles that pass inspection will be provided a higher viscosity oil, which will also require a new oil fill cap, an oil filter replacement, and an owner’s manual insert.
"Where engine replacements are needed, we are currently planning for full engine replacements. Please note that we expect only a small percentage of affected vehicles will need an engine replacement."
Owners of Chevrolet Silverado 1500 vehicles with the 6.2-litre L87 V8 can register for the class action here.
Alex Misoyannis has been writing about cars since 2017, when he started his own website, Redline. He contributed for Drive in 2018, before joining CarAdvice in 2019, becoming a regular contributing journalist within the news team in 2020. Cars have played a central role throughout Alex’s life, from flicking through car magazines at a young age, to growing up around performance vehicles in a car-loving family. Highly Commended - Young Writer of the Year 2024 (Under 30) Rising Star Journalist, 2024 Winner Scoop of The Year - 2024 Winner
