Industry briefing: GM must answer NHTSA on failing 6.2L V8 engines by November 13, and automakers push Congress for a permanent ban on Chinese cars

GM’s 6.2L V8: NHTSA wants answers by November 13

NHTSA is investigating engine failures in about 997,743 trucks and SUVs from model years 2021 to 2026 with GM’s 6.2 liter L87 V8: the Chevrolet Silverado 1500, Tahoe and Suburban, the GMC Sierra 1500, Yukon and Yukon XL, and the Cadillac Escalade and Escalade ESV. The probe, an engineering analysis numbered EA26005, was opened on August 20, 2026. According to EDC Tips, which reviewed the agency’s files, NHTSA granted GM an extension in late October, and GM now has until November 13, 2026 to answer most of the agency’s information request: complaints, warranty claims, lawsuits, crash and injury reports, and its own analysis of why the engines fail.

The investigation looks at whether GM’s 2025 recall worked. That recall, 25V-274, covers 597,571 vehicles built from March 2021 into spring 2024 and blames manufacturing defects in connecting rods and crankshafts that can wreck the engine and cause a loss of power while driving. Dealers inspect each engine and repair or replace it if it fails; engines that pass get a thicker oil, a new oil filler cap and a new filter. NHTSA’s earlier recall query counted 499 complaints of engine failure after the remedy (473 after the oil change, 26 after a replacement engine), and GM itself reported 6,953 post-remedy failure complaints, according to the investigation summary published by CarComplaints. The analysis also covers 2025 and 2026 trucks built after the recall period.

What it means for owners: November 13 is GM’s deadline to answer NHTSA, not a recall decision, and nothing changes for owners yet. Enter your VIN at NHTSA.gov/recalls and get any open recall done. Keep the repair order that shows which remedy your truck got, and keep every oil change receipt with the oil grade used. Knocking, a check engine light, hesitation or a sudden loss of power deserve a prompt dealer visit, and any failure can be reported to NHTSA at 1-888-327-4236. If you are shopping for a used one, ask the seller for the recall paperwork. Logging every oil change and dealer visit in Badger, with date and mileage, keeps that history in one place.

Automakers ask Congress for a permanent ban on Chinese cars

The Alliance for Automotive Innovation, whose members include GM, Toyota and Volkswagen, urged US lawmakers on Monday to pass a permanent ban on Chinese vehicles when Congress returns after the midterm elections, Reuters reported. A rule adopted in early 2025 already effectively bars Chinese automakers from selling or building passenger vehicles in the US over concerns that driver data could reach China, and US tariffs on Chinese EVs are above 100%. A rule can be changed by a future administration; a law would be harder to undo.

According to Reuters, a bipartisan bill passed a Senate committee in July and a House version has more than 100 co-sponsors, but some aides and lobbyists doubt there is time to pass it before the session ends in December. The push follows President Trump’s comment in September that he would accept Chinese companies building cars in the US. Alliance chief John Bozzella pointed to Europe, which he said imported more than 1.1 million vehicles from China in the first eight months of 2026.

What it means for owners: nothing changes today. Low priced Chinese brands are not sold in the US now, and a permanent ban would keep it that way. Supporters say it protects driver data and US jobs; the trade off is that one possible source of cheaper new cars stays closed.