THINK TWICE

Recall 25V274000 (GM, owner letters June 2025) covers 2021-2024 Silverado 1500 trucks built with the 6.2L V8 (L87): the connecting rods and/or crankshaft may carry manufacturing defects that can lead to engine damage and engine failure, which GM states increases the risk of a crash. The remedy is an inspection -- engines that fail it are repaired or replaced, and engines that pass get higher-viscosity oil, a new oil fill cap and oil filter, and an owner's-manual update, all free of charge. This is a distinct defect from the AFM/DFM lifter failure and is specific to the 6.2L: a 5.3L, 2.7L turbo, or diesel truck is not covered by this campaign.

Check — Run the VIN through GM/NHTSA recall lookup and confirm 25V274000 is complete on any 2021-2024 6.2L truck. If the inspection or engine work has not been done, treat it as an open safety recall (free fix) and verify which remedy was applied.

On the 2019-2024 (T1XX) Silverado 1500, AFM/DFM valve lifters remain the defining engine failure -- the same cylinder-deactivation lifter defect that plagued the older 5.3L carries into this generation and, with the 2019 arrival of Dynamic Fuel Management (DFM), reaches both the 5.3L (L84) and 6.2L (L87) V8s. Hundreds of complaint texts describe a collapsed or failed lifter: it starts as a ticking or tapping noise, a cylinder misfire (typically a P030x code) and a check-engine light, and often escalates to a sudden loss of power, limp mode, or a shutdown at speed. A collapsed lifter frequently wipes the camshaft lobe and sometimes a bearing with it, turning a lifter job into a five-figure engine replacement. Reported mileage spans a wide band (median around 76k), but failures appear well before that, including near-new trucks under 10k miles.

Check — Listen for a lifter tick at idle and under light throttle, and scan for cylinder-misfire codes (P0300-P0308) and any camshaft-correlation or bearing-damage history. Ask whether any lifter, camshaft, or top-end work has been done -- a documented lifter or AFM/DFM repair is a plus, not a red flag. Confirm the engine is a 5.3L or 6.2L V8 first: the 2.7L turbo-four and the 3.0L diesel do not use AFM/DFM.

The 8-speed automatic (8L90) shudders and shifts harshly on the 2019-2024 Silverado 1500 -- the widely reported GM "Chevy Shake." Complaint texts describe a shudder or vibration that feels like driving over rumble strips (usually a torque-converter-clutch issue), along with hard, delayed, or clunking shifts, gear hunting, and slipping; a number of owners were told the valve body inside the 8-speed was faulty. GM addressed this through transmission-fluid-flush service bulletins and a class-action settlement rather than a broad recall, so a given truck may or may not have had a fix applied. Left unaddressed it is a drivability and long-term durability concern more than an immediate safety defect.

Check — On the test drive, feel for a shudder in the roughly 35-80 mph range (often worse once warm) and for harsh or delayed 1-2 upshifts and reverse engagements. Ask whether the transmission fluid has been flushed to the updated specification or the valve body / torque converter serviced, and get the records.