# Certain GM V8 engines can seize up without warning **URL:** \ **Category:** General Discussion\ **Created:** [January 23, 2025, 6:15pm UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/certain-gm-v8-engines-can-seize-up-without-warning/198799 "2025-01-23T18:15:21Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 17\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Robert-Gift](https://sea1.discourse-cdn.com/cartalk/user_avatar/community.cartalk.com/robert-gift/32/356_2.png) [@Robert-Gift](https://community.cartalk.com/u/Robert-Gift)\ **Post date:** [January 23, 2025, 6:15pm UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/certain-gm-v8-engines-can-seize-up-without-warning/198799/1 "2025-01-23T18:15:21Z")
[https://www.9news.com/article/news/nation-world/gm-engine-safety-failures-investigation/507-6c022b65-31de-4314-84e3-dde9200bbb86](https://www.9news.com/article/news/nation-world/gm-engine-safety-failures-investigation/507-6c022b65-31de-4314-84e3-dde9200bbb86) ---
**Author:** ![asemaster](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/5f9b8f/32.png) [@asemaster](https://community.cartalk.com/u/asemaster)\ **Post date:** [January 23, 2025, 6:44pm UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/certain-gm-v8-engines-can-seize-up-without-warning/198799/2 "2025-01-23T18:44:25Z")
39 engines out of 877,710 have experienced failure according to the article. 0.00004%. My gosh, it’s a wonder any of us have survived this long. ---
**Author:** ![ledhed75](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/f6c823/32.png) [@ledhed75](https://community.cartalk.com/u/ledhed75)\ **Post date:** [January 23, 2025, 7:33pm UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/certain-gm-v8-engines-can-seize-up-without-warning/198799/3 "2025-01-23T19:33:01Z")
Agreed. People get so worked up about all of these “risks” that have a relatively miniscule chance of happening. The deadliest thing I do is drive 40 miles back and forth to work, and I do that every day without hesitation. Like Wooderson said…“You just gotta keep livin’, man…” ---
**Author:** ![MikeInNH](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/a587f6/32.png) [@MikeInNH](https://community.cartalk.com/u/MikeInNH)\ **Post date:** [January 24, 2025, 1:20am UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/certain-gm-v8-engines-can-seize-up-without-warning/198799/4 "2025-01-24T01:20:51Z")
Do we know WHY they seized? Without that information it’s impossible to tell if there’s a problem. With that low numbers it could easily be just people not doing proper maintenance (aka oil changes). ---
**Author:** ![PvtPublic](https://sea1.discourse-cdn.com/cartalk/user_avatar/community.cartalk.com/pvtpublic/32/13089_2.png) [@PvtPublic](https://community.cartalk.com/u/PvtPublic)\ **Post date:** [January 24, 2025, 12:01pm UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/certain-gm-v8-engines-can-seize-up-without-warning/198799/5 "2025-01-24T12:01:49Z")
With those numbers, is it really worthy of any concern? Not in my book. But then again look who brought it up. ---
**Author:** ![db4690](https://sea1.discourse-cdn.com/cartalk/user_avatar/community.cartalk.com/db4690/32/2583_2.png) [@db4690](https://community.cartalk.com/u/db4690)\ **Post date:** [January 24, 2025, 1:31pm UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/certain-gm-v8-engines-can-seize-up-without-warning/198799/6 "2025-01-24T13:31:16Z")
![image](https://global.discourse-cdn.com/cartalk/original/3X/a/6/a65d15d0bb156531b4b42f5fef11062e7c3097b5.png) ---
**Author:** ![VDCdriver](https://sea1.discourse-cdn.com/cartalk/user_avatar/community.cartalk.com/vdcdriver/32/48514_2.png) [@VDCdriver](https://community.cartalk.com/u/VDCdriver)\ **Post date:** [January 24, 2025, 1:36pm UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/certain-gm-v8-engines-can-seize-up-without-warning/198799/7 "2025-01-24T13:36:57Z")
I wonder… Could those GM engine failures have been avoided if the owners of those vehicles had simply placed an old electric frying pan under the crankcase each night, and used that high-tech device to pre-heat the oil? Not everyone is smart enough to do that! 😏 ---
**Author:** ![lion9car](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/59ef9b/32.png) [@lion9car](https://community.cartalk.com/u/lion9car)\ **Post date:** [January 24, 2025, 3:38pm UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/certain-gm-v8-engines-can-seize-up-without-warning/198799/8 "2025-01-24T15:38:02Z")
> [@asemaster](#): > > 0.00004%. You might want to do that math again. ---
**Author:** ![MikeInNH](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/a587f6/32.png) [@MikeInNH](https://community.cartalk.com/u/MikeInNH)\ **Post date:** [January 24, 2025, 3:53pm UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/certain-gm-v8-engines-can-seize-up-without-warning/198799/9 "2025-01-24T15:53:36Z")
> [@lion9car](#): > > You might want to do that math again. I get 4.4e-5 which is 0.000044. - close enough. ---
**Author:** ![JoeMario](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/3bc359/32.png) [@JoeMario](https://community.cartalk.com/u/JoeMario)\ **Post date:** [January 24, 2025, 4:04pm UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/certain-gm-v8-engines-can-seize-up-without-warning/198799/10 "2025-01-24T16:04:32Z")
> I get 4.4e-5 which is 0.000044. - close enough. Or another way of looking at it, one out of every 22505 engines seize up. ---
**Author:** ![asemaster](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/5f9b8f/32.png) [@asemaster](https://community.cartalk.com/u/asemaster)\ **Post date:** [January 24, 2025, 5:55pm UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/certain-gm-v8-engines-can-seize-up-without-warning/198799/11 "2025-01-24T17:55:31Z")
> [@lion9car](#): > > You might want to do that math again. Ahh yes, basic math strikes again. 0.004%. Still a far lower failure rate than anyone can expect of a mechanical part. ---
**Author:** ![keith](https://sea1.discourse-cdn.com/cartalk/user_avatar/community.cartalk.com/keith/32/5518_2.png) [@keith](https://community.cartalk.com/u/keith)\ **Post date:** [January 24, 2025, 8:26pm UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/certain-gm-v8-engines-can-seize-up-without-warning/198799/12 "2025-01-24T20:26:30Z")
GM is recalling those engines. There are specific engines that were manufactured with oversized lifter bores. They have identified the engines and are notifying the owners. They will replace the whole engine. ---
**Author:** ![George\_San\_Jose1](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/e5b9ba/32.png) [@George\_San\_Jose1](https://community.cartalk.com/u/George_San_Jose1)\ **Post date:** [January 24, 2025, 8:33pm UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/certain-gm-v8-engines-can-seize-up-without-warning/198799/13 "2025-01-24T20:33:38Z")
If there’s a known engine problem, acknowledged by the manufacturer, & if a relatively few engines are affected, is it wrong to bring the issue up here? Really? This seems a reasona ble topic to discuss in a car forum, just my knucklehead diy’er opinion of course. I heard a report on the radio the other day about a claimed problem w/Jeep’s power take off unit. Not allowed to be discussed here then ? ---
**Author:** ![Nevada\_545](https://sea1.discourse-cdn.com/cartalk/user_avatar/community.cartalk.com/nevada_545/32/41232_2.png) [@Nevada\_545](https://community.cartalk.com/u/Nevada_545)\ **Post date:** [January 24, 2025, 8:38pm UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/certain-gm-v8-engines-can-seize-up-without-warning/198799/14 "2025-01-24T20:38:36Z")
The Toyota Tundra and Lexus LX engine failures don’t get much attention: [Toyota Replacing 102K Tundra and Lexus LX Engines after Recall](https://www.caranddriver.com/news/a61708841/toyota-tundra-lexus-lx-engine-replacement-recall/) ---
**Author:** ![asemaster](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/5f9b8f/32.png) [@asemaster](https://community.cartalk.com/u/asemaster)\ **Post date:** [January 24, 2025, 9:06pm UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/certain-gm-v8-engines-can-seize-up-without-warning/198799/15 "2025-01-24T21:06:54Z")
> [@George\_San\_Jose1](#): > > is it wrong to bring the issue up here I don’t think it’s wrong to bring up the issue here, I think it’s wrong that it is an issue in the first place. 39 engines out of 877,000 failing is a non-issue. Toyota is replacing 100,000 engines because there have been hundreds of warranty claims for an engine issue (see Nevada’s link). People don’t seem to be up in arms over that. ---
**Author:** ![keith](https://sea1.discourse-cdn.com/cartalk/user_avatar/community.cartalk.com/keith/32/5518_2.png) [@keith](https://community.cartalk.com/u/keith)\ **Post date:** [January 24, 2025, 11:22pm UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/certain-gm-v8-engines-can-seize-up-without-warning/198799/16 "2025-01-24T23:22:47Z")
There are 39 complaints. There maybe more failures than complaints lodged. Also there may be more engines that haven’t failed yet. But GM is addressing the issue. Typically a number of engines are pulled off line (like 3/100 or 3 per hour) and get a complete dimensional check with some kind of computerized test set. If the machining line produces 100 engines per hour and the check can take another hour, there could be up to 200 engines. The should have never left the factory. But things happen, but the manufacturers have enough records that they can identify parts that slip through the cracks many years later. ---
**Author:** ![asemaster](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/5f9b8f/32.png) [@asemaster](https://community.cartalk.com/u/asemaster)\ **Post date:** [January 25, 2025, 1:29am UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/certain-gm-v8-engines-can-seize-up-without-warning/198799/17 "2025-01-25T01:29:54Z")
> [@keith](#): > > There maybe more failures than complaints lodged. Also there may be more engines that haven’t failed yet. I’m sure there are. But that’s what warranties are for. If the engine fails under warranty it will be replaced for free. > [@keith](#): > > there could be up to 200 engines. The should have never left the factory. 200 engines. Out of 877,000. Hardly worthy of any kind of attention from anybody, much less the NHTSA. Build 877,000 of anything and 200 of them will fail in service.