GM AFM and DFM Lifter Failure: Used Truck and SUV Check

If you are shopping a used Silverado, Sierra, Tahoe, Suburban, Yukon or Escalade with the 5.3L or 6.2L V8, the lifter question matters more than the paint. GM's cylinder deactivation systems, Active Fuel Management (AFM) and its successor Dynamic Fuel Management (DFM), use special collapsing valve lifters, and failed lifters have been the subject of GM service bulletins and a class action that is still unresolved in November 2026. There is no safety recall for lifters, so a clean recall check proves nothing here. Listen for ticking, check for misfire codes, and ask for proof of any lifter or camshaft work.

This is a different problem from the 2025 recall on GM's 6.2L L87 engine. That recall, NHTSA campaign 25V-274, covers connecting rods and crankshafts in certain 2021-2024 trucks and SUVs built between March 1, 2021 and May 31, 2024, and we cover it in our GM 6.2L V8 engine recall check. A truck can be fine on one issue and still have the other, so treat them as two separate checks.

How AFM and DFM work, and where lifters come in

GM's dealer newsletter TechLink explained the newer system when the 2019 Silverado 1500 and Sierra 1500 launched with the 5.3L L84 and 6.2L L87. AFM, the older setup, switched between eight-cylinder and four-cylinder modes. DFM can shut off any number of cylinders, using 17 different cylinder patterns. Either way, the trick happens in the valvetrain: special lifters contain spring-loaded locking pins, and oil pressure from solenoid valves in the engine valley unlocks them so the valves on a deactivated cylinder stay shut.

More moving parts inside a lifter means more ways for one to fail. When it does, owners and GM's own bulletins describe the same signs: misfire codes, a ticking or tapping noise, a check engine light, and in worse cases a bent pushrod and real engine damage.

What GM has said in its bulletins

GM has handled lifter failures through service documents, not recalls. In December 2021, GM Authority reported on service update N212353840 for 2021 Escalade, Escalade ESV, Tahoe, Suburban, Silverado 1500, Yukon and Yukon XL models with the L84 5.3L or L87 6.2L. The problem was a broken valve lifter lock pin spring. Dealers were told to replace the lifters on both banks before selling the vehicles, and the update applied only to vehicles headed to or sitting at dealers. GM's position, per that report, was that the issue did not pose a safety hazard.

In July 2022 GM issued Preliminary Information PIP5861 for 2022 Escalade, Silverado 1500, Suburban, Tahoe, Sierra 1500 and Yukon models with the L84 or L87 built between October 9 and December 18, 2021. It describes misfire codes P0300 through P0308 with a bent pushrod caused by a collapsed lifter or one that came apart. Inside that build window, trucks under 16,000 miles got all lifters and guides replaced on both banks. Over 16,000 miles, only the affected bank was done. That detail matters on a used truck, because a one-bank repair leaves the other bank's original lifters in place.

Where the lawsuit stands

The class action is Harrison v. General Motors in federal court in Michigan, filed in December 2021. CarComplaints.com reported in February 2026 that it covers 5.3L, 6.0L and 6.2L V8 trucks, SUVs and some cars from 2014 on, and alleges ticking, misfires, hesitation, surging and stalling. In that update the judge refused the plaintiffs' request to split the case into separate AFM and DFM tracks. GM Authority reported at the end of December 2025 that no class had been certified and no recall issued, with the certification motion pushed into 2026. A pending lawsuit is not a repair program, so do not price a truck as if GM will cover a future failure.

Checking a specific truck

Start with the VIN. GM's 2021 VIN standard lists two different 5.3L engines in the eighth position for the Silverado: D for the L84 and F for the L82, with L for the 6.2L L87. GM RPO code lookups confirm the engine on the glovebox label, and the used Silverado buying guide covers the rest of the truck. Knowing the exact RPO lets a GM service advisor tell you which bulletins apply.

Then do the physical checks:

• Cold start with the hood up. Listen for a steady tick that does not fade as the engine warms.
• Drive at light throttle on a flat road, where deactivation kicks in, and feel for stumbling or shudder.
• Have a shop scan for stored and pending misfire codes, P0300-P0308, even if the light is off.
• Ask whether any aftermarket tune or plug-in device has been added to turn deactivation off, since that changes how the engine behaves on your drive.
• Ask for invoices. "Lifters replaced, both banks" is better news than "left bank only."

NHTSA's VIN lookup will not help much here. It shows open safety recalls, but NHTSA says it does not show non-safety campaigns or service programs, and lifters have never been a recall. A dealer can look up warranty repair history by VIN, though; see checking warranty status by VIN. If the history shows an engine swap, our post on whether CARFAX shows engine replacement explains what to look for.

Price it like a gamble you can measure

A listing that says "new lifters" with no paperwork is a claim, nothing more, until you see an invoice with a date and mileage. A truck with documented two-bank lifter work, or a factory replacement engine, can be a reasonable buy. One with a tick and no records should be priced with a valvetrain repair built in, or skipped.

For the paper trail, CarVins resells CARFAX and AutoCheck reports under license and has no affiliation with CARFAX, AutoCheck or Experian. Edmunds listed single reports at $44.99 for CARFAX and $29.99 for AutoCheck in June 2026; we charge less, though rates change, so confirm at checkout. Dealer service visits that show up on a report can be the only clue that a lifter job happened.

Sources

• GM TechLink, August 2018: New V8 engines feature Dynamic Fuel Management
• GM Preliminary Information PIP5861: misfire due to collapsed lifter (via NHTSA)
• GM Authority: GM releases valve lifter service update for V8 engines
• CarComplaints.com: GM lifter lawsuit update, February 2026
• GM Authority: GM V8 lifters lawsuit aims for class action status
• NHTSA recall 25V-274 Part 573 report: L87 connecting rod and crankshaft
• GM 2021 VIN numbering standard (NHTSA vPIC MID)