Cadillac CTS-V, Chevrolet Camaro ZL1 Recalled for Supercharger Failures

The Chevrolet Camaro ZL1 and the Cadillac CTS-V coupe, sedan and sport wagon are all powered by a supercharged 6.2L V8 that delivers 580 horsepower and 556lb-ft of torque in the Camaro and 556hp and 551lb-ft of torque in the Cadillac V lineup. The superchargers in these cars spin at incredible speeds to help make all of that power and, unfortunately, there is a problem with the bearings in the supercharger housings.

It seems that the grease which lubricates the internal bearing can become contaminated and when that happens, it fails to provide the proper amount of lubrication for the fast-spinning blower bearings. Over time, the increased friction can lead to excessive heat and if left unaddressed – this can lead to the blower seizing up. When the blower seizes up while the car is being driven, it can cause massive engine failure and nearly as bad, there could come a point where the owner goes to start his or her high performance GM and it will not crank.

The good news (if you really want to call it good news) is that this catastrophic engine failure in the Cadillac CTS-V and Chevrolet Camaro ZL1 does not happen suddenly. At first, the driver will notice a rattling sound under the hood that can come and go with more and less throttle. If the owner ignores the rattling sound and the condition worsens, the rattling will be superseded by a whining noise as the bearing fails. Once the bearing fails completely, the whining will stop – because the supercharger internals won’t be spinning anymore.

The bad news is that this recall applies to every single Cadillac CTS-V coupe, sedan and sport wagon built for the 2011-2014 model years along with all of the Camaro ZL1 coupes and convertibles built for the 2012 and 2013 model years. In other words, if you own a supercharged CTS-V or Camaro ZL1, your vehicle is being recalled because your supercharger might seize up and that sucks. Fortunately, GM is willing to fix the problem free of charge by replacing the supercharger and to show their extra level of commitment to making the customer happy; GM will also apply a new warranty specifically to the supercharger that lasts for 10 years and 120,000 miles from the date of purchase.

Honestly, even if you have never heard any rattling or excessive whining coming from under the hood of your Cadillac CTS-V or Chevrolet Camaro ZL1, this is not the kind of recall that you want to take lightly. Those who own one or more of these GM performance models can contact the automaker at 1-800-458-8006 for more information, or give a call to your local Chevrolet or Cadillac dealership to see about having the blower on your 6.2L V8 inspect… and possibly replaced.