Exclusive: GM Korea halts Trailblazer engine production over parts defect

General Motors' Korean operations have halted the engine production line for the Trailblazer, a compact SUV sold under the Chevrolet brand, due to a parts defect. The stoppage is expected to disrupt exports of the Trailblazer, which has been posting strong global sales.

GM Korea suspended operation of the 1.35-liter turbocharged engine assembly line at its Bupyeong factory starting Monday.

The cause has been identified as a defective cam cover insert bush. The cam cover is a component that sits atop the engine to protect the camshaft and valve assembly inside. A defect in the insert bush — a reinforcing piece used to secure the cam cover with screws — caused nuts to come loose, forcing the assembly line to shut down.

The disruption is expected to last until Sept. 21, when replacement parts are scheduled to arrive. In the meantime, GM Korea plans to switch the line to assembling 1.2-liter turbo engines used in the Trax Crossover and other models once existing 1.35-liter engine inventory runs out, avoiding a full stoppage of the engine assembly line itself.

However, the supply of 1.35-liter turbo engines for the Trailblazer will be cut off during this period, making production disruptions for that model unavoidable until normal parts deliveries resume. As of Tuesday, the engine assembly line had gone idle, though the finished-vehicle assembly line was continuing to operate by drawing on existing engine inventory.

The Trailblazer is a compact SUV produced at GM Korea's Bupyeong factory for both the domestic market and export destinations including the United States. It is one of the company's core models — alongside the Trax Crossover — driving overall sales, and ranked first among South Korean automakers' vehicle exports in 2023. GM Korea handles the Trax Crossover and Trailblazer from conception and design through engineering and production.

According to GM Korea, the Trailblazer recorded cumulative overseas sales of 116,821 units in the January–August period this year, up 22.6 percent from the same period a year earlier. GM Korea's total sales over the same period rose 12.6 percent year-on-year to 340,684 units.