P0087 on Chevrolet: How to Diagnose & Fix

The fuel pump module can fail, causing hard starting, stalling, or no-start conditions. GM issued a recall for certain vehicles due to fuel pump issues. The fuel tank assembly design may contribute to pump failures.

The fuel pump module fails to consistently provide adequate fuel flow to the engine, causing potential stalling while driving. This creates a significant safety hazard as the engine can stall unexpectedly in traffic. GM issued recall N222372310 affecting 23,164 vehicles.

In-tank fuel pump fails causing stalling, hard starts, and no-start conditions. Often fails without warning on high-mileage vans.

The 2011-2016 Duramax 6.6L diesel uses a Bosch CP4.2 high-pressure fuel injection pump that is prone to catastrophic self-destruction. The CP4 has tight internal tolerances and is not designed for the lower lubricity of American diesel fuel (compared to European diesel). When the pump fails, it sends metallic debris through the entire high-pressure fuel system, contaminating the fuel rails, injectors, and fuel lines. A single CP4 failure typically destroys $8,000-$12,000 worth of fuel system components.

Silverado 2500HD/3500HD trucks with the 6.6L Duramax LML use the Bosch CP4.2 high-pressure injection pump, which was designed around European diesel and is poorly lubricated by U.S. ULSD. The pump's roller/cam interface can gall and disintegrate, sending metal shavings throughout the entire fuel system. When it lets go, it contaminates injectors, rails and lines, the engine stalls (often at speed), and the repair commonly runs ~$8,000-$10,000+ because the whole fuel system must be replaced. It is the subject of a certified multi-state class action (Chapman v. GM) that reached a proposed settlement. Very high search and forum demand among HD diesel owners.

The 2008-2010 turbocharged Cobalt SS (2.0L LNF) is direct-injected: a mechanical high-pressure fuel pump is driven off a dedicated lobe on the exhaust camshaft and feeds the rail at roughly 1,400+ psi. Two related failures recur. First, oil leaks past the camshaft cap under the HPFP — GM addressed this with service bulletin 09-06-01-014 for the 2007-2009 Cobalt SS, whose remedy is to reseal the camshaft cap, not to replace the pump. Second, the pump itself loses output: owners report P0087 and P0089 with rail pressure collapsing to around 70 psi at idle instead of the commanded value, producing long crank, stumble, and hard power cutback under boost. Extended oil-change intervals accelerate wear between the cam lobe and the pump follower, so the pump loses stroke and can never build pressure — an oil-maintenance-driven failure, not a recall item.

The in-tank fuel pump assembly is prone to failure, often due to deteriorating fuel pump wiring harness connections or internal pump motor wear. Symptoms appear gradually with intermittent stalling before complete failure. Hot weather exacerbates the problem as heat-soaked pumps lose pressure.

Every direct-injected 3.6L V6 in the Traverse runs a cam-driven high-pressure fuel pump mounted in the valley that steps rail pressure up past 2,000 PSI. The pump's internal plunger seal and check valve wear, and the follower/cam lobe interface can wear as well, so rail pressure falls below the commanded value. Owners see progressively longer crank times, then a hot-restart no-start, then a hard stumble and reduced power under load. A failing pump can also dilute the engine oil with fuel, which accelerates every other wear item on an engine already known for timing chain and phaser trouble. Traverse Forum carries multi-page HPFP replacement threads across the LLT, LFX and LFY.

The 2.8L LWN Duramax's Denso common-rail injectors are a documented failure point on 2016-2018 trucks. Owners and diesel forums report injectors leaking down or over-fuelling, producing a hard start, rough idle, knock, white smoke, and fuel-in-oil dilution. In the worst documented cases a failed injector burned a hole through a piston and the engine required replacement. GM's own response is telling: in the 2018-2019 timeframe it moved to a larger, higher-capacity injector and had to revise the cylinder head to accept it, which owners read as an acknowledgement the original injector was marginal for the rail pressure the system runs. Applies only to the 2.8L diesel - not the 2.5L LCV, 3.6L V6, or 2.7L turbo.

Direct-injected Gen 6 Camaros use both an in-tank low-pressure pump and an engine-mounted high-pressure fuel pump (HPFP). Owners report hard starts, jerking/stumbling under load, stalling, and eventual no-start conditions when either pump fails, usually with a low fuel-rail-pressure code (P0087). On the LT1/LT4 the fueling system is also a known limiter under sustained high load; fuel starvation on track or hard driving has been linked to lean conditions and, in worst cases, engine damage. Fuel-pump wear is a frequent RepairPal-listed no-start cause across Camaro years.

The in-tank electric fuel pump module is a routine wear-out item on the 1995-2005 Cavalier and typically announces itself with a loud whine or high-pitched buzz from under the rear seat before it quits. When it fails the engine cranks normally with no sign of firing. Intermittent hot-restart failures are a classic early stage: the worn pump makes pressure cold but cannot when the fuel is hot. The fuel pump relay is a secondary cause - burned relay contacts from overcurrent produce the same crank-no-start and are a $15 part worth checking first.