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. GM bulletin 24-NA-139 attributes crank/no-start, stalling and loss of power with DTC P023F/P129F to an internal short in the fuel pump driver control module.

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 (NHTSA 23V-013), covering 23,323 2021-2022 Equinox and 2022 Terrain vehicles.

The electric fuel pump sits inside the tank. When it weakens or stops, the engine loses fuel pressure. You may notice long cranking before it starts, stumbling or loss of power under load, stalling while driving, or a crank-but-no-start. It often fails with no warning on high-mileage vans. Owners also report that the cause is not always the pump. On Express vans, a bad fuel pump relay, a blown fuse, a loose connection at the pump connector, or a poor ground can cut power to a pump that is still good. In one owner-reported 2007 Express case, the fuses and relay tested good and a new pump fixed the van. In another, a loose connection kept the pump from running, mostly after the van had sat warm. GM bulletin 24-NA-139 covers a related fault on 2021-2023 Express vans (2021-2022 in this record). An internal short in the fuel pump power control module (K111) can cause a crank/no-start, stalling and a lit check-engine light, with code P023F or P129F stored. On 2012-2016 Express Cutaway vans with GM's dedicated LPG (propane) 6.0L system, the fuel pump can stop working and cause a no-start or a stall without warning. GM addressed this with a voluntary emissions recall and a newer-design pump.

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.

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.

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.

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 on the Cobalt SS with service bulletin 09-06-01-014, 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.

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 was the subject of a certified multi-state class action (Chapman v. GM) whose settlement received final court approval in May 2025.

The 2.8L LWN Duramax's Denso common-rail injectors are a documented failure point on 2016-2019 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. It affects only the 2.8L diesel, not the 2.5L LCV, 3.6L V6, or 2.7L turbo.