Cadillac Escalade Complaints (2021)

65 consumer complaints on file.

#11674782July 19, 2025
ENGINE
I was sitting in a drive through when the car just stopped running. I could not get it to restart. Engine light had come on and gone off a few times. I had it towed to a Firestone next door , they advised it needed to go to dealership for engine recall. Dealership did not look at it for 3 days so I had it towed to Cadillac- waiting for them to call.
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#11668888June 24, 2025
ENGINE, ELECTRICAL SYSTEM
engine noise loud knocking feels like engine is going to stall, had in service 6-9-25 for 3 days technician heard noise stated could be related to recall but no fix available at this time electrical glitch radio navigation shuts off during while driving screen dash goes dark
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#11667184June 16, 2025
ENGINE, POWER TRAIN
Due to issues identified in - Safety Recall N252494001 L87 Engine Loss of Propulsion We have had to get our Escalade [XXX] ) repaired with a cost of circa $9500. We are due to pick this up tomorrow. There was an issue with the lifters which caused damage to the engine and the crankshaft, the engine made a very louder noise so we pulled over . From that point on the vehicle would not start consistently, when it did it would not go into gear and would not go into neutral. My issue here is that although the issues that caused the repair to be neeed directly correlate to the recall my VIN is not included and thus we need to pay for this recall fix ourselves. Ideally my VIN and other like vehicles. Ours is a 2021 CADILLAC ESCALADE 4D SPT PLAT Should be included. Per the recall notice 2021 Escalades are included hovwever my VIN is not. I’m trying to understand why even though the make and model is indicated in the recall. I have reached out to GM, Cadillac and the dealership and they all point to each other with no one assisting at all INFORMATION REDACTED PURSUANT TO THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT (FOIA), 5 U.S.C. 552(B)(6)
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#11666101June 10, 2025
ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING
The contact owns a 2021 Cadillac Escalade. The contact stated while driving 70 MPH, the vehicle started jerking significantly. The check engine and traction control warning lights were illuminated, and a message advising of a rear axle failure was displayed. The contact was able to pull over to the side road and turned off the vehicle. The contact did not attempt to restart the vehicle. The vehicle was towed to the dealer, where it was diagnosed that with a blown engine. The contact was informed that the engine needed to be replaced. The contact stated that the engine was previously replaced under warranty due to the same failure. The vehicle was not repaired. The contact related the failure to NHTSA Action Number: PE25001(Engine, Engine and Engine Cooling). The manufacturer was notified of the failure, but no assistance was provided. The failure mileage was approximately 34,918.
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#11658328May 1, 2025
ENGINE
This vehicle experienced a sudden engine failure while traveling on the highway which caused an immediate loss of power. The safety of myself and my family was at risk as we exited the roadway to the shoulder without power and the vehicle shaking violently. Vehicle was towed to a dealership where upon inspection they found the rocker arm for the intake valve on cylinder 6 not moving, a bent pushrod, and a lifter that had come apart. It is unknown if an inspection was performed by the dealer beyond the initial diagnostic. The check engine light had come on within the last 12 hours. We called onstar and they said the code indicated we should bring the car to the dealer within the next 24 hours. There was no indication that it was unsafe to drive with the light on.
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#11658084May 1, 2025
ENGINE, POWER TRAIN
The contact owns a 2021 Cadillac Escalade. The contact stated while driving 65 MPH, the vehicle lost motive power. There were no warning lights illuminated. The vehicle was towed to the local dealer who informed the contact that the engine and transmission might need to be replaced. The vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired. The manufacturer was not contacted. The failure mileage was approximately 45,000.
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#11658046April 30, 2025
ENGINE, FUEL/PROPULSION SYSTEM
1st incident - Car stalled at a red light and had to be towed for repair. It was determined to be the fuel injector pump. No lights came on and there was no indication of an issue prior to it stalling. 2nd incident - On the intestate it started making a rattling noise and felt like it was losing power. No lights came on to indicate any issue. Luckily we were able to exit the interstate but it stalled on the middle of the exit ramp. We were 5 hours away from home and it was towed to the nearest Cadillac dealership. They had the car for approximately 2 months and replaced the engine. 3rd incident - the car was back 2 weeks from the engine replacement. For 1 of these weeks it sat in the airport garage. When it was turned back on after sitting for a week the check engine light came on. I was able to make it home from the airport but it stalled out in our driveway and had to be towed again. It was determined it was the fuel injector pump and it was replaced again. The pump was only about a year old.
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#11657013April 26, 2025
FUEL/PROPULSION SYSTEM
2 years ago I was driving down I-65 in indiana heading back to indiana and had an immediate loss of propulsion and had to steer to side of road with remaing power in the farthest left lane. Vehichles and semis at high speed as i tried to steer with remaining proprulsion to side of road. I was left stranded by cadillac on side of road for several hours before having to get my own tow. Then was denied a repair claim saying it was because i failed to maintain vehicle for this vehicle leaving me without a vehicle for several months paying for my own rental as my vehicle set on the dealerships. Only to seek legal counsel to try to sue jiffy lube who did the repair for it to be finally determined s=jiffy Lube was not at fault. it then took cadillac several months after they admitted fault to find and source another engine. Once i got that vehicle back i was then stranded on side of the road twice after that repair and have videos dates of informing cadillac. I have pics and videos and messages I sent to cadillac I contacted the police for tow assistance as it was extremely cold and battery died while waiting for cadillac repair no tow was available from police had to contact several companies to tow hours to dealership
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#11652848April 4, 2025
ELECTRICAL SYSTEM
When I was driving my Cadillac Escalade, when I stopped at the stop light, the car caught fire, it was later towed and totaled
Crash:
No
Fire:
Yes
Injuries:
1
Deaths:
0
#11652190April 1, 2025
ENGINE, FORWARD COLLISION AVOIDANCE: WARNINGS
Engine Shut off, misfires, put me on side of road twice. Dealer replaced engine with remanufactured engine, took car home, next day same thing happen, misfired, and put me on side of road again! Car been at dealer for 2 months Cadillac refuses to acknowledge.
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#11648258March 14, 2025
POWER TRAIN, ENGINE
I purchased my Vehicle a little over a year ago and have had multiple engine repairs. The first issue started with the lifters going out. Shortly after the lifters were repaired, the engine seized, causing us to get an engine replacement. A few days after having the new engine, we had the same knocking/ticking noise coming from the engine which was also repaired once again. Then yesterday, 3/13/25, the engine started to knock/tick once again, but this time more aggressively. (New engine had only 15,000 miles.)
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#11647743March 11, 2025
UNKNOWN OR OTHER
Power Train:automatic Transmission:control Module:software.Consequence Rear Wheel Lock-Up CAN Increase THE Risk OF A Crash.
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#11647166March 8, 2025
POWER TRAIN, ENGINE
I was driving home on the evening of Monday [XXX] in my 2021 Cadillac Escalade. The car began to shake, the yellow engine warning light began flashing, black smoke began pouring out of the exhaust pipes and there was a strong smell of fuel. I was 1/2 mile from my home. I limped the car home, left it in the driveway overnight, and called Cadillac Roadside assistance to have the car towed to the Cadillac dealership in Boulder, CO the next morning. The dealership's initial diagnosis it a failed lifter and cam. This is a known issue across all GM's 6.2L engines and is caused by their AFM/DFM management system. I am at 69,000 miles, with only 1,000 miles to go on the powertrain warranty (70k). GM needs to step up and recall these motors. They are saying that they might offer extended component coverage to someone that has had at least 2 failed lifter repairs. This does me no good with only 1,000 miles to go under my 70k powertrain warranty. There are many reports of completely failed engines from this problem on super low mileage vehicles. INFORMATION REDACTED PURSUANT TO THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT (FOIA), 5 U.S.C. 552(B)(6)
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#11644365February 23, 2025
ENGINE, EXTERIOR LIGHTING
Driving home going 60-70 miles an hour I lost power in the middle of the highway and cruised off to the emergency lane. Engine completely shut off out of nowhere. Spedeometer went down even though i was pressing the accelerator . Starter burned out as well. Dealership says there was metal in the engine. Ordered a new engine and that engine was also defected. Now going into my third engine. In less than 2 months. If traffic would have been worse the possibility of safely maneuvering to a emergency lane could be fatal. Also one of the day running lights on multiple 2021 escalades go off.
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#11642093February 11, 2025
AIR BAGS, ELECTRICAL SYSTEM, STEERING
Our 2021 Cadillac Escalade has experienced multiple ongoing issues. The “driver airbag warning” light has been a major concern, with the dealership stating that the airbag could malfunction at any moment. When we took the vehicle in for repairs, they determined that a previous maintenance job on the driver’s airbag was done incorrectly, which was causing the warning light to activate. Additionally, the vehicle intermittently displays warnings for the “service system restraint system,” “service power steering column,” “reducing features to save battery,” and “service driver assist system.” Despite multiple visits to the dealership, we are consistently told that their diagnostic computers do not populate any error codes, leaving them uncertain about the cause of these warnings. Another major issue is battery drainage. We replaced the original battery two years ago, yet we have needed Cadillac roadside assistance twice because the vehicle wouldn’t start. Each time, the battery tested as healthy, but the car remained inoperable due to a drained battery. Lastly, we have had to replace the remote key batteries every 2-3 months, which seems excessive for a relatively new vehicle. Safety Risks: The driver airbag warning light indicates that the airbag could malfunction at any moment, which poses a serious safety risk in the event of an accident. The service system restraint system warning suggests potential failure in critical safety components. Issues with the service power steering column could lead to steering difficulties while driving, increasing the risk of an accident. The reducing features to save battery warning and service driver assist system warning suggest possible electrical failures that could impact vehicle performance and safety. The other issues, including system warnings and battery drainage, have been repeatedly reported to the dealership, but they have been unable to confirm the cause as their diagnostic system does not register error codes.
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#11639702January 30, 2025
LATCHES/LOCKS/LINKAGES:DOORS:LATCH
The contact owns a 2021 Cadillac Escalade. The contact stated that while the vehicle was parked, the driver's side front door failed to unlock as intended. The contact stated that the driver's side front door failed to unlock from inside or outside the vehicle. Additionally, the contact stated that the key fob was inside the vehicle at the time of the failure. The contact crawled to the front passenger's side to exit the vehicle. The contact stated that because of the failure, the contact had been locked inside and outside the vehicle several times. The vehicle was taken to the dealer; however, the vehicle was not diagnosed. The vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired by an independent mechanic or the dealer. The manufacturer was made aware of the failure and a case was filed. The contact was advised to contact the NHTSA Hotline and report the failure. The failure mileage was 35,000.
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#11639670January 30, 2025
ELECTRICAL SYSTEM, POWER TRAIN
We are experiencing the error code "Rear Axle System Off" multiple times per day with this vehicle. The code will appear and then disappear and the car will make beeps consistent with those heard when there is a fault code or error message with the vehicle. The "Rear Axle System Off" code does not stay on permanently. When this occurs, it can delay the acceleration of the vehicle, cause shaking, etc. which could result in an accident as a result therefore putting the driver, passengers and other drivers on the road at risk. This has been an ongoing issue with the vehicle and it has been taken in for service three (3) or four (4) times for this issue which cannot seem to be resolved. We have notified GM Corporate of such as well and they opened a case number on it when last in service. That is GM case #[XXX] for your reference. I have previously filed a report to the NHTSA for this due to GM's inability to fix this issue after multiple attempts. The issue number assigned by the NHSTA was #11621174 for your reference. We have taken the vehicle to the dealer on multiple occasions and they have not been able to correct this issue. The dealer is Ed Morse Cadillac in Delray Beach, FL. The dealer claims that there have been no codes stored in the system when taken in previously and/or have not been able to replicate the issue. We find this hard to believe given that it happens many times per day without much driving. We potentially drive approximately 20-25 miles per day and it generally happens anywhere between 6 - 10 times per day. The dealer referenced above (Ed Morse in Delray Beach, FL) has admitted to seeing or replicating the code in the past during one of the prior visits. We have our next appointment scheduled for Monday, [XXX] to try and resolve this recurring issue as the dealer did not have any availability prior to this date. INFORMATION REDACTED PURSUANT TO THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT (FOIA), 5 U.S.C. 552(B)(6)
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#11637837January 22, 2025
ENGINE
We were driving our 2021 Escalade Cadillac on the highway and the check engine light came on and then 10 seconds later the engine completely stopped without any further warning. If we had not been right by a highway exit, we would have stopped right on the highway. When the engine stopped completely, everything was useless. We couldn't use the windows or locks or even put the car into neutral to roll it off the highway. It took 5 hours for a tow truck to get to us and we had to wait with the car the entire time because a window was rolled halfway down and we could not lock the car. Our car was towed back to Midland, TX and now requires a brand new engine. The engine is on back order and there is no expected date. We may not get our car back for months.
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#11637781January 22, 2025
ENGINE
The contact owns a 2021 Cadillac Escalade. The contact stated that while his wife was driving at an undisclosed speed, there was an abnormal sound coming from under the hood. The contact stated that his wife was able to pull over to the shoulder of the roadway and shut off the vehicle. The contact arrived on the scene with a local independent mechanic and became aware of the abnormal sound coming from the engine. The vehicle was towed to a local dealer where it was diagnosed with a collapsed lifter, 2 bent push rods, and that a rotor needed to be replaced. The vehicle was repaired out of pocket. The manufacturer was not made aware of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 80,000.
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#11637017January 20, 2025
ENGINE
Under normal driving the engine seized with no warning and vehicle would not operate leaving me stranded on the street for several hours. This occured April 2024 with approximately 58000 miles. The Engine had to be replaced.
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0

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