Cadillac Escalade Complaints

1,865 consumer complaints on file.

#11774176October 28, 2026
ELECTRICAL SYSTEM
I own a 2021 Cadillac Escalade Premium Luxury with approximately 47,000 miles. On Oct 11, 2026, after stopping for gas, I noticed shortly after driving away that my entire digital instrument cluster was black. I had no speedometer, fuel gauge, mileage display, or dashboard warning indicators, although the center infotainment screen worked. I do not know whether the display went black when I restarted the vehicle or while driving; I discovered it while driving. The display worked again after I shut off and restarted the vehicle after a few hours. I scheduled an appointment with Cadillac of Calabasas on Oct 11, but the earliest available appointment was Oct 21, 10 days later. Around Oct 13, my vehicle also displayed a “Service Driver Assist System” warning, which returned on Oct 22. When I brought my vehicle to Cadillac of Calabasas on Oct 20 (trying to drop off a day early), the advisor checked for open recalls and said there were none. He incorrectly stated my warranty expired in July 2025; Cadillac corporate later confirmed my CPO warranty expired July 11, 2026. I was told the dealership was backed up at least another week and everything would be paid out of pocket. No diagnosis or repair was completed as I could not leave my car for a week. Despite multiple contacts with Cadillac Customer Assistance (case 116067222), these problems remain unresolved. I have photographs and video documenting the instrument cluster blackout and driver-assistance warning and can provide them upon request. I am concerned about losing critical driving information and the reliability of my vehicle’s driver-assistance systems. I am requesting NHTSA investigate these potential safety defects.
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#11774195October 28, 2026
ENGINE
Driving on the freeway and the engine started limping and a warning came up On the dash of reduced acceleration and the check engine light came on
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#11773788October 26, 2026
ENGINE, FUEL/PROPULSION SYSTEM, POWER TRAIN
Catastrophic engine and power train failure
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#11773822October 26, 2026
STRUCTURE:BODY
The panoramic sunroof glass on my 2025 Cadillac Escalade shattered on its own on October 11, 2026. Nothing struck the glass, and there was no impact, debris, or collision. The vehicle has about 26,000 miles and is under factory warranty, but the dealership denied warranty coverage. After the glass was replaced, broken glass shards are still lodged in the sunroof shade track and grind whenever the shade opens or closes, and pieces of glass were found on the floorboard. Spontaneous shattering of overhead glass is a safety hazard to occupants. Other owners have reported the same failure (NHTSA ODI 11708639, 11727950, 11557285, 11489359).
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#11773471October 25, 2026
POWER TRAIN, ENGINE
On XXX, my 2022 Cadillac Escalade (approx. 21,000 miles) shut down on its own while I was stopped in traffic on US-XXX in [XXX], near XXXairport. The dashboard then displayed 'Service Transmission.' I was able to restart the vehicle and it restarted with no issues, but a vehicle shutting down in live traffic is a safety hazard — if this happens while moving, or if it had not restarted, I and others could have been hit. No crash, fire, or injury occurred. I dismissed the dash message; I understand the fault code remains stored. There has been no dealer diagnosis yet. A VIN check on XXX showed 0 open recalls onM this vehicle. I am reporting this so it is on record as a possible safety defect involving a sudden shut down in traffic with a transmission warning. 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
#11772922October 22, 2026
TIRES:SIDEWALL
The contact owns a 2018 Cadillac Escalade equipped with Gladiator Tires, Tire Line: X Comp A/T, Tire Size: P285/45/R22, DOT Number: 05Y11XAT6. The contact stated that the tires were manufactured with a deep groove on the inside and outside where the sidewalls and tread converge, and the rear driver’s side tire was losing air. The cause of the failure was not yet determined. The dealer was contacted; however, the tires were not inspected. The manufacturer was notified of the failure. The tires were replacement tires. The vehicle failure mileage was 148,090. The tire failure mileage was 9,000.
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#11772240October 19, 2026
ENGINE, FUEL/PROPULSION SYSTEM
The engine malfunctioned. On October 19, 2026, the dealership advised by telephone that the engine would need to be replaced. The specific internal component or cause of failure has not been provided. The vehicle is available for inspection upon request. 1. During highway driving, the vehicle hesitated while accelerating and did not respond as expected. The driver backed off the accelerator and observed a flashing check-engine light. Unpredictable acceleration created concern about safely keeping pace with traffic. Additional noises and an unusual odor later developed. The vehicle was parked safely. 2. Yes. The dealership evaluated the reported problems and advised on October 19 that engine replacement was necessary. Written diagnostic findings have not yet been provided. 3. The dealership evaluated the vehicle. No separate inspection by the manufacturer, police, insurance representatives, or an independent service center is known. According to the records available to us, the vehicle was driven only TWO miles in connection with the dealership’s Certified Pre-Owned (CPO) inspection. This raises concern about whether the inspection adequately identified the engine problem before sale. 4. Symptoms began October 13, 2026, during the initial drive home after purchase: black exhaust smoke during hard acceleration. On October 14, hesitation and an unusual whooshing/rushing-air noise occurred during highway acceleration. The check-engine light flashed intermittently, then went out when exiting the highway. On October 16, additional squeaking noises and an unusual odor developed while driving to work. Mileage was 12,599 at delivery on October 13 and 12,671 by October 17—only 72 miles driven since purchase. Symptoms began on delivery day and worsened within three days. Engine replacement was deemed necessary six days after delivery.
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#11772266October 19, 2026
ENGINE
I am reporting a catastrophic engine failure on my 2023 Cadillac Escalade with the 6.2L L87 V8 engine (currently at 106,000 miles). The engine suffered sudden engine failure while driving / stalling, creating an immediate traffic hazard. The vehicle was towed to an authorized Cadillac dealership in Louisiana, where it has remained completely unrepaired for 60 consecutive days. The dealership claims they cannot repair the safety defect because they are "short-staffed." This vehicle’s failure directly matches the systemic manufacturing defects currently under investigation by the Office of Defects Investigation in Engineering Analysis EA26005. The manufacturer's inability to provide a timely repair through its dealer network leaves a known safety hazard unresolved.
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#11771824October 17, 2026
ENGINE
There is internal engine failure. Yes it is available for inspection. My safety as well as others were at risk when the engine started to fail, without warning, causing my car to jolt and briefly lose control of steering. If complete engine failure happened while driving, I would not have control over my car. My life and other's lives would severely be at risk. Car has been inspected and confirmed engine failure. Car is unable to be driven as we do not want to put anyone else at risk or make the problem worse. Car will be towed on Monday. There was absolutely no warning of this occurring. The symptoms first appeared while driving and the incident happened shortly after. There was a loud noise followed by my car being jerked traffic. I immediately pulled over until I could get my car safely home. When inspected the car was ticking with brief knocking noises. The ticking continued while the knocking noise became more abrupt and frequent.
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#11771563October 16, 2026
STRUCTURE:BODY, ELECTRICAL SYSTEM
After soft-close, left-side passenger door won't open. Not form the outside, not from the inside. Happened before about a year ago. logged into dealer system but the were unable to identify (and correct) the issue. This presents a big hazard in case of an accident, roll-over etc - unable to exit the vehicle swiftly.
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#11771401October 15, 2026
SERVICE BRAKES, ELECTRICAL SYSTEM
While driving in a heavy rainstorm on October 15, 2026, the vehicle hydroplaned and every brake warning light came on at once, and the dashboard displayed a message that the brake system had failed and the brakes did not work. I believed I had no brakes while crossing a river bridge and thought I was going to die. The brakes actually worked and I got home, but a vehicle should never tell a driver its brakes have failed when they have not, especially in an emergency. All brake warning lights stayed on after I parked. The vehicle has not yet been inspected for this failure.
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#11771482October 15, 2026
ENGINE
Vehicle passed the L87 V8 recall inspection, but subsequently suffered sudden engine failure/knocking.
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#11771301October 15, 2026
ENGINE
6.2L Engine blew with less than 6,200 miles. Driving highway speed, started by hearing a slight tick and within 3 miles, the tick got louder, check engine light came on, then the pull over notice, pulled over and wouldn't start. Awaiting install of new motor for a Rear Main Bearing failure according to Service Manager.
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#11771119October 14, 2026
ENGINE
The contact owns a 2021 Cadillac Escalade. The contact stated that while driving at 35 MPH, the vehicle completely stalled. The check engine warning light was flashing, and the Stability, Parking, and Collision warning lights were illuminated alongside several other unknown alerts. The vehicle was towed to a dealer, where two failed lifters were initially replaced. However, due to an abnormal sound, the vehicle was returned to the dealer, where the engine was replaced with a remanufactured engine. The manufacturer was notified of the failure by phone. The failure mileage was approximately 67,300.
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#11770857October 13, 2026
ENGINE
I was driving the vehicle into a XXX parking lot in [XXX] on Thursday XXX at around 7:00pm, and as I slowed to park, the vehicle completely died and the dash screens went dark. The vehicle would not restart. I was able to rule out quick fixes such as a battery or fuse issue and then had the vehicle towed to the closest Chevrolet/GMC dealership. The vehicle has been at the dealership since the XXX. On Monday, XXX the dealership informed me that the engine had seized and that this is the same known defect as recall NHTSA Campaign 25V274000. The dealership said the engine must be replaced for the vehicle to be operational. 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
#11770353October 10, 2026
POWER TRAIN
On Nov 16-17, 2025 we had GM recall work done - it was an manufacturers defect in connecting rod & crankshaft that can cause bearing failure or sudden loss of propulsion. The escalade ran fine since then, other than the HUD not working on the windshield. We had the oil changed on Sept 17, 2026, and they ordered the part for the HUD. On October 10, 2026, with this 2024 escalade, we were heading to SC towing an enclosed trailer with a motorcycle inside. 35 minutes into our drive on an interstate, the escalade started making a loud grinding noise, like the engine was revving up, then the engine cut out. We were able to coast to the shoulder and park it. It would not start back up. We called Onstar and ordered a tow, that took 4+ hours to arrive. The tow dropped it off at the dealership. The service rep said it's probably the engine (and he has 2 other escalades here with the same problem), but they cannot look at it until Monday. We tried to get a loaner through the dealership so we could continue our trip, and they were not able to accommodate us.
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#11770018October 9, 2026
ENGINE, FUEL/PROPULSION SYSTEM, POWER TRAIN
Started car and all of sudden shaking, loss of power, flashing engine light and punch of flashing warnings. The car is being towed to cadillac dealer!
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#11769346October 6, 2026
UNKNOWN OR OTHER
With just over four years of service, backup camera driver assistance system began to fail, with it working intermittently and eventually going completely dark. This being a safety feature, the warranty ought to cover it but manufacturer argues not. We understand many other Cadillacs have the same problem.
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#11769372October 6, 2026
ENGINE
Around May 2025; we noticed a ticking/knocking noise coming from our engine. We popped the hood, confirmed the noise was coming from somewhere in the engine. Shut the vehicle off, noticed that the drive belt was significantly damaged/frayed. Brought it to the dealership - they we were informed that our engine had failed related to the GM 2025 recall. Engine was replaced at 68,500 miles with new engine. October 2026, around approximately 103,000 miles, we heard the same ticking/knocking noise coming from the engine. Again, popped the hood & found the drive belt to once again be destroyed, this time even worse from our perspective. Cracked in several places, frayed edges along several sections. Had the vehicle towed back to the same dealership the following day (Monday). Service advisor let us know the next day that the engine had "internal failure." Per the technician, "crankshaft bearing failure - premature wear, oil pressure collapse, and destruction of the main and rod bearings."
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#11769037October 5, 2026
ELECTRICAL SYSTEM
The contact owns a 2024 Cadillac Escalade. The contact stated that while driving 45 MPH, the vehicle vibrated and the engine shut off. The dealer was contacted by phone and made aware of the failure. The vehicle was taken to the dealer, but the failure was not duplicated. The failure reoccurred. The vehicle was taken to the dealer where it was diagnosed with starter failure. The contact was informed that the starter needed to be replaced. The vehicle was repaired but the failure reoccurred. The contact stated that the failure was a persistent failure. The vehicle was taken to the dealer; however, the failure was not duplicated. The failure mileage was approximately 20,000.
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0

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