Cadillac Escalade Complaints

1,865 consumer complaints on file.

#11646337March 4, 2025
ENGINE
The vehicle shut off while cruising at 70-75 mph on the highway. A "Press Start Button" message appeared, followed by the Check Engine Light. I pulled over to the shoulder and had the vehicle towed to shop, engine has locked up!
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#11645553February 28, 2025
ENGINE
My vehicle went in to the dealer for a routine engine oil change at 34k miles. I let them know that my vehicle was having a tugging sensation when I would press the gas. That same day(2/15/25) I was told that I would need a new engine. It is 2/28/25 and the dealership still doesn't have a time frame of when they will receive a motor to replace. By the way I bought my vehicle brand new and have always maintained they oil checks in their due time.
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#11645486February 28, 2025
ENGINE, FORWARD COLLISION AVOIDANCE: ADAPTIVE CRUISE CONTROL
Engine failure with less than 30k miles.
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#11645363February 27, 2025
ENGINE
I was driving down the interstate going about 80mph, and the gas pedal stopped working. It slowed to a complete halt and put itself in neutral. Could not be restarted, would not even turn over after that. Engine just died with only 25,300 miles or so on the vehicle.
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#11645242February 27, 2025
ENGINE
Engine Bearings went bad per the dealer at 14K miles; the Car was purchased 13 months prior. New engine required. The car has been in the shop and is unusable. no warning lights ever displayed. The engine died without notice. The dealer has given us a loaner, smaller than said vehicle, and we have had to spend 5k renting cars so far.
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#11645049February 26, 2025
VEHICLE SPEED CONTROL, UNKNOWN OR OTHER, POWER TRAIN
Vehicle will make noise as if gears are slipping, when going up the slop or on load. potentially can stall or burnout gear and cause major accident. Cadillac should replace the vehicle
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#11645050February 26, 2025
ENGINE
Twice during eight months of vehicle ownership, the vehicle experienced catastrophic engine failure resulting in danger to the health/welfare of the driver. In both cases, the engine has to be totally replaced. The service manager at the dealer acknowledges that Cadillac is selling hazardous/defective products but hopes the vehicle will not experience catastrophic engine failure in the future.
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#11644549February 24, 2025
ENGINE, TRACTION CONTROL SYSTEM
The contact owns a 2017 Cadillac Escalade. The contact stated while driving 55 MPH, there was an abnormally loud ticking sound coming from the engine before the vehicle decelerated. The check engine warning light and traction control light were illuminated. The contact was able to pull over to the side of the road. The vehicle was towed to an independent mechanic; however, no cause for the failure was found. The vehicle was not repaired due to the cost. The vehicle was towed to the residence. The independent mechanic sent the contact a picture and diagnosed that a rod bearing was damaged. The contact stated that on a separate occasion, an abnormally loud ticking sound was coming from the engine. The contact towed the vehicle to an independent mechanic, where it was diagnosed and determined that the lifters had failed. The vehicle was repaired. The manufacturer was made aware of the failure and referred the contact to the NHSTA Hotline for assistance. The approximate failure mileage was approximately 95,000.
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
#11644348February 23, 2025
ENGINE
2024 [XXX], Engine failure on [XXX] ) Car shifted automatically in neutral, telling me to turn off the vehicle and restart it on the dash. I pull over to restart it and it does not come back on. Fast-forward 9 months later, another engine failure [XXX] At what point will Cadillac be responsible for these defective vehicles coming from manufacturing. I spent over $120,000 on this vehicle and to have two engine failures before 45,000 miles is absolutely unacceptable. 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
#11644260February 22, 2025
ENGINE
I am expressing my complaint on engine problem with my vehicle. I have an engine knocking or clicking noise that started last week. I had it evaluated by my mechanic, and we were told metal fragments were found in the oil pan…Indicating internal engine failure. I am angry now seeing all the info online about the failure of these 6.2 liter engines. My mechanic said he wouldn’t drive it for safety reasons because it will definitely get worse. I called the GM hotline. They were not very helpful. They said I needed to schedule with a dealer to have it diagnosed. She didn’t offer any more information. Shame on GM
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#11643877February 20, 2025
ENGINE
Pulled out of gas station and in 1/2 mile down the road pulled into oil change facility that I had scheduled to do. Heard a loud ticking of engine that was unfamiliar. Did oil change and engine still had sound after warm up. Pulled oil filter and found metal particles in filter/filter oil.
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#11644022February 20, 2025
ENGINE, POWER TRAIN
Complete engine failure while driving. Vehicle is brand new with only 6,700 miles
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#11643885February 20, 2025
ENGINE
Engine failure while driving on the highway resulting in the vehicle being towed to the dealership and requiring a brand new engine. Being advised by the dealership that this will likely take 3+ months to replace as they have 2 other Escalades in the service department still waiting on a new engine and have been there for over 2+ months.
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#11643643February 19, 2025
ENGINE
The vehicle has approx. 28,000 miles on the odometer. Always serviced at Cadillac on a regular maintenance interval called for by the vehicle and manufacturer. At highway speeds, the vehicle lost all power and came to a stop in moving lanes of traffic putting my family at risk of being rear-ended on a highway at highway speeds (greater than 65 mph). The vehicle was later towed by OnStar / roadside assistance. The Cadillac dealership that received the Escalade determined this was a failed motor. The Service Advisor at the Cadillac dealership mentioned this was a common issue on L87 blocks / engines. They've already seen a few at their dealership and GM had confirmed to them this is a known issue (motor failure on the 6.2 liter V8 L87s). There were no warning lights or other symptoms leading up to the motor failure.
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#11643299February 18, 2025
ENGINE, FUEL/PROPULSION SYSTEM
Incident #1 - exiting a parking garage and the vehicle shut off. My wife was able to pull into a parking spot. the vehicle was towed to the dealer and the resolution was a faulty fuel pump module. Incident #2 - My wife was at highway speed 65mph during rush hour 4 lanes of traffic when without warning the truck engine shut off and the vehicle shifted to neutral. I dont know how but she was able to wrestle the vehicle to the side of the highway where we spent 6 hours on the shoulder which was as wide as the vehicle. This could have ended in a fatality either while getting the vehicle to the side of the road or while waiting for the dealer to have our vehicle towed. --- End result was that the engine locked up. We have been waiting 1 month already for a new engine and per the dealer it may be several months more.
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#11643215February 17, 2025
ENGINE
Complete engine failure without warning. Left my family and I stranded on the side of a very busy highway. Dealership confirmed engine failure.
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
#11641731February 10, 2025
ENGINE
Complete engine shutdown without warning. Vehicle at Cadillac of Las Vegas in Nevada for inspection purposes. Vehicle came to stop in 45 to 50 mph traffic with strong possibility of rear end collision. Vehicle was being driven in inner lane of four lane highway with no way to get to far right lane. No shoulders on [XXX] and close to [XXX] to get off of highway. Rush hour traffic with rear end collision possibility. Onstar called Las Vegas Metro police department for assistance. Policemen parked there squad vehicle behind ours with their lights flashing to prevent a rear end collision. Vehicle has been diagnosed by dealer with a seized engine. New engine ordered on January 13 2025. Engine on back order with no expected delivery date. No warning lights or messages that engine was malfunctioning in any manner prior to shut down. 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
#11641124February 6, 2025
ENGINE
The contact owns a 2022 Cadillac Escalade. The contact stated while driving 75 MPH, the contact noticed a loud roaring sound and the vehicle lost motive power. The contact stated that the vehicle rolled over to the shoulder of the road. In addition, there were several warning lights illuminated. The contact stated that the failure occurred while driving out of state and towing a trailer. The vehicle was towed to the dealer where it was diagnosed with engine failure. The contact was informed that the engine needed to be replaced. The vehicle was repaired. The manufacturer was made of the failure and a case was filed. The failure mileage was approximately 27,000.
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0

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