Cadillac Escalade
Reliability, NHTSA Complaints & Recall History

Safety Recall

Safety Recall

Safety Recall

Safety Recall

Safety Recall

Safety Recall

Safety Recall

Safety Recall

Safety Recall

Safety Recall

Safety Recall

Safety Recall

Safety Recall

Safety Recall

Safety Recall

Safety Recall

Safety Recall

Safety Recall

Safety Recall

Safety Recall

My vehicle doesn’t even have 66k miles on it and the lifters have gone bad. The check engine came on and the vehicle has stopped working.

Engine Failure According to Chevrolet dealership my engine needed to be replace due to tapping coming from the engine. In addition, they found lifter damage along with the camshaft. Cylinder 3 lifter roller failure causing noise and camshaft damage, Yes this was confirmed and engine replaced at that same dealership No warning light or any other symptoms prior to the problem. I have a copy of the receipt and the complete work order from the dealership.

Engine has been making a knocking sound and shaking and vibrating very loud loudly. The engine light has been on as well as the traction light and it is acts like it’s going to stall every time I turn on the engine. Because of safety concerns, especially on the very busy highway, where I do a lot of driving, I have been afraid to drive the car. Sewell Cadillac is aware of the engine problem and they informed me I need a $10,000 engine replacement! My 2020 engine falls outside of the current recall by one year. I feel as if GMC should be responsible for this unbelievable and totally unexpected problem! I have several friends who are experiencing the same issues with their GMC with the same year and comparable mileage.

Noticed smoke in rear view mirror while driving at 65 mph. Towed to repair facility. Engine has a piston rod broken and pushed through the block.

THE CALAPSABLE LIFTERS HAVE FAILED AND I NEED TO HAVE THEM REPLACED AS WELL AS THE CAM SHAFT. WHY ISNTTHE 2020 ESCALADE ON THE RECAL LIST OF 6.2L ENGIN RECALLS?

The contact owns a 2020 Cadillac Escalade. The contact stated that while starting and driving at an undisclosed speed, the engine made abnormal sounds. No warning light was illuminated. The vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired by an independent mechanic or dealer. The contact related the failure to NHTSA Campaign Number: 25V274000 (Engine and Engine Cooling); however, the year and VIN were not included in the recall. The manufacturer was not made aware of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 55,571.

Scary, driving with my 3 kids. Engine lights and hazard lights saying pull over. Loud sound coming from the hood. We immediately pulled over. Dealership and private Mechanic told us we need a new engine. We just spent $15k on a new transmission. Dealership won’t help us, said our 2020 wasn’t part of the recall. We can’t find an engine if our life depended on it. It’s the same engine as the recall yet they haven’t recalled the 2020 engine yet. The dealership didn’t even tell us what to do or where to complain besides their dealership. No help. Our Cadillac now sits un drive-able. We have to try to get a loan and buy another vehicle. So upset. GMC is not admitting ANYTHING with the 2020’s

The contact owns a 2020 Cadillac Escalade. The contact stated while driving 50 MPH, there was an abnormal knocking sound coming from the engine compartment, before the vehicle lost motive power. The contact was able to pull over to the shoulder of the roadway, where the vehicle failed to restart. The vehicle was towed to an independent mechanic, who diagnosed a failure with the lifters, resulting in damages to the engine. The contact was informed that the engine needed to be replaced. The vehicle was not repaired. After investigating the failure, the contact related the failure to NHTSA Campaign Number: 25V274000 (Engine and Engine Cooling), but the VIN was not included. The manufacturer was notified of the failure, a case was opened, and the contact was referred to the NHTSA Hotline for assistance. The failure mileage was 106,000.

Engine has 64k miles and at stop lights and while parked drops idle to below 500 makes a random knock like sound shudders like it is going to cut off or have engine failure but no check engine lights.

Vehicle stops unexpectedly in parking lots (5-10mph) and on freeways (70-76mph). Speed ranges from 5 - 75 mph. Unexpected braking occurs for no reason. There are typically no obstructions or vehicles in front of the vehicle. It is most concerning when the vehicle automatically applies braking traveling at 70-76mph.

This is the component that failed Parts Passenger Side Instrument Panel Wiring Harness Junction Block GM Part # 84114433 Component combustion Yes, the burning of the component has been confirmed Not checked - Just replace the component only No warning lights appeared

Cadillac Escalade was struck in a rear end collision in Georgia. Driver of trailing car stated that the Escalade "suddenly stopped". After reviewing dash cam footage from the trailing car it can be seen that the Escalade was very slowly decelerating for ~4 seconds before suddenly stopping, the trailing driver did not react to the initial deceleration, only the sudden stop. Closer inspection of the footage suggests the non-standard brake lights of the Escalade contributed to the crash. The vertical stripes do not register as brake lights easily, especially as they blend into the structure of the vehicle. Screenshots of dashcam footage showing this are attached.

CAR STARTS BUT WILL NOT GO INTO DRIVE OR REVERSE. UPON RESTARTING THE CAR, IT MAY OR MAY NOT GO WORK. WHEN IT DOES WORK THE CAR WILL NOT SHIFT INTO A HIGHER GEAR.

I am filing a safety complaint regarding my Cadillac Escalade due to a transmission/valve body failure occurring at approximately 77,100 miles. The vehicle began experiencing transmission-related issues including harsh shifting, hesitation, abnormal operation, and unsafe drivability concerns. The vehicle was diagnosed by the repair facility as requiring a transmission valve body replacement. I was then informed that the required valve body is currently on national backorder with General Motors, and my vehicle has now been out of service for over two months with no estimated repair completion date available. After researching the issue, I discovered numerous other GM owners reporting similar transmission valve body failures involving Cadillac Escalades and other GM full-size SUVs and trucks equipped with similar transmissions. The widespread nature of the failures and the nationwide parts shortage raise serious concerns regarding reliability and potential safety defects. This issue creates a significant safety concern because transmission failure can affect acceleration, shifting, drivability, and the vehicle’s ability to operate safely in traffic conditions. I am requesting that NHTSA investigate these transmission valve body failures and the related nationwide parts shortage affecting GM vehicles.

MY VEHICLE LOST POWER SUDDENLY I ALMOST GOT HIT FROM BEHIND LUCKILY I WAS ABLE TO AVOID A ACCIDENT TOWED TO MECANIC TOLD ME COMMON ISSUE WITH THIS ENGINE MY ENGINE NEEDS REPLACMENT

Loud engine knocking heard after starting vehicle at grocery store, vehicle was driven 25 miles to get to store so was 'warm', check engine lite on dashboard came on during knocking, was able to drive vehicle to dealership for diagnosis (approximately 3.1 miles), dealership diagnosis after engine teardown was roller lifter failure causing damaged camshaft, instead of repairing defective parts in this engine opted for new engine replacement, cost approximately $15,000 for repairs and labor out of pocket, vehicle is 2019 Escalade, less than 110,000 miles on engine, purchased in 2022 with approximately 9000 odometer miles from cadillac dealership, professionally maintained at Cadillac dealership since purchase. GMC has a NHTSA recall (EA25007) for 6.2L V8 engines (which this vehicle particular has), for the years 2021-2024. Model years 2019-2021 with these type of engines has an active investigation (no recall yet) for the same issue of 'loss of motive power due to engine failure'. We were fortunate that the failure occurred in town at low speed driving and not on the freeway with truck traffic at 75 mph, a sudden loss of power due to engine failure would greatly have increased the risk of a crash.

Loud knocking sound in the engine appeared out of nowhere. This is the same engine as what exists in the 2021 year models which does have a recall on them, but for some reason the 2019 models like I have are not included in the recall. I cannot drive the car for fear of the engine seizing up.

The engine has an Active Fuel Management system that has frequent failures of the lifters which causes the push rods to bend. This causes a misfire and the check engine light to illuminate. A broken piece of material entered the lower portion of the engine which could have caused an engine failure while on the highway. I had the vehicle towed to a dealership before a catastrophic failure occurred. Cadillac refuses to warranty this defect when the engine reaches 70k miles. The dealership sees this often and replaced the lifters on only one bank (head) at the cost of $4,000. This occurred on my 2018 Escalade which was under warranty at the time. They had to replace the camshaft and all the lifters on that vehicle.

Lifters failed and needed repaired. $2,000 mechanic bill

The engine valvetrain is suspected, specifically an AFM (Active Fuel Management) lifter or related lifter/oil control component. The vehicle and affected components are intact and available for inspection upon request. An unresolved internal engine malfunction presents a risk of sudden power loss, engine damage, or stalling while driving, which could increase the risk of a collision, particularly at highway speeds or in traffic. The issue has been reproduced consistently by the vehicle owner. Diagnostic work has been performed by independent parties, including inspection of the exhaust system, belts, and valvetrain components. Further confirmation by a dealer has not yet occurred. The vehicle has not yet been inspected by the manufacturer, police, or insurance representatives. Independent mechanical inspection and repairs have been performed. No warning lamps or messages were displayed. Symptoms include a delayed chirping/ticking noise beginning approximately 20–30 seconds after engine startup, which is repeatable and changes with engine load and cylinder deactivation behavior.