Complaints about the 2024 Cadillac Escalade peaked in 2025, with 26 filed
Owner complaints about this model year, by the year they were filed with NHTSA.
SUV, gasoline, 4WD/4-Wheel Drive/4x4, built in United States. Owner complaints on file from Jun 24, 2024 to Sep 28, 2026.
Owner complaints about this model year, by the year they were filed with NHTSA.
Owner complaints by component. Hover or focus a bar for the crash, fire, injury or death count.
Check a specific vehicle by VIN on NHTSA's site: a campaign may cover only part of a model year's production.
| Campaign | Filed | Subject | Component | Vehicles | Remedy |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 25V-274 | Apr 24, 2025 | Connecting rod and/or crankshaft engine components may have manufacturing defects that can lead to engine damage and engine failure | Engine and cooling | 597,571 | Part replacement |
| 24V-674 | Sep 12, 2024 | Electronic brake control module software may fail to display a warning light when a loss of brake fluid occurs | Brakes | 449,671 | Software update |
The full text of every complaint filed with NHTSA about this model year, newest first. Complaints are filed by owners and are not verified by NHTSA; NHTSA removes personal details before publishing.
49 complaints on file, page 1 of 3.
I was traveling in the middle lane at the normal rate of speed approximately 70 mph. All of a sudden I see a message to press start engine button again. I pressed the button and nothing happened. We started loosing speed and I notice that the car had downshifted into neutral. We were unable to navigate safely to the side of the road before coming to a complete stop in the middle of a busy highway with cars travelling at a high rate of speed. I had two small children in the back seat. When the police arrived, they tried unsuccessfully to determine how to move the car into neutral to push it to the side of the road. There was no safe way to exit the vehicle OR move it. We contacted OnStar and they dispatched roadside assistance and ran diagnostic. No known issues were noted. I contacted corporate and they said there are NO KNOWN ISSUES with this make or model despite there being numerous reports of other drivers experiencing the exact same thing. This could have been a tragedy. This car is well maintained, low miles, and was purchased new. The vehicle is now at the dealership with undetermined issues. The police noted that this is a known issue that they have seen with these vehicles. The dealership and the manufacturer have been unhelpful in resolving this issue and addressing safety concerns.
NHTSA complaint 11767464Engine has a subtle but noticeable squeaking and chirp sound from the engine when cold and it is noticeable when decelerating, you can hear it then as well. The engine also runs fairly rough for a Cadillac and when decelerating to a stop, the engine RPM will drop significantly run rough and then it will recover. It's been Cadillac and Cadillac says this is working as designed.
NHTSA complaint 11766546The contact owns a 2024 Cadillac Escalade. The vehicle was repaired under NHTSA Campaign Number: 25V274000 (Engine and Engine Cooling); however, while driving 45 MPH, the vehicle lost motive power, the rear wheels locked up, and the vehicle came to a complete stop. No warning lights illuminated. The contact attempted to restart the vehicle, and the message "Transport Mode On" displayed. The vehicle was towed to a dealer but was not diagnosed. The contact was informed by the service manager of a potential catastrophic engine failure. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was notified of the failure. The failure mileage was 34,953.
NHTSA complaint 11764682On 8/25/2026, my 2024 Cadillac Escalade with the 6.2L V8 suffered a sudden loss of propulsion at approximately 49,754 miles. While my husband was driving and preparing to enter the highway, the vehicle went into Neutral and lost propulsion. He heard a loud banging noise, the low-oil warning illuminated, and the check-engine light began flashing. I later looked in the Cadillac app and saw code P0016. The engine then completely seized. The vehicle was towed to Sewell Cadillac. The dealer documented that the engine would not crank or turn manually, found metal/debris in the oil and internal bearing/rod damage, and replaced the complete engine. We picked up the Escalade on 8/29/2026 at approximately 49,779 miles. After only 127 miles, at approximately 49,906 miles, I experienced another loss of propulsion while driving. The vehicle unexpectedly went into Neutral and shut off. I was able to restart it and safely move it, but it shut off again. There were no warning lights after restarting. The vehicle was towed back to the dealership. On the second repair order, the dealer documented the complaint as “vehicle turned off and went to neutral.” They found code U3000, documented “ECM software out of date” and “ECM software malfunction,” and reprogrammed the ECM using GM’s SPS system. The repair order identifies this as a “REPEAT REPAIR” related to the prior engine replacement. As far as I know, my VIN was not included in the applicable 6.2L engine recall, and I was not informed by the dealership about the known 6.2L engine issue. I am reporting this because the vehicle has experienced two sudden loss-of-propulsion events in less than 50,000 miles, including one only 127 miles after complete engine replacement. I am concerned this vehicle is unsafe to drive.
NHTSA complaint 11762473My 2024 Cadillac Escalade had the 6.2 v8 engine recall done in 6/25. I’ve put less than 8k miles on it since and just rolled 32400 miles total. While driving with my family in the car on 8/30 on the highway, it lost all power and just shut off while driving highway speeds. I was able to safely stop but very dangerous. Vehicle would not restart and had to be towed to dealer.
NHTSA complaint 11761154The engine in our escalade is starting to fail. Our cadillac dealer did their voluntary recall on our escalade at around 15,000 miles. This included a "Pico" listening forgot knock, and once it passed that test they drained the previously factory recommended 0w-20, and re filled with the now recommended 0w-40 with a filter change, and oil fill cap replacement that has 0w-40 printed in it. At around 20,000 miles, on August 16th my father in law and I performed the next oil change. My father in law has been a master technician owning his own automotive shop for almost 40 years. I used to work as a machinist, machining, building and dynoing engines. I cut open the oil filter after the oil change to inspect it, and there were flakes of bearing material throughout the filter media. I packaged all the parts of the oil filter up in a ziploc bag, and took it to my cadillac dealer the next day august 17th. I talked to, and showed a few people there the bearing material in the filter, ending in the service manager. The service manager agreed that there is something wrong with the engine, and that there shouldnt be metal in the oil filter. But he stated that the voluntary recall that they have for the engine only comes into effect if it fails the Pico test, or the engine fails, not if the engine is beginning to fail. He said he would talk to his boss, and an engineer attached to the recall, to see if there was anything else they could do. He said he would call me later in the day. He called me later and said that both people he talked to said there was nothing that cadillac could do until it has outward symptoms of a failing engine (knock) or it totally fails. Now we have a new vehicle that my wife is afraid to take anywhere because its failing cadillac knows about it, and won't do anything about it.
NHTSA complaint 11759271November 19, 2025 I brought my Cadillac Escalade to the dealership under their voluntary recall on the engine. My vehicle passed the pico compression test. The dealership then changed my current oil to a heavier oil and changed the oil cap to match the oil they put in. July 2nd 2026 my husband was driving about 55 mph and I was a passenger the we heard loud knocking and the engine quit. We had vehicles behind us my husband was shocked I instantly hit my emergency 4 way light button so we didn’t get rear ended. We coasted to the shoulder of the road thankful that we didn’t get hit by the vehicles behind us.
NHTSA complaint 11753111On June 14, 2026, while driving approximately 70 mph on a Michigan freeway, the 6.2L V8 engine began shaking violently. The vehicle lost oil pressure, warning messages appeared on the dashboard, and the vehicle completely lost propulsion and shut down while still in motion. My spouse and child were inside the vehicle. The sudden loss of power at highway speed created a serious risk of a collision, although I was able to bring the vehicle to safety. No collision, bodily injury, fire, or property damage occurred during this incident. An OnStar/Cadillac notification reported a critical engine and transmission system problem and diagnostic trouble code P0016. The vehicle was towed directly to an authorized Cadillac dealership. The dealership opened the repair order on June 15, 2026, at approximately 46,640 miles. The dealership determined that the vehicle required a replacement engine. The replacement engine later arrived, but additional required parts, including a seal kit and gasket, were still outstanding. General Motors advised in writing that there was no estimated arrival date for those parts and no confirmed repair-completion date. The vehicle and failed engine components have been in the possession of the authorized Cadillac dealership and should be available for inspection. General Motors confirmed that the engine failure and repairs are covered under warranty. I am reporting this incident because the engine failure caused a complete and unexpected loss of propulsion at highway speed, placing the vehicle occupants and surrounding motorists at risk.
NHTSA complaint 11751902After accelerating from a stop sign to about 60mph on a 2 lane road, the engine shut off and the vehicle changed to neutral. I had to glide the truck down the road and off to the side. Vehicle would not start and had to be towed to a Cadillac dealership on a flatbed.
NHTSA complaint 11747611Driving on the freeway at 70mph, vehicle lost power and slowed down with no warning. Gas pedal unresponsive. Received message on screen to start vehicle. was able to swerve to shoulder lane out of oncoming traffic's way just in time for it to come to a full stop and never start again. When attempted to start vehicle again, it was completely unresponsive. Had to call for police escort since car was in near path of oncoming traffic. Tow truck had to haul to dealership location near home (100+ miles away). Currently still receiving alerts from onstar that all vehicle functions are clear and OK with no issues "green checkmark" on all components. No recalls or service issues in the vehicle for 22k miles until failure.
NHTSA complaint 11746280I want to report several recurring issues with my 2024 Escalade transmission:Rough/Hard Shifting: Drivers experience jerky, clunking, or harsh shifting, especially when accelerating or decelerating.Transmission Slipping: The vehicle slipped between gears, impacting performance.Delayed Engagement: A delay or clunking sound when shifting from Park to Drive or Reverse.
NHTSA complaint 11741209On Sunday April 19th at approximately 12:00pm. I was driving on NJ’s garden state parkway when the car had catastrophic engine failure at highway speeds. I lost full power, including power steering, and brakes. This SUV could have killed my family and I if I was unable to use brute force to control it into the right lane. While I understand that any vehicle can experience warranty-related issues, a catastrophic engine failure at highway speeds is not a typical or acceptable occurrence. The severity of this incident has significantly impacted my confidence in both the vehicle and the brand. I am particularly concerned about the safety implications associated with the L87 6.2L V8 engine, which has been widely reported as affecting a substantial number of vehicles. Given what occurred, I no longer feel safe operating this Escalade. My wife is unwilling to drive it, and I am not comfortable having my child in the vehicle under any circumstances.
NHTSA complaint 11733122Vehicle experienced catastrophic failure while going approximately 45 miles per hour in the middle lane of one of the busiest streets in the city…my [XXX] son was in the vehicle when this occurred….I am a disabled veteran who purchased this vehicle for transportation for son and his team mates to sporting events and tournaments…the vehicle has been at the dealership for 60 days…there was one attempt around the 30th day to replace the engine…that engine was found to be faulty as well…another 30 days have passed and the vehicle has not been fixed…the dealership does not have a loaner vehicle for me…I am concerned about the safety of this vehicle and honestly am not comfortable with my wife and son experiencing additional traumatic incidents INFORMATION REDACTED PURSUANT TO THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT (FOIA), 5 U.S.C. 552(B)(6)
NHTSA complaint 11731992I’m using this car in Poland (Europe) my engine starts to make knocking noise due to Bearings rods and lifters failure . N252494001 L87 Engine Loss of Propulsion I called to European Cadillac authorized service and they refused to replace the engine because USA based manufacturer don’t wan’t to repair a car even is still on warranty
NHTSA complaint 11726487After having the initial engine failure recall completed by the dealership by switching to a different viscosity oil… While traveling at 45 mph the motor made a knocking or ticking sound with a squeal and then “hiccuped “ and immediately lost all power. I was only able to steer the vehicle onto a busy sidestreet. The vehicle had recently been serviced by Cadillac. Once stopped, the vehicle cannot be shifted from park due to “shifting conditions not met” so I was blocking the entire intersection. Police had to respond for traffic control. Due to the electronic shifter the only way to shift the vehicle into neutral is with tools and getting underneath the vehicle to remove a bolt. There is no reasonable or prudent way to do this in the middle of an intersection.
NHTSA complaint 11725534Traveling on interstate preparing to exit on ramp. Press start button displayed, car immediately sounded like it geared down hard and then lost power, unable to control well, all I could do to come to a safe stop, while praying that the car behind me didn’t hit me. The car basically locked up while preparing to exit the interstate. So scary, terrifying and dangerous.
NHTSA complaint 11718962Component/System Involved: Engine / Powertrain and Vehicle Electronic Control Systems, including Serial Data Gateway Module Description of Failure: While driving at highway speed (approximately 60 mph), the vehicle experienced a sudden and complete loss of propulsion without warning. Engine power was lost while traveling on an interstate, forcing me to pull onto the shoulder without propulsion. The loss-of-power event occurred more than once during the same trip. The vehicle was towed to an authorized Cadillac dealership for inspection. Dealer diagnosis confirmed internal mechanical engine failure, including metal debris present in the engine oil, requiring full engine replacement. During diagnostic procedures, the dealership also identified electrical communication faults involving the serial data gateway module, including voltage fluctuation and wiring chafing within the vehicle harness. These faults caused loss-of-communication conditions between control modules and required repair. Safety Risk: The loss of propulsion occurred at highway speed with passengers present in the vehicle, creating a serious safety hazard. Sudden power loss on an interstate increased the risk of collision due to the inability to maintain speed or maneuver safely in traffic. Confirmation / Inspection: The failure was confirmed by an authorized Cadillac dealership. The engine was removed and replaced due to internal damage. Electrical communication faults related to the serial data gateway module were also confirmed and repaired. Warning Indicators: No warning lamps or alerts were displayed prior to the loss of propulsion. Communication faults were identified during post-failure diagnostics. Current Status: The vehicle has undergone engine replacement and electronic repairs and is currently under post-repair monitoring due to the severity and safety implications of the failure. Availability for Inspection: The vehicle and repair documentation should be available through dealership
NHTSA complaint 11714023While driving vehicle reported multiple system failures and started shaking. Was safety parked and towed to dealership. Dealership found metal shavings in engine oil. No resolution as of yet.
NHTSA complaint 11713244The check engine light has been coming on intermittently and the engine has felt rough operating. On December 23, 2025, despite the absence of an illuminated "Check Engine Light", I was driving the vehicle when it suddenly lost power/acceleration in the middle of a busy street, which caused me to nearly get into an accident. I brought the vehicle into the Dealership on 12/29/25, and is still there as of 1/7/26. The Dealership has hooked my car up to the scanner, which found code P0300, and they indicated that it's showing a history of misfires across all cylinders. The Dealership has said that they cannot fix the car because they cannot get the Engine Light to illuminate and because as of 1/7/26, my VIN is not included in part of the widespread Engine recall. My vehicle poses an extreme safety risk to drive, and I do not feel comfortable driving it, knowing that the Engine is misfiring and could lose acceleration or power at any moment and without warning.
NHTSA complaint 11709355Vehicle tires were swaying
NHTSA complaint 11709119Technical service bulletins and other notices the manufacturer sent to dealers. A bulletin is not a recall; the 60 most recent are listed.