2021 Cadillac Escalade ESV electrical problems

ELECTRICAL SYSTEM

I am experiencing an ongoing issue with my vehicle’s rear passenger door. The door frequently cannot be opened from either the inside or the outside. At first, I believed the problem was related to the child safety lock. However, even after confirming that the child safety lock is fully disengaged, the door still fails to open from both inside and outside. Occasionally, after turning the vehicle off and restarting it several times, the door will open normally. However, the problem returns randomly, and the door appears to lock itself again without warning. Based on these symptoms, I strongly suspect a defect or malfunction in the rear door latch or door lock actuator. This issue presents a significant safety concern, as it can prevent passengers from exiting the vehicle when needed. I am requesting a thorough inspection and proper repair to permanently resolve this issue. Thank you for your attention to this matter.

NHTSA complaint #11716503 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.

ELECTRICAL SYSTEM

On 12/18/2025 at approximately 73,097 miles, while driving on I-75 near Wildwood, Florida at about 75 mph, the vehicle experienced a sudden powertrain failure. The engine became seized/locked, the vehicle progressively lost power, and there were abnormal/loud mechanical noises. I was able to avoid a crash, but the event created a safety risk due to loss of propulsion at interstate speed. No accident occurred. The vehicle later received an engine replacement at Plaza Cadillac (Leesburg, FL). Dealer paperwork indicates completion on 01/07/2026, and the vehicle was returned to me on 02/02/2026. After the engine replacement, the vehicle displays safety-related warnings including: “Service Transmission Now – Unable to Shift Soon” “Service Electric Parking Brake” Because of these warnings, I am not driving the vehicle. The dealer plans to tow the vehicle in for inspection. In addition, the dealership has stated in writing that they typically clear diagnostic codes for test driving and that no post-repair/post-road-test diagnostic scan reports are saved or printed, meaning there may be limited retained documentation verifying that all modules were fault-free at release after the engine replacement. Cadillac case reference: Cadillac Care Center Service Request #88422536. I consent to sharing this complaint and vehicle details with the manufacturer.

NHTSA complaint #11715994 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.

ELECTRICAL SYSTEM

My wife was driving my kids to their nana and papas house when the vehicle loss power. The vehicle started to have a knocking noise and started to vibrate towards the engine compartment. The dash lit up like a Christmas tree. We took the vehicle to a local mechanic and he suggested that we might need a tune up. We purchased 8 brand new spark plugs, spark plug wires and 8 brand new coil packs. The local mechanic installed all of the new parts and the vehicle acted just like it was before the tune up. We then took the vehicle to Boyd Cadillac in Henderson,NC. Tim, who is our service provider, contacted us and told us that we had severe engine failure. His recommendation was a complete engine install. We have used Boyd Cadillac, Tim on several occasions. We had an alternator replacement done which was not under warranty. We had lifters replaced under warranty around the 50k mile mark.

NHTSA complaint #11708463 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.

ELECTRICAL SYSTEM

The contact owns a 2021 Cadillac Escalade ESV. The contact stated that the check engine warning light was displayed on the instrument panel with an abnormal whining sound coming from the vehicle. The contact took the vehicle to the dealer and was informed that the battery needed to be replaced. The battery was replaced; however, the check engine warning light illuminated the following day. The contact stated that while driving at 45 MPH, the vehicle started to jerk abnormally while depressing the accelerator pedal, and the vehicle shut off in the middle of the highway. Due to the failure, the vehicle was towed back to the dealer, where it remained unrepaired. The manufacturer was not notified of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 71,000.

NHTSA complaint #11700416 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.

ELECTRICAL SYSTEM

Car died in the middle of road. You pump the gas, nothing. This happened twice. Once at about 30000 miles and then at 60000 miles. The dealer had to replace a module or electrical box for fuel pump.

NHTSA complaint #11687877 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.

ELECTRICAL SYSTEM

After driving about 3 hours, the TPMS system displays an error saying the module has failed. This occurs with OEM and aftermarket TPMS sensors. The error clears itself after the vehicle is parked for > 1 hour. The dealer has found no fault in the sensors but would not test the system otherwise. Losing TPMS readings during long drives is unsafe and could lead to an accident or damage to the vehicle if tire damage occurs while the system is malfunctioning.

NHTSA complaint #11677696 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.

ELECTRICAL SYSTEM

The rear, third row passenger vent will occasionally put out very hot air. This results in the back seats becoming overheated especially on hot days. This is putting my young children at risk for heat related injuries and possibly death as the front seats remain cooled but the rear compartment heats up substantially. The dealer was unable to reproduce the problem but it occurs at random so reproduction is difficult. No error codes are shown. The problem will resolve once the vehicle is shut off for an extended period of time but will then recur at random putting all rear passengers that are sleeping or too young to complain about the temperature at significant risk.

NHTSA complaint #11677697 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.

ELECTRICAL SYSTEM

Twice in the last 6 months the vehicle doors have locked at random while the key was inside the vehicle. Both times, my children were trapped in the vehicle exposed to potential heat issues. Fortunately, in both cases the doors were able to be opened through another door that was still open one time and by hitting the unlock button through a slightly rolled down window. Breaking the glass was the next option. This is a serious safety defect that is putting young children and pets at risk for heat injury or death. There are no indications as to why this started, no warnings displayed, and seems to occur at random. Disabling autolock features does not resolve the issue meaning some glitch or equipment failure is causing the doors to lock despite all autolock features turned off.

NHTSA complaint #11677698 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.

ELECTRICAL SYSTEM

My cameras are not working properly and have stopped working completely, I have seen online that theses car have problems like this and have recalls and my car has the same problem now but it’s says it’s not under a recall

NHTSA complaint #11607399 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.

ELECTRICAL SYSTEM

The contact owns a 2021 Cadillac Escalade ESV. The contact stated while her husband was driving 15 MPH, the vehicle stalled. The contact stated no warning light was illuminated. The vehicle was not drivable. The contact towed the vehicle to the local dealer, where it was diagnosed with needing the electrical system and engine to be replaced. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer had been informed of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 33,000.

NHTSA complaint #11498437 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.