Owners have filed 11 complaints
about the 2026 Cadillac Escalade ESV with NHTSA between 2026 and 2026.
The largest single group is the engine & cooling.
Across this model's run it ranks 19 of 19 worst.
The letter says how bad. This says what kind — whether this year drew
an unusual number of complaints, unusually dangerous
ones, or failures that arrived unusually early.
The dashed ring is 50 — the national norm. Further out is worse.
Complaint volume — 14
Against the median year of the Cadillac Escalade ESV. 50 means typical for this
model; 100 means roughly double.
Severity — 0
0% of these complaints
involved a crash, fire, injury or death, against a national rate of
9.7%.
Early failure — not reported
Too few complaints recorded a mileage to measure this.
How 2026 compares with every other Cadillac Escalade ESV
Complaints filed with NHTSA, by model year. Bar colour is the FaultScore grade:
A
B
C
D
F
ungraded
What breaks on a 2026 Cadillac Escalade ESV
Every complaint is filed against a part. Follow any row for the complaints about that part alone.
Engine & Cooling
763.6%
Fuel & Propulsion
19.1%
Steering
19.1%
Electrical System
19.1%
Transmission & Drivetrain
19.1%
When owners complained
A spike years after the car went on sale usually means a part wearing
out on schedule across the whole fleet — the kind of pattern no single
owner can see from inside their own car.
Feb 2026peak 4Aug 2026
NHTSA investigations into the 2026 Cadillac Escalade ESV
An investigation is the step before a recall: the agency has seen enough
complaints to look into a pattern itself. An open one means it thinks
something may be wrong and nothing has been fixed yet.
1
investigation is
still open.
EA26005Opened 20 Aug 2026Still openENGINE
Loss of motive power due to engine failure post recall remedy
On January 16, 2026, the Office of Defects Investigation (ODI) opened Recall Query RQ26001. This investigation was opened to assess the remedy effectiveness of Recall 25V-274. ODI has received complaints alleging engine failure in vehicles after the recall remedy had been completed, whether that remedy involved an oil viscosity change or a complete engine replacement. General Motors (GM) issued Recall 25V-274 to address concerns of engine failure in the L87 engines produced between March 1, 2021 and May 31, 2024. GM cited the root cause as a supplier manufacturing and quality issue. GM’s reca...
Recalls on the 2026 Cadillac Escalade ESV
A complaint is one owner's allegation. A recall is the point at which
the manufacturer or a regulator agreed the defect is real and dangerous
enough to fix for free — however old the car is.
Canada — Transport Canada
Canada runs its own recall programme, and its campaigns do not
always mirror the American ones.
Recall 202623257 units in Canada
Wheels
Issue: This recall is for certain vehicles equipped with 24-inch wheels that had a dealer-installed accessory brake package or had the front hubs replaced during service. On certain vehicles, the wrong bolts may have been used during installation of the accessory brake package or during service or replacement of the front wheel hub bearings. As a result, the bolts could loosen and cause poor handling and a loss of control. Additionally, this could cause the front wheel(s) to separate from the vehicle. Safety Risk: A loss of control could create the risk of a crash. A wheel that separates could create a road hazard for others. Corrective Actions: General Motors will notify owners by mail and advise you to take your vehicle to a dealership to replace the front left and right wheel hub bolts.
Recall 20260861,255 units in Canada
Other
Issue: On certain vehicles, the owner's manual may be missing. As a result, the vehicles may not meet certain requirements of Canadian regulations. Note: For the Escalade model, the recall also affects certain 2026 model year Escalade IQ and Escalade IQL models. Safety Risk: A missing owner's manual could cause confusion on how to safely operate the vehicle and increase the risk of injury or a crash. Corrective Actions: General Motors will notify owners by mail and advise you to take your vehicle to a dealership to install the owner's manual.
In the owners' own words, exactly as filed with NHTSA.
Columbine Valley, CO
ENGINE
I was driving my NEW 2026 Cadillac Escalade down the highway when my engine froze up! It was damaged so bad that they replaced the engine. So obviously GM has not fixed this problem. They promised that the issue was fixed or I would have never bought this vehicle.
NHTSA complaint #11758860 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.
Alpena, MI
ENGINE
I pulled out onto a highway and sped up to 65 mph. About 10 minutes later, I heard a ticking sound.That sound proceeded to get very loud, almost like a loud pan banging/squeeling. The car seemed to “drive” normal but that sound was heard only on acceration of the gas pedal. If I was not pressing on the gas, the car sounded normal. Once I pressed the gas, the loud squeal occurred . I had it towed 3 hrs away to the Cadillac dealership who replaced my engine. Said it was the crankshaft in my 6.2l engine. The car was returned to me, and two days later, the check engine light came on. I drove to the local GM dealer to get it scanned. It said “engine control module starter drive control” and “engine control module starter motor control”. So I drove it home. The next day, I went to start it and nothing happens. The screen lights up, says “service 4 wheel drive” and I can’t put in neutral or gear. Does not turn over, nothing. Now I’m waiting for my tow back to dealer which is 3 hours away and Onstar said it could take up to 5 days bc of distance.
NHTSA complaint #11758820 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.
Beachwood, OH
POWER TRAIN
On June 18, 2026, while my nearly new 2026 Cadillac Escalade ESV was being driven on the Ohio Turnpike, the vehicle unexpectedly entered reduced-power or limp mode, lost propulsion, shut off, and would not restart. The vehicle had approximately 2,234 miles. The sudden loss of propulsion and engine shutdown occurred in active highway traffic and created a serious risk of a collision. The vehicle had to be towed from the Ohio Turnpike to Cole Valley Cadillac. Cole Valley Cadillac opened Repair Order 6206894 and determined that the engine requires replacement under the manufacturer’s warranty. The repair records reference replacement of the engine, engine core, and engine block. The vehicle has remained out of service since June 18, 2026, and no confirmed repair-completion date has been provided. General Motors was notified under Cadillac Customer Assistance Case 103386652 and GM Repurchase Case 1153162. I am reporting this incident because a catastrophic engine failure and sudden loss of propulsion in a nearly new vehicle at highway speed could place the driver, passengers, and surrounding motorists at risk.
NHTSA complaint #11754751 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.
Beachwood, OH
ENGINE
On June 18, 2026, while my nearly new 2026 Cadillac Escalade ESV was being driven on the Ohio Turnpike, the vehicle unexpectedly entered reduced-power or limp mode, lost propulsion, shut off, and would not restart. The vehicle had approximately 2,234 miles. The sudden loss of propulsion and engine shutdown occurred in active highway traffic and created a serious risk of a collision. The vehicle had to be towed from the Ohio Turnpike to Cole Valley Cadillac. Cole Valley Cadillac opened Repair Order 6206894 and determined that the engine requires replacement under the manufacturer’s warranty. The repair records reference replacement of the engine, engine core, and engine block. The vehicle has remained out of service since June 18, 2026, and no confirmed repair-completion date has been provided. General Motors was notified under Cadillac Customer Assistance Case 103386652 and GM Repurchase Case 1153162. I am reporting this incident because a catastrophic engine failure and sudden loss of propulsion in a nearly new vehicle at highway speed could place the driver, passengers, and surrounding motorists at risk.
NHTSA complaint #11754751 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.
Oklahoma City, OK
ENGINE
Driving on [XXX] in Missouri, on the way to Kentucky for business. Outside of St. Robert, motor started knocking and losing power. AC quit, knocking got worse the power loss continued. I limped it to the top of the hill with hazards on, pulled off the interstate on a large shoulder, not safe. could not stand in the ditch due to all the ticks, stood in front of the car then it started raining. Oncoming traffic started getting very close due to low visibility/heavy rain. Tow truck arrived in 2 hours. Towed to Thompson Cadillac in Springfield, cost me extra since it was beyond 100 Miles. Diagnosed as Engine Failure, will be 3 months in the shop, and i get a Buick subcompact as my rental, all they would approve. INFORMATION REDACTED PURSUANT TO THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT (FOIA), 5 U.S.C. 552(B)(6)
NHTSA complaint #11746628 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.
Bloomfield Hills, MI
STEERING
The car engine stopped on the highway while driving. Wouldn’t turn back on all of my four children were on the car.
NHTSA complaint #11741786 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.
Bloomfield Hills, MI
ENGINE
The car engine stopped on the highway while driving. Wouldn’t turn back on all of my four children were on the car.
NHTSA complaint #11741786 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.
Santa Rosa, CA
ELECTRICAL SYSTEM
Engine lost power on steep grade hill with kids in the car on our way to Tahoe putting us all at risk
NHTSA complaint #11721226 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.
Santa Rosa, CA
ENGINE
Engine lost power on steep grade hill with kids in the car on our way to Tahoe putting us all at risk
NHTSA complaint #11721226 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.
Santa Rosa, CA
FUEL/PROPULSION SYSTEM
Engine lost power on steep grade hill with kids in the car on our way to Tahoe putting us all at risk
NHTSA complaint #11721226 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.
Louisville, KY
ENGINE
I had been traveling on the freeway for about 3 hours when I decided to exit for a quick stop. While on the exit ramp, I was stopped about six cars back from the traffic light. When the cars inched forward I went to do the same and noticed there was no movement when I took my foot off the break. I pushed on the gas a little bit more than I normally would have to, and the car eventually jerked forward causing me to have to slam on the brakes. I turned off the auto start-stop feature at this point. The other cars inched forward again a moment later and again my car did not move when I took my foot off the brake. This time I really had to press down on the gas quite a bit and the car jerked forward again causing me to have to slam on the brake to avoid the car in front of me. The light turned green shortly thereafter and all the cars went, but I could not accelerate because the engine completely died. The car still had power so I turned it off and attempted to restart. All I heard was squeaking from the engine and nothing else happened. I waited about 15 minutes and tried it again, but the same thing happened again where the engine wouldn't turn over but there was some squeaking noises. The vehicle was towed to a nearby Buick dealership and when scanned in the service department I was told the issue is with the crankshaft. I've not been provided any details since. There were no warning signs or lights prior to this happening. I was almost rear-ended during this.
NHTSA complaint #11717734 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.