100 of the
2,305 complaints filed about the Cadillac Escalade
are about the fuel system —
4% of everything owners reported.
The worst model year for it is 2000.
The engine/powertrain malfunctioned on my 2023 Cadillac Escalade at approximately 29,434 miles, ultimately requiring complete engine replacement. During the engine repair, the Cadillac technician also discovered that the transmission cooler lines were leaking fluid. The dealership replaced all of the affected transmission cooler lines as part of the repair.The original failed engine was removed by the Cadillac dealership, so I do not know whether GM/Cadillac retained it. The failure involved the vehicle’s engine and created concern about the possibility of sudden loss of propulsion or engine failure while driving. Because this is a large vehicle routinely operated on public roads and highways, an unexpected loss of engine power could significantly reduce my ability to safely accelerate, merge, or move the vehicle out of traffic. Fortunately, I brought the vehicle in for service after noticing the abnormal engine noise before a complete failure occurred while driving. Yes. Heritage Cadillac inspected and diagnosed the vehicle. The dealership documented my complaint of a “weird noise on start up” that continued until approximately 10 MPH. The technician removed the valve covers and inspected the rocker arms and pushrods. The dealership ultimately determined that an engine replacement was necessary and replaced the engine under warranty. Yes. The vehicle was inspected and repaired by Heritage Cadillac, an authorized Cadillac dealership. The dealership diagnosed the engine issue and replaced the complete engine. During the repair process, the technician also discovered leaking transmission cooler lines. I did not receive a warning lamp or dashboard message alerting me to an engine problem. The primary symptom was an abnormal engine noise shortly after startup that continued during initial acceleration to approximately 10 MPH. This prompted me to bring the vehicle to Heritage Cadillac for inspection. The dealer documented this symptom on the repair order.
NHTSA complaint #11758672 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.
I was driving and the vehicle stopped accelerating and the gear was in neutral. I pulled over and turned the car off then attempted to turn it on, but it would not turn over. All electrical was on, but the car would not start. This same thing happened two days prior twice within 10 min. of each other, but I was able to start the car those times. Due to the speed suddenly declining and being unable to accelerate on a two lane road with cars behind me; it could have caused a serious accident. It has not yet been confirmed by a dealer, but this is a known recall for this vehicle that was listed as complete prior. There was no warning lamps or messages prior to the failure. The first noted incident happened on 8/10/26.
NHTSA complaint #11756417 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.
While driving on a family road trip, our vehicle check engine light came in and put the vehicle in limp mode. This happened a couple of times but luckily we were close enough to our home we were able to make it home safely. The code received was indicative of a Coolant Control Valve Failure. In discussions with the dealer, there is currently a special coverage out for this component failing but that our VIN was not covered under this special coverage. After some research, we are not the only ones who are having this problem. I believe this issue is more wide spread than the dealer would like to admit. The special coverage is N252508341.
NHTSA complaint #11755964 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.
On 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 #11751902 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.
My vehicle lost full engine propulsion going 70mph on the highway. We were blocking lanes of traffic and lost speed at a very rapid pace. No engine or warning light came on before the car lost engine and shifted into neutral. We called 911 and the California Highway Patrol had to assist in us not getting hit from behind as our car was disabled and would not restart to move off of lanes of traffic.
NHTSA complaint #11735822 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.
The contact owns a 2015 Cadillac Escalade. The contact stated that while his wife was driving the vehicle, after arriving at a parking lot, a bystander informed her that the vehicle was leaking a significant amount of fuel. The vehicle was driven to the residence and turned off, and the vehicle continued to leak fuel. The contact stated that upon inspecting the vehicle, the leak was coming directly from the fuel pump at the fuel tank. The dealer was not notified of the failure. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was not notified of the failure. The failure mileage was 160,206.
NHTSA complaint #11734152 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.
While driving my 2021 Cadillac Escalade on an interstate highway at approximately 70 mph with my family, including two minor children, the vehicle suddenly and without warning lost propulsion, shut off, and shifted into neutral. This occurred in active traffic and created an immediate safety hazard. A warning message appeared instructing me to restart the vehicle. After several minutes navigating traffic, I was able to restart the vehicle briefly and exit the highway. Shortly thereafter, additional dashboard alerts appeared indicating critical engine and transmission failure. After exiting the highway, the vehicle shut down completely at a traffic signal and failed to restart. The vehicle was immobilized in an active roadway until police assistance arrived to prevent a rear‑end collision and a flatbed tow was arranged. The sudden loss of propulsion at highway speed placed vehicle occupants and surrounding motorists at serious risk. The vehicle is available for inspection and was diagnosed as having a seized engine on March 9, 2026, by Diamond Cadillac in [XXX] . This failure did not occur without warning. Prior to this incident, I repeatedly reported excessive oil consumption to the selling dealer, Otto Cadillac, from whom I purchased the vehicle in April 2025 as a Certified Pre-Owned vehicle. On two separate service visits, I reported oil consumption exceeding two quarts between recommended service intervals and requested that this be documented. I was advised that the consumption was “within tolerance” and was later informed—incorrectly—that this tolerance applied to my engine configuration. Otto Cadillac performed a recall-related inspection and implemented the manufacturer-directed remedy consisting of an oil cap replacement and a change in oil viscosity to SAE 40. No mechanical repair or deeper diagnostic action was taken. The subsequent engine seizure confirms that these mitigation measures did not resolve the underlying defect. INFORMATION REDACTED PURSUANT TO THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT (FOIA),
NHTSA complaint #11728563 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.
Sudden loss of propulsion at highway speeds - 2023 Escalade. We easily could have been killed. I drive a 2023 Cadillac Escalade that I purchased from Motor Werks Cadillac in [XXX] . It was very expensive. The car has under 33k miles on it, off memory.I informed the dealer I would be taking the car on a family vacation road trip from [XXX] to [XXX] (for spring break), and requested they perform any necessary preventative service on it to ensure it was in perfect shape to make the trip. They performed the service (basic air filter change etc) and returned the car to me two days before I packed my family [XXX] and [XXX] daughters and wife) into the car and began the journey. After driving less than three hours, the engine completely and suddenly died, without warning, while we were traveling at 75 miles an hour on the highway in the left lane in the middle of rural [XXX] . At the same time all of the electronics in the vehicle died as well. It was an extremely dangerous situation because the road is heavily trafficked by semi trucks, which I was barely able to avoid as I attempted to coast across all the lanes of traffic to get onto the shoulder of the road on the right hand side. Because the car was without propulsion, I was not able to get fully onto the shoulder, but mostly. This left the car in a precarious position because the semi's that we're driving by could easily have hit the car had they not been careful and veered slightly to the left. We easily could have been killed. There's more to the story, like the dealer telling me Cadillac is aware that catastrophic engine failure at highway speeds is a known issue impacting Escalades around the country, and including significant mental trauma that my children experienced by being stranded on the side of the road for several hours in the dark in a car that had no engine, no electronics and no heat. INFORMATION REDACTED PURSUANT TO THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT (FOIA), 5 U.S.C. 552(B)(6)
NHTSA complaint #11728413 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.
On March 21, 2026 while traveling at approximately 70 mph on a public highway, the vehicle experienced a sudden and total loss of propulsion. The vehicle stalled in active traffic, creating an immediate and life-threatening hazard. Following the stall, the vehicle’s system failed, and the vehicle would not engage any gear, including “Park” or “Neutral.” Consequently, the vehicle could not be towed by standard means and required a specialized car carrier to be transported to Heritage Cadillac in Morrow, GA 30260.
NHTSA complaint #11726402 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.
Vehicle: 2023 Cadillac Escalade (VIN: [XXX] ) Dealer: Cadillac Pasadena Case Number (GM Corporate): XXX Refusal to perform a mandatory Federal Safety Recall remedy. Details: 1. My vehicle is currently under Safety Recall XXX(L87 Engine Loss of Propulsion). I experienced a loss of propulsion and brought the vehicle to Cadillac Pasadena. 2 The dealership technician confirmed the engine is exhibiting "abnormal noise (lifter clatter on both banks) and active misfires." 3 The dealership claims they cannot complete the mandatory PicoScope diagnostic test for the recall because the engine condition (misfires/noise) interferes with the equipment. 4 Under GM Special Coverage XXX, if the engine cannot be safely tested due to internal mechanical failure within the recall population, GM is mandated to cover the diagnostic teardown and full engine assembly replacement at no cost to the consumer. 5 The dealership is refusing to authorize the teardown under the GM Special Coverage code and is instead pressuring me to pay myself. 6 The dealership has stopped responding to my written inquiries (sent March 18th and 19th) and refuses to provide a loaner vehicle, despite the vehicle being officially "unsafe to drive" due to the open safety recall. I am asking you to requre Immediate authorization of engine teardown and full engine assembly replacement under GM Special Coverage XXXat $0 cost to me, and provision of a loaner vehicle as required for safety recall grounding. INFORMATION REDACTED PURSUANT TO THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT (FOIA), 5 U.S.C. 552(B)(6)
NHTSA complaint #11726077 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.
There was a recall on the L87 propulsion. The dealer changed the oil and said it was fixed. I left the dealer and the issue still persists. They refuse to address it.
NHTSA complaint #11725927 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.
After 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 #11725534 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.
Traveling 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 #11718962 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.
Brake/abs system locked up on me and I couldn’t stop. I accidentally hit someone from behind and was proven to be an accident. My traction light my abs light and my brake light all came on at the same time right before I wrecked. The suv swerves over to the other lane randomly while on the interstate and does stop on time. Every time I fuel up gas leaks out from somewhere and its pumps gas really slow and takes so long
NHTSA complaint #11716518 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.
The contact owns a 2021 Cadillac Escalade. While the contact's wife was driving 70 MPH, the accelerator pedal was depressed; however, the vehicle failed to accelerate. In addition, the contact stated that the failure occurred while a tractor-trailer was driving closely behind the vehicle. The contact stated that an error code indicated a failure with the fuel pump drive module. In addition, the check engine warning light was illuminated. The vehicle was driven to the residence. The contact stated that the vehicle was unsafe to drive. The vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired by an independent mechanic or dealer. The dealer was made aware of the failure; however, the contact was informed that the repair was not covered under recall. The contact referenced an unknown recall which had a similar failure description; however, the VIN was not associated with the recall. The manufacturer was not made aware of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 33,500.
NHTSA complaint #11710307 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.
While driving about 60–65 mph westbound on NY Route 17 near Exit 125, a warning message appeared on the dashboard reading “Restart Engine.” Within seconds the vehicle lost all propulsion, steering assist, and braking power. Pressing the accelerator did nothing and the car began rapidly decelerating in live highway traffic at night. I struggled to steer into the shoulder with great effort because the steering and brakes had become extremely heavy. Once stopped, the engine would not restart — there was no crank and no response when pressing the start button. The vehicle was later towed to the dealership for inspection. This failure occurred without any prior warning other than the single “Restart Engine” message that flashed moments before the loss of power. There were no check-engine lights, alerts, or performance issues beforehand. Unity Chevrolet Cadillac confirmed that the engine had seized and replaced the entire engine assembly, starter, and battery under warranty. The vehicle remained out of service from August 7 to August 22 2025. This sudden failure created a severe safety hazard — a complete loss of propulsion, steering assist, and braking at highway speed could easily have resulted in a high-speed collision.
NHTSA complaint #11694371 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.
On Friday, September 5, 2025, while driving with my family, the vehicle suddenly stalled while in motion. There were no warning lights or error messages before the failure occurred. While traveling at normal road speed, the vehicle instantly lost propulsion, steering assist, and braking power, leaving me without control in live traffic. For several seconds I was unable to steer or slow down normally — it was an extremely dangerous situation. The vehicle briefly restarted twice, then completely died and could not restart again. I had to pull over to the shoulder and call for assistance. This repeated sudden loss of power while driving, without any prior warning lamps or messages, creates a severe risk of collision or injury to occupants and others on the road. The vehicle’s unpredictable failure to maintain propulsion or braking control is unsafe and unacceptable.
NHTSA complaint #11694372 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.