111 of the
2,305 complaints filed about the Cadillac Escalade
are about the other systems —
5% of everything owners reported.
The worst model year for it is 2015.
The night vision does not work. I told it to the dealer on 17 July they claimed they don’t know how to fix it. They blow it off and say that it’s because of the temperature but it’s not true. It wasn’t working at night when it was nice and cool. It wasn’t working during the day. It doesn’t work at all. They have a history of failing and general motors does not have a solid fix. They had this in their shop for six weeks and they still couldn’t figure out how to fix it. It still doesn’t work to this day. The temperatures have dropped at night, especially in the rain and that is not the problem. They lack of experience with night vision camera cameras is the problem and they are unable to fix it.
NHTSA complaint #11758886 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.
The vehicle has experienced premature factory paint and clear coat delamination across the main roof panel structure. This is not cosmetic weathering; it is a latent factory application defect where the clear coat chemically failed to bond to the substrate. The resulting delamination has left raw structural metal exposed, leading to rapid substrate oxidation and structural degradation of the roof panel sheet metal. The advanced delamination and corrosion have directly compromised the sealing integrity of the roof-mounted GPS/emergency communication antenna and the structural integrity of the roof rack mounting tracks. Water intrusion through the compromised factory finish risks shorting out emergency telematics, causing electrical fires in the headliner, or causing a structural failure of aftermarket cargo crossbars at highway speeds, creating a severe road hazard for vehicles traveling behind me. This is a known, widespread manufacturing flaw originating from the Arlington Assembly Plant affecting 2015-2020 GM full-sized platforms, requiring a total structural strip and repaint to resolve. General Motors has issued no recall or remedy for this latent safety and structural defect.
NHTSA complaint #11739170 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.
The engine failed my check engine light came on, it was in the middle of traffic on 4/2/2026. the vehicle had a very rough idle it went away and then came back and then rough idle again I had 2 miles to go to reach my home and then it just shut off. I called the dealer immediately and then I call AAA I received a loaner from the dealer, and they said they would set up a meeting with the tech advisor and myself. My 2026 Cadillac escalate only had 3186 miles on it I was told by the dealership that it was a bearing issue.
NHTSA complaint #11733281 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.
On March 19, 2026 around 830AM EST, the vehicle turned off while I was driving around ~40mph. I lost all power while on a busy street and I was unable to move the car to the side of the road. The car would not shift into drive or neutral, and therefore remained in the middle of the road until a tow truck had to flatbed it to the Cadillac dealership. The L87 recall on this vehicle was performed in August 2025, however the Cadillac dealership said there were no issues found with the L87 recall. The symptoms of today's issue - vehicle turning off while driving and does not start back up, is similar to other reports of this L87 recall and demonstrates that this recall was not accurately performed and/or remedied during the service.
NHTSA complaint #11725511 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.
Vehicle: 2024 Cadillac EscaladenV VIN: [XXX] Mileage: ~31,000 miles On December 29, 2025 at approximately 7:30 a.m. Eastern Time, while driving at Approximately 30 mph under normal operating conditions, the front panoramic sunroof glass of my 2024 Cadillac Escalade V catastrophically shattered without warning. Ambient temperature was approximately 21°F. Weather conditions included freezing rain and high winds. The vehicle interior was heated. The interior sunshade was closed at the time of failure. The vehicle was equipped with a roof rack and a mounted cargo box positioned directly above the sunroof plane, providing physical shielding of the glass from above. There was no collision, no road debris strike, and no external object interaction. The glass failure was sudden and explosive. After safely pulling over and retracting the interior sunshade to assess the damage, glass fragments fell into the passenger compartment and struck both front occupants. Two children seated in the second row were not injured. Visual inspection shows no identifiable impact point, crater, or localized strike origin. Fracture patterns appear to originate near the perimeter of the glass panel, suggesting possible stress related or installation related failure rather than impact damage. INFORMATION REDACTED PURSUANT TO THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT (FOIA), 5 U.S.C. 552(B)(6)
NHTSA complaint #11708639 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.
Vehicle showed error on the dash for all various systems. It told me those systems required service. I parked the truck and it locked me out of it. OnStar could not open the doors, they kept telling me the truck was unlocked. My app could not open the doors. I called roadside and they showed me how to remove the cover on drive side handle and insert the manual key. The lock turned but the vehicle would not unlock due to the automatic doors. We had to insert an airbag and Jimmy open the door by hooking the interior door handle. The issue is this vehicle will lock you out of your car in an emergency. With the key you cannot unlock the doors. Luckily I only had dinner stuck in the car. I have little children and my fear is they will be locked in the truck if this happens. In the event of an emergency there is no way to get into the truck without smashing windows. The running boards in this mode disappear which makes it even more challenging to break the window and get over and inside. This is a very serious and dangerous design by Cadillac on the Escalade 2025.
NHTSA complaint #11705216 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.
On 09-15-25, My 2023 Cadillac Escalade passed the PicoScope test that was performed at the Randy Marion Cadillac Dealership, located at 4700 Southside Blvd., Jacksonville, Fl., in reference to the 6.2 engine recall. After the engine oil change and oil filler cap replacement, the dealership failed to provide the insert for the owner's manual and had no idea what I was talking about. As a result, I'm asking that an owner's manual insert be mailed to my home address. Thanks!
NHTSA complaint #11702857 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.
The onstar module has failed and this seems to be an ongoing issue with a lot of gm’s. My car was recently in to fix the major gm engine recall and after that my onstar stopped working. I called and they said it’s not a connectivity issue it’s a part issue. So it will have to be taken to the dealership. I pay money to have onstar and unlimited WiFi. There should be a recall for this.
NHTSA complaint #11697592 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.
It been twice that I have experienced lifters issues and damage caused to engine because of these. First time I fixed it in a NY mechanic shop because dealer workflow and expecting dates (all lifters, crankshaft, and seals were replaced new), less than 1 year later again the lifters failed (2) but this time ruined my engine. Went to local GM dealership and asked at service department if they could fix it complementary due to all reported lifters issues from GM as we all can see online and rejected my offer. So far vehicle is still not fixed and it’s been 5 months in shop looking ways to see if engine could be solved but have to replaced. Also on the Escalade 2018 the seats (middle seat row and 3rd are really being noisy, I purchased vehicle 3 years ago with about 80K miles but these seats are not fully locked in the bottom and metal with metal makes sounds on bumps and bricks streets. When purchased I used to take vehicle to dealer but actually it continues with issues and I just lost confidence and pricing and turnaround were not convenient. Unfortunately, the 2018 Escalade is the worst vehicle decision I have made in my life. When told service manager that I couldn’t believe how a 2018 vehicle was failing engine and again, he told me he has seen 2024 so it shouldn’t be surprising. More to say but will keep simple
NHTSA complaint #11695716 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.
My wife and I purchased this vehicle in 2023 with 33,xxx miles on it and since we’ve had it, the vehicle has locked itself with the key fob inside 3 different times, we’re going on the third suspension replacement with normal driving that is ruining alignment and tires, we’ve had multiple issues with the computer system resetting itself and not acting appropriately, key fob not working, seat heaters in the back turning themselves on, and glove box randomly opening. Yesterday, my wife tried to start the car and everything on the dash just started flashing, the vehicle attempted to turn over and made terrible knocking noises in the engine compartment. The final straw for us was on July 13th when my wife placed our then 7 month old son in the car after church with the remote start feature working, placed his diaper bag in the vehicle with keys inside the bag, and as she walked around to the driver door, the vehicle locked itself and shut off in 103*F heat. My son began screaming and the vehicle would not unlock. My wife was forced to punch the window out, lacerating her hand open, and even after peeling the window out, the vehicle still would not unlock even manually. I had to leave my fire station to meet her at the hospital where she received stitches. Cadillac sent out an inspector on 8/17/25 and we still have not heard anything back. I have filed with the BBB Auto Line as well. There was never any warning lights or messages, other than repeated “service suspension system” warnings, which has been replaced twice in 20,xxx miles and now needs to be replaced again.
NHTSA complaint #11687917 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.
Purchased 2016 Cadillac Escalade in April 2022 - VIN [XXX] . License plate [XXX] . Car has had electrical shortage issues in the navigation screen ever since purchasing. The navigation screen flickers, switches between apps simultaneously and isn’t responsive to finger touch as advertised. I have taken the car to the dealership 4 times within the 90 day dealership warranty. Those dates were April 25, 2022; May 26, 2022; September 3, 2022; and September 24, 2022. However, the problem hasn’t been resolved. This has also caused the car ignition start up to start slowly. The battery has been checked and is fully charged and working properly. The ignition, alternator and transmission are all working properly in good condition. I believe the dealership sold me a “Lemon” vehicle. The initial CarFax report didn’t disclose any mechanical or electrical issues. I paid a $6000 downpayment and have paid $15,999.98 so far. My monthly car payment is $999.98. This car isn’t safe to drive and I am seeking a financial settlement of $20,000 and for the dealership to take back the car without a negative ding on my credit report and no voluntary repossession listed on my credit report. [XXX] my car completely shut down and no longer would start. I had a brand new battery installed a few days prior. Called AAA 4x’s and they couldn’t jump start my car. They tested the alternator, starter, and transmission and there were no failed sensors. I didn’t have any warning lights. I had my car towed to my mechanic and he verified nothing was wrong with transmission, starter and alternator. I noticed there was a strong burn smell and something popped underneath the car causing the car to no longer start or turn on. I ended having to voluntary surrender the car back to Capital One Auto Finance (Account [XXX] ) on Monday [XXX] because the car no longer is operable. INFORMATION REDACTED PURSUANT TO THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT (FOIA), 5 U.S.C. 552(B)(6)
NHTSA complaint #11683544 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.
My 2021 Cadillac Escalade has an open recall with no remedy available. It has been over 3 months with no repair solution from Cadillac. This has left me unable to use the vehicle for its intended purpose, including loss of rental income through Turo. Cadillac has not provided alternate transportation or compensation.
NHTSA complaint #11683306 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.
While driving my 2021 Cadillac Escalade to Utah, the engine completely locked up and failed without warning. The vehicle had to be towed to a GM-authorized dealership. Upon inspection, the dealership confirmed the failure was directly related to an active safety recall on the vehicle. Prior to the failure, there were no check engine lights or no other warning lamps, messages, or symptoms. The failure occurred suddenly and without additional notice. The dealership stated the needed part is currently on national backorder and that the vehicle cannot be repaired or safely driven until the part arrives. It has now been over four months since the vehicle was brought in, and there is still no estimated repair date from GM. This has left me without a functioning vehicle due to a known safety defect. The vehicle remains inoperable at the dealership.
NHTSA complaint #11678340 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.
My 2015 Cadillac Escalade suffered complete engine failure caused by a known design defect involving the Active Fuel Management (AFM) lifters and camshaft. This issue is documented in GM Technical Service Bulletins (TSB #15-06-01-002E and PIP5606C), which acknowledge lifter collapse, misfires, and internal engine damage in 2014–2020 Escalade and similar models. GM-certified dealerships repeatedly misdiagnosed the issue as minor (e.g. spark plugs, oil), allowing the underlying defect to worsen. I am uploading invoices from Cadillac of Cerritos (who misdiagnosed the problem), my trusted local repair shop, and Cadillac of Torrance, who ultimately diagnosed the failed lifters and camshaft, but had originally referred us to Cerritos because they could not take us at the time. The misdiagnoses delayed necessary repair, resulting in catastrophic engine failure and a repair quote exceeding $10,000. GM only offered $2000 towards a new car despite clear evidence of a widespread design defect. I believe this is not an isolated case. Many owners have filed similar complaints with NHTSA, and class action lawsuits (e.g. Mason v. GM) are pending for this exact issue. Despite this, GM has not issued a recall. This defect creates serious safety risks, including stalling, loss of power, and engine failure while driving. My family was placed in danger by a vehicle GM and its certified dealers knew was vulnerable. I urge NHTSA to investigate this engine defect further and require GM to take full accountability.
NHTSA complaint #11676295 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.
While driving on a major highway and traveling at 80 mph or so, the vehicle flashed a warning light saying “Press Start Again.” I noticed the gas pedal was no longer responding and the RPM gauge dropped to zero. The vehicle shifted itself into neutral and I was forced to steer the truck to a shoulder and scraped the underside of the front ground effect trim. The vehicle then shifted into park and would not start. When a tow operator arrived, the vehicle could not be shifted into neutral to be towed and the electric parking brake kept activating by itself while trying to load and unload the vehicle from the flatbed. The vehicle is now completely immobile and I’m waiting for information from the dealership.
NHTSA complaint #11655341 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.
I was driving on the New Jersey Parkway when my car just shut down in the middle of the road. The dealer believes it’s the engine- how can this happen to a car 2 years old?
NHTSA complaint #11654984 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.