2021 Cadillac Escalade Complaints

UNKNOWN OR OTHER — Filed 03/20/2026

With just over four years of service, backup camera driver assistance system began to fail, with it working intermittently and eventually going completely dark. This being a safety feature, the warranty ought to cover it but manufacturer argues not. We understand many other Cadillacs have the same problem.

ENGINE — Filed 08/16/2026

On Saturday August 16, 2026, my family and I were in Laredo Texas and when we were driving on the freeway the motor blew out on my 2021 Cadillac escalade. One month before this occurred the dealership contacted me to replace the oil to a thicker oil because my trucks vin was on the recall and replacing the oil would help fix the issue. Replacing the oil did not fix this issue.

ENGINE — Filed 09/03/2026

There was knocking and stalling happening. I looked up the issue and saw that there was a recall on all 2021 Cadillac escalades with my exact engine. Unfortunately my vin did fall in the recall but I have the same issues and now my car has been at the service station for almost 2 weeks trying to figure this out and get the situation taken care of.

ENGINE — Filed 09/04/2026

The same exact engine make and model was recalled and mine didnt fall under it but I am having the same exact issues. And now my car is in the shop and im having to pay an outlandish amount of money to get my car fixed from a known recall on my exact vehicle and engine.

ENGINE — Filed 09/02/2026

The engine started clicking and rumbling out of no where. I have done every maintenance protocol since buying and was told there was a recall on all of these engines. Somehow mine is not covered in the recall?

STEERING — Filed 09/09/2026

My husband and I were on the toll when the steering wheel completely unattached.

UNKNOWN OR OTHER,FUEL/PROPULSION SYSTEM — Filed 08/29/2026

My vehicle died in the middle of an intersection, I was stranded in the intersection, I could not put it in neutral to move it out of the way. Luckily I was in town and not on the freeway. That is my issue. My cadi had to be dragged onto a tow truck bed and dropped at my local gm dealer in wabash. The reason it died was the fuel module. But not being able to move my vehicle out of the way is so very dangerous.

POWER TRAIN — Filed 07/10/2026

My car has 79k miles and it just went in for a new transmission. I was out of town and the transmission went out along with starter

ENGINE — Filed 06/17/2024

Vehicle was sent the dealership 4 times since 2024 for leaking oil. Was told it was a rear main seal each time. Dealership said they replaced it and 2 weeks later the vehicle leaks again. It is now at the dealership and they tell us the crankshaft failed.

POWER TRAIN,ENGINE,FUEL/PROPULSION SYSTEM — Filed 06/11/2026

Driving my 2021 Escalade on interstate and engine began emitting sudden, loud metallic tapping. Oil pressure dropped off and a reduced power warning came on HUD. Acceleration dropped off, forcing him to coast dangerously across three lanes of traffic to the shoulder. Coasted to dealership—-somehow the VIN didn’t fall within the 2021-2024 recall despite exhibiting the exact same failure. Catastrophic engine failure needing full engine replacement.

ENGINE — Filed 08/22/2026

On the day I was driving my 2021 Escalade had completely stopped in the middle of traffic , the vehicle was looked over by a certified mechanic and stated that it was at the full level of oil 0w-20 as stated to be put in by gm on the oil cap he stated that the motor L87 which is in my vehicle is under recall for this reason it the motor has put I and my child in complete danger in the middle of a busy street with the vehicle unable to move at all I stay on top of all vehicle maintenance and all recalls and was not informed that this motor was under recall for seizure I would like for the NHSTA to place this vehicle motor and others that are not informed of this information to please notify and rectify the issue because this has put me and my child and me being a pregnant mom in complete danger due to GM .i had no symptoms or problems or lights messages on my dash board the vehicle just abruptly stopped and scared me and my child .

ENGINE — Filed 08/22/2026

Bought a 2021 Escalade and at 50,000 miles it turned off at the middle of intersection while riding with my kids taking them to basketball. I had it towed to Cadillac they said it needed a new battery I left with new battery and broke down on the interstate while trying to pick up kids from school. I then had the car towed back to shop where they then said two days later I needed a new motor and that my warranty would not cover that and I’d have to pay 25,000-30….even though I just bought the car for 100,000….i towed it to RK Chevrolet where I waited for Over a YEAR. I had to buy a used car because I was never offered or able to use a loaner. My Cadilliac then got hit at the shop by a uber driver and the whole front in had to be fixed. I got my car back in November 2025 it’s now August 2026 9 months later it is back in the shop for motor and transmission issues with check engine light on. I am a hard working mother and I have spent more money on a car in my life. As a mother with kids to not have a car is a problem but the worst is the lack of help I have received. I would love any help in what I should do as this has been a nightmare. Please send or give me any advice I would greatly appreciate it.

ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING — Filed 05/20/2026

See attached document for complaint.

ENGINE — Filed 07/23/2026

On 7/14/26, I scheduled Escalade to be serviced at local dealership (MT) when A/C went out on drivers/middle vents and I noticed a faint ticking noise under hood. Was told engine lifters were damaged & needed to be replaced. Service was completed 7/21 and I picked it up that evening. On [XXX] my husband and I departed for San Diego; stayed overnight in St George UT. On [XXX] around [XXX] pm, I was driving in second from left lane on [XXX] San Bernadino area. I braked quickly as traffic from far left lane merged right to avoid debris from a refrigerator that had shattered all over the highway. The Escalade engine failed and shut off without warning or any indicators. I tried several times & could not restart the vehicle; therefore I could not shift the vehicle into Neutral so it could at least be pushed off the highway. My husband immediately called 9-1-1 and requested assistance. I frantically searched the internet for a way to shift to neutral when there is no power to the vehicle, and discovered the manual neutral override is under the vehicle. It was impossible for us to attempt that in this situation. All we could do was sit in the middle of the freeway with our hazard lights on and pray while we waited for law enforcement to arrive while heavy fast-moving traffic flew around us, honking and cursing at us to "get out of the way". This was a very perilous situation and our lives were endangered. We were helpless until CHP officers arrived on scene, followed by a tow company. The vehicle was towed to the closest dealer service center. We were told four days later that the entire engine needed to be replaced. It remains at the CA dealership while we fight with GM Warranty to have it shipped to MT. If the engine failure recall was dealt with appropriately as promised by GM, this would have been avoided altogether. **Note: Escalade passed engine recall inspection 10/9/25; was 'upgraded' to 40W oil. Regular service/oil changes completed 1/23/26 and 6/8/26. INFORMATION REDACTED PURSUANT TO THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT (FOIA), 5 U.S.C. 552(B)(6)

ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING — Filed 07/01/2026

The contact owns a 2021 Cadillac Escalade. The contact stated that while approaching a red light and slowing down, there was a knocking sound coming from the vehicle, and the vehicle failed to properly accelerate. The vehicle was immediately driven to the local dealer to be diagnosed. The vehicle was diagnosed with engine failure. The contact was informed that the engine needed to be replaced. The vehicle was not yet repaired. The manufacturer was notified of the failure, but no assistance was offered. The contact was informed that the VIN was not included in NHTSA Campaign Number: 25V274000(ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING). The contact stated that the vehicle had experienced the failure listed in the recall. The failure mileage was 40,000.

ENGINE — Filed 06/04/2026

Accelerated onto a 4-lane major highway and lost most engine power and many warning lights came on. I lost most vehicle power merging onto a 4 lane highway around other vehicles. I was able to get the car stopped car safely on side of the road and cut off for one minute. There was a noticeable rattlling noise in the engine compartment and severly reduced power. No lights regarding engine were previously available. Got the vehicle to dealer service center. Below is their report. "engine misfire detected. checked misfire data, all cylinder has recorded misfires with cylinder #4 being the most at 23,316. will have to remove bank 2 valve cover for inspection of rocker arms along with push rods. after removing valve cover no visible issues. started vehicle and the scraping/ticking noise is very audible. all rocker arms are moving. when touching cylinder #4 exhaust valve rocker arm can feel the roughness of the noise. which is indication of failed valve lifter or camshaft lobe. estimate provided. labor op 4067490 engine replacement 18.4 add 1.2 evacuate and recharge r1234yf a/c system. old engine #N1203011CU8X0269. new engine #19420611 007507775 1110000000000X. service completed."

ENGINE — Filed 06/26/2026

Following a recent oil change, I started the vehicle back up to drive approximately an hour to another city and the engine was making a horrible “knocking” sound. Took the vehicle back to the dealership and it was confirmed catastrophic engine failure which fell under GM’s known 6.2L engine issues. My safety and my children’s safety were put at risk because had I not drove directly to the dealership instead of getting on the highway as planned, the vehicle could have died at highway speeds posing a serious safety risk. No warning signs, no engine light, nothing prior to the failure.

VISIBILITY/WIPER — Filed 04/15/2026

When the vehicle is shifted into reverse, the backup camera intermittently does not display an image. Instead, the screen shows a blue hourglass, leaving me without rear visibility while backing up. This creates a safety risk because I may not be able to see pedestrians, children, vehicles, or objects behind the vehicle, increasing the risk of a crash or injury. GM has issued Service Bulletin 23-NA-084 for the 2021 Cadillac Escalade, titled “Blue Hourglass and No Gridlines on Radio Rear View Camera Display While in Reverse.” The bulletin identifies software anomalies in the Video Processing Module and instructs dealers to reprogram the module. My concern is that this is a safety-related rear visibility failure, not merely a convenience or display issue. I also understand GM/NHTSA Campaign 22V709 involved rear-view camera failures on other GM vehicles, including certain Cadillac XT5, Cadillac XT6, and GMC Acadia models. Although my Escalade is not included in that recall, the safety consequence is similar: intermittent loss of rear-view camera visibility while reversing. The issue occurs intermittently when shifting into reverse. The vehicle has not been included in a recall for this condition. I respectfully request that NHTSA review whether the 2021 Cadillac Escalade should be included in an existing or expanded safety investigation/recall, or whether a separate defect investigation is warranted for intermittent rear-view camera failures in this model.

ENGINE — Filed 05/26/2026

Engine failure while driving on highway at 70 mpg.

STRUCTURE — Filed 05/13/2026

The latch on the doors malfunction and you get trapped in the car. This happens on a recurring basis every few months. It can sometimes take days to get a door to open again. Most recently this has happened to our driver side door and we have been unable to get it open again. The dealership has also been unable to get it open and have said they will need to break the door to then make the fix, which will be a costly repair that they will expect us to pay for. There is clearly a defect here, being able to open a door should be a minimum expectation of any car and it also a safety concern for people getting trapped in their cars. When we were trying to figure out how to get the door open, there was an alarming number of people online who had similar problems with this vehicle and offered different solutions to try, so we know this is not just our specific vehicle that is having the problem, it is this model car that has this defect.

ENGINE — Filed 04/18/2026

My family and I were returning from a trip, and the engine just died in the middle of the street at 2 AM. No noises from engine or anything, but it just stopped out of the blue.

SEAT BELTS,ENGINE — Filed 04/01/2025

The contact owns a 2021 Cadillac Escalade. The contact stated that while driving at 35 mph on the highway, a knocking noise emanated from the engine compartment, and the vehicle suddenly stopped and stalled. The contact head struck the steering wheel, and he sustained a head injury. The vehicle failed to restart. The safety restraint light was illuminated. The contact was going in and out of the vehicle to direct traffic around his disabled vehicle. A 2018 Ford Escape crashed into his vehicle, which was stranded on the side of the highway. The contact sustained a broken leg, and medical attention was provided at the hospital. There was no reported fire or airbag deployment. A police report was filed. The vehicle was towed to the body shop. The vehicle was towed to the local dealer, who determined there was no recall coverage. The vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired. The manufacturer was contacted, who suspected the dealer was being misleading but no further assistance was provided. The failure mileage was approximately 82,000.

ELECTRICAL SYSTEM — Filed 10/28/2022

When I was driving my Cadillac Escalade, when I stopped at the stop light, the car caught fire, it was later towed and totaled

AIR BAGS,STRUCTURE,SERVICE BRAKES — Filed 02/21/2023

On 2/21/23, at 1245, I hit the rear bumper of my 2021 Cadillac Escalade when I backed up after I had scraped the driver side of my door panel as I drive thru a gated parking area. I started driving forward, turned left onto the back row of parking area. Suddenly the car accelerated very fast like from 0-60 mph. I quickly tried to step on the brake but the car kept accelerating. I tried to steer the steering wheel away from a parked car that it was headed directly for. The steering wheel locked & wouldn’t turn. The car proceeded to hit a Hyundai. It knocked the Hyundai out of its way & continued to surge forward where it hit another parked dodge ram double cab truck. That’s when the Cadillac stopped. The air bag partially deployed just slightly past the steering wheel. I had absolutely no control of the car.

ENGINE — Filed 07/21/2021

The contact owns a 2021 Cadillac Escalade. The contact stated while driving 70 mph, the contact heard an abnormal rattling sound and then saw smoke coming from under the hood. Other drivers were honking at the contact and alerted him that there was oil leaking from the rear of the vehicle. There was no warning lights illuminated. The contact was able to pull over and had the vehicle towed to the dealer. The dealer diagnosed that the axle rod had detached causing an engine failure. The vehicle was not repaired and remained at the dealer. The dealer was awaiting a new replacement engine. The manufacturer was not made aware of the failure. The failure mileage was 2,000. Vin was not available.