CADILLAC Complaints

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.

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.

2021 Cadillac Escalade ESV equipped with L87 6.2L V8, subject to NHTSA Recall 25V-274 / GM N252494000. The recall inspection was completed and the vehicle passed, so GM performed the 0W-40 higher-viscosity-oil remedy rather than engine replacement. The vehicle has a history of unexplained oil loss with no obvious external leak, including a prior low-oil warning. At a recent oil change after approximately 5,000 miles, no oil registered on the dipstick before service. The engine was then filled to the full mark. Using the same repeatable checking method, the level was approximately 3/4 at 227 miles and approximately 1/2 at 1,300 miles. I am concerned that a progressive internal engine condition may not have been detected by the recall inspection and that the oil-only remedy may be inadequate. NHTSA currently has Recall Query RQ26001 open regarding engine failures after Recall 25V-274 remedies. I am also concerned because GM Special Coverage N252494003 excludes an engine presenting with low/no oil as neglect even if unresolved mechanical oil consumption caused the low level. I am requesting this complaint be associated with Recall 25V-274 and RQ26001. Please advise. I just bought the car less than a year ago and can’t a new engine.

On April 7, 2026 I was driving my daughter to school when my 2025 Cadillac Escalade IQ Frunk (Front Trunk) opening while driving. This renders the EV completely inoperable and disables the vehicle. I pulled over and contacted Road Side assistance and had my vehicle towed to Cadillac of Beverly Hills. It was repaired over the course of 3 days and I was assured it was fixed. Today, on August 9, 2026 the exact same situation occurred. The frunk opened while I was driving the vehicle with my wife and daughter leaving us stranded for 2 hours while we waited for road side assistance to tow the car. This is a serious safety issue as then the front trunk (Frunk) opens, it cannot be closed and it blocks all visibility and the vehicle does into shut down mode and you cannot drive it. It is a serious safety concern for me, my family, and the drivers around me.

While traveling at 75 mph, our SUV suddenly lost power going uphill. We barely reached the crest and were able to coast down to a safe place off the highway. We were stranded 300 miles from home and nearly 100 miles from the closest Cadillac dealership, sitting on the side of the highway with my family for three hours before someone could pick us up. The cause was a catastrophic bearing failure in the L87 engine, requiring the entire engine to be replaced. Thankfully, we were able to get off the highway safely. If the engine had completely locked up at 75 mph, this could have caused a serious or even fatal accident.

My 2021 Cadillac Escalade ESV with the 6.2L L87 engine received the remedy for Safety Recall 25V-274 (GM recall number N252494001) on July 30, 2025. The dealer inspected the engine, passed it, and performed the higher viscosity oil remedy. The engine was not repaired or replaced. On [DATE], while driving, the vehicle hesitated and lost power under acceleration. Engine noise then increased progressively until I pulled over on the side of the road. The engine stopped running and would not restart. The dash displayed a message to press the start button again. The check engine light illuminated at the time of failure. There were no warning lights prior to that day. My family, including my children, were in the vehicle when it lost power. We were stranded on the roadside until the vehicle could be towed. The battery and electrical system are functioning normally, but the engine would not start. The vehicle was towed to a Cadillac dealership. At the dealership, a start attempt produced a loud knocking noise from the engine along with a fuel/oil odor. I believe the connecting rod bearings have failed. These symptoms — hesitation, loss of power, and knocking noise — are the exact pre-failure indicators GM identified in Recall 25V-274. This was a loss of motive power while driving on a public roadway, creating a serious crash risk for my family and surrounding traffic. The recall remedy performed on this vehicle was inadequate. GM inspected this engine, passed it, and it failed approximately one year later in exactly the manner the recall was intended to prevent. Date of incident: 08/08/2026 Mileage at failure: 66,000 Recall remedy completed: July 30, 2025 Vehicle was towed. No crash, fire, or injury occurred.

On or around [XXX], while driving at approximately 40 mph, the automatic emergency braking / auto collision assist system on my 2025 Cadillac OPTIQ (VIN: [XXX]) activated without warning and brought the vehicle to a sudden stop. There was no obstacle, pedestrian, or hazard present in the roadway ahead of the vehicle at the time of activation. The vehicle was brought to Moore Cadillac, Chantilly, Virginia (RO# [XXX], check-in January 9, 2026). The dealership technician was unable to duplicate the concern on a diagnostic road test but found that the body control module, image processing module, short-range radar, and forward-range radar all contained outdated calibrations. Vehicle-wide module reprogramming was performed as the repair. At the very next service visit (RO# [XXX], April 2026) and the visit after that (RO# [XXX], May–June 2026), the vehicle's modules were again found to contain outdated calibrations requiring full vehicle-wide reprogramming. The root cause of the recurring calibration failure has not been identified or permanently resolved by the dealer as of the most recent service visit on June 11, 2026. This vehicle has been out of service for approximately 74 cumulative days across 9 service visits since delivery on [XXX]. INFORMATION REDACTED PURSUANT TO THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT (FOIA), 5 U.S.C. 552(B)(6)

The door opening mechanism has failed on the drivers outside door handle. It locks and unlocks fine but it will not open. I can use an alternative by the getting the emergency access key out of the fob and popping off the handle and open with that key. Or I can go in thru another door and open it from inside or somehow open all the windows using the fob with some kind of press this and that at the same time, and access inside handle thru the window. This becomes a safety concern because I'm usually alone, and this makes me vulnerable when I have to get into the car. Especially in parking lots and garages or gas stations, or anytime there may be a situation where a quick get out of there may be required. I have been visiting the Cadillac forums and have heard many of this same complaint in the on-line discussions. Many of the complaintants have recommended to report the as a safety concern. There is no warning of this in the systems, nor is there any information coming from Cadillac about resolving this problem in the

My 2026 Cadillac Vistiq is covered by NHTSA Recall 26V394 (GM N262555780), concerning a third-row power-folding seatback that may fail to auto-reverse when it strikes an obstruction, risking entrapment of smaller occupants, particularly children. Component: the third-row power-fold seatback module and its power harness. Available for inspection on request. On [DATE], an authorized Cadillac dealer performed the interim recall remedy by disconnecting the power harness under the cargo floor trim. The Vistiq third row is power-actuated only, with no manual fold mechanism, so disconnecting the harness locks the seats in whatever position they occupy at that moment. I was not asked which position I wanted. The seats were left [FOLDED FLAT / describe] and cannot be raised. The third row is now completely unusable as seating. The dealer performed and confirmed this work; a repair order exists. I later asked the dealer to reconnect the harness, cycle the seats upright, then re-disable the power-fold so the seats would remain usable as seating pending the permanent module. The dealer refused. I also requested courtesy transportation adequate to my family's seating needs. The dealer refused. No availability date for the replacement module has been provided. Safety impact: this is a three-row SUV that now seats five. Occupants who would otherwise use the third row must sit elsewhere or travel separately. No warning lamps or messages preceded this; the loss of function is the result of the recall remedy itself, not a component failure. I am reporting this because the interim remedy eliminated a functional seating position, the dealer refuses to restore it in any usable configuration, and no timeline exists for the permanent repair. If the remedy is being administered this way generally, other owners in the recall population are losing third-row occupant capacity with no recourse.

When vehicle was purchased new there was a slight bearing wear noise at the front driver side, which grew louder with years. Noise synchronized with tire rolling rpm. Replacing (my self) front trans axle, the brake pads, shaving rotors, & wheel hub bearing did not fix noise. Next; Dealer shop reported that the AWD front transfer case (differential) had a bad bearing AND that this was a common problem with the model car. $1600 repair bill.