CADILLAC Complaints

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.

Year/Make/Model: 2025 Cadillac XT6 AWD Sport Mileage at time of incident: ~12,233 COMPONENT: Service Brakes, Hydraulic / Brake Booster Vacuum Sensor DESCRIPTION OF THE PROBLEM: While driving on a main road 1 mile away from the dealership, the brakes failed without warning. The vehicle was driven directly to the dealership (Les Stanford Cadillac, Dearborn, MI) for emergency inspection. This is the same defect that has now caused brake failure twice in approximately 5,500 miles: a brake booster vacuum sensor failure that previously triggered a brake assist warning and was "repaired" on 10/07/25 at 6,747 miles, then recurred and was "repaired" again on 05/29/26 at 12,233 miles. Both repairs replaced the brake booster vacuum sensor assembly, performed by the same dealership and same technician, yet the underlying defect has continued to recur. This is a serious safety defect that creates an unreasonable risk of loss of braking ability while driving, with potential for a crash, injury, or death to the driver, passengers, or other motorists. WHEN DID THE PROBLEM FIRST OCCUR: Originally October 2025; recurred June 2026 with loss of brakes on a main road. WHAT WAS THE OUTCOME: Vehicle driven directly to dealer for inspection following loss of brake function 1 mile away.

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.

My vehicle, a 2022 Cadillac Escalade with a 6.2L L87 engine, had the L87 recall completed withing the past year. The remedy was that it passed the inspection and engine oil was replaced with 10W-40 weight oil. Just yesterday 6/25/26, my engine quit working while driving on Interstate 265 in Louisville, Ky. Luckily, I was able to coast to the side of the highway where I stopped and was unable to restart the vehicle. After subsequent towing to the local Cadillac dealership, today 6/26/26, I was contacted by the service department that stated my engine needed to be replaced and would be covered under the L87 recall and under warranty.

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)

I am filing a complaint regarding a GM Ultium Home EV Charging Station that failed while still under warranty. GM acknowledged the failure and sent a replacement, but the replacement was not equivalent to the original product. My original charger was a plug in model, but GM sent a hard wired model, which requires professional installation costing approximately $450. GM stated they no longer manufacture the plug in version and refused to provide an equivalent replacement or cover the installation cost. I contacted the GM EV Concierge (Case # 95387763)multiple times and escalated the issue. GM responded but continues to refuse to honor the warranty by either (1) providing a like for like replacement, or (2) covering the installation cost required solely because GM discontinued the original model. GM also suggested I “sell the charger” if I did not want to pay for installation, which is not a valid warranty remedy. The GM EV Concierge advised they stopped manufacturing the model of the EV charger I was sold because there were multiple failures. This situation leaves me without a functioning EV charger and forces me to pay out of pocket for a problem caused by GM’s product discontinuation. The failure of the charger and GM’s refusal to provide an equivalent replacement raises concerns about safety, reliability, and GM’s compliance with warranty obligations for EV charging equipment. I am requesting NHTSA’s review because this appears to be a pattern of GM not honoring warranty requirements for EV charging equipment, and consumers are left without safe and functional charging options. I would like a refund of the price I paid for the charger since they will not honor their warranty.

Component Involved: Steering Wheel Assembly (Super Cruise Steering Wheel Light Bar / Rim)Safety Defect Description:The plastic insert covering the Super Cruise LED light bar and the surrounding leather wrap located directly on the top rim of the steering wheel are breaking apart, peeling, and separating. This is an immediate and severe driving safety hazard. While executing turns and maneuvering the vehicle, the driver’s hands and clothing sleeves are actively getting caught and snagged on the exposed, broken plastic edges and peeling wrap on the wheel rim. This causes physical interference and sudden, unexpected entrapment of the driver's hand or clothing during active steering.Consequences of the Defect:This defect presents an imminent risk of a vehicle crash due to sudden mechanical restriction of the driver's hands. If a driver’s sleeve or fingers become trapped or snagged by the peeling steering wheel trim while negotiating a sharp turn, curve, or emergency evasive maneuver, they will be unable to smoothly rotate the wheel, leading to a direct loss of steering control.

Driving on the freeway at 70mph, vehicle lost power and slowed down with no warning. Gas pedal unresponsive. Received message on screen to start vehicle. was able to swerve to shoulder lane out of oncoming traffic's way just in time for it to come to a full stop and never start again. When attempted to start vehicle again, it was completely unresponsive. Had to call for police escort since car was in near path of oncoming traffic. Tow truck had to haul to dealership location near home (100+ miles away). Currently still receiving alerts from onstar that all vehicle functions are clear and OK with no issues "green checkmark" on all components. No recalls or service issues in the vehicle for 22k miles until failure.

The electronic brake control module, break retainer, brake master cylinder and brake valve all failed. I was driving to lunch and coming down a hill when multiple warning lights turned on as I pressed the brakes. I had almost no braking power as I approached a stop sign that lets you enter a highway almost causing me to drive through the stop sign and into cross traffic. I had enough bearings to down shift it and slow it down enough to stop. If I have went through the stop sign, it could have been a fatal accident. The vehicle is at a GM dealership currently with all active codes and faulty equipment. I contacted GM and tried to get some help with this issue and they refuse to help since it is not on the recall list. There is a recall on these exact same parts on the exact same vehicle, GM said its VIN specific. The problem is still current. This vehicle is a major safety risk that obviously should have been included in the recall. There was no warning or no symptoms of this issue until the failure in the moment.

In August 2025 I purchased a brand new 2025 Cadillac Escalade ESV Sport Platinum. Purchase Price $155,000. I maintained the car to the highest level possible since taking ownership. The total miles put on the car between August 2025 and May 2026 was 6,142. On May 14, 2026 at approx. 8am EST I was driving the car southbound on Alternate AIA (going from my house to my office). As the car was approaching the intersection of Alternate AIA and Hood Road the engine stopped running and turned off. The Car rolled to a stop and the dashboard displayed a message of "please push the start button". The electronics of the car were fully functional, the dashboard was on and I was able to roll the windows up and down, however when I would hit the start button on the car the engine would not turn on. The car could not be placed in neutral because the engine would not turn on, so the car was immobile in the middle of Alternate AIA (a 6 lane road) during peak morning rush hour. I was forced to call roadside service and have the car towed to Cadillac of West Palm Beach, the same dealership that I purchased the car from 9 months earlier. I got myself down to the Cadillac dealership at the same time as the car got there on the morning of 5/14/26. I checked the car in with the service department and explained the issue to them. I specifically asked if this is a known Engine issue with Cadillac Escalades, and they told me they have never seen this happen, ever (from my googling it appears this is infact a known issue, I think there is currently an ongoing NHTSA investigation into catastrophic engine failures affecting certain Cadillacs. The probe targets GM's L87 6.2-liter V8 engine, which can suddenly seize or lose propulsion due to manufacturing defects in the connecting rods and crankshafts). They said they would have a service tech look at the car for me A week later I was told the engine was dead and the car needed a full engine replacement.