CADILLAC Complaints

Roads were dry. Sunny conditions. Driving approximately 55 mph in fast lane. Vehicle brakes locked up for approximately one second. There was no collision warning and no vehicle in front of us. We pulled over to disengage all collision and emergency brake functions. Driver and passengers were all shocked and had pain from tension in neck and back. Had roads been icy this could have led to a multiple vehicle accident with severe injuries or fatalities.

Suspension failed at 50,000 miles. At 56,000 miles one of the valve components inside the engine (a lifter) has collapsed. This part controls the opening of the engine valve, and because it is no longer moving, that cylinder cannot build compression and is causing the misfire. This is an internal mechanical failure inside the engine and cannot be caused by body work, fuel quality, or anything external.

Loud engine knocking heard after starting vehicle at grocery store, vehicle was driven 25 miles to get to store so was 'warm', check engine lite on dashboard came on during knocking, was able to drive vehicle to dealership for diagnosis (approximately 3.1 miles), dealership diagnosis after engine teardown was roller lifter failure causing damaged camshaft, instead of repairing defective parts in this engine opted for new engine replacement, cost approximately $15,000 for repairs and labor out of pocket, vehicle is 2019 Escalade, less than 110,000 miles on engine, purchased in 2022 with approximately 9000 odometer miles from cadillac dealership, professionally maintained at Cadillac dealership since purchase. GMC has a NHTSA recall (EA25007) for 6.2L V8 engines (which this vehicle particular has), for the years 2021-2024. Model years 2019-2021 with these type of engines has an active investigation (no recall yet) for the same issue of 'loss of motive power due to engine failure'. We were fortunate that the failure occurred in town at low speed driving and not on the freeway with truck traffic at 75 mph, a sudden loss of power due to engine failure would greatly have increased the risk of a crash.

On 5/8/2024, at approximately 18,969 miles, the vehicle suffered a sudden and complete loss of engine power while driving on the highway in the rain with my family inside. The engine died, the vehicle lost all propulsion creating an immediate and severe safety hazard. Dealer diagnosis revealed a catastrophic crankshaft main bearing failure, requiring a full engine replacement. Since the engine repair, the vehicle has exhibited persistent intermittent/unintended brake activation. The brakes engage without driver input causing "Service Brake" messages, excessive and premature brake pad/rotor wear (replaced three times in a matter of months due to heat and dust from repeated activation), grinding, squealing, and locked caliper incidents. The vehicle has been inspected by two Cadillac Dealerships without any remedy except replacing warranty parts. An independent mechanic inspected the vehicle and confirmed the issue is likely related to the Advanced Driver Assistance Systems. To drive safely, we must disable the collision avoidance and traction control features. This has been reported on multiple repair orders and matches complaints from other 2023-2025 Escalade and GM SUV owners. Total documented downtime since first failure exceeds 160+ calendar days. Problems remained unresolved despite warranty repairs, software updates, recalls, and the L87 engine replacement. The sudden engine failure endangered my family and the ongoing phantom braking creates risk of collision or loss of control, especially at highway speeds. I have been forced to disable critical safety systems to prevent unintended braking. This vehicle is directly affected by the L87 defect that prompted federal recall and investigations. Please include my complaint in the ongoing EA25007 and RQ26001 investigations and consider my case in any further actions regarding the adequacy of GM's remedies. Please contact me for dealer repair orders and independent mechanic findings.

The contact owns a 2016 Cadillac Escalade. The contact stated that while driving at 65 MPH, there was an abnormal popping sound coming from the engine. The contact stated that the vehicle sounded like it was going to stall, and the accelerator pedal was depressed to keep the vehicle from stalling. The vehicle was driven to an independent mechanic, where it was diagnosed with lifter failure. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was notified of the failure. The failure mileage was 137,027.

On 2/21/26, while driving approximately 60 mph, my car experienced a sudden loss of propulsion. The vehicle unexpectedly shifted into neutral and began decelerating, displaying a prompt instructing me to press the start button. I was able to coast to the shoulder and avoid a collision, but the incident occurred in active highway traffic on a Saturday afternoon and posed a significant safety risk. The vehicle had completed manufacturer recall service related to engine propulsion concerns less than 90 days prior to this event and had PASSED the associated safety checks. Approximately 5,000 miles had been driven since that service without prior warning signs. Given the nature of the failure and its occurrence after recall completion, I am concerned that the recall remedy may not adequately address the safety defect. A loss of propulsion at highway speed could reasonably result in serious injury or death. Cadillac has NOW agreed to replace my engine, but they didn't replace it when they had the chance in November. The recall parameters failed me.

I've had my driver side door handle switch replaced beacuse it was faulty and I could not get into my car through the driver side. Now I am having the same issue with the passanger side. In a case of an emergeny if I can not get into my car I fear for my or my passanger's safety. I fear the quality of the parts are not ment to last. I replaced the driver side handle right before the manufactur warreny ran out then the passanger door stopped working when the warrenty ran out.

TRANSMISSION ISSUES. MY VEHICLE LUNGES AND HAS HARD SHIFTS WHEN ACCELERATING FROM LOW SPEED TO HIGH SPEEDS. ALSO LUNGES WHEN SLOWING DOWN OR STOPPING

On 2/17/2026 , while driving to work at 55 mph , the engine quit and dash board said to restart engine. Could not restart engine and had Cadillac Escalade towed to Gerry Lane Cadillac in Baton Rouge, Louisiana . Today 2/24/2026 , we received a call from dealership stating that it needs a new engine. (6.2 liter engine ) It may be a month before we get our Escalade back.

The contact owns a 2014 Cadillac SRX. The contact stated that while driving at an undisclosed speed, the front headlights were extremely dim. The contact stated that the dim headlights made the vehicle unsafe at night because of inadequate illumination. The vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired by an independent mechanic or dealer. The manufacturer was not made aware of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 120,000.