Cadillac Escalade Power Train Problems
Owners have filed 190 complaints with NHTSA about power train problems on the Cadillac Escalade across 26 model years. The 2015 model year has the most (28). The words owners use most often: “oil pressure” (7% of reports).
- 190power train complaints
- —median miles at failure
- 5mention a crash
- 3mention an injury
- 6related recalls
- 50%of reports with a speed happened at 50+ mph
What owners describe
Phrases that appear unusually often in these complaints compared with complaints about other cars.
- Oil pressure: mentioned in 13 of 190 complaints (7%)
At what mileage do power train problems happen?
Based on 75 complaints that reported the odometer reading.
How serious are the reports?
Of 190 complaints, 5 mention a crash, 2 a fire, 3 an injury.
Cadillac Escalade power train complaints by model year
| Model year | Power Train complaints | Share of that year | Median miles |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2026 Escalade | 3 | 8% | — |
| 2025 Escalade | 2 | 10% | — |
| 2024 Escalade | 9 | 17% | 8,000 |
| 2023 Escalade | 21 | 15% | 30,000 |
| 2022 Escalade | 15 | 18% | 20 |
| 2021 Escalade | 10 | 13% | 45,000 |
| 2020 Escalade | 3 | 21% | 938 |
| 2019 Escalade | 1 | 4% | — |
| 2018 Escalade | 3 | 14% | — |
| 2017 Escalade | 12 | 24% | 23,000 |
| 2016 Escalade | 17 | 19% | 47,755 |
| 2015 Escalade | 28 | 29% | 46,500 |
| 2014 Escalade | 1 | 5% | 72,133 |
| 2013 Escalade | 5 | 26% | 96,000 |
| 2012 Escalade | 1 | 5% | 75,645 |
| 2011 Escalade | 2 | 4% | — |
| 2010 Escalade | 1 | 3% | — |
| 2009 Escalade | 4 | 7% | 150,000 |
| 2008 Escalade | 6 | 4% | 100,000 |
| 2007 Escalade | 14 | 6% | 105,441 |
| 2005 Escalade | 7 | 16% | 153,000 |
| 2004 Escalade | 4 | 6% | 81,945 |
| 2003 Escalade | 3 | 4% | 7,850 |
| 2002 Escalade | 10 | 9% | 92,500 |
| 2000 Escalade | 5 | 7% | 50,250 |
| 1999 Escalade | 3 | 8% | — |
When owners reported it
Related recalls (6)
Power train:transfer case (4-wheel drive)Do not drive
Model years: 2015, 2026
Problem: General Motors, LLC (GM) is recalling certain 2026 Cadillac Escalade and Escalade ESV, Chevrolet Silverado 1500, Suburban, and Tahoe, and GMC Sierra 1500, Yukon, and Yukon XL vehicles with four-wheel (4WD) or all-wheel drive (AWD), and certain 2015-2020 Suburban, Escalade, Escalade ESV, Yukon, Yukon XL, and Tahoe vehicles. A component missing from the drivetrain transfer case may cause the front and/or rear wheels to lock up without warning to the driver.
Risk: Front or rear wheel lockup increases the risk of a crash.
Fix: Owners are advised not to drive their vehicle until the remedy is completed. Dealers will inspect and, if necessary, replace the transfer case assembly, free of charge. Owner notification letters were mailed May 18, 2026. Owners may contact GMC customer service at 1-800-462-8782, Chevrolet customer service at 1-800-222-1020 or Cadillac customer service at 1-800-333-4223. GM's number for this recall is N262557620. Vehicle Identification Numbers (VINs) involved in this recall became searchable on NHTSA.gov on May 7, 2026.
Power train:automatic transmission:control module:software; power train:automatic transmission:fluid/lubricant:valves/valve body
Model years: 2022
Problem: General Motors, LLC (GM) is recalling certain 2022 Chevrolet Tahoe, Chevrolet Suburban, GMC Yukon, GMC Yukon XL, Cadillac Escalade, and Cadillac Escalade ESV vehicles equipped with 10 Speed Transmission with ETRS (Electronic Transmission Range Select). The transmission control valve may fail and lock up the rear wheels.
Risk: Rear wheels that lock up while driving increase the risk of a crash.
Fix: Dealers will install new transmission control module (TCM) software, free of charge. Owner notification letters were mailed April 7, 2026. Owners may contact GM customer service at 1-888-988-7267, Cadillac customer service at 1-800-458-8006, GMC customer service at GMC 1-800-462-8782 or Chevrolet customer service at 1-800-222-1020. GM's number for this recall is N252536750. Vehicle Identification Numbers (VINs) involved in this recall became searchable on NHTSA.gov on February 12, 2026.
Power train:automatic transmission:fluid/lubricant:valves/valve body; power train:automatic transmission:control module:software
Model years: 2021
Problem: General Motors, LLC (GM) is recalling certain 2020-2022 Chevrolet Silverado 1500, 2500, 3500, GMC Sierra 1500, 2500, 3500, 2021 Cadillac Escalade, Escalade ESV, Chevrolet Tahoe, Suburban, GMC Yukon, and Yukon XL vehicles equipped with diesel engines. The transmission control valve may fail and cause the rear wheels to lock-up.
Risk: Rear wheel lock-up can increase the risk of a crash.
Fix: Dealers will install new transmission control module software, free of charge. GM will provide a special coverage program to cover the repair of transmissions that are identified by the remedy software as containing a defective control valve. Owner notification letters were mailed December 12, 2024. Owners may contact GM customer service at 1-888-988-7267, Cadillac customer service at 1-800-458-8006, GMC customer service at GMC 1-800-462-8782 or Chevrolet customer service at 1-800-222-1020. GM's number for this recall is N242454440.
Power train:driveline:driveshaft
Model years: 2021
Problem: General Motors, LLC (GM) is recalling certain 2021 GMC Yukon, Yukon XL, Cadillac Escalade, Escalade ESV, Chevrolet Suburban, and Chevrolet Tahoe vehicles. The rear wheel driveshaft assemblies may have internal components that were not heat-treated properly, possibly resulting in driveshaft failure.
Risk: Driveshaft failure can cause a sudden loss of drive power, increasing the risk of a crash.
Fix: Dealers will replace the left and/or right rear driveshaft assemblies, free of charge. Owner notification letters were mailed on March 14, 2022. Owners may contact Chevrolet customer service at 1-800-222-1020; Cadillac customer service at 1-800-458-8006 or GMC customer service at 1-800-462-8782. GM's number for this recall is N212351030.
Power train:automatic transmission; steering:column locking:anti-theft device
Model years: 2013
Problem: General Motors (GM) is recalling certain model year 2013 Cadillac Escalade, Escalade ESV, and Escalade EXT; Chevrolet Avalanche, Express, Silverado HD, Silverado LD, Suburban, and Tahoe; and GMC Savana, Sierra HD, Sierra LD, Yukon, and Yukon XL vehicles, manufactured between November 7, 2012, through December 18, 2012, for failing to comply with the requirements of Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standard (FMVSS) No. 102, "Transmission Shift Lever Sequence, Starter Interlock, and Transmission Braking Effect", and FMVSS No. 114, "Theft Protection and Rollaway Prevention." The vehicles may have been built with a fractured park lock cable or a malformed steering column lock actuator gear in the lock module assembly.
Risk: As a result, the vehicle may shift from Park with the ignition key removed or the ignition key in the OFF position. The vehicle may also shift out of Park without application of the brake pedal while the key is off. Either of these scenarios may cause the vehicle to roll away after the driver has exited the vehicle, resulting in a possible vehicle crash and/or injury.
Fix: GM will notify owners, and dealers will inspect the affected vehicles and replace the steering column as necessary, free of charge. The recall began on January 21, 2013. Chevrolet owners may call 1-800-630-2438. Cadillac owners may call 1-866-982-2339. GMC owners may call 1-866-996-9463.
Power train:manual transmission:shift pattern indicator
Model years: 2005
Problem: Certain sport utility vehicles equipped with an automatic transmission, fail to comply with the requirements of federal motor vehicle safety standard no. 102, "transmission shift lever sequence, starter interlock and transmission braking effect." under certain vehicle starting conditions, the shift lever position indicator located in the instrument panel cluster may not illuminate. If the shift lever position indicator does not illuminate, the driver may not know which gear the vehicle is in.
Risk: The vehicle may move in an unintended direction resulting in possible injury to others outside of the vehicle.
Fix: Dealers will reprogram the instrument panel cluster free of charge. The recall began on february 14, 2005. Owners may contact cadillac at 1-866-982-2339, chevrolet at 1-800-630-2438, and gmc at 1-866-996-9463.
What owners report
Short excerpts of recent complaints, with personal details removed. Full reports are on NHTSA.gov.
On Nov 16-17, 2025 we had GM recall work done - it was an manufacturers defect in connecting rod & crankshaft that can cause bearing failure or sudden loss of propulsion. The escalade ran fine since then, other than the HUD not working on the windshield. We had the oil changed on Sept 17, 2026, and…
Started car and all of sudden shaking, loss of power, flashing engine light and punch of flashing warnings. The car is being towed to cadillac dealer!
The engine stalled in the middle of an intersection ([XXX]). INFORMATION REDACTED PURSUANT TO THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT (FOIA), 5 U.S.C. 552(B)(6)
While I was driving i needed to accelerate to pass slower traffic. As I pressed the accelerator I I felt a shudder and binding sensation throughout the vehicle and had to make a very drastic and unplanned maneuver to return to my lane as I had not completely departed from my lane, while maneuvering…
This is a POST-REMEDY FAILURE. Please associate with EA26005. The replacement engine installed in July 2025 under recall 25V-274 has now failed at approximately 16,000 miles. In August 2026 at 70,606 miles the check engine light illuminated and the vehicle ran roughly and felt like it would stall…
Frequently asked questions
Do all Cadillac Escalades have power train problems?
No. NHTSA has 190 owner complaints about power train for the Cadillac Escalade. Complaint data shows that the problem is reported, not how many of all cars sold are affected.
Was there a recall on the Cadillac Escalade power train?
Yes: 6 safety recalls list power train. Check your VIN on NHTSA.gov to see whether the fix was done on your car.
What do owners say about power train problems on the Cadillac Escalade?
The most frequent phrase is “oil pressure”, in 13 of 190 complaints.
Other Cadillac Escalade problems
- Engine problems (502)
- Air Bags problems (327)
- Electrical System problems (278)
See all Cadillac Escalade problems.