2022 Cadillac Escalade Problems & Owner Complaints

Engine 55 1 crash 1 fire 1 injury

“I WAS DRIVING DOWN THE [XXX] IN DETROIT MI AND MY ENGINE LOCKED UP AND THE VEHICLE SHUT OFF WHILE I WAS DRIVING 70 MPH THIS IS THE SECOND TIME MY ENGINE LOCKED UP WHILE DRIVING THIS VEHICLE INFORMATION REDACTED PURSUANT TO THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT (FOIA), 5 U.S.C. 552(B)(6)”
NHTSA complaint #11653795, 2025 · crash · 1 injury(ies)

“I purchased the vehicle two weeks ago. As we were driving on the freeway the car would not accelerate and it started making a clanking noise and then the cab filled with smoke. We pulled over and exited the vehicle. My husband opened the hood and saw a fire. He quickly put out the fire with 3 stanley cups of water. My husband said that the failure caused a hole in the side of the block and the oil completely drained out of the vehicle and was all over the freeway.”
NHTSA complaint #11661598, 2025 · fire

“My 2022 Cadillac Escalade received the remedy for Recall 25V-274 (L87 6.2L V8 loss of propulsion) on July 22nd at the dealer. The vehicle passed inspection and was given the higher-viscosity 0W-40 oil change remedy rather than an engine replacement. Since that service, the engine has begun stalling. It stalls when the vehicle is stopped. This symptom was not present before the recall service was performed. I consider this a loss-of-propulsion safety concern consistent with the defect the recall was meant to address, and I am concerned the oil-change remedy did not correct the underlying condi…”
NHTSA complaint #11752889, 2026

Power Train 11 1 fire

“I purchased the vehicle two weeks ago. As we were driving on the freeway the car would not accelerate and it started making a clanking noise and then the cab filled with smoke. We pulled over and exited the vehicle. My husband opened the hood and saw a fire. He quickly put out the fire with 3 stanley cups of water. My husband said that the failure caused a hole in the side of the block and the oil completely drained out of the vehicle and was all over the freeway.”
NHTSA complaint #11661598, 2025 · fire

“I have a 2022 Escalade with 98,000 miles at 70,000 miles I complained about engine and transmission issues On June 14 I lost my transmission I brought it to the dealer and they diagnosed it as a valve body failure Valve number 6 stuck and binding Unfortunately I inquired about the special coverage and my vin is not in the special Recall This problem extends beyond what gm is saying”
NHTSA complaint #11748307, 2026

“While driving my 2021 Cadillac Escalade on an interstate highway at approximately 70 mph with my family, including two minor children, the vehicle suddenly and without warning lost propulsion, shut off, and shifted into neutral. This occurred in active traffic and created an immediate safety hazard. A warning message appeared instructing me to restart the vehicle. After several minutes navigating traffic, I was able to restart the vehicle briefly and exit the highway. Shortly thereafter, additional dashboard alerts appeared indicating critical engine and transmission failure. After exiting t…”
NHTSA complaint #11728563, 2026

Engine And Engine Cooling 9

“The contact owns a 2022 Cadillac Escalade. The contact stated that while driving 45 MPH to the dealer, the vehicle experienced reduced engine power. The vehicle was driven to the dealer and was diagnosed with engine failure. The dealer determined that the engine needed to be replaced and related the failure to NHTSA Campaign number: 25V274000 (Engine and Engine Cooling). The VIN was associated with the recall. The vehicle was not yet repaired. The manufacturer was not contacted. The failure mileage was approximately 37,600.”
NHTSA complaint #11714515, 2026

“The contact owns a 2022 Cadillac Escalade. The contact stated that the message "Low Engine Oil" was displayed prematurely. The vehicle was taken to the dealer, where an oil consumption test was performed, and the contact was informed that the vehicle had passed the oil consumption test. The contact later received notification of NHTSA Campaign Number: 25V274000 (Engine and Engine Cooling). The vehicle was taken to the dealer, where the contact was informed that the engine had failed the recall inspection and needed to be replaced. The contact was provided with vehicle rental assistance for app…”
NHTSA complaint #11700422, 2025

“The contact owns a 2022 Cadillac Escalade. The contact received notification of NHTSA Campaign Number: 25V274000 (ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING); however, the part to do the recall repair was unavailable. The contact stated that the manufacturer had exceeded a reasonable amount of time for the recall repair. The manufacturer was made aware of the issue. The contact had not experienced a failure.”
NHTSA complaint #11684853, 2025

Electrical System 6 1 crash

“I was in accident on the interstate. None of the safety features activated. The truck was sliding instead of stopping. The emergency stop and braking never activated. The distance sensor failed. The airbag didn’t deploy and Onstar never called about a crash alert.”
NHTSA complaint #11519716, 2023 · crash

“My 2022 Cadillac Escalade Sports Platinum has shut down several times while I'm driving, and recently it started shifting into neutral on its own. I have three kids, and my whole family was in the car when this happened. Once, it shut down and shifted to neutral as I was crossing a busy street at night. I was really scared that someone might hit us because it was hard to see. I will take the SUV to the dealer for an engine inspection because of a recall. This problem is very frightening and could put lives at risk.”
NHTSA complaint #11721576, 2026

“The onstar module has failed and this seems to be an ongoing issue with a lot of gm’s. My car was recently in to fix the major gm engine recall and after that my onstar stopped working. I called and they said it’s not a connectivity issue it’s a part issue. So it will have to be taken to the dealership. I pay money to have onstar and unlimited WiFi. There should be a recall for this.”
NHTSA complaint #11697592, 2025

Fuel/Propulsion System 5

“While driving my 2021 Cadillac Escalade on an interstate highway at approximately 70 mph with my family, including two minor children, the vehicle suddenly and without warning lost propulsion, shut off, and shifted into neutral. This occurred in active traffic and created an immediate safety hazard. A warning message appeared instructing me to restart the vehicle. After several minutes navigating traffic, I was able to restart the vehicle briefly and exit the highway. Shortly thereafter, additional dashboard alerts appeared indicating critical engine and transmission failure. After exiting t…”
NHTSA complaint #11728563, 2026

“After waiting months to get my vehicle checked for recall N252494000 NHTSA 25V274 I was told my vehicle passed inspection. When I asked to see the detailed results of the pico test I was told there are no detailed results and I was not shown anything proving my vehicle was tested and whether it passed or failed. My invoice states "Performed pico test test took multiple tries to complete having to unhook and reinstall pico to complete" which does not make me confident in the result. While talking to the service manager, he mentioned their original pico equipment was replaced by GMC after app…”
NHTSA complaint #11694158, 2025

“My engine all of a sudden went dead in the middle of an intersection. I was unable to put the vehicle in neutral and move it so it was stuck in the middle of an intersection until the tow truck arrived. In addition, it had to be dragged due to this issue - which I’m sure isn’t good for it.”
NHTSA complaint #11685898, 2025

Unknown Or Other 4 1 crash

“My moonroof spontaneously exploded almost causing me to have an accident with a 16 wheeler truck. NO external objects hit the moonroof.”
NHTSA complaint #11489359, 2022 · crash

“On March 19, 2026 around 830AM EST, the vehicle turned off while I was driving around 40mph. I lost all power while on a busy street and I was unable to move the car to the side of the road. The car would not shift into drive or neutral, and therefore remained in the middle of the road until a tow truck had to flatbed it to the Cadillac dealership. The L87 recall on this vehicle was performed in August 2025, however the Cadillac dealership said there were no issues found with the L87 recall. The symptoms of today's issue - vehicle turning off while driving and does not start back up, is simi…”
NHTSA complaint #11725511, 2026

“The onstar module has failed and this seems to be an ongoing issue with a lot of gm’s. My car was recently in to fix the major gm engine recall and after that my onstar stopped working. I called and they said it’s not a connectivity issue it’s a part issue. So it will have to be taken to the dealership. I pay money to have onstar and unlimited WiFi. There should be a recall for this.”
NHTSA complaint #11697592, 2025

Forward Collision Avoidance 3 2 crash 2 injury

“On [XXX], my wife and I were stopped in traffic in Baton Rouge, Louisiana at approximately 7:35pm. Another vehicle failed to stop due to being distracted on his phone and rear ended my 2022 Cadillac Escalade. My wife and I were both injured. None of our airbags deployed and the On-Star system never came on and never detected the crash. By the airbags never deploying, this caused my wife to hit her head on the dashboard as well as on the speakers on the passenger seat. It happened in front of a fire station so they heard the crash and immediately ran out the fire station to help us. The vehic…”
NHTSA complaint #11620606, 2024 · crash · 2 injury(ies)

“I was in accident on the interstate. None of the safety features activated. The truck was sliding instead of stopping. The emergency stop and braking never activated. The distance sensor failed. The airbag didn’t deploy and Onstar never called about a crash alert.”
NHTSA complaint #11519716, 2023 · crash

“I purchased a 2022 Cadillac Escalade from Carvana. The vehicle was represented as having only minor prior damage, but after taking possession I discovered evidence indicating that it had sustained significantly more extensive damage than was disclosed. Based on subsequent inspections, I believe the vehicle was not in a safe condition when it was sold to me. The primary components involved include the vehicle's structural/body integrity and suspension/alignment systems, as well as other components affected by the previous collision damage. The vehicle is available for inspection upon request.…”
NHTSA complaint #11747983, 2026

Air Bags 1 1 crash 2 injury

“On [XXX], my wife and I were stopped in traffic in Baton Rouge, Louisiana at approximately 7:35pm. Another vehicle failed to stop due to being distracted on his phone and rear ended my 2022 Cadillac Escalade. My wife and I were both injured. None of our airbags deployed and the On-Star system never came on and never detected the crash. By the airbags never deploying, this caused my wife to hit her head on the dashboard as well as on the speakers on the passenger seat. It happened in front of a fire station so they heard the crash and immediately ran out the fire station to help us. The vehic…”
NHTSA complaint #11620606, 2024 · crash · 2 injury(ies)

Back Over Prevention 1

“I purchased a 2022 Cadillac Escalade from Carvana. The vehicle was represented as having only minor prior damage, but after taking possession I discovered evidence indicating that it had sustained significantly more extensive damage than was disclosed. Based on subsequent inspections, I believe the vehicle was not in a safe condition when it was sold to me. The primary components involved include the vehicle's structural/body integrity and suspension/alignment systems, as well as other components affected by the previous collision damage. The vehicle is available for inspection upon request.…”
NHTSA complaint #11747983, 2026

Fuel System 1

“The contact owns a 2022 Cadillac Escalade. The contact stated while driving 5 MPH and making a turn, the vehicle stalled in the middle of the roadway. There was no warning light illuminated. The contact was unable to pull over to the side of the road. The vehicle failed to restart and was towed to the dealer, where the fuel pump power control module was replaced. The vehicle was repaired. Additionally, the contact received notification of NHTSA Campaign Number: 25V274000 (Engine and Engine Cooling); however, the part to do the recall repair was not yet available. The dealer was contacted. The…”
NHTSA complaint #11674206, 2025

Service Brakes 1

“This is the second time the car has completely shut off and unable to restart. This is the second time it failed on the interstate. When the car died the car could not be switch to park and had to hold the brake pedal to prevent the car from rolling backward. Second whenever the car was turned of the hazard flashers would turn off. The dealer has previous looked at the car and claimed no problem. This is extremely dangerous to have a car random dying on the interstate. The car at the dealer with often have communication error codes that are just cleared and send you on your way.”
NHTSA complaint #11589021, 2024

Steering 1

“I was driving my 2022 Cadillac Escalade when suddenly the engine shut off. Lost the ability to drive forward and steering became hard. I was close to being rear-ended as I was on the highway. Towed it to the dealer who said engine seized. Installed new engine after a month of waiting and the vehicle doesn't run right. It has a rough idle. Dealer installed incorrect oil as replacement engines were supposed to retain original oil of 0W-20. Had to make numerous trips to the dealer due to low coolant, wrong oil on a new engine and rough idle. Dealer says its fine. $100K vehicle with a rough id…”
NHTSA complaint #11696780, 2025

Structure 1 1 crash 2 injury

“On [XXX], my wife and I were stopped in traffic in Baton Rouge, Louisiana at approximately 7:35pm. Another vehicle failed to stop due to being distracted on his phone and rear ended my 2022 Cadillac Escalade. My wife and I were both injured. None of our airbags deployed and the On-Star system never came on and never detected the crash. By the airbags never deploying, this caused my wife to hit her head on the dashboard as well as on the speakers on the passenger seat. It happened in front of a fire station so they heard the crash and immediately ran out the fire station to help us. The vehic…”
NHTSA complaint #11620606, 2024 · crash · 2 injury(ies)

Suspension 1

“1.) Loud engine ticking and clicking noise when car is in park position. 2.) Vibration in steering wheel after numerous alignment and wheel balancing services. Even purchased 4 new tires and vibration still continues.”
NHTSA complaint #11697017, 2025

Wheels 1

“What component or system failed or malfunctioned, and is it available for inspection upon request? - The Engine seized up. How was your safety or the safety of others put at risk? Engine shut off on its own will. Has the problem been reproduced or confirmed by a dealer or independent service center? Yes GM has confirmed the engine needs to be replaced under the 6.2L engine claim. Has the vehicle or component been inspected by the manufacturer, police, insurance representatives or others? GM has inspected the vehicle. Were there any warning lamps, messages or other symptoms of the probl…”
NHTSA complaint #11747198, 2026