2008 Cadillac Escalade Esv Problems
Owner-reported complaints filed with NHTSA, grouped by component
Data refreshed
What this page shows
Everything below is an owner-reported complaint submitted to NHTSA about the 2008 Cadillac Escalade Esv, grouped by the component NHTSA recorded on the report. These are not confirmed defects, and they are not recalls. NHTSA does not verify most reports before publishing them, and a category with more reports in it is not evidence that a part is defective.
Complaints are reports submitted by owners and drivers to NHTSA. They are not verified and do not establish that a defect exists.
Reports by component
Ranked by how many owner reports name each component category
- Airbags1266.7%
- Driver assistance211.1%
- Electrical211.1%
- Engine15.6%
- Powertrain (other)15.6%
Percentages are of component mentions. A single complaint can name more than one component, so these do not sum to the total complaint count.
Each component in detail
What the reports in each category say, in the owners' own words
Airbags
Reports naming the air-bag system — deployment behaviour, inflators, sensors and warning lights.
From owner reports, verbatim
TAKATA RECALL. I CONTACTED GUARANTY CHEVROLET IN SANTA ANA CA AND TUSTIN CADILLAC TO HAVE MY TAKATA AIR BAG REPLCED AND WAS TOLD THERE ARE NO AVAILABLE PARTS.
TAKATA RECALL. WHAT IS GOING ON WITH THIS RECALL? MY 2008 CADILLAC IS IN LIMBO AS GM DRAGS ITS FEET WITH PETITIONS TO AVOID THE WHOLE ISSUE. TO MAKE MATTERS EVEN WORSE, I HAVE IMPORTED THIS VEHICLE INTO CANADA AND CAN NOT REGISTER OR LEGALLY DRIVE IT UNTIL ALL OF THE RECALLS HAVE BEEN COMPLETED. DOES ANY GOVERNMENT AGENCY HAVE ANY POWER TO MAKE AN AUTO MANUFACTURER COMPLY WITH A RECALL IN A TIMELY MANNER?THIS ISSUE WITH THIS MODEL HAS BEEN GOING ON FOR YEARS WITH NO RESOLUTION AS YET. FRUSTRATING AND VERY DISAPPOINTING.
Driver assistance
Reports naming forward-collision avoidance, lane keeping, back-over prevention, cruise control and related electronic driver-assistance systems.
From owner reports, verbatim
SERVICE STABILITRAK THAT PROCEED INTO REDUCED ENGINE POWER. NORMALLY WHILE STEERING THE PROBLEM WILL DROP UP. I HAVE GONE TWICE INTO GM/CADILLAC DEALERS AND THEY INCAPABLE OF FIXING IT.
TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2008 CADILLAC ESCALADE ESV. THE CONTACT STATED WHILE DRIVING AT 70 MPH, THE VEHICLE SUDDENLY ACCELERATED UP TO 80 MPH INDEPENDENTLY. THE CONTACT WAS UNABLE TO STOP THE UNINTENDED ACCELERATION AND SHUT OFF THE ENGINE. THE VEHICLE BEGAN TO DECREASE IN SPEED. THE CONTACT RESTARTED THE ENGINE AND MOVED FROM THE ROADWAY WHERE HE SHUT OFF AND RESTARTED THE ENGINE A SECOND TIME. THE VEHICLE RESUMED NORMAL OPERATION. THE VEHICLE WAS TOWED TO A LOCAL DEALER WHERE HE WAS ADVISED THAT THE MANUFACTURER WAS AWARE OF THE FAILURE IN OLDER MODEL VEHICLE BUT NOT THE 2008 MODEL. THE DEALER CONTRIBUTED THE FAILURE TO THE THROTTLE BODY. THE CONTACT BELIEVED THE VEHICLE WAS UNSAFE TO DRIVE. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT REPAIRED. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 22,000 AND THE CURRENT WAS UNKNOWN.
Too few reports in this category for a page of its own — they appear in the full complaint list.
Electrical
Reports naming the electrical system — wiring, battery, charging, control modules, infotainment and electrical accessories.
From owner reports, verbatim
TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2008 CADILLAC ESCALADE ESV. WHILE DRIVING AT 60 MPH, THE SPEED REDUCED TO 25 MPH AND THE ACCELERATOR PEDAL FAILED TO RESPOND. THE CONTACT APPLIED FORCE TO THE ACCELERATOR PEDAL IN ORDER TO INCREASE SPEED. UNKNOWN WARNING INDICATORS ILLUMINATED EACH TIME THE FAILURE RECURRED. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO THE DEALER WHERE THE FAILURE WAS UNABLE TO BE DUPLICATED. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT INCLUDED IN NHTSA CAMPAIGN NUMBERS: 10V240000 (ELECTRICAL SYSTEM) AND 08V441000 (ELECTRICAL SYSTEM). THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOTIFIED OF THE FAILURE. THE APPROXIMATE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 140,000.
DRIVING DOWN THE ROAD, LIGHT RAIN, ABOUT 50 DEGREES, THE ENGINE SHUTS OFF, NAVIGATION/RADIO OFF, LIGHTS OFF. MY WIFE WAS DRIVING, LOST AND REGAINED CONTROL OF VEHICLE. HAPPENED WITH DEPUTY SHERIFF DIRECTLY BEHIND HER. THIS WAS THE SECOND TIME THE CAR HAS SHUT OFF UNINTENTIONALLY. THE FIRST TIME WAS IN A PARKING LOT AND CADILLAC CAME OUT AND CHANGED BATTERY. THIS TIME WAS TOWED TO DEALER WHO COULD NOT FIND ANYTHING WRONG. THE DEALER REFUSED TO CHECK TSB'S. SAID THERE WERE TOO MANY. *TR
Too few reports in this category for a page of its own — they appear in the full complaint list.
Engine
Reports naming the engine itself — including stalling, misfires, oil consumption, cooling and internal engine components.
From owner reports, verbatim
STARTED TO ACCELERATE AND THERE WAS A LOSS OF POWER FOR APPROXIMATELY 2 SECONDS AND THEN THE ENGINE SHUT DOWN. CAR WOULD NOT RESTART. I COULD NOT PULL OVER TO THE CURB AND HAD TO HAVE SOMEONE HELP ME GET THE CAR OUT OF THE MIDDLE OF THE ROADWAY. CAR STARTED AFTER SITTING FOR 15 MINUTES. THE CAR'S ENGINE FAULT LIGHT HAD BEEN ON. TOOK THE CAR TO THE DEALER FOR REPAIR. THEY REPORTED THAT THE PROBLEM WAS A ENGINE CONTROL MODULE WIRING HARNESS THAT HAD BEEN FRAYED BY THE DRIVE SHAFT RESULTING IN A NUMBER OF ENGINE FAULTS. *JS
Too few reports in this category for a page of its own — they appear in the full complaint list.
Powertrain (other)
Powertrain reports that are not specifically the engine or transmission — driveshafts, axles, transfer cases and differentials.
From owner reports, verbatim
SERVICE STABILITRAK THAT PROCEED INTO REDUCED ENGINE POWER. NORMALLY WHILE STEERING THE PROBLEM WILL DROP UP. I HAVE GONE TWICE INTO GM/CADILLAC DEALERS AND THEY INCAPABLE OF FIXING IT.
Too few reports in this category for a page of its own — they appear in the full complaint list.
Higher-selling and older vehicles accumulate more reports. Counts are not failure rates and are not directly comparable between vehicles that sold in very different numbers.
Elsewhere on this vehicle
Data sources
- NHTSA Office of Defects Investigation — owner-reported complaints and the components recorded on them
Data on this page last refreshed .