Owner-reported complaints naming the engine system, filed with NHTSA
Data refreshed
Reports naming the engine itself — including stalling, misfires, oil consumption, cooling and internal engine components. Every record below is an owner-reported complaint about the 2008 Cadillac Escalade submitted to NHTSA — not a confirmed defect, not a recall and not a manufacturer bulletin. 15 reports on file name it.
Complaints are reports submitted by owners and drivers to NHTSA. They are not verified and do not establish that a defect exists.
Shown in the owner’s own words, exactly as filed
Truck goes into limp mode, reduced power, stuck in second gear, stabilitrak and engine lights. Took it to the Cadillac dealership and after 3100 dollars in repairs the truck is still doing it. If the high level techs can’t figure it out after 2000 in labor it’s should be a recall item.
The contact owns a 2008 Cadillac Escalade. The contact stated that since purchasing the vehicle, the "Service Traction Control" and "Service Stabili-trak" message appeared on the instrument panel. The contact was informed by the auction that the failure was due to the low air pressure on the driver’s side rear tire. The contact stated while exiting a parking lot, the steering wheel locked-up. There were no warning lights illuminated. The vehicle was taken to an independent mechanic who diagnosed the vehicle and stated that no issues were found. The contact stated that the check engine warning light illuminated once. The vehicle was taken to another mechanic who diagnosed that the oil sensor and oil pressure switch needed to be replaced. The vehicle was repaired however, the failure persisted. The dealer and manufacturer were not made aware of the failure. The vehicle was not repaired. The approximate failure mileage was 165,286.
I STARTED MY VEHICLE ONE AFTERNOON TO A TAPPING SOUND DINING FROM UNDER THE HOOD. I CHECKED MY OIL, WHICH WAS GOOD THEN SCHEDULE TO HAVE MY TRUCK LOOKED AT BY A MECHANIC. HE STARTED THAT THE LIFTERS AND BEARINGS NEEDED TO BE REPLACED. I HAVE ALWAYS HAD THE OIL AND OTHER FLUIDS CHANGED REGULARLY SO I DON'T UNDERSTAND THE EXPENSIVE REPAIR. THE MECHANIC RECOMMEND A TREATMENT THAT WOULD GIVE ME TIME TO SAVE FOR THE REPAIR OF THE REPLACEMENT OF MY ENGINE. I NOW HEAR THAT ENGINE FAILURE IS COMMON IN THIS VEHICLE. WHY IS THERE NOT A RECALL TO REPAIR OR REPLACE THESE MASSIVE BILL OF A PART THAT WAS PROPERLY TAKEN CARE OF. MY VEHICLE IS STILL TAPPING AND IS NOW STARTING A SLIGHT JERK WHILE DRIVING AND A DELAY WHEN STARTING UP.
THE ENGINE LIGHT CAME ON, IT WAS TREMBLING FOR A MONTH PRIOR TO THE LIGHT. THEN PEPBOYS COULD NOT FIND PROBLEM. RESET ELECTRICAL PANEL. A WEEK LATER BRAKE STABILIZER LIGHT CAME ON. TOOK TO OCEAN CADILLAC IN MIAMI. THE ENGINE WAS SMOKING, KNOCKING AND ABOUT TO GO ON FIRE. IT LOST PRESSURE AND I CALLED INSURANCE FLATBED.. AFTER FUEL PUMP REPLACED AND $1200 LATER.. PICKED UP AND DROVE OFF. 15 MINUTES LATER ENGINE VIBRATING & SMOKING AS SERVICE DEPT CLOSED. THEY GAVE ME A LOANER CAR, AND SAID FUEL PUMP BLOWN OUT FROM ENGINE MALFUCTION.. OTHER OWNERS, SAME MODEL, TOLD ,ME A COMMON PROBLEM THAT GM REPAIRS FOR FREE SINCE ON RECALL. THE DELEARSHIP NOW SAYS 4,000 BILL TO FIX THE ROOT OF THE PROBLEM. THIS SHOULD BE COVERED BY GM WHO DOES NOT ANSWER THE PHONE. TWO MONTHS GOING BACK AND FORTH THE DELEARSHIP AND NO MORE MONEY TO GIVE 4,000 TO THE ENGINE WHICH IS ON RECALL & RESPONSIBILITY OF GM MOTORS.
TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2008 CADILLAC ESCALADE. THE CONTACT STATED WHILE DRIVING 60 MPH, THE CHECK ENGINE WARNING LIGHT ILLUMINATED. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO THE DEALER RED NOLAND CADILLAC INC. (990 MOTOR CITY DR, COLORADO SPRINGS, CO 80905) WHERE IT WAS DIAGNOSED AND DETERMINED THAT THE SPARK PLUGS NEEDED TO BE REPLACED. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT REPAIRED. THE FAILURE RECURRED. THE VEHICLE WAS THEN TAKEN TO AN INDEPENDENT MECHANIC WHO DIAGNOSED THE VEHICLE AND DETERMINED THAT THE SPARK PLUGS NEEDED TO BE REPLACED. THE SPARK PLUGS WERE REPLACED. THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOT MADE AWARE OF THE FAILURE. THE FAILURE WAS APPROXIMATELY 177,000.
GM HAS MANUFACTURED DEFECTS/DESIGN FAILURES INTO NUMEROUS PARTS IN MY 2008 CADILLAC ESCALADE EXT. THE DOOR HANDLES ALL BROKE OFF APPARENTLY BECAUSE THEY USED WEAK PLASTIC PARTS. THE ENGINE IS STALLING AND WON'T START (POSSIBLY DUE TO CAM SHAFT SENSOR AND DEFFECTIVE CAM SHAFT OR FUEL CONTROL MODULE THEY DID A RECALL ON AND NEVER FIXED ON MY CAR)...APPARENTLY THE OIL SENSOR GOES 1ST AND THEN THE CAM SHAFT AND OIL PRESSURE ISSUES COME NEXT...BUT THIS IS CAUSED BY A DEFECTIVE CAM SHAFT IN THE 1ST PLACE...VERY DANGEROUS AND BOUND TO LEAVE YOU STRANDED OR CAUSE AN ACCIDENT! AS FOR STEERING, THE POWER RACK & PINION IS DESIGNED TO START LEAKING REQUIRING A NEW $450+ PART PLUS LABOR TO PUT IN AS THERE IS NO WAY TO STOP THE POWER STEERING LEAKAGE...FINALLY, THE HEAD LIGHTS GO OUT AND GM COULD NOT HAVE MADE IT ANY HARDER TO REPLACE THEM NOR MORE EXPENSIVE- REQUIRING FRONT BUMPER REMOVAL AND USUALLY A RESULT OF THEIR DEFECTIVE WATERPROOFING OF THE LIGHT AND BALLAST! (I PUT 1/19 BELOW BUT THESE PROBLEMS HAVE DEVELOPED OVER THE LAST YEAR OF SO RIGHT AROUND THE 100,000 MILE MARKER)
WHILE DRIVING DOWN THE ROAD, THE ENGINE STARTED MAKING A TAPPING NOISE.I TOOK IT TO A SHOP FOR EVAL AND GOT NO HELP BC THEY COULDNT REPLICATE THE NOISE??! WENT TO A GMC DEALER-SAME!!ON WAY HOME CK ENGINE LIGHT AND TRACTION CONTROL LIGHTS FLASHED 3 SECONDS. WENT BACK TO GMC- THE NOISE WAS LOUDER. THEY JUST TOLD ME I NEED A NEW ENGINE!! THIS CAR HAS HAD SO MANY REPAIRS ITS AWFUL!!
TL* TAKATA RECALL. THE CONTACT OWNS A 2008 CADILLAC ESCALADE. THE CONTACT STATED THAT THE MANUFACTURER WAS UNABLE TO SUPPLY THE PART FOR NHTSA CAMPAIGN NUMBER: 16V381000 (AIR BAGS) BEYOND A THREE YEAR PERIOD. THE DEALER (CAPITAL CADILLAC OF ATLANTA, 2210 COBB PKWY SE, SMYRNA, GA 30080, (770) 884-7397) CONFIRMED THAT THE PART WAS UNAVAILABLE. IN ADDITION, THE ENGINE WARNING INDICATOR KEPT RANDOMLY ILLUMINATING. IN PREVIOUS REPAIRS, THE DEALER REPLACED THE ALTERNATOR ASSEMBLY AND REPLACED A CABLE FOR THE SERVICE CHARGING SYSTEM DUE TO A CONSTANT LOSS OF POWER. THE FAILURE HAD NOT BEEN DIAGNOSED BY THE DEALER; HOWEVER, THE CONTACT HAD A DIAGNOSTIC TROUBLE CODE READER THAT PRODUCED A FAILURE CODE. THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOTIFIED. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS UNKNOWN. VIN TOOL CONFIRMS PARTS NOT AVAILABLE.
TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2008 CADILLAC ESCALADE. WHILE APPROACHING AN INTERSECTION, THE VEHICLE STALLED AND THE CHECK ENGINE WARNING INDICATOR ILLUMINATED WHEN ATTEMPTING TO RESTART THE VEHICLE. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO AN INDEPENDENT MECHANIC, BUT THE CAUSE OF THE FAILURE COULD NOT BE DETERMINED. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT REPAIRED AND THE FAILURE RECURRED. THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOT NOTIFIED OF THE FAILURE. THE DEALER WAS NOT CONTACTED. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 180,000.
ON THREE SEPARATE OCCASIONS THE CAR HAS COMPLETELY SHUT DOWN WHILE BEING DRIVEN. TWICE WHILE AT HIGHWAY SPEEDS, THE CAR LOST ALL POWER, INCLUDING POWER STEERING, POWER BRAKES, AS I WAS TRYING TO SAFELY GET OVER TO THE SIDE OF THE HIGHWAY, ALL THE DASH LIGHTS COME BACK ON, THE RADIO COMES ON AT TOP VOLUME, THE POWER COMES BACK ON. I HAVE HAD IT INTO AN AUTHORIZED CADILLAC DEALERSHIP. THEY HAD IT FOR OVER A WEEK AND COULD NEVER REPLICATE IT OR FIND THE ISSUE. THE THIRD TIME IT HAPPENED ON A SIDE STREET, NOT AS BAD AS THE HIGHWAY, BUT STILL EXTREMELY DANGEROUS. THIS IS CLEARLY AN ISSUE BECAUSE I HAVE READ OTHER REPORTS OF THE EXACT SAME THING HAPPENING. THE ONE I READ WAS IN 2008 WHICH IS THE MODEL YEAR OF THIS CAR. FIRST TIME IT HAPPENED WAS APPX LATE NOV 2015,, THEN AGAIN IN MARCH 2016, AND THIS LAST TIME ON JULY 17, 2016.
I WILL BE DRIVING AND LOSE ALL POWER! IT DOES IT AT DIFFERENT SPEEDS. ITS LIKE SOMEONE TURNS THE CAR OFF AND BACK ON. THE WEIRD THING IS IT WILL DO IT ALOT ONE DAY AND THEN IT DOESNT DO IT FOR A COUPLE OF DAYS. IT ALWAYS COMES BACK ON BUT IN TRAFFIC IT COULD BE VERY DANGEROUS. I HAVE HAD IT PUT ON COMPUTERS AND IT NEVER HAS SHOWED ANYTHING. AND I WAS READING ON RECALLS ON THE IGNITIONS AND THOUGHT IT COULD BE A PART OIF THE RECALL
MY VEHICLE WAS PARKED COMPLETELY OFF, WHEN AN ALARM TYPE OF SOUND STARTED RINGING. I LOOKED AT MY CAR AND I SEE SMOKE INSIDE BY THE DASH BOARD, I CALLED MY HUSBAND AND HE RUSHES OUTSIDE AND GRABBED A TOOL. HE OPENED UP THE HOOD AND ALOT MORE SMOKE CAME OUT, HE DISCONNECTED THE BATTERY WITH THE TOOL AND MY UNCLE GRABBED THE HOSE AND WATER DOWN THE ENGINE PART OF THE CAR. THE FIRE WENT OUT AND I RIGHT AWAY CONTACT ME INSURNACE.THE WHOLE ELECTRICAL FUSE BOX IS BURN AND IM NOT SURE WHAT ELSE IS DAMAGE IN THE DASH BOARD. *TR
TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2008 CADILLAC ESCALADE. THE CONTACT STATED THAT WHILE DRIVING 65 MPH, THE VEHICLE STALLED WITHOUT WARNING. THE CONTACT WAS ABLE TO RESTART THE VEHICLE AFTER SEVERAL MINUTES. THE CONTACT TOOK THE VEHICLE TO A DEALER FOR DIAGNOSTIC TESTING AND THE DEALER ADVISED THAT AN UNKNOWN SENSOR AND SWITCH NEEDED TO BE REPLACED. THE DEALER REPLACED BOTH COMPONENTS BUT THE REPAIR DID NOT REMEDY THE STALLING FAILURE. THE CONTACT CALLED THE MANUFACTURER REGARDING THE FAILURE BUT THE MANUFACTURER HAD YET TO OFFER ANY ASSISTANCE TO THE CONTACT. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 137,000.
CONSUMER REQUESTS A STOLEN BAG AND OVER CHARGE FROM AIRLINES *TGW THE TIRE PRESSURE LIGHT ILLUMINATED. THE DEALER RECALIBRATED THE TIRE SENSOR MONITORS. UPDATED 11/15/10 UPDATED 11/19/10 THE CONSUMER STATED THERE WAS CLOUDY WHITE SMOKE COMING FROM THE VEHICLE. IT WAS DETERMINED THE ENGINE AND GASKET FAILED DUE TO A PIN HOLE THAT CAUSED THE OIL TO LEAK OUT. UPDATED 12/01/10 UPDATED 02/08/11
THE VEHICLE TOTALLY SHUTS DOWN WHILE DRIVING. ALL POWER, ENGINE AND ELECTRICAL, IS LOST THEREBY CREATING A HIGH RISK OF A COLLISION AND INJURY. GM/CADILLAC HAS BEEN UNABLE TO DIAGNOSE THIS ONGOING PROBLEM/ DEFECT. *TR
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.
Categories with enough reports to have a page of their own
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