Owner-reported complaints naming the engine system, filed with NHTSA
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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 2021 Cadillac Escalade submitted to NHTSA — not a confirmed defect, not a recall and not a manufacturer bulletin. 53 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.
The 25 most recent of 53, in the owner's own words
On Saturday August 16, 2026, my family and I were in Laredo Texas and when we were driving on the freeway the motor blew out on my 2021 Cadillac escalade. One month before this occurred the dealership contacted me to replace the oil to a thicker oil because my trucks vin was on the recall and replacing the oil would help fix the issue. Replacing the oil did not fix this issue.
There was knocking and stalling happening. I looked up the issue and saw that there was a recall on all 2021 Cadillac escalades with my exact engine. Unfortunately my vin did fall in the recall but I have the same issues and now my car has been at the service station for almost 2 weeks trying to figure this out and get the situation taken care of.
The same exact engine make and model was recalled and mine didnt fall under it but I am having the same exact issues. And now my car is in the shop and im having to pay an outlandish amount of money to get my car fixed from a known recall on my exact vehicle and engine.
The engine started clicking and rumbling out of no where. I have done every maintenance protocol since buying and was told there was a recall on all of these engines. Somehow mine is not covered in the recall?
Driving my 2021 Escalade on interstate and engine began emitting sudden, loud metallic tapping. Oil pressure dropped off and a reduced power warning came on HUD. Acceleration dropped off, forcing him to coast dangerously across three lanes of traffic to the shoulder. Coasted to dealership—-somehow the VIN didn’t fall within the 2021-2024 recall despite exhibiting the exact same failure. Catastrophic engine failure needing full engine replacement.
Vehicle was sent the dealership 4 times since 2024 for leaking oil. Was told it was a rear main seal each time. Dealership said they replaced it and 2 weeks later the vehicle leaks again. It is now at the dealership and they tell us the crankshaft failed.
Bought a 2021 Escalade and at 50,000 miles it turned off at the middle of intersection while riding with my kids taking them to basketball. I had it towed to Cadillac they said it needed a new battery I left with new battery and broke down on the interstate while trying to pick up kids from school. I then had the car towed back to shop where they then said two days later I needed a new motor and that my warranty would not cover that and I’d have to pay 25,000-30….even though I just bought the car for 100,000….i towed it to RK Chevrolet where I waited for Over a YEAR. I had to buy a used car because I was never offered or able to use a loaner. My Cadilliac then got hit at the shop by a uber driver and the whole front in had to be fixed. I got my car back in November 2025 it’s now August 2026 9 months later it is back in the shop for motor and transmission issues with check engine light on. I am a hard working mother and I have spent more money on a car in my life. As a mother with kids to not have a car is a problem but the worst is the lack of help I have received. I would love any help in what I should do as this has been a nightmare. Please send or give me any advice I would greatly appreciate it.
On the day I was driving my 2021 Escalade had completely stopped in the middle of traffic , the vehicle was looked over by a certified mechanic and stated that it was at the full level of oil 0w-20 as stated to be put in by gm on the oil cap he stated that the motor L87 which is in my vehicle is under recall for this reason it the motor has put I and my child in complete danger in the middle of a busy street with the vehicle unable to move at all I stay on top of all vehicle maintenance and all recalls and was not informed that this motor was under recall for seizure I would like for the NHSTA to place this vehicle motor and others that are not informed of this information to please notify and rectify the issue because this has put me and my child and me being a pregnant mom in complete danger due to GM .i had no symptoms or problems or lights messages on my dash board the vehicle just abruptly stopped and scared me and my child .
See attached document for complaint.
On 7/14/26, I scheduled Escalade to be serviced at local dealership (MT) when A/C went out on drivers/middle vents and I noticed a faint ticking noise under hood. Was told engine lifters were damaged & needed to be replaced. Service was completed 7/21 and I picked it up that evening. On [XXX] my husband and I departed for San Diego; stayed overnight in St George UT. On [XXX] around [XXX] pm, I was driving in second from left lane on [XXX] San Bernadino area. I braked quickly as traffic from far left lane merged right to avoid debris from a refrigerator that had shattered all over the highway. The Escalade engine failed and shut off without warning or any indicators. I tried several times & could not restart the vehicle; therefore I could not shift the vehicle into Neutral so it could at least be pushed off the highway. My husband immediately called 9-1-1 and requested assistance. I frantically searched the internet for a way to shift to neutral when there is no power to the vehicle, and discovered the manual neutral override is under the vehicle. It was impossible for us to attempt that in this situation. All we could do was sit in the middle of the freeway with our hazard lights on and pray while we waited for law enforcement to arrive while heavy fast-moving traffic flew around us, honking and cursing at us to "get out of the way". This was a very perilous situation and our lives were endangered. We were helpless until CHP officers arrived on scene, followed by a tow company. The vehicle was towed to the closest dealer service center. We were told four days later that the entire engine needed to be replaced. It remains at the CA dealership while we fight with GM Warranty to have it shipped to MT. If the engine failure recall was dealt with appropriately as promised by GM, this would have been avoided altogether. **Note: Escalade passed engine recall inspection 10/9/25; was 'upgraded' to 40W oil. Regular service/oil changes completed 1/23/26 and 6/8/26. INFORMATION REDACTED PURSUANT TO THE FREEDOM OF INF
The contact owns a 2021 Cadillac Escalade. The contact stated that while approaching a red light and slowing down, there was a knocking sound coming from the vehicle, and the vehicle failed to properly accelerate. The vehicle was immediately driven to the local dealer to be diagnosed. The vehicle was diagnosed with engine failure. The contact was informed that the engine needed to be replaced. The vehicle was not yet repaired. The manufacturer was notified of the failure, but no assistance was offered. The contact was informed that the VIN was not included in NHTSA Campaign Number: 25V274000(ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING). The contact stated that the vehicle had experienced the failure listed in the recall. The failure mileage was 40,000.
Accelerated onto a 4-lane major highway and lost most engine power and many warning lights came on. I lost most vehicle power merging onto a 4 lane highway around other vehicles. I was able to get the car stopped car safely on side of the road and cut off for one minute. There was a noticeable rattlling noise in the engine compartment and severly reduced power. No lights regarding engine were previously available. Got the vehicle to dealer service center. Below is their report. "engine misfire detected. checked misfire data, all cylinder has recorded misfires with cylinder #4 being the most at 23,316. will have to remove bank 2 valve cover for inspection of rocker arms along with push rods. after removing valve cover no visible issues. started vehicle and the scraping/ticking noise is very audible. all rocker arms are moving. when touching cylinder #4 exhaust valve rocker arm can feel the roughness of the noise. which is indication of failed valve lifter or camshaft lobe. estimate provided. labor op 4067490 engine replacement 18.4 add 1.2 evacuate and recharge r1234yf a/c system. old engine #N1203011CU8X0269. new engine #19420611 007507775 1110000000000X. service completed."
Following a recent oil change, I started the vehicle back up to drive approximately an hour to another city and the engine was making a horrible “knocking” sound. Took the vehicle back to the dealership and it was confirmed catastrophic engine failure which fell under GM’s known 6.2L engine issues. My safety and my children’s safety were put at risk because had I not drove directly to the dealership instead of getting on the highway as planned, the vehicle could have died at highway speeds posing a serious safety risk. No warning signs, no engine light, nothing prior to the failure.
Engine failure while driving on highway at 70 mpg.
My family and I were returning from a trip, and the engine just died in the middle of the street at 2 AM. No noises from engine or anything, but it just stopped out of the blue.
On 4/17/2026 in Tomball Texas I experienced a sudden loss of engine propulsion while driving on a 4 lane road. The battery had voltage, hazard lights and radio worked normally. The car rolled to a stop in a traffic lane as this road has no shoulder and was put into park. The push button ignition was pressed but no restart of engine. The car was towed to the dealer that same day and told me the engine was "seized" and they have seen many of the same engines with the same problem. This car is not under the current recall for the L87 but those a few months to years from the recall lot have a current NHTSA investigation ongoing.
There was a recall on the L87 propulsion. The dealer changed the oil and said it was fixed. I left the dealer and the issue still persists. They refuse to address it.
I SCHEDULED SERVICE A SERVICE APPOINTMENT WITH RICK HENDRICK CHEVROLET IN NAPLES, FL. AFTER LEAVING THE VEHICLE AS SCHEDULED THE SERVICE MANAGER REFUSED TO PERFORM THE SAFETY COVERED RECALLS AND STATED DUE TO THE ISSUE OF THE VEHICLE HAVING A BRANDED TITLE.
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.
GM issued a special coverage in bulletin N252508341 for the coolant control valve in my vehicle. This issue happened to my vehicle exactly as the symptoms are stated in the bulletin: check engine light, P1098 code, fan running at high speed with the engine on and off, and reduced acceleration. I took the vehicle to the dealer to be covered, and they say my vehicle is not covered by the bulletin. To be clear, the bulletin covers 2021-2023 Cadillac Escalades with the LM2 3.0L Duramax engine. My vehicle is a 2021 Cadillac Escalade with a LM2 3.0L Duramax engine. Which had all the issues and symptoms listed in the special coverage. Yet, they say it is not covered. This seems incredibly shady. And very wrong. Why in the world would they not be covering my vehicle? It seems unsafe to be driving a vehicle that has reduced acceleration, a fan constantly running at high speed, and a check engine light for malfunctioning parts. Faulty parts from GM which they have already acknowledged are bad.
Rod/Main bearing Debris Causing block damage Engine needs rebuild/ replace
Engine needs to be replaced or rebuilt Also the fuel pump power control nodule failed
The contact owns a 2021 Cadillac Escalade. 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 local dealer was contacted. The contact stated that the manufacturer had exceeded a reasonable amount of time for the recall repair. The manufacturer was not made aware of the issue. The contact had not experienced a failure.
General Motors issued a recall on various 2021-2024 Tahoes and Escalades with 6.2L V8 engines. Since issuing the recall, they have given no information and my Escalade has been sitting at the dealership for months with not ETA of the engine and parts needed ti fix the vehicle. GM is dragging this out slow and methodically!
Complete engine failure with vehicle only having 79615 miles on the vehicle. Vehicle was inspected by authorized Cadillac dealership and it was determined that the crank shaft/connecting rod had failed causing the engine to be replaced. Dealership communicated that issue was consistent with issue with known GM recall however vehicle was not covered under current recalled vin numbers at the time of engine failure.
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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