2021 Cadillac Escalade Problems, Complaints in First Year on the Road

Owners of the 2021 Cadillac Escalade typically purchase the luxury SUV for its impressive size, impeccable interior and superior performance.

Indeed, the Cadillac Escalade has become both the king of luxury SUVs and a symbol of American success. Since General Motors introduced it back in 1999, rappers and pop stars like Pink, croon about cruising in the luxury SUV.

So after paying up to $114,000 for the pleasure of owning one of these high-end SUVs, owners would expect to arrive in style. But the reality is, some are not arriving at all.

2021 Cadillac Escalade problems

Whether you are a soccer mom or celebrity, Cadillac Escalade owners don’t expect to fork over serious money on an engine rebuild or other issues in their brand new vehicle. However, it appears that is the case when it comes to certain 2021 Cadillac Escalades.

There are already a number of issues with the American luxury SUV during its first year on the road.

Seatbelt Bolts and Telltale or Warning Lights

The earliest complaints for the SUV involve incorrect bolts used to attach seat belts and a software bug that led to dim telltale lights in the instrument cluster. General Motors issued two separate recalls to address these issues in December 2020. Drivers reported their view of critical warning lights was obstructed. A second seatbelt recall involves third-row seating. The third-row outboard seat belts were either entrapped or misrouted behind the outboard seat-folding mechanism.

Loss of Power Steering Assist

Additionally, GM recalled roughly 27,000 SUVs due to a loss of power steering assist glitch that affected not only the 2021 Escalade and Escalade ESV vehicles, but also its 2021 Chevrolet Suburban and Tahoe vehicles; and GMC Yukon and Yukon XL vehicles.

Fuel Pump Recall

Furthermore, there is a recall for 14,901 full-size SUVs including the 2021 Cadillac Escalade and Escalade ESV to repair a fuel-pump issue. Specifically, the fuel pumps were reportedly built with faulty power control modules. Some 617 owners of these vehicles reported their engine stalling while moving or standing still. This is a safety risk due to the potential for a collision. The recall also includes GMC Yukon and Yukon XL, and Chevrolet Suburban and Tahoe.

Valve Lifter problem

However, the biggest issue so far this past year is one that hasn’t involved a recall, but it’s by far the most expensive problem to date.

A growing number of Cadillac Escalades owners report experiencing a ticking or knocking noise, power loss, stalling, stuttering and engine misfire. The diagnosis was a defective valve lifter, sometimes resulting in bent rods that both needed replacement. However, despite many complaints by owners saying this happened in the first 2,000 to 5,000 miles, GM has yet to issue a recall for the problem.

GM appears to be aware of the problem and one service member on a Cadillac owners forum mentioned there was a “bad batch of lifters that were installed at the factory.” Dealerships are replacing one or both lifters on vehicles, but don’t expect a swift response as many complain their calls were dodged. One owner also had their starter block go out at the same time.

Once the vehicle is at the dealership for repairs, some owners say the repair took several weeks to fix. These valve lifter issues appear to affect the naturally aspirated 5.3L V8 L84 gasoline engine and the naturally aspirated 6.2L V8 L87 gasoline engines. Besides the Cadillac Escalade, these engines are also found in 2019-and-later model year Chevy Silverado 1500 and GMC Sierra 1500 pickups, as well as other 2021-model-year full-size GM SUVs, including Chevy Suburban, Chevy Tahoe, and GMC Yukon.

Air Bag Light May Not Indicate Malfunction

This past June 2021, GM recalled the Escalade and Escalade ESV as well as other vehicles including Buick, Cadillac CT4, CT5, Chevrolet Tahoe, Corvette, Suburban, GMC Yukon, Yukon XL vehicles. The problem involves the communications gateway module. Apparently it incorrectly processes a loss of communication with the sensing diagnostic module (SDM). This causes the air bag malfunction indicator light to inconsistently illuminate, according to NHTSA.

CV Joint

One final complaint involves the CV joint. Some Escalade owners report they heard a loose chain rattle coming from underneath the vehicle while driving and saw black grease on their front tires. It turned out the CV Joint ripped open at just 3,000 miles.

California Lemon Law Attorney James Johnson

If you purchased a defective Cadillac Escalade SUV and have repeated problems, it may be time to call for help.

California Lemon Law Attorney James Johnson will review your case and let you know if it qualifies as a lemon.

We recommend that you obtain an invoice for all repairs and recall visits from the dealership. These documents will support your potential case. Should the vehicle experience repeated issues or become a safety risk, these documents support the Lemon Law Claim. Contact Johnson Attorneys Group for a free case review at 800-558-1087.