2021 Cadillac ESCALADE NA
Problems, Recalls & Reliability Report
Quick Summary
The 2021 Cadillac ESCALADE NA has 24 owner complaints filed with NHTSA — that's 0.3x the segment average of 80. The most common issue is engine problems (29% of all complaints), specifically: while driving within the speed limit of approximately 65 mph on a 3 lane highway on route 476 in pennsylvania, the ability to accelerate or maintain speed was inexplicably disabled. i was forced to attempt to move the vehicle across multiple lanes in an effort to reach the breakdown lane. seconds . ⚠️ 1 fire report filed.
24
Total Complaints
0
Recalls Issued
—/5
Safety Stars
0.3x
vs Segment Avg
Known Problems
ENGINE
7 complaints- • WHILE DRIVING WITHIN THE SPEED LIMIT OF APPROXIMATELY 65 MPH ON A 3 LANE HIGHWAY ON ROUTE 476 IN PENNSYLVANIA, THE ABILITY TO ACCELERATE OR MAINTAIN SPEED WAS INEXPLICABLY DISABLED. I WAS FORCED TO ATTEMPT TO MOVE THE VEHICLE ACROSS MULTIPLE LANES IN AN EFFORT TO REACH THE BREAKDOWN LANE. SECONDS
- • The contact owns a 2021 Cadillac Escalade. The contact stated while driving 70 mph, the contact heard an abnormal rattling sound and then saw smoke coming from under the hood. Other drivers were honking at the contact and alerted him that there was oil leaking from the rear of the vehicle. There was
- • 5/19/2021, Engine Vibrating, vehicle stall, 3 days repair. Ignition wiring bad/ replaced 5/28/2021, Engine Vibrating, Vehicle stop running, 3 day repair/electric module burn/temporary repair by Georgia car dealer. 6/3/2021 taken to NY dealer to repair 5/28/2021 problems, 15 Day to repair. 10/12/2021
“WHILE DRIVING WITHIN THE SPEED LIMIT OF APPROXIMATELY 65 MPH ON A 3 LANE HIGHWAY ON ROUTE 476 IN PENNSYLVANIA, THE ABILITY TO ACCELERATE OR MAINTAIN SPEED WAS INEXPLICABLY DISABLED. I WAS FORCED TO ATTEMPT TO MOVE THE VEHICLE ACROSS MULTIPLE LANES IN AN EFFORT TO REACH THE BREAKDOWN LANE. SECONDS ”
— NHTSA complaint filing
ELECTRICAL
3 complaints- • TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2021 CADILLAC ESCALADE. THE CONTACT STATED WHILE DRIVING 40 MPH, THE DASHBOARD INDICATOR BEGAN TO FLICKER AND THEN WENT BLANK. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO THE LOCAL DEALER BAKER MOTOR COMPANY OF CHARLESTON (1513 SAVANNAH HWY SUITE A, CHARLESTON, SC 29407, (843) 628-0202) WHERE TH
- • 5/19/2021, Engine Vibrating, vehicle stall, 3 days repair. Ignition wiring bad/ replaced 5/28/2021, Engine Vibrating, Vehicle stop running, 3 day repair/electric module burn/temporary repair by Georgia car dealer. 6/3/2021 taken to NY dealer to repair 5/28/2021 problems, 15 Day to repair. 10/12/2021
- • 4/24/2022 Vehicle locks in neutral in major roads as your driving And motor seized I have several videos last night as of 5/01/2022 vehicle locked into park as I was going 50 miles with oncoming traffic I was in fear of danger thank god was able to pull off into side ditch
“TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2021 CADILLAC ESCALADE. THE CONTACT STATED WHILE DRIVING 40 MPH, THE DASHBOARD INDICATOR BEGAN TO FLICKER AND THEN WENT BLANK. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO THE LOCAL DEALER BAKER MOTOR COMPANY OF CHARLESTON (1513 SAVANNAH HWY SUITE A, CHARLESTON, SC 29407, (843) 628-0202) WHERE TH”
— NHTSA complaint filing
BRAKES
3 complaints- • 4/24/2022 Vehicle locks in neutral in major roads as your driving And motor seized I have several videos last night as of 5/01/2022 vehicle locked into park as I was going 50 miles with oncoming traffic I was in fear of danger thank god was able to pull off into side ditch
- • My wife pulled out of a parking lot and was driving down the road at approximately 30mph when the brakes stopped working entirely. There was no response when she pushed on the brake pedal. The car displayed 3 warnings on the driver display: BRAKE SYSTEM FAILURE 62 MPH TOP SPEED SERVICE STABILITRA
- • On 2/21/23, at 1245, I hit the rear bumper of my 2021 Cadillac Escalade when I backed up after I had scraped the driver side of my door panel as I drive thru a gated parking area. I started driving forward, turned left onto the back row of parking area. Suddenly the car accelerated very fast like
“4/24/2022 Vehicle locks in neutral in major roads as your driving And motor seized I have several videos last night as of 5/01/2022 vehicle locked into park as I was going 50 miles with oncoming traffic I was in fear of danger thank god was able to pull off into side ditch”
— NHTSA complaint filing
OTHER
2 complaints- • SERVICE DRIVER ASSIST SYSTEM ALERT WHILE DRIVING DEALER IS CONSULTING WITH CADILLAC ENGINEERING, BUT CAN'T FIGURE HOW TO FIX, BECAUSE NO CODE APPEARS - EVEN THOUGHT THE WARNING STILL APPEARS
- • 5/19/2021, Engine Vibrating, vehicle stall, 3 days repair. Ignition wiring bad/ replaced 5/28/2021, Engine Vibrating, Vehicle stop running, 3 day repair/electric module burn/temporary repair by Georgia car dealer. 6/3/2021 taken to NY dealer to repair 5/28/2021 problems, 15 Day to repair. 10/12/2021
“SERVICE DRIVER ASSIST SYSTEM ALERT WHILE DRIVING DEALER IS CONSULTING WITH CADILLAC ENGINEERING, BUT CAN'T FIGURE HOW TO FIX, BECAUSE NO CODE APPEARS - EVEN THOUGHT THE WARNING STILL APPEARS”
— NHTSA complaint filing
DRIVER ASSIST/CAMERAS
2 complaints- • When driving on the city streets of Chicago I approached a movable bridge which spans the Illinois river. The bridge deck was constructed of steel. As I was about to begin crossing the bridge my car brakes locked up completely, sending the vehicle into a short skid. Fortunately, the car behind me
- • I recently purchased a 2021 Cadillac Escalade with Supercruise driver assistance system. There have been at least 5 instances where I attempted to turn off the Supercruise function and the system does not allow me to regain control of the vehicle. For example, I will turn off the Supercruise fucti
“When driving on the city streets of Chicago I approached a movable bridge which spans the Illinois river. The bridge deck was constructed of steel. As I was about to begin crossing the bridge my car brakes locked up completely, sending the vehicle into a short skid. Fortunately, the car behind me”
— NHTSA complaint filing
Estimated Repair Costs
Estimates based on average reported repair costs. Actual costs vary by location, shop, and severity.
🔍 Pre-Purchase Inspection Checklist
Based on 24 owner complaints for this specific year, here's what to check or ask about:
- ☐ENGINE: WHILE DRIVING WITHIN THE SPEED LIMIT OF APPROXIMATELY 65 MPH ON A 3 LANE HIGHWAY ON ROUTE 476 IN PENNSYLVANIA, THE ABILITY TO ACCELERATE OR MAINTAIN SPEED WAS INEXPLICABLY DISABLED. I WAS FORCED TO ATTEMPT TO MOVE THE VEHICLE ACROSS MULTIPLE LANES IN AN EFFORT TO REACH THE BREAKDOWN LANE. SECONDS
Typically appears around 50K miles. Repair cost ~$500
- ☐ELECTRICAL: TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2021 CADILLAC ESCALADE. THE CONTACT STATED WHILE DRIVING 40 MPH, THE DASHBOARD INDICATOR BEGAN TO FLICKER AND THEN WENT BLANK. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO THE LOCAL DEALER BAKER MOTOR COMPANY OF CHARLESTON (1513 SAVANNAH HWY SUITE A, CHARLESTON, SC 29407, (843) 628-0202) WHERE TH
Typically appears around 50K miles. Repair cost ~$500
- ☐BRAKES: 4/24/2022 Vehicle locks in neutral in major roads as your driving And motor seized I have several videos last night as of 5/01/2022 vehicle locked into park as I was going 50 miles with oncoming traffic I was in fear of danger thank god was able to pull off into side ditch
Typically appears around 50K miles. Repair cost ~$500
- ☐OTHER: SERVICE DRIVER ASSIST SYSTEM ALERT WHILE DRIVING DEALER IS CONSULTING WITH CADILLAC ENGINEERING, BUT CAN'T FIGURE HOW TO FIX, BECAUSE NO CODE APPEARS - EVEN THOUGHT THE WARNING STILL APPEARS
Typically appears around 50K miles. Repair cost ~$500
- ☐General: Get a pre-purchase inspection from an independent mechanic ($100-$200)
Cadillac ESCALADE NA — Year Comparison
How does 2021 compare to other years? Fewer complaints = more reliable.
Full years-to-avoid analysis →NHTSA Safety Rating
No NHTSA safety rating available
At a Glance
- Complaints
- 24
- Recalls
- 0
- Fire reports
- 1
- Crash reports
- 1
- Injury reports
- 0
- Segment avg
- 80
Check a Specific VIN
See recalls for YOUR 2021 Cadillac ESCALADE NA