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EnginePart report

2021 Cadillac Escalade NA Engine Problems

Complaints
7about this part
Share
41%of 17 total for the year
Median mileage
1,020miles
Trend
Not enough dataFewer than 15 complaints, too few for a reliable trend.

NHTSA recorded 7 complaints about the engine of the 2021 Cadillac Escalade NA, 41% of the 17 complaints for this model year. Where a mileage was given, the median is 1,020 miles. 1 a fire, according to the filers.

Fewer than 15 complaints name this part, so treat the figures as a rough indication only.

Example complaints

Selected from NHTSA records; personal details are removed. They are consumer reports, not findings.

“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 after reaching the breakdown lane, the engine shut down. The vehicle was towed from the scene on a flatbed and was transported to holman Cadillac in marlton new jersey. I am without a vehicle and no loaners were available. I am reporting this hazardous incident for your records. …”

NHTSA complaint #11415747, filed 2021-05, 40 miles

“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 #11467100, filed 2022-06

“I was driving with my family of five on I-15 in Utah County, UT, on 01-14-23 when the ability to accelerate was impacted. We noticed a strange noise from the engine compartment too. After about ten seconds of the strange noise and as I was attempting to cross four lanes of traffic to pull over, the car gave an oil pressure problem reading and shut off as we were in the process of coming to a complete stop. My wife and three kids were traumatized by the incident and I was rattled too. …”

NHTSA complaint #11502081, filed 2023-01

“Friday evening I was left stranded on the side of the road in my 2021 Cadillac Escalade with less than 30k miles that I actually purchased brand brand new about a year or so ago. The vehicle slowed to a crawl in the fast Lane of I65 as cars and semis whipped past me as I attempted to use any last moment to get the shoulder. I finally get to the shoulder and contact Cadillac customer service to get a tow who after approximately 2 hours of supposedly searching for tow technical they come back and tell me they can't find someone to accept the contract. …”

NHTSA complaint #11496037, filed 2022-12

“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 no warning lights illuminated. The contact was able to pull over and had the vehicle towed to the dealer. The dealer diagnosed that the axle rod had detached causing an engine failure. The vehicle was not repaired and remained at the dealer. The dealer was awaiting a new replacement engine. …”

NHTSA complaint #11427220, filed 2021-07, 2,000 miles

Related service bulletins

Engine: other model years

YearComplaintsShare of year
2021741%

Other parts of the 2021 Cadillac Escalade NA

Brakes
3 complaints
Electrical system
3 complaints
Exterior lighting
2 complaints
Forward collision avoidance
2 complaints
Other or unknown
2 complaints
Air bags
1 complaints
Lane departure
1 complaints
Seat belts
1 complaints
Body and structure
1 complaints
Transmission and drivetrain
1 complaints

← All problems reported for the 2021 Cadillac Escalade NA

About this data. Data from NHTSA (ODI) complaints, recalls, TSBs and investigations, updated Oct 28, 2026. Complaints are unverified consumer reports and may be duplicated or inaccurate.

To check a specific vehicle for open recalls, use its VIN at nhtsa.gov/recalls. Methodology