2021 Cadillac Escalade ESV: engine knocking or ticking

Filed Oct 7, 2026 · Engine · FL

My 2021 Cadillac Escalade ESV (VIN [XXX]) developed an engine failure after receiving the recall remedy for the federal safety agency recall 25V‑274 (GM 6.2L V8 connecting rod/crankshaft defect). Symptoms: engine misfiring, dashboard warning lights illuminated, engine stalling/misfiring at idle, loss of power on acceleration, and a valve-like knocking noise coming from the engine. The loss of power and stalling while driving put my safety and the safety of others at risk. The vehicle is currently at the Vera Cruz Cadillac dealership, where it has been sitting for almost a month while awaiting the warranty process. The dealer has not confirmed the root cause. This engine failure occurred AFTER the 25V‑274 recall remedy was completed on this vehicle. INFORMATION REDACTED PURSUANT TO THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT (FOIA), 5 U.S.C. 552(B)(6)

Filed Oct 6, 2026 · Engine · FL

Body of what was just sent to GM- this should answer most/all questions: To the GM Executive Resolution Team, I am escalating a critical safety hazard and severe dealer misconduct involving my 2021 Cadillac Escalade (53,700 miles), which is fully covered under the GM Factory Powertrain Warranty and a GM Platinum Extended Warranty. This vehicle is experiencing its third catastrophic top-end valvetrain failure. The component history on this VIN is as follows: First Failure: Lifters replaced at a GM dealership in Miami, FL. The worn camshaft was left in place. Second Failure: Lifters replaced at AutoNation Cadillac West Palm Beach. The worn camshaft was left in place. Third Failure: The engine is actively failing again, knocking and ticking severely on warm restarts due to complete bleed-down. My last attempt to address this issue was to take the vehicle to Wallace Cadillac in Stuart, FL, and physically presented the Service Manager with glitter-filled oil and an oil filter containing metal debris, proving advanced mechanical erosion and engine self-destruction. Instead of initiating a warranty claim, the Service Manager/Senior Technician at Wallace Cadillac explicitly instructed me to continue driving the vehicle until it completely "blows up and have it towed in," claiming GM corporate would otherwise do nothing. As supporting evidence, he recited a recent claim refusal on an XT4’s engine where “I bore-scoped it and knew it was done, returned it to GM and they did not reimburse the warranty claim because we did not follow their tear down procedure”. Advising a customer to operate a 5,500-pound luxury SUV with heavily contaminated oil and a failing valvetrain until a catastrophic engine blowout occurs on a public highway is a profound safety violation and an extreme liability. A sudden engine seizure at highway speeds poses an immediate risk of a high-speed accident to my family.

Filed Aug 30, 2026 · Engine · FL

While driving out of state the engine started knocking- I took it to the dealer before it left me stranded on the road. I was told the engine had failed and needed to be replaced.

Filed Aug 9, 2026 · Engine · WA

My 2021 Cadillac Escalade ESV with the 6.2L L87 engine received the remedy for Safety Recall 25V‑274 (GM recall number N252494001) on July 30, 2025. The dealer inspected the engine, passed it, and performed the higher viscosity oil remedy. The engine was not repaired or replaced. On [DATE], while driving, the vehicle hesitated and lost power under acceleration. Engine noise then increased progressively until I pulled over on the side of the road. The engine stopped running and would not restart. The dash displayed a message to press the start button again. The check engine light illuminated at the time of failure. There were no warning lights prior to that day. My family, including my children, were in the vehicle when it lost power. We were stranded on the roadside until the vehicle could be towed. The battery and electrical system are functioning normally, but the engine would not start. The vehicle was towed to a Cadillac dealership. At the dealership, a start attempt produced a loud knocking noise from the engine along with a fuel/oil odor. I believe the connecting rod bearings have failed. These symptoms — hesitation, loss of power, and knocking noise — are the exact pre-failure indicators GM identified in Recall 25V‑274. This was a loss of motive power while driving on a public roadway, creating a serious crash risk for my family and surrounding traffic. The recall remedy performed on this vehicle was inadequate. GM inspected this engine, passed it, and it failed approximately one year later in exactly the manner the recall was intended to prevent. Date of incident: 08/08/2026 Mileage at failure: 66,000 Recall remedy completed: July 30, 2025 Vehicle was towed. No crash, fire, or injury occurred.

Filed Feb 18, 2026 · Engine · 100,000 miles · NY

The contact owns a 2021 Cadillac Escalade ESV. The contact stated that while driving at 30 MPH, the engine made ticking sounds. The check engine and several other unknown warning lights were illuminated. Additionally, the contact stated that the engine consumed an excessive amount of oil and that engine oil was added every two to three weeks. The contact pulled over and had the vehicle towed to the dealer. The dealer informed the contact that because the vehicle was used as a limousine, the engine was consuming more oil than was normal. The dealer replaced the engine, but the check engine warning light remained illuminated. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was made aware of the failure but provided no assistance. The failure mileage was approximately 100,000.

Filed Jan 2, 2026 · Brakes, Electrical · VA

My wife was driving my kids to their nana and papas house when the vehicle loss power. The vehicle started to have a knocking noise and started to vibrate towards the engine compartment. The dash lit up like a Christmas tree. We took the vehicle to a local mechanic and he suggested that we might need a tune up. We purchased 8 brand new spark plugs, spark plug wires and 8 brand new coil packs. The local mechanic installed all of the new parts and the vehicle acted just like it was before the tune up. We then took the vehicle to Boyd Cadillac in Henderson,NC. Tim, who is our service provider, contacted us and told us that we had severe engine failure. His recommendation was a complete engine install. We have used Boyd Cadillac, Tim on several occasions. We had an alternator replacement done which was not under warranty. We had lifters replaced under warranty around the 50k mile mark.

Filed Oct 8, 2025 · Engine · 35,000 miles · NY

The contact owns a 2021 Cadillac Escalade ESV. The contact stated that while driving at various speeds, there was an abnormal ticking sound coming from the vehicle. There was no warning light illuminated. The contact stated that while driving at 25 MPH, the vehicle started to lose power with several unknown warning lights on the instrument panel. Despite the failure, the contact was able to coast the vehicle to an independent mechanic with heavy white smoke coming from the vehicle. The mechanic inspected the vehicle and diagnosed the vehicle with engine failure. The vehicle was towed to a dealer who confirmed the engine failure. The contact was notified of the federal safety agency Campaign Number: 25V274000 (Engine and Engine Cooling); however, the VIN was not included in the recall. The manufacturer was notified of the failure and was given the same information as the dealer. The contact was then referred to the federal safety agency Hotline to report the failure. The vehicle was not repaired. The failure mileage was 35,000.

Filed Jun 27, 2025 · Engine, Transmission · MN

While on a family vacation in the Black Hills, I began to hear a knocking sound from the front right of the vehicle. Shortly after the engine began to sputter and multiple warning lights/ messages began to appear. Just prior to this, everything on the vehicle was functioning perfectly. We stopped operating the vehicle immediately when it began to malfunction and pulled over, leaving me and my young family stranded over an hour away from our rental cabin. The next day we were able to get a tow truck and find a dealership, Denny Menholt Chevrolet back in Rapid City, SD that was able to look at it right away. We were told by Denny Menholt later that day that there was a bearing failure of the rod and piston on cylinder #8 and that the entire engine block was destroyed resulting in the need of a whole new engine. We were also told by the dealer that our vehicle was not included in the recall of all the other 6.2 motors, however, GM was going to take care of everything including a brand new engine, rental car coverage, and shipping the vehicle back to us, all free of charge to us. Fast forward several weeks and we got a call from Denny Menholt stating that GM had gone back on their word and was not going to pay for any of the damages because we were 7k miles over the powertrain warranty. I have filed a complaint with GM customer service but have gotten nowhere after 3 weeks worth of phone calls and emails. The engine failure that I had is the exact same problem that all of the other 6.2 motors have been recalled for, so I don't understand why my vehicle is not also included in the recall. This issue left me in a very bad place being stranded with a [XXX] and [XXX]. As a lifelong GM customer, I'm severely disappointed in GM and the way that they have handled my case. This Escalade is supposed to be their top of the line vehicle, it only made it to 77,632 miles before it had catastrophic engine failure, and now GM will not stand behind their product. INFORMATION REDACTED PURSUANT TO THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATIO

Filed Jun 16, 2025 · Engine · 145,000 miles · GA

The contact owns a 2021 Cadillac Escalade ESV. The contact stated while driving 50 MPH, the check engine and traction control warning lights illuminated. Additionally, there was an abnormal knocking sound coming from the engine. The contact stated that the vehicle started to lose motive power and was pulled over, turned off, and then restarted. The vehicle was taken to a local dealer where it was diagnosed, and the contact was informed that the engine was faulty and needed to be replaced. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was notified of the failure. The approximate failure mileage was 145,000.

Filed May 28, 2025 · Engine · MN

City and highway driving, lost power on acceleration. Engine started knocking. Had vehicle towed to dealership. Through a piston. This vehicle had all the described issues of 6.2 liter V8 2021 cadillac escalade ESV, but I have not received a recall. This vehicle has been out of service since April 2025 and no recall and no replacement parts (new engine)