The contact owns a 2021 Cadillac Escalade. The contact stated that while driving at 35 MPH, the vehicle completely stalled. The check engine warning light was flashing, and the Stability, Parking, and Collision warning lights were illuminated alongside several other unknown alerts. The vehicle was towed to a dealer, where two failed lifters were initially replaced. However, due to an abnormal sound, the vehicle was returned to the dealer, where the engine was replaced with a remanufactured engine. The manufacturer was notified of the failure by phone. The failure mileage was approximately 67,300.
2021 Cadillac Escalade: check engine light
14 of the 80 complaints about the 2021 Cadillac Escalade describe check engine light.
- owner complaints
- 14
- of this car's complaints
- 18%
- recalls
- 1
Check engine light by model year
What owners say
Started car and all of sudden shaking, loss of power, flashing engine light and punch of flashing warnings. The car is being towed to cadillac dealer!
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.
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.
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.
The contact owns a 2021 Cadillac Escalade. While the contact's wife was driving 70 MPH, the accelerator pedal was depressed; however, the vehicle failed to accelerate. In addition, the contact stated that the failure occurred while a tractor-trailer was driving closely behind the vehicle. The contact stated that an error code indicated a failure with the fuel pump drive module. In addition, the check engine warning light was illuminated. The vehicle was driven to the residence. The contact stated that the vehicle was unsafe to drive. The vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired by an independent mechanic or dealer. The dealer was made aware of the failure; however, the contact was informed that the repair was not covered under recall. The contact referenced an unknown recall which had a similar failure description; however, the VIN was not associated with the recall. The manufacturer was not made aware of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 33,500.
The contact owns a 2021 Cadillac Escalade. The contact stated that while driving approximately 40 MPH, there was an abnormal squealing sound coming from the engine compartment before the vehicle stalled in the middle of the roadway. The check engine warning light then illuminated. The vehicle was towed to the residence and was later examined by a mechanic who diagnosed that the engine had seized and needed to be replaced. The vehicle was not repaired. The local dealer was notified of the failure and informed the contact that the VIN was not included in the federal safety agency Campaign Number: 25V274000 (ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING). The contact stated that the vehicle had experienced the failure listed in the recall. The manufacturer was not yet contacted. The failure mileage was 113,000.
While driving my 2021 Cadillac Escalade to Utah, the engine completely locked up and failed without warning. The vehicle had to be towed to a GM-authorized dealership. Upon inspection, the dealership confirmed the failure was directly related to an active safety recall on the vehicle. Prior to the failure, there were no check engine lights or no other warning lamps, messages, or symptoms. The failure occurred suddenly and without additional notice. The dealership stated the needed part is currently on national backorder and that the vehicle cannot be repaired or safely driven until the part arrives. It has now been over four months since the vehicle was brought in, and there is still no estimated repair date from GM. This has left me without a functioning vehicle due to a known safety defect. The vehicle remains inoperable at the dealership.
I was sitting in a drive through when the car just stopped running. I could not get it to restart. Engine light had come on and gone off a few times. I had it towed to a Firestone next door , they advised it needed to go to dealership for engine recall. Dealership did not look at it for 3 days so I had it towed to Cadillac- waiting for them to call.
The contact owns a 2021 Cadillac Escalade. The contact stated while driving 70 MPH, the vehicle started jerking significantly. The check engine and traction control warning lights were illuminated, and a message advising of a rear axle failure was displayed. The contact was able to pull over to the side road and turned off the vehicle. The contact did not attempt to restart the vehicle. The vehicle was towed to the dealer, where it was diagnosed that with a blown engine. The contact was informed that the engine needed to be replaced. The contact stated that the engine was previously replaced under warranty due to the same failure. The vehicle was not repaired. The contact related the failure to the federal safety agency Action Number: PE25001(Engine, Engine and Engine Cooling). The manufacturer was notified of the failure, but no assistance was provided. The failure mileage was approximately 34,918.
This vehicle experienced a sudden engine failure while traveling on the highway which caused an immediate loss of power. The safety of myself and my family was at risk as we exited the roadway to the shoulder without power and the vehicle shaking violently. Vehicle was towed to a dealership where upon inspection they found the rocker arm for the intake valve on cylinder 6 not moving, a bent pushrod, and a lifter that had come apart. It is unknown if an inspection was performed by the dealer beyond the initial diagnostic. The check engine light had come on within the last 12 hours. We called onstar and they said the code indicated we should bring the car to the dealer within the next 24 hours. There was no indication that it was unsafe to drive with the light on.
1st incident - Car stalled at a red light and had to be towed for repair. It was determined to be the fuel injector pump. No lights came on and there was no indication of an issue prior to it stalling. 2nd incident - On the intestate it started making a rattling noise and felt like it was losing power. No lights came on to indicate any issue. Luckily we were able to exit the interstate but it stalled on the middle of the exit ramp. We were 5 hours away from home and it was towed to the nearest Cadillac dealership. They had the car for approximately 2 months and replaced the engine. 3rd incident - the car was back 2 weeks from the engine replacement. For 1 of these weeks it sat in the airport garage. When it was turned back on after sitting for a week the check engine light came on. I was able to make it home from the airport but it stalled out in our driveway and had to be towed again. It was determined it was the fuel injector pump and it was replaced again. The pump was only about a year old.
Service bulletins that may apply
- Condition that could
- Condition where the connecting rod and/or crankshaft engine components in these vehicles may have...
- Under Field Actions N252494000, N252494001, the service procedure includes performing a PICO test on...
- Condition that could
- This technical bulletin provides a procedure to replace the camshaft actuator magnet to correct customer...
- This service bulletin provides information on replacing the intake manifold when the engine is replaced...
- This bulletin advises the tech to inspect deeper into what may be to main
- The service bulletin advises the tech of a normal transmission shift condition and the delay in throttle...
Related recalls
Engine and engine cooling: engine: hard parts internal/mechanical
- What is wrong
- General Motors LLC (GM) is recalling certain 2021-2024 Cadillac Escalade and Escalade ESV, Chevrolet Silverado 1500, Suburban, and Tahoe, GMC Sierra 1500, Yukon, and Yukon XL vehicles equipped with a 6.2L V8 gas engine. The connecting rod and/or crankshaft engine components may have manufacturing defects that can lead to engine damage and engine failure.
- Risk
- Engine failure increases the risk of a crash.
- Remedy
- Dealers will inspect the engine, and as necessary, repair or replace the engine. For vehicles that pass inspection, dealers will add higher viscosity oil, install 6 oil fill cap, replace the oil filter, and update the owner's manual. Repairs will be performed free of charge. Owner notification letters were mailed June 18, 2025. Owners may contact Cadillac customer service at 1‑800‑333‑4223, Chevrolet customer service at 1‑800‑222‑1020, or GMC customer service at 1‑800‑462‑8782. GM's number for this recall is N252494000.
Recall number 25V274000 · Recall details
Questions about the 2021 Cadillac Escalade check engine light
Is check engine light a common problem on the 2021 Cadillac Escalade?
14 of 80 owner complaints about the 2021 Cadillac Escalade (18%) mention check engine light. The model year with the most reports is 2023.
Is there a recall or service bulletin for this on the 2021 Cadillac Escalade?
There is 1 recall and 174 service bulletins for the same area of the car. Check them below with your VIN.
Other symptoms on the 2021 Cadillac Escalade
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