Check a VIN

Cadillac Escalade slipping problems

11 of the 1,736 owner complaints about the Cadillac Escalade describe transmission slipping, most of them for the 2015 model year.

owner complaints
11
worst model year
2015
typical mileage
70,000
Is there a fix? There are 6 recalls for this area of the car. See below

By model year

  • 2024
    1
  • 2023
    2
  • 2015
    4
  • 2009
    1
  • 2002
    2
  • 2000
    1

What owners say

Filed Jun 1, 2026 · Driver assistance, Transmission · FL

I want to report several recurring issues with my 2024 Escalade transmission:Rough/Hard Shifting: Drivers experience jerky, clunking, or harsh shifting, especially when accelerating or decelerating.Transmission Slipping: The vehicle slipped between gears, impacting performance.Delayed Engagement: A delay or clunking sound when shifting from Park to Drive or Reverse.

Filed Jan 24, 2026 · Electrical, Engine · MD

Received a recall letter that stated the engine in my 2023 escalade with roughly 49,000 miles on it at the time. Has problems with the engine breaking down and shutting the entire vehicle off. Took the car to the dealer to fix per the recall letter. They stated they only needed to replace an oil cap and put better oil in the car, and not replace the engine as stated in the recall letter. About two weeks later the transmission started to slip and the car would not go over 50 MPH, in addition it would switch automatically into 4wd and get stuck in 4wd. Took the car back to the dealership they did not replace transmission they stated it may have something to do with the recall or an electrical issue. About 8,000 miles later I was driving on the highway taking kids to school and the entire vehicle just shut down completely, I could not brake, steer, control the car in anyway possible. I was riding what felt like a death trap. I was so scared for my family and myself, the car came to a stop on its own pretty drastically. I thought I was going to get slammed into or hit the car in front of me. Luckily I was not hit. The car prompted to push the start button, I tried to start the car, nothing. There was still music playing but the screens were all black, also the engine did not turn over at all. I could not put on my hazards either. I called a tow truck while sitting there and got the car towed to the dealership. The dealership took 3 days to get back to me and stated it was the engine and they are going to have to replace it with a new engine. In addition they would not provide me with a time frame at all, or a temporary vehicle to take my kids to school in. I feel this should be illegal with what has happened to me, I got regular oil changes and maintenance done. If they are still using this engine someone will end up dying from this poorly engineered engine and car. Cadillac once had a great reputation, I regret putting my kids and my life into this automobile.

Filed Dec 16, 2025 · Driver assistance, Electrical · CO · crash · 1 injury

Vehicle was running with the driver side door open and driver out of vehicle. The vehicle slipped out of gear and reversed quickly. Driver went to get back in while moving backwards to try and stop vehicle. The driver got smashed between the garage and vehicle door. The vehicle door hyperextended and caused damage/injury to driver. The emergency brake did not come on until after the accident. Prior to this happening recalls were not preformed due to GM advising us that our vehicle was not next to get it done. Throughout ownership the vehicle has slipped out of gear two other times. We took it in each time and were told it shouldn’t happen again and they could not replicate. GM did an inspection after and fixed recalls and told us they would not assist us with damage or any compensation.

Filed Feb 26, 2025 · Acceleration, Transmission · MD

Vehicle will make noise as if gears are slipping, when going up the slop or on load. potentially can stall or burnout gear and cause major accident. Cadillac should replace the vehicle

Filed May 4, 2020 · Airbags, Steering · WA

1) air bag light comes on in vehicle. 2) r-134 leaks 3) body and or rear reverse light fixture has condensation and water gets in area in front of sunroof. 4) rear back door no unlock all the time. 5) powertrain work performed at dealer and experiencing slipping. 6) steering column noise/clunk

Filed Dec 19, 2019 · 108,000 miles · TX

Transmission is slipping .. Corpus christi texas

Filed Nov 23, 2015 · Brakes, Suspension · 10,000 miles · CA

My 2015 cadillac escalade has been in the shop for 130+ days in the first calendar year for defective brakes, transmission, suspension, electrical, and HVAC. I have contacted gm and they don't want to repurchase the vehicle. The vehicle is constantly in the shop for problems and it is not a vehicle that should be operated on public roadways. The transmission has been replaced once before due to defects in design and build quality. The transmission how causes the car to take off in 4th gear rather than in 1st gear which means the car feels as if there is no power to propel the vehicle. The transmission slips and feels as if it is broken. I have taken it to the dealer at least 5 times and gm now does not want to replace the transmission even though the dealer has verified the concern and documented it. I feel that gm is not doing enough to ensure safe vehicles are on the road. This transmission issue is going to cause an accident one day. I have already put gm on notice all the way up to the executive level and they don't want to do anything about it. I feel that the federal safety agency should investigate the issues that plague 2015 full size gm SUV owners. There are a lot of us out there according to my research.

Filed Apr 3, 2014 · Driver assistance · 139,332 miles · VA

My service stability system & ABS light came on about two months ago. I have noticed when sometimes I press on the brake, it feel like it's slipping. Now, the lights stay on and I had a diagnostic test run on it and the code is c0223, also about 7 months ago my truck just stopped on the road. I was told that my problem was my fuel filter system. I just found out that both of these items were recalls. Please let me know what I need to do. I tried calling federal-mogul and honeywell international inc (fram) but I can't get through.

Filed Jun 3, 2013 · Electrical, Suspension · 3,200 miles · CA

Car shut off on me twice while driving. The car has a loud squeaking, squealing, rough noise. When that happens my rpms lock up and won't take it out of gear. Transmission slips at various speeds, it is said to believe at an up/down shift and a down/up shift. Suspension and other parts under vehicle are leaking.

Filed Feb 27, 2012 · Transmission · 70,000 miles · NC

Tl* the contact owns a 2000 cadillac escalade. The contact stated that the vehicle would exhibit a loud grinding noise when driving in reverse and would then slip into neutral. The grinding noise would also be a result of the 4-wheel drive slipping into 2-wheel drive while the vehicle was in drive. The dealer stated that there was a failure in the transfer case. The manufacturer was not contacted and the vehicle was not repaired. The failure mileage was 70,000 and the current mileage was 73,000.

Related recalls

Power train: transfer case (4-wheel drive)Reported May 7, 2026 · 66 vehicles affected
What is wrong
General Motors, LLC (GM) is recalling certain 2026 Cadillac Escalade and Escalade ESV, Chevrolet Silverado 1500, Suburban, and Tahoe, and GMC Sierra 1500, Yukon, and Yukon XL vehicles with four-wheel (4WD) or all-wheel drive (AWD), and certain 2015-2020 Suburban, Escalade, Escalade ESV, Yukon, Yukon XL, and Tahoe vehicles. A component missing from the drivetrain transfer case may cause the front and/or rear wheels to lock up without warning to the driver.
Risk
Front or rear wheel lockup increases the risk of a crash.
Remedy
Owners are advised not to drive their vehicle until the remedy is completed. Dealers will inspect and, if necessary, replace the transfer case assembly, free of charge. Owner notification letters were mailed May 18, 2026. Owners may contact GMC customer service at 1‑800‑462‑8782, Chevrolet customer service at 1‑800‑222‑1020 or Cadillac customer service at 1‑800‑333‑4223. GM's number for this recall is N262557620. Vehicle Identification Numbers (VINs) involved in this recall became searchable on on May 7, 2026.

Recall number 26V289000 · Recall details

Power train: automatic transmission: fluid/lubricant: valves/valve bodyReported February 13, 2026 · 43,743 vehicles affected
What is wrong
General Motors, LLC (GM) is recalling certain 2022 Chevrolet Tahoe, Chevrolet Suburban, GMC Yukon, GMC Yukon XL, Cadillac Escalade, and Cadillac Escalade ESV vehicles equipped with 10 Speed Transmission with ETRS (Electronic Transmission Range Select). The transmission control valve may fail and lock up the rear wheels.
Risk
Rear wheels that lock up while driving increase the risk of a crash.
Remedy
Dealers will install new transmission control module (TCM) software, free of charge. Owner notification letters were mailed April 7, 2026. Owners may contact GM customer service at 1‑888‑988‑7267, Cadillac customer service at 1‑800‑458‑8006, GMC customer service at GMC 1‑800‑462‑8782 or Chevrolet customer service at 1‑800‑222‑1020. GM's number for this recall is N252536750. Vehicle Identification Numbers (VINs) involved in this recall became searchable on on February 12, 2026.

Recall number 26V085000 · Recall details

Power train: automatic transmission: fluid/lubricant: valves/valve bodyReported October 24, 2024 · 463,295 vehicles affected
What is wrong
General Motors, LLC (GM) is recalling certain 2020-2022 Chevrolet Silverado 1500, 2500, 3500, GMC Sierra 1500, 2500, 3500, 2021 Cadillac Escalade, Escalade ESV, Chevrolet Tahoe, Suburban, GMC Yukon, and Yukon XL vehicles equipped with diesel engines. The transmission control valve may fail and cause the rear wheels to lock-up.
Risk
Rear wheel lock-up can increase the risk of a crash.
Remedy
Dealers will install new transmission control module software, free of charge. GM will provide a special coverage program to cover the repair of transmissions that are identified by the remedy software as containing a defective control valve. Owner notification letters were mailed December 12, 2024. Owners may contact GM customer service at 1‑888‑988‑7267, Cadillac customer service at 1‑800‑458‑8006, GMC customer service at GMC 1‑800‑462‑8782 or Chevrolet customer service at 1‑800‑222‑1020. GM's number for this recall is N242454440.

Recall number 24V797000 · Recall details

Power train: driveline: driveshaftReported January 27, 2022 · 1,789 vehicles affected
What is wrong
General Motors, LLC (GM) is recalling certain 2021 GMC Yukon, Yukon XL, Cadillac Escalade, Escalade ESV, Chevrolet Suburban, and Chevrolet Tahoe vehicles. The rear wheel driveshaft assemblies may have internal components that were not heat-treated properly, possibly resulting in driveshaft failure.
Risk
Driveshaft failure can cause a sudden loss of drive power, increasing the risk of a crash.
Remedy
Dealers will replace the left and/or right rear driveshaft assemblies, free of charge. Owner notification letters were mailed on March 14, 2022. Owners may contact Chevrolet customer service at 1‑800‑222‑1020; Cadillac customer service at 1‑800‑458‑8006 or GMC customer service at 1‑800‑462‑8782. GM's number for this recall is N212351030.

Recall number 22V036000 · Recall details

Power train: automatic transmissionReported January 2, 2013 · 54,686 vehicles affected
What is wrong
General Motors (GM) is recalling certain model year 2013 Cadillac Escalade, Escalade ESV, and Escalade EXT; Chevrolet Avalanche, Express, Silverado HD, Silverado LD, Suburban, and Tahoe; and GMC Savana, Sierra HD, Sierra LD, Yukon, and Yukon XL vehicles, manufactured between November 7, 2012, through December 18, 2012, for failing to comply with the requirements of Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standard (FMVSS) No. 102, "Transmission Shift Lever Sequence, Starter Interlock, and Transmission Braking Effect", and FMVSS No. 114, "Theft Protection and Rollaway Prevention." The vehicles may have been built with a fractured park lock cable or a malformed steering column lock actuator gear in the lock module assembly.
Risk
As a result, the vehicle may shift from Park with the ignition key removed or the ignition key in the OFF position. The vehicle may also shift out of Park without application of the brake pedal while the key is off. Either of these scenarios may cause the vehicle to roll away after the driver has exited the vehicle, resulting in a possible vehicle crash and/or injury.
Remedy
GM will notify owners, and dealers will inspect the affected vehicles and replace the steering column as necessary, free of charge. The recall began on January 21, 2013. Chevrolet owners may call 1‑800‑630‑2438. Cadillac owners may call 1‑866‑982‑2339. GMC owners may call 1‑866‑996‑9463.

Recall number 13V001000 · Recall details

Power train: manual transmission: shift pattern indicatorReported February 14, 2005 · 7,194 vehicles affected
What is wrong
Certain sport utility vehicles equipped with an automatic transmission, fail to comply with the requirements of federal motor vehicle safety standard no. 102, "transmission shift lever sequence, starter interlock and transmission braking effect." under certain vehicle starting conditions, the shift lever position indicator located in the instrument panel cluster may not illuminate. If the shift lever position indicator does not illuminate, the driver may not know which gear the vehicle is in.
Risk
The vehicle may move in an unintended direction resulting in possible injury to others outside of the vehicle.
Remedy
Dealers will reprogram the instrument panel cluster free of charge. The recall began on february 14, 2005. Owners may contact cadillac at 1‑866‑982‑2339, chevrolet at 1‑800‑630‑2438, and gmc at 1‑866‑996‑9463.

Recall number 05V055000 · Recall details

Questions about the Cadillac Escalade slipping

Which Cadillac Escalade years have transmission slipping problems?

The model years with the most reports are 2015 (4 complaints), 2002 (2 complaints) and 2023 (2 complaints).

VIN decoder

See the problems and recalls for an exact car

Buying a used Cadillac Escalade?

Check the exact car before you pay: accidents, salvage or flood titles, odometer readings and previous owners.

Check its history