Problems · NHTSA complaints

2013 Cadillac Escalade problems

Owners filed 19 complaints about the 2013 Cadillac Escalade with NHTSA between Mar 2014 and Sep 2026. The most-cited component is power train (5).

Complaints
19
Filed with NHTSA
Crashes
0
Reported by owners
Fires
1
Reported by owners
Injuries
0
People reported injured
Deaths
0
Reported to NHTSA
01 —By component

Complaints by component

One complaint can cite several components
  1. Power train5
  2. Electrical system4
  3. Engine3
  4. Air bags3
  5. Vehicle speed control2
  6. Seat belts2
  7. Steering2
  8. Fuel/propulsion system1
  9. Forward collision avoidance1
  10. Electronic stability control (esc)1
  11. Visibility1
  12. Other / unknown1

Complaints are unverified owner reports to NHTSA and are not normalized for sales volume. One complaint can cite several components.

Data from NHTSA Complaints API · synced Nov 9, 2026NHTSA vehicle page
02 —Trend

When complaints were filed

Does it get worse with age? Complaints per calendar year filed
View as table
Model yearComplaints filed per calendar year
20142
20150
20160
20173
20182
20191
20204
20210
20222
20231
20240
20251
20263

Mileage at failure isn’t a structured field in NHTSA complaint data, so we don’t chart it. Some owners mention it in their reports below.

03 —Owner reports

Top problems in owners’ words

Verbatim from NHTSA complaints, newest first

Power train

5 reports
“The contact owns a 2013 Cadillac Escalade. The contact stated that while his wife was driving at highway speeds, the "Engine Power Reduced" message was displayed on the instrument panel. The contact stated that the vehicle lost power while depressing the accelerator pedal. The vehicle was pulled over to the shoulder of the highway. The contact stated that his wife was panicked due to the abrupt failure and refused to drive the vehicle. Due to the ongoing failure, the vehicle was towed to the dealer on three separate occasions; however, the dealer failed to duplicate the failure. The manufacturer had been notified of the failure but offered no assistance. The vehicle was not repaired. The failure mileage was approximately 100,000.”
Owner complaint to NHTSAFiled Sep 21, 2026Power train, EngineODI 11765953

Electrical system

4 reports1 fire1 related recall
“I WAS ON THE HIGHWAY GOING ABOUT 65MPH AND THE VEHICLE STARTED TURNING OFF AND ON. PUSHED ON THE GAS PEDAL AND THE ENGINE JUST REVVED UP. THIS ISN'T THE FIRST TIME IT HAS DONE THIS.”
Owner complaint to NHTSAFiled Jan 27, 2020Electrical system, Electronic stability control (esc)ODI 11302338

Engine

3 reports
“The L87 in our Escalade had a catastrophic failure at 97,088 miles. We were told that the right cylinder head had failed which caused the lower main bearings to fail. We had the engine replaced with a newly rebuilt L87 on XXX (invoice date). The engine was rebuilt by GM. Our local shop procured it through Weisner GMC in [XXX]. The cost to us was $11,428.22. Fortunately, we were able to limp the car into our local shop. Now, this newly rebuilt engine has 11,056 miles on it and we are experiencing the same symptoms as the last. Those are: ticking during acceleration and very rough idling and a growling noise at low speeds.”
Owner complaint to NHTSAFiled Aug 26, 2026EngineODI 11759690

Air bags

3 reports2 related recalls
“2013 CADILLAC ESCALADE. CONSUMER WRITES IN REGARDS TO TAKATA AIRBAG SAFETY RECALL. THE CONSUMER STATED AFTER HAVING THE AIRBAG RECALL COMPLETED, THE WARNING LIGHT ILLUMINATED. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN BACK TO THE DEALER TO HAVE IT REPAIRED. THE DEALER ADVISED THE AIRBAG FAILURE TIMING WAS A COINCIDENCE AND REQUESTED AN INSPECTION/REPAIR FEE.”
Owner complaint to NHTSAFiled Feb 23, 2022Air bagsODI 11453629

Vehicle speed control

2 reports
“The contact owns a 2013 Cadillac Escalade. The contact stated that while driving approximately 72 MPH, the vehicle unexpectedly accelerated. The driver discovered that the accelerator pedal adjustment button had been inadvertently depressed by the wallet, causing the pedal position to change and resulting in the unexpected acceleration. No warning lights were illuminated. The local dealer was not contacted. The vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired. The manufacturer was not notified of the failure. The approximate failure mileage was 250,000.”
Owner complaint to NHTSAFiled Apr 14, 2026Vehicle speed controlODI 11731075

Seat belts

2 reports
“All three seatbelts in the third row don't lock. I just got this car with only 100k miles on it and when installing my kids' car seats I found that none of them have the needed safety feature. They don't lock when pulled quickly or when pulled all the way out. Cadillac won't cover the repair.”
Owner complaint to NHTSAFiled Jun 21, 2022Seat beltsODI 11470236
Data from NHTSA Complaints API (owner reports, unverified) · synced Nov 9, 2026

Complaints are unverified owner reports to NHTSA and are not normalized for sales volume. One complaint can cite several components.