Problems · NHTSA complaints
2018 Cadillac Escalade problems
Owners filed 37 complaints about the 2018 Cadillac Escalade with NHTSA between Dec 2018 and Oct 2026. The most-cited component is engine (19).
Complaints
37
Filed with NHTSA
Crashes
1
Reported by owners
Fires
3
Reported by owners
Injuries
0
People reported injured
Deaths
0
Reported to NHTSA
Complaints by component
One complaint can cite several components
- Engine19
- Electrical system8
- Power train4
- Suspension3
- Service brakes3
- Exterior lighting2
- Seat belts2
- Steering2
- Tires1
- Seats1
- Forward collision avoidance1
- Visibility/wiper1
- Electronic stability control (esc)1
- Other / unknown3
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
When complaints were filed
Does it get worse with age? Complaints per calendar year filed
1
3
1
2
1
1
2
19
7
View as table
| Model year | Complaints filed per calendar year |
|---|---|
| 2018 | 1 |
| 2019 | 3 |
| 2020 | 1 |
| 2021 | 2 |
| 2022 | 1 |
| 2023 | 1 |
| 2024 | 2 |
| 2025 | 19 |
| 2026 | 7 |
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.
Top problems in owners’ words
Verbatim from NHTSA complaints, newest first
Engine
19 reports
“2018 Cadillac Escalade ESV Platinum, 6.2L V8 L86 engine, under 100,000 miles. Engine seized and was towed to an authorized GM dealership. Teardown confirmed a spun and twisted rod bearing resulting in complete crankshaft seizure, documented by the dealer as non-serviceable per GM, requiring full engine replacement. Component is available for inspection. Prior to seizure, the vehicle experienced a highway stall preceded by a harmonic balancer failure, belt system failure, and charging system collapse. The vehicle lost propulsion at highway speed, creating a crash risk to myself and other drivers. The failure mode, spun rod bearing with crankshaft damage, is physically identical to the defect documented in GM Safety Recall 25V-274, covering connecting rod and crankshaft manufacturing defects in 6.2L V8 L87 engines in 2021-2024 vehicles. The L86 and L87 are variants of the same Gen V small block architecture with the same bottom end design. I contacted Cadillac Customer Care and requested a Field Technical Specialist review. GM instructed the dealership to delay filing a technical assistance case until my third party warranty determination was made. GM…”
Electrical system
8 reports2 fires
“THE INSTRUMENT CLUSTER RESET, FLASHES AND THE TURN SIGNALS WILL STOP WORKING WHILE THE SYSTEM IS CYCLING OR RESTTING, WHILW CHANGING LANES OR IN A MIDDLE OF A TURN”
Power train
4 reports
“I stopped to get gas and put the car in park. Turned the car off and when I started it back up the car thought it was in drive but was in park still. The gas pedal won’t not work and the car is now stuck in park. The Chevy Caddilac dealership said it is a failed TCM. Part is on back order and I was told there is no eta and could be 7 months to a year before I get my car back.”
Suspension
3 reports
“2018 Escalade with 84 k miles. First issue was the front struts went out at around 80k miles 3200 repair. Second issue which is the major issue. Was driving and started hearing a clicking noise as I pressed on gas the car didn’t want to move and started slowing down. Car started shaking. Check engine light wasn’t on. Drove straight to dealership and was told I had a bent push rod and my lifters would need to be repairs and possibly cam shaft. Was quoted 8-13 thousand dollars. Car got regular oil changes and premium gas only since day 1.”
Service brakes
3 reports
“I noticed my brakes started squeaking when I would push the braking pedal. One day, I was pulling up to a bank, drive-through, applying pressure to the brakes, and I had stopped. I let off the break to pull up a little farther, but when reapplying the break, the pedal went all the way to the floor and there was a warning light saying something about servicing the brakes. I immediately picked up my foot and reapplied it to the brake pedal two or three times and the pedal did come back up to normal position. Then stopped me from hitting the car in front of me. The warning light turned off a few minutes later. The squeaking went away as well. That was a couple months back. But this week my brakes are starting to squeak again when I apply the pedal. So I’m worrying that the brakes may go out again. This vehicle has a very rough ride. I hear rattles when driving. It sounds like something is going to fall off soon. Since the warning light turned off, I did not take my vehicle to the dealership for service.”
Exterior lighting
2 reports
“The low beam headlights are too bright. I get flashed constantly, and then some drivers leave their bright lights on, blinding me, and creating a dangerous driving situation. Almost crashed last night due to being blinded by oncoming vehicle.”
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.