2019 Cadillac Escalade engine problems

“Vehicle: 2019 Cadillac Escalade ESV VIN: [XXX] Engine: 6.2L V8 L86 Mileage: Less than 59,000 miles I am reporting a serious premature engine failure involving the 6.2L L86 engine in my 2019 Cadillac Escalade ESV. The vehicle has been properly maintained with regular oil changes and routine service. On September 8, 2026, the vehicle developed a chirping sound during startup. After driving, the chirping stopped, but a ticking noise occurred when the vehicle was restarted. I immediately had the vehicle evaluated by an independent mechanic. The mechanic kept the vehicle for two nights so that a cold-start evaluation could be performed. On September 10, I was informed that the engine noise was caused by lifter failure. The vehicle was then towed to a Cadillac dealership in [XXX]. On XXX, the Cadillac dealership diagnosed lifter failure and camshaft damage. The vehicle had not experienced a loss of oil pressure, noticeable loss of power, hesitation, or other significant warning symptoms before the failure. I am concerned because General Motors has issued technical service bulletins addressing lifter failures and ticking noises involving the 6.2L L86 engine and the…”

“All of a sudden the car just died while driving it on the road at speed. There was no warning or indication of an issue. It just shook and then died. It would not restart. This is an egregious safety issue and should not happen on a vehicle with only this many miles. We could have been killed if we were on a highway. A quick google search shows this is a KNOWN issue. The mechanic said this is a know issue with this engine - Please get a recall out for 2019 before someone dies!!!!”

“At 60,000 miles the lifter failed and bent a pushrod rod while driving 65mph on the interstate. I had to slow my driving to 40mph in heavy traffic and "limp" it to the dealership. When I drove it to the local Cadillac dealership, they confirmed what had happened. There were no warning lamps prior to this happening. This is a common failure due to the weak lifters in GM's AFM/DOD feature. If these engines had the same lifters/cam as the Corvettes and Camaros that don't have AFM/DOD, these engines would be a lot more reliable.”

“The AFM lifters on 1,7,4,6 cylinders go out with no warning causing shuttering and misfires. Scary! This is the second Escalade with the problem and the 2019 engine has occurred twice in 6 months. I have inserted a lockout device to prevent the vehicle from going into 4 cylinder mode since the last episode (6 months ago) and it still failed another AFM lifter. GM said they will fix the 3rd one under warranty but no guarantees it won't fail again. Who knows where I might be? I am without a vehicle for 2 to 3 weeks at a time. GM will not remove the system and replace the cam and lifters (even if I purchase the parts). POOR service also.”

“MY VEHICLE LOST POWER SUDDENLY I ALMOST GOT HIT FROM BEHIND LUCKILY I WAS ABLE TO AVOID A ACCIDENT TOWED TO MECANIC TOLD ME COMMON ISSUE WITH THIS ENGINE MY ENGINE NEEDS REPLACMENT”

“11/26/25 at 85,400 miles on the v8 6.2L L86 engine, I began experiencing rough idle, loss of engine power and propulsion, a ticking/ knocking noise at idle and when RPMs increased as well as blinking engine warning light. Diagnostics/Repair work was done by Reliable GMC/Cadillac of Roseville to fix an ignition coil that was giving the engine error code. 2/24/26 At 86,697 miles, I began having rough idle worse than before, loss of power when accelerating and driving, knocking sounds that increased with acceleration in RPMs as well as a blinking engine warning light. All spark plugs and wiring were changed by Cadillac which resolved engine error codes for misfire. Diagnostics/Repair was done by Reliable GMC/Cadillac of Roseville. 3/30/26 at 87,246 (only 549 miles since the previous work up,) the car began to idle rough, and have a audible rhythmic tapping and knocking when accelerating and increasing RPMs. During driving, I experienced flashing engine light, and then sudden loss of power and control of vehicle. 3/30/26 Veh towed toThompson GMC, of Placerville, CA diagnosed vehicle with full engine failure from broken connecting rods and crankshaft of engine.…”