2019 Cadillac Escalade ESV problems, complaints & recalls

2019 Cadillac Escalade ESV recalls (1)

• Recall 18V673000Sep 26, 201815,800 vehicles
  SEAT BELTS:REAR/OTHER

  General Motors LLC (GM) is recalling certain 2018-2019 Cadillac CT6, Escalade ESV, Chevrolet Suburban, Volt, and GMC Yukon XL vehicles. Certain second-row or third-row rear seatbelts retractor assemblies may not automatically lock when the seatbelt is fully pulled out of the retractor, possibly preventing a child seat from being properly secured. As such, these vehicles fail to comply with the requirements of Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standard (FMVSS) number 208, "Occupant Crash Protection."

  Risk: If the child seat is not properly secured in the event of a crash, it can increase the risk of injury.

  Remedy: GM will notify owners, and dealers will inspect the rear seatbelt retractors and replace them if necessary, free of charge. The recall began November 7, 2018. Owners may contact Cadillac customer service at 1-800-458-8006, Chevrolet customer service at 1-800-222-1020 or GMC customer service at 1-800-462-8782. GM's number for this recall is 18315.

Recent 2019 Cadillac Escalade ESV complaints

Excerpts of the newest owner complaints, lightly cleaned of personal details. Complaints are unverified owner reports.

1. Filed Sep 17, 2026FLEngine

   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…

   NHTSA complaint #11765152 · source
2. Filed Sep 15, 2026CAOther / Unknown

   Subject: 2019 Cadillac Escalade - Delayed Engagement 1st/2nd Gear - Dealer Unable to Diagnose Vehicle: 2019 Cadillac Escalade VIN: [XXX] Mileage: 111,590 Date of incident: XXX to present Dealer: Mark Christopher Auto Center, Ontario, CA I am reporting a transmission safety concern. My 2019 Cadillac Escalade experiences a delayed engagement into Drive and slipping/hesitation when shifting into 1st and 2nd gear, especially on initial launch from a stop. There is a 2-3 second…

   NHTSA complaint #11764263 · source
3. Filed Jul 11, 2026SDEngine

   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…

   NHTSA complaint #11749695 · source
4. Filed Apr 24, 2026MIAcceleration & Cruise Control

   2019 Escalade. During summer temperatures, unable to control pedal position adjustment and vehicle automatically moves the pedals all the way forward. When the pedal position button is pushed, the pedals make clicking noise but do not adjust. No warning lights. Issue is intermittent. It becomes very difficult to drive the vehicle with both the accelerator and brake pedals in the fully forward position. Vehicle has not been inspected.

   NHTSA complaint #11733626 · source
5. Filed Mar 31, 2026CAEngineFuel, Hybrid & EV PropulsionTransmission & Drivetrain

   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…

   NHTSA complaint #11728347 · source
6. Filed Mar 27, 2026NMEngine

   Rough running engine at idle. The vehicle also shows low oil pressure at idle 13psi. Took to several service technicians and was told this is unfortunately a flaw in the engine design and there is not a known current remedy. Also they are surprised that this model was not covered under the same recall campaign that later models are as they are nearly identical engines. The transmission also gave out on this same vehicle at 85k miles.

   NHTSA complaint #11727501 · source
7. Filed Mar 27, 2026NMTransmission & Drivetrain

   Transmission would intermittently lock up and cause rough running conditions. Occasionally causing wheels to lock up and the vehicle to lose control. Took the vehicle to multiple service facilities and was told this is a common issue with this transmission and it is in need of replacement to remedy the issue. The vehicle has 85,000 miles on it.

   NHTSA complaint #11727496 · source
8. Filed Mar 18, 2026127,000 miNCTowedTransmission & Drivetrain

   The contact owns a 2019 Cadillac Escalade ESV. The contact stated while driving approximately 65 MPH, the rear wheels locked up and the vehicle stopped moving. There was no warning light illuminated. The vehicle was towed to the residence, and the vehicle was not driven. The contact had not taken the vehicle to a local dealer or independent mechanic. The vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired. The contact researched online and related the failure to NHTSA Campaign Number:…

   NHTSA complaint #11725207 · source

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Source: U.S. National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) Office of Defects Investigation public data, as of Oct 11, 2026. Complaints are submitted by owners and are not verified by NHTSA or by us; a complaint does not prove a defect exists. View this vehicle on NHTSA.gov Methodology