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Electrical system

2021 Cadillac Escalade Electrical problems

Owners have filed 13 complaints about the 2021 Cadillac Escalade's electrical system with NHTSA - 13% of all its complaints, most recently on October 28, 2026. They describe 0 crashes, 1 fire and 1 injury. Dead batteries, warning lights, wiring, alternators, infotainment and electronic module failures.

Complaints
13
Recalls
0
Crashes
0
Fires
1
Injuries
1
Deaths
0

Electrical complaints

Electrical system

I own a 2021 Cadillac Escalade Premium Luxury with approximately 47,000 miles. On Oct 11, 2026, after stopping for gas, I noticed shortly after driving away that my entire digital instrument cluster was black. I had no speedometer, fuel gauge, mileage display, or dashboard warning indicators, although the center infotainment screen worked. I do not know whether the display went black when I restarted the vehicle or while driving; I discovered it while driving. The display worked again after I shut off and restarted...

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the vehicle after a few hours. I scheduled an appointment with Cadillac of Calabasas on Oct 11, but the earliest available appointment was Oct 21, 10 days later. Around Oct 13, my vehicle also displayed a "Service Driver Assist System" warning, which returned on Oct 22. When I brought my vehicle to Cadillac of Calabasas on Oct 20 (trying to drop off a day early), the advisor checked for open recalls and said there were none. He incorrectly stated my warranty expired in July 2025; Cadillac corporate later confirmed my CPO warranty expired July 11, 2026. I was told the dealership was backed up at least another week and everything would be paid out of pocket. No diagnosis or repair was completed as I could not leave my car for a week. Despite multiple contacts with Cadillac Customer Assistance (case 116067222), these problems remain unresolved. I have photographs and video documenting the instrument cluster blackout and driver-assistance warning and can provide them upon request. I am concerned about losing critical driving information and the reliability of my vehicle's driver-assistance systems. I am requesting NHTSA investigate these potential safety defects.

Filed Incident Electrical systemNHTSA 11774176
Electrical systemBody, doors & structure

After soft-close, left-side passenger door won't open. Not form the outside, not from the inside. Happened before about a year ago. logged into dealer system but the were unable to identify (and correct) the issue. This presents a big hazard in case of an accident, roll-over etc - unable to exit the vehicle swiftly.

Filed Incident Electrical system · StructureNHTSA 11771563
Electrical systemBrakes

While driving in a heavy rainstorm on October 15, 2026, the vehicle hydroplaned and every brake warning light came on at once, and the dashboard displayed a message that the brake system had failed and the brakes did not work. I believed I had no brakes while crossing a river bridge and thought I was going to die. The brakes actually worked and I got home, but a vehicle should never tell a driver its brakes have failed when they have not, especially in an emergency. All brake warning lights stayed on after I parked. The vehicle has not yet been inspected for this failure.

Filed Incident Electrical system · Service brakesNHTSA 11771401
Electrical systemVisibility & wipersDriver assistance

- What component or system failed or malfunctioned, and is it available for inspection upon request? The rearview backup camera system seems to be misaligned or improperly calibrated or connecting to the wrong camera when put into reverse. When the vehicle is placed in reverse, the camera image points downward and primarily shows the rear bumper rather than the area behind the vehicle. This significantly limits the rear field of view that the camera is intended to provide. -How was your safety or the safety of...

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others put at risk? Because the backup camera view points downward and does not clearly show the area behind the vehicle, it does not show me pedestrians, small children, vehicles or objects directly behind the vehicle when reversing. This creates a risk of backing into a person, vehicle, or object because the driver cannot rely on the camera display to safely check the rear area. - Has the problem been reproduced or confirmed by a dealer or independent service center? The dealership did confirm that this is an issue and advised me that they could not figure out what the problem is and sent me on my way without resolution. -Has the vehicle or component been inspected by the manufacturer, police, insurance representatives or others? The component has been inspected by the dealership. They confirmed it has an issue by comparing the view with another Escalade. -Were there any warning lamps, messages or other symptoms of the problem prior to the failure, and when did they first appear? No warning lamps, messages, or alerts appeared prior to or during the issue. The backup camera display functions normally but consistently shows an incorrect downward viewing angle that primarily displays the rear bumper instead of the area behind the vehicle.

Filed Incident Electrical system · Visibility / wiper · Lane departureNHTSA 11723005
Electrical systemBrakesDriver assistance

I purchased this vehicle on October 20, 2025. I took it to the Cadillac dealership and was told a list of over 20 issues involving the vehicle. The tires have holes in them. The suspension is at Rick of failing, wiring and components are missing. The night vision camera and radars on the vehicle and not functioning. I was told this vehicle should not have been on a lot to be sold.

Filed Incident Electrical system · Service brakes · Forward collision avoidanceNHTSA 11709410
Electrical systemEngine & cooling

engine noise loud knocking feels like engine is going to stall, had in service 6-9-25 for 3 days technician heard noise stated could be related to recall but no fix available at this time electrical glitch radio navigation shuts off during while driving screen dash goes dark

Filed Incident Electrical system · EngineNHTSA 11668888
Electrical systemFire1 injury

When I was driving my Cadillac Escalade, when I stopped at the stop light, the car caught fire, it was later towed and totaled

Filed Incident Electrical systemNHTSA 11652848
SteeringElectrical systemAirbags

Our 2021 Cadillac Escalade has experienced multiple ongoing issues. The "driver airbag warning" light has been a major concern, with the dealership stating that the airbag could malfunction at any moment. When we took the vehicle in for repairs, they determined that a previous maintenance job on the driver's airbag was done incorrectly, which was causing the warning light to activate. Additionally, the vehicle intermittently displays warnings for the "service system restraint system," "service power steering...

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column," "reducing features to save battery," and "service driver assist system." Despite multiple visits to the dealership, we are consistently told that their diagnostic computers do not populate any error codes, leaving them uncertain about the cause of these warnings. Another major issue is battery drainage. We replaced the original battery two years ago, yet we have needed Cadillac roadside assistance twice because the vehicle wouldn't start. Each time, the battery tested as healthy, but the car remained inoperable due to a drained battery. Lastly, we have had to replace the remote key batteries every 2-3 months, which seems excessive for a relatively new vehicle. Safety Risks: The driver airbag warning light indicates that the airbag could malfunction at any moment, which poses a serious safety risk in the event of an accident. The service system restraint system warning suggests potential failure in critical safety components. Issues with the service power steering column could lead to steering difficulties while driving, increasing the risk of an accident. The reducing features to save battery warning and service driver assist system warning suggest possible electrical failures that could impact vehicle performance and safety. The other issues, including system warnings and battery drainage, have been repeatedly reported to the dealership, but they have been unable to confirm the cause as their diagnostic system does not register error codes.

Filed Incident Steering · Electrical system · Air bagsNHTSA 11642093
Transmission & drivetrainElectrical system

We are experiencing the error code "Rear Axle System Off" multiple times per day with this vehicle. The code will appear and then disappear and the car will make beeps consistent with those heard when there is a fault code or error message with the vehicle. The "Rear Axle System Off" code does not stay on permanently. When this occurs, it can delay the acceleration of the vehicle, cause shaking, etc. which could result in an accident as a result therefore putting the driver, passengers and other drivers on the...

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road at risk. This has been an ongoing issue with the vehicle and it has been taken in for service three (3) or four (4) times for this issue which cannot seem to be resolved. We have notified GM Corporate of such as well and they opened a case number on it when last in service. That is GM case #[[redacted]] for your reference. I have previously filed a report to the NHTSA for this due to GM's inability to fix this issue after multiple attempts. The issue number assigned by the NHSTA was #11621174 for your reference. We have taken the vehicle to the dealer on multiple occasions and they have not been able to correct this issue. The dealer is Ed Morse Cadillac in Delray Beach, FL. The dealer claims that there have been no codes stored in the system when taken in previously and/or have not been able to replicate the issue. We find this hard to believe given that it happens many times per day without much driving. We potentially drive approximately 20-25 miles per day and it generally happens anywhere between 6 - 10 times per day. The dealer referenced above (Ed Morse in Delray Beach, FL) has admitted to seeing or replicating the code in the past during one of the prior visits. We have our next appointment scheduled for Monday, [[redacted]] to try and resolve this recurring issue as the dealer did not have any availability prior to this date. INFORMATION REDACTED PURSUANT TO THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT (FOIA), 5 U.S.C. 552(B)(6)

Filed Incident Power train · Electrical systemNHTSA 11639670
Electrical systemEngine & coolingDriver assistance

1) The car suddenly brakes as to avoid a collision when there are no cars in the proximity of the vehicle (think about driving on an open road on a sunny day and the vehicle suddenly brakes without warning). 2) We have received notice of low oil shortly after oil changes which have been performed at the dealership. It has been communicated to us by the dealership that it is common for these vehicles to burn approximately four (4) quarts of oil over the course of 2,500 - 3,000 miles leaving approximately two (2)...

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quarts of oil remaining. Required tow to the dealership. 3) We have received rear axle warning messages and heard beeping noises alerting of such on at least thirty (30) occasions. The dealer has not been able to diagnose what the issue is and says that the computer is not storing any codes. They have not attempted any repair after being taken in for service on three (3) separate occasions. 4) In the past few days, the vehicle has thrown many error codes on the dashboard display including the rear axle service, service transmission unable to shift, service driver assist system. 5) On Tuesday, October 15th, 2024 the vehicle again began throwing error codes. The engine failed to start and was towed to the dealer via GM Roadside. Required tow to the dealership. 6) A fuel pump part required replacement as fuel was not properly being delivered to the engine. Required tow to the dealership. Safey is at risk. We have three (3) children who regularly ride in the vehicle with us along with the safety of others on the road (especially sudden braking).

Filed Incident Electrical system · Engine · Forward collision avoidanceNHTSA 11621174
Electrical systemBrakesEngine & cooling

4/24/2022 Vehicle locks in neutral in major roads as your driving And motor seized I have several videos last night as of 5/01/2022 vehicle locked into park as I was going 50 miles with oncoming traffic I was in fear of danger thank god was able to pull off into side ditch

Filed Incident Electrical system · Service brakes · EngineNHTSA 11467100
Electrical systemEngine & cooling

5/19/2021, Engine Vibrating, vehicle stall, 3 days repair. Ignition wiring bad/ replaced 5/28/2021, Engine Vibrating, Vehicle stop running, 3 day repair/electric module burn/temporary repair by Georgia car dealer. 6/3/2021 taken to NY dealer to repair 5/28/2021 problems, 15 Day to repair. 10/12/2021 Engine vibrating, passenger compartment filled with smoke, valve lifter crack, vehicle parked on dealers parking lot for 15 day, has not been repair. Vehicle has spent 35 total days in car dealers for different engine problems. On all occasions dashboard has gong haywire. Emergency brake lock, passenger door would not open 10/12/2021. Contacted GMC has not responded.

Filed Incident Electrical system · Unknown or other · EngineNHTSA 11438218
Electrical system

Tl* the contact owns a 2021 cadillac escalade. The contact stated while driving 40 mph, the dashboard indicator began to flicker and then went blank. The vehicle was taken to the local dealer baker motor company of charleston (1513 savannah hwy suite a, charleston, sc 29407, (843) 628-0202) where the mechanic was unable to diagnose the cause for the failure. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer had been informed of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 20.

Filed Incident Electrical systemNHTSA 11394848

Cadillac Escalade electrical complaints by year

Escalade electrical problems, every year

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Source: U.S. National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) complaints and recalls, checked . Complaints are owners' own reports and are not verified. How we use the data

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