There are 2 owner-reported powertrain & transmission complaints for the 2024 Cadillac Escalade ESVin NHTSA's database. These are unverified consumer reports and may not reflect confirmed defects.
On August 5, while driving on I-79 at 78 mph, our Escalade suddenly and completely shut off. The entire system failed — no power, no control — while our three children were in the car. This is the second GM vehicle we’ve owned to do this. Our previous Yukon Denali also shut off twice at highway speeds before we got rid of it out of fear for our safety. We reached out about the Escalade recall and were assured two months ago that our vehicle was not affected. Clearly, that assurance was wrong — and we’re now reliving the exact same terrifying situation with yet another GM vehicle. My kids are traumatized and refuse to get back in the car. Frankly, I don’t blame them.
My 2024 Cadillac Escalade ESV with 19440 miles on it experienced what I can only assume is a catastrophic engine failure today. On 4/13/2025 while driving around 65MPH on a major highway the vehicle lost all power and turned off. At first I didnt notice the issue until a sound began to go off asking me to turn the engine back on. The vehicle had shut off and forced a neutral shift. This happened in between changing lanes and if I was not a very aware driver this would have caused a major accident. I was able to navigate the vehicle to a turning lane where it came to a complete stop and would not turn back on. The vehicle had to sit on the side of the road for over an hour waiting on a tow truck to get it to the dealer. With the vehicle having no power and not re-starting I was stranded partially in a turn lane on the side of a major highway. Although my family was in the car with me I am glad it happened with me there and not my wife and 4 children only. This sudden engine failure seems to be a known issue and needs to be addressed ASAP to prevent major auto accidents.
Complaints are unverified consumer reports submitted to NHTSA. A high complaint count may reflect vehicle popularity, not defect severity. Data sourced from NHTSA public records.
Data synced from NHTSA on Apr 25, 2026