There are 8 owner-reported engine complaints for the 2003 Cadillac Escaladein NHTSA's database. These are unverified consumer reports and may not reflect confirmed defects.
BROKEN EXHAUST MANIFOLD BOLTS ON ENGINE FOUND AT UNDER 100K MILES. CREATES SERIOUS FIRE HAZARD.
TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2003 CADILLAC ESCALADE ESV. THE CONTACT STATED THAT WHILE STARTING THE VEHICLE, THE CONTACT NOTICED A TICKING SOUND COMING FROM THE ENGINE. THE CHECK ENGINE LIGHT WAS ALSO ILLUMINATED. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO A PRIVATE MECHANIC WHERE A DIAGNOSTIC REVEALED THAT THE EXHAUST MANIFOLD BOLTS HAD FAILED. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT REPAIRED. THE MANUFACTURER WAS REPAIRED. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 139,000 AND THE CURRENT MILEAGE WAS 140,043.
2003 CADILLAC ESCALADE 6.0L ENGINE, EXHAUST MANIFOLD BOLTS BROKEN EXHAUST LEAK HTTP://YOUTU.BE/0YG6WLBNZGI. *TR
FOUND HALF OF EXHAUST MANIFOLD BOLTS BROKEN AND CANNOT GET INSPECTED NOW. *TR
BOLTS ENDED UP COMING OUT OF MANIFOLD ON THEIR OWN THROUGH TIME. *TR
MANIFOLD STUDS ON DRIVER SIDE ARE BROKE!!! 03 ESCALADE 6.0. *TR
TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2003 CADILLAC ESCALADE. THE CONTACT STATED THAT WHILE DRIVING 80 MPH, THE VEHICLE ENGAGED INTO REDUCED ENGINE POWER MODE WHILE AND STALLED. THE FAILURE WAS A RECURRING ISSUE. THE CONTACT HAD TAKEN THE VEHICLE TO THE DEALER SEVERAL TIMES OVER THE COURSE OF FOUR YEARS BUT THEY WERE NEVER ABLE TO REPAIR THE VEHICLE. THE VIN WAS AVAILABLE. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS UNKNOWN AND THE CURRENT MILEAGE WAS 200,000. *TR
CONSUMER STATED VEHICLE STALLS WHILE DRIVING AT 45 MPH ON THE HWY, POWER STEERING AND POWER BRAKE LOCK UP. DEALER AND MANUFACTURERS HAS BEEN NOTIFIED. PLEASE PROVIDE FURTHER INFORMATION. MR
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 26, 2026