There are 2 owner-reported powertrain & transmission complaints for the 2009 Cadillac Escaladein NHTSA's database. These are unverified consumer reports and may not reflect confirmed defects.
TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2009 CADILLAC ESCALADE. WHILE DRIVING 20 MPH, THE TRANSMISSION SEIZED AND THE VEHICLE JERKED. IN ADDITION, WHILE THE VEHICLE WAS IN THE PARK POSITION, THE RPMS ACCELERATED RAPIDLY WITHOUT WARNING AND THE VEHICLE ACCELERATED RAPIDLY. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO AUTO ZONE WHERE IT WAS DIAGNOSED THAT THE COOLING SYSTEM OF THE HYBRID SYSTEM AND BATTERY CAUSED THE FAILURE. FURTHERMORE, FAMILY TRUCKS AND VANS OF DENVER COLORADO WAS NOTIFIED OF THE FAILURE AND FURTHER DIAGNOSED THAT THE OIL PRESSURE SWITCH AND BRAKE PEDAL WERE FAULTY. THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOT MADE AWARE OF THE FAILURES. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 158,389.
TRANSMISSION DOWNSHIFTS HARD AT ABOUT 20MPH, GOING FROM SECOND TO FIRST. INITIALLY ONLY OCCURRED AT THIS SCENARIO HOWEVER IT IS OCCURRING AT NORMAL SHIFTING UP AND DOWN. HAD A 2008 THAT EXPERIENCED THE SAME DOWNSHIFTING PROBLEM. VEHICLE HAS ABOUT 165K MILES AND HAS NOT BEEN USED FOR HAULING.
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