There are 2 owner-reported powertrain & transmission complaints for the 2018 Cadillac Escaladein NHTSA's database. These are unverified consumer reports and may not reflect confirmed defects.
I stopped to get gas and put the car in park. Turned the car off and when I started it back up the car thought it was in drive but was in park still. The gas pedal won’t not work and the car is now stuck in park. The Chevy Caddilac dealership said it is a failed TCM. Part is on back order and I was told there is no eta and could be 7 months to a year before I get my car back.
Escalade would experience loss of acceleration 15-20mph under light/moderate throttle, appear to go in to neutral when going from 3rd to 4th (best I can tell,) and then slam in to gear. While doing 50-55mph Escalade would have a converter shudder or go in and out of neutral. This would leave me unable to accelerate if needed and would place me in a precarious position if I was turning out in traffic or needed change speeds. On a repeat trip to the dealer it was determined there was metal in the transmission pan and exact source of metal was not able to be identified. It never triggered a check engine light or any other visible warning. Transmission was replaced with partial cost assistance from Gm and is back to operating properly.
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