5 complaints reported

2020 Cadillac Escalade Engine

Owner-reported problems and safety issues filed with NHTSA. Review common failures, severity levels, and complaint trends over time.

Reports
5
Crashes
0
Fires
0
Injuries
0

Complaint Timeline

Chronological view of owner reports

Feb 2026

Noticed smoke in rear view mirror while driving at 65 mph. Towed to repair facility. Engine has a piston rod broken and pushed through the block.

Type: Vehicle, Vehicle: 2020 CADILLAC ESCALADE, Manufacturer: General Motors, LLC
Incident: Feb 2026
Jan 2026

The contact owns a 2020 Cadillac Escalade. The contact stated that while starting and driving at an undisclosed speed, the engine made abnormal sounds. No warning light was illuminated. The vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired by an independent mechanic or dealer. The contact related the failure to NHTSA Campaign Number: 25V274000 (Engine and Engine Cooling); however, the year and VIN were not included in the recall. The manufacturer was not made aware of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 55,571.

Type: Vehicle, Vehicle: 2020 CADILLAC ESCALADE, Manufacturer: General Motors, LLC
Incident: Dec 2026
Sep 2025

The contact owns a 2020 Cadillac Escalade. The contact stated while driving 50 MPH, there was an abnormal knocking sound coming from the engine compartment, before the vehicle lost motive power. The contact was able to pull over to the shoulder of the roadway, where the vehicle failed to restart. The vehicle was towed to an independent mechanic, who diagnosed a failure with the lifters, resulting in damages to the engine. The contact was informed that the engine needed to be replaced. The vehicle was not repaired. After investigating the failure, the contact related the failure to NHTSA Campaign Number: 25V274000 (Engine and Engine Cooling), but the VIN was not included. The manufacturer was notified of the failure, a case was opened, and the contact was referred to the NHTSA Hotline for assistance. The failure mileage was 106,000.

Type: Vehicle, Vehicle: 2020 CADILLAC ESCALADE, Manufacturer: General Motors, LLC
Incident: May 2025
Jun 2025

Scary, driving with my 3 kids. Engine lights and hazard lights saying pull over. Loud sound coming from the hood. We immediately pulled over. Dealership and private Mechanic told us we need a new engine. We just spent $15k on a new transmission. Dealership won’t help us, said our 2020 wasn’t part of the recall. We can’t find an engine if our life depended on it. It’s the same engine as the recall yet they haven’t recalled the 2020 engine yet. The dealership didn’t even tell us what to do or where to complain besides their dealership. No help. Our Cadillac now sits un drive-able. We have to try to get a loan and buy another vehicle. So upset. GMC is not admitting ANYTHING with the 2020’s

Type: Vehicle, Vehicle: 2020 CADILLAC ESCALADE, Manufacturer: General Motors, LLC
Incident: Jan 2025
Mar 2025

Engine has 64k miles and at stop lights and while parked drops idle to below 500 makes a random knock like sound shudders like it is going to cut off or have engine failure but no check engine lights.

Type: Vehicle, Vehicle: 2020 CADILLAC ESCALADE, Manufacturer: General Motors, LLC
Incident: Mar 2025

Trend Over Time

Complaints by year

Quick Summary

The 2020 Cadillac Escalade has 5 Engine complaints on file. Review the timeline above for detailed owner experiences.