2019 Cadillac Escalade recalls & problems

Safety recalls

Recall repairs are free at any authorised dealer. A recall listed here may already have been fixed on a particular car: enter its 17-character VIN at nhtsa.gov/recalls to see open recalls.

Crash test ratings

NHTSA 5-Star Safety Ratings (New Car Assessment Program). Ratings are comparable only between vehicles of similar size and weight, and ratings from 2011 on use tougher tests than earlier years. Photos: NHTSA.

Fuel economy

EPA estimates from fueleconomy.gov for each engine and transmission sold. Annual cost is the EPA's estimate for 15,000 miles a year at its current fuel and electricity price assumptions. Your results will vary.

What owners report

*Median odometer reading when the problem happened, where owners gave one. One complaint can name several problem areas.

Recent owner complaints

• Engine

  All of a sudden the car just died while driving it on the road at speed. There was no warning or indication of an issue. It just shook and then died. It would not restart. This is an egregious safety issue and should not happen on a vehicle with only this many miles. We could have been killed if we were on a highway. A quick google search shows this is a KNOWN issue. The mechanic said this is a know issue with this engine - Please get a recall out for 2019 before someone dies!!!!

  Jul 23, 2026
• Engine

  The AFM lifters on 1,7,4,6 cylinders go out with no warning causing shuttering and misfires. Scary! This is the second Escalade with the problem and the 2019 engine has occurred twice in 6 months. I have inserted a lockout device to prevent the vehicle from going into 4 cylinder mode since the last episode (6 months ago) and it still failed another AFM lifter. GM said they will fix the 3rd one under warranty but no guarantees it won't fail again. Who knows where I might be? I am without a vehicle for 2 to 3 weeks at a time. GM will not remove the system and replace the cam and lifters (even if I purchase the parts). POOR service also.

  Jun 7, 2026
• Power train

  I am filing a safety complaint regarding my Cadillac Escalade due to a transmission/valve body failure occurring at approximately 77,100 miles. The vehicle began experiencing transmission-related issues including harsh shifting, hesitation, abnormal operation, and unsafe drivability concerns. The vehicle was diagnosed by the repair facility as requiring a transmission valve body replacement. I was then informed that the required valve body is currently on national backorder with General Motors, and my vehicle has now been out of service for over two months with no estimated repair completion date available. After researching the issue, I discovered numerous other GM owners reporting similar…

  Mar 2, 2026
• Engine

  MY VEHICLE LOST POWER SUDDENLY I ALMOST GOT HIT FROM BEHIND LUCKILY I WAS ABLE TO AVOID A ACCIDENT TOWED TO MECANIC TOLD ME COMMON ISSUE WITH THIS ENGINE MY ENGINE NEEDS REPLACMENT

  Jan 14, 2026
• Engine

  Loud engine knocking heard after starting vehicle at grocery store, vehicle was driven 25 miles to get to store so was 'warm', check engine lite on dashboard came on during knocking, was able to drive vehicle to dealership for diagnosis (approximately 3.1 miles), dealership diagnosis after engine teardown was roller lifter failure causing damaged camshaft, instead of repairing defective parts in this engine opted for new engine replacement, cost approximately $15,000 for repairs and labor out of pocket, vehicle is 2019 Escalade, less than 110,000 miles on engine, purchased in 2022 with approximately 9000 odometer miles from cadillac dealership, professionally maintained at Cadillac…

  Feb 1, 2026
• Engine

  Loud knocking sound in the engine appeared out of nowhere. This is the same engine as what exists in the 2021 year models which does have a recall on them, but for some reason the 2019 models like I have are not included in the recall. I cannot drive the car for fear of the engine seizing up.

  Jan 27, 2026
• Engine

  Lifters failed and needed repaired. $2,000 mechanic bill

  Aug 13, 2025
• Engine

  The engine has an Active Fuel Management system that has frequent failures of the lifters which causes the push rods to bend. This causes a misfire and the check engine light to illuminate. A broken piece of material entered the lower portion of the engine which could have caused an engine failure while on the highway. I had the vehicle towed to a dealership before a catastrophic failure occurred. Cadillac refuses to warranty this defect when the engine reaches 70k miles. The dealership sees this often and replaced the lifters on only one bank (head) at the cost of $4,000. This occurred on my 2018 Escalade which was under warranty at the time. They had to replace the camshaft and all the…

  Dec 25, 2025

Owner complaints are submitted to NHTSA by the public and are not verified. Shown as filed (NHTSA removes personal details); long reports are shortened.