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10 Common Problems With Cadillac Escalade

10 Common Problems With Cadillac Escalade

The Cadillac Escalade is a luxurious SUV with high-end safety features and a comfortable interior cabin. However, luxurious vehicles also have problems because of their complex systems. You do not have to worry about their issues because the company provides free repair service for parts that come under their recalls.

Common problems with the Cadillac Escalade are inconsistent illumination of airbag light, broken haptic motor, distorted image from the rear camera, engine issues, erratic working of instrumental panel gauges, malfunctioning of steering wheel controls, poorly treated rear suspension and control arm parts, daytime running lights remain ON, faulty front view camera, and incorrect functioning of wireless charger.

My experience with this luxurious SUV was extremely bad, and I had an uncomfortable ride experience. I faced problems with broken door handles, tire pressure issues, transmission failure, incorrect air conditioning and heating system functioning, and broken interior components.

Problems Solutions
Inconsistent illumination of airbag light Update software
Broken haptic motors Replace faulty haptic motors
Distorted image from the rear camera Clean reverse camera lens
Engine issues Clean throttle body
Erratic working of instrumental panel gauges Replacement of instrument cluster screen
Malfunctioning of steering wheel controls Remove debris with slime
Poorly treated rear suspension and control arm parts Replace suspension bolts
Daytime running lights remain ON Replace broken relays
Faulty front view camera Calibrate the front-view camera
Wireless charger not working Use compatible mobile phones

Illumination of airbag warning light

General Motors recalled the 2021 Cadillac Escalade because of the airbag problem. You can see inconsistent illumination of the warning light on the instrumental cluster.

The illuminated light shows an issue with airbag deployment, and you have to check it. Sometimes, the light remains ON because of the broken relay and other internal connections.

Erratic functioning of airbag indicators increases the risk of injury of drivers. Drivers cannot get the information because of the inconsistent illumination.

The issue also comes from losing communication with the Sensing Diagnostic Module (SDM). You can face the problem because of the faulty sensors, which cause the indicator light to come on the screen even when airbags function correctly.

You can contact the dealers if you have a 2014 model of this SUV. You will get the free software update for the gateway communication module from their owners.

Broken haptic motors

The Cadillac Escalade has many safety features for a safe and comfortable experience. Moreover, it has a parking assist warning, which aids the driver in safe driving conditions.

It has sensors and cameras to detect the objects in their surroundings. Drivers can get an audible and sensory warning when another vehicle or object comes nearby.

One of my friends also has the 2006 model of this SUV and told me about the problematic situation. These vehicles have haptic motors mounted under the driver seats that cause vibration of seats after detecting the surrounding objects.

He said he faced extreme and erratic vibrations while driving because of the malfunctioning haptic motors. The issue in his SUV came because of the broken motors and internal wirings.

The wires and their internal connections break because of excessive vibrations. You can access the haptic motors by removing the driving seat. Secure their wiring connection or replace the broken haptic motor with a new one.

Distorted image from the rear camera

Cadillac Escalades are mounted with reverse cameras on their backside to ensure safety while reversing and moving at turning points.

My neighbor has the 2007 model of this SUV, and he told me he was reversing it last night and could not see the clear image on the infotainment screen.

He saw the distorted and blurred image from the rearview camera. He had difficulty reversing his vehicle, and he was also unable to find the real problem.

He called me, and I told him to clean the lens of the rearview camera because it is mounted close to the ground surface, and dust and road debris can come on the lens.

He cleaned the lens with a soft cloth and engaged the reverse gear again for testing. He told me the problem was resolved after cleaning the camera lens.

Engine issues

More than 60% of complaints in the Cadillac Escalade are related to engine parts. You can see several issues in the engine compartment, which cause an uncomfortable driving experience.

I also faced the rough idling issue and thought it came from the cold weather. I started the engine 5 minutes before driving but faced the same problem again.

I opened the hood to inspect the components and saw carbon buildup on the throttle body. I used the old brush to remove the carbon deposits. Moreover, I used the throttle body cleaner, but you can also try carburetors for cleaning.

Do not spray this cleaning solution directly on the throttle body plate. Moreover, you can also see the engine overheating with black smoke from the exhaust pipe.

One of my cousins also complained about the engine misfiring, and he struggled to start his SUV. You can also see leakage from the fuel pump, which directly affects the fuel economy.

Engine issues are significant in their 2015, 2016, and 2019 model because of the manufacturing defect in their construction. Dealing with the engine compartment is necessary for a smooth ride.

Erratic working of instrumental panel gauges

The instrument panel has several gauges to show oil pressure, speed, engine RMPs, and engine temperature. Many people complain that these gauges start working erratically and show incorrect information.

Erratic instrumental panel gauge functioning also causes several warning lights to come on the screen and cause a distraction for the drivers.

You can see inconsistent gauges functioning for several reasons, including faulty control module, broken thermostat, low water in the cooling system, bad wirings, and faulty instrumental cluster panel.

These components are responsible for giving incorrect information to these gauges, and they function inconsistently. My friend complained about the erratic speedometer functioning in his 2014 Cadillac Escalade.

He contacted the owners, and they replaced the instrumental cluster free of cost because the issue came because of a faulty instrumental cluster screen.

Malfunctioning of steering wheel controls

The steering wheel of the Cadillac Escalade has several buttons on the left and right side to control features on the instrumental cluster screen. These control switches become irresponsive sometimes, and you cannot perform the relevant operation.

You can press these buttons, but these do not respond and allow the activation of the corresponding feature. The control button switch becomes faulty because of the debris buildup, causing an issue in their engagement.

They get stuck because of the debris buildup on their sides. In addition, they become faulty because of bad wiring, broken fuses, faulty relays, dead batteries, and malfunctioning control modules.

Keeping these buttons clean and removing the dust and debris from their sides is necessary. You can use the slime to remove the small debris from the steering control switches.

You should also ensure the battery has sufficient voltage and the control unit works fine.

Poorly treated rear suspension and control arm parts

Suspension issues are significant in the 2022 and 2023 Cadillac Escalade because of their poorly treated parts. Bolts of the rear suspension system and control arms are not properly heated, which increases their breaking risk.

Broken suspension bolts affect the alignment of the rear wheels, which increases the risk of accidents because of poor handling and control.

You can replace the factory-installed suspension bolts with new ones of high quality that can withstand stressful situations and road impacts.

Daytime running lights remain ON

Many Cadillac Escalade owners complain that daytime running lights remain ON when they turn ON the headlights. In addition, they do not deactivate when you turn OFF the engine.

DRL illuminates to enhance the visibility when you start the engine. They do not turn off because of the faulty engine parts that supply continuous power for their illumination.

You can also face problems because of broken relays and bad wiring connections. Replacing the broken relays with new ones is better than turning them OFF because they can drain the battery.

Faulty front view camera

The front view camera is mounted on the windshield of your SUV to detect objects, hurdles, and vehicles on the road. The front view camera alerts the drivers when moving away from the road markings and changing lanes without signaling.

The issue comes because of the poorly calibrated front-view camera. You can also face problems because of the poorly cleaned camera lens.

Calibrate the front view camera from the button located on the side. You should also clean its lens with a soft and lint-free cloth to correctly detect surrounding objects.

Wireless charger not working

The Cadillac Escalade is equipped with many modern technologies, including wireless features. You have to put your mobile phone on the charging spot, and you can see the charging signal on the infotainment screen.

My wife told me he put his phone on the charging spot but did not see the charging sign on the screen. I checked his phone and other connections, but all was fine.

I told my wife the issue came because of the incompatible mobile phone. You should purchase a phone compatible with your SUV’s wireless charging system.

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