This vehicle is equipped with the 6.2 V8 engine we have experienced catastrophic engine failure twice. The vehicle is relatively low mileage.
2020 Cadillac Escalade Esv
Owner reports · Recalls · Investigations
Limited comparison data
There is not enough comparable history to draw a useful model-year comparison.
About this comparison →How this year compares
Owner complaints by model year
Compare all Escalade Esv years →Counts vary with age, sales and reporting. They are not failure rates.
What owners reported most
All reported categories
Tap a category to read its complaints. One report may name several components.
When problems were reported
Mileage at the reported incident
Limited mileage data: 4 of 21 reports include usable mileage. There isn’t enough coverage to show a useful chart.
NHTSA’s mileage field refers to the reported incident, not necessarily the filing date. This shows report counts, not the likelihood of a failure.
What to inspect
Issues worth paying extra attention to based on owner reports.
- Engine. Review the 14 owner reports in this category and discuss these concerns during a pre-purchase inspection. Read reports →
- Air Bags. Review the 4 owner reports in this category and discuss these concerns during a pre-purchase inspection. Read reports →
- Wheels. Review the 4 owner reports in this category and discuss these concerns during a pre-purchase inspection. Read reports →
NHTSA owner reports · September 18, 2026 snapshot.
What owners actually said
21 reportsPurchased a 2020 Cadillac Escalade Suburban about three months ago from GMC dealership at 8155 Interstate 35, San Antonio, Texas 78224. This vehicle had about 50,000 miles when we bought it. We were not driving the Escalade everyday, we use it occasionally and about a month after we purchased it the battery went dead. Before t…
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Purchased a 2020 Cadillac Escalade Suburban about three months ago from GMC dealership at 8155 Interstate 35, San Antonio, Texas 78224. This vehicle had about 50,000 miles when we bought it. We were not driving the Escalade everyday, we use it occasionally and about a month after we purchased it the battery went dead. Before the battery went completely dead we were on the road one day and we rolled down the window and it would not roll back up, then the back window popped open and it would not shut back down. GMC dealership we bought it from came to our home and used a charger to recharge the battery. We took it to the dealership service department and dealership determined it was a bad battery, they gave us a new battery. On May 4, we attempted to use the Escalade and once more the battery was dead. Service person from GMC dealership came back to our home to charge the new battery but it would not start at all this time. We no longer feel safe driving this vehicle and want to turn it back in as a lemon and get our money back.
There is something causing an engine misfire, and this was the first time it happened. It has happened again, and I realized that there were a lot of class action lawsuits about lifter failure in these engines
While driving on a highway, my wife abruptly experienced warning lights, loud rattling from engine and loss of power. Check engine light indicated cylinder misfire. Troubleshooting revealed a bent push rod and later discover broken lifter. While researching the issue it was found to be a very common issues with vehicles using…
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While driving on a highway, my wife abruptly experienced warning lights, loud rattling from engine and loss of power. Check engine light indicated cylinder misfire. Troubleshooting revealed a bent push rod and later discover broken lifter. While researching the issue it was found to be a very common issues with vehicles using active fuel management. Issue is so widespread parts are replacement parts are unavailable. If more traffic were around situation could resulted in loss of control in traffic and collision.
My original factory 2020 Escalade 6.2L engine suddenly without warning seized while driving on a two lane undivided highway. I was forced to steer and brake the vehicle from 70mph to the shoulder of the road. My Vehicle had to be towed to GM dealer who diagnosed a seized engine. GM Replaced engine under warranty. This incident i…
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My original factory 2020 Escalade 6.2L engine suddenly without warning seized while driving on a two lane undivided highway. I was forced to steer and brake the vehicle from 70mph to the shoulder of the road. My Vehicle had to be towed to GM dealer who diagnosed a seized engine. GM Replaced engine under warranty. This incident is identical to the 6.2L engine failures of the 2021 to 2024 recall.
The colling system is not working properly and damage the engine
Persistent Engine Failure and Safety Hazards – 2020 Cadillac Escalade ESV 97000 miles The vehicle suffered a major engine failure while traveling at highway speeds. The incident began with a loud mechanical knocking from the engine, followed by a sudden loss of propulsion and the vehicle entering "limp mode." Both the Check Eng…
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Persistent Engine Failure and Safety Hazards – 2020 Cadillac Escalade ESV 97000 miles The vehicle suffered a major engine failure while traveling at highway speeds. The incident began with a loud mechanical knocking from the engine, followed by a sudden loss of propulsion and the vehicle entering "limp mode." Both the Check Engine Light (flashing/solid) and multiple safety system warnings illuminated simultaneously. Diagnostic reports confirmed multiple cylinder misfires. Despite thousands of dollars spent at various independent service centers, the underlying mechanical issues persist, rendering the vehicle unreliable and unsafe for operation.
The contact owns a 2020 Cadillac Escalade ESV. The contact stated that while driving approximately 60 MPH, the vehicle stalled. The contact allowed the vehicle to coast to the shoulder of the roadway and shifted into park(P). The contact attempted to restart the vehicle, but the vehicle failed to start. The vehicle was towed to …
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The contact owns a 2020 Cadillac Escalade ESV. The contact stated that while driving approximately 60 MPH, the vehicle stalled. The contact allowed the vehicle to coast to the shoulder of the roadway and shifted into park(P). The contact attempted to restart the vehicle, but the vehicle failed to start. The vehicle was towed to the dealer but was not repaired. The manufacturer was notified of the failure. The failure mileage was 125,236.
My Engine is experiencing rough idle. This vehicle has the l87 engine that has been recalled on other year models. Rough idle is one of the symptoms described before complete failure of the l87 engines.
My engine completely failed and required replacement. It failed on the highway and luckily I was able to coast to an exit ramp. I had a repair shop replace the entire engine. There are complaints all over the internet about this engine and it failing. GM recalled the 2021 through 2024 engine, but this one is also faulty.
Official recalls
221V115000 · Tires
Feb 25, 2021
General Motors LLC (GM) is recalling certain 2020 Buick Enclave, Cadillac XT4, XT5, Escalade, Escalade ESV, Chevrolet Suburban, Tahoe, Traverse, GMC Yukon, Yukon XL, 2018-2021 Chevrolet Express, GMC Savana, 2019-2020 Chevrolet Blazer, Silverado 1500, GMC Acadia, Sierra 1500, and certain Continental tires sold to the aftermarket for various model year 2018-2021 vehicles. The affected tires were cured for too long during production.
Consequence & remedy
Consequence: Over cured tires may develop a break in the sidewall resulting in sudden air loss or a belt edge separation which could lead to a tread/belt loss. Either condition can cause a loss of vehicle control, increasing the risk of a crash.
Remedy: GM will notify owners, and dealers will inspect the tires, replacing them as necessary, free of charge. The recall began March 22, 2021. Owners may contact GMC customer service at 1-888-988-7267, Buick customer service at 1-866-608-8080, Chevrolet customer service at 1-800-222-1020 or Cadillac customer service at 1-800-458-8006. GM's number for this recall is N212329050.
19V837000 · Fuel System, Gasoline:delivery:fuel Pump
Nov 21, 2019
General Motors LLC (GM) is recalling certain 2020 Cadillac Escalade, Escalade ESV, Chevrolet Camaro, Silverado 1500, Suburban, Tahoe, GMC Sierra 1500, Yukon, and Yukon XL vehicles. The fuel pump may be missing a pressure regulator, allowing for over-pressurization of the fuel system.
Consequence & remedy
Consequence: Over-pressurization can crack the fuel pump and cause leaks, increasing the risk of a fire in the presence of an ignition source.
Remedy: GM will notify owners, and dealers will replace the fuel pump, free of charge. The recall began December 18, 2019. Owners may contact Cadillac customer service at 1-800-333-4223, Chevrolet customer service at 1-800-222-1020, or GMC customer service at 1-888-988-7267. GM's number for this recall is N192283991.
Model-level recall history does not show whether a particular VIN is affected or has received a repair. Check a VIN with NHTSA ↗
NHTSA investigations
0No exact-year investigations in this snapshot.
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