Category: Cadillac

Cadillac Escalade in front of Cadillac dealership.

Common Cadillac Escalade Defects (2015-2020)

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By: Sepehr Daghighian, Esq.

The Cadillac Escalade is a sophisticated, full-size, luxury SUV engineered and produced by General Motors. It was first introduced into the market about 10 years ago and has been highly popular ever since. However, over the years, the Escalade has revealed some persistent defects which become harder to look past when it comes to a $75,000+ SUV. Some of the common issues in the last 5 years of Cadillac Escalades include harsh ride quality, transmission failure, engine problems, and suspensions defects.

If your Cadillac Escalade has suffered these defects or has presented with serious, repeated issues, CCA is here to help. We invite you to call our experts today for a free consultation: (833) LEMON-FIRM.

What are some common Cadillac Escalade Defects?

Over the last five years, numerous user complaints and NHTSA investigations have revealed a plethora of defects plaguing the Escalade. While some issues were looked into by GM, many issues remain unresolved.

One of the most frequently reported Escalade defects are engine and suspension issues, which is most common in the 2016 model. A large number of users have noticed violent and random shakes, mostly while driving at 50-70 mph. For example, a user of the 2016 Cadillac Escalade described the issue, “While driving 60 mph, the vehicle began to shake violently. The shaking became more violent while approaching 70 mph. The contact had to pull over onto the shoulder to reduce the shaking. After waiting a while, the contact proceeded to drive, but the shaking continued. There were no warning indicators illuminated. No failure code was found. The mechanic deemed the Vehicle safe to drive. The Vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was not made aware of the failure.”

Another similar complaint against the vehicle suspensions stated, “Vehicle exhibits a constant vibration at speeds between 35 mph and 75 mph. Vibration is not road related; it is a constant, steady vibration regardless of road conditions. It is best described as if the Vehicle was driving over corduroy. There is also a steady “buffeting” noise coming from the cabin of the Vehicle at speeds between 55 mph and 70mph.”

Another commonly reported issue against the Escalade is transmission failure. An NHTSA defect investigation revealed a problem with the transmission. It was described by a user as follows, “When braking the transmission gives a sudden push & makes a bang. It feels like the car is trying to get away from itself. This happens during downshifting only.” 

Apart from the serious issues discussed above, the luxury SUV has been subject to complaints against body paint and electrical defects. An owner of the Escalade reported a complaint about the electrical system and stated, “The contact owns a 2016 Cadillac Escalade. Every time the contact parked and locked the vehicle, the brake lights remained illuminated. The Vehicle was taken to [my dealership] four times while under warranty. The dealer replaced the sensor under the brake pedal twice. During the third visit, the dealer replaced the wires after speaking with the manufacturer; however, the failure persisted.”

Some of the smaller issues can seem tolerable, but not when you are going for a luxury product and paying a six-digit price.

What Can I Do if my Cadillac Escalade is Subject to any defects?

If your Escalade has been the subject of repeat repairs or substandard quality, the California lemon law protects you. CAA is equipped with a set of highly experienced lawyers that are ready to help you find a solution for your problem. Please feel free to reach out to us for a free consultation regarding your vehicle: (833) LEMON-FIRM.

A Chevy car dealership.

Chevy Shake, Shake, SHAKE!

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By Matthew Jordan

California has close to 400,000 miles of road, built for smooth cruising.  Indeed, Californians love their cars and love taking them on long, pleasurable, and smooth drives along our famous highways and byways.  However, unfortunately, some of General Motors’ (GM) recent releases have not been living up to consumers’ expectations for smooth driving.  Instead, many California car owners’ vehicles are plagued by the infamous “Chevy Shake.”  

The “Chevy Shake”

The “Chevy shake” is a disturbing vehicle defect, which results in extreme vibrations in the vehicle’s steering system, suspension, and vehicle as a whole at high speeds (65-80 mph).  Drivers describe the condition as a terrifying and uncontrollable vibration throughout the vehicle. As one 2014 GMC Sierra owner described, “I have the vibration also between 65-75mph. The passenger seat shakes like hell, the steering wheel has bad wobble.”  Similarly, the owner of a GMC Crew Cab 4×4 described the condition as, “a vibration at all speeds in the steering wheel, once reaching 70mph a seat vibration started to become really noticeable and extremely noticeable as speed increase past 70. In conjunction an audible noise inside the cab developed at 75 that sounding like a metal on metal vibration at a high frequency and the cab was much louder. Became really noticeable at 80 and beyond.”

Disturbingly, GM dealerships are unable to fix the customers’ issues.  Customers return multiple times for multiple repairs but are unable to obtain a resolution of their vehicles’ issues. For instance, one owner described, “My 2016 Z71 Crew Cab has shook from day one. Now has 9K on it. Third trip to dealer and I took service manager for a ride. He seen and felt it and stated my entire passenger side door was shaking also. Speed of 70 mph up.”  Unfortunately, many customers are told there is nothing wrong with their trucks, that they have to purchase new tires, or that GM simply doesn’t have a fix.  

A recent class-action lawsuit alleges that GM’s aluminum driveshafts are unable to withstand the pressure of highway speeds, and can deteriorate over time and eventually fail completely. These weak driveshafts create severe vibrations within the vehicle that cause drivers to lose control of their vehicles. Driveshafts are meant to carry torque from one or more components of a car to another component. For example, the back wheels of a car would not be able to rotate without a driveshaft carrying the torque that the car’s engine creates to the back of that car. The driveshaft, as one of the pivotal mechanical devices that makes a car run, is meant to be able to not just endure constant stress, but continue to perform at its highest capacity under this stress. The failure of a car’s driveshaft represents a fundamental failure for the car.

GM has allegedly been made aware of this dangerous issue with their driveshafts and continues to sell and lease the affected vehicles while suppressing information about the vibrations. To make matters worse, GM has allegedly been replacing broken aluminum driveshafts on their vehicles with the same defective driveshafts. One consumer even attempted to get repairs on three different occasions before a GM dealership told him that the vibration was “within the normal limits of road vibration.” The consumers that have replaced the aluminum driveshaft with a steel driveshaft experienced no more vibrations.

What Consumers Think

Some GMC drivers have spoken on the issue of vibration at high speeds. One said, “I was talked into buying their ridiculous extended warranty and yet they do nothing to fix the problem. This truck is a lemon,” while another said, “Nothing has been fixed. They can’t find what’s causing the issue. So now they have decided that there is nothing wrong with it. The GMC Sierra is supposed to vibrate.”

How We Can Help

If you currently drive one of the following cars, we encourage you to contact California Consumer Attorneys for a free consultation with an expert lemon law attorney:

  • 2015-2020 Cadillac Escalade
  • 2014-2019 Chevrolet Silverado
  • 2015-2020 Chevrolet Suburban
  • 2015-2020 Chevrolet Tahoe
  • 2014-2019 GMC Sierra
  • 2015-2020 GMC Yukon/Yukon XL

When you purchase a car in good faith, you deserve to receive a product that works both safely and efficiently. Our expect lemon law lawyers will make sure that you are well taken care of and fully compensated by GM.  Call us today for a free consultation: (833) LEMON-FIRM.