Cadillac’s parent company, General Motors, has issued a recall for certain units of the 2021 Cadillac Escalade full-size luxury SUV over a possible driveshaft failure.
The problem: the rear-wheel driveshaft assemblies in affected vehicles may contain components that were not manufactured to specifications. Specifically, affected driveshafts may have been manufactured by GM’s supplier with recirculating balls that were not properly heat treated prior to installation.
The hazards: the recirculating balls inside the driveshaft assembly may deform over time, resulting in unwanted noise and vibrations. Eventually, this could cause the joint inside the driveshaft assembly to seize, and the vehicle could lose propulsion. A sudden loss of drive power can make the vehicle difficult to control and increase the risk of a crash.
The fix: Cadillac dealers will replace the left and/or right rear driveshaft assemblies in affected vehicles. Since the repairs are considered part of a product safety recall, this service will be performed at no cost to Cadillac Escalade owners.
Affected components: rear wheel driveshaft assemblies.
Affected vehicles:
Number of affected vehicles: Cadillac’s parent company, General Motors, has indicated that 1,789 vehicles may be affected by the driveshaft failure recall. However, this figure includes not only the Escalade, but also other full-size GM SUVs such as the Chevrolet Tahoe and Suburban as well as the GMC Yukon.
Next steps: Cadillac will mail notification letters to owners of affected units of the Cadillac Escalade with further instructions. To find out whether a particular Escalade may have this condition, owners can visit my.cadillac.com/recalls and input their vehicle’s VIN. Additionally, owners may reach out to Cadillac or the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration directly using the information included below to address any questions or concerns.
Contact information:
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