News

2021 Cadillac Escalade Recalled Over Possible Driveshaft Failure

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: 

  • 2021 Cadillac Escalade
  • 2021 Cadillac Escalade ESV

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: 

  • Cadillac recall number: N212351030
  • NHTSA Campaign Number: 22V036000
  • Cadillac Customer Service: 1-877-248-2080
  • NHTSA Toll Free: 1-888-327-4236
  • NHTSA (TTY): 1-800-424-9153

Subscribe to Cadillac Society for the latest Cadillac Escalade newsCadillac recall news, and around-the-clock Cadillac news coverage. We also invite you to join the latest discussions in our Cadillac forums.

Alexandra Purcell

Alexandra is a Colorado-based journalist with a passion for all things involving horsepower, be it automotive or equestrian.

Share
Published by

Recent Posts

Updated 2025 Cadillac XT6 Lands In China

We're not aware of any plans to bring the updated XT6 to North America.

8 hours ago

Cadillac CT5-V Blackwing Le Monstre Special Edition Compatible With New Precision Pack

Or, as we like to call it, the Precise Monster.

1 day ago

2026 Cadillac Vistiq Revealed With Three Rows, 615 Horses, 300 Mile Range

Slotting between the Lyriq and Escalade IQ.

1 day ago

Cadillac XT4 To Be Discontinued After 2025 Model Year

A surprising about-face for the luxury marque and its parent, GM.

3 days ago

Cadillac CTS-V Race Car Prototype Sells For $120K

Someone has taken home a piece of automotive racing history.

3 days ago

2025 Cadillac Escalade-V Gets Unique Steering Wheel Features

Two features that set the V's steering wheel apart.

1 week ago