Cadillac Escalade SUVs With 6.2L V8 L87 Engine Recalled Due To Manufacturing Defects

Cadillac’s parent company, General Motors, has issued a recall for various full-size vehicles, including the Cadillac Escalade, equipped with the 6.2L V8 L87 engine due to issues that can result in power loss and engine failure.

Just over 126,000 units of the Escalade and Escalade ESV are affected. To clarify, the recall is specific to 2021 to 2024 model-year vehicles. For reference, Cadillac Escalade sales totaled over 128,000 units for the 2021 to 2024 model years.

The problem: affected units of the Cadillac Escalade may have quality and contamination defects impacting certain components in the engine’s rotating assembly, specifically the connecting rod and/or crankshaft.

The hazards: affected engines may exhibit power loss and ultimately lead to engine failure, which increases the risk of an accident.

The fix: engines in the Cadillac Escalade and Escalade ESV models affected by the recall are to be inspected for manufacturing defects. From there, one of two possibilities is likely:

• A vehicle passes inspection and receives an engine oil and filter change, this time using high-viscosity 0W-40 Mobil 1 Supercar oil. The owner’s manual for Escalade models equipped with the 6.2L V8 L87 engine calls for 0W-20 oil. The oil fill cap will also be replaced (to reflect the new oil type).
• A vehicle does not pass inspection and receives an engine replacement.

Affected components: 

• Connecting rods
• Crankshaft
• Engine oil
• Oil filter
• Oil fill cap

Affected vehicles: 

• 2021 – 2024 Cadillac Escalade
• 2021 – 2024 Cadillac Escalade ESV

Notably, manufacturing improvements were implemented on or before June 1^st, 2024, which predates the start of production for the 2025 model year. As such, the updated 2025 Escalade and Escalade ESV are not impacted by the recall.

Number of affected vehicles: there are 79,747 Cadillac Escalade and 46,280 Cadillac Escalade ESV units involved in the recall. These units were built between March 1^st, 2021 and May 31^st, 2024. As mentioned, the updated 2025 Escalade and Escalade ESV are not impacted by the recall.

The decision to issue a recall is associated with customer complaints, which includes a number of lawsuits. When Cadillac Society reached out for comment, a spokesperson informed us that the automaker intends to “resolve manufacturing issues affecting some engines” and is working to do so “as quickly as possible.” The representative went on to emphasize that the “safety and satisfaction of our customers are the highest priorities.”

Next steps: Cadillac will notify owners of affected vehicles with further instructions, though it’s worth noting that a vehicle will an inspection performed by the dealer to determine the course of action. Typically, those looking to find out whether a particular Escalade is impacted by this condition, owners can visit my.cadillac.com/recalls and input their vehicle’s VIN.

Owners or dealers can also contact Cadillac directly if they have further questions. The toll-free customer service numbers below can be used. The recall numbers referenced below is necessary to identify the issue.

Contact information: 

• Cadillac recall numbers: N252494000, N252494001 and N252494002
• Cadillac Customer Service: 1-877-248-2080