Cadillac Escalade Recalled For Rear Wheel Lock-Up Due To Transmission Valve Failure

A problem with control module software that can fail to detect transmission valve problems has led to certain units of the 2021 Cadillac Escalade and 2021 Cadillac Escalade ESV being included in a new, far-reaching General Motors recall, over the potential for the issue to cause momentary rear wheel lock-up.

Per GM Safety Recall number N242454440, only Cadillac Escalade and Escalade ESV SUVs equipped with Duramax diesel engines are affected by the issue and therefore included in the recall. Numbers are very low because the diesel powerplant for the model was quite unpopular.

The problem: the issue occurs when the transmission control module in the 2021 Cadillac Escalade or Escalade ESV is unable to detect excess transmission valve wear, enabling pressure problems to continue and eventually develop to the point where the valve may fail during certain transmission shifts.

The hazards: in affected Cadillac Escalade sport-utility vehicles, the transmission control valve wears out faster than anticipated, so that it gradually loses pressure over the course of extended driving. Shifts become harsher until the valve has the possibility of failure, specifically when the diesel drivetrain shifts down from eighth gear.

If the transmission control valve fails, the rear wheels of the SUV may experience momentary lock-up while driving. Depending on the situation, speed of the vehicle, and presence of other traffic, the lock-up could increase the chances of an accident or crash.

The fix: affected Cadillac Escalade and Escalade ESV units should have new transmission control module software installed to rectify the problem of valve wear non-detection. Dealers are instructed to carry out this repair both on customer vehicles and on their own inventory.

The corrected software will detect the excess valve wear roughly 10,000 miles before transmission valve failure is likely to occur. As soon as the software detects this condition, it activates “reduced propulsion” and “service engine” on the instrument panel. Furthermore, it prevents the transmission from up-shifting past fifth gear, thus preventing the risk of eighth gear rear-wheel lock-up. GM will release a special coverage program to repair transmissions affected by a defective control valve, as detected by the newly installed software. However, at the time of this writing, no parts are available for the transmission fix.

For dealer stock, a stop-delivery order is in effect from now until the affected Cadillac Escalade and Escalade ESV can be properly repaired. All GM Certified Pre-Owned (CPO) program vehicles affected by the recall are immediately decertified.

Affected components: transmission control module software.

Affected vehicles: 

• 2020 Chevy Silverado 1500
• 2021 Chevy Silverado 1500
• 2022 Chevy Silverado 1500
• 2020 Chevy Silverado HD
• 2021 Chevy Silverado HD
• 2021 Chevy Suburban
• 2021 Chevy Tahoe
• 2020 GMC Sierra 1500
• 2021 GMC Sierra 1500
• 2022 GMC Sierra 1500
• 2020 GMC Sierra HD
• 2021 GMC Sierra HD
• 2021 GMC Yukon
• 2021 GMC Yukon XL
• 2021 Cadillac Escalade
• 2021 Cadillac Escalade ESV

Number of affected vehicles: very few Escalade SUVs are included in the recall because of extremely weak sales of the diesel engine models. In all, a total of 885 Cadillac Escalade units and 635 Cadillac Escalade ESV vehicles are included in the recall in the United States.

The overall number of recalled vehicles from Cadillac, Chevrolet, and GMC amount to 461,839 units, according to the NHTSA. Another 52,220 units are involved in Canada as well.

Owners should: on Monday, December 9^th, 2024, General Motors will mail recall notification letters to individual owners of the affected Escalade vehicles. These letters will contain special instructions on how the owners should handle the problem and the issued recall.

GM will carry out the fix for the recalled problem free of charge to the owner. Additionally, if the vehicle is still under the appropriate warranty, the dealership may provide courtesy transportation until the fix can be applied.

Owners with additional questions about the recall and related issues can contact Cadillac customer service at the following toll-free telephone number, citing the recall number as necessary:

Contacts:

• GM recall number: N242454440
• Cadillac Customer Service: 1-800-458-8006