2004 CADILLAC ESCALADE EXT Recalls, Complaints & Safety

THE BRAKE "LINES FROM THE PROPORTIONING VALVE TO MODULATOR, LINES FROM MASTER CYL TO PROPORTIONING VALVE" HAD TO BE REPLACED. THE QUOTED DESCRIPTION IS FROM THE DEALERS SERVICE INVOICE. ONE OR MORE OF THESE LINES CORRODED THRU AND FAILED WHILE I WAS (LUCKILY) IN MY DRIVEWAY. I HAD FILED A COMPLAINT IN 2012 REGARDING CORROSION FAILURE RELATED TO THE REAR BRAKE LINES AND IN 2013 FOR CORROSION FAILURE RELATED TO THE FRONT BRAKE LINES. ODI NUMBERS ARE AVAILABLE.

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2004 CADILLAC ESCALADE EXT. THE CONTACT STATED THAT THE INSTRUMENT PANEL FAILED INTERMITTENTLY. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT DIAGNOSED OR REPAIRED. THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOT NOTIFIED OF THE FAILURE. THE APPROXIMATE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 55,000.

I HAVE A 2004 ESCALADE EXT AND APPROX. 1 YEAR AGO THE SPEEDOMETER STOPPED WORKING. I CONTACTED CADILLAC AND WAS TOLD IT WAS MY PROBLEM AS THE WARRANTY WAS UP. I JUST READ IN A CAR MAGAZINE THAT MY YEAR OF ESCALADE IS LISTED AS A BAD VEHICLE TO PURCHASE DUE TO SPEEDOMETER BREAKDOWNS. CADILLAC WANTS OVER $500 TO REPAIR THIS AND IT HAS BEEN AN ISSUE THEY HAVE KNOWN ABOUT FOR SEVERAL YEARS. *TR

THE DRIVER SIDE FRONT BRAKE LINE CORRODED THRU. THIS IS A LITTLE OVER A YEAR SINCE THE REAR BRAKE LINE CORRODED THRU. *TR

I DISCOVERED BROKEN/MISSING EXHAUST MANIFOLD BOLTS AT 107K MILES ALTHOUGH I SUSPECT THEY HAVE BEEN MISSING FOR QUITE SOME TIME. I WAS MADE AWARE OF THE PROBLEM BY OTHER CADILLAC, CHEVY, AND GMC OWNERS WITH THE 6.0L ENGINE. UPON HEARING ABOUT THIS ISSUE I INSPECTED MY VEHICLE TO FIND THAT I HAVE MISSING/BROKEN EXHAUST MANIFOLD BOLTS TOO. THIS IS A MAJOR SAFETY CONCERN AS WELL AS EMISSIONS. MANY OWNERS OF THESE VEHICLES WITH THIS ENGINE HAVE HAD MULTIPLE MISSING OR BROKEN MANIFOLD BOLTS, MANY AT MILEAGES OF LESS THAN 50K. EXHAUST TEMPERATURES AT THE EXHAUST MANIFOLD AVERAGE 1200 DEGREES FAHRENHEIT. GASOLINE HAS AN IGNITION TEMPERATURE OF ABOUT 500 DEGREES FAHRENHEIT. WHEN EXHAUST MANIFOLD BOLTS BREAK OR BECOME MISSING THE SEAL IS COMPROMISED BETWEEN THE EXHAUST MANIFOLD AND THE EXHAUST PORT ON THE ENGINE CYLINDER HEAD ALLOWING THESE EXTREMELY HOT EXHAUST GASES TO COME INTO CONTACT WITH MULTIPLE COMPONENTS IN THE ENGINE COMPARTMENT RATHER THAN THROUGH THE EXHAUST SYSTEM AND SAFELY OUT THE TAILPIPE, WHICH IS ROUTED SAFELY AWAY FROM FLAMMABLE COMPONENTS OR COMPONENTS THAT COULD COMPROMISE VEHICLE HANDLING OR BRAKING IF EXPOSED TO THESE TEMPERATURES FROM NORMAL OPERATION. HEAT SHIELDS AS PART OF THE EXHAUST SYSTEM ARE INSTALLED TO SAFELY SHIELD ANY OF THESE COMPONENTS FROM THE EXHAUST SYSTEM TEMPERATURES AS LONG AS THE EXHAUST SYSTEM IS IN GOOD WORKING CONDITION. IN ADDITION THERE ARE OTHER FLUIDS SUCH AS TRANSMISSION FLUID, POWER STEERING FLUID, ENGINE OIL, THAT WILL ALSO BURN IF EXPOSED TO THESE NORMAL EXHAUST MANIFOLD TEMPERATURES. ALL OF THESE FLUIDS, INCLUDING FUEL LINES, FLOW THROUGH LINES IN AND AROUND THESE MANIFOLDS ROUTED THROUGHOUT THE ENGINE COMPARTMENT. SHOULD THE ENTIRE EXHAUST MANIFOLD BECOME LOOSE BECAUSE OF THE INSUFFICIENT MOUNTING HARDWARE THE RISK OF FIRE BECOME EXPONENTIALLY HIGHER. THERE ARE OTHER CONCERNS SUCH AS CARBON MONOXIDE AND EXCESS POLLUTI. *TR

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2004 CADILLAC ESCALADE EXT. THE CONTACT STATED THAT WHILE DRIVING APPROXIMATELY 3 MPH, THE REAR SHOCKS SNAPPED WITHOUT WARNING. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO A PRIVATE MECHANIC WHERE IT WAS DIAGNOSED THAT THE REAR SUSPENSION SYSTEM NEEDED TO BE REPLACED. THE CONTACT MENTIONED THAT THE FAILURE OCCURRED SEVERAL TIMES. THE MANUFACTURER WAS MADE AWARE OF THE FAILURE. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT REPAIRED. THE APPROXIMATE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 106,000 AND THE CURRENT MILEAGE WAS 127,000. *TR

LEFT REAR BRAKE LINES RUSTED THROUGH AT THE WHEEL AREA. SIGNIFICANT FLUID LEAKAGE. LINES FOR BOTH REAR BRAKES HAD TO BE REPLACED. *JS

PASSLOCK SECURITY SYSTEM FAILURE - VEHICLE TRIES TO START THEN STOPS FIRING. PASSLOCK LIGHT COMES ON AND CANNOT START VEHICLE FOR 10 - 20 MINUTES. THIS HAS OCCURRED 7 TIMES IN 15 MONTHS BEGINNING AT 55K MILES. I HAVE READ SEVERAL COMPLAINTS FROM OWNERS HAVING THE SAME PROBLEM. DEALER REPAIRS ARE NOT PERMANENT. THESE REPAIRS RANGE FROM REPLACING IGNITION CYLINDERS TO SECURITY MODULES. *TR

1ST INCIDENT 1) I WAS GOING TO PARK IN A SPOT BETWEEN TWO BUILDING, ONLY LARGE ENOUGH FOR ONE VEHICLE. I CAME DOWN THE ROAD, WHICH HAS A DECLINE TO IT, AND TURNED RIGHT, INTO THE PARKING SPOT. DUE TO THE ROAD BEING 1 WAY, AND THE PARKING SPOT BEING TIGHT, IT IS IMPOSSIBLE TO TURN THE VEHICLE DIRECTLY INTO THE PARKING SPOT. I TURNED THE VEHICLE AND HAD TO BACK UP TO GO STRAIGHT INTO THE PARKING SPOT. I PRESSED THE BRAKE, SHIFTED INTO REVERSE, AND PRESSED THE GAS PEDAL. MEANWHILE, A LADY WALKED IN FRONT OF MY VEHICLE ON THE SIDEWALK. 2) THE VEHICLE ROLLED FORWARD, EVEN THOUGH THE RPMS WERE AT APPROXIMATELY 2200 RPMS AND THE VEHICLE WAS IN REVERSE. I HIT THE BRAKE, BUT THE VEHICLE HAD ALREADY HIT THE LADY. SHE WAS FORTUNATELY FINE, AND CONTINUED ON HER WAY. 3) I TOOK THE VEHICLE TO THE DEALERSHIP, WHERE THEY TOLD ME IT WAS WORKING WITHIN IN DESIGN PARAMETERS. THEY SAID THERE WAS NOTHING MORE THAT COULD BE DONE. I CALLED CADILLAC CUSTOMER CARE, AND INFORMED THEM OF THE PROBLEM. THEY ALSO SAID AT THE TIME THERE WAS NOTHING THEY COULD DO, AND CHALKED IT UP TO A FLUKE. 2ND INCIDENT 1) I PARKED IN A PARKING LOT AGAIN WITH A DECLINE. ABOUT 2 FEET IN FRONT OF THE VEHICLE WAS A CEMENT POST. I CAME OUT, STARTED THE TRUCK, PRESSED THE BRAKE, AND SHIFTED INTO REVERSE. 2). I PRESSED THE GAS, THE RPMS WERE OVER 2000 RPMS, AND THE VEHICLE ONCE AGAIN DID NOT REVERSE BUT RATHER ROLLED FORWARD INTO THE CEMENT POST, CRACKING MY FRONT BUMPER. AFTER THAT, THE REVERSE ENGAGED AND THE TRUCK STARTED REVERSING. 3). THE DEALERSHIP CURRENTLY HAS THE VEHICLE, AND IS TELLING ME TO COME PICK IT UP, EVEN THOUGH THEY HAVE DONE NOTHING TO FIX THIS PROBLEM. I ASKED WHAT IT WAS GOING TO TAKE BEFORE THEY DID SOMETHING, AND THEY SAID THERE IS NOTHING THEY CAN DO. I HAVE CALLED CADILLAC CUSTOMER CARE AGAIN, LEFT 3 MESSAGES, AND STILL AHVE NOT HEARD BACK. I AM CONCERNED ABOUT THE LIABILITY OF DRIVING THIS VEHICLE AT THIS POINT.

Crash

THE HORN DOES NOT ALWAYS SOUND. THERE SEEMS TO BE A BAD CONNECTION IN THE HORN PAD AT THE STEERING WHEEL. IF THE HORN IS NOT USED FOR A WHILE, IT WILL NOT SOUND WHEN YOU NEED IT. BUT AFTER YOU GET IT TO WORK, IT WILL WORK EVERY TIME UNTIL YOU DON'T USE IT AGAIN FOR A WHILE.*AK

THE AIR BAG LIGHT CAME ON, THE CONSUMER WENT TO THE DEALER. THE IGNITION WAS TURNED ON/OFF TO SEE IF IT WOULD GO OFF. THE VEHICLE WAS LEFT AT THE DEALERS THE NEXT MORNING. THE AIRBAG LIGHT WENT ON AGAIN THE NEXT WEEK. THERE WAS A PART ORDERED, AND REPLACED. CONSUMER DROVE THE VEHICLE FOR TWO DAYS AND THE AIR BAG LIGHT CAME ON AGAIN. GENERAL MOTORS STATED THAT THE AIRBAG WIRING HARNESS WOULD BE REPLACED BY THEM, HOWEVER NO PARTS ARE AVAILABLE. AS OF THIS DATE THE VEHICLE IS STILL AT THE DEALERS AWAITING REPAIR. *NM