TSB: CADILLAC AVALANCHE, AVALANCHE 1500, ESCALADE, ESCALADE ESV, ESCALADE EXT, ESCALADE EXT 1500, SIERRA, SIERRA 1500, SILVERADO, SILVERADO 1500, SUBURBAN, TAHOE, YUKON, YUKON XL (2010–2011)

Bulletin PB-12138 — October 1, 2012

Bulletin Details

Bulletin IDPB-12138
ManufacturerCADILLAC
ModelsAVALANCHE, AVALANCHE 1500, ESCALADE, ESCALADE ESV, ESCALADE EXT, ESCALADE EXT 1500, SIERRA, SIERRA 1500, SILVERADO, SILVERADO 1500, SUBURBAN, TAHOE, YUKON, YUKON XL
Model Years2010–2011
Date IssuedOctober 1, 2012
Date Added to NHTSAApril 26, 2016
ComponentPOWER TRAIN:AUTOMATIC TRANSMISSION
Vehicles Affected76 combinations

What is a TSB?

A Technical Service Bulletin is a document issued by the vehicle manufacturer to inform dealership technicians about a known issue and the recommended repair procedure. TSBs are not mandatory recalls — they serve as repair guidance for common problems.

If your vehicle has this issue, bring this bulletin ID to your dealer. If under warranty, the repair should be covered at no cost.

Summary

CADILLAC/CHEVROLET/GMC: IF TRANSMISSION DIPSTICK TUBE BECOMES FATIGUE AND FRACTURE, WHILE IN AFM MODE, IT CAUSES A TICKING OR RATTLING NOISE FROM FRONT OF VEHICLE, WHEN ENGINE VIBRATES. MODELS 2010-2011 ALL ESCALADE, ESV, EXT; AVALANCHE,

Affected Vehicles

MakeModelYearComponent
CHEVROLET AVALANCHE 2011 350000 EQUIPMENT
CHEVROLET AVALANCHE 2011 103000 POWER TRAIN:AUTOMATIC TRANSMISSION
CHEVROLET AVALANCHE 1500 2011 103000 POWER TRAIN:AUTOMATIC TRANSMISSION
CHEVROLET AVALANCHE 1500 2011 350000 EQUIPMENT
CADILLAC ESCALADE 2011 103000 POWER TRAIN:AUTOMATIC TRANSMISSION
CADILLAC ESCALADE 2011 350000 EQUIPMENT
CADILLAC ESCALADE 2011 350000 EQUIPMENT
CADILLAC ESCALADE 2011 103000 POWER TRAIN:AUTOMATIC TRANSMISSION
CADILLAC ESCALADE ESV 2011 350000 EQUIPMENT
CADILLAC ESCALADE ESV 2011 350000 EQUIPMENT
CADILLAC ESCALADE ESV 2011 103000 POWER TRAIN:AUTOMATIC TRANSMISSION
CADILLAC ESCALADE ESV 2011 103000 POWER TRAIN:AUTOMATIC TRANSMISSION
CADILLAC ESCALADE EXT 2011 350000 EQUIPMENT
CADILLAC ESCALADE EXT 2011 103000 POWER TRAIN:AUTOMATIC TRANSMISSION
CADILLAC ESCALADE EXT 1500 2011 103000 POWER TRAIN:AUTOMATIC TRANSMISSION
CADILLAC ESCALADE EXT 1500 2011 350000 EQUIPMENT
GMC SIERRA 2011 103000 POWER TRAIN:AUTOMATIC TRANSMISSION
GMC SIERRA 2011 350000 EQUIPMENT
GMC SIERRA 1500 2011 350000 EQUIPMENT
GMC SIERRA 1500 2011 103000 POWER TRAIN:AUTOMATIC TRANSMISSION
CHEVROLET SILVERADO 2011 103000 POWER TRAIN:AUTOMATIC TRANSMISSION
CHEVROLET SILVERADO 2011 350000 EQUIPMENT
CHEVROLET SILVERADO 1500 2011 103000 POWER TRAIN:AUTOMATIC TRANSMISSION
CHEVROLET SILVERADO 1500 2011 350000 EQUIPMENT
CHEVROLET SUBURBAN 2011 103000 POWER TRAIN:AUTOMATIC TRANSMISSION
CHEVROLET SUBURBAN 2011 350000 EQUIPMENT
CHEVROLET TAHOE 2011 103000 POWER TRAIN:AUTOMATIC TRANSMISSION
CHEVROLET TAHOE 2011 350000 EQUIPMENT
CHEVROLET TAHOE 2011 350000 EQUIPMENT
CHEVROLET TAHOE 2011 103000 POWER TRAIN:AUTOMATIC TRANSMISSION
GMC YUKON 2011 350000 EQUIPMENT
GMC YUKON 2011 103000 POWER TRAIN:AUTOMATIC TRANSMISSION
GMC YUKON 2011 103000 POWER TRAIN:AUTOMATIC TRANSMISSION
GMC YUKON 2011 350000 EQUIPMENT
GMC YUKON XL 2011 103000 POWER TRAIN:AUTOMATIC TRANSMISSION
GMC YUKON XL 2011 350000 EQUIPMENT
GMC YUKON XL 2011 350000 EQUIPMENT
GMC YUKON XL 2011 103000 POWER TRAIN:AUTOMATIC TRANSMISSION
CHEVROLET AVALANCHE 2010 103000 POWER TRAIN:AUTOMATIC TRANSMISSION
CHEVROLET AVALANCHE 2010 350000 EQUIPMENT
CHEVROLET AVALANCHE 1500 2010 350000 EQUIPMENT
CHEVROLET AVALANCHE 1500 2010 103000 POWER TRAIN:AUTOMATIC TRANSMISSION
CADILLAC ESCALADE 2010 103000 POWER TRAIN:AUTOMATIC TRANSMISSION
CADILLAC ESCALADE 2010 103000 POWER TRAIN:AUTOMATIC TRANSMISSION
CADILLAC ESCALADE 2010 350000 EQUIPMENT
CADILLAC ESCALADE 2010 350000 EQUIPMENT
CADILLAC ESCALADE ESV 2010 350000 EQUIPMENT
CADILLAC ESCALADE ESV 2010 103000 POWER TRAIN:AUTOMATIC TRANSMISSION
CADILLAC ESCALADE ESV 2010 350000 EQUIPMENT
CADILLAC ESCALADE ESV 2010 103000 POWER TRAIN:AUTOMATIC TRANSMISSION
CADILLAC ESCALADE EXT 2010 350000 EQUIPMENT
CADILLAC ESCALADE EXT 2010 103000 POWER TRAIN:AUTOMATIC TRANSMISSION
CADILLAC ESCALADE EXT 1500 2010 350000 EQUIPMENT
CADILLAC ESCALADE EXT 1500 2010 103000 POWER TRAIN:AUTOMATIC TRANSMISSION
GMC SIERRA 2010 350000 EQUIPMENT
GMC SIERRA 2010 103000 POWER TRAIN:AUTOMATIC TRANSMISSION
GMC SIERRA 1500 2010 350000 EQUIPMENT
GMC SIERRA 1500 2010 103000 POWER TRAIN:AUTOMATIC TRANSMISSION
CHEVROLET SILVERADO 2010 103000 POWER TRAIN:AUTOMATIC TRANSMISSION
CHEVROLET SILVERADO 2010 350000 EQUIPMENT
CHEVROLET SILVERADO 1500 2010 350000 EQUIPMENT
CHEVROLET SILVERADO 1500 2010 103000 POWER TRAIN:AUTOMATIC TRANSMISSION
CHEVROLET SUBURBAN 2010 350000 EQUIPMENT
CHEVROLET SUBURBAN 2010 103000 POWER TRAIN:AUTOMATIC TRANSMISSION
CHEVROLET TAHOE 2010 350000 EQUIPMENT
CHEVROLET TAHOE 2010 103000 POWER TRAIN:AUTOMATIC TRANSMISSION
CHEVROLET TAHOE 2010 103000 POWER TRAIN:AUTOMATIC TRANSMISSION
CHEVROLET TAHOE 2010 350000 EQUIPMENT
GMC YUKON 2010 350000 EQUIPMENT
GMC YUKON 2010 350000 EQUIPMENT
GMC YUKON 2010 103000 POWER TRAIN:AUTOMATIC TRANSMISSION
GMC YUKON 2010 103000 POWER TRAIN:AUTOMATIC TRANSMISSION
GMC YUKON XL 2010 350000 EQUIPMENT
GMC YUKON XL 2010 103000 POWER TRAIN:AUTOMATIC TRANSMISSION
GMC YUKON XL 2010 103000 POWER TRAIN:AUTOMATIC TRANSMISSION
GMC YUKON XL 2010 350000 EQUIPMENT

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What Should You Do?

If your vehicle is affected by this TSB, contact your authorized CADILLAC dealer. Bring this bulletin ID (PB-12138) when you visit. If under warranty, the repair should be free. If your warranty has expired, ask about goodwill coverage — manufacturers sometimes cover TSB-related repairs beyond the warranty period.

Frequently Asked Questions

A recall is a mandatory safety fix — the manufacturer must repair every affected vehicle for free. A TSB is an advisory document that describes a known issue and the recommended fix, but repairs are not required. However, some TSBs eventually lead to recalls if the issue poses a safety risk. TSBs are generally issued for quality or performance problems, while recalls address safety defects.

If your vehicle is still under the manufacturer's warranty, TSB-related repairs are typically covered at no cost. If your warranty has expired, you can ask the dealer about goodwill or customer assistance programs. Many manufacturers will cover or partially cover repairs for well-known issues, especially if the TSB was issued recently or affects a large number of vehicles.

Check the make, model, and model year listed above against your vehicle. If they match, this bulletin likely applies. However, TSBs may only affect vehicles with specific production dates, VIN ranges, or configurations. Your dealer can confirm by entering your VIN into their service system, which will show all applicable TSBs and recalls.

This data comes from the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA). Manufacturers are required to submit copies of all communications (including TSBs) sent to their dealers to NHTSA. The agency makes this data publicly available as part of its vehicle safety monitoring program.