Cadillac Escalade IQ SUCKS

I am a U.S. Marine veteran and a long-time Cadillac enthusiast. I’ve owned a Blackwing, attended the V-Academy, and spent over a decade at the 24 Hours of Daytona wearing Cadillac Racing gear. I am not a hater; I am a customer who expected a flagship vehicle and instead received a lemon.

 

I am currently paying $2,124 a month for a 2025 Escalade IQ Sport 1 that I cannot safely drive.

Which Escalade to Stay Away From?

The One with the IQ Nameplate

I took delivery of this Flare Metallic IQ on January 31, 2025, after a four-hour drive to Huston Cadillac. The "flagship" experience fell apart within 24 hours:

Wrong Parts at Delivery

Delivered with the wrong wheels. When dealer swapped them, the vehicle began pulling to one side.

No Technical Support

My local dealer admitted they couldn't confirm a perfect alignment because they didn't have the GM alignment specs for the IQ at the time.

3 AM Wakeups

Repeated middle of the night "Glass Break Theft Alarms" waking up family and neighbors.  OnStar and Cadillac dismissed it as a "software bug."

Is the Escalade IQ Reliable?

60 Days in the Shop Says No

In Florida, the Lemon Law is triggered if a vehicle is out of service for 30 days. My IQ sat in the shop for two months straight (May 6 to June 26) because critical safety parts were on backorder.

 

  • The Headrest Safety Hazard: A defect in the 2nd and 3rd-row seats caused the headrests to slam into the entertainment screens and fail to lock in the upright position. This rendered the rear seats unusable for passengers.
  • Recurring Failures: After "fixing" the seat issue twice, I went to pick up the vehicle in December, only for the passenger-side seat back to completely fall off in front of the service advisor.

Common Problems with the Escalade IQ?

Beyond the major safety recalls, the daily experience has been riddled with quality issues:

 

  • The "eTrunk" (Frunk) Failure: The hood frequently stops and reverses after closing only three inches.
  • Intermittent Hatch: The rear hatch often blinks and fails to open when touching the emblem.
  • High-Pitch Whistling: Whenever the AC is set above level 4, a piercing whistle comes from the vents.
  • Flickering/Black Screens: All of the screens will randomly blink, flickers or go completely black until the vehicle is reset.
  • Total Lack of Support: Despite the $140k price tag, I was refused a loaner, rental, or even a ride-share when dropping the car off for all but one repair and the 4+ active recalls.

The Buyback Battle

Cadillac is Dragging Their Feet

Even after the BBB Autoline and my attorney pushed for a buyback, Cadillac has continued to stall.

 

  • The Mileage Trap: In Florida, every mile I drive reduces my buyback offer by $1.17 per mile. To protect my money, I’ve had to park the Cadillac and lease a Rivian R1S just to have a functioning vehicle.

  • Insulting Offers: Cadillac has attempted to "settle" this for $2,500 and $12,000 to keep the car. I rejected both. I don't want "tax-free money" - I want Cadillac to take back their defective vehicle and refund my $10,000 down payment and monthly fees. With this being a lease for 15k miles annually, I have already paid way more than needed with almost 1 year of the lease complete and only 4200 miles driven.