Free Republic
Browse · Search
General/Chat
Topics · Post Article

Skip to comments.

The V8 Engine of a Cadillac Escalade Blew Up After Only 4 Miles. What Happened?
autoevolution ^ | 02/03/2025 | Elena Luchian

Posted on 02/03/2025 9:08:24 AM PST by TexasKamaAina

The owner had just left the dealer's yard when the engine of the brand-new Cadillac Escalade failed, and they had to call a tow truck to take it back.

(Excerpt) Read more at autoevolution.com ...


TOPICS: Business/Economy
KEYWORDS: automotive; cadillac; engine; gm
Navigation: use the links below to view more comments.
first previous 1-2021-38 last
To: TexasKamaAina

Our daughter’s 2019 Ford Eco-Sport blew an engine due to a long known oil pump issue. Ford replaced the engine. My own FordFocus has had three warranty clutch replacements due to a well known design transmission design flaw.

The Saturn 5 moon rocket designed and built some seventy years ago was likely one of the most complex machines ever built and performed almost flawlessly. It was designed by real talented engineers with little more than slide rules. Are there no real engineers these days or just DEI hires?


21 posted on 02/03/2025 10:25:12 AM PST by The Great RJ
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 1 | View Replies]

To: wildcard_redneck
I had that happen to 74 Cadillac with a 454 engine when going about 90 miles an hour. My dad bought a used engine for a couple hundred bucks and we had it reinstalled in a day.

That is how it used to be. My uncle cross threaded the drain plug when he changed the oil on his 1968 Dodge van. The slant 6 engine overheated when it ran out of oil later that day. When we put the plug back in and refilled the oil and started it up there was a definite knock.

We dropped the pan while the engine was still in the van. We pulled the rod bearings off and used emery cloth strips to clean melted bearing material off the crank shaft. $40 in parts and we had it all back together in a few hours. None of us expected the repair to last but my uncle used it for years after that with no problems.

But the situation today has changed. It is hard to even find the tiny all aluminum engine under all the sensors, emission control, fuel injection, turbochargers and everything else that is now packed under the hood in new vehicles. This is not to mention that tiny all aluminum high performance engines are even installed in trucks and vans these days.

Constant government mandates for mpg and pollution control have caused manufacturers to have to make design compromises that have degraded the expected longevity of new vehicles. This is not to mention the sky rocketing prices that have resulted partially from manufacturers having to make up for $Billions lost trying to comply with Electric Vehicle mandates.

22 posted on 02/03/2025 10:25:37 AM PST by fireman15
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 3 | View Replies]

To: TexasKamaAina

Wagon Queen Family Truckster.... You think you hate it now, wait ‘til you drive it.


23 posted on 02/03/2025 10:28:17 AM PST by RckyRaCoCo (Time to throw them out of the Temple...again)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 1 | View Replies]

To: fireman15
Constant government mandates for mpg and pollution control have caused manufacturers to have to make design compromises that have degraded the expected longevity of new vehicles. This is not to mention the sky rocketing prices that have resulted partially from manufacturers having to make up for $Billions lost trying to comply with Electric Vehicle mandates.

Things are going wrong with 2-5 year old cars that shouldn't be going wrong and then the dealer gets 1-2k for fixing it - something ain't right.

24 posted on 02/03/2025 10:30:17 AM PST by 1Old Pro
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 22 | View Replies]

To: TexasKamaAina

Companies used to take pride in the product they turned out.

Management took pride.

Workers took pride.

Government didn’t try to run the car companies.

The Democrat party didn’t try to run the car companies.

Lawyers weren’t everywhere.


25 posted on 02/03/2025 10:41:53 AM PST by blueunicorn6 ("A crack shot and a good dancer” )
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 1 | View Replies]

To: Thomas Jerome

Got a 2009 cobalt...337,000 miles..running ok on engine additives,.....engine should blow soon....except it doesn’t...replaced water and fuel pump...one rear brake job, alternator, some smog system solenoids...never thought any inexpensive car like that could last so long...still can pull going uphill if I downshift...


26 posted on 02/03/2025 10:50:56 AM PST by Getready (Wisdom is more valuable than gold and harder tro find. )
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 19 | View Replies]

To: TexasKamaAina

It is so sad that GM dumped their most reliable engines for this poorly designed crap. For instance the 3800 was considered about the most reliable and long lasting engine ever made for passenger cars and they dumped it. The 3800 did have some problems in the later versions, but they were easily fixed. The series one was bullet proof.


27 posted on 02/03/2025 10:51:20 AM PST by Revel
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 1 | View Replies]

To: TexasKamaAina

“... GM’s active fuel management on their 6.2 V8s which turns of half the cylinders when cruising ...”

How could that have anything to do with a broken connecting rod?


28 posted on 02/03/2025 11:07:36 AM PST by cymbeline
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 1 | View Replies]

To: TexasKamaAina

Several possibilities. But overseas sources Chinese counterfeits are a likelihood. Making connecting rods from substandard metal but stamping it as a higher level hardness is not uncommon.


29 posted on 02/03/2025 11:25:10 AM PST by Seruzawa ("The Political left is the Garden of Eden of incompetence" - Marx the Smarter (Groucho))
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 1 | View Replies]

To: Revel

Bulletproof motors don’t sell newer cars.....


30 posted on 02/03/2025 11:56:45 AM PST by SPDSHDW (Execute Order 66....)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 27 | View Replies]

To: 1Old Pro

all manufactures are seeing a decent drop in Quality, with Stellantis, Honda and GM(as usual) at the top spots.

Cheap garbage parts.

my 91 wrangler will outlive most 2020+ cars. Stupid easy to maintain and source parts for.


31 posted on 02/03/2025 11:58:31 AM PST by SPDSHDW (Execute Order 66....)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 24 | View Replies]

To: cymbeline

It sounded to me like the engine was having more than one problem. The articles seemed to emphasize The issue with the cylinders.


32 posted on 02/03/2025 12:19:02 PM PST by TexasKamaAina
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 28 | View Replies]

To: 1Old Pro
Things are going wrong with 2-5 year old cars that shouldn't be going wrong and then the dealer gets 1-2k for fixing it - something ain't right.

Three weeks ago, I took our 11-year-old vehicle in for a “recall”. The dealership people were nice and the recall was really only checking that a problematic part had not broken. Since then, we have had one email after another along with a bunch of texts trying to get us to come in and trade our vehicle on a new one.

The recall really was a nothing thing and I suspect it was meant more to get us into the show room than for our safety. I finally had to call them and tell their sales team to knock it off.

33 posted on 02/03/2025 12:28:21 PM PST by fireman15
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 24 | View Replies]

To: TexasKamaAina

“It sounded to me like the engine was having more than one problem.”

Inactivating some cylinders sounds like a good idea. Hasn’t Cadillac has been doing it for several years?

But why not do that on the cheap cars, bought by people that really care about miles per gallon?

My guess is that they just keep the valves closed on the inactive cylinders, but I don’t know how they do that.


34 posted on 02/03/2025 12:37:59 PM PST by cymbeline
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 32 | View Replies]

To: wildcard_redneck; Ken H

Sorry but 1974 Cadillacs never had 454’s as original equipment.

That was a Chevrolet engine.

All 1974 Cadillacs had either 472 or 500 cubic inch engines.


35 posted on 02/03/2025 1:04:26 PM PST by Bartholomew Roberts
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 3 | View Replies]

To: TexasKamaAina

I don’t know cast pistons powered iron rods and crankshaft what could go wrong.


36 posted on 02/03/2025 1:15:14 PM PST by Vaduz
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 1 | View Replies]

To: BipolarBob
How The Florida Lemon Law Works:

https://www.myfloridalegal.com/lemon-law/how-the-florida-lemon-law-works

37 posted on 02/03/2025 2:27:42 PM PST by Jacquerie (ArticleVBlog.com)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 5 | View Replies]

To: Thomas Jerome
My 2013 Suburban just turned over 300k miles. Bought it new and have never worked on the 5.3 engine.

I guess that makes up for my daughter's 2014 Captiva that has 180,000 miles and is on its third engine, one of which lasted for about 5,000 miles. The 2.4l flex engine is a piece of crap in my opinion. The Captiva is nice enough other than the engine which is rumored to be a pretty important part of the vehicle.

Last GM product that I will ever buy. Based on family experience, I have already sworn off Chrysler products. Guess I'm stuck with Fords and imports. Fortunately, unlike others I have known, I've had good luck with Fords. Ran the wheels off a 2001 F150 SuperCrew. Very good vehicle despite my spotty maintenance practices. Finally, replaced it with a used but well-cared-for 2010 Explorer Sport Trac with 4.6l v-8. Most trouble-free vehicle I have ever owned.

38 posted on 02/04/2025 9:52:51 AM PST by CommerceComet (Re-elect Donald Trump - AGAIN)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 19 | View Replies]


Navigation: use the links below to view more comments.
first previous 1-2021-38 last

Disclaimer: Opinions posted on Free Republic are those of the individual posters and do not necessarily represent the opinion of Free Republic or its management. All materials posted herein are protected by copyright law and the exemption for fair use of copyrighted works.

Free Republic
Browse · Search
General/Chat
Topics · Post Article

FreeRepublic, LLC, PO BOX 9771, FRESNO, CA 93794
FreeRepublic.com is powered by software copyright 2000-2008 John Robinson