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Transmission and radiator shot at 56K due to leak

3K views 16 replies 9 participants last post by  carguy75 
#1 ·
My 2006 (bought new in 2007) with 56K miles just grenaded its transmission due to a leak with the coolant in the radiator. $3800 later with new torque converter and radiator I'm suppose to get it back today. Has anyone else had this type of problem? It's technically out of warranty but I wouldn't expect the tranny to go out at 56K miles. Poor design. this is my second Escalade an I would have to say I wouldn't get another one. Would appreciate hearing back from you all. Thanks
 
#2 ·
All gm trucks has this setup
If you want to avoid trouble just get a separate tranny cooler its cheaper then either choices
But the cooler is in the radatior along with the oil cooler
But I haven't had this kind of problem with my 03 and I have over 160k miles on the clock

But as a owner you have to check the fluids at some point don't trust the guy who changes the oil to do it for you(believe me I know first hand)its common sense
 
#6 ·
WHAT A JOKE THIS COMPANY IS! The case gets "elevated" to the district rep in Buenos Aires, Argentina who tells me my Escalade is out of warranty and that Cadillac has no obligation to do anything. After two weeks working with Customer Service this is what you get when your case gets "elevated". You get contacted by someone who can barely speak English to tell you the obvious. No doubt that I will never own another Cadillac or GM product again. It is no wonder that they needed the bailout by the government. I just wonder how long it will be before they need another one due to their ineptness. Cadillac should be ashamed of this. Good luck to all other Cadillac owners.
 
#7 ·
sjhallmn said:
WHAT A JOKE THIS COMPANY IS! The case gets "elevated" to the district rep in Buenos Aires, Argentina who tells me my Escalade is out of warranty and that Cadillac has no obligation to do anything. After two weeks working with Customer Service this is what you get when your case gets "elevated". You get contacted by someone who can barely speak English to tell you the obvious. No doubt that I will never own another Cadillac or GM product again. It is no wonder that they needed the bailout by the government. I just wonder how long it will be before they need another one due to their ineptness. Cadillac should be ashamed of this. Good luck to all other Cadillac owners.
The warranty isn't mileage alone its also in months if past either your on your own

FYI the bailout had nothing to do with your problem it was the penny pinchers who was running gm
 
#8 ·
I'm fully aware of what the warranty is. What this indicates is that on a $70K vehicle that experiences a major failure at low mileage they have no desire to keep customer loyalty. It's something I would expect from a company likeYugo not an American company's flagship product. Regarding the bailout; poor management yields poor quality. Look at it any way you want.
 
#9 ·
sjhallmn said:
I'm fully aware of what the warranty is. What this indicates is that on a $70K vehicle that experiences a major failure at low mileage they have no desire to keep customer loyalty. It's something I would expect from a company likeYugo not an American company's flagship product. Regarding the bailout; poor management yields poor quality. Look at it any way you want.
It don't matter on the brand I have seen stuff like this happen to ford' Chrysler and foreign car owners also

There lemons from any brand

Have you seen how Chrysler got done by mercades (that's poor management for sure)

I know how gm got done by the upper level management (it happened more then once)

Remember the Chevy luv truck and a few others that was crap products

Stuff like this rarely happens but when it does people blame the company who made the vehicle not the company who made the part(who is the one to blame in the first place)
 
#10 ·
I too had my transmission go in my 2007 Escalade. Many issue with this truck, front hubs, EVAP issues, defective windshield...the safety plastic separated from the glass and bubbled causing a blur, defective rims, just today I had to pay $570.00 for the fuel level sensor. I have put well over $6000.00 into this truck in the past month. I filed a complaint with GM and they refuse to compensate. They will not back their product at all nor will they work with me on expenses. No discount, no coverage, not even a loan a car when mine is in the shop. They offer nothing. I would never purchase another Cadillac again. My last car..... A Honda Pilot I had over 300000 miles, never an issue. I always maintain my automobiles. I should have kept the Honda!
 
#11 ·
Leelabell1 said:
I too had my transmission go in my 2007 Escalade. Many issue with this truck, front hubs, EVAP issues, defective windshield...the safety plastic separated from the glass and bubbled causing a blur, defective rims, just today I had to pay $570.00 for the fuel level sensor. I have put well over $6000.00 into this truck in the past month. I filed a complaint with GM and they refuse to compensate. They will not back their product at all nor will they work with me on expenses. No discount, no coverage, not even a loan a car when mine is in the shop. They offer nothing. I would never purchase another Cadillac again. My last car..... A Honda Pilot I had over 300000 miles, never an issue. I always maintain my automobiles. I should have kept the Honda!
There are good ones and bad ones from every car maker
FYI I have seen many Hondas where people try to beat the car to death and actually succeed in doing it
That mileage can be got to easy if you drive a lot

FYI 07 was the worst year for the thrid gen body style the rest are better then the first year of that body style
 
#12 ·
I agree with the above statement. Although it's unfortunate that yours experienced the internal radiator failure, that is a fairly uncommon thing to happen as it is and no car company has a perfect record. Even The Lexus LS, which is widely regarded as one of the most reliable vehicles ever built, had a bad valve problem in 2007 and 2008.

I have become frustrated with my Escalade on several occasions, but for what the vehicle offers and how simple repairs have been, it has been well worth the ride in my opinion.

I'm not saying i don't understand your frustration though, cars can most certainly make even the most passive people support capital punishment!
 
#14 ·
I have a 2005 trans went at 70k I took it to a dealer and paid the higher price to have it fixed right and with OEM parts. Rebuild lasted 20k miles the went again. I had to pay a $500 deductible to have it rebuilt again because it was one month out of warranty. Second rebuild last 27k miles and out of warranty. Went back and forth with dealership they refused to do anything. Finally gm decided to pick up half the bill on a new crate trans. So I had to pay another $1500 total out of pocket was over 4k. I would have been better off getting a crate trans from my normal mechanic to start. This is my first Cadillac and I have to say I was very disappointed with customer service.
 
#15 ·
Hello trapshooter40,

I apologize for the transmission issues you experienced with your Escalade. I understand your frustrations with your situation and I am sorry you were disappointed with your service. If there is anything you would like to further discuss, don't hesitate to reach out to us via private message. We are here to assist our customers and help with concerns and questions.

Sincerely,

Laura M.
Cadillac Customer Care
 
#16 ·
I had a radiator cleaned and rodded years ago for my Toronado. I reinstalled it and the transmission failed within a few miles. Apparently there was a leak between the coolant and the transmission cooler, and the clutches burned out quickly. The shop took responsibility and fixed the radiator and paid for a transmission rebuild.
 
#17 ·
Interesting. On my 2006 model the transmission cooler is a separate unit located in the plastic radiator endcap. The cooler unit is sealed and the only point of fluid entry are the cooler line connectors. The only way for a cooler to ingest engine coolant is if the metal cooler itself develop a case leak or the cooler is allowed to fall into the plastic tank when the cooler connectors are removed.
 
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