[WestTxCaddy]

We bought a 2015i Premium Escalade in November. We noticed a loud clunk noise when eccelerating from a stop. Took it in and was told it was the gear latch and it would correct itself. That was in December. I came
across this website and found two other threads with similar problem. My husband called Cadillac in Detroit and spoke with a rep who told us the problem is not normal and we needed to take it in and have it serviced.
That was in January. By now the noise has gotten worse and it not only does it "clunk" when eccelerating from a stop, it "clunks" when coming to a stop. The service department told us they spoke with a GM tech and
they were told to loosen and torque the driver and passenger body mount. I was told when i picked my car up that the problem was solved and if I had the problem again to bring it back in but they were sure they fixed the problem. I drove off the lot and immediately heard the clunk!! I turned around and took it back! One of the sevice department reps drove around with me so he could hear the noise. Needless to say I am beyond
dissapointed with the quality of this vehicle! MY BRAND NEW ESCALDE HAS BEEN IN THE SHOP 3 TIMES SINCE WE BOUGHT IT AND TODAY WE ARE TOLD IT NEEDS A NEW TRANSMISSION!!! It has less than 3,000 miles
on it! The service tech told my husband they had two other 2015 Escalades in for service, one of which was only in for an oil change and they noticed it making the same noise. It was only at the insistence of my
husband that it was not any of the issues they claimed it was. The owners of the other escalades had no idea their vehicles had the same problem but now the service department has to tell them. So now thats 3 brand new Cadillac Escalades needing a brand new transmission!!! Now I think whether you pay $20,000 or $90,000 for a BRAND NEW VEHICLE it should not have these issues. The fact that we paid $85,000 for a vehicle that we will not be able to drive for who knows how long is infuriating!! I dont know what having a new transmission put in a brand new vehicle does for the resale value but I know it cant be good. The two original posters with the similar problem never posted whether or not they got their issue resolved. I'm not sure how to go about tagging them since this is my first post but the first guy was LAKEWISSOTA and the second thread was started by KANDYDAVINS. Have any other members come to the same conclusion with their problem? Does anyone know of the original two posters outcome? What would you do in this similar situation?

 

[GM-4-LIFE]

I have the same issue, but dealer gave me bulletin from GM stating this is normal and they did nothing to fix my issue. I am still complaining about it as an $85,000 vehicle should not have this issue. The clunk I feel on accelerating from a stop feels like a front suspension part is hitting something when weight transfer occurs. I can feel it and hear it clearly and it happens most of the time from a stop, but not every single time. It depends on how much throttle input you produce. It doesn't feel like it's the transmission. It may still have the issue after they replace the transmission.

 

[WestTxCaddy]

The clunk I have started at the rear and felt the same, like something hitting from weight transfer. It would not do it everytime at first either. My first service visit to the service department i had to drive a few blocks with the service tech in
order for it to happen so he could hear it. He said he heard it and once they determined it was "normal" they gave me a work order that said they could not reproduce the sound. But it eventually began to make the same sound when I would
stop. This last time I put it in the shop the service tech said he felt it when he took it out of park and in to drive. It is strange that now they determined it is the transmission when,like you, I dont feel it has any thing to do with that. And yes we may or most likely will still have issues after they replace it. That is why I wanted to get others' opinions because why do we pay $85,000 for a brand new vehicle to have all these issues?! Caddillac has to know there is a problem
when so
many buyers are having similar issues. Funny thing is no matter how many service techs say they hear the noise each service order says "could not reproduce."

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The clunk that eventually started when I would stop could be felt and heard from the front suspension. The initial clunk from acceleration started in the back.

 

[evois]

The clunk can be normal drivetrain noise since it is a 4WD vehicle. Try driving in 2WD and see if it's less.

 

[broncophil]

Westtxcaddy is yours a 4wd? And how early did you notice the noise initially

 

[GM-4-LIFE]

Mine is a 2WD Premium. That eliminates the 4WD equipment theory. I am confident it's in the front suspension, not in the rear and not the transmission. There's no way based on what I can actually feel, unless it's resonates from the transmission to the front suspension back through the floorboard that I can feel under my feet.

Maybe the OP can update us after they replace his transmission. If that gets rid of the clunk, I will demand they replace mine too. Hope the OP posts his RO, so we can then print out proof and take it into the dealer, so they can see actual documentation that this clunk is NOT normal after all.

 

[WestTxCaddy]

Mine is a 2WD Premium. We noticed the noise when we first brought it home but never in a million years thought there would be a problem with a brand new $85,000 vehicle so we just chalked it up to something out of place or maybe one of our kids left something in the rear cargo. The first visit to the service department was a month after we purchased it when we began hearing it more frequently. I am definitely going to give an update once the transmission is replaced because I kept waiting for the original posters that I mentioned before to give an update as well. My husband and I used this forum to give examples of what other Cadillac owners were saying when speaking with Cadillac and the dealership to let them know we were not the only ones with the problem.

 

[GM-4-LIFE]

Mine is a 2WD Premium. We noticed the noise when we first brought it home but never in a million years thought there would be a problem with a brand new $85,000 vehicle so we just chalked it up to something out of place or maybe one of our kids left something in the rear cargo. The first visit to the service department was a month after we purchased it when we began hearing it more frequently. I am definitely going to give an update once the transmission is replaced because I kept waiting for the original posters that I mentioned before to give an update as well. My husband and I used this forum to give examples of what other Cadillac owners were saying when speaking with Cadillac and the dealership to let them know we were not the only ones with the problem.

Please let us know if the new transmission fixes the issue. I have big doubts about that. It just doesn't seem possible.

 

[WestTxCaddy]

I'm not sure how long it is supposed to take, we only got the bad news on Friday. I will definitely post an update as soon as I get one.

 

[hannity]

I'm not sure how long it is supposed to take, we only got the bad news on Friday. I will definitely post an update as soon as I get one.

Good luck, hope they get it fixed for you.

 

[angela1469]

I have a 2015i platinum ESV. Mine has 4 wheel drive. Clunks occasionally when accelerating and more so when backing up. Service techs are obviously told to ignore these issues as much as possible. Mine drives like a bulldozer for $96000. Less than 5000 miles only 2 months old but she handles awesome in the snow : )

 

[shosman]

My 2015 Escalade had a thud sound coming from underneath when I accelerated. They tried to reprogram the issue but did not fix. Now I am getting an ENTIRELY new transmission put in my SUV that has 3200 miles. Please be aware that GM knows about this "issue". They will be replacing with an updated transmission to fix the problem. Several reports in the Dallas area but mine is the first in Houston. beware

 

[FirstEsv]

Did they tell you when the updated transmission be used?

 

[KandyDavins]

Yep see my thread for videos of why your truck is making that noise

 

[WestTxCaddy]

Your original post, along with another members', is what prompted me to pursue the issue. GM now acknowledges there's a problem but how sad for those of us that paid so much for a "luxury vehicle" to "clunk" within first months of ownership. Resale value has to be effected when carfax shows vehicle needing new transmission! IMO

 

[KandyDavins]

it's done by Cadillac I really trust my dealer to install it like the assembly line, and resale drops anyways, if u buy now you buy for the style cause it's new. I don't plan on reselling anytime soon. People associate bad transmission with bad resale value but that's cuz they don't want to pay for the new transmission. If they did buy a brand new transmission, the value of the care would increase.

 

[GM-4-LIFE]

it's done by Cadillac I really trust my dealer to install it like the assembly line, and resale drops anyways, if u buy now you buy for the style cause it's new. I don't plan on reselling anytime soon. People associate bad transmission with bad resale value but that's cuz they don't want to pay for the new transmission. If they did buy a brand new transmission, the value of the care would increase.

I don't care about resale...I leased it!

 

[broncophil]

Hello people.

Mine is new with 250 miles and I hear something.

When at a stop, then accelerating, there is a noticeable loud click, not loud enough where I would call it a thump or clunk.

Is that what you guys are referring to?

I thought it might be the spare but that seems tight.

Secondly my old gx470 had a very very hard clunk during the same situations. And that was the rear diff. And Lexus didn't do anything for the longest time. They eventually issued a service bulletin.

And for those who had the tranny replaced did it throw any dash lights? Was it undriveable?


Thanks. Just really worried about the $85k truck I just got.

 

[evois]

Hello people. Mine is new with 250 miles and I hear something. When at a stop, then accelerating, there is a noticeable loud click, not loud enough where I would call it a thump or clunk. Is that what you guys are referring to? I thought it might be the spare but that seems tight. Secondly my old gx470 had a very very hard clunk during the same situations. And that was the rear diff. And Lexus didn't do anything for the longest time. They eventually issued a service bulletin. And for those who had the tranny replaced did it throw any dash lights? Was it undriveable? Thanks. Just really worried about the $85k truck I just got.

Relax its nothing. It's just the engine/tranny adjusting to your driving. It should disappear as miles are accrued.

 

[WestTxCaddy]

My transmission has been replaced and we picked the car up earlier today. So far so good. No clunk noise as of yet. Fingers crossed for no more issues.