NHTSA Complaint #11702226 — 2017 CADILLAC ESCALADE ESV

Incident date: 2025-11-22 Location: I-70 (while taking an exit) Dealership: Jim Coleman Cadillac (vehicle purchased and routinely serviced here) I am reporting a sudden and severe brake system failure that created an immediate risk to vehicle occupants. On 2025-11-22 my wife was driving our Escalade with our two children when, while taking an exit on I-70, she felt the brakes go completely limp and the vehicle would not slow down as expected. The vehicle had been driving normally beforehand; we had made a couple of stops earlier that day. She was able to reduce speed and bring the vehicle to a stop without colliding with another vehicle, but this was only because there was no traffic immediately ahead. A tow was called; the vehicle was first towed to a nearby Cadillac dealer for initial diagnostics and then to Jim Coleman Cadillac where the vehicle was purchased and where all prior services and repairs have been completed. The most recent service/inspection at Jim Coleman had been completed a few weeks prior and no brake concerns or repair recommendations were noted at that time. The last documented brake service prior to this incident was in 2022 at the same dealership. After the incident, when inspected, the dealership service manager reported his findings: "The bolt on the top left front brake caliper walked out, the caliper swung rearward pivoting on the still secured lower bolt and the top piston was expelled from the caliper resulting in rapid loss of brake fluid and a failure of the hydraulic brakes. The reason the bolt came off could have been due to improper machine of the bolt or the caliper bracket that it was screwed into." This failure occurred without warning and represents an extreme safety hazard that could have caused a serious crash. I request that NHTSA review this incident as a potential safety defect, and that it be added to any investigation regarding similar complaints for this model/year.