The Cadillac Escalade Is Losing Features Due To The Chip Shortage
Photo: Cadillac
The chip shortage has struck again. It’s been rough on nearly every automaker, slashing production to the bone as manufacturers scrabble for any semiconductors they can find beneath their couch cushions, but Cadillac has been hit particularly hard. Its cars have lost park assist, Super Cruise (which later returned), and now another seemingly simple feature: One-touch-up windows.
According to GM representatives, the 2022 and 2023 Escalade will be available with “Express-Up Window Control” in the second row. The company directly credited the chip shortage for the feature’s removal, saying in a statement:
General Motors has confirmed with its U.S. Cadillac dealers that due to the ongoing industry wide global semiconductor shortage, the MY2022 and MY2023 Cadillac Escalade will not offer 2nd Row Express-Up Window Control as standard or optional equipment. There is still uncertainty and unpredictability in the semiconductor supply base and we are actively working with our suppliers to mitigate potential issues moving forward. We will continue to communicate often and with transparency with all of our key stakeholders, including our dealers and suppliers.
Photo: Cadillac
One might think that windows would move automatically up and down on the same semiconductor, but the chip shortage has shown that nothing in car electronics operates as expected. Automotive supply chains are capricious, and there seems to be no telling what features can be suddenly lost.
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GM’s statement didn’t mention any compensation for buyers who suddenly find their vehicles lacking a feature, or any opportunities for those vehicles to be retrofitted later down the line. With the launch of the Escalade-V just days away, disappearing functionality could dampen enthusiasm for the upcoming sport model — or, maybe, be justified as adding lightness. Either way, I’d gladly sacrifice auto-up windows to keep Android Auto and Apple CarPlay — it seems Cadillac wins this round, BMW.
