diff --git a/litellm/litellm_core_utils/exception_mapping_utils.py b/litellm/litellm_core_utils/exception_mapping_utils.py
index 0fdfb301291..04640549561 100644
--- a/litellm/litellm_core_utils/exception_mapping_utils.py
+++ b/litellm/litellm_core_utils/exception_mapping_utils.py
@@ -419,8 +419,21 @@ def _map_openai_exception(
             request=_request,
             litellm_debug_info=extra_information,
         )
-    elif hasattr(original_exception, "status_code"):
-        if original_exception.status_code == 400:
+    _status_code = None
+    try:
+        if hasattr(original_exception, "status_code") and getattr(original_exception, "status_code", None) is not None:
+            _status_code = int(original_exception.status_code)
+        elif (
+            hasattr(original_exception, "response")
+            and hasattr(original_exception.response, "status_code")
+            and getattr(original_exception.response, "status_code", None) is not None
+        ):
+            _status_code = int(original_exception.response.status_code)
+    except (ValueError, TypeError, AttributeError):
+        pass
+
+    if _status_code is not None:
+        if _status_code == 400:
             raise BadRequestError(
                 message=f"{exception_provider} - {message}",
                 llm_provider=custom_llm_provider,
@@ -429,7 +442,7 @@ def _map_openai_exception(
                 litellm_debug_info=extra_information,
                 body=getattr(original_exception, "body", None),
             )
-        elif original_exception.status_code == 401:
+        elif _status_code == 401:
             raise AuthenticationError(
                 message=f"AuthenticationError: {exception_provider} - {message}",
                 llm_provider=custom_llm_provider,
@@ -437,7 +450,7 @@ def _map_openai_exception(
                 response=response,
                 litellm_debug_info=extra_information,
             )
-        elif original_exception.status_code == 404:
+        elif _status_code == 404:
             raise NotFoundError(
                 message=f"NotFoundError: {exception_provider} - {message}",
                 model=model,
@@ -445,14 +458,14 @@ def _map_openai_exception(
                 response=response,
                 litellm_debug_info=extra_information,
             )
-        elif original_exception.status_code == 408:
+        elif _status_code == 408:
             raise Timeout(
                 message=f"Timeout Error: {exception_provider} - {message}",
                 model=model,
                 llm_provider=custom_llm_provider,
                 litellm_debug_info=extra_information,
             )
-        elif original_exception.status_code == 422:
+        elif _status_code == 422:
             raise BadRequestError(
                 message=f"{exception_provider} - {message}",
                 model=model,
@@ -461,7 +474,7 @@ def _map_openai_exception(
                 litellm_debug_info=extra_information,
                 body=getattr(original_exception, "body", None),
             )
-        elif original_exception.status_code == 429:
+        elif _status_code == 429:
             raise RateLimitError(
                 message=f"RateLimitError: {exception_provider} - {message}",
                 model=model,
@@ -470,7 +483,7 @@ def _map_openai_exception(
                 litellm_debug_info=extra_information,
                 body=getattr(original_exception, "body", None),
             )
-        elif original_exception.status_code == 500:
+        elif _status_code == 500:
             raise InternalServerError(
                 message=f"InternalServerError: {exception_provider} - {message}",
                 model=model,
@@ -479,7 +492,7 @@ def _map_openai_exception(
                 litellm_debug_info=extra_information,
                 body=getattr(original_exception, "body", None),
             )
-        elif original_exception.status_code == 502:
+        elif _status_code == 502:
             raise BadGatewayError(
                 message=f"BadGatewayError: {exception_provider} - {message}",
                 model=model,
@@ -487,7 +500,7 @@ def _map_openai_exception(
                 response=response,
                 litellm_debug_info=extra_information,
             )
-        elif original_exception.status_code == 503:
+        elif _status_code == 503:
             raise ServiceUnavailableError(
                 message=f"ServiceUnavailableError: {exception_provider} - {message}",
                 model=model,
@@ -495,17 +508,17 @@ def _map_openai_exception(
                 response=response,
                 litellm_debug_info=extra_information,
             )
-        elif original_exception.status_code == 504:  # gateway timeout error
+        elif _status_code == 504:  # gateway timeout error
             raise Timeout(
                 message=f"Timeout Error: {exception_provider} - {message}",
                 model=model,
                 llm_provider=custom_llm_provider,
                 litellm_debug_info=extra_information,
-                exception_status_code=original_exception.status_code,
+                exception_status_code=_status_code,
             )
         else:
             raise APIError(
-                status_code=original_exception.status_code,
+                status_code=_status_code,
                 message=f"APIError: {exception_provider} - {message}",
                 llm_provider=custom_llm_provider,
                 model=model,
diff --git a/tests/unit/litellm_core_utils/test_exception_mapping_utils.py b/tests/unit/litellm_core_utils/test_exception_mapping_utils.py
index 9de768ea47b..0370ee967cb 100644
--- a/tests/unit/litellm_core_utils/test_exception_mapping_utils.py
+++ b/tests/unit/litellm_core_utils/test_exception_mapping_utils.py
@@ -1573,3 +1573,45 @@ def test_guardrail_provider_failure_status_is_still_mapped():
         )
 
     assert exc_info.value is not upstream_failure
+
+
+def test_exception_mapping_vllm_nested_status_code():
+    """
+    Test that when an exception wraps a status_code inside a response object
+    (or as a string), we safely extract it and return the correct mapped error
+    (e.g., 500 InternalServerError) rather than swallowing it or returning a
+    generic APIConnectionError.
+    """
+
+    class MockResponse:
+        def __init__(self, code):
+            self.status_code = code
+
+    class RawHTTPError(Exception):
+        def __init__(self, response):
+            self.response = response
+            super().__init__("Mock HTTP Error")
+
+    # 1. Test with integer status code tucked in response
+    crash_error = RawHTTPError(MockResponse(500))
+    with pytest.raises(litellm.InternalServerError) as exc_info:
+        exception_type(
+            model="test-model",
+            original_exception=crash_error,
+            custom_llm_provider="hosted_vllm",
+            completion_kwargs={},
+            extra_kwargs={},
+        )
+    assert exc_info.value.status_code == 500
+
+    # 2. Test with string status code tucked in response
+    weird_error = RawHTTPError(MockResponse("500"))
+    with pytest.raises(litellm.InternalServerError) as exc_info:
+        exception_type(
+            model="test-model",
+            original_exception=weird_error,
+            custom_llm_provider="hosted_vllm",
+            completion_kwargs={},
+            extra_kwargs={},
+        )
+    assert exc_info.value.status_code == 500