diff --git a/litellm/litellm_core_utils/exception_mapping_utils.py b/litellm/litellm_core_utils/exception_mapping_utils.py
index 0fdfb301291..528a4010574 100644
--- a/litellm/litellm_core_utils/exception_mapping_utils.py
+++ b/litellm/litellm_core_utils/exception_mapping_utils.py
@@ -4,7 +4,7 @@ import re
 import traceback
 from collections.abc import Mapping
 from types import MappingProxyType
-from typing import Final, Protocol, cast
+from typing import Final, Optional, Protocol, cast
 
 import httpx
 
@@ -419,8 +419,25 @@ def _map_openai_exception(
             request=_request,
             litellm_debug_info=extra_information,
         )
-    elif hasattr(original_exception, "status_code"):
-        if original_exception.status_code == 400:
+    def _extract_status_code() -> Optional[int]:
+        try:
+            if hasattr(original_exception, "status_code") and getattr(original_exception, "status_code", None) is not None:
+                return 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
+            ):
+                return int(original_exception.response.status_code)
+        except (ValueError, TypeError, AttributeError):
+            # Ignore parsing errors for malformed status codes and fall back to None
+            pass
+        return None
+
+    _status_code: Final = _extract_status_code()
+
+    if _status_code is not None:
+        if _status_code == 400:
             raise BadRequestError(
                 message=f"{exception_provider} - {message}",
                 llm_provider=custom_llm_provider,
@@ -429,7 +446,7 @@ 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 +454,7 @@ 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 +462,14 @@ 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 +478,7 @@ 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 +487,7 @@ 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 +496,7 @@ 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 +504,7 @@ 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 +512,17 @@ 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..6be669c2fb1 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 +1573,36 @@ 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():
+    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")
+
+    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
+
+    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