MODELYEARINDEX

Which Cadillac Escalade years to avoid

Across 9 scored model years, the 2021, 2016 and 2015 model years carry the highest severity-weighted complaint rates.

Ownership label · Cadillac Escalade Full report
F
Grade 2012–2021
2021 vs model median 3.0×
Model median3× median
Engine 53
Drivetrain 17
Electrical 11
Avoid

2016 · 2021

Best

2018 · 2019

Year by year

Severity-weighted complaints filed in each model year’s first 60 months on the road, so every year is measured over an identical window.

Year Complaint volume vs median Reports Grade
2012
0.47× 14 B
2014
0.56× 12 B
2015
1.40× 63 D
2016
1.90× 71 F
2017
1.70× 57 D
2018
0.32× 10 A
2019
0.49× 14 A
2020
1.00× 20 B
2021
3.02× 109 F
2022 P
5.49× 183 F
2023 P
7.57× 295 F
2024 P
2.45× 92 F
2025 P
1.03× 40 B

P — provisional. These years have not completed 60 months on the road, so their totals are incomplete and they are excluded from the verdict.

What owners report

The component groups most often named, with one representative report. These are unverified — allegations, not findings.

2016 F 71 reports · median 35,000 mi

  1. Drivetrain 16

    Vehicle exhibits a constant vibration at speeds between 35 MPH and 75 MPH. Vibration is not road related, it is a constant, steady vibration regardless of road conditions, best described as if the vehicle was driving… owner complaint filed with NHTSA

  2. Suspension 9

    Front right and left upper control arms are bad and eating my tires from inside. I went to get my alignment done but my mechanic told me the front right and left upper control arms are bad and he can not do the… owner complaint filed with NHTSA

  3. Engine 7

    In the early hours of august 15th 2016 my cadillac escalade 2016, VIN [xxx], caught fire while staying parked (stationary) all night. owner complaint filed with NHTSA

7 crash · 2 fire · 9 injuries

2021 F 109 reports · median 45,000 mi

  1. Engine 53

    At 3,000 miles on this new car, the motor began to rattle, shake, and then heat up to 240-260 degrees when the dashboard flashed and the vehicle and lights turned off. owner complaint filed with NHTSA

  2. Drivetrain 17

    The contact owns a 2021 cadillac escalade esv. The contact received notification of NHTSA campaign number: 22v036000 (power train) however, the part to do the recall repair was not yet available. owner complaint filed with NHTSA

  3. Electrical 11

    The contact owns a 2021 cadillac escalade esv. The contact stated while her husband was driving 15 MPH, the vehicle stalled. The contact stated no warning light was illuminated. The vehicle was not drivable. owner complaint filed with NHTSA

5 crash · 1 fire · 12 injuries

The best year for the Escalade

Ranked by overall score among years with a full 60 months on the road.

2018 is the best-scoring Escalade model year with a full 60 months on the road, at 89.5 out of 100 — a score that combines complaint rate, recall campaigns and open investigations.

Yearvs medianReportsGrade
2018 0.32× 10 A
2019 0.49× 14 A
2014 0.56× 12 B

Recalls

31 campaigns on record, 2 carrying a Park It or Park Outside warning.

Campaign Component Model years Units affected
16V651000 AIR BAGS:FRONTAL 2015–2017 3,640,162
19V645000 SERVICE BRAKES, HYDRAULIC:POWER ASSIST:VACUUM 2015–2017 3,456,719
21V054000 AIR BAGS:FRONTAL:PASSENGER SIDE:INFLATOR MODULE 2012, 2014 1,778,128
18V586000 STEERING:ELECTRIC POWER ASSIST SYSTEM 2015 1,015,918
22V903000 EXTERIOR LIGHTING:LIGHTING CONTROL MODULE:SOFTWARE 2022, 2023 740,108
25V274000 ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING:ENGINE:HARD PARTS INTERNAL/MECHANICAL 2021–2024 597,571
22V617000 SEAT BELTS:CRITICAL FASTENERS 2021, 2022 484,155
24V797000 POWER TRAIN:AUTOMATIC TRANSMISSION:CONTROL MODULE:SOFTWARE 2021 463,295
24V674000 SERVICE BRAKES, HYDRAULIC:BRAKE FLUID LOW WARNING: LAMP 2023, 2024 449,671
22V827000 EXTERIOR LIGHTING:LIGHTING CONTROL MODULE:SOFTWARE 2021 338,735
14V007000 ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING:EXHAUST SYSTEM 2015 325,213
21V421000 AIR BAGS:SRS MALFUNCTION WARNING LAMP/LIGHT 2021 285,622

+ 19 further campaigns

How long do they last?

Complaint records show when problems get reported, not how long a car survives. Where owners gave an odometer reading, faults on the 2021 were reported at a median of 45,000 miles. Treat that as the point problems start being noticed, not a lifespan.

Common questions

Answered directly from this model’s record.

Which Cadillac Escalade years should you avoid?
2021, 2016, 2015 carry the highest severity-weighted complaint rates of any Cadillac Escalade model year measured over an identical 60-month window.
What is the best year for the Cadillac Escalade?
2018 is the best-scoring Cadillac Escalade model year with a full 60 months on the road, at 89.5 out of 100. The score combines complaint rate, recall campaigns and open investigations.
How many recalls does the Cadillac Escalade have?
31 distinct recall campaigns are on record across all scored Cadillac Escalade model years. A recall is a matter of record: the manufacturer filed a defect report with NHTSA.

How this was calculated

Every model year is scored over an identical window: complaints filed with NHTSA during the first 60 months after that model year went on sale. Without this, older cars look worse purely because they have had longer to accumulate reports.

Limitations. Complaints are unverified reports submitted voluntarily by owners; they are allegations, not findings, and reporting rates vary between models. Model years with fewer than 60 months on the road are marked provisional and excluded from verdicts. Cross-model comparison is withheld pending production-volume data.

Full methodology · Sources · Data vintage August 9, 2026

Working 2021 Escalade
Complaints in window
109
Severity-weighted
178
Model median (weighted)
59
vs model median
3.02×
Recall campaigns (weighted)
9
Open investigations
2
Score 3.3 F