What breaks most · 1999 to 2018 model years
Cadillac Escalade problems by year
Owners have filed 826 safety complaints with NHTSA about the Cadillac Escalade across model years 1999 to 2018. Two years stand out: 2007 for air bags complaints and 2002 for brakes (hydraulic) complaints. The quietest years are 2001, 2013 and 2014.
- Years to check closely: 2007, 2002
- Fewest complaints: 2001, 2013, 2014
- Complaints on file
- 8261999 to 2018, all trims
- Worst year
- 2007156 complaints
- Crashes reported
- 5732 fires · 75 injuries · 0 deaths
- Typical failure mileage
- 78kMedian where owners gave mileage
- Recall campaigns
- 76Across the years shown
Complaints by model year
Raw filings with NHTSA, not adjusted for how many were sold.
| Model year | Complaints | Crashes | Recalls | Most-reported component |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 39 | 3 | 5 | Brakes (hydraulic) (6) | |
| 69 | 9 | 4 | Brakes (hydraulic) (11) | |
| 3 | 0 | 1 | Brakes (1) | |
| 107 | 12 | 3 | Brakes (hydraulic) (27) | |
| 70 | 3 | 6 | Electrical system (22) | |
| 58 | 9 | 4 | Brakes (14) | |
| 31 | 2 | 4 | Air bags (8) | |
| 19 | 1 | 2 | Electrical system (5) | |
| 156 | 8 | 4 | Air bags (71) | |
| 91 | 2 | 4 | Air bags (48) | |
| 39 | 0 | 5 | Air bags (15) | |
| 24 | 0 | 3 | Air bags (14) | |
| 30 | 0 | 6 | Air bags (24) | |
| 11 | 2 | 3 | Electrical system (6) | |
| 7 | 0 | 4 | Powertrain and transmission (3) | |
| 7 | 3 | 2 | Electrical system (4) | |
| 33 | 0 | 9 | Unknown or other (9) | |
| 21 | 1 | 4 | Powertrain and transmission (5) | |
| 9 | 1 | 2 | Brakes (4) | |
| 2 | 1 | 1 | Stability control (1) |
What fails on the 2007 Cadillac Escalade
| Component | Share of complaints | Filings | Crashes | Parts for this job |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Air bags | 46% |
71 | 7 | Check recalls for air bags on NHTSA.gov |
| Electrical systemAlternators, starters and ignition | 13% |
21 | 0 | Shop electrical system parts for the 2007 Cadillac Escalade |
| Body and structureDoors, latches and body hardware | 11% |
17 | 1 | Shop body and structure parts for the 2007 Cadillac Escalade |
| EngineEngine gaskets and seals | 11% |
17 | 1 | Shop engine parts for the 2007 Cadillac Escalade |
| Stability controlABS and wheel speed sensors | 6% |
10 | 0 | Shop stability control parts for the 2007 Cadillac Escalade |
| Unknown or other | 6% |
9 | 0 | — |
| Seats | 5% |
8 | 0 | — |
| Engine and coolingRadiators, thermostats and cooling | 4% |
7 | 0 | Shop engine and cooling parts for the 2007 Cadillac Escalade |
One complaint can name more than one component, so shares add to more than 100%. "Unknown or other" is NHTSA's uncategorized bucket and is shown but never ranked.
In owners' words
Complaint narratives as filed with NHTSA, trimmed for length.
-
I was driving approximately 60 mph, when my dash warning sign began to read "low oil pressure- shut off engine" and began beeping incessantly. As i was on a bridge/expressway, i was not in a position where i could safely stop the engine. The engine went into "limp mode" and was struggling to maintain power.
-
The vehicle would exhibit an abnormal humming. In addition, the contact stated that there was an unusual increase in braking distance and time. The vehicle would sporadically slide to a stop when applying the brakes. (service brakes, hydraulic:antilock)
How to read this page
Every figure comes from the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration's public complaint database, which holds every safety-related defect complaint filed by owners since 1995. We refresh it monthly and count each complaint once per component it names. Data through September 30, 2026.
NHTSA only accepts safety-related complaints. Rattles, paint, infotainment bugs and other annoyances are under-reported here, so this page is a map of what fails in ways owners consider dangerous, not a full reliability score.
Counts are raw. Use the year-over-year shape and the component mix, not the absolute numbers. Where a component maps to parts we stock, the row links to that category filtered to the year you are viewing. Air bag and seat belt complaints link to the recall checker instead, because those repairs are almost always covered.
Common questions
Which Cadillac Escalade years have the most problems?
By NHTSA complaint volume, 2007, 2002 carry the most filings on the Cadillac Escalade. The 2007 alone has 156 complaints, led by air bags.
What is the most common Cadillac Escalade problem?
On the 2007 model year, the most-reported component is air bags with 71 complaints. The table above lists the top components for every year.
At what mileage do Cadillac Escalade problems start?
The median mileage at failure across all Cadillac Escalade complaints that include mileage is about 78,000 miles. Older model years skew higher; the per-year figure is in the "at a glance" card.
Are these complaints verified?
No. NHTSA publishes complaints as submitted and does not investigate individual filings. Patterns across hundreds of complaints are meaningful; a single one is not.