2018 Cadillac Escalade ESV: owner complaints and recalls
Analysis of 35 owner complaints filed with NHTSA and 1 recall campaigns. Updated 2026-07-25.
35
Complaints
1
Recalls
1
Crash reports
3
Fire reports
0
Injuries
62.9
Severity index
Severity index 62.9 - Medium. This weights crashes, fires, injuries and fatalities per 100 complaints; see methodology.
What actually fails
| Component | Complaints | Share of complaints citing it |
|---|---|---|
| ENGINE | 18 | 51.4% |
| ELECTRICAL SYSTEM | 8 | 22.9% |
| POWER TRAIN | 4 | 11.4% |
| UNKNOWN OR OTHER | 3 | 8.6% |
| SUSPENSION | 3 | 8.6% |
| SERVICE BRAKES | 3 | 8.6% |
| EXTERIOR LIGHTING | 2 | 5.7% |
| SEAT BELTS | 2 | 5.7% |
The single most-reported system is ENGINE, cited in 18 of 35 complaints (51.4%). One complaint can name several systems, so these shares overlap and do not total 100%.
Complaints filed per year
| Year | Complaints |
|---|---|
| 2018 | 1 |
| 2019 | 3 |
| 2020 | 1 |
| 2021 | 2 |
| 2022 | 1 |
| 2023 | 1 |
| 2024 | 2 |
| 2025 | 19 |
| 2026 (year to date) | 5 |
Complaint volume is rising - the last three years carry 5.5x the filings of the three before them, which usually signals a wear-related defect surfacing with age.
Recall campaigns
| Campaign | Reported | Component | Summary |
|---|---|---|---|
| 18V673000 | 26/09/2018 | SEAT BELTS:REAR/OTHER | General Motors LLC (GM) is recalling certain 2018-2019 Cadillac CT6, Escalade ESV, Chevrolet Suburban, Volt, and GMC Yukon XL vehicles. Certain second-row or third-row rear seatbelts retractor assemblies may not automatically lock when the seatbelt is fully pulled out of the ret |
Source. US National Highway Traffic Safety Administration public complaint and recall APIs (api.nhtsa.gov), retrieved 2026-07-25. Complaints are unverified consumer reports; volume is influenced by how many units were sold and how long the vehicle has been on the road. Not affiliated with NHTSA or any manufacturer.