2021 Cadillac Escalade ESV: owner complaints and recalls
Analysis of 80 owner complaints filed with NHTSA and 10 recall campaigns. Updated 2026-07-25.
80
Complaints
10
Recalls
3
Crash reports
1
Fire reports
3
Injuries
52.5
Severity index
Severity index 52.5 - Medium. This weights crashes, fires, injuries and fatalities per 100 complaints; see methodology.
Among the 90 2021 vehicles we track with at least 40 complaints on file, the 2021 Cadillac Escalade ESV ranks 47 of 90 by severity, where 1 is the worst. Its severity is higher than 48% of its model-year peers. See the full 2021 ranking.
What actually fails
| Component | Complaints | Share of complaints citing it |
|---|---|---|
| ENGINE | 50 | 62.5% |
| ELECTRICAL SYSTEM | 14 | 17.5% |
| POWER TRAIN | 12 | 15.0% |
| ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING | 7 | 8.8% |
| SERVICE BRAKES | 7 | 8.8% |
| UNKNOWN OR OTHER | 4 | 5.0% |
| FORWARD COLLISION AVOIDANCE | 4 | 5.0% |
| FUEL/PROPULSION SYSTEM | 3 | 3.8% |
The single most-reported system is ENGINE, cited in 50 of 80 complaints (62.5%). One complaint can name several systems, so these shares overlap and do not total 100%.
Complaints filed per year
| Year | Complaints |
|---|---|
| 2020 | 1 |
| 2021 | 9 |
| 2022 | 11 |
| 2023 | 9 |
| 2024 | 3 |
| 2025 | 34 |
| 2026 (year to date) | 13 |
Complaint volume is rising - the last three years carry 2.2x the filings of the three before them, which usually signals a wear-related defect surfacing with age.
Recall campaigns
| Campaign | Reported | Component | Summary |
|---|---|---|---|
| 21V455000 | 17/06/2021 | STEERING:STEERING CONTROL MODULE | General Motors, LLC (GM) is recalling certain 2021 Cadillac Escalade, Escalade ESV, Chevrolet Suburban, Chevrolet Tahoe, GMC Yukon, and Yukon XL vehicles. A software issue may cause a loss of power steering assist at startup or while driving. |
| 22V036000 | 27/01/2022 | POWER TRAIN:DRIVELINE:DRIVESHAFT | General Motors, LLC (GM) is recalling certain 2021 GMC Yukon, Yukon XL, Cadillac Escalade, Escalade ESV, Chevrolet Suburban, and Chevrolet Tahoe vehicles. The rear wheel driveshaft assemblies may have internal components that were not heat-treated properly, possibly resulting in |
| 20V811000 | 23/12/2020 | SEAT BELTS | General Motors, LLC (GM) is recalling certain 2020 Chevrolet Bolt EV and 2021 GMC Canyon and Sierra 1500, 2500 and 3500, Yukon, Yukon XL, Cadillac Escalade and Escalade ESV and Chevrolet Blazer, Camaro, Colorado, Equinox, Silverado 1500, 2500 and 3500, Suburban and Tahoe vehicles |
| 21V739000 | 23/09/2021 | FUEL SYSTEM, GASOLINE:DELIVERY:FUEL PUMP:CONTROL/DRIVE MODULE | General Motors, LLC (GM) is recalling certain 2021 Cadillac Escalade, Escalade ESV, Chevrolet Suburban, Tahoe, GMC Yukon, and Yukon XL vehicles. The fuel pump power control module may cause the fuel pump to fail or operate intermittently, which can interrupt fuel flow to the eng |
| 21V421000 | 10/06/2021 | AIR BAGS:SRS MALFUNCTION WARNING LAMP/LIGHT | General Motors, LLC (GM) is recalling certain 2021 Buick Envision, Cadillac CT4, CT5, Escalade, Escalade ESV, Chevrolet Tahoe, Corvette, Suburban, GMC Yukon, Yukon XL vehicles. The communications gateway module incorrectly processes a loss of communication with the sensing diagn |
| 21V190000 | 18/03/2021 | SEAT BELTS | General Motors, LLC (GM) is recalling certain 2021 Cadillac Escalade, Escalade ESV, GMC Yukon, Yukon XL, Chevrolet Suburban, and Tahoe vehicles with third-row seating. The third-row outboard seat belts may have been entrapped or misrouted behind the outboard seat-folding mechani |
| 22V617000 | 11/08/2022 | SEAT BELTS:CRITICAL FASTENERS | General Motors, LLC (M) is recalling certain 2021-2022 Cadillac Escalade, Escalade ESV, Chevrolet Suburban, Tahoe, GMC Yukon, and Yukon XL vehicles equipped with third-row seats. The rivet that retains the buckle to the mounting bracket in the left or right side third-row seat b |
| 22V827000 | 03/11/2022 | EXTERIOR LIGHTING:LIGHTING CONTROL MODULE:SOFTWARE | General Motors, LLC (GM) is recalling certain 2021 Yukon, Yukon XL, Chevrolet Tahoe, Chevrolet Suburban, Cadillac Escalade, and Cadillac Escalade ESV vehicles. The daytime running lights (DRLs) may not deactivate when the headlights are on. As such, these vehicles fail to compl |
| 24V797000 | 24/10/2024 | POWER TRAIN:AUTOMATIC TRANSMISSION:CONTROL MODULE:SOFTWARE | General Motors, LLC (GM) is recalling certain 2020-2022 Chevrolet Silverado 1500, 2500, 3500, GMC Sierra 1500, 2500, 3500, 2021 Cadillac Escalade, Escalade ESV, Chevrolet Tahoe, Suburban, GMC Yukon, and Yukon XL vehicles equipped with diesel engines. The transmission control val |
| 25V274000 | 24/04/2025 | ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING:ENGINE:HARD PARTS INTERNAL/MECHANICAL | General Motors LLC (GM) is recalling certain 2021-2024 Cadillac Escalade and Escalade ESV, Chevrolet Silverado 1500, Suburban, and Tahoe, GMC Sierra 1500, Yukon, and Yukon XL vehicles equipped with a 6.2L V8 gas engine. The connecting rod and/or crankshaft engine components may |
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.