2012 Cadillac Escalade: owner complaints and recalls
Analysis of 26 owner complaints filed with NHTSA and 3 recall campaigns. Updated 2026-07-25.
26
Complaints
3
Recalls
3
Crash reports
0
Fire reports
1
Injuries
76.9
Severity index
Severity index 76.9 - Medium. This weights crashes, fires, injuries and fatalities per 100 complaints; see methodology.
What actually fails
| Component | Complaints | Share of complaints citing it |
|---|---|---|
| ELECTRICAL SYSTEM | 12 | 46.2% |
| AIR BAGS | 4 | 15.4% |
| ENGINE | 4 | 15.4% |
| SERVICE BRAKES | 4 | 15.4% |
| UNKNOWN OR OTHER | 3 | 11.5% |
| STRUCTURE | 3 | 11.5% |
| STEERING | 3 | 11.5% |
| VEHICLE SPEED CONTROL | 3 | 11.5% |
The single most-reported system is ELECTRICAL SYSTEM, cited in 12 of 26 complaints (46.2%). One complaint can name several systems, so these shares overlap and do not total 100%.
Complaints filed per year
| Year | Complaints |
|---|---|
| 2012 | 1 |
| 2013 | 2 |
| 2014 | 1 |
| 2015 | 5 |
| 2017 | 2 |
| 2018 | 2 |
| 2019 | 4 |
| 2020 | 6 |
| 2021 | 3 |
Complaint volume is rising - the last three years carry 1.4x the filings of the three before them, which usually signals a wear-related defect surfacing with age.
Recall campaigns
| Campaign | Reported | Component | Summary |
|---|---|---|---|
| 21V054000 | 05/02/2021 | AIR BAGS:FRONTAL:PASSENGER SIDE:INFLATOR MODULE | General Motors, LLC (GM) is recalling certain 2014 Cadillac Escalade, Escalade ESV, Chevrolet Silverado 2500, Silverado 3500, Suburban, Tahoe, GMC Sierra 2500, Sierra 3500, Yukon, and Yukon XL vehicles originally sold, or ever registered, in the states of AL, CA, FL, GA, HI, LA, |
| 21V051000 | 05/02/2021 | AIR BAGS:FRONTAL:PASSENGER SIDE:INFLATOR MODULE | General Motors, LLC (GM) is recalling certain 2012 Cadillac Escalade, Escalade ESV, Escalade EXT, Chevrolet Avalanche, Silverado 1500, Silverado 2500/3500, Suburban, Tahoe, GMC Sierra 1500, Sierra 2500/3500, Yukon, and Yukon XL originally sold, or ever registered, in the states o |
| 14V827000 | 30/12/2014 | ELECTRICAL SYSTEM:IGNITION | General Motors LLC (GM) is recalling certain model year 2011-2012 Cadillac Escalade, Escalade ESV, Escalade EXT, Chevrolet Avalanche, Silverado HD, Silverado LD, Suburban, Tahoe, GMC Sierra LD, Sierra HD, Yukon, and Yukon XL vehicles. In the affected vehicles, the ignition lock |
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.