2018 Cadillac Escalade: owner complaints and recalls
Analysis of 21 owner complaints filed with NHTSA and 1 recall campaigns. Updated 2026-07-25.
21
Complaints
1
Recalls
1
Crash reports
1
Fire reports
0
Injuries
47.6
Severity index
Severity index 47.6 - Medium. This weights crashes, fires, injuries and fatalities per 100 complaints; see methodology.
What actually fails
| Component | Complaints | Share of complaints citing it |
|---|---|---|
| ENGINE | 10 | 47.6% |
| ELECTRICAL SYSTEM | 3 | 14.3% |
| POWER TRAIN | 3 | 14.3% |
| SERVICE BRAKES | 3 | 14.3% |
| EXTERIOR LIGHTING | 2 | 9.5% |
| UNKNOWN OR OTHER | 2 | 9.5% |
| SUSPENSION | 2 | 9.5% |
| SEATS | 1 | 4.8% |
The single most-reported system is ENGINE, cited in 10 of 21 complaints (47.6%). 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 |
| 2021 | 1 |
| 2022 | 1 |
| 2023 | 1 |
| 2024 | 2 |
| 2025 | 10 |
| 2026 (year to date) | 2 |
Complaint volume is rising - the last three years carry 2.6x the filings of the three before them, which usually signals a wear-related defect surfacing with age.
Recall campaigns
| Campaign | Reported | Component | Summary |
|---|---|---|---|
| 20V603000 | 01/10/2020 | SERVICE BRAKES, HYDRAULIC:POWER ASSIST:VACUUM | General Motors LLC (GM) is recalling certain 2018 Cadillac Escalade, Chevrolet Silverado 1500 and Tahoe, GMC Sierra 1500 and Yukon vehicles equipped with either a 5.3L or 6.2L V8 engine. The output of the mechanical vacuum pump can decrease over time, decreasing the amount of va |
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.