Cadillac Escalade: which model years draw the most owner complaints?
1,693 complaints filed with NHTSA about the Cadillac Escalade, model years 2000 to 2026. 4 model years stand out for the engine or transmission: 2023 (engine 12×); 2022 (engine 7.7×); 2021 (engine 5.6×); 2024 (engine 4.1×). Quietest mature years by complaint count: 2012, 2014, 2018. Counts of unverified owner reports, compared only with other years of the same model; not failure rates.
Complaints by model year
| MODEL YEAR | COMPLAINTS | VS OTHER YEARS | STANDS OUT | RECALLS |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 EscaladeFEW REPORTS | 71 | — | 4 | |
| 2001 EscaladeFEW REPORTS | 3 | — | 1 | |
| 2002 EscaladeFEW REPORTS | 115 | — | 3 | |
| 2003 EscaladeFEW REPORTS | 81 | — | 6 | |
| 2004 EscaladeFEW REPORTS | 69 | — | 4 | |
| 2005 EscaladeFEW REPORTS | 43 | quiet: 6 of 17 | 4 | |
| 2006 EscaladeFEW REPORTS | 19 | — | 2 | |
| 2007 Escalade | 230 | — | 4 | |
| 2008 EscaladeFEW REPORTS | 136 | — | 4 | |
| 2009 EscaladeFEW REPORTS | 58 | — | 5 | |
| 2010 EscaladeFEW REPORTS | 38 | quiet: 5 of 17 | 3 | |
| 2011 EscaladeFEW REPORTS | 49 | — | 6 | |
| 2012 EscaladeFEW REPORTS | 20 | quiet: 1 of 17 | 3 | |
| 2013 EscaladeFEW REPORTS | 19 | — | 4 | |
| 2014 EscaladeFEW REPORTS | 20 | quiet: 2 of 17 | 2 | |
| 2015 EscaladeFEW REPORTS | 98 | — | 9 | |
| 2016 EscaladeFEW REPORTS | 89 | — | 4 | |
| 2017 EscaladeFEW REPORTS | 51 | — | 2 | |
| 2018 EscaladeFEW REPORTS | 22 | quiet: 3 of 17 | 1 | |
| 2019 EscaladeFEW REPORTS | 25 | quiet: 4 of 17 | 0 | |
| 2020 EscaladeFEW REPORTS | 14 | — | 2 | |
| 2021 EscaladeFEW REPORTS | 79 | engine 5.6× | 9 | |
| 2022 EscaladeFEW REPORTS | 86 | engine 7.7× | 4 | |
| 2023 EscaladeFEW REPORTS | 145 | engine 12× | 4 | |
| 2024 EscaladeFEW REPORTS | 52 | engine 4.1× | 2 | |
| 2025 EscaladeFEW REPORTS | 21 | — | 1 | |
| 2026 EscaladeFEW REPORTS | 40 | — | 3 |
"Stands out" = 40 or more complaints naming that system and at least twice the model's quiet (lower-quartile) year, or twice the share seen across every vehicle of that model year. Newer years have had less time on the road. "Quiet" ranks only years with 7+ years on the road and 20+ complaints. NHTSA data through November 2026.
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Other Cadillac models
Cadillac ATS · Cadillac CTS · Cadillac DTS · Cadillac Deville · Cadillac Escalade ESV · Cadillac Lyriq · Cadillac SRX · Cadillac STS · Cadillac Seville · Cadillac XT5 · Cadillac XTS. All makes and models.
Source: NHTSA public complaints, recalls, service bulletin and investigation databases, data received through November 2026. Complaints are unverified reports from owners, not failure rates: sales volumes are unknown, so a model year is only compared with other years of the same model. Not a diagnosis and not financial advice. PulsCar is not affiliated with NHTSA. Year pages: 2007