2017 Cadillac Escalade

Typical pattern

2.6% of complaints about the 2017 Cadillac Escalade came in the first year, which is unremarkable for a 2017 vehicle — around the middle of the 203 model-years on record. The median complaint arrives at 6.0 yr in service. The most-reported system is engine (22 complaints), typically at 7.0 yr or about 50,000 miles.

Complaints: 78
Median age at failure: 6.0 yr
Median mileage: 16,233 n=38
Crash / fire / tow: 11.5% of reports
Safety recalls: 2

Safety recalls — NHTSA campaigns

19V645000 2019-09-06

Service brakes, hydraulic:power assist:vacuum

General Motors LLC (GM) is recalling certain 2015-2017 Cadillac Escalade, 2014-2018 Chevrolet Silverado, GMC Sierra, 2015-2018 Chevrolet Suburban, Tahoe, GMC Yukon vehicles. The amount of vacuum created by the vacuum pump may decrease over time.

As the vacuum level drops, the brake assist decreases, increasing braking effort, extending the distance required to stop the vehicle, thereby increasing the risk of a crash.

16V651000 2016-09-08

Air bags:frontal

General Motors LLC (GM) is recalling certain model year 2015-2017 Chevrolet Silverado 2500 HD, 3500 HD, Tahoe, Suburban, GMC Sierra 2500 HD and 3500 HD, GMC Yukon, GMC Yukon XL, Cadillac Escalade and Cadillac Escalade ESV vehicles and 2014-2017 Chevrolet Corvette, Silverado 1500, Trax, Caprice Police Pursuit Vehicle, GMC Sierra 1500, Buick Encore, and 2014-2016 Buick Lacrosse, Chevrolet Spark EV and SS vehicles. In the affected vehicles, certain driving conditions may cause the air bag sensing and diagnostic module (SDM) software to activate a diagnostic test. During this test, deployment o

A failure of the front air bags or seat belt pretensioners to deploy in the event of a crash necessitating deployment increases the risk of injury to the driver and front passenger.

In owners’ own words

Engine 845 mi 3 mo in service

BRAKE AND GAS PEDALS MOVED ON THEIR OWN WITHOUT BEING COMMANDED. HAPPENED SEVERAL TIMES, VEHICLE NOT MOVING AT THE TIME. TOOK TO THE DEALER AND THEY OBSERVED IT. COULD NOT FIND THE PROBLEM, SENT ME AWAY. HAPPENED AGAIN AND DEALER ORDERED A SENSOR TO BE INSTALLED WHEN IT COMES IN.

Engine 15,000 mi 1.4 yr in service

SEVERE BUCKING AND OR SURGING WHEN SWITCHING GEARS. HAS ACTUALLY SURGED WHEN AT A FULL STOP.

Engine mileage not reported 5.2 yr in service

Driving and heard loud pop and shudder. Heavy vibration at highway speeds making vehicle unsafe to drive and vehicle also shuddered and acted like it was going to die when turning. Took to dealer and dealer discovered broken engine mounts. This is a known issue from GM. TSB 17-NA-166. GM certified service refused once to look at the engine mounts while vehicle was under warranty and had me continue to drive it until warranty had expired.

Other Escalade model years

How to read this

This is what owners reported, not a reliability rating. People file with NHTSA about alarming failures, not routine ones, and complaint volume tracks how many cars were sold.
Failure ages come from the incident date on each complaint, populated on about 83% of records. Mileage is shown where reported — NHTSA’s 2021 system change cut mileage capture to roughly 15%, so it thins out sharply after MY2020.
Every rank compares this vehicle only against others of the same model year. A 2025 car has not had time to accumulate five-year failures, so comparing early-failure share across years is meaningless.
Fourteen make-months distorted by media storms and mass recalls — Toyota in February 2010 ran 11× normal volume across 33 models — are excluded.
Recalls are manufacturer actions and authoritative; complaints are not. A recall listed here may already have been performed on any individual car. Check a specific VIN at nhtsa.gov/recalls.

2017 Cadillac Escalade

When each system is reported — middle 50% of complaints

Safety recalls — NHTSA campaigns

In owners’ own words

Other Escalade model years

How to read this