2022 Cadillac Escalade

No clear pattern

3.4% of complaints about the 2022 Cadillac Escalade arrived in its first year of service. That is an unusual figure for a 2022 vehicle, but with only 118 complaints on record the sample is too small to call it a pattern — the margin of error covers the range where ordinary vehicles sit. The figures below are reported without a verdict. The most-reported system is engine (63 complaints), typically at 3.8 yr or about 36,000 miles.

Complaints: 118
Median age at failure: 3.8 yr
Median mileage: 37,600 n=16
Crash / fire / tow: 14.4% of reports
Safety recalls: 4

Safety recalls — NHTSA campaigns

26V085000 2026-02-13

Power train:automatic transmission:control module:software

General Motors, LLC (GM) is recalling certain 2022 Chevrolet Tahoe, Chevrolet Suburban, GMC Yukon, GMC Yukon XL, Cadillac Escalade, and Cadillac Escalade ESV vehicles equipped with 10 Speed Transmission with ETRS (Electronic Transmission Range Select). The transmission control valve may fail and lock up the rear wheels.

Rear wheels that lock up while driving increase the risk of a crash.

25V274000 2025-04-24

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 have manufacturing defects that can lead to engine damage and engine failure.

Engine failure increases the risk of a crash.

22V903000 2022-12-08

Exterior lighting:lighting control module:software

General Motors, LLC (GM) is recalling certain 2020-2023 Cadillac CT4 and CT5; 2021-2023 Buick Envision; and 2022-2023 Cadillac Escalade and Escalade ESV, Chevrolet Silverado 1500, Suburban, Tahoe, GMC Sierra 1500, Yukon, and Yukon XL vehicles. The daytime running lights (DRLs) may not deactivate when the headlights are on. As such, these vehicles fail to comply with the requirements of Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standard number 108, "Lamps, Reflective Devices, and Associated Equipment."

DRLs that do not deactivate as intended may result in a glare, reducing visibility, and increasing the risk of a crash.

22V617000 2022-08-11

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 belt buckle assembly may have been improperly formed.

A seat belt with a deformed rivet may not properly restrain an occupant, increasing the risk of injury during a crash.

In owners’ own words

Engine mileage not reported 2.7 yr in service

This is the second time the car has completely shut off and unable to restart. This is the second time it failed on the interstate. When the car died the car could not be switch to park and had to hold the brake pedal to prevent the car from rolling backward. Second whenever the car was turned of the hazard flashers would turn off. The dealer has previous looked at the car and claimed no problem. This is extremely dangerous to have a car random dying on the interstate. The car at the dealer with often have communication error codes that are just cleared and send you on your way.

Engine mileage not reported 3.3 yr in service

Driving vehicle between 70-80 miles an hour on the freeway when the car switched into neutral and lost all engine power. No warning lamps or any indication of failure. I was able to steer vehicle to left side of freeway and it had to be towed. It was not a safe location as cars were flying by just feet from the dibbled vehicle. It never started again. Towed to local Cadillac and have been told the car experienced catastrophic engine failure.

Engine mileage not reported 3.3 yr in service

The engine completely failed and shut down without any warning indications while driving 72 mph on [XXX] in Wesley Chapel, Fl. I could no longer accelerate to get out of the way I had to coast to a stop and was able to thankfully make it to the shoulder. The tow company that provided service stated that I was the third or fourth Gm suv that he personally towed in the past week that experienced the same failure on the interstate. INFORMATION REDACTED PURSUANT TO THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT (FOIA), 5 U.S.C. 552(B)(6)

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.

2022 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