2021 CADILLAC ESCALADE — Problems, Recalls & Safety Data
4/5
Safety Rating
67
Owner Complaints
9
Recalls
23
Service Bulletins
1
Investigation
Overview of the 2021 CADILLAC ESCALADE
The 2021 CADILLAC ESCALADE has received a total of 67 safety complaints filed with the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA). It earned an overall safety rating of 4 out of 5 stars in NHTSA's New Car Assessment Program crash tests. There have been 13 recall campaigns affecting this vehicle, covering issues with FUEL SYSTEM, DIESEL:STORAGE:TANK ASSEMBLY, ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING:ENGINE:HARD PARTS INTERNAL/MECHANICAL. 23 technical service bulletins have been issued by General Motors, LLC for this model year. The most commonly reported problems involve the Engine (25 complaints), Engine And Engine Cooling (8 complaints), and Electrical System (6 complaints).
Recalls for the 2021 CADILLAC ESCALADE
NHTSA has recorded 13 recalls for the 2021 CADILLAC ESCALADE, potentially affecting up to 3,721,888 vehicles.
Recall 25V619000 — FUEL SYSTEM, DIESEL:STORAGE:TANK ASSEMBLY
| 12 vehicles affected
Defect: General Motors, LLC (GM) is recalling certain 2021 Cadillac Escalade, 2021, 2023-2024 Chevrolet Tahoe, and 2022 and 2024 GMC Yukon vehicles equipped with a 6-cylinder diesel engine. The original fuel tank may have been replaced with an incorrect fuel tank, which can allow fuel to leak in a rollover crash.
Consequence: A fuel leak in the presence of an ignition source increases the risk of a vehicle fire.
Remedy: Dealers will inspect for the correct fuel tank and replace it, if necessary, free of charge. Owner notification letters were mailed November 5, 2025. Owners may contact Cadillac customer service at 1-800-333-4223, Chevrolet customer service at 1-800-222-1020, or GMC customer...
View full details →Recall 25V274000 — ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING:ENGINE:HARD PARTS INTERNAL/MECHANICAL
| 597,571 vehicles affected
Defect: 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.
Consequence: Engine failure increases the risk of a crash.
Remedy: Dealers will inspect the engine, and as necessary, repair or replace the engine. For vehicles that pass inspection, dealers will add higher viscosity oil, install 6 oil fill cap, replace the oil filter, and update the owner's manual. Repairs will...
View full details →Recall 25V274000 — ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING:ENGINE:HARD PARTS INTERNAL/MECHANICAL
| 597,571 vehicles affected
Defect: 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.
Consequence: Engine failure increases the risk of a crash.
Remedy: Dealers will inspect the engine, and as necessary, repair or replace the engine. For vehicles that pass inspection, dealers will add higher viscosity oil, install 6 oil fill cap, replace the oil filter, and update the owner's manual. Repairs will...
View full details →Recall 24V797000 — POWER TRAIN:AUTOMATIC TRANSMISSION:FLUID/LUBRICANT:VALVES/VALVE BODY
| 463,295 vehicles affected
Defect: General Motors, LLC (GM) is recalling certain 2020-2022 Chevrolet Silverado 1500, 2500, 3500, GMC Sierra 1500, 2500, 3500, 2021 Cadillac Escalade, Escalade ESV, Chevrolet Tahoe, Suburban, GMC Yukon, and Yukon XL vehicles equipped with diesel engines. The transmission control valve may fail and cause the rear wheels to lock-up.
Consequence: Rear wheel lock-up can increase the risk of a crash.
Remedy: Dealers will install new transmission control module software, free of charge. GM will provide a special coverage program to cover the repair of transmissions that are identified by the remedy software as containing a defective control valve. Owner notification letters...
View full details →Recall 24V797000 — POWER TRAIN:AUTOMATIC TRANSMISSION:CONTROL MODULE:SOFTWARE
| 463,295 vehicles affected
Defect: General Motors, LLC (GM) is recalling certain 2020-2022 Chevrolet Silverado 1500, 2500, 3500, GMC Sierra 1500, 2500, 3500, 2021 Cadillac Escalade, Escalade ESV, Chevrolet Tahoe, Suburban, GMC Yukon, and Yukon XL vehicles equipped with diesel engines. The transmission control valve may fail and cause the rear wheels to lock-up.
Consequence: Rear wheel lock-up can increase the risk of a crash.
Remedy: Dealers will install new transmission control module software, free of charge. GM will provide a special coverage program to cover the repair of transmissions that are identified by the remedy software as containing a defective control valve. Owner notification letters...
View full details →Recall 22V827000 — EXTERIOR LIGHTING:LIGHTING CONTROL MODULE:SOFTWARE
| 338,735 vehicles affected
Defect: General Motors, LLC (GM) is recalling certain 2021 Yukon, Yukon XL, Chevrolet Tahoe, Chevrolet Suburban, Cadillac Escalade, and Cadillac Escalade ESV 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."
Consequence: Daytime Running Lights that do not deactivate as intended may cause a glare, reducing visibility and increasing the risk of a crash.
Remedy: Dealers will provide an over-the-air (OTA) update for the Body Control Module software, free of charge. Owner notification letters were mailed December 15, 2022. Owners may contact GM customer service at 1-888-988-7267, Chevrolet customer service at 1-800-222-1020, or Cadillac customer...
View full details →Recall 22V617000 — SEAT BELTS:CRITICAL FASTENERS
| 484,155 vehicles affected
Defect: 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.
Consequence: A seat belt with a deformed rivet may not properly restrain an occupant, increasing the risk of injury during a crash.
Remedy: Dealers will inspect the rivet head formation on both the left and right side third-row seat belt buckle assemblies and replace seat belt buckle assemblies, as necessary, free of charge. Interim owner notification letters informing owners of the safety risk...
View full details →Recall 22V036000 — POWER TRAIN:DRIVELINE:DRIVESHAFT
| 1,789 vehicles affected
Defect: General Motors, LLC (GM) is recalling certain 2021 GMC Yukon, Yukon XL, Cadillac Escalade, Escalade ESV, Chevrolet Suburban, and Chevrolet Tahoe vehicles. The rear wheel driveshaft assemblies may have internal components that were not heat-treated properly, possibly resulting in driveshaft failure.
Consequence: Driveshaft failure can cause a sudden loss of drive power, increasing the risk of a crash.
Remedy: Dealers will replace the left and/or right rear driveshaft assemblies, free of charge. Owner notification letters were mailed on March 14, 2022. Owners may contact Chevrolet customer service at 1-800-222-1020; Cadillac customer service at 1-800-458-8006 or GMC customer service at...
View full details →Recall 21V739000 — FUEL SYSTEM, GASOLINE:DELIVERY:FUEL PUMP:CONTROL/DRIVE MODULE
| 14,939 vehicles affected
Defect: General Motors, LLC (GM) is recalling certain 2021 Cadillac Escalade, Escalade ESV, Chevrolet Suburban, Tahoe, GMC Yukon, and Yukon XL vehicles. The fuel pump power control module may cause the fuel pump to fail or operate intermittently, which can interrupt fuel flow to the engine, and cause an unexpected engine stall.
Consequence: An engine stall increases the risk of a crash.
Remedy: Dealers will replace the fuel pump power control module, free of charge. Owner notification letters were mailed on October 14, 2021. Owners may contact Chevrolet customer service at 1-800-222-1020; Cadillac customer service at 1-800-458-8006; or GMC customer service at 1-800-462-8782....
View full details →Recall 21V421000 — AIR BAGS:SRS MALFUNCTION WARNING LAMP/LIGHT
| 285,622 vehicles affected
Defect: General Motors, LLC (GM) is recalling certain 2021 Buick Envision, Cadillac CT4, CT5, Escalade, Escalade ESV, Chevrolet Tahoe, Corvette, Suburban, GMC Yukon, Yukon XL vehicles. The communications gateway module incorrectly processes a loss of communication with the sensing diagnostic module (SDM), causing the air bag malfunction indicator light to inconsistently illuminate.
Consequence: The air bag malfunction indicator light may fail to warn the driver of a problem with the air bag, increasing the risk of injury.
Remedy: The communications gateway module software will be updated by a dealer, or through an over-the-air (OTA) update, free of charge. Owner notification letters were mailed on July 1, 2021. Owners may contact Buick customer service at 1-800-521-7300, Cadillac customer service...
View full details →Recall 21V421000 — ELECTRICAL SYSTEM:SOFTWARE
| 285,622 vehicles affected
Defect: General Motors, LLC (GM) is recalling certain 2021 Buick Envision, Cadillac CT4, CT5, Escalade, Escalade ESV, Chevrolet Tahoe, Corvette, Suburban, GMC Yukon, Yukon XL vehicles. The communications gateway module incorrectly processes a loss of communication with the sensing diagnostic module (SDM), causing the air bag malfunction indicator light to inconsistently illuminate.
Consequence: The air bag malfunction indicator light may fail to warn the driver of a problem with the air bag, increasing the risk of injury.
Remedy: The communications gateway module software will be updated by a dealer, or through an over-the-air (OTA) update, free of charge. Owner notification letters were mailed on July 1, 2021. Owners may contact Buick customer service at 1-800-521-7300, Cadillac customer service...
View full details →Recall 21V190000 — SEAT BELTS:REAR/OTHER
| 94,641 vehicles affected
Defect: General Motors, LLC (GM) is recalling certain 2021 Cadillac Escalade, Escalade ESV, GMC Yukon, Yukon XL, Chevrolet Suburban, and Tahoe vehicles with third-row seating. The third-row outboard seat belts may have been entrapped or misrouted behind the outboard seat-folding mechanism, which could result in damaged seat belts.
Consequence: A damaged seat belt can break during a crash, increasing the risk of injury to the occupant.
Remedy: GM will notify owners, and dealers will inspect the third-row outboard seat belts, replacing any damaged seat belts, and rerouting them if necessary, free of charge. The recall began on April 21, 2021. Owners may contact Chevrolet customer service at...
View full details →Recall 21V190000 — SEAT BELTS
| 94,641 vehicles affected
Defect: General Motors, LLC (GM) is recalling certain 2021 Cadillac Escalade, Escalade ESV, GMC Yukon, Yukon XL, Chevrolet Suburban, and Tahoe vehicles with third-row seating. The third-row outboard seat belts may have been entrapped or misrouted behind the outboard seat-folding mechanism, which could result in damaged seat belts.
Consequence: A damaged seat belt can break during a crash, increasing the risk of injury to the occupant.
Remedy: GM will notify owners, and dealers will inspect the third-row outboard seat belts, replacing any damaged seat belts, and rerouting them if necessary, free of charge. The recall began on April 21, 2021. Owners may contact Chevrolet customer service at...
View full details →Owner Complaints for the 2021 CADILLAC ESCALADE
67 complaints have been filed with NHTSA for the 2021 CADILLAC ESCALADE. Below is a breakdown by vehicle component.
| Component | Complaints | Crashes | Fires | Injuries | Deaths |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Engine | 25 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 0 |
| Engine And Engine Cooling | 8 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Electrical System | 6 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 0 |
| Power Train | 6 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Unknown Or Other | 4 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Fuelpropulsion System | 3 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Forward Collision Avoidance Warnings | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Air Bags | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Back Over Prevention Warnings | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Exterior Lighting | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Forward Collision Avoidance Adaptive Cruise Control | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Forward Collision Avoidance Automatic Emergency Braking | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Fuel System Gasoline | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Lane Departure Blind Spot Detection | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Latcheslockslinkagesdoorslatch | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Seat Belts | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Seat Beltsfrontwarning Lightdevices | 1 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 0 |
| Service Brakes | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Steering | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Suspension | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
Most Recent Complaints
Engine needs to be replaced or rebuilt Also the fuel pump power control nodule failed
Rod/Main bearing Debris Causing block damage Engine needs rebuild/ replace
Engine needs to be replaced or rebuilt Also the fuel pump power control nodule failed
The contact owns a 2021 Cadillac Escalade. The contact received notification of NHTSA Campaign Number: 25V274000 (ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING); however, the part to do the recall repair was not yet available. The local dealer was contacted. The contact stated that the manufacturer had exceeded a reasonable amount of time for the recall repair. The manufacturer was not made aware of the issue. The contact had not experienced a failure.
The contact owns a 2021 Cadillac Escalade. While the contact's wife was driving 70 MPH, the accelerator pedal was depressed; however, the vehicle failed to accelerate. In addition, the contact stated that the failure occurred while a tractor-trailer was driving closely behind the vehicle. The contact stated that an error code indicated a failure with the fuel pump drive module. In addition, the check engine warning light was illuminated. The vehicle was driven to the residence. The contact stated that the vehicle was unsafe to drive. The vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired by an independent mechanic or dealer. The dealer was made aware of the failure; however, the contact was informed that the repair was not covered under recall. The contact referenced an unknown recall which had a similar failure description; however, the VIN was not associated with the recall. The manufacturer was not made aware of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 33,500.
Safety Rating for the 2021 CADILLAC ESCALADE
The 2021 CADILLAC ESCALADE received an overall safety rating of 4 out of 5 stars from NHTSA's New Car Assessment Program (NCAP).
| Test Category | Rating |
|---|---|
| Overall Rating | ★★★★☆ (4/5) |
| Frontal Crash | ★★★★☆ (4/5) |
| Side Crash | ★★★★★ (5/5) |
| Rollover | ★★★☆☆ (3/5) |
Safety ratings are based on controlled crash tests conducted by NHTSA. A 5-star rating indicates the highest level of occupant protection.
Technical Service Bulletins for the 2021 CADILLAC ESCALADE
General Motors, LLC has issued 23 technical service bulletins (TSBs) for the 2021 CADILLAC ESCALADE. TSBs are notices sent by manufacturers to their dealers describing a known issue and the recommended repair procedure.
PIP5845B — UNKNOWN OR OTHER
This P/I is to advise to inspect the stacked plate heat exchanger as possible root cause for any trans concern.
N252494003 — ENGINE
Certain vehicles listed above, may have a condition where the connecting rod and/or crankshaft engine components in these vehicles may have manufacturing defects that can lead to engine damage and engine failure. This special coverage covers if an engine failure occurs in the vehicle as a result of the condition...
PIT6144C — SUSPENSION
This Preliminary information communicates A diagnostic tip from root causing DTC: C1197 caused by a pinched air inlet hose to the suspension compressor air leveling system.
PIT6134D — SERVICE BRAKES
This Preliminary information communicates an issue with premature brake pad life and engineering is working on release new pad lining material.
N242435630-04 — UNKNOWN OR OTHER
Customer Satisfaction Program - may have a condition where the battery is at risk for a drain following an over-the-air update. Dealers are to reprogram the serial data gateway module.
PIT5854B — VEHICLE SPEED CONTROL
This Preliminary information communicates information on vehicle speed being limited due to aftermarket lower kit being installed on the vehicle.
PIT5993B — ELECTRICAL SYSTEM
This Preliminary information communicates an issue with high resistance in the glass breakage loop that could cause a dead battery or unwanted theft alarm. Dealers are to inspect the glass breakage loop.
24-NA-020 — ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING
This service bulletin provides a repair procedure to correct customer concerns of Service Emissions System Displayed on DIC, MIL Illuminated with DTC P249C and/or P20E8 Set.
N23-241182 — FORWARD COLLISION AVOIDANCE: ADAPTIVE CRUISE CONTROL:SOFTWARE
(There may be future updates under this same release number.) Your vehicle keeps getting better. This software update includes the following if your vehicle is equipped: Refinements: Updates made to improve the Super Cruise driver assistance technology and the Adaptive Cruise Control functionality. Updates to improve the connectivity within Apple...
23-NA-099 — EQUIPMENT
This service bulletin provides repair information to correct a customer concern of Black Radio Display Screen (triangle and camera with the slash through it) with DTCs B1A62 82 and 86 setting current in Video Processing Module (VPM).
Showing 10 of 23 technical service bulletins.
NHTSA Investigations for the 2021 CADILLAC ESCALADE
NHTSA has opened 1 investigation into potential safety defects in the 2021 CADILLAC ESCALADE.
Investigation PE25001 — ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING:ENGINE:HARD PARTS INTERNAL/MECHANICAL Closed
Opened:
Loss of motive power due to engine failure
Other Model Years of the CADILLAC ESCALADE
- 2016 CADILLAC ESCALADE — 113 complaints
- 2017 CADILLAC ESCALADE — 71 complaints
- 2018 CADILLAC ESCALADE — 27 complaints
- 2019 CADILLAC ESCALADE — 24 complaints
- 2020 CADILLAC ESCALADE — 11 complaints
- 2021 CADILLAC ESCALADE (current)
- 2022 CADILLAC ESCALADE — 80 complaints
- 2023 CADILLAC ESCALADE — 145 complaints
- 2024 CADILLAC ESCALADE — 49 complaints
- 2025 CADILLAC ESCALADE — 16 complaints
- 2026 CADILLAC ESCALADE — 6 complaints
Other CADILLAC Models
- CADILLAC SRX — 4,131 total complaints
- CADILLAC DEVILLE — 3,659 total complaints
- CADILLAC CTS — 3,088 total complaints
- CADILLAC SEVILLE — 1,049 total complaints
- CADILLAC CATERA — 826 total complaints
- CADILLAC DTS — 725 total complaints
- CADILLAC ESCALADE ESV — 633 total complaints
- CADILLAC STS — 609 total complaints