Cadillac

Escalade

Standard Sport Utility Vehicle 2WD · model years 1999 to 2027

Includes Escalade 2WD, Escalade 4WD, Escalade AWD and 2 more as listed by the EPA.

See all 77 Escalade trims All Cadillac cars

The verdict

Best year: 2027. complaints: 0, below this model's typical 29; recalls: 0, below this model's typical 3.

Worst year: 2009. complaints: 76, about 1.8x this model's typical 43; recalls: 5, about 1.7x this model's typical 3.

Year by year

Year by year summary for the Cadillac Escalade
Year	Trims	MPG	HP	Fuel cost	Recalls	Complaints	Investigations	TSBs	Top complaints
1999	1Gas	13	no data	$4,800	2	39	0	no data	SERVICE BRAKES, HYDRAULIC 13%, SUSPENSION 13%, SEATS 11%
complaints: 39, about 2.8x this model's typical 14 recalls: 2, below this model's typical 3 injuries reported in NHTSA complaints: 3 complaints reporting a fire: 1 Score: 25 of 100, where higher is better.
2000	1Gas	13	no data	$4,800	1	71	0	no data	SERVICE BRAKES, HYDRAULIC 13%, FUEL SYSTEM, GASOLINE 11%, AIR BAGS 8%
complaints: 71, about 5.1x this model's typical 14 recalls: 1, below this model's typical 3 injuries reported in NHTSA complaints: 5 complaints reporting a fire: 3 Score: 27 of 100, where higher is better.
2002	2Gas	13	no data	$4,825	1	115	0	no data	SERVICE BRAKES, HYDRAULIC 18%, ELECTRICAL SYSTEM 10%, SERVICE BRAKES 7%
complaints: 115, about 4x this model's typical 29 recalls: 1, below this model's typical 3 injuries reported in NHTSA complaints: 11 complaints reporting a fire: 7 Score: 22 of 100, where higher is better.
2003	2Gas	13.5	no data	$4,625	4	81	0	no data	ELECTRICAL SYSTEM 22%, SERVICE BRAKES, HYDRAULIC 10%, SERVICE BRAKES 8%
complaints: 81, about 2.8x this model's typical 29 recalls: 4, above this model's typical 3 injuries reported in NHTSA complaints: 4 complaints reporting a fire: 4 Score: 14 of 100, where higher is better.
2004	2Gas	13.5	no data	$4,625	2	69	0	no data	ELECTRICAL SYSTEM 21%, SERVICE BRAKES 18%, AIR BAGS 7%
complaints: 69, about 2.4x this model's typical 29 recalls: 2, below this model's typical 3 injuries reported in NHTSA complaints: 27 complaints reporting a fire: 6 Score: 18 of 100, where higher is better.
2005	3Gas	14	no data	$5,500	2	43	0	no data	ELECTRICAL SYSTEM 17%, AIR BAGS 16%, POWER TRAIN 11%
complaints: 43, in line with this model's typical 43 recalls: 2, below this model's typical 3 injuries reported in NHTSA complaints: 3 complaints reporting a fire: 1 Score: 65 of 100, where higher is better.
2006	2Gas	13.5	no data	$5,725	2	19	0	no data	ELECTRICAL SYSTEM 20%, AIR BAGS 12%, ENGINE 12%
complaints: 19, below this model's typical 29 recalls: 2, below this model's typical 3 injuries reported in NHTSA complaints: 1 Score: 77 of 100, where higher is better.
2007	2Gas	14	no data	$5,500	4	230	0	no data	AIR BAGS 36%, ELECTRICAL SYSTEM 11%, ENGINE 10%
complaints: 230, about 7.9x this model's typical 29 recalls: 4, above this model's typical 3 injuries reported in NHTSA complaints: 30 complaints reporting a fire: 7 Score: 8 of 100, where higher is better.
2008	2Gas	14	no data	$5,500	4	136	0	no data	AIR BAGS 41%, ELECTRICAL SYSTEM 13%, ENGINE 7%
complaints: 136, about 4.7x this model's typical 29 recalls: 4, above this model's typical 3 injuries reported in NHTSA complaints: 2 complaints reporting a fire: 5 Score: 16 of 100, where higher is better.
2009	3Gas, Hybrid	15	no data	$4,150	5	76	0	no data	AIR BAGS 23%, ELECTRICAL SYSTEM 15%, ENGINE 11%
complaints: 76, about 1.8x this model's typical 43 recalls: 5, about 1.7x this model's typical 3 deaths reported in NHTSA complaints: 10 injuries reported in NHTSA complaints: 4 complaints reporting a fire: 1 Score: 0 of 100, where higher is better.
2010	3Gas, Hybrid	16	no data	$3,900	3	38	2 (1 open)	1,282	AIR BAGS 45%, ELECTRICAL SYSTEM 11%, ENGINE 6%
complaints: 38, below this model's typical 43 recalls: 3, in line with this model's typical 3 open NHTSA investigations: 1 Score: 64 of 100, where higher is better.
2011	4Gas, Hybrid	18.5	403	$3,425	6	49	2 (1 open)	1,332	AIR BAGS 64%, UNKNOWN OR OTHER 8%, STRUCTURE 6%
complaints: 49, below this model's typical 57 recalls: 6, about 2x this model's typical 3 open NHTSA investigations: 1 Score: 44 of 100, where higher is better.
2012	4Gas, Hybrid	18.5	403	$3,425	3	22	2 (1 open)	1,333	ELECTRICAL SYSTEM 29%, SERVICE BRAKES 11%, ENGINE 9%
complaints: 22, below this model's typical 57 recalls: 3, in line with this model's typical 3 injuries reported in NHTSA complaints: 1 open NHTSA investigations: 1 Score: 70 of 100, where higher is better.
2013	4Gas, Hybrid	18.5	403	$3,425	4	19	2 (1 open)	1,394	POWER TRAIN 19%, ELECTRICAL SYSTEM 15%, AIR BAGS 12%
complaints: 19, below this model's typical 57 recalls: 4, above this model's typical 3 complaints reporting a fire: 1 open NHTSA investigations: 1 Score: 60 of 100, where higher is better.
2014	2Gas	15.5	425	$4,025	2	21	1 (1 open)	1,213	ELECTRICAL SYSTEM 26%, AIR BAGS 16%, ENGINE 10%
complaints: 21, below this model's typical 29 recalls: 2, below this model's typical 3 injuries reported in NHTSA complaints: 2 complaints reporting a fire: 1 open NHTSA investigations: 1 Score: 62 of 100, where higher is better.
2015	4Gas	17	425	$3,650	9	98	1	1,951	POWER TRAIN 19%, ENGINE 18%, UNKNOWN OR OTHER 11%
complaints: 98, about 1.7x this model's typical 57 recalls: 9, about 3x this model's typical 3 injuries reported in NHTSA complaints: 11 complaints reporting a fire: 3 NHTSA advised parking the 2015 model year outdoors over fire risk Score: 0 of 100, where higher is better.
2016	2Gas	17	425	$3,650	4	89	1	1,443	ENGINE 25%, POWER TRAIN 14%, ELECTRICAL SYSTEM 12%
complaints: 89, about 3.1x this model's typical 29 recalls: 4, above this model's typical 3 injuries reported in NHTSA complaints: 3 complaints reporting a fire: 3 NHTSA advised parking the 2016 model year outdoors over fire risk Score: 0 of 100, where higher is better.
2017	2Gas	17	425	$3,650	2	51	0	1,184	ENGINE 28%, POWER TRAIN 15%, ELECTRICAL SYSTEM 12%
complaints: 51, about 1.8x this model's typical 29 recalls: 2, below this model's typical 3 injuries reported in NHTSA complaints: 1 complaints reporting a fire: 1 Score: 44 of 100, where higher is better.
2018	2Gas	17	420	$4,550	1	21	0	909	ENGINE 35%, ELECTRICAL SYSTEM 10%, POWER TRAIN 10%
complaints: 21, below this model's typical 29 recalls: 1, below this model's typical 3 complaints reporting a fire: 1 Score: 76 of 100, where higher is better.
2019	2Gas	17	420	$4,550	0	25	0	621	ENGINE 59%, SUSPENSION 10%, UNKNOWN OR OTHER 7%
complaints: 25, below this model's typical 29 recalls: 0, below this model's typical 3 injuries reported in NHTSA complaints: 1 Score: 81 of 100, where higher is better.
2020	2Gas	17	420	$4,550	2	14	0	545	ENGINE 38%, POWER TRAIN 19%, ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING 13%
complaints: 14, below this model's typical 29 recalls: 2, below this model's typical 3 complaints reporting a fire: 1 Score: 76 of 100, where higher is better.
2021	6Diesel, Gas	16.5	425	$4,675	9	73	4 (2 open)	536	ENGINE 41%, ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING 10%, POWER TRAIN 9%
complaints: 73, below this model's typical 86 recalls: 9, about 3x this model's typical 3 injuries reported in NHTSA complaints: 2 complaints reporting a fire: 1 open NHTSA investigations: 2 Score: 19 of 100, where higher is better.
2022	6Diesel, Gas	16	425	$4,800	4	85	3 (2 open)	703	ENGINE 54%, POWER TRAIN 12%, ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING 7%
complaints: 85, below this model's typical 86 recalls: 4, above this model's typical 3 injuries reported in NHTSA complaints: 3 complaints reporting a fire: 1 open NHTSA investigations: 2 Score: 39 of 100, where higher is better.
2023	4Diesel, Gas	19	351	$4,175	4	141	3 (2 open)	596	ENGINE 52%, POWER TRAIN 10%, ELECTRICAL SYSTEM 8%
complaints: 141, about 2.5x this model's typical 57 recalls: 4, above this model's typical 3 injuries reported in NHTSA complaints: 2 open NHTSA investigations: 2 Score: 5 of 100, where higher is better.
2024	4Diesel, Gas	19	351	$4,175	2	50	3 (2 open)	502	ENGINE 47%, ELECTRICAL SYSTEM 11%, POWER TRAIN 11%
complaints: 50, below this model's typical 57 recalls: 2, below this model's typical 3 injuries reported in NHTSA complaints: 1 open NHTSA investigations: 2 Score: 58 of 100, where higher is better.
2025	2Gas	16.5	no data	$5,000	1	20	1	369	ENGINE 39%, ELECTRICAL SYSTEM 19%, POWER TRAIN 7%
complaints: 20, below this model's typical 29 recalls: 1, below this model's typical 3 Score: 82 of 100, where higher is better.
2026	2Gas	16.5	no data	$5,000	3	36	0	no data	ENGINE 67%, ELECTRICAL SYSTEM 8%, FUEL/PROPULSION SYSTEM 6%
complaints: 36, above this model's typical 29 recalls: 3, in line with this model's typical 3 NHTSA advised parking the 2026 model year outdoors over fire risk Score: 38 of 100, where higher is better.
2027	2Gas	16.5	no data	$5,000	0	0	0	no data	no data
complaints: 0, below this model's typical 29 recalls: 0, below this model's typical 3 Score: 95 of 100, where higher is better.

How the numbers moved

Combined MPG, median1999: 13 to 2027: 16.5

Owner complaints1999: 39 to 2027: 0

How we score each year

We compare each year of the Cadillac Escalade to the model's own typical numbers, not to other cars. A year reads solid when its recalls, owner complaints, and federal investigations sit at or below what is typical for this model, mixed when some of those numbers run above typical, and avoid when they run far above it. Deaths, reported fires, and an NHTSA advisory to park outside count against a year no matter what this model's baseline looks like.

A year is scored only when NHTSA has both complaint and recall counts for it. Complaint data often lags for the newest years, so a recent year can read not enough data even while its recall count already shows in the table. When the history is too thin, we say not enough data instead of guessing. Service bulletins are routine maintenance guidance from the manufacturer and do not lower a year's score.

Scores run 0 to 100, higher is better. Recall, complaint, and investigation figures come from NHTSA records. Fuel economy, fuel cost, and horsepower figures come from the EPA, shown as the median across the year's trims.

Information is gathered on a best-effort basis from public sources, may be incomplete or out of date, and is not purchasing or financial advice. Verify with the manufacturer or dealer before buying.