The 2017 Cadillac Escalade is associated with 87 official NHTSA owner defect complaints and 2 safety recall campaigns in the federal safety database. The most frequently reported component area is Engine, accounting for 17 reports (20% of total complaints). EPA testing covers 2 certified vehicle configurations spanning 6.2l 8-cyl powertrain configurations. Gasoline and hybrid variants deliver 17 MPG combined.
Key Data Findings
- • NHTSA Owner Complaints: 87 reports
- • Safety Recall Campaigns: 2 campaigns
- • Top Reported Defect Area: Engine (17 / 20%)
- • Safety Incident Signals: 6 crash / 2 fire / 4 injury reports
- • NHTSA Overall Safety Rating: 4 / 5 Stars
- • EPA Efficiency: 17 MPG (2 variants)
Data Note: Compiled directly from official NHTSA Office of Defects Investigation (ODI), NHTSA 5-Star Safety Ratings, and EPA FuelEconomy.gov databases.
| Variant | Engine | Drivetrain | Transmission | City | Highway | Combined | EV Range | Est. Annual Fuel Cost |
| Escalade 2WD | 6.2L 8-Cyl | Rear-Wheel Drive | Automatic 8-spd | 15 MPG | 22 MPG | 17 MPG | — | $3,600 / yr |
| Escalade 4WD | 6.2L 8-Cyl | 4-Wheel Drive | Automatic 8-spd | 15 MPG | 20 MPG | 17 MPG | — | $3,600 / yr |
Data Boundary Note: EPA specifications are shown by certified vehicle configuration. NHTSA complaints and recall totals are recorded at the model-year level across all configurations.
| Tested Drivetrain / Cab Variant | Overall Rating | Frontal Crash | Side Crash | Rollover Rating | Rollover Risk |
| SUV AWD | | | | | 21.9% |
| SUV RWD | | | | | 22.8% |
Active Driver Assistance Systems (NHTSA Recorded): Forward Collision Warning (FCW) is documented as Optional and Lane Departure Warning (LDW) is documented as Optional in official NHTSA records for tested 2017 Cadillac Escalade models.
View complete 2017 Cadillac Escalade crash test & safety breakdown →
Top Reported Problem Categories
Ranked by total consumer complaint submissions recorded by NHTSA
Data Attribution & Context: Complaints are self-reported by vehicle owners to NHTSA and represent unverified consumer submissions. Complaint volume does not equal a statistically controlled failure rate and is not adjusted for total vehicles sold or cumulative mileage driven.
View all 2017 Cadillac Escalade problems & component breakdown (38 categories) →
Affected Component: SERVICE BRAKES, HYDRAULIC:POWER ASSIST:VACUUM
Defect Summary: 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.
Free Manufacturer Remedy: GM will notify owners, and dealers will reprogram the Electronic Brake Control Module, free of charge. The recall began October 8, 2019. Owners may contact Chevrolet customer service at 1-800-630-2438, Cadillac customer service at 1-800-458-8006 or GMC customer service at 1-800-462-8782. GM's number for this recall is N192268490.
Affected Component: AIR BAGS:FRONTAL
Defect Summary: 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 of the frontal air bags and the seat belt pretensioners would not occur in the event of a crash.
Free Manufacturer Remedy: GM will notify owners, and dealers will reflash the SDM software. Vehicles that have had a previous air bag deployment will have the SDM replaced. These repairs will be performed free of charge. The recall began on October 13, 2016. Owners may contact Buick customer service at 1-800-521-7300, Cadillac customer service at 1-800-458-8006, Chevrolet customer service at 1-800-222-1020, or GMC customer service at 1-800-462-8782. GM's number for this recall is 16007.
View all 2017 Cadillac Escalade recalls & campaign history (2 campaigns) →