The 2018 Cadillac Escalade is associated with 21 official NHTSA owner defect complaints and 1 safety recall campaign in the federal safety database. The most frequently reported component area is Engine, accounting for 7 reports (33% 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: 21 reports
  • • Safety Recall Campaigns: 1 campaign
  • • Top Reported Defect Area: Engine (7 / 33%)
  • • Safety Incident Signals: 1 crash / 1 fire / 0 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.
Fuel Economy
17MPG
2 EPA certified variants (6.2l 8-cyl powertrain configurations)
Reported Complaints
21
21 submitted owner reports
Safety Recalls
1
1 official NHTSA recall
NCAP Safety Rating
4 / 5 Stars Overall

What is the fuel economy and range of the 2018 Cadillac Escalade?

Official EPA laboratory test ratings, electric driving range, and annual energy cost estimates by certified vehicle variant

Variant Engine Drivetrain Transmission City Highway Combined EV Range Est. Annual Fuel Cost
Escalade 2WD 6.2L 8-Cyl Rear-Wheel Drive Automatic 10-spd 14 MPG 23 MPG 17 MPG — $4,450 / yr
Escalade 4WD 6.2L 8-Cyl 4-Wheel Drive Automatic 10-spd 14 MPG 21 MPG 17 MPG — $4,450 / 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.

What are the crash test safety ratings for the 2018 Cadillac Escalade?

Official 5-Star Safety Ratings evaluated by the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration

Tested Drivetrain / Cab Variant Overall Rating Frontal Crash Side Crash Rollover Rating Rollover Risk
SUV AWD 22.8%
SUV RWD 21.9%
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 2018 Cadillac Escalade models.
View complete 2018 Cadillac Escalade crash test & safety breakdown →

What defect complaints are reported for the 2018 Cadillac Escalade?

Summary of 21 verified consumer defect submissions filed with the NHTSA Office of Defects Investigation (ODI)

Total Complaints
21
Crash Reports
1
Fire Reports
1
Complaints w/ Injury
0
Total Injuries
0

Top Reported Problem Categories

Ranked by total consumer complaint submissions recorded by NHTSA

Engine 7 complaints
Service Brakes 3 complaints
Electrical System 2 complaints
Powertrain 2 complaints
ELECTRICAL SYSTEM,EXTERIOR LIGHTING 1 complaint

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 2018 Cadillac Escalade problems & component breakdown (11 categories) →

Are there open safety recalls on the 2018 Cadillac Escalade?

Manufacturer safety recall campaigns monitored and recorded by NHTSA

NHTSA Campaign #20V603000 Active Recall
Affected Component: SERVICE BRAKES, HYDRAULIC:POWER ASSIST:VACUUM

Defect Summary: General Motors LLC (GM) is recalling certain 2018 Cadillac Escalade, Chevrolet Silverado 1500 and Tahoe, GMC Sierra 1500 and Yukon vehicles equipped with either a 5.3L or 6.2L V8 engine. The output of the mechanical vacuum pump can decrease over time, decreasing the amount of vacuum/power brake assist.

Free Manufacturer Remedy: GM will notify owners, and dealers will reprogram the Electronic Brake Control Module, free of charge. The recall began November 11, 2020. Owners may contact GM customer service at 1-866-522-9559, Cadillac customer service at 1-800-458-8006 or Chevrolet customer service at 1-800-630-2438. GM's number for this recall is N202300860.
View all 2018 Cadillac Escalade recalls & campaign history (1 campaigns) →
Official US Government Data Provenance

The specifications, safety ratings, defect reports, and recall campaigns published on this page are retrieved directly from official United States Government agency databases:

  • NHTSA Office of Defects Investigation (ODI): Consumer complaints and defect reports.
  • NHTSA New Car Assessment Program (NCAP): Frontal, side, and rollover 5-Star crash safety test ratings.
  • U.S. EPA / FuelEconomy.gov: Standardized multi-cycle dynamometer fuel economy, MPGe, and electric driving range ratings.

Local Production Store Compiled: August 2026 • Deterministic Audited Dataset • Zero Dynamic External API Runtime Latency.