Reliable Auto DB

2021 Cadillac Escalade ESV reliability

Is it reliable?

The 2021 Cadillac Escalade ESV has 71 complaints with NHTSA after 6 years, or 4 per year. That is more complaints per year than most Escalade ESV years here — over the median of the other years, which is 2. NHTSA has 10 recalls on file, including Internal engine parts, Control module, software, and Lighting control module, software.

2017 Cadillac Escalade ESV
Photo by Kevauto, resized from the original. Wikimedia Commons CC BY-SA 4.0
Complaints

71

Per year

4

Recalls

10

Years on the road

6

What owners report

The complaints owners file most often name Engine (51 of 71), then Powertrain (12) and Electrical system (11). The most filings arrived in 2025 (34 of 71). Those filings include 2 that report a crash and 2 that report an injury.

Next to 2020 and 2022

The 2020 Escalade ESV has 22 complaints, 2 per year, and the 2022 has 56 complaints, 2 per year. The 2021 has more complaints per year than the 2020. The 2021 has more complaints per year than the 2022.

The complaint rate is complaints filed in this year’s first 3 years on the road, divided by however many of those years have passed. Recalls are a separate count. The numbers are for the US-market 2021 Cadillac Escalade ESV. How we count. Data as of .

Recalls (10)

Recall engine and cooling, engine, internal engine parts 2025-04-24 · NHTSA campaign 25V274000
Summary 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.
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 be performed free of charge. Owner notification letters were mailed June 18, 2025. Owners may contact Cadillac customer service at 1-800-333-4223, Chevrolet customer service at 1-800-222-1020, or GMC customer service at 1-800-462-8782. GM's number for this recall is N252494000.
Recall powertrain, automatic transmission, control module, software 2024-10-24 · NHTSA campaign 24V797000
Summary 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.
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 were mailed December 12, 2024. Owners may contact GM customer service at 1-888-988-7267, Cadillac customer service at 1-800-458-8006, GMC customer service at GMC 1-800-462-8782 or Chevrolet customer service at 1-800-222-1020. GM's number for this recall is N242454440.
Recall exterior lighting, lighting control module, software 2022-11-03 · NHTSA campaign 22V827000
Summary 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."
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 service at 1-800-458-8006. GM's number for this recall is N222382220.
Recall seat belts, critical fasteners 2022-08-11 · NHTSA campaign 22V617000
Summary 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.
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 were mailed September 28, 2022. Owner notification letters were mailed on November 1, 2022. Owners may contact Chevrolet customer service at 1-800-222-1020; Cadillac customer service at 1-800-458-8006; and GMC customer service at 1-800-462-8782. GM's number for this recall is N222372380.
Recall Driveshaft 2022-01-27 · NHTSA campaign 22V036000
Summary 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.
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 1-800-462-8782. GM's number for this recall is N212351030.
Recall gasoline fuel system, delivery, fuel pump, control module 2021-09-23 · NHTSA campaign 21V739000
Summary 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.
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. GM's number for this recall is N212332040.
Recall steering, steering control module 2021-06-17 · NHTSA campaign 21V455000
Summary General Motors, LLC (GM) is recalling certain 2021 Cadillac Escalade, Escalade ESV, Chevrolet Suburban, Chevrolet Tahoe, GMC Yukon, and Yukon XL vehicles. A software issue may cause a loss of power steering assist at startup or while driving.
Remedy The power steering module software will be updated by a dealer, or through an over-the-air (OTA) update, free of charge. Owner notification letters were mailed July 13, 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. GM's number for this recall is N212333900.
Recall air bags, SRS malfunction warning light 2021-06-10 · NHTSA campaign 21V421000
Summary 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.
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 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 N212338110.
Recall Seat belts 2021-03-18 · NHTSA campaign 21V190000
Summary 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.
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 1-800-222-1020, GMC customer service at 1-800-462-8782, and Cadillac customer service at 1-800-458-8006. GM's number for this recall is N202313000.
Recall Seat belts 2020-12-23 · NHTSA campaign 20V811000
Summary General Motors, LLC (GM) is recalling certain 2020 Chevrolet Bolt EV and 2021 GMC Canyon and Sierra 1500, 2500 and 3500, Yukon, Yukon XL, Cadillac Escalade and Escalade ESV and Chevrolet Blazer, Camaro, Colorado, Equinox, Silverado 1500, 2500 and 3500, Suburban and Tahoe vehicles. Incorrect bolts may have been used at one or more fastening locations to secure the seat belts to the vehicle. If an incorrect bolt was used, the seat belt may not be properly attached to the vehicle.
Remedy GM will notify owners, and dealers will replace the suspect bolts, free of charge. The recall began January 29, 2021. Owners may contact GMC customer service at 1-800-462-8785, Cadillac customer service at 1-800-458-8006, or Chevrolet customer service at 1-800-222-1020. GM's number for this recall is N202322230.

Complaints by component (71 total)

Engine
51
Powertrain
12
Electrical system
11
Engine and engine cooling
7
Fuel and propulsion system
6
Service brakes
4
Forward collision avoidance
2
Seat belts
2
Steering
1
Structure
1
Suspension
1
Wheels
1
Show 4 more Show less
Crash-flagged

2

Fire-flagged

0

Injury reports

2

Death reports

0

Complaints filed per year

22021820223202332024342025212026
Excerpts from recent NHTSA complaint filings
  • "While driving out of state the engine started knocking- I took it to the dealer before it left me stranded on the road. I was told the engine had failed and needed to be replaced."
    Engine · filed 2026-08-30
  • "•Purchased the 2021 Cadillac Escalade ESV Premium Luxury on XXX, at roughly 68,000 miles. •Within roughly 300 miles of ownership, the 6.2L engine suffered a catastrophic failure involving a rod and ultimately required a…"
    Suspension, Engine, Fuel and propulsion system · filed 2026-08-28
  • "I had two issues while the car was still under warranty one occasion while driving on a road the engine failed during my trip and I was stranded on the side of the road had to get it towed to the dealer. Second time. I…"
    Engine, Fuel and propulsion system · filed 2026-08-27
  • "On XXX I had been driving my vehicle with no issues. I had drove from [XXX] to [XXX]. My vehicle had no warnings or issues prior and my vehicle has been properly cared for and all oil and maintenance has been done…"
    Engine · filed 2026-08-18

NHTSA crash ratings

Version Overall Front Side Rollover
2021 Cadillac Escalade ESV SUV 2WD 4 stars 4 stars 5 stars 3 stars
2021 Cadillac Escalade ESV SUV 4WD 4 stars 4 stars 5 stars 3 stars

Stars are how this vehicle did in NHTSA crash tests. They are a safety result, separate from the complaint record. Not rated means that test was not run for this version.

Specs and fitment

T1 generation, 2021–present
Body styles SUV
Oil 0W-20 full synthetic (6.2L V8 gas; ~8.0 qt with filter per 2021 owner’s manual—diesel differs) , 8 qt capacity
Tire size 275/50R22, 275/60R20 (trim dependent)

Known issues for this generation

Recall 25V-274 covers certain 2021-2024 Cadillac Escalade ESV vehicles equipped with a 6.2L V8 gas engine, and also Escalade and other GM full-size trucks and SUVs: dealers inspect the engine and, as necessary, repair or replace it; vehicles that pass inspection receive higher-viscosity oil and related updates. Recall 22V-617 covers certain 2021-2022 Escalade ESV vehicles with third-row seats among other GM SUVs: dealers inspect third-row seat belt buckle rivets and replace buckle assemblies as necessary.

Compare

Previous year 2020 Cadillac Escalade ESV Next year 2022 Cadillac Escalade ESV See every Cadillac Escalade ESV model year →

Frequently asked questions

Is the 2021 Cadillac Escalade ESV reliable?

The 2021 Cadillac Escalade ESV has 71 complaints with NHTSA after 6 years, or 4 per year. That is more complaints per year than most Escalade ESV years here — over the median of the other years, which is 2. NHTSA has 10 recalls on file, including Internal engine parts, Control module, software, and Lighting control module, software.

What are common problems with a 2021 Cadillac Escalade ESV?

The complaints owners file most often name Engine (51 of 71), then Powertrain (12) and Electrical system (11). The most filings arrived in 2025 (34 of 71). Those filings include 2 that report a crash and 2 that report an injury.

Is the 2021 Cadillac Escalade ESV more reliable than the years next to it?

The 2020 Escalade ESV has 22 complaints, 2 per year, and the 2022 has 56 complaints, 2 per year. The 2021 has more complaints per year than the 2020. The 2021 has more complaints per year than the 2022.

Has the 2021 Cadillac Escalade ESV been recalled?

The 2021 Cadillac Escalade ESV has 10 recalls on file with NHTSA. See the recalls table on this page for dates, components, and remedies.

How many complaints have owners filed about the 2021 Cadillac Escalade ESV?

Owners have filed 71 complaints about the 2021 Cadillac Escalade ESV with NHTSA.

What oil does a Cadillac Escalade ESV take?

Gas 6.2L V8 models use 0W-20 full synthetic; the 2021+ owner’s manual lists about 8.0 quarts with filter for that engine. Diesel capacity differs—check the Duramax supplement.

What does recall 25V-274 cover on Escalade ESV?

Certain 2021-2024 Escalade ESV vehicles with a 6.2L V8 gas engine (and related Escalade/GM trucks): dealers inspect the engine and, as necessary, repair or replace it; vehicles that pass inspection receive higher-viscosity oil and related updates.

Which Escalade ESV generations does this site track?

K2 (2017-2020) and T1 (2021-on).