Reliable Auto DB

2015 Cadillac Escalade reliability

Is it reliable?

The 2015 Cadillac Escalade has 105 complaints with NHTSA after 12 years, or 6 per year. That is more complaints per year than most Escalade years here — over the median of the other years, which is 3. NHTSA has 9 recalls on file, including Inflator, Transfer case, and Vacuum.

2012 Cadillac Escalade
Photo by Baron Maddock, resized from the original. Wikimedia Commons CC BY 4.0
Complaints

105

Per year

6

Recalls

9

Years on the road

12

What owners report

The complaints owners file most often name Engine (29 of 105), then Powertrain (28) and Electrical system (17). Those filings include 5 that report a crash, 3 that report a fire, and 5 that report an injury.

Next to 2014 and 2016

The 2014 Escalade has 20 complaints, 2 per year, and the 2016 has 104 complaints, 8 per year. The 2015 has more complaints per year than the 2014. The 2015 has fewer complaints per year than the 2016.

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 2015 Cadillac Escalade. How we count. Data as of .

Recalls (9)

Recall air bags, frontal, driver side, inflator 2026-05-21 · NHTSA campaign 26V329000
Summary General Motors, LLC (GM) is recalling certain 2015 Cadillac Escalade, Escalade ESV, XTS, 2015-2016 Cadillac ATS, CTS, and SRX vehicles. The front-driver air bag inflator may rupture during deployment.
Remedy Dealers will replace the front-driver air bag module, free of charge. Interim letters notifying owners of the safety risk were mailed June 19, 2026. Additional letters will be mailed once the remedy is available. Owners may contact Cadillac customer service at 1-800-333-4223. The manufacturer's number for this recall is N262555870. Vehicle Identification Numbers (VINs) involved in this recall became searchable on NHTSA.gov on May 21, 2026.
Recall powertrain, transfer case 2026-05-07 · NHTSA campaign 26V289000
Summary General Motors, LLC (GM) is recalling certain 2026 Cadillac Escalade and Escalade ESV, Chevrolet Silverado 1500, Suburban, and Tahoe, and GMC Sierra 1500, Yukon, and Yukon XL vehicles with four-wheel (4WD) or all-wheel drive (AWD), and certain 2015-2020 Suburban, Escalade, Escalade ESV, Yukon, Yukon XL, and Tahoe vehicles. A component missing from the drivetrain transfer case may cause the front and/or rear wheels to lock up without warning to the driver.
Remedy Owners are advised not to drive their vehicle until the remedy is completed. Dealers will inspect and, if necessary, replace the transfer case assembly, free of charge. Owner notification letters were mailed May 18, 2026. Owners may contact GMC customer service at 1-800-462-8782, Chevrolet customer service at 1-800-222-1020 or Cadillac customer service at 1-800-333-4223. GM's number for this recall is N262557620. Vehicle Identification Numbers (VINs) involved in this recall became searchable on NHTSA.gov on May 7, 2026.
Recall hydraulic brakes, power assist, vacuum 2019-09-06 · NHTSA campaign 19V645000
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.
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.
Recall Electric power steering 2018-09-07 · NHTSA campaign 18V586000
Summary General Motors LLC (GM) is recalling certain 2015 Chevrolet Silverado 1500, Tahoe and Suburban, GMC Sierra 1500 and Yukon, and Cadillac Escalade vehicles. Electric power steering (EPS) assist may be lost momentarily, followed by a sudden return of EPS assist.
Remedy GM will notify owners, and dealers will update the EPS module software, free of charge. The recall began October 12, 2018. Owners may contact Cadillac customer service at 1-800-458-8006, Chevrolet customer service at 1-800-222-1020 and GMC customer service at 1-800-462-8782. GM's number for this recall is 18289.
Recall air bags, frontal 2017-07-10 · NHTSA campaign 17V437000
Summary General Motors LLC (GM) is recalling certain model year 2014-2016 Buick Lacrosse and Chevrolet Spark EV, Caprice PPV and SS vehicles, 2014-2017 Buick Encore and Chevrolet Corvette, Silverado 1500 and GMC Sierra 1500 vehicles, 2015-2016 Cadillac Escalade and Escalade ESV, Chevrolet Tahoe, Trax, Suburban and Silverado 2500 and 3500 and GMC Yukon and Yukon XL vehicles, and 2015-2017 GMC Sierra HD 2500 and 3500 vehicles. While being previously remedied for recall 16V-651, the affected vehicles may not have received the complete software update necessary to remedy the recall condition. Without the update, 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.
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 August 4, 2017. 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 17287.
Recall air bags, frontal 2016-09-08 · NHTSA campaign 16V651000
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.
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.
Recall Air bags 2014-10-06 · NHTSA campaign 14V624000
Summary General Motors LLC (GM) is recalling certain model year 2015 Cadillac Escalade and Escalade ESV vehicles. The passenger side instrument panel top cover on the affected vehicles may have been manufactured using an incorrect spacer fabric, causing a reduction of adhesion between the spacer fabric and the vinyl show surface. This reduced adhesion may result in inconsistent passenger air bag deployment. As such, these vehicles fail to comply with the requirements of Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standard No. 208, "Occupant Crash Protection."
Remedy GM will notify owners, and dealers will replace the instrument panel top cover, free of charge. The recall began on November 11, 2014. Owners may contact Cadillac customer service at 1-800-458-8006. GM's number for this recall is 14686.
Recall Air bags 2014-05-16 · NHTSA campaign 14V259000
Summary General Motors LLC (GM) is recalling certain model year 2015 Cadillac Escalade and Escalade ESV vehicles manufactured April 6, 2014, through May 13, 2014. In the affected vehicles, the air bag module is secured to a chute adhered to the backside of the instrument panel with an insufficiently heated infrared weld. This may result in only a partial deployment of the front passenger air bag in the event of a crash. As such, these vehicles do not conform to Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standard (FMVSS) number 208, "Occupant Crash Protection."
Remedy GM sent the owners an interim notification letter on May 16, 2014 to advise owners of the recall, and will mail owners a second letter when remedy parts are available. When the parts are available, dealers will replace the instrument panel right side upper trim panel, free of charge. The recall began on June 9, 2014. Owners may contact Cadillac customer service at 1-800-458-8006. GM's number for this recall is 14220. Note: Owners are advised that until the vehicle has been remedied, occupants should not sit in the front passenger seat position.
Recall engine and cooling, exhaust system 2014-01-13 · NHTSA campaign 14V007000
Summary General Motors is recalling certain 2014 model year Chevrolet Silverado 1500 and GMC Sierra 1500 vehicles, and 2015 model year Cadillac Escalade and Escalade ESV; Chevrolet Silverado HD; and GMC Sierra HD, Yukon, and Yukon XL, equipped with a 4.3L engine or 5.3L engine.
Remedy General Motors will notify owners, and dealers will reprogram the engine control module, free of charge. The recall began on January 16, 2014. Owners may contact Chevrolet at 1-800-222-1020 and GMC at 1-800-462-8782. General Motors' number for this recall is 14008.

Complaints by component (105 total)

Engine
29
Powertrain
28
Electrical system
17
Steering
10
Suspension
9
Service brakes
8
Fuel and propulsion system
7
Speed control
6
Structure
5
Air bags
3
Forward collision avoidance
3
Lane departure
3
Back-over prevention
2
Electronic stability control (ESC)
2
Engine and engine cooling
2
Equipment
1
Exterior lighting
1
Fuel system, gasoline
1
Hydraulic brakes
1
Seat belts
1
Seats
1
Visibility
1
Visibility and wipers
1
Show 15 more Show less
Crash-flagged

5

Fire-flagged

3

Injury reports

5

Death reports

0

Complaints filed per year

4201582016620171420181820191020207202142022520237202415202572026
Excerpts from recent NHTSA complaint filings
  • "My 2015 Cadillac Escalade 6.2L V8 with Active Fuel Management has had repeated lifter/valvetrain failures. On 10/2/2025 at approximately 109,536 miles, an independent repair shop confirmed a failed lifter on cylinder 3.…"
    Powertrain, Electrical system, Engine · filed 2026-09-17
  • "I’ve had to replace 2 motors and a transmission."
    Engine · filed 2026-09-04
  • "The contact owns a 2015 Cadillac Escalade. The contact stated that while driving through a conveyor car wash with child occupants in the rear seats, the vehicle was placed in neutral (N). The vehicle was then shifted…"
    Hydraulic brakes, Powertrain, Speed control · filed 2026-07-09
  • "The contact owns a 2015 Cadillac Escalade. The contact stated that while his wife was driving the vehicle, after arriving at a parking lot, a bystander informed her that the vehicle was leaking a significant amount of…"
    Fuel system, gasoline · filed 2026-04-27
  • "The engine in my 2015 Cadillac Escalade failed unexpectedly at approximately 53,000 miles. Immediately prior to the failure, the engine developed a noticeable knocking noise, indicating a potential internal issue. While…"
    Engine · filed 2026-03-18

NHTSA crash ratings

Version Overall Front Side Rollover
2015 Cadillac Escalade ESV SUV AWD Not rated Not rated 5 stars 3 stars
2015 Cadillac Escalade ESV SUV RWD Not rated Not rated 5 stars 3 stars
2015 Cadillac Escalade SUV AWD Not rated Not rated 5 stars 3 stars
2015 Cadillac Escalade SUV RWD Not rated Not rated 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.

Fuel economy

Trim Engine Transmission Drive City Hwy Combined Annual fuel cost
Escalade two-wheel drive 6.2L, 8-cyl Automatic 8-speed Rear-wheel drive 15 22 17 MPG $3800
Escalade two-wheel drive 6.2L, 8-cyl Automatic 6-speed Rear-wheel drive 15 21 17 MPG $3800
Escalade four-wheel drive 6.2L, 8-cyl Automatic 6-speed Four-wheel drive 14 21 16 MPG $4050
Escalade four-wheel drive 6.2L, 8-cyl Automatic 8-speed Four-wheel drive 15 21 17 MPG $3800
Escalade ESV two-wheel drive 6.2L, 8-cyl Automatic 8-speed Rear-wheel drive 15 22 17 MPG $3800
Escalade ESV two-wheel drive 6.2L, 8-cyl Automatic 6-speed Rear-wheel drive 15 21 17 MPG $3800
Escalade ESV four-wheel drive 6.2L, 8-cyl Automatic 6-speed Four-wheel drive 14 20 16 MPG $4050
Escalade ESV four-wheel drive 6.2L, 8-cyl Automatic 8-speed Four-wheel drive 14 20 17 MPG $3800

Specs and fitment

K2 generation, 2015–2020
Body styles SUV
Oil 0W-20 full synthetic (6.2L V8; ~8 qt with filter) , 8 qt capacity
Tire size 275/55R20 or 285/45R22 (trim dependent)

Known issues for this generation

Recall 19V837000 covers certain 2020 Cadillac Escalade vehicles (with Escalade ESV and other GM full-size trucks and SUVs) where the fuel pump may be missing a pressure regulator. Dealers replace the fuel pump. Recall 18V673000 covers certain 2018-2019 Escalade vehicles among other GM models where certain rear seat-belt retractors may not lock; dealers inspect and replace retractors as necessary.

Compare

Previous year 2014 Cadillac Escalade Next year 2016 Cadillac Escalade See every Cadillac Escalade model year →

Frequently asked questions

Is the 2015 Cadillac Escalade reliable?

The 2015 Cadillac Escalade has 105 complaints with NHTSA after 12 years, or 6 per year. That is more complaints per year than most Escalade years here — over the median of the other years, which is 3. NHTSA has 9 recalls on file, including Inflator, Transfer case, and Vacuum.

What are common problems with a 2015 Cadillac Escalade?

The complaints owners file most often name Engine (29 of 105), then Powertrain (28) and Electrical system (17). Those filings include 5 that report a crash, 3 that report a fire, and 5 that report an injury.

Is the 2015 Cadillac Escalade more reliable than the years next to it?

The 2014 Escalade has 20 complaints, 2 per year, and the 2016 has 104 complaints, 8 per year. The 2015 has more complaints per year than the 2014. The 2015 has fewer complaints per year than the 2016.

Has the 2015 Cadillac Escalade been recalled?

The 2015 Cadillac Escalade has 9 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 2015 Cadillac Escalade?

Owners have filed 105 complaints about the 2015 Cadillac Escalade with NHTSA.

What mpg does a 2015 Cadillac Escalade get?

EPA-rated combined fuel economy for the 2015 Cadillac Escalade is 16.8 MPG. See the fuel economy table on this page for city and highway figures by engine and transmission.

What generation is the 2022 Cadillac Escalade?

T1 generation (2021-on).

What oil does a Cadillac Escalade take?

US notes for the 6.2L V8 list 0W-20 full synthetic on both K2 and T1 generations here.

What tire sizes does a Cadillac Escalade use?

K2 Platinum pages often list 285/45R22; T1 trims commonly use 275/50R22 or 275/60R20.