Reliable Auto DB

2017 Cadillac Escalade reliability

Is it reliable?

NHTSA's file on the 2017 Cadillac Escalade holds 89 complaints after 10 years, a rate of 8 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 2 recalls on file, including Vacuum and Frontal.

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

89

Per year

8

Recalls

2

Years on the road

10

What owners report

The complaints owners file most often name Engine (32 of 89), then Powertrain (21) and Service brakes (20). Those filings include 6 that report a crash, 2 that report a fire, and 4 that report an injury.

Next to 2016 and 2018

The 2016 Escalade has 104 complaints, 8 per year, and the 2018 has 21 complaints, 1 per year. The 2017 has about the same number of complaints per year as the 2016. The 2017 has more complaints per year than the 2018.

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 2017 Cadillac Escalade. How we count. Data as of .

Recalls (2)

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 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.

Complaints by component (89 total)

Engine
32
Powertrain
21
Service brakes
20
Electrical system
13
Structure
5
Speed control
4
Suspension
4
Steering
3
Electronic stability control (ESC)
2
Exterior lighting
2
Seats
2
Air bags
1
Back-over prevention
1
Forward collision avoidance
1
Fuel and propulsion system
1
Fuel system, gasoline
1
Hydraulic brakes
1
Seat belts
1
Tires
1
Traction control
1
Visibility
1
Visibility and wipers
1
Wheels
1
Show 15 more Show less
Crash-flagged

6

Fire-flagged

2

Injury reports

4

Death reports

0

Complaints filed per year

42017620181420199202072021620229202352024192025102026
Excerpts from recent NHTSA complaint filings
  • "My 2017 Cadillac Escalade AFM lifter fail and cause complete engine failure while driving on the highway. It was terrifying to happen on the highway. This could have cause as a major accident."
    Powertrain, Engine · filed 2026-09-11
  • "I am the owner of a 2017 Cadillac Escalade and am reporting premature and widespread deterioration of the factory exterior paint/clear coat. The condition is present over large areas of the roof and hood and is not…"
    Unknown or other · filed 2026-08-31
  • "P0306 misfire. Flashing check engine light. Ive replaced all spark plugs. Ive replaced the ignition coil. Still has not fixed problem. While doing research on how to replace fuel injectors came across an article stating…"
    Electrical system, Engine, Fuel and propulsion system · filed 2026-08-04
  • "The transmission gear make noise when the gear shift and the engine have loud noise tick tick inside the engine . I’m feel not safe to drive and feel very stressful of my car .i can’t sleep due to car not safe drive"
    Powertrain · filed 2026-07-12
  • "The vehicle has experienced premature factory paint and clear coat delamination across the main roof panel structure. This is not cosmetic weathering; it is a latent factory application defect where the clear coat…"
    Unknown or other · filed 2026-05-20

NHTSA crash ratings

Version Overall Front Side Rollover
2017 Cadillac Escalade SUV AWD 4 stars 4 stars 5 stars 3 stars
2017 Cadillac Escalade SUV RWD 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.

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 four-wheel drive 6.2L, 8-cyl Automatic 8-speed Four-wheel drive 15 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 2016 Cadillac Escalade Next year 2018 Cadillac Escalade See every Cadillac Escalade model year →

Frequently asked questions

Is the 2017 Cadillac Escalade reliable?

NHTSA's file on the 2017 Cadillac Escalade holds 89 complaints after 10 years, a rate of 8 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 2 recalls on file, including Vacuum and Frontal.

What are common problems with a 2017 Cadillac Escalade?

The complaints owners file most often name Engine (32 of 89), then Powertrain (21) and Service brakes (20). Those filings include 6 that report a crash, 2 that report a fire, and 4 that report an injury.

Is the 2017 Cadillac Escalade more reliable than the years next to it?

The 2016 Escalade has 104 complaints, 8 per year, and the 2018 has 21 complaints, 1 per year. The 2017 has about the same number of complaints per year as the 2016. The 2017 has more complaints per year than the 2018.

Has the 2017 Cadillac Escalade been recalled?

The 2017 Cadillac Escalade has 2 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 2017 Cadillac Escalade?

Owners have filed 89 complaints about the 2017 Cadillac Escalade with NHTSA.

What mpg does a 2017 Cadillac Escalade get?

EPA-rated combined fuel economy for the 2017 Cadillac Escalade is 17 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.