2015 Cadillac Escalade problems, complaints & recalls

2015 Cadillac Escalade recalls (9)

• Recall 26V329000May 21, 20265,014 vehicles
  AIR BAGS:FRONTAL:DRIVER SIDE:INFLATOR MODULE

  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.

  Risk: An inflator rupture may result in sharp metal fragments striking the driver or other occupants, resulting in serious injury or death.

  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 26V289000May 7, 202666 vehiclesDo not drive
  POWER TRAIN:TRANSFER CASE (4-WHEEL DRIVE)

  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.

  Risk: Front or rear wheel lockup increases the risk of a crash.

  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 19V645000Sep 6, 20193,456,719 vehicles
  SERVICE BRAKES, HYDRAULIC:POWER ASSIST:VACUUM

  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.

  Risk: As the vacuum level drops, the brake assist decreases, increasing braking effort, extending the distance required to stop the vehicle, thereby increasing the risk of a crash.

  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 18V586000Sep 7, 20181,015,918 vehicles
  STEERING:ELECTRIC POWER ASSIST SYSTEM

  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.

  Risk: If EPS assist is lost and then suddenly returns, the driver may have difficulty steering the vehicle, especially at low speeds, increasing the risk of a crash.

  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 17V437000Jul 10, 201740,683 vehicles
  AIR BAGS:FRONTAL · AIR BAGS:FRONTAL:SENSOR/CONTROL MODULE-INACTIVE · SEAT BELTS:PRETENSIONER

  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.

  Risk: A failure of the front air bags or seat belt pretensioners to deploy in the event of a crash necessitating deployment increases the risk of injury to the driver and front passenger.

  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 16V651000Sep 8, 20163,640,162 vehicles
  AIR BAGS:FRONTAL · AIR BAGS:FRONTAL:SENSOR/CONTROL MODULE-INACTIVE · SEAT BELTS:PRETENSIONER

  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.

  Risk: A failure of the front air bags or seat belt pretensioners to deploy in the event of a crash necessitating deployment increases the risk of injury to the driver and front passenger.

  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 14V624000Oct 6, 20141,046 vehicles
  AIR BAGS

  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."

  Risk: Inconsistent air bag deployment increases the risk of personal injury in the event of a crash necessitating air bag deployment.

  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 14V259000May 16, 20142,838 vehicles
  AIR BAGS

  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."

  Risk: In the event of an accident, an air bag that only partially deploys increases the risk of occupant injury.

  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 14V007000Jan 13, 2014325,213 vehicles
  ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING:EXHAUST SYSTEM

  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.

  Risk: The overheated exhaust components may melt nearby plastic parts and may result in an engine fire.

  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.

NHTSA defect investigations

• PE18012Opened Nov 20, 2018Closed Apr 10, 2022led to recall 19V645000

  Brake Vacuum Pump Failure

  On November 20, 2018, the Office of Defects Investigations (ODI) opened PE18-012 to investigate instances of sudden onset of a hard brake pedal that could result in extended stopping distance due to an issue with the brake assist vacuum pump in model year (MY) 2014 through 2016 GMC Sierra 1500 and Chevrolet Silverado 1500 series pickup trucks and MY 2015 through 2016 Cadillac Escalade, Chevrolet Suburban, Chevrolet Tahoe, and GMC Yukon SUVs.If the brake assist vacuum pump fails to operate as intended, the amount of brake power assist supplied to the driver can be significantly reduced, extendi…

Recent 2015 Cadillac Escalade complaints

Excerpts of the newest owner complaints, lightly cleaned of personal details. Complaints are unverified owner reports.

1. Filed Sep 29, 2026TXAcceleration & Cruise ControlTransmission & Drivetrain

   While I was driving i needed to accelerate to pass slower traffic. As I pressed the accelerator I I felt a shudder and binding sensation throughout the vehicle and had to make a very drastic and unplanned maneuver to return to my lane as I had not completely departed from my lane, while maneuvering back in my lane I was forced to make several decisions as what next to do not know how my vehicle was going to respond to further acceleration attempts and if my wheels were going…

   NHTSA complaint #11767778 · source
2. Filed Sep 17, 2026RIElectrical SystemEngineTransmission & Drivetrain

   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. The driver-side cylinder head was removed and all eight lifters on that bank were replaced along with a pushrod. On 9/9/2026 at approximately 116,689 miles, only about 7,153 miles later, the vehicle again developed severe shaking while driving. A different…

   NHTSA complaint #11764891 · source
3. Filed Jul 9, 2026130,000 miMO1 injuredTowedBrakesAcceleration & Cruise ControlTransmission & Drivetrain

   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 into drive (D) as instructed but accelerated independently. The contact added that the vehicle barely made a left turn exiting the car wash bay, nearly colliding with a wall and a car wash door. The contact depressed the brake pedal, but the vehicle failed to…

   NHTSA complaint #11749286 · source
4. Filed Apr 27, 2026160,206 miOKFuel, Hybrid & EV Propulsion

   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. The vehicle was driven to the residence and turned off, and the vehicle continued to leak fuel. The contact stated that upon inspecting the vehicle, the leak was coming directly from the fuel pump at the fuel tank. The dealer was not notified of the…

   NHTSA complaint #11734152 · source
5. Filed Mar 18, 2026OHEngine

   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 attempting to park in a public parking garage, the vehicle suddenly lost power and the engine shut down without any warning lights or alerts. This created a hazardous situation in a confined area with other vehicles and pedestrians, as I was unable to…

   NHTSA complaint #11725365 · source
6. Filed Mar 16, 2026PAEngineTransmission & Drivetrain

   Mileage: 90,406 2015 Cadillac Escalade Engine: 6.2L V8 EcoTec3 has experienced lifter and camshaft failure, and the vehicle is now stalling while driving, creating a serious safety risk. I transport my disabled child daily, and the stalls are unpredictable, putting us and other drivers at risk. This issue is consistent with the pending class action Harrison v. General Motors LLC, which alleges that 2014–present Cadillac Escalades with 6.2L AFM/DFM lifters can fail, causing…

   NHTSA complaint #11724651 · source
7. Filed Feb 4, 2026NYEngine

   Within the last 20,000 miles this car has, and is now, been at the dealership 3xs for sudden lifter/camshaft failure. This last time almost caused an accident. One time the check engine light never even came on, two other times it came on as the car started slowing and shaking, so no notice as to what was about to happen.

   NHTSA complaint #11715567 · source
8. Filed Nov 29, 2025CAEngineSuspension

   Cadillac and GM have a know issue in the Escalade for faulty susp3nsion, with their MagRide system, and bad lifters. They use AFM/DOD to reduce the engine down to 4 cylinders and it causes the lifters to get stuck and damage the cam. I am one of thousands to experience these issues. GM need to be held responsible. Why. Are you putting this junk in 100k trucks? Why are we having to foot the bill to get rid of it? My car only has 112,000 miles. This is ridiculous. Please help.

   NHTSA complaint #11702046 · source

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Source: U.S. National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) Office of Defects Investigation public data, as of Oct 11, 2026. Complaints are submitted by owners and are not verified by NHTSA or by us; a complaint does not prove a defect exists. View this vehicle on NHTSA.gov Methodology