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2018 Cadillac Escalade

Gas

Standard Sport Utility Vehicle 2WD
2 EPA-rated configurations
Data refreshed 2026-10-26

Safety Signal

85 / 100 from the NHTSA recall record

RecallsNHTSA campaigns 2

Complaints1 crash · 3 fire reported 36

Crash ratingNHTSA overall 4★

Fuel economybest combined, EPA 17 mpg

2027 2026 2025 2024 2023 2022 2021 2020 2019 2018 2017 2016

The 2018 Cadillac Escalade is sold in the U.S. as a gas large SUV with 2 EPA-rated configurations. The most efficient version, the Escalade 2WD, is EPA-rated at 17 mpg combined. NHTSA lists 2 recall campaigns for this model year, which gives it a Safety Signal grade of B. Owners have filed 36 complaints, most often about the engine. NHTSA crash-tested it at 4 stars overall.

Cadillac Escalade — photograph via Wikimedia Commons — Cadillac Escalade · Photo: BuickCentury04 · CC BY-SA 4.0 · Wikimedia Commons

Specs & fuel economy

Source: EPA fueleconomy.gov

Configuration	Powertrain	Drive	Engine / motor	City	Hwy	Comb	Annual fuel*
Escalade 2WD	Gas	RWD	6.2L 8-cyl	14	23	17	$4,850
Escalade 4WD	Gas	4WD	6.2L 8-cyl	14	21	17	$4,850

*EPA estimate at 15,000 miles/year at EPA reference fuel and electricity prices. fueleconomy.gov record ids: 39003, 39015.

Emissions & certification

Source: EPA emission certificates

Configuration	Smog rating	Emission standard	Where it can be sold new	SmartWay
Escalade 2WD, Escalade 4WD	3 / 10	California LEV-III ULEV125 / Federal Tier 3 Bin 125	All 50 states (federal, all altitudes); California and states following California standards	—

Certified for all fifty states, so it can be registered new anywhere in the U.S.

The smog rating scores tailpipe pollutants other than greenhouse gases, 1 (worst) to 10 (best), and is comparable only within a model year. The standard is the federal bin or California tier the configuration was certified to. Both come from the EPA certificate behind the window sticker.

Specifications filed with NHTSA

Source: NHTSA vPIC

Dimensions Exterior

Body style	Sport Utility Vehicle [SUV]/Multipurpose Vehicle [MPV]
Doors	4
GVWR class	Class 2F: 7,001 - 8,000 lb (3,175 - 3,629 kg)

Engine Basics

Cylinders	8
Displacement	6.2 L

Fuel Economy

Fuel	Gasoline

Seating

Seat rows	3
Seating capacity	7 seats

Transmission

Drivetrain	4x2
Transmission	Automatic
Transmission speeds	10

Driver assistance

Standard: Adaptive cruise control, Anti-lock brakes, Automatic emergency braking, Backup camera, Blind-spot monitoring, Electronic stability control, Forward collision warning, Lane departure warning, Lane keeping assist, Parking assist

Filed by the manufacturer with NHTSA under the federal vehicle-identification rule and decoded from the VIN pattern — not a manufacturer press kit, so it describes the configurations we could identify rather than every trim (seen: ESV Luxury, ESV Platinum, ESV Premium Luxury, Luxury). Figures for the trim you are looking at may differ.

Dimensions & weight

Source: Transport Canada

Length	203.9–224.4 in
Width (body, without mirrors)	80.3 in
Height	74.4 in
Wheelbase	116.1–129.9 in
Track, front	68.9 in
Track, rear	68.5 in
Curb weight	5,840–6,041 lb
Weight distribution, front/rear	51/49 to 52/48

Measured by Transport Canada for its Canadian Vehicle Specifications database, which covers the North American versions of each model — here 2 configurations: All versions, Esv. Where a range is shown, those versions differ. Width is the body without mirrors, which is why it can read narrower than a brochure figure. Before we used it we checked it against the US manufacturer press kits we hold (27 Sep 2026): wheelbase agreed within 1% on every vehicle we could compare, length on 98%, and the curb weight fell inside the manufacturer's range on 96%. Source dataset. Contains information licensed under the Open Government Licence – Canada. Licence.

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Recalls (2)

Source: NHTSA recall database

▲high

Service Brakes, Hydraulic

N202300860

14,620 vehicles 93% reported repaired

Problem 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. Risk A decrease in brake assist can increase the brake pedal effort and distance required to stop the vehicle, increasing the risk of a crash. Fix 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.

NHTSA campaign 20V603000 reported Oct 1, 2020 General Motors LLC the full filing, and every vehicle covered →

▲high

Seat Belts

18315

15,800 vehicles 95% reported repaired built Jun 1, 2018 – Sep 20, 2018

Problem General Motors LLC (GM) is recalling certain 2018-2019 Cadillac CT6, Escalade ESV, Chevrolet Suburban, Volt, and GMC Yukon XL vehicles. Certain second-row or third-row rear seatbelts retractor assemblies may not automatically lock when the seatbelt is fully pulled out of the retractor, possibly preventing a child seat from being properly secured. As such, these vehicles fail to comply with the requirements of Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standard (FMVSS) number 208, "Occupant Crash Protection." Risk If the child seat is not properly secured in the event of a crash, it can increase the risk of injury. Fix GM will notify owners, and dealers will inspect the rear seatbelt retractors and replace them if necessary, free of charge. The recall began November 7, 2018. Owners may contact 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 18315.

Filed with NHTSADefect report PDF Owner letter PDF

NHTSA campaign 18V673000 reported Sep 26, 2018 General Motors LLC the full filing, and every vehicle covered →

These are vehicle campaigns — the ones the automaker filed against this model. NHTSA also records equipment recalls, filed by a parts maker against a component (a tyre, a child seat, an aftermarket part), and those are not listed here or counted above. nhtsa.gov/recalls shows both for a VIN.

Whether any of this applies to one specific Escalade

A campaign covers a build range, not a model year, so two identical-looking cars from 2018 can differ. Both of these check a VIN against the manufacturer’s own list, free, in about ten seconds. Cadillac publishes its own lookup because federal rule 49 CFR 573.15 requires it to, and to keep it current to within seven days.

NHTSA VIN check →Cadillac’s own VIN lookup →

Hear about a recall before the letter does

The manufacturer’s letter is the last step of a recall: it has up to 60 days after filing to mail owners, at the address on the registration. We email you the day NHTSA posts a recall on the 2018 Cadillac Escalade, with what to do next. Nothing else, ever — no newsletter, no marketing, one-click unsubscribe in every message.

Owner complaints

Source: NHTSA complaint database

36complaints filed

1 involved a crash · 3 a fire · 0 injuries · 0 deaths reported

11 per 10,000 built · Cadillac reported 33,929 Escalade built (its Early Warning production report to NHTSA)

Filed per year: 2018: 1 · 2019: 3 · 2020: 1 · 2021: 2 · 2022: 1 · 2023: 1 · 2024: 2 · 2025: 19 · 2026: 6

Most-cited components

Engine 19

Electrical System 8

Power Train 4

Service Brakes 3

Unspecified 2

Exterior Lighting 2

In owners' own words

Filed with NHTSA by the people who own these cars, one per problem area. Quoted as written, with anything identifying removed.

2018 Cadillac Escalade ESV Platinum, 6.2L V8 L86 engine, under 100,000 miles. Engine seized and was towed to an authorized GM dealership. Teardown confirmed a spun and twisted rod bearing resulting in complete crankshaft seizure, documented by the dealer as non-serviceable per GM, requiring full engine replacement.

Engine May 1, 2026 NHTSA owner report · ODI 11735157

We were on our way home from charlotte nc where the suv sat for a week while we were on vacation. Less than an hour of traveling home we smelled something burning so my husband pulled over, turns the suv off, and we looked on the outside at the tires.

Electrical System May 5, 2026 NHTSA owner report · ODI 11735860

I paid 8600 on my engine for lifters exc...in 2022 the now in 2025 I was told I need a new engine The whole engine is messed up

Suspension Jan 21, 2025 NHTSA owner report · ODI 11637223

The instrument cluster reset, flashes and the turn signals will stop working while the system is cycling or restting, whilw changing lanes or in a middle of a turn

Exterior Lighting Jun 22, 2026 NHTSA owner report · ODI 11745705

I stopped to get gas and put the car in park. Turned the car off and when I started it back up the car thought it was in drive but was in park still. The gas pedal won’t not work and the car is now stuck in park. The Chevy Caddilac dealership said it is a failed TCM.

Power Train Jul 22, 2025 NHTSA owner report · ODI 11675316

I noticed my brakes started squeaking when I would push the braking pedal. One day, I was pulling up to a bank, drive-through, applying pressure to the brakes, and I had stopped.

Service Brakes Jan 8, 2024 NHTSA owner report · ODI 11564078

Complaint counts are raw owner reports to NHTSA, not verified defects, and scale with how many were sold. Use them to spot patterns, not to rank.

Reported by Cadillac itself: 23 death-or-injury claims on this model year in its quarterly Early Warning reports to NHTSA (49 CFR 579.21): 42 injured, as claimed, not verified — about 68 per 100,000 built. Every Escalade model year, by year and system → Dated and by system, they are exhibit F of the defect dossier.

Crash ratings

Source: NHTSA NCAP

Configuration	Overall	Frontal	Side	Rollover	Rollover risk
SUV AWD	★★★★☆	★★★★☆	★★★★★	★★★☆☆	23%
SUV AWD	★★★★☆	★★★★★	★★★★★	★★★☆☆	21%
SUV RWD	★★★★☆	★★★★☆	★★★★★	★★★☆☆	22%
SUV RWD	★★★★☆	★★★★★	★★★★★	★★★☆☆	20%

NHTSA New Car Assessment Program.

Service bulletins & campaigns

Source: NHTSA manufacturer communications

Extended coverage on file 1 filing by the manufacturer with NHTSA naming this model year

Term not in NHTSA’s summary · GM warranty extension 22-NA-244This warranty administration service bulletin provides information about GM Accessories - Dealer-Installed, Repaired or Replaced During Warranty Coverage Period.

The term and the vehicles it covers are the manufacturer’s, as NHTSA’s summary of each filing states them; a dealer checks one particular car by its VIN. Every GM warranty extension (33) → · Every warranty extension on file, all makes →

Communicationsfiled with NHTSA 2,125

Most recentmanufacturer date 2026-09-26

Kindsas classified by NHTSA 2115 service bulletins, 6 service campaigns, 2 warranty extensions

Most often about: Equipment, Engine, Electrical System, Power Train, Unknown Or Other.

PIT5698F Service bulletin
2026-09-26 · Unknown Or Other
This PI provides Diagnostics tips on how the LIN bus works and how to diagnosis it.
PIP4902W Service bulletin
2026-09-04 · Unknown Or Other
This preliminary information advises a dealer on how to email GDS2 session logs into Technical Assistance.
PIT5099J Service bulletin
2026-07-21 · Unknown Or Other
PI to help diagnose A/C concern
PIT3271Q Service bulletin
2026-04-01 · Unknown Or Other
This preliminary information communicates information about how to determine if a wheel and tires size change is available.
PIP6104 Service bulletin
2026-03-09 · Unknown Or Other
This Preliminary information communicates the steps on how to save a GDS2 Session Log and upload to a Technical Assistance Case in CX Connect.
PIP4902V Service bulletin
2026-03-09 · Unknown Or Other
This preliminary information advises a dealer on how to email GDS2 session logs into Technical Assistance.
PIT6483 Service bulletin
2026-02-05 · Unknown Or Other
This preliminary information communicates an issue with aftermarket LED headlights causing IPC warning messages and MIL along with several low speed lan DTCs.
PIT6400A Service bulletin
2026-01-16 · Unknown Or Other
This PI Communications information on an alternative product dealers can use to perform 19-NA-255: Wax Coating on Frame Peeling, Metal Shows Corrosion/Rusting due to issue with getting product from current supplier listed in the bulletin.

A service bulletin is the manufacturer telling its dealers how to diagnose or repair a known condition. It is not a recall, not a finding that the vehicle is defective, and the work is not automatically free — though a bulletin is often what a dealer works from when you describe a symptom, so quoting the document number can save a diagnosis. The count is every communication filed; the list shows the most recent, one entry per campaign, because a single campaign is usually filed as several documents on the same day. The summaries are NHTSA's; the full documents come from the manufacturer.

Diagnostic trouble codes on file

Source: NHTSA manufacturer communications and complaints

Codes documented against this model year in the federal record. A code appearing here does not mean this vehicle will set it — it means the code is part of this nameplate-year's documented history.

Code	What it means	Most often filed under	Where it appears
P0300 P0300 on Cadillac →	Misfire detected, but not isolated to one cylinder.	Engine · Ignition coils →	25 bulletins
B3055 B3055 on Cadillac →	Manufacturer-defined — the meaning is set by the automaker, not the standard.	Electrical System · Battery →	16 bulletins
B3060 B3060 on Cadillac →	Manufacturer-defined — the meaning is set by the automaker, not the standard.	Electrical System · Battery →	16 bulletins
B3935 B3935 on Cadillac →	Manufacturer-defined — the meaning is set by the automaker, not the standard.	Electrical System · Battery →	16 bulletins
P050D P050D on Cadillac →	Manufacturer-defined — the meaning is set by the automaker, not the standard.	Engine	16 bulletins
P0308 P0308 on Cadillac →	Cylinder 8 is misfiring.	Engine · Ignition coils →	15 bulletins
C0710 C0710 on Cadillac →	Manufacturer-defined — the meaning is set by the automaker, not the standard.	Electronic Stability Control	11 bulletins
U0029 U0029 on Cadillac →	Manufacturer-defined — the meaning is set by the automaker, not the standard.	Electrical System · Battery →	8 bulletins
U0151 U0151 on Cadillac →	Manufacturer-defined — the meaning is set by the automaker, not the standard.	Electrical System · Battery →	8 bulletins
B1011	Manufacturer-defined — the meaning is set by the automaker, not the standard.	Equipment	6 bulletins
B1370	Manufacturer-defined — the meaning is set by the automaker, not the standard.	Equipment	6 bulletins
B390A	Manufacturer-defined — the meaning is set by the automaker, not the standard.	Equipment	6 bulletins

Generic codes (the second character is 0 or 2) mean the same thing on every vehicle sold in the United States. Manufacturer-specific codes (1 or 3) mean whatever the automaker assigned, and no honest source can define them for you — which is why the ones here carry the evidence instead of a definition. A code is a link when enough separate federal documents name it across the catalogue to be worth a page of its own; the rest are listed here, where the vehicle is the context that makes them mean something.

At the New York inspection station

Source: New York State DMV

New York inspections 5.9%

failed emissions

815 initial inspections of 791 vehicles.

Measure	The 2018 Escalade	Every 2018 vehicle	Behind it
Failed the emissions check	5.9%	3.0%	814
Failed the safety inspection	1.4%	1.9%	815
Air-bag warning lamp stayed lit	0%	0.22%	815
Miles driven a year	11,456	10,002	odometer at inspection
Average odometer	94,711	82,833	odometer at inspection

New York’s emissions test on these model years is an on-board diagnostics check: it fails a car whose check-engine light is on or whose self-tests have not finished. First inspections only, so a car that failed and came back is counted once; private and special plates, not taxis, livery or commercial plates. A rate appears only where at least 200 inspections stand behind it. “Every 2018 vehicle” is every 2018 model-year car, SUV and pickup inspected in the same window, all makes. This is the state’s record of test results, not a reliability score by itself. Source: New York State Department of Motor Vehicles, Vehicle Inspections (data.ny.gov, Open NY terms).

Escalade by model year

all years, side by side →

Year Safety Recalls Complaints

2027 A 0 0 17 mpg 2026 D 4 54 Do not drive 2025 A 1 39 17 mpg 2024 B 2 74 23 mpg 2023 C 4 234 23 mpg 2022 C 4 142 23 mpg 2021 F 12 169 23 mpg 2020 B 2 36 17 mpg 2019 A 1 59 17 mpg 2018 this page B 2 36 17 mpg 2017 B 2 89 17 mpg 2016 D 4 104 Do not drive

Common questions about the 2018 Escalade

Source: EPA, NHTSA and manufacturer press kits

Does the 2018 Cadillac Escalade have any recalls?

NHTSA has posted 2 recall campaigns for the 2018 Cadillac Escalade. The most serious on file is 20V603000, covering Service Brakes, Hydraulic. Check your own VIN at nhtsa.gov/recalls; a recall applies to specific build ranges, not every car.

How safe is the 2018 Cadillac Escalade?

NHTSA gave the 2018 Cadillac Escalade 4 stars overall in its New Car Assessment Program tests — 4-star frontal crash, 5-star side crash, 3-star rollover. WhichTrim also grades it B (85/100) on its recall record, which is a different question from crash protection.

What is the fuel economy of the 2018 Cadillac Escalade?

Across the 2 EPA-rated configurations of the 2018 Cadillac Escalade, the best EPA combined figure is 17 mpg. Figures are the EPA's own, per configuration, and every one is listed above.

What are the dimensions of the 2018 Cadillac Escalade?

Transport Canada measured it at 203.9–224.4 in long, 80.3 in wide (body, without mirrors), 74.4 in tall, on a 116.1–129.9 in wheelbase. Curb weight: 5,840–6,041 lb depending on configuration. Those are its measurements of the North American versions; every figure is in the table above.

What do owners complain about on the 2018 Cadillac Escalade?

Owners have filed 36 complaints with NHTSA about the 2018 Cadillac Escalade, most often about engine, electrical system, power train. Of those, 1 involved a crash, 3 a fire. Complaints are unverified owner reports, so treat the pattern as a signal and the individual report as an anecdote.

How clean is the 2018 Cadillac Escalade?

The EPA smog rating for the 2018 Cadillac Escalade is 3 out of 10. That score covers tailpipe pollutants other than greenhouse gases, and it only compares vehicles within the same model year. It is certified for all fifty states, so it can be registered new anywhere in the U.S. Its configurations were certified to different standards — California LEV-III ULEV125, Federal Tier 3 Bin 125 — which the table above lists per configuration.

Are there service bulletins for the 2018 Cadillac Escalade?

The manufacturer has filed 2125 service bulletins and related communications with NHTSA for the 2018 Cadillac Escalade, most often covering equipment, engine, electrical system. The most recent is dated 2026-09-26. A bulletin is not a recall: it is the repair procedure a manufacturer sends its dealers for a condition it knows about, and the work is not automatically paid for. It is still worth knowing — if the symptom matches, quoting the bulletin number at the service desk can save a diagnosis. The document numbers and summaries are listed above.

How does the 2018 Cadillac Escalade do at state inspection?

In New York’s inspection lanes over the 12 months to Oct 10, 2026, the 2018 Cadillac Escalade failed the emissions check on 5.9% of first inspections — higher than the 3.0% for every 2018 model-year vehicle inspected; and the safety inspection on 1.4% (every 2018 vehicle: 1.9%). The figures are New York State DMV’s own inspection records, first inspections only, and the table above sets each one against every vehicle of the same model year.

What we hold, and what an empty row means

Paid vehicle-history reports will not tell you the difference between “nothing happened to this car” and “we never received that record” — both of the big two say as much in their own help pages. Most of what is on this page comes from complete federal registers, so we can tell you which is which, row by row.

Data	Held	Source	What it covers — or what empty means
Fuel economy & configurations	2 configurations	EPA certification records	Every configuration the EPA certified for sale, with its own test figures.
Emission certificates	2 configurations	EPA emission certificates	Smog rating, standard and the sales area that decides where the car can be sold new.
Recalls	2	NHTSA recall campaigns	A complete federal register: every campaign covering this model year, with severity and advisory flags.
Owner complaints	36	NHTSA complaint database	Also complete, but unverified: these are reports owners filed, not findings. Counts scale with how many were sold.
Crash ratings	4 tested	NHTSA NCAP	Only the configurations NHTSA chose to crash-test, which is never all of them.
Service bulletins	2125	NHTSA manufacturer communications	Everything the manufacturer told its dealers about a defect or malfunction, short of a recall.
Investigations	none	NHTSA Office of Defects Investigation	No defect investigation has been opened.
Driver-assist crash reports	none	NHTSA Standing General Order 2021-01	No report has been filed. Only entities named in the order report, and only crashes they hear of — so this is also what an unequipped car, or a manufacturer without telematics, looks like.
Specifications filed with NHTSA	11 fields	NHTSA vPIC, decoded from VIN patterns	What the manufacturer filed under the federal VIN rule — a configuration, not the full trim ladder.
Measured dimensions	7 fields	Transport Canada, Canadian Vehicle Specifications	Length, width, height, wheelbase, track and curb weight, measured on the North American versions.
Trims, pricing & equipment	none	Manufacturer press kit	We have not transcribed a press kit for this model year yet. This is our gap, not the manufacturer's — the one row here where an empty cell means we are behind.

Rebuilt nightly; this page was generated 2026-10-26. Every figure above is traceable to the source named beside it, and the JSON for this page carries the same values with their identifiers.

Sources & method

Safety Signal starts every model-year at 100 and subtracts points per open NHTSA recall campaign by severity: critical 15 (fire risk, park-outside or do-not-drive advisories), high 8 (brakes, steering, airbags, loss of drive power, structure, battery), moderate 6, minor 3 (software, labels, lighting fixed by an update). The most serious recall counts in full and each further one counts 85% of the one before, because a vehicle sold in millions is recalled more often than a rare one without being more dangerous — and because a flat subtraction bottomed the scale out, scoring a vehicle with 22 recalls within a point of one with six. A ≥ 90, B ≥ 80, C ≥ 70, D ≥ 60, otherwise F. Read it as what it counts: recall campaigns on the federal record, weighted by severity. The damping reduces the sales bias by roughly 40% but does not remove it: like our complaint counts, this is not normalized by how many were sold, so a best-seller still scores somewhat worse than an obscure model with the same real risk. NHTSA crash ratings, do-not-drive and park-outside advisories, and the crash, fire, injury and death counts in owner complaints are reported separately on every page and never blended into the letter — a vehicle can hold five stars and a poor letter at once, and where that happens we say so rather than leave you to notice. Because the scale subtracts from a clean sheet, a model year too new to have been recalled, complained about or bulletined scores full marks on an empty record; we label those grades provisional rather than present them as earned.

EPA figures come from fueleconomy.gov vehicle records. Recalls, complaints, investigations and crash ratings come from NHTSA's public flat files, refreshed nightly.

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