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2026 Cadillac Escalade

Gas Midsize / large SUV

20262025202420232022202120202019201820172016
Specs & fuel economyRecallsComplaintsCrash ratings
F
Safety Signal
54 / 100
FSafety Signal · 54 / 100
4Recalls · 2 critical
41Complaints · owner reports
5★Crash rating · NHTSA overall
17 mpgFuel economy · best combined
⚠️
Active NHTSA advisory: do not drive. Check your VIN at nhtsa.gov/recalls and see the recall details below.

The 2026 Cadillac Escalade is sold in the U.S. as a gas midsize or large SUV with 3 EPA-rated configurations. The most efficient version, the Escalade 2WD, is EPA-rated at 17 mpg combined. NHTSA lists 4 recall campaigns for this model year, 2 rated critical, which gives it a Safety Signal grade of F. Owners have filed 41 complaints, most often about engine. NHTSA crash-tested it at 5 stars overall.

Specs & fuel economy (EPA)

ConfigurationPowertrainDriveEngine / motorCityHwyCombAnnual fuel*
Escalade 2WDGasRWD6.2L 8-cyl151917$4,550
Escalade 4WDGas4WD6.2L 8-cyl141816$4,850
Escalade V AWDGas4WD6.2L 8-cyl111713$5,950

*EPA estimate at 15,000 miles/year and EPA reference fuel/electricity prices. Source: fueleconomy.gov vehicle records.

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Recalls (4)

Electrical System

critical
10 vehicles

Problem: General Motors, LLC is recalling certain 2026 Cadillac Escalade IQ, Escalade IQL, GMC Sierra EV, and Chevrolet Silverado EV vehicles. The high voltage battery may have an improperly secured internal module component.

Risk: A loose component may move and damage the high voltage battery, increasing the risk of a fire.

Fix: Dealers will replace the high voltage battery, free of charge. Owner notification letters were mailed August 24, 2026. Owners may contact Cadillac customer service at 1-800-333-4223, GMC customer service at 1-800-462-8782, and Chevrolet customer service at 1-800-222-1020. GM's number for this recall is N262562600. Vehicle Identification Numbers (VINs) involved in this recall became searchable on NHTSA.gov on July 30, 2026.

NHTSA campaign 26V494000 · reported Jul 30, 2026 · General Motors, LLC

Wheels

high
2,457 vehicles

Problem: General Motors, LLC is recalling certain 2025–2026 Cadillac Escalade, Escalade ESV, Chevrolet Suburban 1500, Tahoe, GMC Yukon, and Yukon XL vehicles with 24-inch wheels. Incorrect bolts may have been installed on the left and right front wheel hubs, which can result in the bolts loosening or deforming over time.

Risk: A bolt that loosens or breaks during vehicle operation can result in loss of vehicle control, increasing the risk of a crash.

Fix: Dealers will replace the front left and right wheel hub bolts, free of charge. Owner notification letters were mailed June 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 N262554630. Vehicle Identification Numbers (VINs) involved in this recall became searchable on NHTSA.gov on May 14, 2026.

NHTSA campaign 26V304000 · reported May 14, 2026 · General Motors, LLC

Power Train

critical
Do not drive66 vehicles

Problem: 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.

Fix: 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 campaign 26V289000 · reported May 7, 2026 · General Motors, LLC

Equipment

high
5,861 vehicles

Problem: General Motors has decided that certain 2027 Chevrolet Bolt EV, 2025-2026 Cadillac OPTIQ, Chevrolet Colorado, Equinox EV, GMC Canyon, 2026 Buick Enclave, Envision, Cadillac CT5, Escalade, Escalade ESV, Escalade IQ, Escalade IQL, LYRIQ, VISTIQ, Chevrolet Blazer EV, Corvette Convertible, Corvette Coupe, Corvette Convertible E-Ray, Equinox, Silverado 1500, 2500, 3500, Silverado EV, Suburban 1500, Tahoe, Traverse, GMC Acadia, Hummer EV Pickup, Hummer EV SUV, Sierra 1500, 2500, 3500, Sierra EV, Terrain, Yukon, and Yukon XL vehicles. The radio may not have been set to the correct status to download the electronic owner's manual during production. As such, these vehicles fail to comply with the req

Risk: Without an owner's manual to consult, owners may not know how to safely use and operate the vehicle, increasing the risk of injury in a crash.

Fix: Dealers will reset the vehicle radio, which will facilitate automatic download of the electronic owner’s manual, free of charge. Owner notification letters were mailed April 16, 2026. Owners may contact GM customer service at 1-866-467-9700, Chevrolet customer service at 1-800-222-1020 or Cadillac customer service at 1-800-333-4223. The manufacturer's number for this recall is N252540430. Vehicle Identification Numbers (VINs) involved in this recall became searchable on NHTSA.gov on February 2

NHTSA campaign 26V114000 · reported Feb 26, 2026 · General Motors, LLC

NHTSA investigations

Engine — Loss of motive power due to engine failure post recall remedy (open)

On January 16, 2026, the Office of Defects Investigation (ODI) opened Recall Query RQ26001.  This investigation was opened to assess the remedy effectiveness of Recall 25V-274. ODI has received complaints alleging engine failure in vehicles after the recall remedy had been completed, whether that remedy involved an oil viscosity change or a complete engine replacement. General Motors (GM) issued Recall 25V-274 to address concerns of engine failure in the L87 engines produced between March 1, 2021 and May 31, 2024. GM cited the root cause as a supplier manufacturing and quality issue. GM’s recall remedy for Recall 25V-274 consisted of two different repairs, either an oil viscosity change o

Opened Aug 20, 2026 · action EA26005

Owner complaints

41 complaints filed

1 involved a crash, 0 a fire, 0 injuries, 0 deaths reported by owners.

Filed by year — 2026: 41

Most-cited components

  • Engine — 38
  • Electrical System — 7
  • Fuel/Propulsion System — 5
  • Power Train — 4
  • Unknown Or Other — 3
“At 9,000 miles the engine on my 2026 Cadillac Escalade ESV started knocking and the dealership replaced it. They did not provide a loaner or a rental vehicle for the time the vehicle was at the shop. After the replacement, the new engine sounds the same and will probably needs replacing as well. After the fix I started…”Aug 28, 2026 · Electrical System · NHTSA owner report
“I was driving my NEW 2026 Cadillac Escalade down the highway when my engine froze up! It was damaged so bad that they replaced the engine. So obviously GM has not fixed this problem. They promised that the issue was fixed or I would have never bought this vehicle.”Aug 23, 2026 · Engine · NHTSA owner report
“# NHTSA Complaint – 2026 Cadillac Escalade IQL My 2026 Cadillac Escalade IQL has experienced repeated "Service High Voltage System" warnings despite multiple warranty repair attempts involving the A/C/high-voltage thermal-management system. The vehicle is currently at an authorized Cadillac dealership and is availabl…”Aug 23, 2026 · Electrical System · NHTSA owner report

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.

Crash ratings

ConfigurationOverallFrontalSideRolloverRollover risk
SUV 4WD★★★★★★★★★★★★★★★★★★☆☆22%
SUV 4WD★★★★★★★★★★★★★★★★★★☆☆22%
SUV RWD★★★★★★★★★★★★★★★★★★☆☆21%
SUV RWD★★★★★★★★★★★★★★★★★★☆☆21%

NHTSA New Car Assessment Program. Standard driver-assist: forward collision warning, lane departure warning, automatic emergency braking.

Other Escalade model years

A

2025 Escalade

1 recalls · 37 complaints

B

2024 Escalade

2 recalls · 68 complaints

C

2023 Escalade

4 recalls · 218 complaints

C

2022 Escalade

4 recalls · 134 complaints

F

2021 Escalade

12 recalls · 155 complaints

C

2020 Escalade

2 recalls · 35 complaints

A

2019 Escalade

1 recalls · 57 complaints

B

2018 Escalade

2 recalls · 36 complaints

B

2017 Escalade

2 recalls · 88 complaints

D

2016 Escalade

4 recalls · 104 complaints

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). Floor 35. A ≥ 90, B ≥ 80, C ≥ 70, D ≥ 60, otherwise F. Complaint counts and NHTSA crash ratings are shown separately and are not blended into the grade.

EPA figures come from fueleconomy.gov vehicle records (ids 50138, 49899, 49898). Recalls, complaints, investigations and crash ratings come from NHTSA's public flat files, refreshed weekly.

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