2012 Cadillac Escalade ESV Recalls, Complaints & Specs
3 safety recalls list the 2012 Cadillac Escalade ESV, and owners have filed 3 complaints with NHTSA. Check your own VIN below.
3 safety recalls for the 2012 Cadillac Escalade ESV
Most recent first. Recall repairs are free at any authorised dealer. Click a recall for the full defect, consequence and remedy text.
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Inflator module (air bags)
General Motors, LLC (GM) is recalling certain 2012 Cadillac Escalade, Escalade ESV, Escalade EXT, Chevrolet Avalanche, Silverado 1500, Silverado 2500/3500, Suburban, Tahoe, GMC Sierra 1500, Sierra 2500/3500, Yukon, and Yukon XL originally sold, or ever registered, in the states of Alabama, California, Florida, Georgia, Hawaii,…
Remedy: GM will notify owners, and dealers will replace the front passenger air bag inflator with an alternate one, free of charge. Interim letters notifying owners of the safety risk were mailed on February 22, 2021. Second…
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Inflator module (air bags)
General Motors, LLC (GM) is recalling certain 2014 Cadillac Escalade, Escalade ESV, Chevrolet Silverado 2500, Silverado 3500, Suburban, Tahoe, GMC Sierra 2500, Sierra 3500, Yukon, and Yukon XL vehicles originally sold, or ever registered, in the states of AL, CA, FL, GA, HI, LA, MS, SC, TX, PR, AS, GU, the MP, and VI or "Zone A."…
Remedy: GM will notify owners, and dealers will replace the front passenger air bag inflator with an alternate one, free of charge. Interim letters notifying owners of the safety risk were mailed on February 25, 2021. Second…
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Ignition (electrical system)
General Motors LLC (GM) is recalling certain model year 2011-2012 Cadillac Escalade, Escalade ESV, Escalade EXT, Chevrolet Avalanche, Silverado HD, Silverado LD, Suburban, Tahoe, GMC Sierra LD, Sierra HD, Yukon, and Yukon XL vehicles. In the affected vehicles, the ignition lock actuator may bind, making turning the key difficult or…
Remedy: GM will notify owners, and dealers will inspect and replace the ignition lock housing, as necessary, free of charge. The recall began on February 12, 2015. Owners may contact GM customer service at 1-800-458-8006…
3 owner complaints filed with NHTSA
Owners of the 2012 Cadillac Escalade ESV have filed 3 complaints with NHTSA. The average mileage at failure in those reports is 77,438 miles. Complaints peaked in 2015 with 1 filed that year.
Most-reported components
What owners are reporting
“Tl* takata recall. The contact owns a 2012 cadillac escalade esv. The contact received notification of NHTSA campaign number: 21v054000 (air bags) however, the part to do the recall repair was unavail”
Owner complaint to NHTSA, April 29, 2021 · Air bags
“Driving normal on a city street for about one hour without any warning the vehicle started acting strange, the doors locked and unlocked, the AC& htg came on, htg&fan for the seats came on, clock blin”
Owner complaint to NHTSA, December 17, 2018 · Electrical system
Fuel economy and specs
EPA ratings for the 2012 Cadillac Escalade (Escalade 2WD, Escalade AWD, Escalade ESV 2WD, Escalade ESV AWD, …). Ranges cover every tested configuration.
| Combined | 14–21 mpg |
|---|---|
| City / Highway | 13–20 / 18–23 |
| Fuel | Gasoline or E85, Regular |
| EPA class | Sport Utility Vehicle - 2WD, Sport Utility Vehicle - 4WD |
| Engine | 8 cyl, 6/6.2 L |
| Transmission | Automatic (variable gear ratios); Automatic 6-spd |
Compare Cadillac Escalade ESV model years
Recall and complaint counts for every Cadillac Escalade ESV model year in NHTSA's database.
Checking a specific 2012 Cadillac Escalade ESV
How do I know if my 2012 Cadillac Escalade ESV has an open recall?
Enter your 17-character VIN above. The VIN is on the driver's side dashboard (visible through the windshield), the driver's door jamb sticker, and your registration or insurance card. The check runs against NHTSA's live database and tells you which campaigns list your vehicle. 3 campaigns currently list the 2012 Cadillac Escalade ESV; your car may already have been repaired under some of them.
Is the recall repair free?
Yes. Under federal law, manufacturers must fix safety recalls at no charge for vehicles up to 15 years old from the date of sale to the first owner. Contact any authorised Cadillac dealer with your VIN and the NHTSA campaign number (for example 14V827000).
What is the difference between a recall and a complaint?
A recall is a safety campaign filed by the manufacturer or ordered by NHTSA, with a defined defect and remedy. A complaint is a report an owner sent to NHTSA; it is not verified, but patterns of complaints are what trigger NHTSA investigations and, eventually, recalls.
Other Cadillac models
- SRX3,262 complaints
- Deville2,725 complaints
- CTS2,217 complaints
- Escalade1,713 complaints
- Seville801 complaints
- DTS527 complaints
- Catera468 complaints
- STS430 complaints
Source: NHTSA recall and complaint databases and EPA fuel economy data, October 2026. Complaint counts are owner reports to NHTSA, not verified defects. Recall counts are safety campaigns that list this model year; whether a particular car was already repaired depends on its VIN. How this data is compiled.