2002 Cadillac Escalade Recalls, Complaints & Specs
1 safety recall lists the 2002 Cadillac Escalade, and owners have filed 115 complaints with NHTSA. Check your own VIN below.
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1 safety recall for the 2002 Cadillac Escalade
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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Head restraint (seats)
On certain sport utility vehicles equipped with rearward folding head restraints on the second row seats, two potential pinch points exist on each of the folding head restraints when the restraints are folded rearward as the seatback is folded down.
Remedy: Dealers will install protective covers over the pinch points. Owner notification began november 8, 2002. Owners who take their vehicles to an authorized dealer on an agreed upon service date and do not receive the free…
115 owner complaints filed with NHTSA
Owners of the 2002 Cadillac Escalade have filed 115 complaints with NHTSA; 12 describe a crash and 7 describe a fire. Reports cite 11 injuries and 0 deaths. The average mileage at failure in those reports is 83,840 miles. Complaints peaked in 2003 with 16 filed that year.
Most-reported components
What owners are reporting
“The contact owns a 2002 Cadillac Escalade. The contact stated that while driving at various speeds, the vehicle was consuming an excessive amount of fuel. There was no warning light illuminated. The v”
Owner complaint to NHTSA, October 6, 2025 · Wheels
“Purchased this vehicle from a friend who was inherited from his father’s estate. He hadn’t driven the vehicle for sometime. When meeting up at the DMV to transfer ownership he noticed that the brakes”
Owner complaint to NHTSA, January 19, 2025 · Service brakes
Fuel economy and specs
EPA ratings for the 2002 Cadillac Escalade (Escalade 2WD, Escalade AWD, Escalade Ext AWD). Ranges cover every tested configuration.
| Combined | 12–14 mpg |
|---|---|
| City / Highway | 10–13 / 14–17 |
| Fuel | Regular |
| EPA class | Sport Utility Vehicle - 2WD, Sport Utility Vehicle - 4WD |
| Engine | 8 cyl, 5.3/6 L |
| Transmission | Automatic 4-spd |
Compare Cadillac Escalade model years
Recall and complaint counts for every Cadillac Escalade model year in NHTSA's database.
Checking a specific 2002 Cadillac Escalade
How do I know if my 2002 Cadillac Escalade 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. 1 campaign currently lists the 2002 Cadillac Escalade; your car may already have been repaired under it.
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 02V253000).
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
- Seville801 complaints
- Escalade ESV533 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.