2016 Cadillac Escalade Recalls, Complaints & Specs
4 safety recalls list the 2016 Cadillac Escalade, and owners have filed 89 complaints with NHTSA. At least one recall carries a do-not-drive or park-outside advisory. Check your own VIN below.
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4 safety recalls for the 2016 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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Vacuum (service brakes)
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.
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…
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Air bags: sensor/control module-inactive and 2 other components
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…
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…
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Pretensioner (seat belts) and 2 other components
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,…
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…
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Suspension: control arm Do not drive
General Motors LLC (GM) is recalling certain model year 2016-2017 Chevrolet Silverado 1500 and 2016 Cadillac Escalade, Cadillac Escalade ESV, Chevrolet Suburban, Chevrolet Tahoe, GMC Sierra, GMC Yukon and GMC Yukon XL vehicles. The front upper control arms may have inadequate welds near the control arm bushing.
Remedy: GM will notify owners, and dealers will replace the left and right front upper control arms and realign the vehicle, free of charge. The recall began on May 18, 2016. Until the repairs have been made, owners are…
89 owner complaints filed with NHTSA
Owners of the 2016 Cadillac Escalade have filed 89 complaints with NHTSA; 2 describe a crash and 3 describe a fire. Reports cite 3 injuries and 0 deaths. The average mileage at failure in those reports is 50,077 miles. Complaints peaked in 2025 with 14 filed that year.
Most-reported components
What owners are reporting
“The transmission has experienced ongoing shifting problems, including extremely hard shifts at low speeds and difficulty shifting properly at higher/highway speeds. The hard shifting could cause the v”
Owner complaint to NHTSA, August 15, 2026 · Power train
“At highway speed, the engine lifters associated with the Active Fuel Management system failed and caused catastrophic damage throughout the engine. The sudden loss of power on the highway almost cause”
Owner complaint to NHTSA, July 22, 2026 · Engine
Fuel economy and specs
EPA ratings for the 2016 Cadillac Escalade (Escalade 2WD, Escalade 4WD). Ranges cover every tested configuration.
| Combined | 17 mpg |
|---|---|
| City / Highway | 15 / 21–22 |
| Fuel | Regular |
| EPA class | Standard Sport Utility Vehicle 2WD, Standard Sport Utility Vehicle 4WD |
| Engine | 8 cyl, 6.2 L |
| Transmission | Automatic 8-spd |
Compare Cadillac Escalade model years
Recall and complaint counts for every Cadillac Escalade model year in NHTSA's database.
Checking a specific 2016 Cadillac Escalade
How do I know if my 2016 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. 4 campaigns currently list the 2016 Cadillac Escalade; 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 16V256000).
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.