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Cadillac Escalade ESVModel year report

2016 Cadillac Escalade ESV Problems

Complaints
15filed with NHTSA
Median mileage
37,000miles, 13 complaints with mileage
Recalls
31 do-not-drive
Trend
RisingComplaints filed in the last 3 full calendar years are at least 25% higher than in the 3 years before.

Sources: NHTSA records for the 2016 Cadillac Escalade ESV (complaints, recalls, investigations), NHTSA crash tests. Report an error

NHTSA recorded 15 consumer complaints for the 2016 Cadillac Escalade ESV. The part named most often is suspension, with 7 complaints (47% of the total), followed by transmission and drivetrain (5) and electrical system (3). 13 of the complaints include a mileage, and 69% of those were filed for vehicles with under 50,000 miles; the median is 37,000 miles. Of all complaints, 2 involved a crash, 2 an injury, according to the filers. NHTSA lists 3 recall campaigns (1 marked do-not-drive) and 1,522 technical service bulletins for this model year. Suspension complaints overlap with 1 recall campaign covering the control arm and 33 technical service bulletins filed under the same part. Transmission and drivetrain complaints overlap with 163 technical service bulletins filed under the same part.

This model year has fewer than 25 complaints on record, so the numbers below can change a lot with a few new reports.

Which parts are reported most

Complaints can name more than one part, so the counts add up to more than the total. Select a part to see its complaints, recalls and bulletins.

Example complaints

Suspension: “06/14/2019 I was driving my Cadillac to escalate esv traveling from baltimore to washington dc 95 south band. 12:04 pm my vehicle flip over. I almost lost my life. After the accident, I inspected the vehicle. I found that left the rear wheel of the car; come out of the vehicle. Wheel locks and axle bar of the tire cut off and broken. This caused flipping of the vehicle.”

NHTSA complaint #11221207, filed 2019-06, 45,200 miles

Transmission and drivetrain: “Transmission started slipping at 50k miles. Since I am in the transportation service industry, I know many people that have transmission issues on escalades.”

NHTSA complaint #11175833, filed 2019-02, 50,000 miles

Electrical system: “The gears shift abruptly. When taking off the gears will shift hard that it feels as if something heavy is dropping in the engine. Took vehicle to dealership three times with same problem. Tomorrow will be fourth time with same abrupt shifting problem for a total of 4 times. After dealership tries to fix it it operates well for about two to three months and then the problem starts again. Also, the vehicle has lost all power twice now, battery dead, dead, dead. When attempting to turn on the lights blink quickly, multiple times but it does not have enough power to turn on. …”

NHTSA complaint #10956879, filed 2017-02, 5,590 miles

Other or unknown: “Almost every vehicle that has a key fob will shift into park and shutoff the engine if you are stopped and press the engine stop button. My car does not and I have exited my car on 3 occasions thinking it was shut off (engine is too quiet) and my car started driving away with no one at the wheel. The worst time is when I pulled over to help a stranded motorist and my car took off across a busy intersection - luckily another motorist got out of their car and stopped my car - averting a massive accident. This is a death machine waiting for a victim. Gm please correct this.”

NHTSA complaint #11016153, filed 2017-08, 10,000 miles

Mileage when problems were reported

69% of the 13 complaints with a mileage were filed for vehicles with under 50,000 miles; the middle half falls between 15,462 and 50,000 miles.

8%0–1038%10–2523%25–5015%50–758%75–1008%100–1500%150+
Share of complaints by mileage when the problem was reported, in thousands of miles (13 complaints with mileage). Red bars: under 50,000 miles. Bucket widths differ. Median: 37,000 miles.

Complaints by year filed

Trend: rising. Complaints filed in the last 3 full calendar years are at least 25% higher than in the 3 years before.

2017201852019520232025
Complaints by year the complaint was filed with NHTSA. Red bars: the last 3 full calendar years used for the trend. The current year (2026) is partial.

Crash test ratings

NHTSA's 5-Star Safety Ratings for the 2016 Cadillac Escalade ESV. Frontal results are shown driver / passenger; rollover shows the star rating and NHTSA's estimated risk of rolling over in a single-vehicle crash.

VersionOverallFrontalSideSide poleRollover
Escalade ESV · SUV AWDnot rated—543 · 21.2% risk
Escalade ESV · SUV RWDnot rated—543 · 20.3% risk

Driver aids listed by NHTSA for the 2016 model year: forward collision warning optional, lane departure warning optional, automatic emergency braking not available.

Source: NHTSA New Car Assessment Program (5-Star Safety Ratings), nhtsa.gov/ratings.

Recalls and investigations

Recall details for the 2016 Cadillac Escalade ESV → · Check a VIN at nhtsa.gov/recalls

Technical service bulletins

TSBs are manufacturer notes to dealers about known repair procedures. They are not recalls and do not by themselves mean a vehicle has a fault. 1,522 on record; the latest 10 are shown.

See all 1,522 bulletins →

Other model years of the Cadillac Escalade ESV

YearComplaintsMedian miRecallsCrash ★MPGScore (50 = typical)Trend
202611—35——Too new
20251412,80015——Too new
20242219,00024——Too new
20239240,00044—100 · MoreToo new
20225842,76544—50 · TypicalRising
20217469,608104—87 · MoreRising
20202265,0002———Rising
201934108,3501——0 · FewerRising
201815167,05414——Rising
20173831,27814—32 · FewerRising
20161537,0003———Rising
2015840,0006—17—Not enough data
201113100,0005—16—Not enough data
2009669,6005—15—Not enough data
20081752,5004—14—Stable
20073974,0004——Not compared (before 2008)Stable
2006536,5001—13—Not enough data
20051495,9871—13—Not enough data
20042272,0001—13—Falling
20031293,0001—13—Not enough data

All Cadillac Escalade ESV model years · Best and worst years by complaints

Frequently asked questions

How many NHTSA complaints does the 2016 Cadillac Escalade ESV have?

NHTSA recorded 15 consumer complaints for the 2016 Cadillac Escalade ESV as of Oct 29, 2026. Complaints are unverified consumer reports and may be duplicated or inaccurate.

What part of the 2016 Cadillac Escalade ESV is reported most often?

Suspension is named most often, in 7 complaints (47% of the total), followed by transmission and drivetrain with 5.

Has the 2016 Cadillac Escalade ESV been recalled?

NHTSA lists 3 recall campaigns for this model year, 1 of them with a do-not-drive advisory. To check a specific vehicle, enter its VIN at nhtsa.gov/recalls.

At what mileage are problems with the 2016 Cadillac Escalade ESV reported?

Among the 13 complaints that include a mileage, the median is 37,000 miles and the middle half falls between 15,462 and 50,000 miles; 69% were filed for vehicles with under 50,000 miles.

About this data. Data from NHTSA (ODI) complaints, recalls, TSBs and investigations, updated Oct 29, 2026. Complaints are unverified consumer reports and may be duplicated or inaccurate. Crash ratings are from NHTSA’s New Car Assessment Program.

Complaint counts come from NHTSA’s public complaint database; we count each complaint once. The source records for this vehicle are on nhtsa.gov. Scores and trends are our own summaries of that data, described in the methodology. This page is not legal, safety or repair advice: for a specific vehicle, check its VIN at nhtsa.gov/recalls and ask a qualified mechanic. See an error? Tell us.