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Cadillac Escalade EXTModel year report

2002 Cadillac Escalade EXT Problems

Complaints
22filed with NHTSA
Median mileage
86,056miles, 14 complaints with mileage
Recalls
1campaigns on record
Trend
StableComplaints filed in the last 3 full calendar years are within 25% of the 3 years before.
NHTSA crash rating
—overall rating starts with 2011 models
EPA fuel economy
12 mpgcombined, 6.0L 8-cyl 4WD/AWD · 10 city / 14 hwy

Sources: NHTSA records for the 2002 Cadillac Escalade EXT (complaints, recalls, investigations), NHTSA crash tests, EPA fuel economy. Report an error

NHTSA recorded 22 consumer complaints for the 2002 Cadillac Escalade EXT. The part named most often is brakes, with 10 complaints (45% of the total), followed by engine (3) and electrical system (2). 14 of the complaints include a mileage, and 21% of those were filed for vehicles with under 50,000 miles; the median is 86,056 miles. Of all complaints, 1 involved a crash, 6 an injury, according to the filers. NHTSA lists 1 recall campaign and 45 technical service bulletins for this model year. Brakes complaints overlap with 4 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

Brakes: “Another vehicle ran stop sign, I had to step hard on brake pedal to avoid an accident. Shortly after I noticed the brake pedal getting closer to bottoming out each time I applied the brakes. Upon arriving home I found, on the left side undercarriage below the back seat, fluid dripping and approximately 24 of the frame and undercarriage saturated with brake fluid. When I crawled under the vehicle I traced the brake line from the master cylinder back and found the lines to be rusted. The line that is leaking must have rusted thru. …”

NHTSA complaint #10726302, filed 2015-06, 163,289 miles

Engine: “The exhaust manifold bolts are broken and the muffler repair shop said this could lead to a major repair bill if the other bolts break taking the manifold off, it could lead to the EGR pipe braking and this is a substantial repair bill just replacing each exhaust manifold bolt as is, then, the repair shop wants me to buy new exhaust manifolds so they can warranty their work. This should be a recall issue or new exhaust manifolds & gasket w/upgraded bolts. Please help your loyal customer.”

NHTSA complaint #10631232, filed 2014-09, 193,000 miles

Tires: “This is a synopsis of the incidents with goodyear wrangler hp tires (p265/70r17) that have occurred with my 2002 Cadillac Escalade Ext. The first incident occurred on december 27, 2003, myself along with my father, mother, sister and cousin ellison was traveling in a 2002 Cadillac Escalade Ext. As we were traveling down interstate 16 from macon, georgia to savannah, georgia, there was a loud popping sound and the rear of the vehicle was thrown into the air. Once the rear of the vehicle hit the ground, I was able to safely maneuver the vehicle off to the side of the road. …”

NHTSA complaint #10142524, filed 2005-11

Mileage when problems were reported

21% of the 14 complaints with a mileage were filed for vehicles with under 50,000 miles; the middle half falls between 59,325 and 130,000 miles.

14%0–100%10–257%25–5021%50–7514%75–10021%100–15021%150+
Share of complaints by mileage when the problem was reported, in thousands of miles (14 complaints with mileage). Red bars: under 50,000 miles. Bucket widths differ. Median: 86,056 miles.

Complaints by year filed

Trend: stable. Complaints filed in the last 3 full calendar years are within 25% of the 3 years before.

20042005200652007200920112012201452015
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 2002 Cadillac Escalade EXT. 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 EXT · sedan not rated3 / 4——2

Ratings before the 2011 model year come from an older, less demanding test and are not comparable with ratings for 2011 and later.

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

Fuel economy and running cost

EPA ratings for each 2002 Cadillac Escalade EXT version. Annual fuel cost is the EPA's estimate at its current fuel prices for 15,000 miles a year (55% city driving).

VersionEngineTransmissionCityHwyComb.Fuel / yr
Escalade Ext AWD6.0L 8-cyl4-speed automatic101412$5,600

Source: U.S. EPA and Department of Energy, fueleconomy.gov. Ratings are for comparing vehicles; real-world mileage varies with driving and conditions.

Recalls and investigations

Recall details for the 2002 Cadillac Escalade EXT → · 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. 45 on record; the latest 10 are shown.

See all 45 bulletins →

Other model years of the Cadillac Escalade EXT

YearComplaintsMedian miRecallsCrash ★MPGScore (50 = typical)Trend
20081463,6994———Not enough data
20071678,2255———Falling
2005542,8411—13—Not enough data
200411106,0002—13—Not enough data
20031583,0612—13—Stable
20022286,0561—12—Stable

All Cadillac Escalade EXT model years

Frequently asked questions

How many NHTSA complaints does the 2002 Cadillac Escalade EXT have?

NHTSA recorded 22 consumer complaints for the 2002 Cadillac Escalade EXT as of Oct 27, 2026. Complaints are unverified consumer reports and may be duplicated or inaccurate.

What part of the 2002 Cadillac Escalade EXT is reported most often?

Brakes is named most often, in 10 complaints (45% of the total), followed by engine with 3.

Has the 2002 Cadillac Escalade EXT been recalled?

NHTSA lists 1 recall campaign for this model year. To check a specific vehicle, enter its VIN at nhtsa.gov/recalls.

What gas mileage does the 2002 Cadillac Escalade EXT get?

The EPA rates the 2002 Cadillac Escalade EXT (Escalade Ext AWD, 6.0L 8-cyl) at 12 mpg combined, 10 city and 14 highway, with an estimated annual fuel cost of $5,600 at 15,000 miles a year. Other engine and drive versions are rated differently.

At what mileage are problems with the 2002 Cadillac Escalade EXT reported?

Among the 14 complaints that include a mileage, the median is 86,056 miles and the middle half falls between 59,325 and 130,000 miles; 21% were filed for vehicles with under 50,000 miles.

About this data. Data from NHTSA (ODI) complaints, recalls, TSBs and investigations, updated Oct 27, 2026. Complaints are unverified consumer reports and may be duplicated or inaccurate. Crash ratings are from NHTSA’s New Car Assessment Program. Fuel economy is from the EPA and DOE (fueleconomy.gov).

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.