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2016 Cadillac Escalade Reliability & Recall Report

Based on 4 NHTSA recalls and 104 owner complaints. All data sourced from the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) — free, no signup required.

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This model year has more owner complaints than most other years of the Cadillac Escalade

The 2016 model year has more NHTSA owner complaints than the average of the years compared below. Review the recalls and common complaints, and have any vehicle inspected.

D
53/100

High Reported Activity — 2016 Cadillac Escalade

The 2016 Cadillac Escalade shows high recall and complaint activity in NHTSA data. Review the issues below and have a thorough pre-purchase inspection done by an independent mechanic.

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4
NHTSA Recalls
4 recalls on record
104
Owner Complaints
Filed with NHTSA
4
Crash Reports
3 fire reports
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NHTSA Recalls — 2016 Cadillac Escalade (4)

All recalls listed below must be repaired by an authorized Cadillac dealer at no charge to the owner.

🔧 Service Brakes, Hydraulic: Power Assist: Vacuum
As the vacuum level drops, the brake assist decreases, increasing braking effort, extending the distance required to stop the vehicle, thereby increasing the risk of a crash.
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,…
NHTSA #19V645000
🔧 Air Bags: Frontal
A failure of the front air bags or seat belt pretensioners to deploy in the event of a crash necessitating deployment increases the risk of injury to the driver and front passenger.
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…
NHTSA #16V651000
🔧 Air Bags: Frontal
A failure of the front air bags or seat belt pretensioners to deploy in the event of a crash necessitating deployment increases the risk of injury to the driver and front passenger.
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…
NHTSA #17V437000
🔧 Suspension: Front: Control Arm
Inadequate welds may allow the control arm to separate from the bushing, compromising steering and increasing the risk of a crash.
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….
NHTSA #16V256000
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Most Common Problems — 2016 Cadillac Escalade

Based on 104 owner complaints filed with NHTSA. Bars show relative complaint frequency.

Engine
22
Power Train
17
Suspension
15
Electrical System
14
Unknown Or Other
10
Steering
7
Air Bags
6
Service Brakes
3
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Cadillac Escalade — Complaints by Year

A spike means more owner complaints were filed for that model year. The 2016 model year is highlighted.

2010 43 complaints 2011 65 complaints 2012 26 complaints 2013 19 complaints 2014 20 complaints 2015 106 complaints 2016 104 complaints 2017 89 complaints 2018 21 complaints 2019 25 complaints 2020 14 complaints

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⚠ Higher-complaint years: 2015, 2016, 2017 — These model years have more owner complaints in NHTSA data than the other years compared.

✅ Best model years: 2013, 2014, 2018 — Lowest complaint rates for this model.

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Frequently Asked Questions — 2016 Cadillac Escalade

Is the 2016 Cadillac Escalade reliable?
Based on NHTSA data, the 2016 Cadillac Escalade has 4 recall campaigns and 104 owner complaints. This model year shows elevated recall or complaint activity — review the details and get a thorough pre-purchase inspection.
How many recalls does the 2016 Cadillac Escalade have?
The 2016 Cadillac Escalade has 4 NHTSA recalls. Affected systems include: see recall details above. All recalls are repaired free at authorized dealers.
What are the most common problems with the 2016 Cadillac Escalade?
The most commonly reported problems for the 2016 Cadillac Escalade are: Engine, Power Train, Suspension, Electrical System. See the complaint breakdown above for full details.
Is the 2016 Cadillac Escalade safe to buy?
The 2016 Cadillac Escalade has some safety and reliability items to review before buying. Ensure all 4 recalls are completed at a dealer. A pre-purchase inspection by an independent mechanic is strongly recommended.
What year Cadillac Escalade should I buy?
Based on NHTSA complaint data, the best years for the Cadillac Escalade are: 2013, 2014, 2018. These show the lowest complaint rates. Years with higher complaint counts: 2015, 2016, 2017.
How we score this: The score starts at 100 and subtracts points for the number of NHTSA recall campaigns and owner complaints filed for this model year, and for complaints that report crashes or fires. Newer model years get a small bonus because they have had less time to collect reports. These are raw counts and are not adjusted for how many vehicles were sold, so popular models tend to have more recalls and complaints. Complaints are unverified owner reports. This grade is not a prediction about any individual vehicle and is not an inspection: check a specific car’s VIN for open recalls and get an independent pre-purchase inspection.
Data source: All recall and complaint data is sourced directly from the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) public API. Data is cached and refreshed every 7 days. Recall and complaint counts reflect data available at the time of last cache update. For the most current recall status on a specific vehicle, enter the VIN above or visit NHTSA.gov/recalls.