YearToAvoid

2012 Cadillac Escalade ESV Reliability Data: Problems & Recalls

No verdict The 2012 Cadillac Escalade ESV has a complaint index of 10, one of the lowest among 21 model years, ranking 19th worst. It has 3 complaints and 3 recalls, with no verdict assigned yet, making it relatively low-risk compared to years like 2007, 2017, 2021, 2022 and 2023.

Based on NHTSA complaints per model-year, not a reliability rating. Methodology

YearToAvoid Scorecard

Complaint Index
10/100
#19 of 21 Escalade ESV years
Verdict
No verdict
vs. other years of this model
Complaints
3
unique NHTSA reports
Recalls
3
distinct NHTSA campaigns
Crashes
0
reported in complaints
Fires
0
Injuries
0
Top issue
Electrical System
Best nearby year
2009
rated Good
NHTSA overall rating
4 / 5 ★
EPA combined MPG
15
13.5 city / 18 hwy
Injuries / deaths
0 / 0

Top 2012 Cadillac Escalade ESV problems

Share of this year’s NHTSA complaints by component group. Groups with 15+ complaints have their own page.

  1. Electrical System2 (67%)
  2. Airbags1 (33%)
  3. Engine1 (33%)

A complaint can list more than one component, so shares add up to more than 100%. Shares are % of complaints.

What owners report

  • Dashboard lights and electrical accessories flicker or activate on their own while driving at highway speed, including door locks, seat heaters, and radio.
  • Electrical glitches can make the vehicle feel like it hesitates or briefly loses power, though the engine does not fully shut off.
  • Similar electrical malfunctions occurred during normal city driving, with the navigation screen and clock blinking along with heating and AC controls.
  • Owners reported waiting for airbag recall parts (Takata inflator campaign 21V054000) that were not yet available at the dealer.
2012 Cadillac Escalade ESV complaints: complaints filed per month1May 2015Dec 2018Apr 2021
3 complaints filed with NHTSA from May 2015 to Apr 2021; peak May 2015 (1).

2012 Cadillac Escalade ESV recalls

3 NHTSA recall campaigns list this model year.

  1. NHTSA 21V051000Feb 5, 2021Airbags284,645 vehicles

    Air bags:frontal:passenger side:inflator module

    General Motors, LLC (GM) is recalling certain 2012 Cadillac Escalade, Escalade ESV, Escalade EXT, Chevrolet Avalanche, Silverado 1500, Silverado 2500/3500, Suburban, Tahoe, GMC Sierra 1500, Sierra 2500/3500, Yukon, and Yukon XL originally sold, or ever registered, in the states of Alabama, California, Florida, Georgia, Hawaii, Louisiana, Mississippi, South Carolina, Texas, Puerto Rico, American Samoa, Guam, the Northern Mariana Islands (Saipan), and the U.S. Virgin Islands or "Zone A." These vehicles are equipped with non-desiccated passenger frontal inflators containing phase-stabilized ammonium nitrate (PSAN) propellant. These inflators may explode due to propellant degradation occurring after long-term exposure to high absolute humidity, high temperatures, and high temperature cycling.

    Risk: An inflator explosion may result in sharp metal fragments striking the driver or other occupants, resulting in serious injury or death.

    Remedy: GM will notify owners, and dealers will replace the front passenger air bag inflator with an alternate one, free of charge. Interim letters notifying owners of the safety risk were mailed on February 22, 2021. Second notification letters will be mailed once the remedy is available. Owner notification letters were mailed on May 11, 2021. Owners may contact Cadillac customer service at 1-800-458-8006; Chevrolet customer service at 1-800-222-1020; and GMC customer service at 1-800-462-8782. GM's number for this recall is N212328770.

  2. NHTSA 21V054000Feb 5, 2021Airbags1,778,128 vehicles

    Air bags:frontal:passenger side:inflator module

    General Motors, LLC (GM) is recalling certain 2014 Cadillac Escalade, Escalade ESV, Chevrolet Silverado 2500, Silverado 3500, Suburban, Tahoe, GMC Sierra 2500, Sierra 3500, Yukon, and Yukon XL vehicles originally sold, or ever registered, in the states of AL, CA, FL, GA, HI, LA, MS, SC, TX, PR, AS, GU, the MP, and VI or "Zone A." Additionally GM is recalling certain 2011-2014 Cadillac Escalade, Escalade ESV, Chevrolet Silverado 2500, Silverado 3500, Suburban, Tahoe, GMC Sierra 2500, Sierra 3500, Yukon, Yukon XL and 2011-2013 Cadillac Escalade EXT, Chevrolet Avalanche, Silverado 1500, and GMC Sierra 1500 vehicles originally sold, or ever registered, in the states of AZ, AR, DE, DC, IL, IN, KS, KY, MD, MO, NE, NV, NJ, NM, NC, OH, OK, PA, TN, VA, and WV or "Zone B." Additionally, GM is recalling certain 2010-2014 Cadillac Escalade, Escalade ESV, Chevrolet Silverado 2500, Silverado 3500, Suburban, Tahoe, GMC Sierra 2500, Sierra 3500, Yukon, and Yukon XL and 2010-2013 Cadillac Escalade EXT, Chevrolet Avalanche, Silverado 1500, and GMC Sierra 1500 vehicles originally sold, or ever registered, in the states of AK, CO, CT, ID, IA, ME, MA, MI, MN, MT, NH, NY, ND, OR, RI, SD, UT, VT, WA, WI, and WY or "Zone C." These vehicles are equipped with non-desiccated passenger frontal inflators containing phase-stabilized ammonium nitrate (PSAN) propellant. These inflators may explode due to propellant degradation occurring after long-term exposure to high absolute humidity, high temperatures, and high temperature cycling.

    Risk: An inflator explosion may result in sharp metal fragments striking the driver or other occupants, resulting in serious injury or death.

    Remedy: GM will notify owners, and dealers will replace the front passenger air bag inflator with an alternate one, free of charge. Interim letters notifying owners of the safety risk were mailed on February 25, 2021. Second notification letters will be mailed once the remedy is available. Owner notification letters were mailed to 40 VIN owners on May 11, 2021. A second owner notification letter was mailed to all other owners on January 24, 2022. Owners may contact Chevrolet customer service at 1-800-222-1020; Cadillac customer service at 1-800-458-8006; and GMC customer service at 1-800-462-8782. GM's number for this recall is N212328800.

  3. NHTSA 14V827000Dec 30, 2014Electrical System84,192 vehicles

    Electrical system:ignition

    General Motors LLC (GM) is recalling certain model year 2011-2012 Cadillac Escalade, Escalade ESV, Escalade EXT, Chevrolet Avalanche, Silverado HD, Silverado LD, Suburban, Tahoe, GMC Sierra LD, Sierra HD, Yukon, and Yukon XL vehicles. In the affected vehicles, the ignition lock actuator may bind, making turning the key difficult or causing the ignition to get stuck in the "Start" position.

    Risk: If stuck in the "Start" position, the ignition may suddenly snap back into the "Accessory" position, causing a loss of engine, steering, and braking power, increasing the risk of a vehicle crash. If the vehicle is in a crash, the air bags may not deploy, increasing the risk of occupant injury.

    Remedy: GM will notify owners, and dealers will inspect and replace the ignition lock housing, as necessary, free of charge. The recall began on February 12, 2015. Owners may contact GM customer service at 1-800-458-8006 (Cadillac), 1-800-222-1020 (Chevrolet), or 1-800-462-8782 (GMC). GM's number for this recall is 14696 for the original equipment, and 14912 for the service replacement parts.

2012 Cadillac Escalade ESV fuel economy and fuel cost

City
13.5 MPG
Highway
18 MPG
Combined
15 MPG
Annual fuel cost (EPA)
$4,350
15,000 mi/yr
Fuel
Gasoline or E85
Current regular gas
$4.32/gal
national avg.

EPA figures; median across configurations of this model year. Estimate your own cost with the fuel cost calculator.

2012 compared with other Escalade ESV years

Complaint Index by model year (0 = fewest issues, 100 = most)0255075100’05’06’07’08’09’10’11’12’13’14’15’16’17’18’19’20’21’22’23’24’25
Complaint Index: 0 = fewest issues, 100 = most, relative to other years of this model. Avoid Caution Good Best
YearVerdictIndexComplaintsRecallsMPG
2010No verdict154316
2011Caution5013515
2012No verdict103315
2013No verdict52415
2014No verdict00215

All Cadillac Escalade ESV years: best and worst →

Frequently asked questions

Is the 2012 Cadillac Escalade ESV reliable?
NHTSA data shows only 3 complaints and a complaint index of 10 for the 2012 Escalade ESV, ranking it 19th worst out of 21 model years, meaning it has one of the lower complaint rates in the lineup.
What are the main problems with the 2012 Cadillac Escalade ESV?
The top problem area is the Electrical System, accounting for 67% of complaints, including dashboard glitches and accessories activating on their own. Engine and airbag issues make up the rest.
Does the 2012 Cadillac Escalade ESV have any recalls?
Yes, NHTSA lists 3 recalls for this model year, covering airbag inflators (two separate Takata-related campaigns) and an ignition lock housing electrical issue. None are do-not-drive recalls.
How does the 2012 Escalade ESV compare to other years?
With a complaint index of 10, the 2012 model ranks better than years like 2007 (75), 2011 (50), 2017 (85), 2021 (95) and 2023 (100), which have higher complaint indexes and Avoid or Caution verdicts.
At what mileage do 2012 Escalade ESV electrical problems appear?
The median mileage at failure for Electrical System complaints is 77,437.5 miles, according to NHTSA data.

Sources: NHTSA Office of Defects Investigation complaint and recall databases; U.S. EPA fuel economy data; NHTSA 5-Star Safety Ratings. Complaints are unverified owner reports.

Data updated Sep 24, 2026. Read the methodology and data sources. The Complaint Index is based on NHTSA owner complaints and recalls; it is not a reliability rating.