2012 Cadillac Escalade ESV Problems, Recalls & Reliability
Verdict
No verdictComplaint Index
13/100
#14 most-complained of 16 Escalade ESV years
Based on NHTSA complaints per model-year, not a reliability rating. Methodology
The 2012 Cadillac Escalade ESV has a complaint index of 13 and ranks 14th out of 16 model years, making it one of the lower-complaint years. It has 3 recalls and 3 NHTSA complaints, with electrical system issues being the top problem area.
- Complaints
- 3
- Recalls
- 3
- Crashes / fires
- 0 / 0
- Injuries / deaths
- 0 / 0
- NHTSA overall rating
- 4 / 5 ★
- EPA combined MPG
- 15
- 13.5 city / 18 hwy
Top 2012 Cadillac Escalade ESV problems
NHTSA owner complaints by component group. Groups with 15+ complaints have their own page.
- Electrical System2 (67%)
- Airbags1 (33%)
- Engine1 (33%)
What owners report
- Dashboard lights flicker and radio cycles on and off while driving at highway speed.
- Door locks unlock and lock themselves without driver input.
- Heated and cooled seats activate on their own during otherwise normal driving.
- Vehicle seems to hesitate or stumble in acceleration before returning to normal operation.
- Owners report the airbag recall replacement part was unavailable at the dealer when they sought the repair.
2012 Cadillac Escalade ESV recalls
3 NHTSA recall campaigns list this model year.
- 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.
- 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.
- 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
Frequently asked questions
- Is the 2012 Cadillac Escalade ESV reliable?
- NHTSA data shows the 2012 Escalade ESV has a complaint index of 13, ranking 14th out of 16 model years, meaning it has fewer reported problems than most other years of this model.
- What are the main problems with the 2012 Cadillac Escalade ESV?
- The top problem area is the electrical system, accounting for 67% of complaints, with issues like dashboard lights, door locks, and climate controls acting erratically. Median mileage at failure for electrical complaints was 77,437.5 miles.
- Does the 2012 Cadillac Escalade ESV have any recalls?
- Yes, NHTSA lists 3 recalls for the 2012 Escalade ESV, covering airbag inflators (two separate campaigns) and an ignition lock housing issue tied to the electrical system.
- How does the 2012 model compare to other Escalade ESV years?
- The 2012 model's complaint index of 13 is much lower than years like 2023 (100) or 2021 (93), which carry an Avoid verdict, making 2012 comparatively better within the model line.