YearToAvoid

2007 Cadillac Escalade Reliability Data: Problems & Recalls

Avoid The 2007 Cadillac Escalade ranks 2nd worst of 21 model years with a Complaint Index of 95 and 230 complaints, earning an Avoid verdict. Airbags account for half of all complaints, with 116 reports and 11 crashes, alongside 4 recall campaigns.

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

YearToAvoid Scorecard

Complaint Index
95/100
#2 of 21 Escalade years
Verdict
Avoid
vs. other years of this model
Complaints
230
unique NHTSA reports
Recalls
4
distinct NHTSA campaigns
Crashes
13
reported in complaints
Fires
7
Injuries
29
Top issue
Airbags
Best nearby year
2012
rated Best
NHTSA overall rating
Not rated
EPA combined MPG
14
12 city / 18.5 hwy
Injuries / deaths
29 / 0

Top 2007 Cadillac Escalade problems

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

  1. Airbags116 (50%)
  2. Engine43 (19%)
  3. Electrical System39 (17%)
  4. Structure & Body30 (13%)
  5. Brakes23 (10%)
  6. Suspension, Wheels & Tires15 (7%)
  7. Transmission & Powertrain14 (6%)
  8. Other12 (5%)
  9. Fuel System7 (3%)
  10. Steering4 (2%)

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

What owners report

  • Airbags fail to deploy during moderate-to-high speed crashes, including rollovers and tree or vehicle collisions.
  • Electrical system fires start under the dashboard or near the rear roof light, sometimes producing visible flames and smoke.
  • The engine compartment or cabin catches fire while the vehicle is parked and not in use.
  • Electrical faults cause dashboard displays, door locks, and infotainment systems to cut out or behave erratically while driving.
  • Owners who received Takata airbag recall notices reported delays in obtaining replacement parts even after a crash occurred.
  • Front brake pads have fractured shortly after purchase in at least one documented case.
2007 Cadillac Escalade complaints: complaints filed per quarter242006 Q22009 Q22012 Q22014 Q42017 Q12019 Q22021 Q32025 Q2
230 complaints filed with NHTSA from 2006 Q2 to 2026 Q3; peak 2017 Q4 (24).

2007 Cadillac Escalade recalls

4 NHTSA recall campaigns list this model year.

  1. NHTSA 21V050000Feb 5, 2021Airbags2,641,272 vehicles

    Air bags:frontal:passenger side:inflator module

    General Motors, LLC (GM) is recalling certain 2007-2011 Cadillac Escalade, Escalade ESV, Escalade EXT, Chevrolet Avalanche, Silverado 1500, Suburban, Tahoe, GMC Sierra 1500, Yukon, Yukon XL, and 2009-2011 Chevrolet Silverado 2500, Silverado 3500, GMC Sierra 2500 and Sierra 3500 vehicles 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." Additionally, GM is recalling certain 2007-2008 Cadillac Escalade, Escalade ESV, Escalade EXT, Chevrolet Avalanche, Silverado 1500, Suburban, Tahoe, GMC Sierra 1500, Yukon, Yukon XL vehicles originally sold, or ever registered, in the states of Arizona, Arkansas, Delaware, District of Columbia, Illinois, Indiana, Kansas, Kentucky, Maryland, Missouri, Nebraska, Nevada, New Jersey, New Mexico, North Carolina, Ohio, Oklahoma, Pennsylvania, Tennessee, Virginia, and West Virginia or "Zone B." 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 March 1, 2021. 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 N212328760.

  2. NHTSA 21V052000Feb 5, 2021Airbags557,023 vehicles

    Air bags:frontal:passenger side:inflator module

    General Motors, LLC (GM) is recalling certain 2009 Cadillac Escalade, Escalade ESV, Escalade EXT, Chevrolet Avalanche, Silverado 1500, Silverado 2500, Silverado 3500, Suburban, Tahoe, GMC Sierra 1500, Sierra 2500, Sierra 3500, Yukon, and Yukon XL vehicles originally sold, or ever registered, in the states of Arizona, Arkansas, Delaware, District of Columbia, Illinois, Indiana, Kansas, Kentucky, Maryland, Missouri, Nebraska, Nevada, New Jersey, New Mexico, North Carolina, Ohio, Oklahoma, Pennsylvania, Tennessee, Virginia, and West Virginia or "Zone B." Additionally, GM is recalling certain 2007-2008 Cadillac Escalade, Escalade ESV, and Escalade EXT, Chevrolet Avalanche, Silverado 1500, Suburban, Tahoe, GMC Sierra 1500, Yukon, and Yukon XL vehicles originally sold, or ever registered, in the states of Alaska, Colorado, Connecticut, Idaho, Iowa, Maine, Massachusetts, Michigan, Minnesota, Montana, New Hampshire, New York, North Dakota, Oregon, Rhode Island, South Dakota, Utah, Vermont, Washington, Wisconsin, and Wyoming 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 23, 2021. Second notification letters will be mailed once the remedy is available. Owner notification letters were mailed on September 20, 2021. 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 N212328780.

  3. NHTSA 10V240000Jun 4, 2010Electrical System1,365,070 vehicles

    Electrical system

    Gm is recalling certain model year 2006-2009 buick, lucerne; cadillac dts; hummer h2; model year 2008-2009 buick enclave; cadillac cts; model year 2007-2009 cadillac escalade, escalade esv, escalade ext; chevrolet avalanche, silverado, suburban, tahoe; gmc acadia, sierra, yukon, yukon xl; saturn outlook; and model year 2009 chevrolet traverse vehicles equipped with a heated washer fluid system (hwfs). A recall was implemented in 2008 to add a fuse to the control circuit harness to address the potential consequences of a printed circuit board (pcb) electrical short. However, there have been new reports of thermal incidents on hwfs modules after this improvement was installed. These incidents resulted from a new failure mode attributed to the device's thermal protection feature. The significance varies from minor distortion to considerable melting of the plastic around the hwfs fluid chamber.

    Risk: It is possible for the heated washer module to ignite and a fire may occur.

    Remedy: Dealers will permanently disable and remove the heated washer fluid module. An updated page for the owner manual will be provided and inserted in the owner manual to document that the feature has been permanently disabled and removed from the vehicle. The safety recall began on june 11, 2010. Owners may contact buick at 1-866-608-8080, cadillac at 1-866-982-2339, chevrolet at 1-800-630-2438, saturn at 1-800-972-8876, gmc at 1-866-996-9463 and hummer at 1-800-732-5493 or at the owner center at www.gmownercenter.com.

See all 4 recalls for the 2007 Cadillac Escalade →

2007 Cadillac Escalade fuel economy and fuel cost

City
12 MPG
Highway
18.5 MPG
Combined
14 MPG
Annual fuel cost (EPA)
$5,700
15,000 mi/yr
Fuel
Premium
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.

2007 compared with other Escalade 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
2005Good4043213.5
2006Good019213
2007Avoid95230414
2008Caution70136414
2009Avoid9058515

All Cadillac Escalade years: best and worst →

Frequently asked questions

Is the 2007 Cadillac Escalade reliable?
NHTSA data ranks the 2007 Escalade 2nd worst out of 21 model years, with a Complaint Index of 95 and 230 complaints, so it carries an Avoid verdict compared to other Escalade years.
What is the biggest problem with the 2007 Cadillac Escalade?
Airbags are the top problem area, making up 50% of complaints (116 reports), including 11 crashes where airbags reportedly failed to deploy.
Does the 2007 Cadillac Escalade have any recalls?
Yes, NHTSA lists 4 recall campaigns for the 2007 Escalade, covering airbags and the electrical system, including a Takata airbag inflator replacement.
What mileage do problems typically show up at on the 2007 Escalade?
The median mileage at failure across all reported problems is 89,000 miles, though airbag-related complaints have a higher median of 105,000 miles.
How does the 2007 Escalade compare to other years?
Only the 2023 Escalade has a higher Complaint Index (100) than the 2007's 95, while years like 2012, 2013, 2018, and 2020 earn Best verdicts with much lower indexes.

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.