YearToAvoid

2008 Cadillac Escalade Airbags Problems

NHTSA has 74 owner complaints about airbag problems in the 2008 Cadillac Escalade, 54% of all 136 complaints for this model year. That is #2 highest airbag complaint count among 21 Escalade model years. These complaints report 3 crashes and 1 injury. Median mileage at failure: 92,500 miles.

Airbags complaints
74
54% of 136
Crashes reported
3
Fires reported
0
Injuries reported
1
Median mileage
92,500 mi
Related recalls
2

When 2008 Cadillac Escalade airbag complaints were filed

First complaint Jan 13, 2012, latest Sep 14, 2021.

2008 Cadillac Escalade airbags complaints: complaints filed per month7Jan 2012Mar 2017Oct 2017May 2018Dec 2018Aug 2019Mar 2020Nov 2020
74 complaints filed with NHTSA from Jan 2012 to Sep 2021; peak Oct 2017 (7).

Airbags recalls for the 2008 Cadillac Escalade

  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.

Airbags complaints by Escalade model year

Raw complaint counts per model year; newer years have had less time to accumulate complaints.

  1. 200510 (23%)
  2. 20063 (16%)
  3. 2007116 (50%)
  4. 200874 (54%)
  5. 200924 (41%)
  6. 201021 (55%)
  7. 201134 (69%)
  8. 20122 (10%)
  9. 20133 (16%)
  10. 20145 (25%)
  11. 20153 (3%)
  12. 20166 (7%)
  13. 20170 (0%)
  14. 20180 (0%)
  15. 20190 (0%)
  16. 20200 (0%)
  17. 20211 (1%)
  18. 20221 (1%)
  19. 20231 (1%)
  20. 20240 (0%)
  21. 20250 (0%)

Frequently asked questions

Does the 2008 Cadillac Escalade have airbag problems?
NHTSA has 74 owner complaints about the airbag in the 2008 Cadillac Escalade, 54% of all complaints for this model year, including 3 that report a crash. Median mileage at failure is 92,500 miles.
Which Cadillac Escalade year has the most airbag complaints?
The 2007 Cadillac Escalade has the most airbag complaints (116), compared with 74 for the 2008.
Is there a airbag recall for the 2008 Cadillac Escalade?
Yes — 2 NHTSA recall campaigns for the 2008 Cadillac Escalade concern the airbag: 21V050000 and 21V052000.

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.