2016 Cadillac Escalade Reliability Data: Problems & Recalls
Caution The 2016 Cadillac Escalade has a complaint index of 60 and ranks 9th worst out of 21 model years, earning a Caution verdict. Engine problems account for 38% of complaints, with 4 recalls including a do-not-drive front suspension recall.
Based on NHTSA complaints per model-year, not a reliability rating. Methodology
YearToAvoid Scorecard
- Complaint Index
- 60/100
- #9 of 21 Escalade years
- Verdict
- Caution
- vs. other years of this model
- Complaints
- 89
- unique NHTSA reports
- Recalls
- 4
- 1 Do Not Drive
- Crashes
- 2
- reported in complaints
- Fires
- 3
- Injuries
- 3
- Top issue
- Engine
- NHTSA overall rating
- Not rated
- EPA combined MPG
- 17
- 15 city / 21.5 hwy
- Injuries / deaths
- 3 / 0
Top 2016 Cadillac Escalade problems
Share of this year’s NHTSA complaints by component group. Groups with 15+ complaints have their own page.
- Engine34 (38%)
- Transmission & Powertrain17 (19%)
- Electrical System15 (17%)
- Other15 (17%)
- Suspension, Wheels & Tires10 (11%)
- Brakes7 (8%)
- Steering7 (8%)
- Airbags6 (7%)
- Structure & Body4 (4%)
- Fuel System3 (3%)
A complaint can list more than one component, so shares add up to more than 100%. Shares are % of complaints.
What owners report
- Some owners report a known transmission condition causing the vehicle to buck and surge when slowing to a stop or in traffic, with no fix offered by dealers.
- Owners describe a constant vibration or buffeting noise in the cabin at highway speeds between 35 and 75 mph unrelated to road conditions.
- One owner reported the tailpipe corroded and fell off at a low mileage, with exhaust heat melting the rear bumper and back-up sensors.
- Airbag warning lights have illuminated shortly after purchase due to a failed airbag module that was not repaired in at least one case.
- Some owners report the engine shutting off unexpectedly after coming to a stop, with no warning lights and a normal-looking dashboard.
- One owner reported the check engine light and other warnings appearing during highway merging, with the engine becoming sluggish and rough.
2016 Cadillac Escalade recalls
4 NHTSA recall campaigns list this model year.
- NHTSA 19V645000Sep 6, 2019Brakes3,456,719 vehicles
Service brakes, hydraulic:power assist:vacuum
General Motors LLC (GM) is recalling certain 2015-2017 Cadillac Escalade, 2014-2018 Chevrolet Silverado, GMC Sierra, 2015-2018 Chevrolet Suburban, Tahoe, GMC Yukon vehicles. The amount of vacuum created by the vacuum pump may decrease over time.
Risk: 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, Cadillac customer service at 1-800-458-8006 or GMC customer service at 1-800-462-8782. GM's number for this recall is N192268490.
- NHTSA 17V437000Jul 10, 2017Seat Belts40,683 vehicles
Seat belts:pretensioner
General Motors LLC (GM) is recalling certain model year 2014-2016 Buick Lacrosse and Chevrolet Spark EV, Caprice PPV and SS vehicles, 2014-2017 Buick Encore and Chevrolet Corvette, Silverado 1500 and GMC Sierra 1500 vehicles, 2015-2016 Cadillac Escalade and Escalade ESV, Chevrolet Tahoe, Trax, Suburban and Silverado 2500 and 3500 and GMC Yukon and Yukon XL vehicles, and 2015-2017 GMC Sierra HD 2500 and 3500 vehicles. While being previously remedied for recall 16V-651, the affected vehicles may not have received the complete software update necessary to remedy the recall condition. Without the update, certain driving conditions may cause the air bag sensing and diagnostic module (SDM) software to activate a diagnostic test. During this test, deployment of the frontal air bags and the seat belt pretensioners would not occur in the event of a crash.
Risk: 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 free of charge. The recall began on August 4, 2017. Owners may contact Buick customer service at 1-800-521-7300, Cadillac customer service at 1-800-458-8006, Chevrolet customer service at 1-800-222-1020, or GMC customer service at 1-800-462-8782. GM's number for this recall is 17287.
- NHTSA 16V651000Sep 8, 2016Airbags3,640,162 vehicles
Air bags:frontal:sensor/control module-inactive
General Motors LLC (GM) is recalling certain model year 2015-2017 Chevrolet Silverado 2500 HD, 3500 HD, Tahoe, Suburban, GMC Sierra 2500 HD and 3500 HD, GMC Yukon, GMC Yukon XL, Cadillac Escalade and Cadillac Escalade ESV vehicles and 2014-2017 Chevrolet Corvette, Silverado 1500, Trax, Caprice Police Pursuit Vehicle, GMC Sierra 1500, Buick Encore, and 2014-2016 Buick Lacrosse, Chevrolet Spark EV and SS vehicles. In the affected vehicles, certain driving conditions may cause the air bag sensing and diagnostic module (SDM) software to activate a diagnostic test. During this test, deployment of the frontal air bags and the seat belt pretensioners would not occur in the event of a crash.
Risk: 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 free of charge. The recall began on October 13, 2016. Owners may contact Buick customer service at 1-800-521-7300, Cadillac customer service at 1-800-458-8006, Chevrolet customer service at 1-800-222-1020, or GMC customer service at 1-800-462-8782. GM's number for this recall is 16007.
2016 Cadillac Escalade fuel economy and fuel cost
- City
- 15 MPG
- Highway
- 21.5 MPG
- Combined
- 17 MPG
- Annual fuel cost (EPA)
- $3,800
- 15,000 mi/yr
- Fuel
- Regular
- 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.
2016 compared with other Escalade years
Frequently asked questions
- Is the 2016 Cadillac Escalade reliable?
- NHTSA data gives the 2016 Escalade a complaint index of 60, ranking it 9th worst among 21 model years, which puts it in the Caution category relative to other Escalade years.
- What is the biggest problem with the 2016 Cadillac Escalade?
- Engine problems are the top complaint area, making up 38% of complaints, followed by transmission and powertrain issues at 19%.
- Does the 2016 Cadillac Escalade have any recalls?
- NHTSA lists 4 recalls for the 2016 Escalade, including a do-not-drive recall covering the front upper control arms and a separate airbag software recall.
- How does the 2016 Escalade compare to other years?
- The 2016 model's complaint index of 60 is worse than years like 2012, 2013, 2018, and 2020, which all earned a Best verdict, but better than 2007 and 2023, which rank as Avoid years.
- What mileage do 2016 Escalade problems typically show up at?
- The median mileage at failure across all complaints is 38,000 miles, though engine complaints show a higher median mileage of 69,775 miles.