2016 Cadillac Escalade Problems, Recalls & Reliability
Verdict
CautionComplaint Index
67/100
#6 most-complained of 16 Escalade years
The 2016 Cadillac Escalade has a Complaint Index of 67, ranking 6th worst among 16 model years, with a Caution verdict. It has 89 complaints, 4 recalls (including one do-not-drive recall), and Engine issues make up 38% of complaints.
- Complaints
- 89
- Recalls
- 4
- incl. Do Not Drive
- Crashes / fires
- 2 / 3
- Injuries / deaths
- 3 / 0
- NHTSA overall rating
- Not rated
- EPA combined MPG
- 17
- 15 city / 21.5 hwy
Top 2016 Cadillac Escalade problems
NHTSA owner 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%)
What owners report
- Vehicles buck and surge when slowing to a stop, in traffic, or on the highway, described by owners as a known transmission condition without a fix.
- Owners report a constant vibration between 35 mph and 75 mph along with a buffeting or booming noise in the cabin at highway speeds.
- The tail pipe corroded and detached, letting exhaust heat melt the rear bumper and back-up sensors.
- The airbag warning light illuminated shortly after purchase due to a failed airbag module that was not repaired.
- The engine has shut off unexpectedly after coming to a stop, with no warning lights and normal dash readings before restarting.
- Check engine and transmission warning lights came on together, with the engine running rough, sluggish, and losing power in traffic.
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 67 and a Caution verdict, ranking 6th worst out of 16 model years for this model.
- What are the most common problems with the 2016 Cadillac Escalade?
- Engine issues account for 38% of complaints, followed by transmission and powertrain problems at 19% and electrical system issues at 17%, based on NHTSA complaint data.
- Does the 2016 Cadillac Escalade have any recalls?
- NHTSA lists 4 recalls for the 2016 Escalade, including one do-not-drive recall covering the suspension and front upper control arms.
- How does the 2016 Escalade compare to other years?
- The 2016 model ranks better than 2015, 2022, 2023, and 2024, which all carry an Avoid verdict, but worse than years like 2012, 2013, 2018, and 2020, which rank Best.
- At what mileage do 2016 Escalade problems typically show up?
- Median mileage at failure varies by system: engine issues at 69,775 miles, transmission and powertrain at 47,755 miles, and electrical system issues at 30,000 miles.