2021 Cadillac Escalade ESV Problems, Complaints & Recalls
- Compared with other Escalade ESV years
- Far more complaints than other years 2nd of 24 for complaints
- Safety recalls
- 10 recalls: check your VIN
- NHTSA crash rating
- 4 out of 5 stars
Owners have filed 74 complaints with NHTSA about the 2021 Cadillac Escalade ESV. That ranks 2nd out of 24 Escalade ESV model years for complaints. The most reported problem area is engine (54 complaints, 73%), typically at around 80,500 miles. Complaints mention 2 crashes, 3 injuries. There are 10 safety recalls covering this model year. NHTSA has opened 5 defect investigations involving it.
- 74owner complaints
- 10safety recalls
- 5NHTSA investigations
- 2complaints mentioning a crash
Complaints are unverified owner reports and are not adjusted for sales volume.
Most common 2021 Cadillac Escalade ESV problems
Complaints grouped by the part of the car owners reported, with the median mileage when the problem happened.
| Problem area | Complaints | Share | Median miles | Owners mention most | Typical repair cost |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Engine problems | 54 | 73% | 80,500 | “redacted pursuant freedom” (11%) | $7,550 |
| Power Train | 12 | 16% | 25,000 | — | — |
| Electrical System | 11 | 15% | 52,000 | — | — |
| Engine and Engine Cooling | 7 | 9% | 57,000 | — | — |
| Fuel/propulsion System | 6 | 8% | — | — | — |
| Service Brakes | 4 | 5% | — | — | — |
| Forward Collision Avoidance | 2 | 3% | — | — | — |
| Seat Belts | 2 | 3% | — | — | — |
| Unknown or Other | 2 | 3% | — | — | — |
| Steering | 1 | 1% | — | — | — |
| Structure | 1 | 1% | — | — | — |
| Suspension | 1 | 1% | — | — | — |
| Wheels | 1 | 1% | — | — | — |
One complaint can list several problem areas, so shares can add up to more than 100%.
Complaints by year received
2021 Cadillac Escalade ESV recalls (10)
Tap a recall to see the problem, the risk and the fix.
Engine and engine cooling:engine:hard parts internal/mechanical
Problem: General Motors LLC (GM) is recalling certain 2021-2024 Cadillac Escalade and Escalade ESV, Chevrolet Silverado 1500, Suburban, and Tahoe, GMC Sierra 1500, Yukon, and Yukon XL vehicles equipped with a 6.2L V8 gas engine. The connecting rod and/or crankshaft engine components may have manufacturing defects that can lead to engine damage and engine failure.
Risk: Engine failure increases the risk of a crash.
Fix: Dealers will inspect the engine, and as necessary, repair or replace the engine. For vehicles that pass inspection, dealers will add higher viscosity oil, install 6 oil fill cap, replace the oil filter, and update the owner's manual. Repairs will be performed free of charge. Owner notification letters were mailed June 18, 2025. Owners may contact Cadillac customer service at 1-800-333-4223, Chevrolet customer service at 1-800-222-1020, or GMC customer service at 1-800-462-8782. GM's number for this recall is N252494000.
Power train:automatic transmission:fluid/lubricant:valves/valve body; power train:automatic transmission:control module:software
Problem: General Motors, LLC (GM) is recalling certain 2020-2022 Chevrolet Silverado 1500, 2500, 3500, GMC Sierra 1500, 2500, 3500, 2021 Cadillac Escalade, Escalade ESV, Chevrolet Tahoe, Suburban, GMC Yukon, and Yukon XL vehicles equipped with diesel engines. The transmission control valve may fail and cause the rear wheels to lock-up.
Risk: Rear wheel lock-up can increase the risk of a crash.
Fix: Dealers will install new transmission control module software, free of charge. GM will provide a special coverage program to cover the repair of transmissions that are identified by the remedy software as containing a defective control valve. Owner notification letters were mailed December 12, 2024. Owners may contact GM customer service at 1-888-988-7267, Cadillac customer service at 1-800-458-8006, GMC customer service at GMC 1-800-462-8782 or Chevrolet customer service at 1-800-222-1020. GM's number for this recall is N242454440.
Exterior lighting:lighting control module:software
Problem: General Motors, LLC (GM) is recalling certain 2021 Yukon, Yukon XL, Chevrolet Tahoe, Chevrolet Suburban, Cadillac Escalade, and Cadillac Escalade ESV vehicles. The daytime running lights (DRLs) may not deactivate when the headlights are on. As such, these vehicles fail to comply with the requirements of Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standard number 108, "Lamps, Reflective Devices, and Associated Equipment."
Risk: Daytime Running Lights that do not deactivate as intended may cause a glare, reducing visibility and increasing the risk of a crash.
Fix: Dealers will provide an over-the-air (OTA) update for the Body Control Module software, free of charge. Owner notification letters were mailed December 15, 2022. Owners may contact GM customer service at 1-888-988-7267, Chevrolet customer service at 1-800-222-1020, or Cadillac customer service at 1-800-458-8006. GM's number for this recall is N222382220.
Seat belts:critical fasteners
Problem: General Motors, LLC (M) is recalling certain 2021-2022 Cadillac Escalade, Escalade ESV, Chevrolet Suburban, Tahoe, GMC Yukon, and Yukon XL vehicles equipped with third-row seats. The rivet that retains the buckle to the mounting bracket in the left or right side third-row seat belt buckle assembly may have been improperly formed.
Risk: A seat belt with a deformed rivet may not properly restrain an occupant, increasing the risk of injury during a crash.
Fix: Dealers will inspect the rivet head formation on both the left and right side third-row seat belt buckle assemblies and replace seat belt buckle assemblies, as necessary, free of charge. Interim owner notification letters informing owners of the safety risk were mailed September 28, 2022. Owner notification letters were mailed on November 1, 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 N222372380.
Power train:driveline:driveshaft
Problem: General Motors, LLC (GM) is recalling certain 2021 GMC Yukon, Yukon XL, Cadillac Escalade, Escalade ESV, Chevrolet Suburban, and Chevrolet Tahoe vehicles. The rear wheel driveshaft assemblies may have internal components that were not heat-treated properly, possibly resulting in driveshaft failure.
Risk: Driveshaft failure can cause a sudden loss of drive power, increasing the risk of a crash.
Fix: Dealers will replace the left and/or right rear driveshaft assemblies, free of charge. Owner notification letters were mailed on March 14, 2022. Owners may contact Chevrolet customer service at 1-800-222-1020; Cadillac customer service at 1-800-458-8006 or GMC customer service at 1-800-462-8782. GM's number for this recall is N212351030.
Fuel system, gasoline:delivery:fuel pump:control/drive module
Problem: General Motors, LLC (GM) is recalling certain 2021 Cadillac Escalade, Escalade ESV, Chevrolet Suburban, Tahoe, GMC Yukon, and Yukon XL vehicles. The fuel pump power control module may cause the fuel pump to fail or operate intermittently, which can interrupt fuel flow to the engine, and cause an unexpected engine stall.
Risk: An engine stall increases the risk of a crash.
Fix: Dealers will replace the fuel pump power control module, free of charge. Owner notification letters were mailed on October 14, 2021. Owners may contact Chevrolet customer service at 1-800-222-1020; Cadillac customer service at 1-800-458-8006; or GMC customer service at 1-800-462-8782. GM's number for this recall is N212332040.
Steering:steering control module
Problem: General Motors, LLC (GM) is recalling certain 2021 Cadillac Escalade, Escalade ESV, Chevrolet Suburban, Chevrolet Tahoe, GMC Yukon, and Yukon XL vehicles. A software issue may cause a loss of power steering assist at startup or while driving.
Risk: Increased steering effort, particularly at lower speeds, increases the risk of a crash.
Fix: The power steering module software will be updated by a dealer, or through an over-the-air (OTA) update, free of charge. Owner notification letters were mailed July 13, 2021. Owners may contact Chevrolet customer service at 1-800-222-1020; Cadillac customer service at 1-800-458-8006; or GMC customer service at 1-800-462-8782. GM's number for this recall is N212333900.
Air bags:srs malfunction warning lamp/light; electrical system:software
Problem: General Motors, LLC (GM) is recalling certain 2021 Buick Envision, Cadillac CT4, CT5, Escalade, Escalade ESV, Chevrolet Tahoe, Corvette, Suburban, GMC Yukon, Yukon XL vehicles. The communications gateway module incorrectly processes a loss of communication with the sensing diagnostic module (SDM), causing the air bag malfunction indicator light to inconsistently illuminate.
Risk: The air bag malfunction indicator light may fail to warn the driver of a problem with the air bag, increasing the risk of injury.
Fix: The communications gateway module software will be updated by a dealer, or through an over-the-air (OTA) update, free of charge. Owner notification letters were mailed on July 1, 2021. 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 N212338110.
Seat belts:rear/other
Problem: General Motors, LLC (GM) is recalling certain 2021 Cadillac Escalade, Escalade ESV, GMC Yukon, Yukon XL, Chevrolet Suburban, and Tahoe vehicles with third-row seating. The third-row outboard seat belts may have been entrapped or misrouted behind the outboard seat-folding mechanism, which could result in damaged seat belts.
Risk: A damaged seat belt can break during a crash, increasing the risk of injury to the occupant.
Fix: GM will notify owners, and dealers will inspect the third-row outboard seat belts, replacing any damaged seat belts, and rerouting them if necessary, free of charge. The recall began on April 21, 2021. Owners may contact Chevrolet customer service at 1-800-222-1020, GMC customer service at 1-800-462-8782, and Cadillac customer service at 1-800-458-8006. GM's number for this recall is N202313000.
Seat belts:critical fasteners
Problem: General Motors, LLC (GM) is recalling certain 2020 Chevrolet Bolt EV and 2021 GMC Canyon and Sierra 1500, 2500 and 3500, Yukon, Yukon XL, Cadillac Escalade and Escalade ESV and Chevrolet Blazer, Camaro, Colorado, Equinox, Silverado 1500, 2500 and 3500, Suburban and Tahoe vehicles. Incorrect bolts may have been used at one or more fastening locations to secure the seat belts to the vehicle. If an incorrect bolt was used, the seat belt may not be properly attached to the vehicle.
Risk: If a seat belt assembly is not properly attached to the vehicle, the seat belt may not properly restrain an occupant in the event of a crash, increasing the risk of injury.
Fix: GM will notify owners, and dealers will replace the suspect bolts, free of charge. The recall began January 29, 2021. Owners may contact GMC customer service at 1-800-462-8785, Cadillac customer service at 1-800-458-8006, or Chevrolet customer service at 1-800-222-1020. GM's number for this recall is N202322230.
To see whether a specific car still has an open recall, enter its VIN on NHTSA's official recall lookup. You can also decode a VIN here.
NHTSA defect investigations
- Loss of motive power due to engine failure post recall remedy (EA26005) — opened Aug 20, 2026, still open.
- Loss of motive power due to engine failure (EA25007) — opened Oct 23, 2025, still open.
- Loss of motive power due to engine failure post recall remedy (RQ26001) — opened Jan 16, 2026, closed Aug 20, 2026.
- Loss of motive power due to engine failure (PE25001) — opened Jan 16, 2025, closed Oct 23, 2025, led to recall 25V274.
- Air Bag Malfunction (PE21010) — opened Apr 9, 2021, closed Aug 24, 2023.
Recent owner reports
Short excerpts of the latest complaints filed with NHTSA, with personal details removed. Full reports can be searched on NHTSA.gov.
My 2021 Cadillac Escalade ESV (VIN [XXX]) developed an engine failure after receiving the recall remedy for NHTSA recall 25V-274 (GM 6.2L V8 connecting rod/crankshaft defect). Symptoms: engine misfiring, dashboard warning lights illuminated, engine stalling/misfiring at idle, loss of power on…
Body of what was just sent to GM- this should answer most/all questions: To the GM Executive Resolution Team, I am escalating a critical safety hazard and severe dealer misconduct involving my 2021 Cadillac Escalade (53,700 miles), which is fully covered under the GM Factory Powertrain Warranty and…
I was driving down the interstate going 80 miles an hour and my engine completely shut off. I had to cross four lanes of traffic, on an interstate where the speed limit is 75 miles an hour, to get over on the shoulder while my car was able to accelerate. It was traumatizing and extremely dangerous…
While driving out of state the engine started knocking- I took it to the dealer before it left me stranded on the road. I was told the engine had failed and needed to be replaced.
â¢Purchased the 2021 Cadillac Escalade ESV Premium Luxury on XXX, at roughly 68,000 miles. â¢Within roughly 300 miles of ownership, the 6.2L engine suffered a catastrophic failure involving a rod and ultimately required a complete engine replacement by GM. â¢The incident involved a loss of…
Other Cadillac Escalade ESV years
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Frequently asked questions
What are the most common problems with the 2021 Cadillac Escalade ESV?
Owners most often report engine, power train, electrical system problems. The top one, engine, accounts for 54 complaints.
Was there a recall on the 2021 Cadillac Escalade ESV?
Yes, 10 safety recalls. Enter your VIN at NHTSA.gov to check whether the repairs were done on your car.
Was the 2021 Cadillac Escalade ESV a good year?
Complaint data can't fully answer that, because counts aren't adjusted for sales. Compared with other Escalade ESV model years, the 2021 has far more complaints than most years, and NHTSA rates it 4 out of 5 stars overall in crash tests. Always get a pre-purchase inspection and check the VIN for open recalls.