2021 Cadillac Escalade NA Problems, Complaints & Recalls
- Compared with other Escalade NA years
- Not enough data
- Safety recalls
- 4 recalls: check your VIN
- NHTSA crash rating
- Not rated
Owners have filed 17 complaints with NHTSA about the 2021 Cadillac Escalade NA. The most reported problem area is engine (7 complaints, 41%), typically at around 1,020 miles. Complaints mention 1 crash, 1 fire. There are 4 safety recalls covering this model year. NHTSA has opened 2 defect investigations involving it.
- 17owner complaints
- 4safety recalls
- 2NHTSA investigations
- 1complaints mentioning a crash
Complaints are unverified owner reports and are not adjusted for sales volume.
Most common 2021 Cadillac Escalade NA 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 | 7 | 41% | 1,020 | — | — |
| Electrical System | 3 | 18% | 20 | — | — |
| Service Brakes | 3 | 18% | — | — | — |
| Exterior Lighting | 2 | 12% | — | — | — |
| Forward Collision Avoidance | 2 | 12% | — | — | — |
| Unknown or Other | 2 | 12% | 514 | — | — |
| Air Bags | 1 | 6% | — | — | — |
| Lane Departure | 1 | 6% | — | — | — |
| Power Train | 1 | 6% | 39,000 | — | — |
| Seat Belts | 1 | 6% | — | — | — |
| Structure | 1 | 6% | — | — | — |
One complaint can list several problem areas, so shares can add up to more than 100%.
Complaints by year received
2021 Cadillac Escalade NA recalls (4)
Tap a recall to see the problem, the risk and the fix.
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.
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.
Electrical system: instrument cluster/panel
Problem: General Motors, LLC (GM) is recalling certain 2021 Cadillac Escalade and Escalade ESV vehicles. The front passenger seat belt and airbag status telltale lights located in the overhead console in these vehicles may be set to "night mode" when the vehicle is started using remote start or when the vehicle is turned off and re-started after approximately ten minutes without opening the door. In daytime, if night mode is active, the telltale lights may not be visible, and fail to comply with the requirements of Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standard numbers 101, "Control and Displays" and 208, "Occupant Crash Protection."
Risk: If the telltale lights are not visible, the driver and front passenger may not know that the front passenger is unbuckled or has a deactivated air bag, increasing the risk of passenger injury in a crash.
Fix: The body control module (BCM) software will be updated by a dealer, or through an over-the-air (OTA) update, free of charge. The recall began February 1, 2021. Owners may contact Cadillac customer service at 1-800-458-8006. GM's number for this recall is N202319980.
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 (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.
The contact owns a 2021 Cadillac Escalade. The contact stated that while driving approximately 70 MPH, the message "Service Transmission Now - Unable to Shift Soon" was displayed. The vehicle was later driven to the local dealer however, the cause of the failure was not yet determined. The…
On 2/21/23, at 1245, I hit the rear bumper of my 2021 Cadillac Escalade when I backed up after I had scraped the driver side of my door panel as I drive thru a gated parking area. I started driving forward, turned left onto the back row of parking area. Suddenly the car accelerated very fast like…
The contact owns a 2021 Cadillac Escalade. The contact received notification of NHTSA Campaign Number: 22V827000 (Exterior Lighting) however, the part to do the recall repair was not yet available. The local dealer was contacted. The contact stated that the manufacturer had exceeded a reasonable…
My wife pulled out of a parking lot and was driving down the road at approximately 30mph when the brakes stopped working entirely. There was no response when she pushed on the brake pedal. The car displayed 3 warnings on the driver display: BRAKE SYSTEM FAILURE 62 MPH TOP SPEED SERVICE STABILITRAK…
As far as the findings from the diagnosis, the dealer advised that inspection found crank bearing failure. The engine has been ordered but does not have an ETA at this time.
Other Cadillac Escalade NA years
| Year | Complaints | Recalls |
|---|---|---|
| 2021 | 17 | 4 |
See all Cadillac Escalade NA problems by year, every Cadillac model, or the Cadillac VIN decoder.
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Frequently asked questions
What are the most common problems with the 2021 Cadillac Escalade NA?
Owners most often report engine, electrical system, service brakes problems. The top one, engine, accounts for 7 complaints.
Was there a recall on the 2021 Cadillac Escalade NA?
Yes, 4 safety recalls. Enter your VIN at NHTSA.gov to check whether the repairs were done on your car.
Was the 2021 Cadillac Escalade NA a good year?
Complaint data can't fully answer that, because counts aren't adjusted for sales. Compared with other Escalade NA model years, the 2021 has too little data to compare. Always get a pre-purchase inspection and check the VIN for open recalls.