2004 Cadillac Escalade Problems, Complaints & Recalls
- Compared with other Escalade years
- More complaints than other years 11th of 28 for complaints
- Safety recalls
- 2 recalls: check your VIN
- NHTSA crash rating
- Not rated
Owners have filed 69 complaints with NHTSA about the 2004 Cadillac Escalade. That ranks 11th out of 28 Escalade model years for complaints. The most reported problem area is electrical system (20 complaints, 29%), typically at around 98,050 miles. Complaints mention 10 crashes, 6 fires, 27 injuries. There are 2 safety recalls covering this model year.
- 69owner complaints
- 2safety recalls
- 0NHTSA investigations
- 10complaints mentioning a crash
Complaints are unverified owner reports and are not adjusted for sales volume.
Most common 2004 Cadillac Escalade 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Electrical System | 20 | 29% | 98,050 | — | — |
| Service Brakes | 17 | 25% | 87,000 | — | — |
| Air Bags | 7 | 10% | 115,000 | — | — |
| Seats | 6 | 9% | 104,000 | — | — |
| Exterior Lighting | 5 | 7% | 23,000 | — | — |
| Unknown or Other | 5 | 7% | — | — | — |
| Fuel/propulsion System | 4 | 6% | 165,890 | — | — |
| Power Train | 4 | 6% | 81,945 | — | — |
| Steering | 4 | 6% | 65,980 | — | — |
| Vehicle Speed Control | 4 | 6% | 23,000 | — | — |
| Engine | 3 | 4% | 128,482 | — | — |
| Equipment | 3 | 4% | 23,000 | — | — |
| Seat Belts | 3 | 4% | 177,000 | — | — |
| Suspension | 3 | 4% | 186,000 | — | — |
| Service Brakes, Hydraulic | 2 | 3% | 37,897 | — | — |
| Electronic Stability Control | 1 | 1% | — | — | — |
| Electronic Stability Control (esc) | 1 | 1% | 186,000 | — | — |
| Engine and Engine Cooling | 1 | 1% | 60 | — | — |
| Forward Collision Avoidance | 1 | 1% | — | — | — |
| Fuel System, Gasoline | 1 | 1% | 105,000 | — | — |
| Structure | 1 | 1% | — | — | — |
| Tires | 1 | 1% | 22,000 | — | — |
One complaint can list several problem areas, so shares can add up to more than 100%.
Complaints by year received
2004 Cadillac Escalade recalls (2)
Tap a recall to see the problem, the risk and the fix.
Seat belts:rear/other
Problem: On certain crew cab pickup trucks and sport utility vehicles, the 2nd row center occupant seat belt routing may make it difficult to position the lap portion of the safety belt low around the hips of occupants, especially smaller occupants, seated in this position. Appropriate use of a child seat or booster seat, as recommended for small children, does improve the fit condition for this user group. In addition to instructions on proper infant and young child restraint (with child seats or boosters), special verbiage for restraining older child is included in the owner's manual. Also, the suggested seat belt fit/routing for adults, irrespective of seating position, is described in the owner's manual text.
Risk: A lap portion of the seat belt routing that is not low and snug on the hips can allow the lap belt to ride up on an occupant's abdomen instead of fitting low around their hipbones, and therefore, can expose them to more risk of abdominal and internal organ injury.
Fix: Dealers will cut open the guide loop, remove a portion of the loop, and then the remaining two sides should be folded over and secured with a retainer free of charge. The recall began on july 21, 2005. Owners may contact cadillac at 1-866-982-2339, chevrolet at 1-800-630-2438, gmc at 1-866-996-9463, or hummer at 1-800-732-5493.
Service brakes, hydraulic
Problem: Certain sport utility vehicles, pickup trucks, and passenger vans fail to comply with the requirements of federal motor vehicle safety standard no. 135, ?passenger car brake systems.? Some of these vehicles were produced with an out-of-specification brake hydro-boost housing relief valve bore.
Risk: Consequently, the valve o-ring seal may fracture. Steering efforts may be slightly increased while braking or parking. Under certain driving conditions, a fractured seal may require a slight increase in the applied brake pedal effort to achieve the same vehicle deceleration rate as prior to the seat fracture.
Fix: Dealers are to replace the hydro-boost relief valve. The recall began on june 18, 2004. Owners should contact cadillac at 1-866-982-2339; chevrolet at 1-800-630-2438; gmc at 1-866-996-9463; or hummer at 1-866-486-6376.
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.
Recent owner reports
Short excerpts of the latest complaints filed with NHTSA, with personal details removed. Full reports can be searched on NHTSA.gov.
When this device is used to replace the Flasher Module (my had failed so I ordered this replacement from Amazon) I found that the brake light circuit to any trailer connected tot he vehicle would no longer work. Under further research on Amazon via reviews and other online sources, I found that all…
Unknown
I donât know all I stopped driving it because it is not shifting right and I canât ark it for some reason . I have to leave it in reverse and then turn off and put rocks so it does not move. Not safe, one day I drive 30 minutes later it is this way.
At speeds of 50 mph and above, my vehicle does the death wobble. Any time I hit a tiny crack in the road, going higher speeds. The person that sold he this car knew it did not pass emissions in September 2024 and I bought it in November 2024. A dealership checked car fax for me after I bought it…
Searching of Google results indicates this is a known problem with these vehicles. I am unable to put fuel/gas in the tank because the vapor safety system fails! Having to replace the entire vapor purge and canister assembly is very costly when this known safety hazard should have been taken care…
Other Cadillac Escalade years
← 2003 Escalade · 2005 Escalade →
| Year | Complaints | Recalls |
|---|---|---|
| 2026 Escalade | 36 | 3 |
| 2025 Escalade | 20 | 1 |
| 2024 Escalade | 52 | 2 |
| 2023 Escalade | 141 | 4 |
| 2022 Escalade | 85 | 4 |
| 2021 Escalade | 74 | 9 |
| 2020 Escalade | 14 | 2 |
| 2019 Escalade | 25 | 0 |
| 2018 Escalade | 21 | 1 |
| 2017 Escalade | 51 | 2 |
| 2016 Escalade | 89 | 4 |
| 2015 Escalade | 98 | 9 |
| 2014 Escalade | 20 | 2 |
| 2013 Escalade | 19 | 4 |
| 2012 Escalade | 20 | 3 |
| 2011 Escalade | 49 | 6 |
| 2010 Escalade | 38 | 3 |
| 2009 Escalade | 58 | 5 |
| 2008 Escalade | 136 | 4 |
| 2007 Escalade | 230 | 4 |
| 2006 Escalade | 19 | 2 |
| 2005 Escalade | 43 | 2 |
| 2004 | 69 | 2 |
| 2003 Escalade | 81 | 4 |
| 2002 Escalade | 115 | 1 |
| 2001 Escalade | 3 | 0 |
| 2000 Escalade | 71 | 1 |
| 1999 Escalade | 39 | 2 |
See all Cadillac Escalade problems by year, every Cadillac model, or the Cadillac VIN decoder.
Similar Cadillac models
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Frequently asked questions
What are the most common problems with the 2004 Cadillac Escalade?
Owners most often report electrical system, service brakes, air bags problems. The top one, electrical system, accounts for 20 complaints.
Was there a recall on the 2004 Cadillac Escalade?
Yes, 2 safety recalls. Enter your VIN at NHTSA.gov to check whether the repairs were done on your car.
Was the 2004 Cadillac Escalade a good year?
Complaint data can't fully answer that, because counts aren't adjusted for sales. Compared with other Escalade model years, the 2004 has more complaints than most years. Always get a pre-purchase inspection and check the VIN for open recalls.