2005 Cadillac Escalade Problems, Complaints & Recalls
- Compared with other Escalade years
- About as many complaints as other years 16th of 28 for complaints
- Safety recalls
- 2 recalls: check your VIN
- NHTSA crash rating
- Not rated
Owners have filed 43 complaints with NHTSA about the 2005 Cadillac Escalade. That ranks 16th out of 28 Escalade model years for complaints. The most reported problem area is electrical system (11 complaints, 26%), typically at around 90,000 miles. Complaints mention 3 crashes, 1 fire, 3 injuries. There are 2 safety recalls covering this model year.
- 43owner complaints
- 2safety recalls
- 0NHTSA investigations
- 3complaints mentioning a crash
Complaints are unverified owner reports and are not adjusted for sales volume.
Most common 2005 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 | 11 | 26% | 90,000 | — | — |
| Air Bags | 10 | 23% | 77,000 | — | — |
| Power Train | 7 | 16% | 153,000 | — | — |
| Service Brakes | 7 | 16% | 100,466 | — | — |
| Fuel/propulsion System | 6 | 14% | 105,000 | — | — |
| Engine | 5 | 12% | 85,750 | — | — |
| Fuel System, Gasoline | 3 | 7% | 105,000 | — | — |
| Engine and Engine Cooling | 2 | 5% | 119,553 | — | — |
| Equipment | 2 | 5% | 125,000 | — | — |
| Exterior Lighting | 2 | 5% | 126,500 | — | — |
| Suspension | 2 | 5% | 151,000 | — | — |
| Parking Brake | 1 | 2% | 45,000 | — | — |
| Service Brakes, Hydraulic | 1 | 2% | 45,000 | — | — |
| Steering | 1 | 2% | — | — | — |
| Tires | 1 | 2% | — | — | — |
| Vehicle Speed Control | 1 | 2% | 180,000 | — | — |
| Visibility | 1 | 2% | 235,000 | — | — |
| Wheels | 1 | 2% | 180,000 | — | — |
One complaint can list several problem areas, so shares can add up to more than 100%.
Complaints by year received
2005 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.
Power train:manual transmission:shift pattern indicator
Problem: Certain sport utility vehicles equipped with an automatic transmission, fail to comply with the requirements of federal motor vehicle safety standard no. 102, "transmission shift lever sequence, starter interlock and transmission braking effect." under certain vehicle starting conditions, the shift lever position indicator located in the instrument panel cluster may not illuminate. If the shift lever position indicator does not illuminate, the driver may not know which gear the vehicle is in.
Risk: The vehicle may move in an unintended direction resulting in possible injury to others outside of the vehicle.
Fix: Dealers will reprogram the instrument panel cluster free of charge. The recall began on february 14, 2005. Owners may contact cadillac at 1-866-982-2339, chevrolet at 1-800-630-2438, and gmc at 1-866-996-9463.
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.
The check air bag light stays on and will not go off. The light stays on with the seatbelt on or off.
Brake/abs system locked up on me and I couldnât stop. I accidentally hit someone from behind and was proven to be an accident. My traction light my abs light and my brake light all came on at the same time right before I wrecked. The suv swerves over to the other lane randomly while on the…
The contact owns a 2005 Cadillac Escalade. The contact stated while refueling, the gasoline was spilling out of the filler neck. No warning light was illuminated. The vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired by an independent mechanic or the dealer. The manufacturer was not made aware of the failure…
While driving down the road under any condition the brakes start to apply themselves ultimately leading the vehicle to not being able to pull itself. The more throttle you give it the more the brakes apply. I believe this is the same as the 2002-2004 chevy hydro boost recall. Also around the same…
The contact owns a 2005 Cadillac Escalade. The contact stated while driving 62 MPH, he heard an abnormal sound coming from the sunroof. The contact stated while attempting to exit the highway, the sunroof detached from the vehicle and hit the road. The contact drove to nearby auto glass repair…
Other Cadillac Escalade years
← 2004 Escalade · 2006 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 | 43 | 2 |
| 2004 Escalade | 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.
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Frequently asked questions
What are the most common problems with the 2005 Cadillac Escalade?
Owners most often report electrical system, air bags, power train problems. The top one, electrical system, accounts for 11 complaints.
Was there a recall on the 2005 Cadillac Escalade?
Yes, 2 safety recalls. Enter your VIN at NHTSA.gov to check whether the repairs were done on your car.
Was the 2005 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 2005 has about as many complaints as a typical year. Always get a pre-purchase inspection and check the VIN for open recalls.