RoadVitals

2015 Cadillac Escalade Esv Owner Complaints

Reports submitted to NHTSA by owners and drivers, shown in full

Data refreshed

Complaints on fileComplaints are reports submitted to NHTSA by owners and drivers. NHTSA does not verify most reports before publishing them, and a complaint does not establish that a defect exists. Volume is influenced by how many of a vehicle were sold, how long it has been on the road, and how much attention an issue has received.
8
Latest May 1, 2025
Crash or fire reportedComplaints whose submitter recorded that a crash or a fire occurred. These are the reporter's own answers on the NHTSA form, not verified findings.
1
Filed in the last 12 monthsReports filed with NHTSA in the trailing 365 days. Recent volume reflects attention and vehicle age as much as anything else.
0
Reports on file since May 14, 2015

What this page shows

Our database holds 8 NHTSA owner-reported complaints for the 2015 Cadillac Escalade Esv. Each one is a report filed by an owner or driver and published by NHTSA without most of them being verified. A complaint is not a confirmed defect, not a recall and not a manufacturer bulletin. Narratives are shown exactly as filed.

Complaints are reports submitted by owners and drivers to NHTSA. They are not verified and do not establish that a defect exists.

Complaints, most recent first

Showing 1–8 of 8

Engine
Filed May 1, 2025

The contact owns a 2015 Cadillac Escalade ESV. The contact stated that upon starting the vehicle, there was an abnormal knocking sound coming from the engine compartment. The check engine warning light was illuminated. The vehicle was towed to an independent mechanic, who diagnosed a failure with the variable valve timing, resulting in damage to the engine. The contact was informed that the engine needed to be rebuilt or replaced. The vehicle was not repaired. After investigating the failure, the contact related the failure to NHTSA Campaign Number: 25V274000 (Engine and Engine Cooling), but the VIN was not included. The manufacturer was notified of the failure, a case was opened, and the contact was referred to the NHTSA Hotline for assistance. The failure mileage was 89,000.

NHTSA ID
11658187
Incident
Apr 18, 2025
Mileage
89,000 mi
Engine
Filed Jun 15, 2019

CAR AT 56000 MILES WOULD NOT SHUT OFF. REASON WAS THE CHASSIS CONTROL,MODULE WAS IMPROPERLY DESIGNED AND WAS LEFT EXPOSED ALLOWING SNOW TO CORRODE THE MODULE. CADILLAC REFUSED TO PAY FOR THE REPAIR THAT INCLUDED $650 IN DIAGNOSTIC TIME

NHTSA ID
11220368
Incident
Apr 25, 2019
Mileage
57,213 mi
Engine
Filed Nov 14, 2018

EXHAUST GAS ENTERS CABIN WHENEVER STATIONARY. EVEN AT BRIEF TRAFFIC SIGNALS, FUMES QUICKLY ENTER VEHICLE. CAR IS LESS THAN 4 YEARS OLD.

NHTSA ID
11151544
Incident
Nov 13, 2018
Mileage
67,000 mi
Driver assistanceElectricalPowertrain (other)
Filed Mar 2, 2018

MY 2015 CADILLAC ESCALADE HAS BEEN IN THE SHOP FOR 50+ DAYS SINCE PURCHASING IN 2015 FOR DEFECTIVE BRAKES, TRANSMISSION, TRIM, TECHNOLOGY, CHASSIS, ELECTRICAL, AND HVAC. I HAVE CONTACTED GM AND THEY DON'T WANT TO REPURCHASE THE VEHICLE. THE VEHICLE IS CONSTANTLY IN THE SHOP FOR PROBLEMS AND IT IS NOT A VEHICLE THAT SHOULD BE OPERATED ON PUBLIC ROADWAYS. NUMEROUS PARTS OF MY TRANSMISSION HAVE BEEN REPLACED/REPROGRAMMED/REBUILT BEFORE DUE TO DEFECTS IN DESIGN AND BUILD QUALITY. THE TRANSMISSION CONSISTENTLY VIBRATES, JERKS AND SHUTTERS WHEN DRIVING, POPS AND CREAKS WHEN STOPPED AND CLUNKS WHEN LAUNCHING FROM STOP OR ROLLING STOP. THE TRANSMISSION CAUSES THE CAR TO TAKE OFF IN 4TH GEAR RATHER THAN IN 1ST GEAR WHICH MEANS THE CAR FEELS AS IF THERE IS NO POWER TO PROPEL THE VEHICLE. THE TRANSMISSION SLIPS AND FEELS AS IF IT IS BROKEN. I HAVE TAKEN IT TO THE DEALER AT LEAST 14 TIMES AND GM NOW DOES NOT WANT TO REPLACE THE TRANSMISSION EVEN THOUGH THE DEALER HAS VERIFIED THE CONCERN AND DOCUMENTED IT. I FEEL THAT GM IS NOT DOING ENOUGH TO ENSURE SAFE VEHICLES ARE ON THE ROAD. THIS TRANSMISSION ISSUE IS GOING TO CAUSE AN ACCIDENT ONE DAY. I HAVE ALREADY PUT GM ON NOTICE ALL THE WAY UP TO THE EXECUTIVE LEVEL AND THEY DON'T WANT TO DO ANYTHING ABOUT IT. I FEEL THAT NHTSA SHOULD INVESTIGATE THE ISSUES THAT PLAGUE 2015 FULL SIZE GM SUV OWNERS. THERE ARE A LOT OF US OUT THERE ACCORDING TO MY RESEARCH.

NHTSA ID
11075968
Incident
Feb 14, 2018
Mileage
40,000 mi
Visibility
Filed Jul 14, 2017

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2015 CADILLAC ESCALADE ESV. WHILE DRIVING IN THE RAIN, THE AIR CONDITIONER CONDENSER FRACTURED AND THE AIR CONDITIONER FAILED TO WORK. THE FAILURE CAUSED THE WINDOWS TO FOG UP AND IMPAIRED THE DRIVER'S VISIBILITY. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO THE DEALER (CADILLAC OF MAHWAH, NJ) WHO STATED THAT THE PART WAS UNAVAILABLE. THE FAILURE RECURRED. THE MANUFACTURER WAS MADE AWARE OF THE FAILURE AND STATED THAT IT WAS A KNOWN ISSUE. THE MANUFACTURER PROVIDED THE CONTACT A RENTAL VEHICLE FOR THREE DAYS. THE VEHICLE WAS REPAIRED AFTER SEVEN WEEKS WHEN THE PART WAS LOCATED. THE CAUSE OF THE FAILURE AND REPAIR PART WERE NOT PROVIDED. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS APPROXIMATELY 7,500.

NHTSA ID
11005298
Incident
Mar 25, 2016
Mileage
7,500 mi
Filed Sep 26, 2016

THERE IS A DEFECT IN THIS VEHICLE WHERE THE LOWER ANCHORS (LATCH) FOR THE 2ND ROW PASSENGER SEAT ARE ASYMMETRIC - WITH THE INBOARD ANCHOR BEING BOTH LOWER, AND PROTRUDING FARTHER OUT, THAN THE INBOARD LOWER ANCHOR. THIS VEHICLE HAS 2 CAPTAIN'S CHAIRS IN THE 2ND ROW - BOTH FEATURE LOWER ANCHORS (LATCH). A PICTURE OF THE 2ND ROW DRIVER'S SEAT IS ALSO ATTACHED TO SHOW THAT THESE LOWER ANCHORS ARE SYMMETRICAL AS THEY SHOULD BE. THE PICTURE OF THE 2ND ROW PASSENGER SEAT SHOWS THESE LOWER ANCHORS TO BE ASYMMETRICAL. THIS VEHICLE HAS NEVER BEEN INVOLVED IN A CRASH. IN THE PAST THE CLEK FOONF CHILD RESTRAINT WAS ATTACHED USING RIGID LATCH IN THE 2ND ROW PASSENGER SEAT OF THIS VEHICLE.

NHTSA ID
10909660
Incident
Sep 26, 2016
Electrical
Filed Nov 16, 2015

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2015 CADILLAC ESCALADE ESV. WHILE THE VEHICLE WAS PARKED WITH THE AIR CONDITIONING ACTIVATED, THE HEAT INDEPENDENTLY TURNED ALL THE WAY UP IN THE REAR OF THE VEHICLE WITHOUT WARNING. THE HEAT CAUSED ONE OF THE OCCUPANTS TO PASS OUT. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO THE DEALER WHERE IT WAS DIAGNOSED THAT THERE WAS AN ELECTRICAL FAILURE AND THAT THE COMPUTER HAD TO BE REPROGRAMMED. THE VEHICLE WAS REPAIRED. THE MANUFACTURER WAS MADE AWARE OF THE FAILURE. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 6,000.

NHTSA ID
10790680
Incident
Sep 7, 2015
Mileage
6,000 mi
Body & structureDriver assistanceFuel system
Filed May 14, 2015
Crash reported

ACCELERATION FOR NO REASON. I WAS BACKING OUT OF A PARKING SPOT AND I PUT THE CAR IN REVERSE. I WAS NEARING THE EDGE OF THE CURB ON MY RIGHT FRONT WHEEL SO I STEPPED ON THE BRAKE, STOPPED THE CAR, AND SHIFTED INTO DRIVE SO I COULD MOVE THE VEHICLE FORWARD TO AVOID HITTING THE CURB WHILE BACKING OUT . ONCE I SHIFTED INTO DRIVE, THE CAR WENT TO FULL ACCELERATION FOR NO REASON AND HIT A POLE AT FULL ACCELERATION APPROXIMATELY 5 FEET AWAY.

NHTSA ID
10716407
Incident
May 13, 2015
Mileage
9,170 mi

Higher-selling and older vehicles accumulate more reports. Counts are not failure rates and are not directly comparable between vehicles that sold in very different numbers.

Data sources

Data on this page last refreshed .