The contact owns a 2016 Cadillac Escalade ESV. The contact stated while driving at an undisclosed speed, the contact heard an abnormal sound coming from underneath the vehicle and the vehicle was vibrating abnormally. The dealer was contacted; however, the vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired. The manufacturer was not made aware of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 113,000.
The worst 2016 Cadillac Escalade ESV problems
Ranked by number of owner complaints. Mileage and cost come from what owners wrote.
- Suspension7
- Transmission5
- Electrical3
- Brakes1
- Wheels1
Problems by type
Tap a problem to see which part fails, at what mileage and in which other years.
- Suspension7
- Transmission5
- Electrical3
- Brakes1
- Wheels1
Recalls 3
Seat belts: pretensioner
- What is wrong
- General Motors LLC (GM) is recalling certain model year 2014-2016 Buick Lacrosse and Chevrolet Spark EV, Caprice PPV and SS vehicles, 2014-2017 Buick Encore and Chevrolet Corvette, Silverado 1500 and GMC Sierra 1500 vehicles, 2015-2016 Cadillac Escalade and Escalade ESV, Chevrolet Tahoe, Trax, Suburban and Silverado 2500 and 3500 and GMC Yukon and Yukon XL vehicles, and 2015-2017 GMC Sierra HD 2500 and 3500 vehicles. While being previously remedied for recall 16V‑651, the affected vehicles may not have received the complete software update necessary to remedy the recall condition. Without the update, certain driving conditions may cause the air bag sensing and diagnostic module (SDM) software to activate a diagnostic test. During this test, deployment of the frontal air bags and the seat belt pretensioners would not occur in the event of a crash.
- Risk
- A failure of the front air bags or seat belt pretensioners to deploy in the event of a crash necessitating deployment increases the risk of injury to the driver and front passenger.
- Remedy
- GM will notify owners, and dealers will reflash the SDM software. Vehicles that have had a previous air bag deployment will have the SDM replaced. These repairs will be performed free of charge. The recall began on August 4, 2017. 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 17287.
Recall number 17V437000 · Recall details
Seat belts: pretensioner
- What is wrong
- General Motors LLC (GM) is recalling certain model year 2015-2017 Chevrolet Silverado 2500 HD, 3500 HD, Tahoe, Suburban, GMC Sierra 2500 HD and 3500 HD, GMC Yukon, GMC Yukon XL, Cadillac Escalade and Cadillac Escalade ESV vehicles and 2014-2017 Chevrolet Corvette, Silverado 1500, Trax, Caprice Police Pursuit Vehicle, GMC Sierra 1500, Buick Encore, and 2014-2016 Buick Lacrosse, Chevrolet Spark EV and SS vehicles. In the affected vehicles, certain driving conditions may cause the air bag sensing and diagnostic module (SDM) software to activate a diagnostic test. During this test, deployment of the frontal air bags and the seat belt pretensioners would not occur in the event of a crash.
- Risk
- A failure of the front air bags or seat belt pretensioners to deploy in the event of a crash necessitating deployment increases the risk of injury to the driver and front passenger.
- Remedy
- GM will notify owners, and dealers will reflash the SDM software. Vehicles that have had a previous air bag deployment will have the SDM replaced. These repairs will be performed free of charge. The recall began on October 13, 2016. 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 16007.
Recall number 16V651000 · Recall details
Suspension: front: control arm
- What is wrong
- General Motors LLC (GM) is recalling certain model year 2016-2017 Chevrolet Silverado 1500 and 2016 Cadillac Escalade, Cadillac Escalade ESV, Chevrolet Suburban, Chevrolet Tahoe, GMC Sierra, GMC Yukon and GMC Yukon XL vehicles. The front upper control arms may have inadequate welds near the control arm bushing.
- Risk
- Inadequate welds may allow the control arm to separate from the bushing, compromising steering and increasing the risk of a crash.
- Remedy
- GM will notify owners, and dealers will replace the left and right front upper control arms and realign the vehicle, free of charge. The recall began on May 18, 2016. Until the repairs have been made, owners are advised not to drive their vehicles. 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 42190.
Recall number 16V256000 · Recall details
See all 3 recalls for the 2016 Cadillac Escalade ESV
Defect investigations
Brake Vacuum Pump Failure
On November 20, 2018, the Office of Defects Investigations (ODI) opened PE18-012 to investigate instances of sudden onset of a hard brake pedal that could result in extended stopping distance due to an issue with the brake assist vacuum pump in model year (MY) 2014 through 2016 GMC Sierra 1500 and Chevrolet Silverado 1500 series pickup trucks and MY 2015 through 2016 Cadillac Escalade, Chevrolet Suburban, Chevrolet Tahoe, and GMC Yukon SUVs.If the brake assist vacuum pump fails to operate as intended, the amount of brake power assist supplied to the driver can be significantly reduced, extending the subject vehicle stopping distance. GM stated that the root cause of pump failures was due to foreign debris such as oil sludge in the engine oil. GM stated that this debris can become trapped by the oil inlet filter screen. Under normal operation, this screen allows a small amount of oil into the brake vacuum pump. The foreign debris can, over time, clog the pump which can cause a loss of lubrication and a reduction in the amount of vacuum produced leading to a hard pedal and extended stopping distance.On December 13, 2018, GM issued a Special Coverage (N182202780) for the brake vacuum pump issue in MY 2014-2017 trucks and 2015-2017 SUVs on the K2XX platform for 6 years or 72,000 miles. Special Coverage repair includes the replacement of the vacuum pump and vacuum pump belt. Consumers received notification of the coverage via mail. On September 6, 2019, GM notified the federal safety agency that it was conducting safety recall 19V‑645 which reprograms the electronic brake control module (EBCM) and included approximately 3.5 million trucks and SUVs. In October 2019, GM extended the terms of special coverage N182202780 to 10 years or 150,000 miles as well as now including the entire scope of recall 19V‑645. In October 2020, GM expanded the scope of coverage N182202780 to include the MY 2018 Escalade and 2019 Tahoe.The remedy implemented in GM recall 19V‑645 appears to be sufficient in addressing the safety-related concerns of this issue. Loss of vacuum assist now occurs at a progressive rate as well as there being a more timely warning of a brake problem to the driver through the driver information center (DIC). In view of the recall action and revision to the special coverage, this Preliminary Evaluation is closed. The agency reserves the right to take additional action if warranted by new circumstances. The ODI reports cited above are available for review online at under the identification numbers in the attached document.
PE18012
Technical service bulletins for the 2016 Cadillac Escalade ESV 1,525
Bulletins tell dealers how to fix known problems. A warranty extension means the manufacturer pays for that repair for longer.
- Unknown or other
- This PI provides Diagnostics tips on how the LIN bus works and how to diagnosis it.
- This PI communicates the proper part numbers for transmission connectors and internal harness to prevent...
- Unknown or other
- PI to help diagnose A/C concern
- Unknown or other
- Unknown or other
- Unknown or other
- This PI Communications information on an alternative product dealers can use to perform 19-NA-255: Wax...
- Unknown or other
2016 Cadillac Escalade ESV crash test ratings
Government 5-star crash tests. Higher is safer. Each row is a body style and drivetrain that was tested.
| Version | Overall | Frontal | Side | Rollover |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Cadillac Escalade ESV SUV AWD | Phrases found in the owners' own descriptions, so one complaint can mention several symptoms. | Phrases found in the owners' own descriptions, so one complaint can mention several symptoms. | 5 | 3 |
| Cadillac Escalade ESV SUV RWD | Phrases found in the owners' own descriptions, so one complaint can mention several symptoms. | Phrases found in the owners' own descriptions, so one complaint can mention several symptoms. | 5 | 3 |
What 2016 Cadillac Escalade ESV owners say
Most recent owner complaints, unedited.
The contact owns a 2016 Cadillac Escalade ESV. The contact stated that while driving at an undisclosed speed, the vehicle made an abnormal sound. The vehicle was taken to the dealer however, no failure was found. The contact stated that the failure recurred. The contact stated that while driving at an undisclosed speed, the vehicle made an abnormal sound worsened and the battery drained immediately. The vehicle was towed to a second dealer Penske Buick GMC Of Cerritos (18400 Studebaker Rd, Cerritos, CA 90703) who informed the contact that the vehicle experienced suspension failure. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was not made aware of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 80,200.
The contact owns a 2016 Cadillac Escalade ESV. The contact stated while driving 30 MPH, the contact heard an abnormal sound coming from underneath the vehicle. The contact was able to drive the vehicle home. The vehicle was towed to the dealer and the dealer stated that the passenger's side rear upper control arms had separated from the vehicle and that the vehicle was not included in the federal safety agency Campaign Number: 16V256000 (Suspension). The vehicle was repaired. The manufacturer was contacted but no assistance was provided. The failure mileage was 71,695.
06/14/2019 I was driving my cadillac to escalate esv traveling from baltimore to washington dc 95 south band. 12:04 pm my vehicle flip over. I almost lost my life. After the accident, I inspected the vehicle. I found that left the rear wheel of the car; come out of the vehicle. Wheel locks and axle bar of the tire cut off and broken. This caused flipping of the vehicle.
Vacuum pump deterioration or failure caused reduced stopping of vehicle. Backed up vehicle in driveway and could not stop until I pumped brake petal several times. And finally stopped. Placed vehicle in neutral and set hand brake. I checked accelerator and stop petals for obstruction and found none. Placed vehicle in drive and slowly moved forward. Applied brakes about ten foot from wall and vehicle struct brick wall between garages. Could not stop vehicle with the brake applied. Damage to garage $14,940 and vehicle $4,984.
The transmission has multiple malfunctions. Delayed shifts, hard shifts both when shifting up or down, very large clunk or hard shift when going from 2nd to first. Very unpleasant transmission and multiple ways. Dealer keeps telling me that the transmission is adaptive to the driver and it needs to learn habits. I have had the vehicle for over a year. Sounds like a cop out to me. Not very happy with gm!
..............
Transmission started slipping at 50k miles. Since I am in the transportation service industry, I know many people that have transmission issues on escalades.
Shudder / vibration between 45 - 65 MPH. Cause was torque converter. 85 - 90% of vibration was mitigated. Continue to have steady vibrations 65 -70mph and above. Dealer also installed new tires / wheels and I have had a road force balance.
From a cold start, when taking vehicle out of park and into reverse, the vehicle will surge or buck prior to applying the accelerator. This happens about 1/4 of the drive time. When accelerating and then coming to a coast and back to accelerating, the car will buck. This happens about 1/2 of the drive time. From a cold start, reverse, drive, accelerate to 1mph while making a slight right turn out of my driveway, the vehicle bucks. This happens about 3/4 of the drive time.
Compare the 2016 Cadillac Escalade ESV
Other model years
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Questions about the 2016 Cadillac Escalade ESV
Is the 2016 Cadillac Escalade ESV reliable?
Owners have filed 15 complaints about the 2016 Cadillac Escalade ESV, close to a typical Escalade ESV model year.
What is the 2016 Cadillac Escalade ESV year score?
The 2016 Cadillac Escalade ESV scores 71 out of 100 (average). The score compares it with the other model years of the Cadillac Escalade ESV: 75 is a typical year, 50 means twice the usual complaints, and serious complaints and recalls lower it.
What is the most common problem with the 2016 Cadillac Escalade ESV?
Suspension, with 7 complaints, typically around 71,695 miles. Next is transmission (5).
How many recalls does the 2016 Cadillac Escalade ESV have?
3 recalls, covering seat belts and suspension.
Is the 2016 Cadillac Escalade ESV safe in a crash?
The 2016 Cadillac Escalade ESV was crash tested, but no overall score was published. Partial scores: side 5, rollover 3 out of 5.
Was there a recall on the 2016 Cadillac Escalade ESV suspension?
Yes, 1 recall: 16V256000. Check your VIN to see if your car still needs the free repair.
VIN decoder
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