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Buying a used 2021 Cadillac Escalade ESV? Check these 10 recalls first
This year carries the longest recall list of any Escalade ESV here — ten, including a critical rear-wheel lock-up issue on diesels, third-row seat belts that may break (two separate recalls), loss of power steering assist, a rear driveshaft that may break, a fuel pump that can stall the engine, wrong seat belt bolts, and 6.2L V8 engines that may fail. Of 88 unverified NHTSA complaints, 58 involve the engine; one fire, three crashes, and three injuries were reported.
Before you buy
- Get the 17-character VIN from the seller and run it at nhtsa.gov/recalls. It shows which recalls are still unrepaired on that exact car.
- Pull a full VIN recall report — ten recalls apply, including two separate third-row seat belt recalls.
- Confirm which engine it has; the 6.2L V8 failure recall and the heavy engine complaints matter most there.
- If it is the diesel, verify the rear wheel lock-up recall repair was done.
- Open recalls are repaired free at any Cadillac dealer, whoever owns the car — an open recall is a to-do item, not a bill.
Recalls covering the 2021 Cadillac Escalade ESV
| Recall | Area | Severity |
|---|---|---|
| Chevy, GMC and Cadillac diesels: rear wheels can lock | Power Train | critical |
| GM cars and trucks may have wrong seat belt bolts | Seat Belts | high |
| GM Full-Size SUVs: Third-Row Seat Belts May Break | Seat Belts | high |
| GM Full-Size SUVs May Lose Power Steering Assist | Steering | high |
| Chevrolet Tahoe, Suburban, Escalade, Yukon fuel pump can stall engine | Fuel System, Gasoline | high |
| GM full-size SUVs: rear driveshaft may break | Power Train | high |
| Tahoe, Suburban, Yukon and Escalade third-row seat belt flaw | Seat Belts | high |
| Chevrolet, GMC and Cadillac 6.2L V8 engines may fail | Engine And Engine Cooling | high |
| GM SUVs and cars: airbag warning light may not work | AIR Bags | medium |
| Tahoe, Suburban, Yukon and Escalade daytime running light glare | Exterior Lighting | medium |
What owners have reported to NHTSA
88 complaints filed for this model year, including 3 mentioning a crash, 1 a fire and 3 injuries. Complaints are unverified owner reports, and popular models collect more of them simply because more are on the road.
| Problem area | Complaints | Recall in this area? |
|---|---|---|
| Engine | 65 | Yes |
| Electrical System | 14 | None found |
| Power Train | 13 | Yes |
| Brakes | 7 | None found |
| Fuel System | 6 | Yes |
| Driver Assistance | 4 | None found |