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Total NHTSA Complaints
103
Owner filings recorded
#1 Reported Problem
Powertrain & Transmission
27 reports (26.2%)
Crash Incident Reports
5
Filings citing a crash
Fire & Injury Reports
7
3 fire • 4 injury filings
Defect Investigation Analysis

Executive Problem Findings

AutoUtility currently tracks 103 official NHTSA owner defect complaints for the 2015 Cadillac Escalade. Powertrain & Transmission issues are the most frequently reported category, appearing in 27 complaints (26.2% of submitted records). Among these NHTSA complaint records, 5 filings cite a crash, 3 cite a fire, 4 report one or more injuries.

Methodology Notice: Consumer complaints are unverified voluntary submissions to the NHTSA Office of Defects Investigation (ODI). Filings are not normalized for sales volume or vehicle mileage and do not constitute an audited component failure rate.
Incident & Severity Profile
  • • Total Owner Reports: 103 complaints submitted under federal penalty.
  • • Primary Subsystem: Powertrain & Transmission accounts for 26.2% of submissions (27 reports).
  • • Secondary Systems: Engine & Cooling (25), Electrical System (16).
  • • Crash Incidents: 5 filings cite an impact or collision.
  • • Thermal Incidents: 3 filings cite smoke or fire.
  • • Reported Casualties: 4 injury filings • 0 fatality filings.
Category Distribution

Reported Defect Categories for 2015 Cadillac Escalade

Factual proportion of owner complaints categorized by automotive subsystem in NHTSA records

Powertrain & Transmission
27
26.2%
Engine & Cooling
25
24.3%
Electrical System
16
15.5%
Driver Assistance & Safety Tech
13
12.6%
Brakes & Traction Control
11
10.7%
#1 26.2% SHARE

Powertrain & Transmission

27 owner complaints submitted to NHTSA ODI for this subsystem.

🩹 1 Injury
⚠️ 1 Associated Recall Campaign
#2 24.3% SHARE

Engine & Cooling

25 owner complaints submitted to NHTSA ODI for this subsystem.

🔥 1 Fire
⚠️ 1 Associated Recall Campaign
#3 15.5% SHARE

Electrical System

16 owner complaints submitted to NHTSA ODI for this subsystem.

⚠️ 1 Crash 🔥 2 Fire
#4 12.6% SHARE

Driver Assistance & Safety Tech

13 owner complaints submitted to NHTSA ODI for this subsystem.

⚠️ 1 Crash 🩹 1 Injury
Deterministic Text Analysis

Recurring Symptoms Identified in Owner Reports

Specific mechanical, electrical, and driver-assist defect symptoms identified via deterministic narrative analysis

Powertrain & Transmission 6.8%

Loss of Motive Power While Driving

7 complaint narratives describe this symptom.

NHTSA Narrative Match
Federal Oversight

Official NHTSA Defect Investigations (1)

Formal engineering analyses and preliminary evaluations opened by the NHTSA Office of Defects Investigation

ODI Action #PE18012 CLOSED Preliminary Evaluation (PE)
Opened: 2018-11-20 • Closed: 2022-04-10
Subject / Subsystem
Brake Vacuum Pump Failure
Affected Component
SERVICE BRAKES
Recall Linkage
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 NHTSA 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 NHTSA.gov under the identification numbers in the attached document.
Consumer Filings

Recent NHTSA Owner Reports for 2015 Cadillac Escalade

Representative defect filings submitted by owners to the NHTSA Office of Defects Investigation

Driver Assistance & Safety Tech ODI #11749286
Filed: 07/09/2026
🩹 1 Injury

"The contact owns a 2015 Cadillac Escalade. The contact stated that while driving through a conveyor car wash with child occupants in the rear seats, the vehicle was placed in neutral (N). The vehicle was then shifted into drive (D) as instructed but accelerated independently. The contact added that..."

Fuel & Propulsion System ODI #11734152
Filed: 04/27/2026
Defect Report

"The contact owns a 2015 Cadillac Escalade. The contact stated that while his wife was driving the vehicle, after arriving at a parking lot, a bystander informed her that the vehicle was leaking a significant amount of fuel. The vehicle was driven to the residence and turned off, and the vehicle..."

Engine & Cooling ODI #11725365
Filed: 03/18/2026
Defect Report

"The engine in my 2015 Cadillac Escalade failed unexpectedly at approximately 53,000 miles. Immediately prior to the failure, the engine developed a noticeable knocking noise, indicating a potential internal issue. While attempting to park in a public parking garage, the vehicle suddenly lost power..."

Powertrain & Transmission ODI #11724651
Filed: 03/16/2026
Defect Report

"Mileage: 90,406 2015 Cadillac Escalade Engine: 6.2L V8 EcoTec3 has experienced lifter and camshaft failure, and the vehicle is now stalling while driving, creating a serious safety risk. I transport my disabled child daily, and the stalls are unpredictable, putting us and other drivers at risk...."

Engine & Cooling ODI #11715567
Filed: 02/04/2026
Defect Report

"Within the last 20,000 miles this car has, and is now, been at the dealership 3xs for sudden lifter/camshaft failure. This last time almost caused an accident. One time the check engine light never even came on, two other times it came on as the car started slowing and shaking, so no notice as to..."

Multi-Year Trend

Complaint History for Cadillac Escalade

Reported defect complaint volume across sibling model years (2015–2026)

Model Year NHTSA Complaints Crash Reports Safety Recalls Detailed Report
2015 Cadillac Escalade Current Page 103 5 9 Current
2016 Cadillac Escalade 104 4 4 View 2016 Problems →
2017 Cadillac Escalade 87 6 2 View 2017 Problems →
2018 Cadillac Escalade 21 1 1 View 2018 Problems →
2019 Cadillac Escalade 25 1 0 View 2019 Problems →
2020 Cadillac Escalade 13 2 2 View 2020 Problems →
2021 Cadillac Escalade 80 2 9 View 2021 Problems →
2022 Cadillac Escalade 73 4 4 View 2022 Problems →
2023 Cadillac Escalade 127 2 4 View 2023 Problems →
2024 Cadillac Escalade 44 0 2 View 2024 Problems →
2025 Cadillac Escalade 16 0 1 View 2025 Problems →
2026 Cadillac Escalade 0 0 3 View 2026 Problems →
Exhaustive System Audit

Detailed NHTSA Component Breakdown for 2015 Cadillac Escalade

Complete distribution of consumer defect reports across all 53 granular NHTSA system and subsystem classifications

Vehicle Component / System Total Complaints Crash Reports Fire Reports Injury Entries Fatality Entries
Engine NHTSA category: ENGINE 12 0 0 0 0
Powertrain NHTSA category: POWER TRAIN 9 0 0 0 0
Other / Uncategorized NHTSA category: UNKNOWN OR OTHER 9 0 0 0 0
Electrical System NHTSA category: ELECTRICAL SYSTEM 7 0 1 0 0
Steering NHTSA category: STEERING 5 1 0 6 0
Service Brakes NHTSA category: SERVICE BRAKES 4 0 0 0 0
Suspension NHTSA category: SUSPENSION 4 0 0 0 0
POWER TRAIN,UNKNOWN OR OTHER 3 0 0 0 0
ENGINE,FUEL/PROPULSION SYSTEM 2 0 0 0 0
Forward Collision Avoidance NHTSA category: FORWARD COLLISION AVOIDANCE 2 0 0 0 0
Fuel & Propulsion System NHTSA category: FUEL/PROPULSION SYSTEM 2 0 0 0 0
POWER TRAIN,ENGINE 2 0 0 0 0
UNKNOWN OR OTHER,ENGINE 2 0 0 0 0
Air Bags NHTSA category: AIR BAGS 1 1 0 2 0
Back Over Prevention / Camera NHTSA category: BACK OVER PREVENTION 1 0 0 0 0
ELECTRICAL SYSTEM,ENGINE 1 0 1 0 0
ELECTRICAL SYSTEM,ENGINE,FUEL/PROPULSION SYSTEM 1 0 0 0 0
ELECTRICAL SYSTEM,EQUIPMENT 1 0 0 0 0
ELECTRICAL SYSTEM,STRUCTURE,SERVICE BRAKES 1 1 0 0 0
ELECTRICAL SYSTEM,UNKNOWN OR OTHER 1 0 0 0 0
Engine & Cooling NHTSA category: ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING 1 0 0 0 0
ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING,ELECTRICAL SYSTEM,STRUCTURE 1 0 0 0 0
EXTERIOR LIGHTING 1 0 0 0 0
Fuel System NHTSA category: FUEL SYSTEM, GASOLINE 1 0 0 0 0
LANE DEPARTURE,FORWARD COLLISION AVOIDANCE 1 0 0 0 0
POWER TRAIN,BACK OVER PREVENTION 1 0 0 0 0
POWER TRAIN,ELECTRICAL SYSTEM,ELECTRONIC STABILITY CONTROL (ESC) 1 0 0 0 0
POWER TRAIN,ENGINE,FUEL/PROPULSION SYSTEM 1 0 0 0 0
POWER TRAIN,ENGINE,LANE DEPARTURE 1 0 0 0 0
POWER TRAIN,SERVICE BRAKES 1 0 0 0 0
POWER TRAIN,VEHICLE SPEED CONTROL 1 0 0 0 0
POWER TRAIN,VEHICLE SPEED CONTROL,UNKNOWN OR OTHER 1 0 0 0 0
Seat Belts NHTSA category: SEAT BELTS 1 0 0 0 0
Seats & Restraints NHTSA category: SEATS 1 0 0 0 0
SERVICE BRAKES, HYDRAULIC,POWER TRAIN,VEHICLE SPEED CONTROL 1 0 0 1 0
SERVICE BRAKES,ENGINE 1 0 0 0 0
STEERING,AIR BAGS 1 1 1 1 0
STEERING,ELECTRICAL SYSTEM,UNKNOWN OR OTHER 1 0 0 0 0
STEERING,ENGINE 1 0 0 0 0
STEERING,POWER TRAIN 1 0 0 0 0
STEERING,POWER TRAIN,AIR BAGS 1 0 0 0 0
Structure & Body NHTSA category: STRUCTURE 1 0 0 0 0
STRUCTURE,UNKNOWN OR OTHER,ENGINE 1 0 0 0 0
STRUCTURE,VEHICLE SPEED CONTROL,FUEL/PROPULSION SYSTEM 1 1 0 0 0
SUSPENSION,ELECTRICAL SYSTEM,LANE DEPARTURE 1 0 0 0 0
SUSPENSION,ENGINE 1 0 0 0 0
SUSPENSION,POWER TRAIN 1 0 0 0 0
SUSPENSION,POWER TRAIN,ENGINE 1 0 0 0 0
SUSPENSION,POWER TRAIN,SERVICE BRAKES 1 0 0 0 0
VEHICLE SPEED CONTROL,ELECTRONIC STABILITY CONTROL (ESC) 1 0 0 0 0
VEHICLE SPEED CONTROL,UNKNOWN OR OTHER 1 0 0 0 0
Visibility / Glass NHTSA category: VISIBILITY 1 0 0 0 0
Visibility & Wipers NHTSA category: VISIBILITY/WIPER 1 0 0 0 0
Search Intelligence

Quick Answers: Common Problems & Reliability Questions for the 2015 Cadillac Escalade

Direct, deterministic answers synthesized from verified United States government databases for the 2015 Cadillac Escalade

What are the most common reported problems with the 2015 Cadillac Escalade?

In official NHTSA consumer records, the most frequently cited issue area for the 2015 Cadillac Escalade is Powertrain & Transmission, appearing in 27 records (26.2% of submitted filings).

Secondary reported categories include Engine & Cooling (25) and Electrical System (16).

Source: NHTSA Office of Defects Investigation (ODI)

Is the 2015 Cadillac Escalade a reliable vehicle?

AutoUtility does not issue subjective reliability scores or commercial ratings. In official United States government records, NHTSA tracks 103 consumer defect complaints and 9 safety recall campaigns for the 2015 Cadillac Escalade.

Reviewing documented component complaint distributions, recall remedy notices, and active federal investigations provides an objective, evidence-based view of the vehicle's historical safety and defect record.

Source: NHTSA ODI & Safety Recalls Databases

Are there crash, fire, or injury reports associated with the 2015 Cadillac Escalade?

Among consumer complaint records on file with NHTSA for the 2015 Cadillac Escalade, 5 filings cite a crash, 3 cite smoke or fire, and 4 report one or more injuries.

Incident entries represent consumer descriptions at the time of submission to federal authorities and do not establish mechanical causation or legal liability.

Source: NHTSA Office of Defects Investigation Consumer Logs

Has NHTSA formally investigated defects on the 2015 Cadillac Escalade?

NHTSA ODI records list 1 formal defect investigation involving the 2015 Cadillac Escalade (all closed).

Federal defect investigations are formal engineering evaluations opened when safety defect trends emerge, and do not by themselves establish a confirmed defect or mandatory recall.

Source: NHTSA Office of Defects Investigation Registry
Official US Government Data Provenance

The complaint records on this page are retrieved directly from the NHTSA Office of Defects Investigation (ODI) public database under 49 CFR Part 576.

Local Production Store Compiled: August 2026 • Deterministic Audited Dataset • Zero Dynamic External API Runtime Latency.