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Executive Vehicle Verdict

The 2016 Cadillac Escalade is associated with 104 official NHTSA owner defect complaints and 4 safety recall campaigns in the federal safety database.

The most frequently reported component area is Engine, accounting for 21 reports (20% of total complaints). EPA testing covers 2 certified vehicle configurations spanning 6.2l 8-cyl powertrain configurations. Gasoline and hybrid variants deliver 17 MPG combined. Detailed NHTSA crash-test ratings are not available in the current AutoUtility dataset for this model year.

Official Federal Record Profile
  • • NHTSA Owner Complaints: 104 consumer reports filed
  • • Safety Recall Campaigns: 4 official campaigns
  • • Primary Defect Domain: Engine (21 / 20%)
  • • Field Incident Signals: 4 crash / 3 fire / 4 injury reports
  • • NCAP Crash Safety: Not rated by NHTSA
  • • EPA Certified Range: 17–17 MPG across 2 powertrain trims
Directly compiled from official NHTSA Office of Defects Investigation (ODI), NHTSA NCAP, and EPA FuelEconomy.gov databases.

What is the fuel economy and range of the 2016 Cadillac Escalade?

Official EPA laboratory test ratings, electric driving range, and annual energy cost estimates by certified vehicle variant

Variant Engine Drivetrain Transmission City Highway Combined EV Range Est. Annual Fuel Cost
Escalade 2WD 6.2L 8-Cyl Rear-Wheel Drive Automatic 8-spd 15 MPG 22 MPG 17 MPG — $3,600 / yr
Escalade 4WD 6.2L 8-Cyl 4-Wheel Drive Automatic 8-spd 15 MPG 21 MPG 17 MPG — $3,600 / yr
Data Boundary Note: EPA specifications are shown by certified vehicle configuration. NHTSA complaints and recall totals are recorded at the model-year level across all configurations.

What are the crash test safety ratings for the 2016 Cadillac Escalade?

Official 5-Star Safety Ratings evaluated by the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration

Tested Drivetrain / Cab Variant Overall Rating Frontal Crash Side Crash Rollover Rating Rollover Risk
SUV AWD 22.2%
SUV RWD 22.900000000000002%
Active Driver Assistance Systems (NHTSA Recorded): Forward Collision Warning (FCW) is documented as Optional and Lane Departure Warning (LDW) is documented as Optional in official NHTSA records for tested 2016 Cadillac Escalade models.
View complete 2016 Cadillac Escalade crash test & safety breakdown →

What defect complaints are reported for the 2016 Cadillac Escalade?

Summary of 104 verified consumer defect submissions filed with the NHTSA Office of Defects Investigation (ODI)

Total Complaints
104
Crash Reports
4
Fire Reports
3
Complaints w/ Injury
4
Total Injuries
5

Top Reported Problem Categories

Ranked by total consumer complaint submissions recorded by NHTSA

Engine 21 complaints
Powertrain 13 complaints (1 crash)
Electrical System 7 complaints
Suspension 6 complaints
Air Bags 5 complaints

Data Attribution & Context: Complaints are self-reported by vehicle owners to NHTSA and represent unverified consumer submissions. Complaint volume does not equal a statistically controlled failure rate and is not adjusted for total vehicles sold or cumulative mileage driven.

View all 2016 Cadillac Escalade problems & component breakdown (39 categories) →

Are there open safety recalls on the 2016 Cadillac Escalade?

Manufacturer safety recall campaigns monitored and recorded by NHTSA

NHTSA Campaign #16V256000 Active Recall
Affected Component: SUSPENSION:FRONT:CONTROL ARM

Defect Summary: 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.

Free Manufacturer 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.
NHTSA Campaign #19V645000 Active Recall
Affected Component: SERVICE BRAKES, HYDRAULIC:POWER ASSIST:VACUUM

Defect Summary: General Motors LLC (GM) is recalling certain 2015-2017 Cadillac Escalade, 2014-2018 Chevrolet Silverado, GMC Sierra, 2015-2018 Chevrolet Suburban, Tahoe, GMC Yukon vehicles. The amount of vacuum created by the vacuum pump may decrease over time.

Free Manufacturer Remedy: GM will notify owners, and dealers will reprogram the Electronic Brake Control Module, free of charge. The recall began October 8, 2019. Owners may contact Chevrolet customer service at 1-800-630-2438, Cadillac customer service at 1-800-458-8006 or GMC customer service at 1-800-462-8782. GM's number for this recall is N192268490.
NHTSA Campaign #17V437000 Active Recall
Affected Component: AIR BAGS:FRONTAL

Defect Summary: 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.

Free Manufacturer 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.
View all 2016 Cadillac Escalade recalls & campaign history (4 campaigns) →
Search Intelligence

Quick Answers: Key Questions Drivers Ask About the 2016 Cadillac Escalade

Direct, deterministic answers synthesized from verified United States government databases for the 2016 Cadillac Escalade

How many safety recalls does the 2016 Cadillac Escalade have?

The 2016 Cadillac Escalade is associated with 4 official NHTSA safety recall campaigns in AutoUtility's current federal records.

If your individual vehicle is affected by an open safety recall, NHTSA advises owners to contact an authorized franchised dealership for the recall remedy at no charge. Because recall campaigns apply to specific production runs and equipment batches, vehicle owners should verify their 17-digit VIN at NHTSA.gov.

View all 4 recall campaigns & remedy details →
Source: NHTSA Safety Recalls Database (49 U.S.C. 30118)

What are the most common problems reported for the 2016 Cadillac Escalade?

NHTSA records list 104 consumer defect complaints for the 2016 Cadillac Escalade. The most frequently referenced vehicle system is Engine, appearing in 21 filings (20% of submissions).

Consumer complaints represent unverified owner submissions filed under federal reporting guidelines and describe reported component behavior rather than audited failure rates.

Explore full 2016 Cadillac Escalade defect complaint breakdown →
Source: NHTSA Office of Defects Investigation (ODI)

Is there an official NHTSA crash safety rating for the 2016 Cadillac Escalade?

An official NHTSA 5-Star NCAP crash test rating is not available for the 2016 Cadillac Escalade in AutoUtility's current federal dataset.

NHTSA publishes crash safety evaluations for a selected sample of passenger vehicles each model year. Consult NHTSA.gov for active safety equipment records and vehicle safety bulletins.

Check active safety equipment and ratings overview →
Source: NHTSA NCAP Registry

What fuel economy (MPG) does the 2016 Cadillac Escalade get?

Official EPA laboratory estimates for the 2016 Cadillac Escalade range from 17 MPG combined (55% city / 45% highway weighted) depending on engine, transmission, and drivetrain configuration.

Using AutoUtility's standardized operating cost model (15,000 miles/year, $3.50/gal gas, $0.16/kWh electricity), annual energy expenditures range across certified configurations based on official EPA laboratory test baselines.

Compare MPG ratings across all certified trims →
Source: EPA FuelEconomy.gov Certified Database
Official US Government Data Provenance

The specifications, safety ratings, defect reports, and recall campaigns published on this page are retrieved directly from official United States Government agency databases:

  • NHTSA Office of Defects Investigation (ODI): Consumer complaints and defect reports.
  • NHTSA New Car Assessment Program (NCAP): Frontal, side, and rollover 5-Star crash safety test ratings.
  • U.S. EPA / FuelEconomy.gov: Standardized multi-cycle dynamometer fuel economy, MPGe, and electric driving range ratings.

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