Most common 1999 Cadillac Escalade problems
Share of the 39 complaints; one complaint can involve more than one system. "~" is the median mileage when the problem started.
Cadillac Escalade complaints by model year
Best Escalade years: 2013, 2014, 2012. Years to avoid: 2023, 2021, 2022, 2024, 2025. Compare all years →
1999 Cadillac Escalade recalls (2)
Fuel system, gasoline › Storage › Tank assembly
Vehicle description: sport utility vehicles, equipped with a floor mounted rosen video entertainment center, fail to conform to the requirements of FMVSS no. 301, "fuel system integrity." due to the method of installation of the video entertainment center by the installed, the vehicle May not meet the fuel spillage requirements…
Remedy: If the entertainment center is installed on the right-hand side (passenger side), no correction is required. If the entertainment center is installed on the left-hand side (driver side), the dealer will remove and…
Seat belts › Front › Webbing
Vehicle description: light duty pickup trucks and sport utility vehicles. These vehicles do not comply with the occupant protection requirements of FMVSS no. 208, "occupant crash protection."
Remedy: Dealers will install a tray insert on the top of the passenger side of the instrument panel. The tray insert corrects the noncompliance.
NHTSA defect investigations
Federal safety investigators have looked into 4 possible defects involving the 1999 Cadillac Escalade:
Unwanted low-speed ABS activation
In a letter dated August 29, 2005, GM notified odi that it was recalling certain model year 1999 through 2002 c/k pickup trucks and sport utility vehicles to correct a problem with anti-lock brake system (ABS) wheel speed sensor corrosion that May result in unwanted ABS activation and extended stopping distances during low-speed braking (recall 05v-379).GM's recall covers approximately 804,000 vehicles currently…
Throttle sticking
There is no summary currently available
Throttle sticking closed
This investigation involves the general motors corporation (GM)throttle body (tb) utilized in model year (my) 1999-2002 silverado, sierra, tahoe, suburban, avalanche and yukon (subject vehicle(s)) with 4.8l, 5.3l, and 6.0l engines. The tb valve May intermittently stick in a closed position.in such a situation, an operator May apply additional accelerator pedal force to increase engine speed.the application of…
Seat belt anchorage separation
What 1999 Cadillac Escalade owners say
Brakes
I have 1999 Cadillac Escalade with ABS activation at low speeds, this is due to corrosion build-up between the ABS sensor and wheel hub housing. GM replaced many of these at no cost to the customers in Canada. Well I live in minnesota, with salted roads. I have the same problem. Went to the dealer today and asked them to see if they could fix the problem at no cost, and their answer was no. Now I have hit my garage door twice, and the back of my garage wall once. My father has a 2000 yukon denali with the same problem. Why is there no real, this is a very serious and dangerous problem...
I own a 1999 Cadillac Escalade. It has 110,000 approximate miles. For the last few hundred miles, I've had trouble with stopping at a low rate of speed. Nearly running into my garage, and other vehicles in front of me. The ABS light comes on intermittingly, then goes off. I've been told by friends/ relatives that there where previous complaints, and problems with the GM braking system. I've spoken with the sevice manager at david taylor Cadillac. On 03/24/2010. He said that there is not a recall on or for my vehicle.
Suspension
Shortly after purchase we traveled to florida, we could not control our vehicle at speeds in excess of 50 MPH. Flordia dealer..demitt caddliac of clearwater florida stated the front end was not aligned and adjusted same . It was not done properly and we cut our vacation short to return our vehicle to be serviced at the dealership of purchase. They realigned same as it wasn't done right in florida. Cadallic also re imbursed all our travel expense of $380.00. Two months later after another extended sustained high speed road trip we noticed the front end was not right again. Again back to the dealer..another front end adjustment and tire replacement due to misalignment. Another road trip at sustained speeds a couple months later the front end problem re occured. They alighned same again and when asked why it does not say in alighenment they said "we don't know". …
While driving the vehicle it pulled to left unexpectedly. This May result in a crash. Been to dealer 5 times. Dealer could not determine the cause of the problem. Currently, dealer said it was the charateristic of the vehicle. Please provide further information.
Wheels & tires
Pe-00-020; original equipment on a 1999, Cadillac Escalade, tire size 16 inch, dot number not available. Two sets of Firestone tires were replaced due to tread separation occurring on all four tires. Also, when driving there was vibration within the front end and vehicle was shaking. First set of tires had 16 thousands miles on them, second set had 12 thousand miles on them. All 4 tires were replaced in March. Failed again by July and replaced again.
While driving 80 MPH, the front left wheel came off. The driver was able to maintain control of the truck and pulled over to the shoulder. The truck was towed to the dealership and the owner was informed that the wheel was improperly installed by mechanic. Please describe details.
1999 Cadillac Escalade engines & fuel economy
| Engine | Transmission | Drive | MPG city / hwy / combined |
|---|---|---|---|
| 5.7L 8-cyl | 4-speed automatic | 4WD/AWD | 11 / 15 / 13 |
EPA ratings. Class: SUV.
Frequently asked questions
Is the 1999 Cadillac Escalade a good car?
Based on 39 owner complaints filed with NHTSA, the 1999 Escalade rates average: 21% fewer complaints than a typical year of the Escalade at the same age. Complaint counts don't account for sales volume or individual maintenance, so have any used car inspected before buying.
What is the most common problem with the 1999 Cadillac Escalade?
The brakes — 8 complaints, 21% of all complaints for this model year, most often about antilock/traction control/electronic limited slip. Next are the suspension (6) and wheels & tires (5).
How many recalls does the 1999 Cadillac Escalade have?
There are 2 recalls for the 1999 Cadillac Escalade, the most recent from June 7, 2000 (tank assembly). Recall repairs are free at any authorized dealer — check whether yours has been done with the VIN recall check.
What are the best and worst years of the Cadillac Escalade?
The best years by complaints, compared at the same age, are 2013, 2014 and 2012. Years to avoid or approach with caution: 2023, 2021, 2022, 2024 and 2025. See the full Cadillac Escalade years comparison.
At what mileage do 1999 Cadillac Escalade problems happen?
The median mileage reported in complaints is about 112,000 miles; 9% of problems with a recorded mileage started before 50,000 miles.
Source: U.S. National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) — owner complaints through October 20, 2026, recalls and defect investigations; fuel economy from the EPA. Complaints are unverified reports and are not proof of a defect. How we rate model years.