Body complaints by model year
| Year | Complaints | Share of year's complaints | Typical mileage |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2026 | 1 | 3% | — |
| 2022 | 1 | 1% | — |
| 2021 | 2 | 3% | — |
| 2019 | 1 | 4% | — |
| 2017 | 3 | 6% | 3,000 miles |
| 2016 | 3 | 3% | 25,000 miles |
| 2015 | 4 | 4% | 88,000 miles |
| 2012 | 2 | 10% | 100,000 miles |
| 2011 | 3 | 6% | 65,000 miles |
| 2010 | 1 | 3% | 0 miles |
| 2009 | 3 | 5% | 55,000 miles |
| 2008 | 6 | 4% | 85,000 miles |
| 2007 | 19 | 8% | 77,000 miles |
| 2006 | 1 | 5% | 90,000 miles |
| 2004 | 1 | 1% | — |
| 2003 | 3 | 4% | 40,000 miles |
| 2002 | 7 | 6% | 45,000 miles |
| 2000 | 4 | 6% | — |
| 1999 | 1 | 3% | 1,000 miles |
Which parts fail
Components named in complaints (doors, hood, frame, rust, paint and trim).
Mileage when the problem started
What owners report
I have a 2017 Cadillac Escalade that is all black. This vehicle is now sitting a 140,000 miles now. but before the 140,000 miles I was experiencing horrible peeling, and discoloration of the black paint on the hood, and roof of my vehicle. This particular issue should not be happening in such a highly luxury vehicle. I have driven Lexus, Nissan, and other vehicles, that are way older, im still possession of those vehicle, and still have not experienced such issues, with the paint or coating. This paint peeling and discoloration began well before the 140,000 miles. I want to say at about 90,000 miles I observed issues with the paint located on the top of my hood, and roof. I have also done research on the class action law suit for such issues as well. So I have seen I'm not the only person experiencing the paint discoloration or peeling problem
Tl* the contact owns a 2017 Cadillac Escalade. While attempting to unlock the vehicle with the key fob, it would not unlock. The contact had to manually unlock the vehicle. Also, the vehicle did not start when the push start button was depressed. The vehicle was jumpstarted, but it had very little power. The vehicle was towed to amesbury Chevrolet (103 macy street, amesbury, ma 01913) where it was diagnosed that water was entering the inside of the vehicle from the factory installed antenna on the roof. The water traveled through the interior of the dashboard and shorted the fuse box, which drained the battery. The contact was advised to bring the vehicle back because the tail lights were filled with water and also there was water in the rear of the vehicle. The vehicle was repaired for the fuse box failure. The manufacturer was notified of the failures. …
Buffeting sound and ear pressure like the rear windows are down, but occurs all the time at freeway speed with all windows up. Booming sound at slow speed. Can feel strange ear pressure like the stereo subwoofer is playing over most small road imperfections. The whole body "booms" exhaust droaning sound and ear pressure. When SUV switches into v4 mode exhaust creates a droaning back pressure sound which also creates pressure in occupants ears riding in vehicle. Note* GM bought back our 2015 yukon and 2015 Escalade for these exact problems. The 2016 is no better. All the same sound and ear pressure issues. Have contacted GM and started a claim. At this point they have done nothing to fix, correct, or replace this vehicle. At this point I have purchased over $220.000.00 in just over one year from GM, three new SUV's they all make these noises. …
The black shiny plastic pieces behind the rear doors have come loose on both sides. The metal clips have come loose from the plastic. This makes the plastic pieces flap in the wind. This should not be happening at 25000 miles. I have now glued the pieces back together but I should not have to do this on an $80,000 truck. Also, the plastic under the windshield has waves in the plastic and does not sit flat against the window. This should not be happening on a 4 year old truck that is garage kept.
THIS IS FOR SAFETY RECALL IN oct 2019- regarding the brakes- it has ALREADY BEEN MADE AWARE TO DOT. This is in regards to getting a refund for my almost 4k out of pocket expense. The brakes went out completely in sept 2019 ( in 5-7 mph I could not stop in traffic even with them all the way pushed to the floor. and caused a front end collision ad the brakes been working normally this would have never happened. I was wondering what i needed to do ( or if i can ) to get reimbursed for the damages that i incurred on fixing my vehicle. ( around 4,000). Or if i need to notify Cadillac of this issue. Also the vehicle went in for repairs after the recall was issued ( we were never told or advised by the dealer that there was a recall open) and have no idea why the dealer would not even tell us, or advise us of such.
The contact owns a 2015 Cadillac Escalade. The contact stated that both rear doors trim near the windows had been slowly detaching from the vehicle, causing a loud whistling sound while driving. The vehicle had been taken to the dealer where it was inspected and determined that the trim needed to be replaced. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was made aware of the failure. The failure mileage was 88,000.
Tl* the contact owns a 2011 Cadillac Escalade. While the contact was attempting to exit the vehicle, the interior door handle locked and the exterior door handle fell off. The contact had to exit the vehicle using the passenger door. The dealer (potamkin Cadillac of manhattan, 706 11th ave, new york, ny 10019) replaced the interior and exterior door handles. Seven months later, the contact experienced the same failure with the rear passenger door. The manufacturer was contacted and was unable to provide assistance. The failure mileage was 25,488. Updated 8/28/18
I have three separate situations with my 2009 Cadillac Escalade platinum. The upper dash closer to the window is cracked on both the driver and passenger side. Also the Cadillac Escalade woodgrain sign located on the passenger side dashboard is cracked as well. Is this a defect? My vehicle is typically stored in the garage but yet and still my dashboard is cracked. Lastly, I received a letter from Cadillac regarding the recall/replacement airbags back in 2015. I called lindsay Cadillac of alexandria to schedule a replacement; however, their response is there no airbags available. Any assistance would be greatly appreciated.
Related recalls (1)
Structure › Body › Door › Hinge and attachments
Certain sport utility vehicles fail to comply with requirements of federal motor vehicle safety standard no. 214, "side impact protection." these vehicles are built with four welds on the rear door upper hinge. On some of these vehicles, one or two of the welds May not be to specification.
Remedy: Dealers will inspect the welds on the left rear door upper hinge. If a weld is found out-of-specification, a bolt will be installed to secure the hinge. Owner notification began February 17, 2003.
Frequently asked questions
Which Cadillac Escalade years have body problems?
By NHTSA complaints, the 2007 (19), 2002 (7) and 2008 (6) model years. Body complaints make up 8% of all complaints for the 2007.
Is there a recall for Cadillac Escalade body problems?
Yes — 1 recall, including 03V-037 (hinge and attachments, Feb 6, 2003). Recall repairs are free at authorized dealers; check a specific car with the VIN recall check.
At what mileage do Cadillac Escalade body problems start?
Across all years, half of the complaints with a recorded mileage happened before about 62,000 miles; 37% happened before 50,000 miles.
What part fails most often?
Owners most often name the body (39 mentions), followed by the body › door (9).
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.