Brake complaints by model year
| Year | Complaints | Share of year's complaints | Typical mileage |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2026 | 1 | 3% | — |
| 2025 | 2 | 10% | — |
| 2024 | 3 | 6% | — |
| 2023 | 5 | 3% | 42,000 miles |
| 2022 | 1 | 1% | — |
| 2021 | 2 | 3% | — |
| 2020 | 1 | 7% | — |
| 2018 | 3 | 14% | 49,000 miles |
| 2017 | 9 | 18% | 15,000 miles |
| 2016 | 3 | 3% | 140,000 miles |
| 2015 | 9 | 9% | 15,000 miles |
| 2012 | 3 | 15% | 18,000 miles |
| 2011 | 2 | 4% | 85,000 miles |
| 2010 | 2 | 5% | — |
| 2009 | 2 | 3% | 158,000 miles |
| 2007 | 8 | 3% | 95,000 miles |
| 2006 | 4 | 21% | 86,000 miles |
| 2005 | 8 | 19% | 69,000 miles |
| 2004 | 19 | 28% | 75,000 miles |
| 2003 | 20 | 25% | 85,000 miles |
| 2002 | 47 | 41% | 70,000 miles |
| 2000 | 13 | 18% | 80,000 miles |
| 1999 | 8 | 21% | 120,000 miles |
Which parts fail
Components named in complaints (service brakes, ABS, rotors and pads, parking brake).
Mileage when the problem started
What owners report
The brake system failed within 3 months of purchase of Cadillac Escalade. The mileage was 4,209 miles, when the incident occurred The vehicle was towed to Massey Cadillac, Authorised Service Partner (ASP) and diagnosed that 'DIAG BRAKE LIGHT C058A BREAK MASTER CYLINDER HAS INTERNAL FAULT'. They replaced the faulty part and the brake is working good now I was saved from a major accident, there was a chance to ran over some one as I realised the failure of brake, while the vehicle was in motion. I believe, this a potential claim for a compensation from manufacturer. I filed complaint with General Motors and I did not get a satisfactory reply. They were dragging it without any timely response.
Clicking that the dealer stated was normal. It was not loud knocking saying that is how the high flow fuel pump worked. Safety braking did not work at all. And there was a water intrusion in the trunk.
The contact and her husband own a 2023 Cadillac Escalade. The contact stated that while her husband was inside the vehicle with their four children and attempting to depress the brake pedal, the brake pedal failed to work as intended, causing the vehicle to crash into the vehicle ahead. The contact stated that there was no injury sustained. The contact stated that a Police report was not filed; however, the local Police assisted with having the vehicle towed to the dealer. The manufacturer was notified of the failure and opened a case. The approximate failure mileage was 42,000.
So I bought this Cadillac Escalade V 2023 with about 26k miles on it and I only had the vehicle for about 13 days and I got a light on my dash board and I had a mechanic check this for me and he told me that the whole entire break system was failing and needed to be replaced so I then took it back to the dealership I bought it from and they told me they had no idea since it was a certified pre owned and we where all confused about this situation and I was very unhappy that I paid 128k $ for a car and the dealer told me they could fix the issue or take the offer of 105k$ he offered me and of course because I did not want to have this problem I got rid of this vehicle as quick as possible I did not notice anything wrong with the car physically but I had that check engine light on with 13 days of owning
I noticed my brakes started squeaking when I would push the braking pedal. One day, I was pulling up to a bank, drive-through, applying pressure to the brakes, and I had stopped. I let off the break to pull up a little farther, but when reapplying the break, the pedal went all the way to the floor and there was a warning light saying something about servicing the brakes. I immediately picked up my foot and reapplied it to the brake pedal two or three times and the pedal did come back up to normal position. Then stopped me from hitting the car in front of me. The warning light turned off a few minutes later. The squeaking went away as well. That was a couple months back. But this week my brakes are starting to squeak again when I apply the pedal. So I'm worrying that the brakes may go out again. This vehicle has a very rough ride. I hear rattles when driving. …
I was pulling forward in a parking garage and it nearly pinned a pedestrian into a parked car. The brakes didn't respond as normal. I had to put most of my weight on the pedal to bring the car to a stop. It was really scary. I took it to the dealer and they said it is a known issue covered under warranty and has to do with a vacuum pump used in the electronic brake system. I thought this was reckless and it should be fixed and not wait until a serious incident. The service advisor [redacted] from Tom Kelly Cadillac, Fort Wayne, IN) even commented that it scared him the first time he drove a customer's car with this issue. He was shocked how hard it was to stop. If this hasn't already, it will cost someone their life. Please help!!! I don't want someone to die for a known issue.
My family and I were driving and the car started breaking and turning the wheel then died . We took it to the dealership 3x and on the third time they found a code for the safety module On each incident the car was difficult to control and it put my families life at risk. I have sent an email to Mr Roth with GM of my concerns
When applying the brakes at a slow speed (>20 mph), the brakes seem "spongy". The brake pedal seems to require further travel to stop the vehicle. It feels as if air is trapped in the hydraulic system and this does not happen all the time, it is an intermittent problem.
Related recalls (4)
Service brakes, hydraulic › Power assist › Electric › Control module › Software
General Motors, LLC (GM) is recalling certain 2023 Chevrolet Silverado 1500, GMC Sierra 1500, 2023-2024 Chevrolet Tahoe, Suburban, GMC Yukon, Yukon XL, Cadillac Escalade, and Escalade ESV vehicles. The electronic brake control module software may fail to display a warning light when a loss of brake fluid occurs.
Remedy: The Electronic Brake Control Module (eBCM) software will be updated through an over-the-air (OTA) update or by a dealer, free of charge. Owner notification letters were mailed October 25, 2024.
Service brakes, hydraulic › Power assist › Vacuum
General Motors LLC (GM) is recalling certain 2018 Cadillac Escalade, Chevrolet Silverado 1500 and Tahoe, GMC Sierra 1500 and Yukon vehicles equipped with either a 5.3L or 6.2L V8 engine. The output of the mechanical vacuum pump can decrease over time, decreasing the amount of vacuum/power brake assist.
Remedy: GM will notify owners, and dealers will reprogram the Electronic Brake Control Module, free of charge. The recall began November 11, 2020.
Service brakes, hydraulic › Power assist › Vacuum
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.
Remedy: GM will notify owners, and dealers will reprogram the Electronic Brake Control Module, free of charge. The recall began October 8, 2019.
Service brakes, hydraulic
Certain sport utility vehicles, pickup trucks, and passenger vans fail to comply with the requirements of federal motor vehicle safety standard no. 135, ?passenger car brake systems.? Some of these vehicles were produced with an out-of-specification brake hydro-boost housing relief valve bore.
Remedy: Dealers are to replace the hydro-boost relief valve. The recall began on June 18, 2004. Owners should contact Cadillac at 1-866-982-2339; Chevrolet at 1-800-630-2438; GMC at 1-866-996-9463; or Hummer at 1-866-486-6376.
NHTSA investigations
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…
Brake line corrosion failure
On January 11, 2011, ODI opened EA11-001 to investigate allegations of premature brake line corrosion failure in model year (MY) 1999 through 2003 General Motors (GM) full-size pickup trucks and sport utility vehicles sold or registered in the following region of the United States that NHTSA has viewed as salt states for investigations of corrosion related issues:Connecticut, Delaware, District of Columbia,…
Brake Vacuum Pump Failure
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…
Frequently asked questions
Which Cadillac Escalade years have brake problems?
By NHTSA complaints, the 2002 (47), 2003 (20), 2004 (19), 2000 (13) and 2015 (9) model years. Brake complaints make up 41% of all complaints for the 2002.
Is there a recall for Cadillac Escalade brake problems?
Yes — 4 recalls, including 24V-674 (software, Sep 12, 2024); 20V-603 (vacuum, Oct 1, 2020); 19V-645 (vacuum, Sep 6, 2019). Recall repairs are free at authorized dealers; check a specific car with the VIN recall check.
At what mileage do Cadillac Escalade brake problems start?
Across all years, half of the complaints with a recorded mileage happened before about 71,000 miles; 36% happened before 50,000 miles.
What part fails most often?
Owners most often name the antilock/traction control/electronic limited slip (25 mentions), followed by the foundation components › master cylinder (3).
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.