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2015 Cadillac Escalade Problems and Recalls
Owners filed 98 complaints with NHTSA about the 2015 Cadillac Escalade, most often about the transmission (29% of complaints, typically around 46,500 miles). It is 5th of 27 Escalade model years by number of complaints and has 9 recalls.
⚠ Safety advisory1 recall for this car came with a do-not-drive warning. See below and check your VIN at nhtsa.gov/recalls.
Most common 2015 Cadillac Escalade problems
Transmission
28 complaints · 29%Half of these problems showed up before 46,500 miles. Parts named most often: driveline.
My 2015 Cadillac Escalade has spent more than 2 months in the caddilac dealership to try and resolve issues surrounding the transmission. This car over time has shown signs of shuddering, mis-shifting, jolting and diving. Most recently the car shifts from 2nd to 1st below 20mph causing the rear wheels to spin and…
I've had this vehicle since 3-28-2019 and I'm already having shifting problems with the vehicle. After doing some research, I've discovered that this is a common issue with Cadillac. My Escalade has 45,000 miles on it, so this shouldn't be a problem. I'm worried about this hesitation problem during driving, which may…
Engine
28 complaints · 29%Half of these problems showed up before 88,500 miles. Parts named most often: cooling system.
The contact owns a 2015 Cadillac Escalade. While driving 10 MPH and depressing the accelerator pedal, the vehicle felt as if it shifted and the steering seized. There were no warning indicators illuminated. The vehicle was serviced per NHTSA campaign number: 18v586000 (steering) at open road Cadillac (334 columbia…
This is an exhaust fume related complaint that is also related to an electrical component failure of the rear hatch locking mechanism. When the rear hatch locking mechanism is not fully engaged the liftgate is not completely closed allowing gas fumes to enter the vehicle and it has a really bad exhaust fumes…
Other or unspecified
17 complaints · 17%Half of these problems showed up before 47,500 miles.
I've had this vehicle since 3-28-2019 and I'm already having shifting problems with the vehicle. After doing some research, I've discovered that this is a common issue with Cadillac. My Escalade has 45,000 miles on it, so this shouldn't be a problem. I'm worried about this hesitation problem during driving, which may…
I was traveling on I-40 in oklahoma at night and the vehicle in motion I heard a shattering sound on my 2015 Cadillac Escalade I pulled to the shoulder activating my hazard light to inspect my vehicle I went around my vehicle two times and did not notice anything wrong. As I was getting back into my vehicle I used my…
Electrical
15 complaints · 15%Half of these problems showed up before 100,000 miles. Parts named most often: instrument panel.
Here's a youtube link for the previous complaint that I filed..... It is for the rear hatch locking mechanism with an open flame. I previously reported the rear hatch locking mechanism failure back in april may and the rear hatch was not locking and it was not actually closing all the way. My granddaughter almost fell…
This is an exhaust fume related complaint that is also related to an electrical component failure of the rear hatch locking mechanism. When the rear hatch locking mechanism is not fully engaged the liftgate is not completely closed allowing gas fumes to enter the vehicle and it has a really bad exhaust fumes…
Steering
10 complaints · 10%Half of these problems showed up before 86,500 miles.
The contact owns a 2015 Cadillac Escalade. While driving 10 MPH and depressing the accelerator pedal, the vehicle felt as if it shifted and the steering seized. There were no warning indicators illuminated. The vehicle was serviced per NHTSA campaign number: 18v586000 (steering) at open road Cadillac (334 columbia…
My vehicle stops running when I am placing it in reverse or making slow turns. The car turns off and the driver assist screen turns off (cameras do not work) and then my car says 'service: driver assist'. I have been driving at a low rate of speed on the street and my car stops running and the steering wheel becomes…
Brakes
9 complaints · 9%Half of these problems showed up before 15,000 miles.
At 15000 miles and original owner while towing our brakes completely gave out. No warning sign, no leakage, only 1 symptom a few months prior where the brake peddle was mushy. Dealership said it was fine. Everything worked fine driving it throughout day. Stopped for dinner just before we entered mountain pass. Got in…
Brakes completely failed. I pulled into train parking spot and the cars would not stop. I had to keep pumping the brakes and eventually it just stopped. I tried it gain and the brakes were hard and couldn't push them down. I am so lucky that I was not on a highway going fast with my kids in the car. Adillac said I…
Suspension
9 complaints · 9%Half of these problems showed up before 50,000 miles. Parts named most often: front.
2015 kind of like asking late 8 speed transmission problems shuddering shaking need a new transmission took it to the dealership 12 times they did several transmission flushes did not fix the problem
I had my 2015 Escalade esv in the shop for a software upgrade and was informed that both my radiator and front struts were leaking. My truck has 40,677 miles on it. The dealer quoted me 1,532 for the radiator and 1,822 for the front struts.
Fuel system
7 complaints · 7%Parts named most often: delivery.
This is an exhaust fume related complaint that is also related to an electrical component failure of the rear hatch locking mechanism. When the rear hatch locking mechanism is not fully engaged the liftgate is not completely closed allowing gas fumes to enter the vehicle and it has a really bad exhaust fumes…
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 continued to leak fuel.…
Complaints are owner reports to NHTSA, not verified defects. One complaint can name several components, so shares add up to more than 100%.
2015 Cadillac Escalade recalls
Air bags: inflator module
Risk: An inflator rupture may result in sharp metal fragments striking the driver or other occupants, resulting in serious injury or death.
Fix: Dealers will replace the front-driver air bag module, free of charge. Interim letters notifying owners of the safety risk were mailed june 19, 2026. Additional letters will be mailed once the remedy is available. Owners may contact cadillac customer service at 1-800-333-4223. The manufacturer's number for this recall is n262555870. Vehicle identification numbers (vins) involved in this recall became searchable on NHTSA.gov on may 21, 2026.
Full defect summary
General motors, llc (gm) is recalling certain 2015 cadillac escalade, escalade esv, xts, 2015-2016 cadillac ats, cts, and srx vehicles. The front-driver air bag inflator may rupture during deployment.
Transmission: transfer case (4-wheel drive)
Risk: Front or rear wheel lockup increases the risk of a crash.
Fix: Owners are advised not to drive their vehicle until the remedy is completed. Dealers will inspect and, if necessary, replace the transfer case assembly, free of charge. Owner notification letters were mailed may 18, 2026. Owners may contact gmc customer service at 1-800-462-8782, chevrolet customer service at 1-800-222-1020 or cadillac customer service at 1-800-333-4223. Gm's number for this recall is n262557620. Vehicle identification numbers (vins) involved in this recall became searchable on NHTSA.gov on may 7, 2026.
Full defect summary
General motors, llc (gm) is recalling certain 2026 cadillac escalade and escalade esv, chevrolet silverado 1500, suburban, and tahoe, and gmc sierra 1500, yukon, and yukon xl vehicles with four-wheel (4WD) or all-wheel drive (AWD), and certain 2015-2020 suburban, escalade, escalade esv, yukon, yukon xl, and tahoe vehicles. A component missing from the drivetrain transfer case may cause the front and/or rear wheels to lock up without warning to the driver.
Brakes: vacuum
Risk: As the vacuum level drops, the brake assist decreases, increasing braking effort, extending the distance required to stop the vehicle, thereby increasing the risk of a crash.
Fix: 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.
Full 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.
Steering: electric power assist system
Risk: If eps assist is lost and then suddenly returns, the driver may have difficulty steering the vehicle, especially at low speeds, increasing the risk of a crash.
Fix: Gm will notify owners, and dealers will update the eps module software, free of charge. The recall began october 12, 2018. Owners may contact cadillac customer service at 1-800-458-8006, chevrolet customer service at 1-800-222-1020 and gmc customer service at 1-800-462-8782. Gm's number for this recall is 18289.
Full defect summary
General motors llc (gm) is recalling certain 2015 chevrolet silverado 1500, tahoe and suburban, gmc sierra 1500 and yukon, and cadillac escalade vehicles. Electric power steering (eps) assist may be lost momentarily, followed by a sudden return of eps assist.
Seat belts: pretensioner
Risk: A failure of the front air bags or seat belt pretensioners to deploy in the event of a crash necessitating deployment increases the risk of injury to the driver and front passenger.
Fix: 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.
Full 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.
Seat belts: pretensioner
Risk: A failure of the front air bags or seat belt pretensioners to deploy in the event of a crash necessitating deployment increases the risk of injury to the driver and front passenger.
Fix: 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 october 13, 2016. 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 16007.
Full defect summary
General motors llc (gm) is recalling certain model year 2015-2017 chevrolet silverado 2500 hd, 3500 hd, tahoe, suburban, gmc sierra 2500 hd and 3500 hd, gmc yukon, gmc yukon xl, cadillac escalade and cadillac escalade esv vehicles and 2014-2017 chevrolet corvette, silverado 1500, trax, caprice police pursuit vehicle, gmc sierra 1500, buick encore, and 2014-2016 buick lacrosse, chevrolet spark EV and ss vehicles. In the affected vehicles, 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.
Air bags
Risk: Inconsistent air bag deployment increases the risk of personal injury in the event of a crash necessitating air bag deployment.
Fix: Gm will notify owners, and dealers will replace the instrument panel top cover, free of charge. The recall began on november 11, 2014. Owners may contact cadillac customer service at 1-800-458-8006. Gm's number for this recall is 14686.
Full defect summary
General motors llc (gm) is recalling certain model year 2015 cadillac escalade and escalade esv vehicles. The passenger side instrument panel top cover on the affected vehicles may have been manufactured using an incorrect spacer fabric, causing a reduction of adhesion between the spacer fabric and the vinyl show surface. This reduced adhesion may result in inconsistent passenger air bag deployment. As such, these vehicles fail to comply with the requirements of federal motor vehicle safety standard no. 208, "occupant crash protection."
Air bags
Risk: In the event of an accident, an air bag that only partially deploys increases the risk of occupant injury.
Fix: Gm sent the owners an interim notification letter on may 16, 2014 to advise owners of the recall, and will mail owners a second letter when remedy parts are available. When the parts are available, dealers will replace the instrument panel right side upper trim panel, free of charge. The recall began on june 9, 2014. Owners may contact cadillac customer service at 1-800-458-8006. Gm's number for this recall is 14220. Note: owners are advised that until the vehicle has been remedied, occupants should not sit in the front passenger seat position.
Full defect summary
General motors llc (gm) is recalling certain model year 2015 cadillac escalade and escalade esv vehicles manufactured april 6, 2014, through may 13, 2014. In the affected vehicles, the air bag module is secured to a chute adhered to the backside of the instrument panel with an insufficiently heated infrared weld. This may result in only a partial deployment of the front passenger air bag in the event of a crash. As such, these vehicles do not conform to federal motor vehicle safety standard (fmvss) number 208, "occupant crash protection."
Engine: exhaust system
Risk: The overheated exhaust components may melt nearby plastic parts and may result in an engine fire.
Fix: General motors will notify owners, and dealers will reprogram the engine control module, free of charge. The recall began on january 16, 2014. Owners may contact chevrolet at 1-800-222-1020 and gmc at 1-800-462-8782. General motors' number for this recall is 14008.
Full defect summary
General motors is recalling certain 2014 model year chevrolet silverado 1500 and gmc sierra 1500 vehicles, and 2015 model year cadillac escalade and escalade esv; chevrolet silverado hd; and gmc sierra hd, yukon, and yukon xl, equipped with a 4.3l engine or 5.3l engine.
Recall repairs are free at any franchised dealer. Enter your VIN at nhtsa.gov/recalls to see which recalls are still open on your car.
NHTSA defect investigations
Brake vacuum pump failure
Summary
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
Questions about the 2015 Cadillac Escalade
- What are the most common problems with the 2015 Cadillac Escalade?
- By NHTSA owner complaints: transmission (28 complaints, typically around 46,500 miles); engine (28 complaints, typically around 88,500 miles); other or unspecified (17 complaints, typically around 47,500 miles).
- How many recalls does the 2015 Cadillac Escalade have?
- 9 recalls listed by NHTSA, the latest from May 21, 2026 (air bags). Check your VIN at nhtsa.gov/recalls to see which ones are still open on your car.
- Is the 2015 a bad year for the Cadillac Escalade?
- It is 5th of 27 Escalade model years by number of complaints, with 98 complaints. Complaint counts are not adjusted for how many cars were sold, so popular years collect more of them, and the newest years have had less time to.