2018 Cadillac Escalade
Gas Midsize / large SUV
The 2018 Cadillac Escalade is sold in the U.S. as a gas midsize or large SUV with 2 EPA-rated configurations. The most efficient version, the Escalade 2WD, is EPA-rated at 17 mpg combined. NHTSA lists 2 recall campaigns for this model year, which gives it a Safety Signal grade of B. Owners have filed 36 complaints, most often about engine. NHTSA crash-tested it at 4 stars overall.
Specs & fuel economy (EPA)
| Configuration | Powertrain | Drive | Engine / motor | City | Hwy | Comb | Annual fuel* |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Escalade 2WD | Gas | RWD | 6.2L 8-cyl | 14 | 23 | 17 | $4,550 |
| Escalade 4WD | Gas | 4WD | 6.2L 8-cyl | 14 | 21 | 17 | $4,550 |
*EPA estimate at 15,000 miles/year and EPA reference fuel/electricity prices. Source: fueleconomy.gov vehicle records.
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Recalls (2)
Service Brakes, Hydraulic
highProblem: 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.
Risk: A decrease in brake assist can increase the brake pedal effort and distance required to stop the vehicle, 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 November 11, 2020. Owners may contact GM customer service at 1-866-522-9559, Cadillac customer service at 1-800-458-8006 or Chevrolet customer service at 1-800-630-2438. GM's number for this recall is N202300860.
Seat Belts
highProblem: General Motors LLC (GM) is recalling certain 2018-2019 Cadillac CT6, Escalade ESV, Chevrolet Suburban, Volt, and GMC Yukon XL vehicles. Certain second-row or third-row rear seatbelts retractor assemblies may not automatically lock when the seatbelt is fully pulled out of the retractor, possibly preventing a child seat from being properly secured. As such, these vehicles fail to comply with the requirements of Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standard (FMVSS) number 208, "Occupant Crash Protection."
Risk: If the child seat is not properly secured in the event of a crash, it can increase the risk of injury.
Fix: GM will notify owners, and dealers will inspect the rear seatbelt retractors and replace them if necessary, free of charge. The recall began November 7, 2018. Owners may contact 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 18315.
Owner complaints
36 complaints filed
1 involved a crash, 3 a fire, 0 injuries, 0 deaths reported by owners.
Filed by year — 2018: 1 · 2019: 3 · 2020: 1 · 2021: 2 · 2022: 1 · 2023: 1 · 2024: 2 · 2025: 19 · 2026: 6
Most-cited components
- Engine — 19
- Electrical System — 8
- Power Train — 4
- Service Brakes — 3
- Unknown Or Other — 2
Complaint counts are raw owner reports to NHTSA, not verified defects, and scale with how many were sold. Use them to spot patterns, not to rank.
Crash ratings
| Configuration | Overall | Frontal | Side | Rollover | Rollover risk |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| SUV AWD | ★★★★☆ | ★★★★☆ | ★★★★★ | ★★★☆☆ | 23% |
| SUV AWD | ★★★★☆ | ★★★★★ | ★★★★★ | ★★★☆☆ | 21% |
| SUV RWD | ★★★★☆ | ★★★★☆ | ★★★★★ | ★★★☆☆ | 22% |
| SUV RWD | ★★★★☆ | ★★★★★ | ★★★★★ | ★★★☆☆ | 20% |
NHTSA New Car Assessment Program.
Other Escalade model years
2026 Escalade
4 recalls · 41 complaints
A2025 Escalade
1 recalls · 37 complaints
B2024 Escalade
2 recalls · 68 complaints
C2023 Escalade
4 recalls · 218 complaints
C2022 Escalade
4 recalls · 134 complaints
F2021 Escalade
12 recalls · 155 complaints
C2020 Escalade
2 recalls · 35 complaints
A2019 Escalade
1 recalls · 57 complaints
B2017 Escalade
2 recalls · 88 complaints
D2016 Escalade
4 recalls · 104 complaints
Sources & method
Safety Signal starts every model-year at 100 and subtracts points per open NHTSA recall campaign by severity: critical 15 (fire risk, park-outside or do-not-drive advisories), high 8 (brakes, steering, airbags, loss of drive power, structure, battery), moderate 6, minor 3 (software, labels, lighting fixed by an update). Floor 35. A ≥ 90, B ≥ 80, C ≥ 70, D ≥ 60, otherwise F. Complaint counts and NHTSA crash ratings are shown separately and are not blended into the grade.
EPA figures come from fueleconomy.gov vehicle records (ids 39003, 39015). Recalls, complaints, investigations and crash ratings come from NHTSA's public flat files, refreshed weekly.