2022 Cadillac Escalade
Gas Diesel Midsize / large SUV
The 2022 Cadillac Escalade is sold in the U.S. as a gas and diesel midsize or large SUV with 6 EPA-rated configurations. The most efficient version, the Escalade 2WD, is EPA-rated at 23 mpg combined. NHTSA lists 4 recall campaigns for this model year, which gives it a Safety Signal grade of C. Owners have filed 134 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 | 19 | 16 | $4,850 |
| Escalade 2WD | Gas | RWD | 6.2L 8-cyl | 14 | 19 | 16 | $4,850 |
| Escalade 4WD | Gas | 4WD | 6.2L 8-cyl | 14 | 19 | 16 | $4,850 |
| Escalade 4WD | Gas | 4WD | 6.2L 8-cyl | 14 | 19 | 16 | $4,850 |
| Escalade 2WD | Diesel | RWD | 3.0L 6-cyl turbo | 21 | 27 | 23 | $3,900 |
| Escalade 4WD | Diesel | 4WD | 3.0L 6-cyl turbo | 20 | 26 | 22 | $4,050 |
*EPA estimate at 15,000 miles/year and EPA reference fuel/electricity prices. Source: fueleconomy.gov vehicle records.
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Recalls (4)
Power Train
highProblem: General Motors, LLC (GM) is recalling certain 2022 Chevrolet Tahoe, Chevrolet Suburban, GMC Yukon, GMC Yukon XL, Cadillac Escalade, and Cadillac Escalade ESV vehicles equipped with 10 Speed Transmission with ETRS (Electronic Transmission Range Select). The transmission control valve may fail and lock up the rear wheels.
Risk: Rear wheels that lock up while driving increase the risk of a crash.
Fix: Dealers will install new transmission control module (TCM) software, free of charge. Owner notification letters were mailed April 7, 2026. Owners may contact GM customer service at 1-888-988-7267, Cadillac customer service at 1-800-458-8006, GMC customer service at GMC 1-800-462-8782 or Chevrolet customer service at 1-800-222-1020. GM's number for this recall is N252536750. Vehicle Identification Numbers (VINs) involved in this recall became searchable on NHTSA.gov on February 12, 2026.
Engine And Engine Cooling
highProblem: General Motors LLC (GM) is recalling certain 2021-2024 Cadillac Escalade and Escalade ESV, Chevrolet Silverado 1500, Suburban, and Tahoe, GMC Sierra 1500, Yukon, and Yukon XL vehicles equipped with a 6.2L V8 gas engine. The connecting rod and/or crankshaft engine components may have manufacturing defects that can lead to engine damage and engine failure.
Risk: Engine failure increases the risk of a crash.
Fix: Dealers will inspect the engine, and as necessary, repair or replace the engine. For vehicles that pass inspection, dealers will add higher viscosity oil, install 6 oil fill cap, replace the oil filter, and update the owner's manual. Repairs will be performed free of charge. Owner notification letters were mailed June 18, 2025. Owners may contact Cadillac customer service at 1-800-333-4223, Chevrolet customer service at 1-800-222-1020, or GMC customer service at 1-800-462-8782. GM's number
Exterior Lighting
minorProblem: General Motors, LLC (GM) is recalling certain 2020-2023 Cadillac CT4 and CT5; 2021-2023 Buick Envision; and 2022-2023 Cadillac Escalade and Escalade ESV, Chevrolet Silverado 1500, Suburban, Tahoe, GMC Sierra 1500, Yukon, and Yukon XL vehicles. The daytime running lights (DRLs) may not deactivate when the headlights are on. As such, these vehicles fail to comply with the requirements of Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standard number 108, "Lamps, Reflective Devices, and Associated Equipment."
Risk: DRLs that do not deactivate as intended may result in a glare, reducing visibility, and increasing the risk of a crash.
Fix: The body control module software will be updated by a dealer, or through an over-the-air (OTA) update, free of charge. Owner notification letters were mailed January 23, 2023. Owners may contact GMC customer service at 1-888-988-7267, Chevrolet customer service at 1-800-222-1020, or Cadillac customer service at 1-800-458-8006. GM's number for this recall is N222386380. This recall expands previous recall number 22V-827.
Seat Belts
highProblem: General Motors, LLC (M) is recalling certain 2021-2022 Cadillac Escalade, Escalade ESV, Chevrolet Suburban, Tahoe, GMC Yukon, and Yukon XL vehicles equipped with third-row seats. The rivet that retains the buckle to the mounting bracket in the left or right side third-row seat belt buckle assembly may have been improperly formed.
Risk: A seat belt with a deformed rivet may not properly restrain an occupant, increasing the risk of injury during a crash.
Fix: Dealers will inspect the rivet head formation on both the left and right side third-row seat belt buckle assemblies and replace seat belt buckle assemblies, as necessary, free of charge. Interim owner notification letters informing owners of the safety risk were mailed September 28, 2022. Owner notification letters were mailed on November 1, 2022. Owners may contact Chevrolet customer service at 1-800-222-1020; Cadillac customer service at 1-800-458-8006; and GMC customer service at 1-800-462
NHTSA investigations
Engine — Loss of motive power due to engine failure post recall remedy (open)
On January 16, 2026, the Office of Defects Investigation (ODI) opened Recall Query RQ26001. This investigation was opened to assess the remedy effectiveness of Recall 25V-274. ODI has received complaints alleging engine failure in vehicles after the recall remedy had been completed, whether that remedy involved an oil viscosity change or a complete engine replacement. General Motors (GM) issued Recall 25V-274 to address concerns of engine failure in the L87 engines produced between March 1, 2021 and May 31, 2024. GM cited the root cause as a supplier manufacturing and quality issue. GM’s recall remedy for Recall 25V-274 consisted of two different repairs, either an oil viscosity change o
Opened Aug 20, 2026 · action EA26005
Engine — Loss of motive power due to engine failure post recall remedy (closed)
On January 16, 2026, the Office of Defects Investigation (ODI) opened Recall Query RQ26001. This investigation was opened to assess the remedy effectiveness of Recall 25V-274. ODI has received complaints alleging engine failure in vehicles after the recall remedy had been completed, whether that remedy involved an oil viscosity change or a complete engine replacement. General Motors (GM) issued Recall 25V-274 to address concerns of engine failure in the L87 engines produced between March 1, 2021 and May 31, 2024. GM cited the root cause as a supplier manufacturing and quality issue. GM’s recall remedy for Recall 25V-274 consisted of two different repairs, either an oil viscosity change o
Opened Jan 16, 2026 · closed Aug 20, 2026 · action RQ26001
Engine — Loss of motive power due to engine failure (open)
The Office of Defects Investigation (ODI) has received 1,157 reports of engine bearing failure failures in the L87 6.2L engine produced by General Motors (GM). Of the 1,157 reports received, 173 are outside of the scope of recall 25V-274. These engines are installed in Model Years (MY) 2019–2024 Chevrolet Silverado 1500 and GMC Sierra 1500, and 2021-2024MY Chevrolet Suburban and Tahoe, GMC Yukon/Yukon XL, and Cadillac Escalade/Escalade ESV vehicles. The subject engine failures were investigated as part of a Preliminary Evaluation (PE25001). GM determined that these engine failures were due to multiple supplier manufacturing and quality issues. GM issued recall 25V-274 to address the supp
Opened Oct 23, 2025 · action EA25007
Engine — Loss of motive power due to engine failure (closed)
On January 16, 2025, the Office of Defects Investigation (ODI) opened Preliminary Evaluation PE25001 after receiving complaints and field reports concerning engine failures in MY2019-2024 GM’s full-size truck and SUV T1XX platform equipped with the L87 6.2L V8 engine. These complainants alleged engine bearing failures resulting in knocking and growling noises from the engine’s bottom end and in some cases more severe consequences such as broken connecting rods leading to engine damage, or engine failure. If the engine fails during vehicle operation, the vehicle will lose propulsion, increasing the risk of a crash. On April 24, 2025, GM issued recall 25V-274 to address the concern with L8
Opened Jan 16, 2025 · closed Oct 23, 2025 · action PE25001
Owner complaints
134 complaints filed
5 involved a crash, 1 a fire, 5 injuries, 0 deaths reported by owners.
Filed by year — 2022: 4 · 2023: 5 · 2024: 6 · 2025: 71 · 2026: 48
Most-cited components
- Engine — 104
- Power Train — 25
- Fuel/Propulsion System — 14
- Electrical System — 14
- Forward Collision Avoidance — 9
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 2WD | ★★★★☆ | ★★★★☆ | ★★★★★ | ★★★☆☆ | 21% |
| SUV 2WD | ★★★★☆ | ★★★★☆ | ★★★★★ | ★★★☆☆ | 21% |
| SUV 4WD | ★★★★☆ | ★★★★☆ | ★★★★★ | ★★★☆☆ | 22% |
| SUV 4WD | ★★★★☆ | ★★★★☆ | ★★★★★ | ★★★☆☆ | 22% |
NHTSA New Car Assessment Program. Standard driver-assist: forward collision warning, lane departure warning, automatic emergency braking.
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
F2021 Escalade
12 recalls · 155 complaints
C2020 Escalade
2 recalls · 35 complaints
A2019 Escalade
1 recalls · 57 complaints
B2018 Escalade
2 recalls · 36 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 44657, 44958, 44666, 44969, 44594, 44600). Recalls, complaints, investigations and crash ratings come from NHTSA's public flat files, refreshed weekly.