2016 Cadillac Escalade ESV recalls and problems

The 2016 Cadillac Escalade ESV has 3 safety recalls and 15 owner complaints filed with NHTSA. Recall repairs are free at any Cadillac dealer.

Urgent: recall 16V-256 carries a "do not drive" warning. Contact a dealer before driving.
Recalls
3
Complaints
15
Crashes / fires
2 / 0
Injuries / deaths
2 / 0

Recalls may cover only some 2016 Cadillac Escalade ESV vehicles. Check your VIN at NHTSA ↗ to see open recalls for your exact car.

2016 Cadillac Escalade ESV recalls

Recall 17V-437: Seat Belts, Air Bags

Reported Jul 10, 2017 · 40,683 vehicles affected · General Motors LLC

Problem: 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.

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.

Recall 16V-651: Seat Belts, Air Bags

Reported Sep 8, 2016 · 3,640,162 vehicles affected · General Motors LLC

Problem: 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.

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.

Recall 16V-256: Suspension

Do not driveReported Apr 28, 2016 · 3,738 vehicles affected · General Motors LLC

Problem: General Motors LLC (GM) is recalling certain model year 2016-2017 Chevrolet Silverado 1500 and 2016 Cadillac Escalade, Cadillac Escalade ESV, Chevrolet Suburban, Chevrolet Tahoe, GMC Sierra, GMC Yukon and GMC Yukon XL vehicles. The front upper control arms may have inadequate welds near the control arm bushing.

Risk: Inadequate welds may allow the control arm to separate from the bushing, compromising steering and increasing the risk of a crash.

Fix: GM will notify owners, and dealers will replace the left and right front upper control arms and realign the vehicle, free of charge. The recall began on May 18, 2016. Until the repairs have been made, owners are advised not to drive their vehicles. Owners may contact Chevrolet customer service at 1-800-222-1020, Cadillac customer service at 1-800-458-8006, or GMC customer service at 1-800-462-8782. GM's number for this recall is 42190.

2016 Cadillac Escalade ESV problems reported by owners

Problem areaReports
Suspension7
Power Train5
Electrical System3
Unknown or Other3
Service Brakes1
Wheels1

Most reported parts

  • Suspension › Front › Control Arm › Upper Arm — 1

Typical mileage at the time of the problem: 37,000 miles (median of owner reports).

Problems that are not covered by a recall are paid repairs; labor rates follow local mechanic pay — see what auto mechanics earn in each state.

Recent 2016 Cadillac Escalade ESV complaints

Owner reports filed with NHTSA, as written (personal details removed). Complaints are not verified by NHTSA.

Suspension · at 113,000 miles · reported May 27, 2025
The contact owns a 2016 Cadillac Escalade ESV. The contact stated while driving at an undisclosed speed, the contact heard an abnormal sound coming from underneath the vehicle and the vehicle was vibrating abnormally. The dealer was contacted; however, the vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired. The manufacturer was not made aware of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 113,000.
Suspension · at 71,695 miles · reported Apr 13, 2023
The contact owns a 2016 Cadillac Escalade ESV. The contact stated while driving 30 MPH, the contact heard an abnormal sound coming from underneath the vehicle. The contact was able to drive the vehicle home. The vehicle was towed to the dealer and the dealer stated that the passenger's side rear upper control arms had separated from the vehicle and that the vehicle was not included in NHTSA Campaign Number: 16V256000 (Suspension). The vehicle was repaired. The manufacturer was contacted but no assistance was provided. The failure mileage was 71,695.
Suspension · at 45,200 miles · reported Jun 19, 2019
06/14/2019 I was driving my cadillac to escalate esv traveling from baltimore to washington DC 95 south band. 12:04 PM my vehicle flip over. I almost lost my life. After the accident, I inspected the vehicle. I found that left the rear wheel of the car; come out of the vehicle. Wheel locks and axle bar of the tire cut off and broken. This caused flipping of the vehicle.
Service Brakes · at 22,851 miles · reported Jun 13, 2019
Vacuum pump deterioration or failure caused reduced stopping of vehicle. Backed up vehicle in driveway and could not stop until I pumped brake petal several times. And finally stopped. Placed vehicle in neutral and set hand brake. I checked accelerator and stop petals for obstruction and found none. Placed vehicle in drive and slowly moved forward. Applied brakes about ten foot from wall and vehicle struct brick wall between garages. Could not stop vehicle with the brake applied. Damage to garage $14,940 and vehicle $4,984.
Power Train · reported Jun 6, 2019
The transmission has multiple malfunctions. Delayed shifts, hard shifts both when shifting up or down, very large clunk or hard shift when going from 2nd to first. Very unpleasant transmission and multiple ways. Dealer keeps telling me that the transmission is adaptive to the driver and it needs to learn habits. I have had the vehicle for over a year. Sounds like a cop out to me. Not very happy with GM!

Other Cadillac Escalade ESV years

Compare all Cadillac Escalade ESV years · All Cadillac models

Frequently asked questions

Does the 2016 Cadillac Escalade ESV have any recalls?

Yes — NHTSA lists 3 recalls for the 2016 Cadillac Escalade ESV: 17V-437 (seat belts, air bags), 16V-651 (seat belts, air bags), 16V-256 (suspension). Not every vehicle is affected, so check your VIN at nhtsa.gov/recalls.

What is the most common problem with the 2016 Cadillac Escalade ESV?

Owners report suspension problems most often (7 reports), followed by power train (5). The typical mileage when problems were reported is about 37,000 miles.

Are Cadillac recall repairs free?

Yes. Safety recall repairs are free at authorized Cadillac dealers, whether you are the first owner or bought the car used.