Model year record

2012 Cadillac Escalade recalls & problems

The 2012 Cadillac Escalade has 3 safety recalls and 20 owner complaints on file with NHTSA. The most-reported problem area is electrical system (9 complaints).

Recalls3safety recalls

Complaints20filed by owners

Crashes · fires3 · 0reported in complaints

NHTSA overall4 ★crash-test stars

Safety recalls

Air bagsFeb 5, 2021

Frontal › Passenger side › Inflator module

Recall 21V051000284,645 vehiclesopened after NHTSA action (ODI)

Problem: General Motors, LLC (GM) is recalling certain 2012 Cadillac Escalade, Escalade ESV, Escalade EXT, Chevrolet Avalanche, Silverado 1500, Silverado 2500/3500, Suburban, Tahoe, GMC Sierra 1500, Sierra 2500/3500, Yukon, and Yukon XL originally sold, or ever registered, in the states of Alabama, California, Florida, Georgia, Hawaii, Louisiana, Mississippi, South Carolina, Texas, Puerto Rico, American Samoa, Guam, the Northern Mariana Islands (Saipan), and the U.S. Virgin Islands or "Zone A." These vehicles are equipped with non-desiccated passenger frontal inflators containing phase-stabilized ammonium nitrate (PSAN) propellant. These inflators may explode due to propellant degradation occurring after long-term exposure to high absolute humidity, high temperatures, and high temperature cycling.
Risk: An inflator explosion may result in sharp metal fragments striking the driver or other occupants, resulting in serious injury or death.
Fix: GM will notify owners, and dealers will replace the front passenger air bag inflator with an alternate one, free of charge. Interim letters notifying owners of the safety risk were mailed on February 22, 2021. Second notification letters will be mailed once the remedy is available. Owner notification letters were mailed on May 11, 2021. 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 N212328770.

Air bagsFeb 5, 2021

Frontal › Passenger side › Inflator module

Recall 21V0540001,778,128 vehiclesopened after NHTSA action (ODI)

Problem: General Motors, LLC (GM) is recalling certain 2014 Cadillac Escalade, Escalade ESV, Chevrolet Silverado 2500, Silverado 3500, Suburban, Tahoe, GMC Sierra 2500, Sierra 3500, Yukon, and Yukon XL vehicles originally sold, or ever registered, in the states of AL, CA, FL, GA, HI, LA, MS, SC, TX, PR, AS, GU, the MP, and VI or "Zone A." Additionally GM is recalling certain 2011-2014 Cadillac Escalade, Escalade ESV, Chevrolet Silverado 2500, Silverado 3500, Suburban, Tahoe, GMC Sierra 2500, Sierra 3500, Yukon, Yukon XL and 2011-2013 Cadillac Escalade EXT, Chevrolet Avalanche, Silverado 1500, and GMC Sierra 1500 vehicles originally sold, or ever registered, in the states of AZ, AR, DE, DC, IL, IN, KS, KY, MD, MO, NE, NV, NJ, NM, NC, OH, OK, PA, TN, VA, and WV or "Zone B." Additionally, GM is recalling certain 2010-2014 Cadillac Escalade, Escalade ESV, Chevrolet Silverado 2500, Silverado 3500, Suburban, Tahoe, GMC Sierra 2500, Sierra 3500, Yukon, and Yukon XL and 2010-2013 Cadillac Escalade EXT, Chevrolet Avalanche, Silverado 1500, and GMC Sierra 1500 vehicles originally sold, or ever registered, in the states of AK, CO, CT, ID, IA, ME, MA, MI, MN, MT, NH, NY, ND, OR, RI, SD, UT, VT, WA, WI, and WY or "Zone C." These vehicles are equipped with non-desiccated passenger frontal inflators containing phase-stabilized ammonium nitrate (PSAN) propellant. These inflators may explode due to propellant degradation occurring after long-term exposure to high absolute humidity, high temperatures, and high temperature cycling.
Risk: An inflator explosion may result in sharp metal fragments striking the driver or other occupants, resulting in serious injury or death.
Fix: GM will notify owners, and dealers will replace the front passenger air bag inflator with an alternate one, free of charge. Interim letters notifying owners of the safety risk were mailed on February 25, 2021. Second notification letters will be mailed once the remedy is available. Owner notification letters were mailed to 40 VIN owners on May 11, 2021. A second owner notification letter was mailed to all other owners on January 24, 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 1-800-462-8782. GM's number for this recall is N212328800.

Electrical systemDec 30, 2014

Ignition

Recall 14V82700084,192 vehicles

Problem: General Motors LLC (GM) is recalling certain model year 2011-2012 Cadillac Escalade, Escalade ESV, Escalade EXT, Chevrolet Avalanche, Silverado HD, Silverado LD, Suburban, Tahoe, GMC Sierra LD, Sierra HD, Yukon, and Yukon XL vehicles. In the affected vehicles, the ignition lock actuator may bind, making turning the key difficult or causing the ignition to get stuck in the "Start" position.
Risk: If stuck in the "Start" position, the ignition may suddenly snap back into the "Accessory" position, causing a loss of engine, steering, and braking power, increasing the risk of a vehicle crash. If the vehicle is in a crash, the air bags may not deploy, increasing the risk of occupant injury.
Fix: GM will notify owners, and dealers will inspect and replace the ignition lock housing, as necessary, free of charge. The recall began on February 12, 2015. Owners may contact GM customer service at 1-800-458-8006 (Cadillac), 1-800-222-1020 (Chevrolet), or 1-800-462-8782 (GMC). GM's number for this recall is 14696 for the original equipment, and 14912 for the service replacement parts.

Recall repairs are free at any authorised dealer. A recall listed here may already have been fixed on a particular car: enter its 17-character VIN at nhtsa.gov/recalls to see open recalls.

Crash test ratings

2012 Cadillac Escalade SUV AWD

Overall★★★★★

Frontal crash	★★★★★
Side crash	★★★★★
Rollover	★★★★★
Rollover risk	22.8%

2012 Cadillac Escalade SUV RWD

Overall★★★★★

Frontal crash	★★★★★
Side crash	★★★★★
Rollover	★★★★★
Rollover risk	24.6%

2012 Cadillac Escalade Hybrid SUV AWD

Overall★★★★★

Frontal crash	★★★★★
Side crash	★★★★★
Rollover	★★★★★
Rollover risk	22.8%

2012 Cadillac Escalade Hybrid SUV RWD

Overall★★★★★

Frontal crash	★★★★★
Side crash	★★★★★
Rollover	★★★★★
Rollover risk	24.6%

NHTSA 5-Star Safety Ratings (New Car Assessment Program). Ratings are comparable only between vehicles of similar size and weight, and ratings from 2011 on use tougher tests than earlier years. Photos: NHTSA.

Fuel economy

Escalade Hybrid 2WD Hybrid

21mpg combined

City / highway	20 / 23 mpg
Fuel	Regular Gasoline

6 L · 8 cyl · Automatic (variable gear ratios) · Rear-Wheel Drive · about $3,200/year to fuel

Escalade Hybrid 4WD Hybrid

21mpg combined

City / highway	20 / 23 mpg
Fuel	Regular Gasoline

6 L · 8 cyl · Automatic (variable gear ratios) · 4-Wheel Drive · about $3,200/year to fuel

Escalade 2WD FFV

16mpg combined

City / highway	14 / 18 mpg
Fuel	Regular Gasoline

6.2 L · 8 cyl · Automatic 6-spd · Rear-Wheel Drive · about $4,200/year to fuel

Escalade AWD FFV

15mpg combined

City / highway	13 / 18 mpg
Fuel	Regular Gasoline

6.2 L · 8 cyl · Automatic 6-spd · All-Wheel Drive · about $4,450/year to fuel

EPA estimates from fueleconomy.gov for each engine and transmission sold. Annual cost is the EPA's estimate for 15,000 miles a year at its current fuel and electricity price assumptions. Your results will vary.

What owners report

Problem area	Complaints	Crashes	Injuries	Typical mileage*
Electrical system	9	1	0	57,000 mi
Service brakes	3	1	0	18,000 mi
Engine	3	0	0	78,000 mi
Unknown or other	3	0	0	—
Vehicle speed control	2	2	0	—
Steering	2	0	0	—
Electronic stability control (esc)	2	0	0	—
StructureBody	2	1	1	—
Air bags	2	0	0	—
Latches/locks/linkages	1	0	0	—
Power train	1	0	0	—
Exterior lighting	1	0	0	—

*Median odometer reading when the problem happened, where owners gave one. One complaint can name several problem areas.

Recent owner complaints

Air bags
The contact owns a 2012 Cadillac Escalade. The contact stated that the air bag warning light was illuminated. The contact received notification of NHTSA campaign number: 21V051000 (Air Bags) however, the part to do the recall repair was unavailable. The vehicle was taken to the local dealer who stated that parts were not yet available. The contact stated that the manufacturer had exceeded a reasonable amount of time for the recall repair. The manufacturer was notified of the issue. The failure mileage was 124,000. Parts distribution disconnect.
Dec 1, 2020 · 124,000 miles
Air bags
EVERY SO OFTEN MY SERVICE AIR BAG LIGHT WILL APPEAR ON THE DASH UPON STARTING THE VEHICLE. I THOUGHT IT COULD HAVE SOMETHING TO DO WITH MOVING THE SEATS BACK AND FORTH AND A WIRE ISSUE. I RECEIVED A SAFETY RECALL FOR THE PASSENGER SIDE FRONTAL AIRBAG INFLATOR SHORTLY AFTER THIS STARTED HAPPENING. WHEN I CALLED ABOUT REPAIRING THE RECALL THEY SAID THEY DIDN'T HAVE PARTS AVAILABLE TO CORRECT THIS ISSUE. I HAVE CHILDREN THAT RIDE IN THE FRONT AND I'D HATE FOR THIS TO EXPLODE WHILE DRIVING DOWN THE ROAD ON THEM OR ANYONE FOR THAT MATTER. WHEN WILL THERE BE A SOLUTION? HOW WILL WE KNOW THE PART IS AVAILABLE? PLEASE FIX ASAP!!
Feb 15, 2021
Unknown or other
WE HAVE THREE CRACKS ON OUR DASH BOARD. THE CAR IS GARAGE KEPT AND HAS NEVER BEEN IN AN ACCIDENT AND THE CRACKS KEEP FORMING. WE HAVE HAD THE CAR FIVE YEARS AND EVERY YEAR ANOTHER CRACK FORMS.
Nov 30, 2020
Structure › Body
INTERIOR DASH CRACK , ONSTAR SYSTEM STOP WORKING
Aug 1, 2020
Structure › BodyCrash1 injury
I HIT AND TOTALED A BLACK MAN CONVERTIBLE I WAS AT FAULT. PLEASE HELP I WAS TEXTING AND DRIVING. *TR
Jul 1, 2020 · 100,000 miles
Steering
MY 2012 CADILLAC ESCALADE HYBRID ELECTRONIC POWER STEERING HAS FAILED.WHILE DRIVING THIS VEHICLE. A SERVICE POWER STEERING WARNING LIGHT HAS ILLUMINATED IN THE DASH AND THE VEHICLE ALMOST WENT OUT OF CONTROL WHILE I WAS ON A TWO LANE DUAL HIGHWAY. IT APPEARS THAT IT IS A MOTOR THAT IS MANUFACTURED IN JAPAN THAT HAS A WEAK SHAFT THAT IS KNOWN TO BREAKAGE. THE VEHICLE IS MORE THAN DIFFICULT TO TRY TO STEER. THIS IS A VERY UNSAFE SITUATION AND HAS BEEN NOTED TO BE HAPPENING IN QUITE A NUMBER OF THESE LIMITED PRODUCTION VEHICLES. *TR
May 20, 2020 · 82,000 miles
Electronic stability control (esc)
THE CAR LOOSE POWER ON THE ROAD THE ELECTRONICS IN CAR GO CRAZY THESE MAY LEAD TO ACCIDENTS OR INJURIES CODE C0900 A LOT OF GM PRODUCT HAVE THE SAME PROBLEM GM NEEDS TO DO A RECALL THIS HAPPEN IN THE HIGHWAY IN RUSH HOUR PLEASE TAKE ACTION
Mar 2, 2020 · 122,696 miles
Service brakes
COMPLETE BRAKE FAILURE (BRAKE PEDAL WENT TO THE FLOOR) WHEN EXITING THE FREEWAY. SIMULTANEOUSLY, THE CHECK ENGINE LIST, SERVICE ABS ON LED SCREEN, AND RED BRAKE LIGHT ILLUMINATED AND WARNING CHIMES. NO PREVIOUS WARNING OR INDICATOR LIGHTS SIGNALING A PROBLEM. HAD SERVICED AT DEALERSHIP WHO INDICATED IT WAS CAUSED BY FAILING HYBRID BATTERY. AFTER BEING IN FOR SERVICE FOR 52 DAYS, I RETRIEVED THE VEHICLE WITH A NEW BATTERY INSTALLED. ONE WEEK LATER, WE EXPERIENCED ANOTHER BRAKING ISSUE. THIS TIME WHILE THERE WAS SOME BRAKING ABILITY THE PEDAL WAS VERY STIFF WHEN PRESSURE WAS APPLIED AND THE BRAKES DID NOT FUNCTION PROPERLY (I.E. THEY DID SLOW THE VEHICLE EVENTUALLY BUT DID NOT STOP THE…
Sep 28, 2019 · 94,339 miles

Owner complaints are submitted to NHTSA by the public and are not verified. Shown as filed (NHTSA removes personal details); long reports are shortened.

NHTSA defect investigations

Desiccated Air Bag Inflator RuptureOpen
From 2000 through 2017, Takata produced millions of air bag inflators using two types of phase-stabilized ammonium nitrate ("PSAN") propellant -- propellant 2004 and propellant 2004L. After prolonged exposure to high temperature cycles and humidity, inflators using propellant 2004 can degrade, causing the propellant to burn too quickly when ignited. The rapid burning can cause the inflator to rupture during deployment, potentially causing serious or even fatal injury to vehicle occupants. See 2016 Blomquist Report at www.nhtsa.gov/sites/nhtsa.gov/files/documents/expert_report-hrblomquist.pdf.Consequently, all frontal inflators using propellant 2004 that do not contain a "desiccant" (a substance that traps and holds moisture) in US vehicles are under recall. These "non-desiccated" inflators either have been or are required to be replaced.In some cases, the remedy part for these recalled…
EA21002 · opened Sep 17, 2021