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2012 Cadillac Escalade Problems, complaints & recalls

Owners have filed 26 complaints about the 2012 Cadillac Escalade with NHTSA, most often about the electrical system (12) and the airbags (4). Those complaints describe 3 crashes and 1 injury. It is covered by 3 recalls, the latest in February 2021 for the inflator module. For comparison, the 2011 has 65 and the 2013 has 19.

NHTSA data checked

AFar fewer problems than a typical Escalade year, for its age

#157 most complained-about 2012 vehicle

Complaints
26
Recalls
3
Crashes
3
Fires
0
Injuries
1
Deaths
0

Most common 2012 Cadillac Escalade problems

Share of all 26 complaints. One complaint can name more than one area. Tap an area for its complaints and recalls.

2012 Cadillac Escalade recalls 3

Recall repairs are free. Your dealer fixes them whether or not you bought the car there - check your VIN at nhtsa.gov/recalls to see if yours is done. What to do

Air bags: inflator module

21V0540001,778,128 vehicles affected

The 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.
The risk
An inflator explosion may result in sharp metal fragments striking the driver or other occupants, resulting in serious injury or death.
The 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.

Air bags: inflator module

21V051000284,645 vehicles affected

The 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.
The risk
An inflator explosion may result in sharp metal fragments striking the driver or other occupants, resulting in serious injury or death.
The 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.

Electrical system: ignition

14V82700084,192 vehicles affected

The 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.
The 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.
The 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.

What owners say

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26 complaints about the 2012 Cadillac Escalade

Newest first, as filed with NHTSA by owners. Page 1 of 2.

Airbags

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.

Filed Incident Air bagsNHTSA 11424063
Airbags

Tl* takata recall. The contact owns a 2012 cadillac escalade esv. The contact received notification of nhtsa campaign number: 21v054000 (air bags) however, the part to do the recall repair was unavailable. The contact called malouf cadillac (1975 us-1, north brunswick township, nj 08902) where it was confirmed that the part was not yet available. The contact stated that the manufacturer had exceeded a reasonable amount of time for the recall repair. The manufacturer was not made aware of the issue. The contact had not experienced a failure. Vin tool confirms parts not available.

Filed Incident Air bagsNHTSA 11414478
Airbags

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!!

Filed Incident Air bagsNHTSA 11404061
Other & unknown

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.

Filed Incident Unknown or otherNHTSA 11377143
Electrical systemBody, doors & structure

INTERIOR DASH CRACK , ONSTAR SYSTEM STOP WORKING

Filed Incident Electrical system · Structure · Unknown or otherNHTSA 11349991
Body, doors & structureCrash1 injury

I hit and totaled a black man convertible I was at fault. Please help I was texting and driving. *Tr

Filed Incident StructureNHTSA 11340467
Steering

Tl* the contact owns a 2012 cadillac escalade hybrid. The contact stated that while driving at an undisclosed speed, the vehicle went over a bump in the roadway and loss power steering functionality without warning. The contact pulled over, turned off and restarted the vehicle. The contact stated that the failure recurred several times. The vehicle was taken to brotherton cadillac located at 215 sw 12th st, suite 101, renton wa 98057, but was not repaired. The manufacturer was not made aware of the failure. The failure mileage was unknown. The vin was not available.

Filed Incident SteeringNHTSA 11327738
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

Filed Incident SteeringNHTSA 11327274
Electrical systemDriver assistanceEngine & cooling

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

Filed Incident Electrical system · Electronic stability control (ESC) · EngineNHTSA 11315838
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...

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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 vehicle or slow it as it should have). Brought back in for service at a different dealer who states that the pbmv failed. How can this fail without any warning? Shouldn't there be safety measures in place (i.E. The car should not even start if this is malfunctioning).

Filed Incident Service brakesNHTSA 11287105
Electrical systemDriver assistanceEngine & cooling

Issue started by having the engine cutoff or go into low power mode. Mechanic tried fining power issues, ended up replacing pcm board. Issue remained. Then oil pressure sensor check engine light came on, had a mechanic replace the oil pressure sensor and everything worked for a little while. Next low oil pressure message came up, stating to shut off engine. After reading around, the issue seems to be that the camshaft actuator is being starved of oil due to low oil pressure, that is caused by the camshaft and...

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bearings being bad. This faulty part causes the vehicle to turn off while running, extremely dangerous! How long until someone dies? Need gm to make this right. Vehicle is under 80k miles.

Filed Incident Electrical system · Electronic stability control (ESC) · EngineNHTSA 11269759
Wheels & tires

Tl* the contact owns a 2012 cadillac escalade. The contact stated that the factory rims were misshaped and caused the tires to deflate weekly and lose tire pressure daily. The tire pressure gauge was illuminated. The vehicle was towed to the contact's home and then taken to naperville cadillac (1507 ogden ave, naperville, il 60540, (630) 355-2700) where the mechanic stated that four new rims needed to be installed. The vehicle was repaired. The manufacturer was not made aware of the failure. The failure mileage was 69,279.

Filed Incident WheelsNHTSA 11179785
Lights

Tl* the contact owns a 2012 cadillac escalade. While driving 30 mph, both headlights blew out without warning. The vehicle was taken to bill gatton chevrolet (1000 w state st, bristol, tn 37620) where it was diagnosed that water was entering behind the lens of the headlights, which caused the bulbs to blow out. The manufacturer was contacted and did not assist. The vehicle was not repaired. The approximate failure mileage was 63,500. *Tt *tr

Filed Incident Exterior lightingNHTSA 11171442
Electrical systemAcceleration & cruise controlEngine & cooling

Driving normal on a city street for about one hour without any warning the vehicle started acting strange, the doors locked and unlocked, the ac& htg came on, htg&fan for the seats came on, clock blinked, navigation screen blinked on and off, the vehicle sounded as though it would accelerate and then hesitate, it did this at least 4 times, I noticed upon braking each time after the strange occurrences the vehicle appeared to run okay, but only while breaking. After this occurred for about one mile, the strange...

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occurrences stopped and the vehicle drove as should, or at least it seemed okay. After reading some of the blog's of other 2012 escalade owners having the same problem, gm should take notice, after all the vehicles are not cheap and gm should correct it.

Filed Incident Electrical system · Vehicle speed control · EngineNHTSA 11161986
Other & unknown

Dash on my escalade has cracked in 3 different places and poses a hazard to occupants. Dealership says they are aware of dash cracks in that model as well as others but gm refuses to recall. This appears to be a manufacture defect in material used and should be addressed asap.

Filed Incident Unknown or otherNHTSA 11123212
Electrical systemEngine & cooling

While traveling on the highway the vehicle randomly lost electrical power, lights, door locks, everything and the engine upshifted into second or third gear completely on its own, then refused to accelerate. The electrics would come back on and then go off again. The electronic went completely berserk and presented a huge safety issue for my wife, children and i.

Filed Incident Electrical system · EngineNHTSA 11024990
Transmission & drivetrain

Loud noise (knock) while driving on highway 65 mph, all engine lights came on, vehicle towed to residence.

Filed Incident Power trainNHTSA 10990762
Electrical system

Tl* the contact owns a 2012 cadillac escalade. While driving at various speeds, the key could be removed from the ignition switch. The vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired. The manufacturer was not made aware of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 66,000.

Filed Incident Electrical systemNHTSA 10766400
Electrical system

Driving down the highway at 65 mph the dash lights started blinking, radio went on and off, door locks locked and unlocked, revved the engine, cooled seats automatically came on, all dash lights came on like vehicle died(but never died) then went back to normal for about 10 miles and same thing was repeated.The vehicle was driven another 50 miles to home

Filed Incident Electrical systemNHTSA 10721577
Electrical systemBrakes

Tl*the contact owns a 2012 cadillac escalade hybrid. The contact stated that while driving at 45 mph, all the warning light in the instrument panel illuminated as the brake pedal sank into the floor board and failed to stop the vehicle. The failure recurred twice. The vehicle was towed to the dealer. The technician diagnosed that there was a bad cell in the battery and as a result, it needed to be replaced. The vehicle was repaired. The manufacturer was not made aware of the failure. The failure mileage was 47,000.

Filed Incident Electrical system · Service brakesNHTSA 10690319
Acceleration & cruise controlCrash

Tl* the contact owns a 2012 cadillac escalade. While driving approximately 5 mph, the contact's vehicle suddenly accelerated and crashed into two other vehicles. Afterwards, the vehicle traveled another one hundred feet and the engine rpms went back to normal. A police report was filed and there were no injuries. The vehicle was taken to the dealer, but was not diagnosed or repaired. The manufacturer was notified. The approximate failure mileage was 36,000.

Filed Incident Vehicle speed controlNHTSA 10681412
Electrical system

Tl* the contact owns a 2012 cadillac escalade. While driving various speeds, the interior and exterior lighting flickered and the vehicle stalled. In addition, the contact mentioned that the vehicle would independently restart. The vehicle was towed to the contact's residence. The vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired. The manufacturer was made aware of the failure. The approximate failure mileage was 60,000.

Filed Incident Electrical systemNHTSA 10671762
SteeringElectrical systemBrakes

On the indicated date my wife and I were driving from dallas, tx to ann arbor, mi. My wife was driving and we were on i-44 approx. 20 Miles south of rolla, mo. At highway speed we experienced sudden and repeated loss of electrical power and related power systems. This was evidenced by door locks repeatedly clicking on and off, navigation system failure, air conditioning failure, stabilitrack failure and lack of power steering. My wife was able to control the vehicle and after several calls to onstar and the use...

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of our cell phones we were able to locate a dealer in rolla. We ??Limped?? Into the dealer after experiencing several more adverse failure incidents. The dealer checked out the vehicle and could not identify the cause through running his diagnostics. He concluded that the battery was defective and replaced it allowing us to continue our trip. Unfortunately this exact same issue recurred on june 21, 2014 while driving at highway speeds in the dallas, tx area and again, twice, driving at approx. 40 Mph in frisco, tx on june 23, 2014. The local dealer serviced the vehicle on those dates and replaced the negative battery cable. During the past several weeks I have had numerous conversations with gm customer care seeking assurances that this was a known problem and that the latest ??Fix?? Was going to permanently correct this safety and reliability problem. Unfortunately, I have not been satisfied that this problem has been permanently fixed. I am concerned that we will have a re-occurrence of this problem in the future. *Tr

Filed Incident Steering · Electrical system · Service brakesNHTSA 10609340
Electrical systemAcceleration & cruise controlBrakesCrash

Tl* the contact owns a 2012 cadillac escalade. The contact stated that while driving in inclement weather at an unknown speed, the brakes were applied but the vehicle accelerated instead. The contact was unable to stop the vehicle and crashed into a tree. The contact did not sustain any injuries. The police were not contacted. The vehicle was later towed to a dealer where the brake sensors were replaced and the central computer was recalibrated. The manufacturer was contacted. The failure and current mileages were approximately 9,000. The vin was unavailable. *Tr

Filed Incident Electrical system · Vehicle speed control · Service brakesNHTSA 10503189
Electrical systemBody, doors & structure

This vehicle has a recurring locking problem that cannot be diagnosed or corrected by the dealer. The vehicle randomly locks or unlocks while either parked or moving creating a serious safety concern, particularly when the vehicle unlocks itself while moving. We have taken this vehicle to the dealer on four (4) different occasions to correct this locking defect without success. This vehicle has been at the dealership for a total of 45 days during 2012 on account of this random locking issue. The service...

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manager at the dealership tells us that this defect is not an isolated issue with our escalade, as others are experiencing this same unresolved problem, according to both his own experience and his conversations with the cadillac technical support personnel.. We have contacted the cadillac customer assistance center about this locking issue, to no avail. They simply deny the problem because it cannot be replicated at the dealership. They refuse to open their data base to us regarding this problem. Perhaps your agency has more clout in making their data base transparent with regard to this safety issue. *Tr

Filed Incident Electrical system · Latches / locks / linkagesNHTSA 10497630

Cadillac Escalade: every year compared

YearComplaintsRecallsCrashesFiresTop problemGrade
2016104443Engine & coolingC
2015106953Engine & coolingD
201420241Electrical systemA
201319401Transmission & drivetrainA
201226330Electrical systemA
201165600AirbagsB
201043300AirbagsA
200958511AirbagsD
2008167486AirbagsD
All Escalade years

2012 Cadillac Escalade vs rivals

More sales usually means more complaints, so compare similar vehicles of the same year. The grade compares each vehicle with its own model's other years.

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Questions about the 2012 Cadillac Escalade

Does the 2012 Cadillac Escalade have any recalls?

Yes - NHTSA lists 3 recalls for the 2012 Cadillac Escalade: inflator module (February 2021); inflator module (February 2021); ignition (December 2014). Recall repairs are free at any authorized dealer. Enter your VIN at nhtsa.gov/recalls to see whether yours has been fixed.

What are the most common problems with the 2012 Cadillac Escalade?

By the complaints owners filed with NHTSA, the most common problem areas are the electrical system (12), airbags (4), body, doors & structure (4).

How many complaints has the 2012 Cadillac Escalade had?

26 complaints have been filed with NHTSA, the first on December 18, 2012 and the latest on July 9, 2021. Of these, 3 describe a crash and 0 a fire, and together they report 1 injury and 0 deaths.

Is the 2012 Cadillac Escalade a reliable vehicle?

Its Safety Index is 83 out of 100 (grade A: far fewer problems than a typical Cadillac Escalade year, for its age). The index weighs complaints, crashes, fires, injuries, deaths and recalls against how long the vehicle has been on the road, compared with the same model's other years. It is not a measure of every repair - read the complaints and owner experiences, and have any used vehicle inspected before you buy.

Which Cadillac Escalade years have the most complaints?
What should I do if my 2012 Cadillac Escalade has a problem?

If it is a safety problem, stop driving it if it is unsafe and contact your dealer. Report it to NHTSA at nhtsa.gov/report-a-safety-problem - enough reports start investigations and recalls - and share your experience here so other owners know what to look for.

Source: U.S. National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) complaints and recalls, checked . Complaints are owners' own reports and are not verified. How we use the data

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