Cadillac · vehicle model
Cadillac Escalade EXT
126 NHTSA complaints and 33 safety recalls across model years 2002–2013.
- Complaints
- 126
- Recalls
- 33
- Model years
- 11
The verdict
The Cadillac Escalade EXT pairs above-average complaint volume with 33 recalls (heavily recalled).
- 29th pctile
- complaint volume, US models
- 33
- recall campaigns
Cadillac Escalade EXT vs. all tracked models
Total NHTSA ODI complaints across models with substantive safety data
126 Around the middle lower than 29% of 3,088 models
tracked vehicle models, bucketed by value
Each bar is a band; taller bars hold more models. The dashed line + filled bar mark this entry. Hover or tap any bar for its full count and share, and where it sits relative to this entry.
Source NHTSA Office of Defects Investigation · August 2026
The CadillacEscalade EXT appears in NHTSA's Office of Defects Investigation database with 126 consumer safety complaints and 33 recall campaigns across 11 model years (2002–2013). That averages roughly 11 complaints per model year. Report counts can differ between model years for many reasons; this dataset does not establish the cause of a difference.
Complaint volume on a nameplate alone is not a reliability verdict: a long-running bestseller can accumulate more filings than a low-volume niche model because more vehicles are on the road. The table below shows report counts and published NHTSA crash-test ratings side by side for each model year. The filing-year histogram shows the timing of submitted reports, not a causal trend.
NHTSA has 10 investigation files tied to this model, with 1 currently open. Investigation records, complaint reports, and recall campaigns each provide different context. Use the official NHTSA VIN lookup and the underlying notices to research a specific vehicle; PlainCars does not infer a vehicle-risk or pricing conclusion from these records.
Complaints by Year
Complaint Filing Trend
NHTSA complaint volume by year filed (not model year).
Year filed (bar labels show the complaint count).
Compare CadillacEscalade EXT to Similar Vehicles
NHTSA Investigations 1 Open
Electronic Brake Module Component Failure
Rear-View Camera Failure
Roof Skin Separation While Driving
IEE Passenger Sensing System Mats
REAR DRIVETRAIN COMPONENT FAILURE
FAILURE OF THE REAR DIFFERENTIAL
SUNROOF GLASS FAILURE
FAILING SEAT BELT BUCKLES
CADILLAC COOLANT COOLED ALTERNATOR FIRES
INADVERTENT AIR BAG DEPLOYMENT
Frequently Asked Questions
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Data sources
Data vintage: August 2026. Sources: NHTSA Office of Defects Investigation (ODI) complaints database, NHTSA recall campaign API, NHTSA NCAP crash-test ratings, and NHTSA FARS for fatality cross-reference.
Every figure on PlainCars is rendered directly from NHTSA complaint and safety data, no number is typed in by an editor. Cadillac Escalade EXT totals are aggregated from the linked NHTSA model-year rows; no figure is typed in by an editor. See our editorial standards & corrections policy, the methodology behind these numbers, or report a data error. Data current as of August 2026.