RecallPlainVehicle recalls, explained in plain English

2013 Cadillac Escalade recalls & complaints

4 high-risk recalls and 19 owner complaints. Check every recall is completed before buying.
4recalls
4high risk
0stop-driving
19complaints

Source: NHTSA, updated daily. Last checked 2026-10-18. Recalls apply to specific VINs — run your VIN to confirm.

4 safety recalls, most serious first

High risk Campaign 21V053000 · announced 05/02/2021 (5 years ago)

1. Airbags

What's wrong, in plain English: The airbag system — the part that is supposed to protect you in a crash. General Motors, LLC (GM) is recalling certain 2013 Cadillac Escalade, Escalade ESV, and Escalade EXT, Chevrolet Avalanche, Silverado 1500, Silverado 2500/3500, Suburban, Tahoe, GMC Sierra 1500, Sierra 2500/3500, Yukon, and Yukon XL vehicles originally sold, or ever registered, in the states of Alabama, California, Florida, Georgia, Hawaii, Louisiana, Mississippi, South Carolina, Texas, Puerto Rico, American Samoa, G…

What could happen: 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 24, 2021. Second notification letters will be mailed once the remedy is available. Owner notification letters were…

What to do

  1. Check whether your car is affected: enter your 17-digit VIN at nhtsa.gov/recalls. A recall covers specific VINs, not every 2013 ESCALADE.
  2. Book a repair at any authorized Cadillac dealer. Quote NHTSA campaign 21V053000 (manufacturer code N212328790).
  3. The repair is free. By US law, safety recall repairs cost the owner nothing, no matter the car's age or mileage.
  4. Manufacturer hotline: 1-800-458-8006.
  5. Buying this car used? Ask the seller for proof the recall was completed, or run the VIN yourself before paying.
Official wording from NHTSA

Component: AIR BAGS:FRONTAL:PASSENGER SIDE:INFLATOR MODULE
Summary: General Motors, LLC (GM) is recalling certain 2013 Cadillac Escalade, Escalade ESV, and Escalade EXT, Chevrolet Avalanche, Silverado 1500, Silverado 2500/3500, Suburban, Tahoe, GMC Sierra 1500, Sierra 2500/3500, Yukon, and Yukon XL vehicles 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." Additionally, GM is recalling certain 2010 Cadillac Escalade, Escalade ESV, and Escalade EXT, Chevrolet Avalanche, Silverado 1500, Silverado 2500/3500, Suburban, Tahoe, GMC Sierra 1500, Sierra 2500/3500, Yukon, and Yukon XL vehicles originally sold, or ever registered in the states of Arizona, Arkansas, Delaware, District of Columbia, Illinois, Indiana, Kansas, Kentucky, Maryland, Missouri, Nebraska, Nevada, New Jersey, New Mexico, North Carolina, Ohio, Oklahoma, Pennsylvania, Tennessee, Virginia, and West Virginia or "Zone B." Additionally, GM is recalling certain 2009 Cadillac Escalade, Escalade ESV, and Escalade EXT, Chevrolet Avalanche, Silverado 1500, Silverado 2500/3500, Suburban, Tahoe, GMC Sierra 1500, Sierra 2500/3500, Yukon, and Yukon XL vehicles originally sold, or ever registered, in the states of Alaska, Colorado, Connecticut, Idaho, Iowa, Maine, Massachusetts, Michigan, Minnesota, Montana, New Hampshire, New York, North Dakota, Oregon, Rhode Island, South Dakota, Utah, Vermont, Washington, Wisconsin, and Wyoming or "Zone C."
Consequence: An inflator explosion may result in sharp metal fragments striking the driver or other occupants, resulting in serious injury or death.
Remedy: 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 24, 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 N212328790.
Notes: Owners may also contact the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration Vehicle Safety Hotline at 1-888-327-4236 (TTY 1-800-424-9153), or go to www.safercar.gov.

High risk Campaign 21V054000 · announced 05/02/2021 (5 years ago)

2. Airbags

What's wrong, in plain English: The airbag system — the part that is supposed to protect you in a crash. " 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,…

What could happen: 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 m…

What to do

  1. Check whether your car is affected: enter your 17-digit VIN at nhtsa.gov/recalls. A recall covers specific VINs, not every 2013 ESCALADE.
  2. Book a repair at any authorized Cadillac dealer. Quote NHTSA campaign 21V054000 (manufacturer code N212328800).
  3. The repair is free. By US law, safety recall repairs cost the owner nothing, no matter the car's age or mileage.
  4. Manufacturer hotline: 1-800-222-1020.
  5. Buying this car used? Ask the seller for proof the recall was completed, or run the VIN yourself before paying.
Official wording from NHTSA

Component: AIR BAGS:FRONTAL:PASSENGER SIDE:INFLATOR MODULE
Summary: 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.
Consequence: An inflator explosion may result in sharp metal fragments striking the driver or other occupants, resulting in serious injury or death.
Remedy: 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.
Notes: Owners may also contact the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration Vehicle Safety Hotline at 1-888-327-4236 (TTY 1-800-424-9153), or go to www.safercar.gov.

High risk Campaign 14V614000 · announced 01/10/2014 (12 years ago)

3. Electrical system

What's wrong, in plain English: Wiring, modules, batteries. Short circuits can cause stalls or fires. In the affected vehicles, the chassis electronic module may be internally contaminated, resulting in an electrical short.

What could happen: If the module experiences an electrical short, the vehicle could stall, increasing the risk of a crash.

The fix: GM will notify owners, and dealers will replace the chassis electronic module, free of charge. The recall began on December 26, 2014. Owners may contact GM customer service at 1-800-521-7300 (Buick), 1-800-458-006 (Cadillac), 1-800-222-1020 (Chevrolet), and 1-800-462-8782 (GMC). GM’s number for this recall is 14515.

What to do

  1. Check whether your car is affected: enter your 17-digit VIN at nhtsa.gov/recalls. A recall covers specific VINs, not every 2013 ESCALADE.
  2. Book a repair at any authorized Cadillac dealer. Quote NHTSA campaign 14V614000 (manufacturer code 14515).
  3. The repair is free. By US law, safety recall repairs cost the owner nothing, no matter the car's age or mileage.
  4. Manufacturer hotline: 1-800-521-7300.
  5. Buying this car used? Ask the seller for proof the recall was completed, or run the VIN yourself before paying.
Official wording from NHTSA

Component: ELECTRICAL SYSTEM
Summary: General Motors LLC (GM) is recalling certain model year 2013-2014 Cadillac CTS, Escalade, Escalade ESV, Chevrolet Suburban, Tahoe, GMC Yukon, and Yukon XL, and 2014 Buick Enclave, Chevrolet Express, Impala, Silverado HD, Traverse, GMC Acadia, Savana, and Sierra HD vehicles. In the affected vehicles, the chassis electronic module may be internally contaminated, resulting in an electrical short.
Consequence: If the module experiences an electrical short, the vehicle could stall, increasing the risk of a crash.
Remedy: GM will notify owners, and dealers will replace the chassis electronic module, free of charge. The recall began on December 26, 2014. Owners may contact GM customer service at 1-800-521-7300 (Buick), 1-800-458-006 (Cadillac), 1-800-222-1020 (Chevrolet), and 1-800-462-8782 (GMC). GM’s number for this recall is 14515.
Notes: Owners may also contact the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration Vehicle Safety Hotline at 1-888-327-4236 (TTY 1-800-424-9153), or go to www.safercar.gov.

High risk Campaign 13V001000 · announced 02/01/2013 (13 years ago)

4. Steering

What's wrong, in plain English: If steering fails you can lose control of the car. General Motors (GM) is recalling certain model year 2013 Cadillac Escalade, Escalade ESV, and Escalade EXT; Chevrolet Avalanche, Express, Silverado HD, Silverado LD, Suburban, and Tahoe; and GMC Savana, Sierra HD, Sierra LD, Yukon, and Yukon XL vehicles, manufactured between November 7, 2012, through December 18, 2012, for failing to comply with the requirements of Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standard (FMVSS) No. 1…

What could happen: As a result, the vehicle may shift from Park with the ignition key removed or the ignition key in the OFF position. The vehicle may also shift out of Park without application of the brake pedal while the key is off. Either of these scenarios may cause the vehicle to roll away after the driver has…

The fix: GM will notify owners, and dealers will inspect the affected vehicles and replace the steering column as necessary, free of charge. The recall began on January 21, 2013. Chevrolet owners may call 1-800-630-2438. Cadillac owners may call 1-866-982-2339. GMC owners may call 1-866-996-9463.

What to do

  1. Check whether your car is affected: enter your 17-digit VIN at nhtsa.gov/recalls. A recall covers specific VINs, not every 2013 ESCALADE.
  2. Book a repair at any authorized Cadillac dealer. Quote NHTSA campaign 13V001000.
  3. The repair is free. By US law, safety recall repairs cost the owner nothing, no matter the car's age or mileage.
  4. Manufacturer hotline: 1-800-630-2438.
  5. Buying this car used? Ask the seller for proof the recall was completed, or run the VIN yourself before paying.
Official wording from NHTSA

Component: STEERING:COLUMN LOCKING:ANTI-THEFT DEVICE
Summary: General Motors (GM) is recalling certain model year 2013 Cadillac Escalade, Escalade ESV, and Escalade EXT; Chevrolet Avalanche, Express, Silverado HD, Silverado LD, Suburban, and Tahoe; and GMC Savana, Sierra HD, Sierra LD, Yukon, and Yukon XL vehicles, manufactured between November 7, 2012, through December 18, 2012, for failing to comply with the requirements of Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standard (FMVSS) No. 102, "Transmission Shift Lever Sequence, Starter Interlock, and Transmission Braking Effect", and FMVSS No. 114, "Theft Protection and Rollaway Prevention." The vehicles may have been built with a fractured park lock cable or a malformed steering column lock actuator gear in the lock module assembly.
Consequence: As a result, the vehicle may shift from Park with the ignition key removed or the ignition key in the OFF position. The vehicle may also shift out of Park without application of the brake pedal while the key is off. Either of these scenarios may cause the vehicle to roll away after the driver has exited the vehicle, resulting in a possible vehicle crash and/or injury.
Remedy: GM will notify owners, and dealers will inspect the affected vehicles and replace the steering column as necessary, free of charge. The recall began on January 21, 2013. Chevrolet owners may call 1-800-630-2438. Cadillac owners may call 1-866-982-2339. GMC owners may call 1-866-996-9463.
Notes: General Motors' number for this recall is 12331. Customers may contact the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration's Vehicle Safety Hotline at 1-888-327-4236 (TTY: 1-800-424-9153); or go to www.safercar.gov.

Useful for owners

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Owner complaints filed with NHTSA

19complaints
0crashes
1fires
0injuries
0deaths

Most complained-about parts: Transmission / drivetrain (5), Electrical system (4), Engine (3), Airbags (3), Vehicle Speed Control (2).

Complaints are unverified reports from owners. A pattern (many complaints about the same part) matters more than any single one.

Read recent complaints (8)

09/21/2026 · Transmission / drivetrain
The contact owns a 2013 Cadillac Escalade. The contact stated that while his wife was driving at highway speeds, the "Engine Power Reduced" message was displayed on the instrument panel. The contact stated that the vehicle lost power while depressing the accelerator pedal. The vehicle was pulled over to the shoulder of the highway. The contact stated that h…

08/26/2026 · Engine
The L87 in our Escalade had a catastrophic failure at 97,088 miles. We were told that the right cylinder head had failed which caused the lower main bearings to fail. We had the engine replaced with a newly rebuilt L87 on XXX (invoice date). The engine was rebuilt by GM. Our local shop procured it through Weisner GMC in [XXX]. The cost to us was $11,42…

04/14/2026 · Vehicle Speed Control
The contact owns a 2013 Cadillac Escalade. The contact stated that while driving approximately 72 MPH, the vehicle unexpectedly accelerated. The driver discovered that the accelerator pedal adjustment button had been inadvertently depressed by the wallet, causing the pedal position to change and resulting in the unexpected acceleration. No warning lights we…

03/14/2025 · Engine
I am currently experiencing a concerning issue with my hybrid car, which has been stalling unexpectedly and shutting itself off while driving. This alarming behavior poses a significant safety risk, as it could potentially lead to a crash in critical situations, especially if it occurs during high-speed travel or in heavy traffic. Despite regular maintena…

03/21/2023 · Transmission / drivetrain
The contact owns a 2013 Cadillac Escalade. The contact stated while driving 60 MPH and depressing the accelerator pedal, the vehicle downshifted unintendedly, and the vehicle shut off. The contact was able to veer to the side of the road. The check engine warning light and an unknown warning light were illuminated. The contact turned off and restarted the v…

06/21/2022 · Seat belts
All three seatbelts in the third row don't lock. I just got this car with only 100k miles on it and when installing my kids' car seats I found that none of them have the needed safety feature. They don't lock when pulled quickly or when pulled all the way out. Cadillac won't cover the repair.

02/23/2022 · Airbags
2013 CADILLAC ESCALADE. CONSUMER WRITES IN REGARDS TO TAKATA AIRBAG SAFETY RECALL. THE CONSUMER STATED AFTER HAVING THE AIRBAG RECALL COMPLETED, THE WARNING LIGHT ILLUMINATED. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN BACK TO THE DEALER TO HAVE IT REPAIRED. THE DEALER ADVISED THE AIRBAG FAILURE TIMING WAS A COINCIDENCE AND REQUESTED AN INSPECTION/REPAIR FEE.

11/23/2020 · Airbags
I'M PROVIDING MY VEHICLE INFORMATION FOR A RECALL CONCERNING TAMARA AIR BAGS

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