2015 Cadillac Escalade ESV recalls and problems

The 2015 Cadillac Escalade ESV has 6 safety recalls and 8 owner complaints filed with NHTSA. Recall repairs are free at any Cadillac dealer.

Urgent: recall 26V-289 carries a "do not drive" warning. Contact a dealer before driving.
Recalls
6
Complaints
8
Crashes / fires
1 / 0
Injuries / deaths
0 / 0

Recalls may cover only some 2015 Cadillac Escalade ESV vehicles. Check your VIN at NHTSA ↗ to see open recalls for your exact car.

2015 Cadillac Escalade ESV recalls

Recall 26V-329: Air Bags

Reported May 21, 2026 · 5,014 vehicles affected · General Motors, LLC

Problem: General Motors, LLC (GM) is recalling certain 2015 Cadillac Escalade, Escalade ESV, XTS, 2015-2016 Cadillac ATS, CTS, and SRX vehicles. The front-driver air bag inflator may rupture during deployment.

Risk: An inflator rupture may result in sharp metal fragments striking the driver or other occupants, resulting in serious injury or death.

Fix: Dealers will replace the front-driver air bag module, free of charge. Interim letters notifying owners of the safety risk were mailed June 19, 2026. Additional letters will be mailed once the remedy is available. Owners may contact Cadillac customer service at 1-800-333-4223. The manufacturer's number for this recall is N262555870. Vehicle Identification Numbers (VINs) involved in this recall became searchable on NHTSA.gov on May 21, 2026.

Recall 26V-289: Power Train

Do not driveReported May 7, 2026 · 66 vehicles affected · General Motors, LLC

Problem: General Motors, LLC (GM) is recalling certain 2026 Cadillac Escalade and Escalade ESV, Chevrolet Silverado 1500, Suburban, and Tahoe, and GMC Sierra 1500, Yukon, and Yukon XL vehicles with four-wheel (4WD) or all-wheel drive (AWD), and certain 2015-2020 Suburban, Escalade, Escalade ESV, Yukon, Yukon XL, and Tahoe vehicles. A component missing from the drivetrain transfer case may cause the front and/or rear wheels to lock up without warning to the driver.

Risk: Front or rear wheel lockup increases the risk of a crash.

Fix: Owners are advised not to drive their vehicle until the remedy is completed. Dealers will inspect and, if necessary, replace the transfer case assembly, free of charge. Owner notification letters were mailed May 18, 2026. Owners may contact GMC customer service at 1-800-462-8782, Chevrolet customer service at 1-800-222-1020 or Cadillac customer service at 1-800-333-4223. GM's number for this recall is N262557620. Vehicle Identification Numbers (VINs) involved in this recall became searchable on NHTSA.gov on May 7, 2026.

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 14V-624: Air Bags

Reported Oct 6, 2014 · 1,046 vehicles affected · General Motors LLC

Problem: General Motors LLC (GM) is recalling certain model year 2015 Cadillac Escalade and Escalade ESV vehicles. The passenger side instrument panel top cover on the affected vehicles may have been manufactured using an incorrect spacer fabric, causing a reduction of adhesion between the spacer fabric and the vinyl show surface. This reduced adhesion may result in inconsistent passenger air bag deployment. As such, these vehicles fail to comply with the requirements of Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standard No. 208, "Occupant Crash Protection."

Risk: Inconsistent air bag deployment increases the risk of personal injury in the event of a crash necessitating air bag deployment.

Fix: GM will notify owners, and dealers will replace the instrument panel top cover, free of charge. The recall began on November 11, 2014. Owners may contact Cadillac customer service at 1-800-458-8006. GM's number for this recall is 14686.

Recall 14V-259: Air Bags

Reported May 16, 2014 · 2,838 vehicles affected · General Motors LLC

Problem: General Motors LLC (GM) is recalling certain model year 2015 Cadillac Escalade and Escalade ESV vehicles manufactured April 6, 2014, through May 13, 2014. In the affected vehicles, the air bag module is secured to a chute adhered to the backside of the instrument panel with an insufficiently heated infrared weld. This may result in only a partial deployment of the front passenger air bag in the event of a crash. As such, these vehicles do not conform to Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standard (FMVSS) number 208, "Occupant Crash Protection."

Risk: In the event of an accident, an air bag that only partially deploys increases the risk of occupant injury.

Fix: GM sent the owners an interim notification letter on May 16, 2014 to advise owners of the recall, and will mail owners a second letter when remedy parts are available. When the parts are available, dealers will replace the instrument panel right side upper trim panel, free of charge. The recall began on June 9, 2014. Owners may contact Cadillac customer service at 1-800-458-8006. GM's number for this recall is 14220. Note: Owners are advised that until the vehicle has been remedied, occupants should not sit in the front passenger seat position.

2015 Cadillac Escalade ESV problems reported by owners

Problem areaReports
Electrical System2
Unknown or Other2
Engine2
Vehicle Speed Control1
Fuel/Propulsion System1
Structure1
Visibility/Wiper1
Electronic Stability Control (ESC)1
Power Train1
Engine and Engine Cooling1

Most reported parts

  • Structure › Body — 1

Typical mileage at the time of the problem: 40,000 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 2015 Cadillac Escalade ESV complaints

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

Engine and Engine Cooling · at 89,000 miles · reported May 1, 2025
The contact owns a 2015 Cadillac Escalade ESV. The contact stated that upon starting the vehicle, there was an abnormal knocking sound coming from the engine compartment. The check engine warning light was illuminated. The vehicle was towed to an independent mechanic, who diagnosed a failure with the variable valve timing, resulting in damage to the engine. The contact was informed that the engine needed to be rebuilt or replaced. The vehicle was not repaired. After investigating the failure, the contact related the failure to NHTSA Campaign Number: 25V274000 (Engine and Engine Cooling), but…
Engine · at 57,213 miles · reported Jun 15, 2019
Car at 56000 miles would not shut off. Reason was the chassis control,module was improperly designed and was left exposed allowing snow to corrode the module. Cadillac refused to pay for the repair that included $650 in diagnostic time
Engine · at 67,000 miles · reported Nov 14, 2018
Exhaust gas enters cabin whenever stationary. Even at brief traffic signals, fumes quickly enter vehicle. Car is less than 4 years old.
Electronic Stability Control (ESC) · at 40,000 miles · reported Mar 2, 2018
My 2015 cadillac escalade has been in the shop for 50+ days since purchasing in 2015 for defective brakes, transmission, trim, technology, chassis, electrical, and HVAC. I have contacted GM and they don't want to repurchase the vehicle. The vehicle is constantly in the shop for problems and it is not a vehicle that should be operated on public roadways. Numerous parts of my transmission have been replaced/reprogrammed/rebuilt before due to defects in design and build quality. The transmission consistently vibrates, jerks and shutters when driving, pops and creaks when stopped and clunks when…
Visibility/Wiper · at 7,500 miles · reported Jul 14, 2017
The contact owns a 2015 cadillac escalade esv. While driving in the rain, the air conditioner condenser fractured and the air conditioner failed to work. The failure caused the windows to fog up and impaired the driver's visibility. The vehicle was taken to the dealer (Cadillac of mahwah, nj) who stated that the part was unavailable. The failure recurred. The manufacturer was made aware of the failure and stated that it was a known issue. The manufacturer provided the contact a rental vehicle for three days. The vehicle was repaired after seven weeks when the part was located. The cause of the…

Other Cadillac Escalade ESV years

Compare all Cadillac Escalade ESV years · All Cadillac models

Frequently asked questions

Does the 2015 Cadillac Escalade ESV have any recalls?

Yes — NHTSA lists 6 recalls for the 2015 Cadillac Escalade ESV: 26V-329 (air bags), 26V-289 (power train), 17V-437 (seat belts, air bags), 16V-651 (seat belts, air bags), 14V-624 (air bags) and more. Not every vehicle is affected, so check your VIN at nhtsa.gov/recalls.

What is the most common problem with the 2015 Cadillac Escalade ESV?

Owners report electrical system problems most often (2 reports), followed by unknown or other (2). The typical mileage when problems were reported is about 40,000 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.