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2021 Cadillac Escalade ESV problems

The 2021 Cadillac Escalade ESV has 105 complaints on file with NHTSA. The largest share (58%) concerns engine. After that come drivetrain & axles (11%) and electrical system (10%).

At a glance

Complaints
105 filed with NHTSA
Most reported
Engine 58% of complaints
Crashes and fires
5 and 0
Injuries and deaths
9 and 0
Typical mileage
63,000 miles 14 complaints with mileage

Source: NHTSA owner complaints

Where the complaints are

Share of this model year's complaints by the part of the car involved. One complaint can name more than one part, so the shares can add up to more than 100%.

  • Engine 58%
  • Drivetrain & axles 11%
  • Electrical system 10%
  • Fuel system 6%
  • Brakes 4%
  • Forward collision avoidance 3%
  • Seat belts 2%
  • Steering <1%
  • Body & structure <1%
  • Suspension <1%

When problems show up

Complaints by mileage, 2021 Cadillac Escalade ESV Complaints by odometer reading in 20,000-mile steps. The median is about 63,000 miles. 0k to 20k miles: 1 complaints 20k to 40k miles: 5 complaints 40k to 60k miles: 1 complaints 60k to 80k miles: 3 complaints 80k to 100k miles: 2 complaints 100k to 120k miles: 1 complaints 120k to 140k miles: 0 complaints 140k to 160k miles: 1 complaints 160k to 180k miles: 0 complaints 180k to 200k miles: 0 complaints 200k+ miles: 0 complaints 040k80k120k160k200k miles Typical: 63,000 miles
Based on 14 complaints that include mileage. 50% were reported before 60,000 miles. The amber marker shows the median: half of these complaints happened before that mileage.
View the numbers
MileageComplaints
0k to 20k miles1
20k to 40k miles5
40k to 60k miles1
60k to 80k miles3
80k to 100k miles2
100k to 120k miles1
120k to 140k miles0
140k to 160k miles1
160k to 180k miles0
180k to 200k miles0
200k+ miles0

What the data shows

Among the 14 complaints that report mileage, the typical (median) problem appeared at about 63,000 miles. For engine specifically, the median reported mileage is about 70,000 miles (11 complaints with mileage).

Safety-related details: 5 complaints mention a crash; 9 injuries reported.

Looking only at complaints filed within five years of the model year (so older and newer years are comparable), the 2021 ranks 2nd most-complained-about out of 9 model years of the Cadillac Escalade ESV with enough data (105 complaints in that window). It is also covered by 10 safety recall campaigns.

What owners wrote

A few complaints as filed, shortened and with personal details removed. The first ones are among the most serious reports for this model year; the rest are typical.

I had my 2021 Cadillac Escalade esv vehicle service twice at the dealership of purchase regarding the vehicle gear shifting on its own and dragging. The service advisor said they couldn’t find a problem with the vehicle. He told bring it back if it does it again. [XXX] the problem occurred twice in one day. I thought maybe I had bumped it out of gear inadvertently. I started looking down every time I touched the gear shift to assure it was the correct setting.

February 2024 CrashInjury

The contact owns a 2021 Cadillac Escalade ESV. The contact stated while driving approximately 40 MPH, the vehicle suddenly lost automotive power and decelerated before stalling. The vehicle was unable to be restarted and was later towed to the local dealer. The cause of the failure was not yet determined. The manufacturer was not contacted. The failure mileage was 25,000.

Reported at 25,000 miles, October 2024

The contact owns a 2021 Cadillac Escalade ESV. The contact stated while driving at an undisclosed speed, the vehicle inadvertently lost motive power. The contact was able to pull over to the shoulder of the roadway, where the vehicle failed to restart. No warning lights were illuminated. The vehicle was towed to the dealer, who diagnosed a failure with the engine. The contact was informed that the engine needed to be replaced. The vehicle was not repaired.

Reported at 57,000 miles, August 2025

Other model years of the Escalade ESV

Best and worst years for the Cadillac Escalade ESV