2008 Cadillac Escalade problems
The 2008 Cadillac Escalade has 180 complaints on file with NHTSA. The largest share (41%) concerns air bags. After that come electrical system (13%) and engine (8%).
At a glance
- Complaints
- 180 filed with NHTSA
- Most reported
- Air bags 41% of complaints
- Crashes and fires
- 7 and 12
- Injuries and deaths
- 3 and 0
- Typical mileage
- 100,000 miles 96 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%.
When problems show up
View the numbers
| Mileage | Complaints |
|---|---|
| 0k to 20k miles | 11 |
| 20k to 40k miles | 2 |
| 40k to 60k miles | 4 |
| 60k to 80k miles | 10 |
| 80k to 100k miles | 20 |
| 100k to 120k miles | 21 |
| 120k to 140k miles | 11 |
| 140k to 160k miles | 1 |
| 160k to 180k miles | 12 |
| 180k to 200k miles | 3 |
| 200k+ miles | 1 |
What the data shows
Among the 96 complaints that report mileage, the typical (median) problem appeared at about 100,000 miles. For air bags specifically, the median reported mileage is about 92,000 miles (20 complaints with mileage).
Safety-related details: 7 complaints mention a crash; 12 complaints mention a fire; 3 injuries reported.
Looking only at complaints filed within five years of the model year (so older and newer years are comparable), the 2008 ranks 13th most-complained-about out of 26 model years of the Cadillac Escalade with enough data (40 complaints in that window). It is also covered by 4 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.
Tl* the contact owns a 2008 cadillac escalade. When the vehicle was started, the navigation, radio, and time lights illuminated and flashed on and off. After the contact returned home and parked the vehicle, it rolled backwards, dragging part of the contact's clothing and the safety seat that was in her hand. The contact was able to pull herself and the safety seat away from the rolling vehicle before it crashed into a tree in front of the neighbor's house. The air bags did not deploy.
After I left my girlfriend house I got on the interstate and started traveling to work. I was on interstate 59 south and 20 west for about 15 minutes. The conditions outside were cold and dry. I was traveling at 70 MPH in far left lane on the road when I was approaching the avenue I exit my roof rail airbags deployed on me.
I was driving along at about 45 MPH and the RPM s revved up the car wouldn't shift into third .I had to pull over switch the car off and restart it after that it drove fine . Since then at times it shifts hard into first and second and it will get stuck in second sometimes . After I pull over and restart the car it stops . Also the stabilatrack light keeps coming on . I also have a problem with the left side running board not closing .
Tl* takata recall. The contact owns a 2008 cadillac escalade. The contact received notification of NHTSA campaign number: 16v381000 (air bags). When the vehicle was started, the air bag indicator illuminated and remained lit, which was a safety concern. The manufacturer was made aware of the failure and was not able to confirm when the parts were to become available. The failure was not diagnosed. The failure mileage was approximately 110,000.