2021 Cadillac Escalade: True Cost, Problems & Verdict
83 NHTSA owner complaints · 9 recalls · data-computed verdict. No opinions — public data only.
Editor's note
Avoid the 2023 Escalade, which scores 42 on 133 owner complaints, 103 of them for the Engine, and treat the 2021, 2022 and 2024 as CAUTION at 52, 58 and 60. Buy a 2018, 2019 or 2020, which score 93, 95 and 91 on 21, 25 and 14 complaints, or a 2011 to 2014 at 81 to 91, all on low evidence. Read the full note on the model page. 2021 specifically: 83 complaints on record, score 52/100 — read the year table on the model page to see where it sits among its siblings.
Read the guide
Used full-size SUVs: Expedition, Tahoe, Yukon and Escalade years to avoid, including 2021 — written and signed by Adir Trabelsi, 2026-09-16.
Owner complaints: 83 filed with NHTSA
Complaints per year on the road: 16.6
What owners say
Verbatim reports filed with the United States safety regulator (NHTSA) by owners of this exact model year. Public record.
My car has 79k miles and it just went in for a new transmission. I was out of town and the transmission went out along with starter
Vehicle was sent the dealership 4 times since 2024 for leaking oil. Was told it was a rear main seal each time. Dealership said they replaced it and 2 weeks later the vehicle leaks again. It is now at the dealership and they tell us the crankshaft failed.
Driving my 2021 Escalade on interstate and engine began emitting sudden, loud metallic tapping. Oil pressure dropped off and a reduced power warning came on HUD. Acceleration dropped off, forcing him to coast dangerously across three lanes of traffic to the shoulder. Coasted to dealership—-somehow the VIN didn’t fall within the 2021-2024 recall despite exhibiting the exact same failure. Catastrophic engine failur…
Recalls: 9 campaigns (5 severe)
| Campaign | Component | Summary |
|---|---|---|
| 22V827000 | Exterior Lighting:Lighting Control Module:Software | General Motors, LLC (GM) is recalling certain 2021 Yukon, Yukon XL, Chevrolet Tahoe, Chevrolet Suburban, Cadillac Escalade, and Cadillac Escalade ESV vehicles. The daytime running lights (DRLs) may not deactivate when the headlights are on. |
| 21V421000 | Air Bags:Srs Malfunction Warning Lamp/Light | General Motors, LLC (GM) is recalling certain 2021 Buick Envision, Cadillac CT4, CT5, Escalade, Escalade ESV, Chevrolet Tahoe, Corvette, Suburban, GMC Yukon, Yukon XL vehicles. The communications gateway module incorrectly processes a loss of communication with the sensing diagnostic module (SDM), causing the air bag malfunction indicator light to… |
| 22V617000 | Seat Belts:Critical Fasteners | General Motors, LLC (M) is recalling certain 2021-2022 Cadillac Escalade, Escalade ESV, Chevrolet Suburban, Tahoe, GMC Yukon, and Yukon XL vehicles equipped with third-row seats. The rivet that retains the buckle to the mounting bracket in the left or right side third-row seat belt buckle assembly may have been improperly formed. |
| 21V190000 | Seat Belts | General Motors, LLC (GM) is recalling certain 2021 Cadillac Escalade, Escalade ESV, GMC Yukon, Yukon XL, Chevrolet Suburban, and Tahoe vehicles with third-row seating. The third-row outboard seat belts may have been entrapped or misrouted behind the outboard seat-folding mechanism, which could result in damaged seat belts. |
| 25V619000 | Fuel System, Diesel:Storage:Tank Assembly | General Motors, LLC (GM) is recalling certain 2021 Cadillac Escalade, 2021, 2023-2024 Chevrolet Tahoe, and 2022 and 2024 GMC Yukon vehicles equipped with a 6-cylinder diesel engine. The original fuel tank may have been replaced with an incorrect fuel tank, which can allow fuel to leak in a rollover crash. |
| 21V739000 | Fuel System, Gasoline:Delivery:Fuel Pump:Control/Drive Module | General Motors, LLC (GM) is recalling certain 2021 Cadillac Escalade, Escalade ESV, Chevrolet Suburban, Tahoe, GMC Yukon, and Yukon XL vehicles. The fuel pump power control module may cause the fuel pump to fail or operate intermittently, which can interrupt fuel flow to the engine, and cause an unexpected engine stall. |
| 25V274000 | Engine And Engine Cooling:Engine:Hard Parts Internal/Mechanical | General Motors LLC (GM) is recalling certain 2021-2024 Cadillac Escalade and Escalade ESV, Chevrolet Silverado 1500, Suburban, and Tahoe, GMC Sierra 1500, Yukon, and Yukon XL vehicles equipped with a 6.2L V8 gas engine. The connecting rod and/or crankshaft engine components may have manufacturing defects that can lead to engine damage and engine failure. |
| 24V797000 | Power Train:Automatic Transmission:Control Module:Software | General Motors, LLC (GM) is recalling certain 2020-2022 Chevrolet Silverado 1500, 2500, 3500, GMC Sierra 1500, 2500, 3500, 2021 Cadillac Escalade, Escalade ESV, Chevrolet Tahoe, Suburban, GMC Yukon, and Yukon XL vehicles equipped with diesel engines. The transmission control valve may fail and cause the rear wheels to lock-up. |
What it costs to buy — and what owning it really takes
Class-level estimates, priced as a large premium car of its model year, re-priced to your country. Not a quote, not a valuation of one specific car — condition, mileage and options move it. How these are computed.
What it costs to run
EPA combined 17 MPG · estimated annual fuel cost $4,450
Re-priced automatically from your country's retail fuel, electricity and parts indices — change country in the bar at the top. Estimates; see methodology.
What this car's problems cost to fix
Ranked by the components owners of this exact model year actually complain about. Each figure is flat-rate labour hours x the local shop rate plus a parts band — an estimate of what this kind of failure costs, not a quote, and not a prediction that this car will need it. Formula.
- Engine46 complaints · typical job: Cooling-system or timing-drive repair (6.0 h labour + parts)$1,040–$2,220
- Power Train10 complaints · typical job: Transmission service or clutch-pack repair (7.0 h labour + parts)$1,290–$4,040
- Engine And Engine Cooling10 complaints · typical job: Water pump, thermostat and coolant service (3.5 h labour + parts)$600–$1,040
- Electrical System10 complaints · typical job: Alternator, battery-drain or body-module diagnosis and replacement (3.0 h labour + parts)$540–$1,310
- Forward Collision Avoidance7 complaints · typical job: Radar or camera module replacement and calibration (3.0 h labour + parts)$780–$2,160
- Unknown Or Other6 complaints · typical job: Diagnosis and mixed repair (2.0 h labour + parts)$360–$940
Other Cadillac Escalade years
Cadillac Escalade years to avoid, and the best years to buy →
FAQ
What is the most common problem with the 2021 Cadillac Escalade?
The most-reported issue in NHTSA complaint data is Engine (46 complaints in our indexed sample).
Is the 2021 Cadillac Escalade a good used car to buy?
Our data verdict is CAUTION with a reliability score of 52/100, computed from 83 NHTSA complaints and 9 recall campaigns. See the verdict card for the top reasons.
How much does it cost to fix the 2021 Cadillac Escalade's most common problem?
46 of the NHTSA complaints filed against the 2021 Cadillac Escalade sit in the Engine group — more than any other component on this model year. The representative job there is cooling-system or timing-drive repair: about 6.0 hours of labour plus parts, roughly $1,040–$2,220 at a US independent shop and re-priced to your country at the top of the page. It is an estimate of what this class of failure costs, not a quote for this car.
What does a 2021 Cadillac Escalade cost to run per year?
About $6,135 a year in fuel or energy plus the maintenance band — roughly $30,675 over five years, before purchase price, insurance and depreciation. Figures come from available EPA fuel-economy data and industry maintenance averages, and are re-priced to your country.
Does the 2021 Cadillac Escalade have recalls?
Yes — NHTSA lists 9 recall campaign(s) for the 2021 Cadillac Escalade, 5 of them touching fire, crash or stall risk, the most recent recorded 03/11/2022. Check this car's VIN at nhtsa.gov/recalls before you buy.
Compare with
Other luxury larges of about the same age.
What will a 2021 Cadillac Escalade really cost YOU per year?
Fuel, maintenance band and depreciation — computed from public data in 10 seconds.
Open the true-cost calculatorData sources
Complaints & recalls: NHTSA ·
Fuel economy: EPA fueleconomy.gov ·
Scoring: our published methodology.
Maintenance bands are industry-average estimates (AAA Your Driving Costs, CarMD index) — labeled estimates, not measurements.
Last updated: 2026-10-04.
Moderate evidence — 83 complaints, 9 recalls on record
- 83 NHTSA complaints on record (16.6/yr of exposure) — worse than a typical year of this model (9.4/yr)
- 9 recall campaigns, 5 touching safety-critical systems