NHTSA Owner Complaint Log
This page lists owner-reported complaints filed with NHTSA for the 2003 Cadillac Escalade. Complaints are unverified consumer reports submitted to NHTSA and do not by themselves prove a defect or defect rate.
GOING UP A 20% GRADE ON A 90 DEGREE TURN AT LESS THAN 15 MILES AN HOUR, VEHICLE LOOSES ALL CONTROL. IT TAKES 5-10 SECONDS TO RECOVER AND SOMETIMES SLIDES BACK DOWN THE HILL. DEALER HAS ATTEMPTED FOUR REPAIRS WITH TEST DRIVES AFTER EACH REPAIR. DEALER HAS NOTIFIED GM OF SAFETY HAZARD. GM REP. IS AWARE OF OTHER ESCALADES WITH SAME PROBLEM AND REFUSES TO ADMIT IT AS A SAFETY ISSUE. SAYS ENGINEERS ARE WORKING TO RELEASE A NEW SOFTWARE PROGRAM SOON AND NOT TO DRIVE VEHICLE UNLESS DISENGAGING STABILIZATION SYSTEM EVERY TIME VEHICLE IS DRIVEN.
WHILE DRIVING DOWN THE ROAD SERVICE STABILITY TRACK MESSAGE WOULD APPEAR ON THE DASHBOARD MESSAGE CENTER. THAT WOULD THEN DISABLE THE TRACTION CONTROL SYSTEM. AN AUDIBLE DING-DING WOULD SOUND ABOUT EVERY THIRTY-SECONDS AS YOU WERE DRIVING DOWN THE ROAD. THE BUTTON ON THE DASH WAS INOPERABLE AND WOULD NOT SHUT OFF THE SYSTEM. CADILLAC ADVISED MY DEALER THAT I WOULD HAVE TO WAIT FOR THE 2004 MODELS TO BE RELEASED TO GET THE PROBLEM FIXED. WHEN VEHICLE WAS IN THE SHOP TO BE FIXED IT WAS ALSO FOUND THAT THE ABS MODULE NEEDED TO BE REPLACED BECAUSE THAT WAS NOT FUNCTIONAL. I HAD 50 MILES ON THE VEHICLE WHEN THE PROBLEM WAS FIRST NOTICED. *AK
SUSPENSION SERVICE STABILITY DISABLED DIGITAL WARNING 5 TIMES. ON THE FIRST OCCASION IT ALSO READ REDUCED POWER AND POWERED DOWN FROM 70 TO 35 MPH WITHIN SECONDS WHEN DRIVEN IN FREEWAY TRAFFIC. REMOTE ANALYSIS BY ONSTAR INDICATED MOST RECENTLY AN ABS PROBLEM REQUIRED SERVICE. OTHER FUSE AND WIRE/SHORT PROBLEMS HAVE OCCURRED WITHIN THE DASH. *TT
TURNING SLOWLY TO THE RIGHT AND OVER BUMPY ROAD SURFACES, VEHICLE APPLIES BRAKES ON ITS OWN. *NLM
CONSUMER CALLED COMPLAINING WHILE DRIVING THE VEHICLE AT 10MPH ON FREEZING WEATHER (MOUNTAIN) HAS A SEVERE VIBRATION FROM THE STEERING WHEEL. DEALER HAS NOT BEEN NOTIFIED YET. PLEASE PROVIDED FURTHER INFORMATION. TS *TR
CONSUMER STATED VEHICLE STALLS WHILE DRIVING AT 45 MPH ON THE HWY, POWER STEERING AND POWER BRAKE LOCK UP. DEALER AND MANUFACTURERS HAS BEEN NOTIFIED. PLEASE PROVIDE FURTHER INFORMATION. MR
SAFETY-RELATED DEFECT IN THE STABILITY/TRACTION SYSTEM. STABILITRAK COMBINES ANTILOCK BRAKE, TRACTION AND STABILITY CONTROL SYSTEM. *BF THE VEHICLE TRACTION CONTROL SYSTEM COMMANDED THE BRAKED BE APPLIED TO THE FRONT LEFT WHEEL WHEN IT SHOULDN'T HAVE. THIS PROBLEM OCCURS WHEN THE VEHICLE IS GOING UPHILL OR DOWNHILL. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO THE DEALER WHO RE-SOLDERED THE ABS MOTOR. THE BRAKING OF ONE WHEEL HAS BEEN LESS VIOLENT BUT PERSIST NONETHELESS. *NM
CONSUMER STATES THAT IT IS HARD TO TELL WHEN TIRE PRESSURE IS LOW DUE TO HEAT THAT HAS FIELDED UP INSIDE THE TIRE, CAUSING THE TIRE WALL TO COLLAPSE. *AK
WHEN EXPOSED TO WATER, WATER ENTERED REAR CARGO AREA OF THE VEHICLE. VEHICLE WAS INSPECTED BY THE DEALER, WHO FOUND THAT THERE WERE PANELS ON THE EXTERIOR THAT SHOULD HAVE PREVENTED WATER FROM ENTERING. BUT THIS WAS A NORMAL PROBLEM FOR THIS VEHICLE. *AK
VEHICLE'S SEAT BELT TOWER IS TOO LOW.*MR (CADILLAC DTS 2003) SEAT BELT WAS MANUFACTURED TO BE ADJUSTABLE. IT DOES NOT RAISE, DEALER STATED THAT THEY NEED PERMISSION TO MAKE IT ADJUSTABLE.*TS
THE STATE OF CALIFORNIA ORDERED INSTALLATION OF THE INTERLOCK IGNITION DEVICE (IID) TO PREVENT THE VEHICLE FROM BEING OPERATED BY INTOXICATED DRIVERS. THE DEVICE MALFUNCTIONED, CAUSING THE VEHICLE NOT TO START OR STALL WHILE DRIVING. MANUFACTURED BY GUARDIAN INTERLOCK, MODEL 3050, SERIAL# 13429 & 18832, TRANSPONDER 4.4E. *AK
2003 CADILLAC ESCALADE EXT-SAFETY DEFECT. *MR THE TIRES RUBBED AGAINST THE UNDERCARRIAGE ANY TIME THE WHEELS WERE TURN HARD LEFT OR RIGHT. A REPRESENTATIVE AT THE SALES DEALER SUGGESTED THAT THE PANELS IN THE WHEEL WELL SHOULD HAVE BEEN GRINDED DOWN PRIOR TO DELIVERY. IN REVIEWING THE OWNER MANUAL, THE VEHICLE WAS ONLY DESIGNED FOR 17" WHEELS. 20" WHEELS COULD CAUSE DANGER IN THE INNER WALLS OF THE TIRES AND COULD CAUSE A BLOW OUT. *SC
Data synced from NHTSA on May 4, 2026