NHTSA Owner Complaint Log
This page lists owner-reported complaints filed with NHTSA for the 2005 Cadillac Escalade. Complaints are unverified consumer reports submitted to NHTSA and do not by themselves prove a defect or defect rate.
THIS IS THE EMAIL I SENT TO CADILLAC A FEW MONTHS AGO. THE SEAT BELT HAS SINCE BEEN REPLACED BUT THE DANGER STILL EXIST. MY SON IS LUCKY TO BE ALIVE AFTER THE SEAT BELT FAILED TO RELEASE; NEARLY RESULTING IN WHAT COULD HAVE BEEN A FATAL STRANGULATION. HERE IS THE EMAIL: I AM CONTACTING CADILLAC TO REPORT A PROBLEM I'VE EXPERIENCED WITH YOUR SEATBELTS. I HAVE AN 05 ESCALADE ESV AND MY SON WAS IN THE BACKSEAT SLEEPING AND SOMEHOW MANAGED TO GET THE SEATBELT WRAPPED AROUND HIS NECK. I TURNED THE VEHICLE OFF WITH HOPES THAT IT WOULD LOOSEN UP SO I COULD GET IT OFF BUT IT ONLY BECAME TIGHTER THE MORE I WORKED TO GET IT OFF. AT THE POINT WHERE HE WAS HAVING A HARD TIME BREATHING AND STARTED TURNING PURPLE I HAD MY HUSBAND OBTAIN SCISSORS AND WE HAD TO CUT IT OFF. MY SONS NECK IS NOW CUT AND BRUISED FROM THE SEATBELT. IS THIS HOW ALL THE SEATBELTS IN YOUR CARS WORK (DOESN'T LOOSEN UP EVEN AFTER THE CAR IS OFF) HAD I NOT BEEN ABLE TO GET SCISSORS TO FREE HIM THIS MAY NOT HAVE HAD THE SAME OUTCOME. THE DEALER THAT REPLACED THE SEAT BELT UNTIL SAID IT WAS "COMPLETELY LOCKED AND AGREED THAT IF WE HADN'T CUT IT THERE WAS NO OTHER WAY TO RELEASE IT. I ALSO HAVE PHOTOS OF MY SONS NECK DAYS AFTER THE INCIDENT. I WOULD HAVE REPORTED THIS SOONER BUT DIDN'T KNOW WHERE TO REPORT IT TO UNTIL I WAS INFORMED OF THIS WEBSITE. *TR
WHILE DRIVING DOWN THE ROAD AT APPROXIMATELY 80 MPH THE SPEEDOMETER FROZE. WHEN I PULLED ONTO AN EXIT RAMP AN CAME TO A COMPLETE STOP THE GAUGE FEEL TO ZERO BUT WHEN I STARTED TO DRIVE THE GAUGE WOULD NOT MOVE, IT STAYED ON ZERO FOR THE REMAINDER OF MY DRIVE. ONSTAR COULD NOT FIGURE OUT THE ISSUE. I HAVE NOT HAD TIME TO TAKE IT TO A DEALER YET. I WAS WONDERING IF THERE WAS A RECALL OR TSB FOR THIS ISSUE. *TR
TL*THE CONTACT OWNS A 2005 CADILLAC ESCALADE ESV. WHILE DRIVING 50 MPH, THE VEHICLE DECELERATED AND BEGAN TO COAST. THE CONTACT LOST STEERING ABILITY, BUT WAS ABLE TO SAFELY MANEUVER THE VEHICLE TO THE SHOULDER OF THE ROAD. SHE WAS ABLE TO RESTART THE VEHICLE AND DRIVE TO THE LOCAL DEALER FOR INSPECTION. THE FAILURE OCCURRED WITHOUT WARNING. THE DEALER STATED THAT THE GEARS IN THE TRANSMISSION FAILED. THE VEHICLE WAS REPAIRED AT THE COST OF $3,200. THE MANUFACTURER STATED THAT BECAUSE THE VEHICLE DID NOT RECEIVE A TRANSMISSION FLUSH AND FAILED DUE TO LACK OF MAINTENANCE, NO COMPENSATION WOULD BE PROVIDED. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 83,000 AND CURRENT MILEAGE WAS 83,050. UPDATED 3/11/09 *CN THE CONSUMER ALSO STATED THE BRAKES LOCKED UP AND THE TIRES BLEW OUT. UPDATED 03/16/09. *JB
TL*THE CONTACT OWNS A 2005 CADILLAC ESCALADE. THE CONTACT STATED THAT THE SPEEDOMETER DISPLAYED INACCURATE SPEEDS WELL ABOVE AND BELOW THE ACTUAL TRAVELED SPEEDS. THERE WAS A RECALL ISSUED FOR HER SAME MAKE AND MODEL VEHICLE, BUT HER YEAR WAS NOT INCLUDED. THE VEHICLE HAS NOT BEEN REPAIRED. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 60,000 AND CURRENT MILEAGE WAS 69,000. UPDATED 05/05/09. *LJ
I HAVE A 2005 CADILLAC ESCALADE EXT, I WAS IN LAS VEGAS AND PARKED MY VEHICLE IN THE FIRST PARKING SPOT , WHICH WAS THE HANDICAP PARKING IN FRONT OF STORE . I WAS IN THERE FOR NO MORE THAN 20 MINUTES AND MY VEHICLE WAS STOLEN , I THE CALLED THE POLICE WHICH GAVE ME THE NUMBER TO ONSTAR, THEN ONSTAR TOLD ME THEY SENT A SIGNAL TO THE TRUCK, AND THE TIME FRAME WAS NO MORE THAN 10 MINUTES OF 8:50 . THE OUTCOME WAS THAT ONSTAR DID NOT LOCATE THE VEHICLE IT WAS LOCATED BY THE POLICE 6 DAYS LATER. WHEN I WENT TO GO TO LOOK AT THE TRUCK AT THE TOW YARD I DISCOVERED THAT THE ONSTAR ANTENNA WAS BEHIND THE REAR VIEW MIRROR , SO THE PERSON WHO IS STEALING YOUR VEHICLE JUST HAS TO PULL A PLUG OUT OF REAR VIEW MIRROR AND THAT DISABLES THE ANTENNA. THE TRUCK WILL NEVER BE PICK UP BECAUSE IT WILL ONLY TAKE THEM TWO SECONDS FROM JUMPING IN THE VEHICLE TO DISABLE IT . AND THE UNIT IS BEHIND THE GLOVE COMPARTMENT WHICH THEY JUST PULL DOWN THE BOX AND RIP OFF THE WIRES THAT CONNECT THE POWER AND ETC.. SO MY COMPLAINT IS THAT ONSTAR IS NOT A GOOD SYSTEM TO HAVE FOR STOLEN LOCATION, I WAS TOD TO PUT LOJACK AND THE POLICE TOLD ME THIS, SO CADILLAC KNOWS THIS AND THEY SAID THAT IS NOT A GOOD REASONS FOR ME TO HAVE CADILLAC LOOK INTO THIS OR HELP ME WITH ASST OF BUYING A NEW VEHICLE AND TRADING THE OLD ONE IN. *JB
DT*: THE CONTACT STATED THE VEHICLE FAILED TO START AFTER BEING PARKED FOR ONE OR TWO DAYS. THIS PROBLEM OCCURRED ON FOUR OCCASIONS. ON ONE OCCASION, THE DEALERSHIP REPLACED THE BATTERY BUT THIS DID NOT REMEDY THE PROBLEM. THE DEALERSHIP COULD NOT DUPLICATE THE PROBLEM ON ALL OTHER OCCASIONS. THE CONSUMER STATED THE VEHICLE HAS BEEN IN THE SHOP 17 TIMES, SINCE THE VEHICLE WAS PURCHASED. THE CD PLAYER WAS INOPERATIVE. THE HEATED SEAT WAS INOPERATIVE. THE FUEL TANK AND FOG LIGHT WAS REPLACED UPDATED 09/25/06. *JB
DT*: THE CONTACT STATED WHILE USING THE DVD PLAYER AND THEN SWITCHING TO THE RADIO, CD OR SATELLITE, THE SPEAKER VOLUME INCREASES TO A DEAFENING LEVEL. THE VEHICLE HAS BEEN SEEN BY THE SERVICE DEALER, WHO WAS ABLE TO DUPLICATE THE PROBLEM, BUT A REMEDY WAS UNAVAILABLE TO CORRECT THE PROBLEM.
HAD A FRONT END COLLISION WITH ANOTHER VEHICLE AND NONE OF MY AIRBAGS DEPLOYED. THE VEHICLE WAS 4 WEEKS OLD AND HAD 1850 MILES AT THE TIME OF THE ACCIDENT. CALLED CADILLAC CUSTOMER SERVICE AND WAS GIVEN AN AIRBAG HISTORY LESSON VIA TELEPHONE FROM SOMEONE THAT HAD NEVER SEEN MY VEHICLE OR INSPECTED IT FOR DAMAGE AFTER THE ACCIDENT. AT THE END OF OUR CONVERSATION I WAS TOLD ALL WAS OK, NONE OF MY AIRBAGS SHOULD HAVE DEPLOYED AND NOT TO WORRY ABOUT IT. THE ENTIRE FRONT END OF MY VEHICLE WAS KNOCKED OFF, THE FRAME HAS MULTIPLE CRACKS AND IS BENT AS A RESULT OF THE COLLISION AND THE COLLISION CENTER IS 90% CERTAIN THE VEHICLE IS NOT REPAIRABLE. *JB
THE HORN FAILED TO SOUND WHEN IT WAS NEEDED. THIS SEEMS TO OCCUR WHEN THE HORN IS NOT USED FOR SOME TIME. I HAD THIS EXACT PROBLEM ON MY 2004 CADILLAC ESCALADE EXT, AND I THINK A RECALL SHOULD BE DONE TO RESOLVE THIS PROBLEM ON ALL GM CARS AND TRUCKS INVOLVED. I AM TIRED OF BEING SCARED WHEN MY HORN DOES NOT WORK. AFTER A YEAR, GM SHOULD HAVE HAD THIS PROBLEM RESOLVED. I THINK NHTSA SHOULD NOW RESOLVE IT FOR THEM!*JB
TL* - THE CONTACT OWNS A 2005 CADILLAC ESCALADE. THE CONTACT STATED THAT THE VEHICLE WOULD ONLY GET 8 MPG IN THE CITY AND 10 MPG ON THE HIGHWAY. THIS WAS WITHOUT RUNNING THE AIR, OR HEAT, AND NOT PLAYING MUSIC OR USING ANY OF THE ELECTRICAL IMPLEMENTS. THE DEALER STATED THAT AFTER REACHING AN ODOMETER READING OF 2, 000 MILES THE VEHICLE SHOULD GET THE MILEAGE THAT WAS ADVERTISED. THE CONTACT DID MOSTLY CITY DRIVING AND TOOK CARE OF THE VEHICLE. THE CONTACT STATED THAT SINCE PURCHASING THE VEHICLE IN SEPTEMBER 2005, IT HAS NEVER REACHED THE MPG THAT IT SHOULD. THE CURRENT MILEAGE WAS 9,050.*AK THE CONSUMER HAS INCLUDED THE MILEAGE PAGE AT TIME OF PURCHASE AND LEGAL DOCUMENT FROM LAWYER. THE CONSUMER STATED THE DEALER SAID SOMETIMES THEY GET VEHICLES IN LIKE THAT AND THERE IS NOTHING THAT THEY CAN DO. UPDATE 4/25/07*TR UPDATED *JB
ON JULY 16TH, 2005; I WAS INVOLVED IN A LIFE CHANGING, SINGLE VEHICLE AUTO ACCIDENT. I STRUCK A HILL WITH THE FRONT RIGHT SIDE OF THE VEHICLE WITH ENOUGH EXCESSIVE FORCE TO FLIP THIS CADILLAC ESCALADE HEAD FIRST. THE ESCALADE FLIPPED TWICE, IMPACTING THE FRONT OF THE VEHICLE AND LANDING UP SIDE DOWN. ASTONISHINGLY, OUT OF THE FOUR AIR BAGS IN THIS VEHICLE, NOT ONE OF THEM DEPLOYED. I PURCHASED THIS 2004 ESCALADE BRAND NEW AND AT THE TIME OF THE ACCIDENT IT ONLY HAD 15,000 MILES. THE VEHICLE IS A TOTAL LOSS AND IT IS UTTERLY UNBELIEVABLE THAT THE AIR BAGS DID NOT DEPLOY. I WAS SO IMPRESSED WITH THE RAVED REVIEWS, CONSUMER REPORTS INCLUDING SAFETY FEATURES, AND STYLISH BODY THAT THIS CADILLAC ESCALADE BECAME THE VEHICLE OF MY DREAMS. NEEDLESS TO SAY, I AM VERY DISAPPOINTED WITH MY CADILLAC EXPERIENCE. I DO NOT TRUST THIS VEHICLE ENOUGH TO GET INTO ANOTHER ONE. I KNOW THAT I AM ONLY HERE BECAUSE GOD DECIDED THE SPARE MY LIFE. AS A DIRECT RESULT OF THIS ACCIDENT I FREQUENTLY SUFFER SEVERE MIGRAINES, DIZZY SPELLS, BLURRED VISION, MEMORY LOSS, AND ANXIETY/PANIC ATTACKS ALL WHICH KEEP ME FROM SLEEPING. IT IS EXTREMELY DIFFICULT TO COMMUTE FROM DOCTORS APPOINTMENTS AND WORK FOR FEAR OF ANOTHER ACCIDENT. THE NEXT WEEK I HAD SEVERE CHEST, SHOULDER AND LOWER BACK PAINS; ALL OF WHICH I AM BEING TREATED FOR ON A REGULAR BASIS. I ALSO SEEK TREATMENT FROM A NEUROLOGIST FOR THE HEAD INJURY. I BELIEVE THAT THIS VEHICLE HAS A SERIOUS PROBLEM WITH THE AIR BAGS AND GM SHOULD STRONGLY CONSIDER INVESTIGATING THIS MATTER. *JB
Data synced from NHTSA on May 4, 2026