2005 Cadillac Escalade EXT

Routine

Owners filed 5 complaints about this vehicle with federal regulators, most often about the electrical system. It has been recalled 1 time.

What fails
ComponentReportsCrashesFiresInjuries
Seats › Front Assembly › Seat Heater/Cooler1
000
Seat Belts1
102
Equipment1
000
Electrical System › Horn1
000
Electrical System1
000

1 safety recall

Part 573 reports
Power Train › Manual Transmission › Shift Pattern Indicator05V055000
Filed Feb 14, 20057,194 vehiclesGeneral Motors Corp.

Defect. CERTAIN SPORT UTILITY VEHICLES EQUIPPED WITH AN AUTOMATIC TRANSMISSION, FAIL TO COMPLY WITH THE REQUIREMENTS OF FEDERAL MOTOR VEHICLE SAFETY STANDARD NO. 102, "TRANSMISSION SHIFT LEVER SEQUENCE, STARTER INTERLOCK AND TRANSMISSION BRAKING EFFECT." UNDER CERTAIN VEHICLE STARTING CONDITIONS, THE SHIFT LEVER POSITION INDICATOR LOCATED IN THE INSTRUMENT PANEL CLUSTER MAY NOT ILLUMINATE. IF THE SHIFT LEVER POSITION INDICATOR DOES NOT ILLUMINATE, THE DRIVER MAY NOT KNOW WHICH GEAR THE VEHICLE IS IN.

Risk. THE VEHICLE MAY MOVE IN AN UNINTENDED DIRECTION RESULTING IN POSSIBLE INJURY TO OTHERS OUTSIDE OF THE VEHICLE.

Remedy. DEALERS WILL REPROGRAM THE INSTRUMENT PANEL CLUSTER FREE OF CHARGE. THE RECALL BEGAN ON FEBRUARY 14, 2005. OWNERS MAY CONTACT CADILLAC AT 1-866-982-2339, CHEVROLET AT 1-800-630-2438, AND GMC AT 1-866-996-9463.

What owners reported

Newest filings
Seat BeltsCrash2 injured
Filed Aug 8, 201567,124 milesCO

WHILE DRIVING SOUTH ON POWERS BLVD AND CROSSING THE BRIARGATE INTERSECTION IN COLORADO SPRINGS, COLORADO ON MAY 2, 2015, HONDA CIVIC VEHICLE RAN RED LIGHT TRAVELING WEST AROUND 32 TO 33 MPH (HIT GAS INSTEAD OF BRAKE). AND IMPACTED 2005 CADILLAC ESCALADE EXT ON DRIVERS SIDE. COMPONENT PARTS IN QUESTION ARE FRONT DRIVERS SEAT BELT AND PASSENGER FRONT SEAT BELT. DRIVER SUPPOSIVELY REPORTED TO ONSTAR THAT DRIVERS SEATBELT HAD DISENGAGED SOMETIME DURING IMPACT. POLICE REPORT STATES CADILLAC CAME TO STOP 219 FEET FROM IMPACT. ONSTAR CALL ONLY AVAILABLE IF SUBPOENA IS REQUESTED. INJURIES TO PASSENGER WAS SIDE WHIPLASH, BACK INJURY, AND ROAD RASH TO KNEES, BRUISING AND SORES AS A RESULT OF KNEES IMPACTING GLOVE BOX IN FRONT OF PASSENGER. INITIAL INJURIES TO DRIVER WAS CONCUSSION, CLOSED HEAD INJURY, WHIPLASH, LEFT RIB CONTUSIONS, BRUISING AND SORES. BOTH OCCUPANTS IN CADILLAC WERE TRANSPORTED TO ER. PICTURES TAKEN OF VEHICLE ONCE LOCATED 3 DAYS LATER ILLUSTRATE DRIVERS SEATBELT IN NORMAL POSITION AND PASSENGER SEATBELT IN PULLED DOWN POSITION. PICTURES AVAILABLE UPON REQUEST. ACCORDING TO POLICE REPORT, PICTURES TAKEN AT SCENE.

Electrical System
Filed Mar 22, 201168,700 milesPA

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2005 CADILLAC ESCALADE EXT. THE CONTACT STATED THAT THE SPEEDOMETER BEGAN MALFUNCTIONING INTERMITTENTLY AND DISPLAYED THAT THE CONTACT WAS DRIVING 80 MPH WHEN TRAVELING APPROXIMATELY 30 MPH. THE MANUFACTURER WAS CONTACTED AND STATED THAT THEY WERE AWARE OF THE FAILURE AND INITIATED A VOLUNTARY SAFETY IMPROVEMENT CAMPAIGN. THE CONTACTS VEHICLE DID NOT FALL WITHIN THE VIN RANGE OF THE VEHICLES CHOSEN FOR THE VOLUNTARY REPAIR AND THE CONTACT WOULD BE RESPONSIBLE FOR ANY REPAIRS. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT REPAIRED. THE APPROXIMATE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 68,700.

Equipment
Filed Dec 15, 2006CA

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

Seats › Front Assembly › Seat Heater/Cooler
Filed Sep 6, 200618,558 milesMS

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

Electrical System › Horn
Filed Dec 1, 20058,363 milesFL

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

5 of 5 complaints, reproduced as filed.

Across model years

Worst on record: 2002
YearComplaintsRecallsFiresDeathsAssessment
20131300Routine
20121300Routine
20113400Routine
20101300Routine
20093500Routine
200814410Routine
200716520Routine
20060100Routine
2005 — this page5100Routine
200411200Routine
200315220Routine
200222100Routine

Compare every Escalade EXT year →

Reading this record

No unusual pattern of severe incidents in the complaint record.

Complaint counts track how many cars were sold and how long they have been on the road as much as they track quality. A common model from 2013 has had a decade to accumulate reports; a rare one from last year has not. The signal worth weighing is in the severity columns, in whether the same component keeps appearing, and in whether the manufacturer eventually opened a recall for it.

Recall repairs are free for as long as the recall stands. Check whether a specific car still has open work at NHTSA's VIN lookup.

Most recent recall on file: Feb 14, 2005. Source: NHTSA Office of Defects Investigation.