Reliability, what owners report, and what it costs to keep.
AVOIR's read: running costs are the problem rather than the car itself.
Owners have filed 286 complaints with NHTSA about the 2007 Cadillac Escalade, and it carries 4 recalls. These are owner allegations rather than confirmed defects, but the pattern of what people complain about is the most useful signal a used buyer has.
| Area | Complaints | Share |
|---|---|---|
| Air bags | 121 | 42% |
| Structure | 19 | 7% |
| Electrical system | 14 | 5% |
| Engine | 12 | 4% |
| Electronic stability control (esc) | 6 | 2% |
| Air bags | 4 | 1% |
| Power train | 4 | 1% |
| Electronic stability control (esc) | 4 | 1% |
| Seats | 4 | 1% |
| Latches/locks/linkages | 4 | 1% |
Verbatim from NHTSA complaint records, trimmed for length.
The contact owned a 2007 Cadillac Escalade. The contact stated that while driving 45 MPH, there was an area where the pavement was incomplete and caused the vehicle to go off-road and into the woods, and the vehicle cras
NHTSA complaint: Service brakes
The contact owns a 2007 Cadillac Escalade. The contact stated that upon approaching the parked vehicle, he discovered that all the air bags had deployed without impact. The vehicle was taken to an independent mechanic fo
NHTSA complaint: Air bags
I started the car and noticed a smell. Then my red battery light came on and a notification that my battery was not charging. I drove less than a mile and noticed smoke under my hood. I pulled over to a safe place and op
NHTSA complaint: Engine
Entire information cluster has lost power vehicle halts to a stop in mid driving breaking response is sometimes hard sometimes very loose intermittent warning lights
NHTSA complaint: Steering
The Stabilitrak/Oxygen sensor harness was ripped off by the driveshaft. Ive heard this is common on the 2007+ escalade
NHTSA complaint: Electrical system
My car shut down completely as I was driving it home last month [XXX] the cluster panel was showing charging system failure, stabilization and traction control coming on and off when not in use, the battery I bought was
NHTSA complaint: Power train
N212328760 Recall preformed on 8/4/2022. Airbag warning light still coming on while driving! Evidently, my problem was never fixed.
NHTSA complaint: Air bags
The contact owns a 2007 Cadillac Escalade. The contact stated that after plugging the electric air pump into the cigarette lighter socket, smoke was suddenly present coming from the lighter socket and the engine compartm
NHTSA complaint: Electrical system
NHTSA lists 4 recall campaigns for the 2007 Cadillac Escalade. Recalls are free to have fixed at a franchised dealer regardless of who owns the car now, but only if they were never done, so check the VIN of the specific car rather than trusting the model.
General Motors, LLC (GM) is recalling certain 2009 Cadillac Escalade, Escalade ESV, Escalade EXT, Chevrolet Avalanche, Silverado 1500, Silverado 2500, Silverado 3500, Suburban, Tahoe, GMC Sierra 1500, Sierra 2500, Sierra 3500, Yukon, and Yukon XL vehicles originally sold, or ever registered, in the
Risk: An inflator explosion may result in sharp metal fragments striking the driver or other occupants, resulting in serious injury or death.
Fix: GM will notify owners, and dealers will replace the front passenger air bag inflator with an alternate one, free of charge. Interim letters notifying owners of the safety risk were mailed on February
General Motors, LLC (GM) is recalling certain 2007-2011 Cadillac Escalade, Escalade ESV, Escalade EXT, Chevrolet Avalanche, Silverado 1500, Suburban, Tahoe, GMC Sierra 1500, Yukon, Yukon XL, and 2009-2011 Chevrolet Silverado 2500, Silverado 3500, GMC Sierra 2500 and Sierra 3500 vehicles originally s
Risk: An inflator explosion may result in sharp metal fragments striking the driver or other occupants, resulting in serious injury or death.
Fix: GM will notify owners, and dealers will replace the front passenger air bag inflator with an alternate one, free of charge. Interim letters notifying owners of the safety risk were mailed on February
GM IS RECALLING 857,735 MY 2006-2008 BUICK LUCERNE; CADILLAC DTS; HUMMER H2; MY 2007-2008 CADILLAC ESCALADE, ESCALADE ESV, ESCALADE EXT; CHEVROLET AVALANCHE, SILVERADO, SUBURBAN, TAHOE; GMC ACADIA, SIERRA, YUKON, YUKON XL, SATURN OUTLOOK; AND MY 2008 BUICK ENCLAVE VEHICLES EQUIPPED WITH A HEATED WIP
Risk: THIS MAY CAUSE OTHER ELECTRICAL FEATURES TO MALFUNCTION, CREATE AN ODOR, OR CAUSE SMOKE INCREASING THE RISK OF A FIRE.
Fix: DEALERS WILL INSTALL A WIRE HARNESS WITH AN IN-LINE FUSE FREE OF CHARGE. THE RECALL BEGAN ON SEPTEMBER 12, 2008. OWNERS MAY CONTACT BUICK AT 1-866-608-8080; CADILLAC AT 1-800-982-2339 OR HTTP://WW
GM IS RECALLING CERTAIN MODEL YEAR 2006-2009 BUICK, LUCERNE; CADILLAC DTS; HUMMER H2; MODEL YEAR 2008-2009 BUICK ENCLAVE; CADILLAC CTS; MODEL YEAR 2007-2009 CADILLAC ESCALADE, ESCALADE ESV, ESCALADE EXT; CHEVROLET AVALANCHE, SILVERADO, SUBURBAN, TAHOE; GMC ACADIA, SIERRA, YUKON, YUKON XL; SATURN OUT
Risk: IT IS POSSIBLE FOR THE HEATED WASHER MODULE TO IGNITE AND A FIRE MAY OCCUR.
Fix: DEALERS WILL PERMANENTLY DISABLE AND REMOVE THE HEATED WASHER FLUID MODULE. AN UPDATED PAGE FOR THE OWNER MANUAL WILL BE PROVIDED AND INSERTED IN THE OWNER MANUAL TO DOCUMENT THAT THE FEATURE HAS BEE
| Reliability raw | 65 | good |
|---|---|---|
| Longevity est. | 69 | good |
| Maintenance | 51 | average |
| Depreciation | 38 | below average |
| Performance | 81 | excellent |
| Efficiency | 25 | below average |
Percentile ranks against other SUVs in the catalog.
What stands behind each score for this car:
Owners have filed 286 complaints with NHTSA for this model-year, and air bags is the most reported area with 121 of them (42%). There are 4 recalls on record. Check any specific car against its VIN before buying.
AVOIR scores its reliability 65/100 (good) from NHTSA recall campaigns and complaint density. That figure is a raw complaint count, not yet adjusted for sales volume, so a high-volume model scores worse than it deserves.
AVOIR scores its longevity 69/100, but that figure is an estimate built from the powertrain and the brand's record, not a measurement. A 2007 car has no 200,000-mile population to observe yet, so treat it as a prior rather than evidence.
AVOIR's read: skip unless cheap, because running costs are the problem rather than the car itself. Its overall ownership score is 57/100. Condition, mileage and service history still matter more than any score, so get a pre-purchase inspection on the specific car.
Sources: NHTSA recalls and complaints, EPA fuel economy, IIHS awards, and live market listings. A score describes a model-year, not the individual car in front of you. Get a pre-purchase inspection.