Selling a junk Cadillac Escalade ESV
Any Escalade ESV sells for scrap or parts, running or not. Below: what owners report most often for each model year, the recalls on file, and which of those change the offer. Enter your ZIP for a buyer near you.
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What owners report about the Cadillac Escalade ESV
NHTSA has 593 owner complaints on file for the Cadillac Escalade ESV, model years 2003 to 2022, the 367th-most of the 423 models in our data. The most-reported components are engine (169, 28%), transmission and drivetrain (66, 11%), electrical system (65, 11%). 41 complaints involved a crash, 13 a fire, and 49 say the vehicle had to be towed. The median mileage when the problem was reported is 68,000 miles. The 2021 model year has the most complaints (105). Data as of 2026-10-12.
When the top complaint is engine, the question for a seller is whether a buyer will resell the car, pull the parts or scrap it. Read our guide to selling a car with a blown engine: it explains which offers assume the part works and how to describe the car so the price holds at pickup.
Cadillac Escalade ESV by model year
| Year | Complaints | Most reported | Crash | Fire | Recalls | Median miles |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2003 | 13 | Brakes | 2 | 0 | 1 | — |
| 2004 | 28 | Electrical system | 3 | 1 | 1 | 82,500 |
| 2005 | 19 | Electrical system | 0 | 2 | 1 | — |
| 2006 | 5 | Air bags | 1 | 0 | 1 | — |
| 2007 | 83 | Air bags | 3 | 3 | 4 | 70,000 |
| 2008 | 19 | Air bags | 1 | 0 | 4 | — |
| 2009 | 10 | Air bags | 1 | 0 | 5 | — |
| 2010 | 6 | Air bags | 0 | 0 | 3 | — |
| 2011 | 18 | Air bags | 0 | 0 | 5 | — |
| 2012 | 5 | Electrical system | 0 | 0 | 3 | — |
| 2013 | 3 | Electrical system | 0 | 0 | 4 | — |
| 2015 | 13 | Other | 3 | 0 | 6 | — |
| 2016 | 20 | Suspension | 4 | 0 | 3 | — |
| 2017 | 52 | Brakes | 5 | 1 | 1 | 31,768 |
| 2018 | 23 | Engine | 0 | 5 | 1 | — |
| 2019 | 52 | Engine | 2 | 1 | 1 | — |
| 2020 | 34 | Engine | 9 | 0 | 2 | — |
| 2021 | 105 | Engine | 5 | 0 | 10 | — |
| 2022 | 85 | Engine | 2 | 0 | 4 | — |
Complaints are owner reports to NHTSA, not confirmed defects. Median miles is the odometer reading owners gave when they reported a problem, shown only where 20 or more reports include it.
Cadillac Escalade ESV recalls
NHTSA lists 38 recall campaigns across these model years, most often for air bags (11), transmission and drivetrain (5), electrical system (4). Recall repairs are free at a franchised dealer. Before you sell, check your VIN at nhtsa.gov/recalls; a buyer who plans to resell the car will.
- 2015 model year, air bags (campaign 26V329000, May 2026): General Motors, LLC (GM) is recalling certain 2015 Cadillac Escalade, Escalade ESV, XTS, 2015-2016 Cadillac ATS, CTS, and SRX vehicles. The front-driver air bag inflator may rupture during deployment.
- 2015 model year, transmission and drivetrain (campaign 26V289000, May 2026): General Motors, LLC (GM) is recalling certain 2026 Cadillac Escalade and Escalade ESV, Chevrolet Silverado 1500, Suburban, and Tahoe, and GMC Sierra 1500, Yukon, and Yukon XL vehicles with four-wheel (4WD) or all-wheel d…
- 2022 model year, transmission and drivetrain (campaign 26V085000, Feb 2026): General Motors, LLC (GM) is recalling certain 2022 Chevrolet Tahoe, Chevrolet Suburban, GMC Yukon, GMC Yukon XL, Cadillac Escalade, and Cadillac Escalade ESV vehicles equipped with 10 Speed Transmission with ETRS (Electr…
- 2021 model year, engine and cooling (campaign 25V274000, Apr 2025): 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. …
- 2021 model year, transmission and drivetrain (campaign 24V797000, Oct 2024): 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…
What a Cadillac Escalade ESV is worth as a junk car
Buyers price a junk Escalade ESV on four things: its weight at today's scrap steel price (the floor), the parts still on it that can be resold, whether it starts and drives, and how far they have to tow it. None of those come from a complaint database, so use this page to describe the car accurately and our junk car value guide to work out a ceiling for the metal. Then get more than one offer.
Guides for selling this car
How to sell a car with a blown engine 
How much is my junk car worth? 
How junkyards price cars 
Catalytic converters and junk cars 
How to prepare your car for the junkyard 
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Questions people ask
- What is a junk Cadillac Escalade ESV worth?
- What a yard can recover: the car's weight at the current scrap steel price, plus parts it can resell (the catalytic converter, engine, transmission and wheels if they're good), minus towing and processing. The same Escalade ESV gets different offers from different buyers, so compare at least two. Our value guide shows the public benchmark.
- Will a junkyard buy a Cadillac Escalade ESV that doesn't run?
- Yes. Junkyards and junk car buyers take cars that don't start, and most arrange the tow. Tell them honestly whether it starts, whether the engine and transmission are still in it, and whether the catalytic converter is on; those are what change the price.
- Should I fix an open recall before selling a Cadillac Escalade ESV?
- Recall repairs are free at a franchised dealer for as long as the car exists. If the car is going for scrap, the repair won't change the scrap price. If a buyer might resell it or pull parts, a completed recall can help. Check your VIN at NHTSA's recall lookup first.
- Where do these Cadillac Escalade ESV numbers come from?
- From the complaint and recall data NHTSA publishes for every make and model, counted by model year on 2026-10-12. A complaint is an owner's report, not a confirmed defect, and the count rises with how many of the model were sold.