The 2005 Cadillac Escalade has 2 NHTSA recall campaigns affecting an estimated 1,367,018 vehicles. Recall repairs are always free at any authorized dealer. Owners have filed 63 complaints with NHTSA, most often about the electrical system. Last updated July 5, 2026.
Recall campaigns
SEAT BELTS05V1630002005-04-221,359,824 affected
Defect
ON CERTAIN CREW CAB PICKUP TRUCKS AND SPORT UTILITY VEHICLES, THE 2ND ROW CENTER OCCUPANT SEAT BELT ROUTING MAY MAKE IT DIFFICULT TO POSITION THE LAP PORTION OF THE SAFETY BELT LOW AROUND THE HIPS OF OCCUPANTS, ESPECIALLY SMALLER OCCUPANTS, SEATED IN THIS POSITION. APPROPRIATE USE OF A CHILD SEAT OR BOOSTER SEAT,…
Consequence
A LAP PORTION OF THE SEAT BELT ROUTING THAT IS NOT LOW AND SNUG ON THE HIPS CAN ALLOW THE LAP BELT TO RIDE UP ON AN OCCUPANT'S ABDOMEN INSTEAD OF FITTING LOW AROUND THEIR HIPBONES, AND THEREFORE, CAN EXPOSE THEM TO MORE RISK OF ABDOMINAL AND INTERNAL ORGAN INJURY.
Remedy
DEALERS WILL CUT OPEN THE GUIDE LOOP, REMOVE A PORTION OF THE LOOP, AND THEN THE REMAINING TWO SIDES SHOULD BE FOLDED OVER AND SECURED WITH A RETAINER FREE OF CHARGE. THE RECALL BEGAN ON JULY 21, 2005. OWNERS MAY CONTACT CADILLAC AT 1-866-982-2339, CHEVROLET AT 1-800-630-2438, GMC AT 1-866-996-9463, OR HUMMER AT…
POWER TRAIN05V0550002005-02-147,194 affected
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…
Consequence
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.
Complaints by component
ELECTRICAL SYSTEM
10
1fires
AIR BAGS
8
1crashes1injuries
SERVICE BRAKES
7
1crashes1fires
FUEL/PROPULSION SYSTEM
6
1crashes
POWER TRAIN
6
ENGINE
5
EXTERIOR LIGHTING
2
FUEL SYSTEM, GASOLINE
2
AIR BAGS:FRONTAL
1
1crashes2injuries
ELECTRICAL SYSTEM: INSTRUMENT CLUSTER/PANEL
1
Total complaints63
What owners report
Verbatim reports filed with NHTSA, lightly edited for readability and with personal
information removed.
“Brake/abs system locked up on me and I couldn’t stop. I accidentally hit someone from behind and was proven to be an accident. My traction light my abs light and my brake light all came on at the same time right before I wrecked. The suv swerves over to the other lane randomly while on the…”
“Brake/abs system locked up on me and I couldn’t stop. I accidentally hit someone from behind and was proven to be an accident. My traction light my abs light and my brake light all came on at the same time right before I wrecked. The suv swerves over to the other lane randomly while on the…”
“While driving down the road under any condition the brakes start to apply themselves ultimately leading the vehicle to not being able to pull itself. The more throttle you give it the more the brakes apply. I believe this is the same as the 2002-2004 chevy hydro boost recall. Also around the same…”
“While driving down the road under any condition the brakes start to apply themselves ultimately leading the vehicle to not being able to pull itself. The more throttle you give it the more the brakes apply. I believe this is the same as the 2002-2004 chevy hydro boost recall. Also around the same…”
“The contact owns a 2005 cadillac escalade. The contact stated while driving 62 mph, he heard an abnormal sound coming from the sunroof. The contact stated while attempting to exit the highway, the sunroof detached from the vehicle and hit the road. The contact drove to nearby auto glass repair…”
“The contact owns a 2005 cadillac escalade. The contact stated while driving 62 mph, he heard an abnormal sound coming from the sunroof. The contact stated while attempting to exit the highway, the sunroof detached from the vehicle and hit the road. The contact drove to nearby auto glass repair…”
“The contact owns a 2005 cadillac escalade. The contact stated while refueling, the gasoline was spilling out of the filler neck. No warning light was illuminated. The vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired by an independent mechanic or the dealer. The manufacturer was not made aware of the failure.…”
“Speedometer quit working on the instrument cluster. Only around 55,000 miles on vehicle. You can drive it awhile and then it quits working. Let it sit for a few minutes and it will work again for a little while and quit again. No other gauges are affected yet. Lamp assembly is fading from the…”
Recall, complaint, and investigation records from official NHTSA datasets (FLAT_RCL,
FLAT_CMPL, FLAT_INV), synced weekly. Counts reflect NHTSA records for the 2005 Cadillac Escalade as of
July 5, 2026. Complaint narratives are consumer-submitted and unverified. This page
contains ads and affiliate links. Full methodology.