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2003 Cadillac Escalade
The 2003 Cadillac Escalade appears in 4 NHTSA recall campaigns (seat belts, service brakes, hydraulic and structure) and in 71 consumer complaints filed with the agency.
The component named most often is electrical system: 255.1 of every 1,000 component mentions for this year, above the 123.7 per 1,000 across all 2003 model-year vehicles and against 130.8 per 1,000 for the Cadillac Escalade line as a whole.
That is more than the average of 30.6 complaints per model year across the 27 Cadillac Escalade model years on this register; 3 complaints reported a crash and 4 a fire.
Complaints were received in the largest number in 2004 (13); the most recent in the file is dated 15 Mar 2019.
NHTSA's Office of Defects Investigation has opened 1 investigation naming this model year.
Complaints are consumer reports and have not been verified by NHTSA. Recall text is the manufacturer's Part 573 report as filed with NHTSA. Complaint file through 15 May 2019; recall file through 29 Sep 2026.
Recalls by model year:
Recall campaigns
Defect, as filed: 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, as recommended for small children, does improve the fit condition for this user group. In addition to instructions on proper infant and young child restraint (with child seats or boosters), special verbiage for restraining older child is included in the owner's manual. Also, the suggested seat belt fit/routing for adults, irrespective of seating position, is described in the owner's manual text.
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 1-800-732-5493.
Filed by GENERAL MOTORS CORP. (manufacturer campaign 05037).
Defect, as filed: Certain sport utility vehicles, pickup trucks, and passenger vans fail to comply with the requirements of federal motor vehicle safety standard no. 135, ?passenger car brake systems.? Some of these vehicles were produced with an out-of-specification brake hydro-boost housing relief valve bore.
Consequence: Consequently, the valve o-ring seal may fracture. Steering efforts may be slightly increased while braking or parking. Under certain driving conditions, a fractured seal may require a slight increase in the applied brake pedal effort to achieve the same vehicle deceleration rate as prior to the seat fracture.
Remedy: Dealers are to replace the hydro-boost relief valve. The recall began on june 18, 2004. Owners should contact cadillac at 1-866-982-2339; chevrolet at 1-800-630-2438; GMC at 1-866-996-9463; or hummer at 1-866-486-6376.
Filed by GENERAL MOTORS CORP. (manufacturer campaign 04004).
Defect, as filed: Certain sport utility vehicles fail to comply with requirements of federal motor vehicle safety standard no. 214, "side impact protection." these vehicles are built with four welds on the rear door upper hinge. On some of these vehicles, one or two of the welds may not be to specification.
Consequence: As a result, the door strength may be degraded during a side impact vehicle crash.
Remedy: Dealers will inspect the welds on the left rear door upper hinge. If a weld is found out-of-specification, a bolt will be installed to secure the hinge. Owner notification began february 17, 2003. Owners who take their vehicles to an authorized dealer on an agreed upon service date and do not receive the free remedy within a reasonable time should contact cadillac at 1-800-458-8006, chevrolet at 1-800-222-1020, or GMC at 1-800-462-8782.
Filed by GENERAL MOTORS CORP. (manufacturer campaign 03004).
Defect, as filed: Certain all-wheel drive sport utility vehicles were built without a power steering bracket to secure the positive battery cable, allowing the cable to come in contact with the steering shaft.
Consequence: This contact could cause a wear-through of the cable insulation, exposing the wire core and result in intermittent electrical shorting. If enough current is discharged at the point of contact, an engine compartment fire could occur.
Remedy: Dealers will inspect the positive battery cable routing and re-route, if necessary. No owner notification will take place since all vehicles were captured at the dealers.
Filed by GENERAL MOTORS CORP. (manufacturer campaign 02036).
Each entry links to the NHTSA record. NHTSA states that safety recall repairs are free of charge at an authorised dealer; check a specific vehicle by VIN at nhtsa.gov/recalls.
Complaints by component
Component mentions per 1,000 for the 2003 Cadillac Escalade (black) against all 2003 model-year vehicles in the file (yellow). A complaint can name more than one component.
| Per 1,000 component mentions | 2003 | Escalade line | All 2003 vehicles |
|---|---|---|---|
| Electrical System | 255.1 | 130.8 | 123.7 |
| Service Brakes, Hydraulic | 112.2 | 62.3 | 58.7 |
| Steering | 61.2 | 37.4 | 47.3 |
| Service Brakes | 61.2 | 47.2 | 30.5 |
| Electronic Stability Control (ESC) | 51 | 27.6 | 7.4 |
| Engine and Engine Cooling | 40.8 | 28.5 | 77.7 |
| Component | Mentions | Per 1,000 | Line | All 2003 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Electrical System | 25 | 255.1 | 130.8 | 123.7 |
| Service Brakes, Hydraulic | 11 | 112.2 | 62.3 | 58.7 |
| Steering | 6 | 61.2 | 37.4 | 47.3 |
| Service Brakes | 6 | 61.2 | 47.2 | 30.5 |
| Electronic Stability Control (ESC) | 5 | 51 | 27.6 | 7.4 |
| Engine and Engine Cooling | 4 | 40.8 | 28.5 | 77.7 |
| Engine | 4 | 40.8 | 48 | 27.3 |
| Structure | 3 | 30.6 | 42.7 | 62 |
| Electronic Stability Control | 3 | 30.6 | 8 | 0.7 |
| Seats | 3 | 30.6 | 38.3 | 13.9 |
| Wheels | 3 | 30.6 | 18.7 | 10.8 |
| Fuel System, Gasoline | 3 | 30.6 | 18.7 | 36.5 |
| Fuel/Propulsion System | 3 | 30.6 | 22.2 | 14.3 |
| Equipment | 2 | 20.4 | 15.1 | 21.5 |
| Power Train | 2 | 20.4 | 52.5 | 121 |
| Unknown or Other | 2 | 20.4 | 40 | 20.2 |
| Visibility | 2 | 20.4 | 17.8 | 40.1 |
| Vehicle Speed Control | 2 | 20.4 | 28.5 | 42 |
| Air Bags | 2 | 20.4 | 185.9 | 82.2 |
| Tires | 1 | 10.2 | 18.7 | 20.4 |
| Suspension | 1 | 10.2 | 32 | 57.2 |
| Child Seat | 1 | 10.2 | 0.9 | 1 |
| Traction Control System | 1 | 10.2 | 4.4 | 2.4 |
| Latches/Locks/Linkages | 1 | 10.2 | 10.7 | 12.6 |
| Seat Belts | 1 | 10.2 | 11.6 | 12.9 |
| Parking Brake | 1 | 10.2 | 6.2 | 3.1 |
71 unique complaints, 98 component mentions; 4 injuries and 0 deaths reported by complainants. Complaint narratives are not republished.
Complaints by year received
Investigations
| Action | Type | Subject | Component | Opened | Closed | Recall |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| EA11001 | Engineering analysis | Brake line corrosion failure | service brakes, hydraulic:foundation components:hoses, lines/piping, and fittings | 5 Jan 2011 | 8 Apr 2015 | — |
Other Cadillac Escalade model years
| Model year | Recalls | Complaints | Units in campaigns |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1999 | 2 | 39 | 283,432 |
| 2000 | 1 | 69 | 4,300 |
| 2001 NHTSA | 0 | 3 | — |
| 2002 | 1 | 107 | 558,904 |
| 2003 | 4 | 71 | 1,429,455 |
| 2004 | 2 | 58 | 1,428,699 |
| 2005 | 2 | 31 | 1,367,018 |
| 2006 | 2 | 19 | 155,660 |
| 2007 | 4 | 156 | 5,421,100 |
| 2008 | 4 | 91 | 5,421,100 |
| 2009 | 5 | 39 | 5,283,079 |
| 2010 | 3 | 24 | 5,111,926 |
| 2011 | 6 | 30 | 4,536,159 |
| 2012 | 3 | 11 | 2,146,965 |
| 2013 | 4 | 7 | 2,631,647 |
| 2014 | 2 | 7 | 1,884,435 |
| 2015 | 9 | 33 | 8,487,659 |
| 2016 | 4 | 21 | 7,141,302 |
| 2017 | 2 | 9 | 7,096,881 |
| 2018 NHTSA | 1 | 2 | 14,620 |
| 2020 | 2 | 0 | 34,340 |
| 2021 | 9 | 0 | 2,280,759 |
| 2022 | 4 | 0 | 1,865,577 |
| 2023 | 4 | 0 | 1,787,539 |
| 2024 | 2 | 0 | 1,047,242 |
| 2025 NHTSA | 1 | 0 | 2,457 |
| 2026 | 3 | 0 | 8,384 |
Model years with a single campaign and fewer than 25 complaints have no page here; the NHTSA link opens the agency's record for that year.
All Cadillac Escalade model years · Cadillac: 36 model lines
Questions and answers
How many recalls does the 2003 Cadillac Escalade have?
4 NHTSA recall campaigns name this model year; the most recent, 05V163000, was reported to NHTSA on 22 Apr 2005 and concerns seat belts:rear/other. Across all model years the Cadillac Escalade line has 52 campaigns.
Is there an open NHTSA investigation into the 2003 Cadillac Escalade?
NHTSA's investigation file lists 1 action naming this model year; the table above shows each action's opening and closing dates. An action with no closing date was still open when the file was produced.
What component do owners of the 2003 Cadillac Escalade complain about most?
Electrical System: 25 of 98 component mentions (255.1 per 1,000). Next is service brakes, hydraulic with 11. Complaints are consumer reports and have not been verified by NHTSA.
How do I get a recall repaired?
NHTSA states that safety recall repairs are performed free of charge by the manufacturer's authorised dealers. Each campaign's remedy text above is the manufacturer's statement as filed with NHTSA. Check your VIN at nhtsa.gov/recalls to see whether a specific vehicle has an unrepaired recall.
Where does this data come from?
NHTSA's Office of Defects Investigation recall, complaint and investigation flat files, public domain, downloaded 29 Sep 2026. Complaint counts are unique complaint numbers per make, model and model year; component figures count each component a complaint names. The NHTSA record linked from each campaign is authoritative.
Provenance
Source: National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, Office of Defects Investigation flat files (recalls, complaints, investigations), public domain, files dated 29 Sep 2026 (recalls) and 15 May 2019 (complaints). Complaints since 1 Jan 1995. Counts are unique complaint numbers per make, model and model year; per-1,000 rates divide a component's mentions by all mentions for the same group. Errors in processing are corrected at the next daily build; see corrections and the methodology.