Luckily no one was in front of me, and I wasn't going fast or it could have been extremely bad especially having my son with me. My brakes literally quit working. I have a 2018 platinum escalade. Always been serviced to date. I called on star and now waiting on a roll back to take to the dealership. I was pulling into a gas station with my son and felt like I couldn't stop but thought maybe…
2018 Cadillac Escalade brakes problems
moderate 3 complaints filed with NHTSA · avg repair $450 · see brakes across all vehicles →
Complaints
3
Recalls
0
Avg fix
$450
When does it fail?
Of the 3 brakes complaints filed for the 2018 Cadillac Escalade, here's the actual mileage breakdown — failures cluster heaviest at 25,000-50,000 mi.
0-25k
25-50k
50-75k
75-100k
100-125k
125-150k
150k+
Each bar shows the share of total complaints filed at that mileage range. Peak failure window highlighted. Some owners report problems earlier; some make it well past 150,000 miles symptom-free. Maintenance habits and driving conditions shift the curve as much as mileage alone.
What stands out
No new NHTSA brakes complaint has been filed on this vehicle in over 6 years — the issue may be aging out of the active population.
What owners are reporting 3 most recent
I was pulling forward in a parking garage and it nearly pinned a pedestrian into a parked car. The brakes didn't respond as normal. I had to put most of my weight on the pedal to bring the car to a stop. It was really scary. I took it to the dealer and they said it is a known issue covered under warranty and has to do with a vacuum pump used in the electronic brake system. I thought this was…
I noticed my brakes started squeaking when I would push the braking pedal. One day, I was pulling up to a bank, drive-through, applying pressure to the brakes, and I had stopped. I let off the break to pull up a little farther, but when reapplying the break, the pedal went all the way to the floor and there was a warning light saying something about servicing the brakes. I immediately picked up…
Had brakes trouble with your 2018 Cadillac Escalade?
File a complaint with NHTSA → It's free, official, and how every report above got here — owner filings are the federal safety record this page is built on.
Common questions
How serious is the brakes problem on the 2018 Cadillac Escalade?
It's a documented issue but not catastrophic. 3 complaints have been filed. Repairs average $450 and most owners catch it before it causes a breakdown.
At what mileage does the brakes typically fail?
Based on the 3 complaints filed, brakes issues most often appear around 48,942 miles. Some report problems earlier; some make it well past 150,000 with no symptoms. Maintenance habits matter — vehicles that received timely fluid services and were not regularly overworked tend to last longer.
What does it cost to fix?
Independent shops typically charge around $450 for brakes repairs on this vehicle. Dealer pricing tends to run 20-40% higher. The exact figure depends on the specific failure mode, parts availability, and your local labor rates. If you're outside factory warranty, an extended service contract often covers this category.
Are there any recalls related to brakes?
No active recalls currently cover brakes issues on this vehicle. The complaints filed represent owner-reported failures that haven't risen to the level of a manufacturer-issued recall — but they're still worth knowing about before you buy or budget for repairs.
Related
Complaint and recall data sourced from the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA)
public records database. Verify the raw federal record at
nhtsa.gov/vehicle/2018/Cadillac/Escalade.
Severity ratings are derived from reported crashes, fires, injuries, and fatalities. Repair cost estimates are
independent-shop national averages and may differ in your area. Some links on this page are affiliate links.