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2002 Cadillac Escalade Ext Recalls & Complaints

1

open safety recall on record

Serious

24 owner complaints filed · Severity Index 1.08 · updated 2026-08-07

The recalls

Serious04V129000

Structure:Body:Tailgate:Hinge And Attachments

ANYONE SITTING OR STANDING ON THE HORIZONTAL SURFACE OF THE TAILGATE WHEN BOTH CABLES FRACTURED COULD BE INJURED BY FALLING FROM THE TAILGATE.

Remedy & full details

DEALERS WILL REPLACE THE CABLES. INTERIM OWNER NOTIFICATION BEGAN ON APRIL 7, 20004. THE RECALL BEGAN ON SEPTEMBER 24, 2004, WHEN REPLACEMENT PARTS WERE AVAILABLE, AND WILL CONTINUE THROUGH OCTOBER 29, 2004. OWNERS SHOULD CONTACT CADILLAC AT 1-866-982-2339, CHEVROLET AT 1-800-630-2438 OR GMC AT 1-866-996-9463, OR VISIT WWW.MYGMLINK.COM, AND ENTER YOUR VEHICLE IDENTIFICATION NUMBER.

ON CERTAIN PICKUP TRUCKS AND SPORT UTILITY VEHICLES, THE GALVANIZED STEEL TAILGATE SUPPORT CABLES THAT RETAIN THE TAILGATE IN THE FULL OPEN (HORIZONTAL) POSITION MAY CORRODE, WEAKEN, AND EVENTUALLY FRACTURE. IF BOTH CABLES FRACTURED, THE TAILGATE WOULD SUDDENLY DROP AND STRIKE THE TOP SURFACE OF THE REAR BUMPER.

Complaint volume

24 this model-year 8 median, same year

Volume alone is not a fault rate — popular vehicles attract more reports. Read it next to the severity mix below.

What owners reported happened

1Crashes
0Fires
6Injuries
0Deaths

Across 24 complaints. Severity Index 1.08.

Severity Index weights each complaint's reported outcome (death ×10, injury ×4, fire ×3, crash ×2) and divides by total complaints. It measures how severe reports are, not how often faults occur.

What owners report most

Service Brakes4 · 17%Engine3 · 13%Tires2 · 8%Service Brakes, Hydraulic…2 · 8%Service Brakes, Hydraulic2 · 8%Structure · Body · Tailga…1 · 4%Steering · Electric Power…1 · 4%Engine And Engine Cooling…1 · 4%
  1. Service Brakes — 4 reports
  2. Engine — 3 reports
  3. Tires — 2 reports
  4. Service Brakes, Hydraulic:Antilock/Traction Control/Electronic Limited Slip — 2 reports
  5. Service Brakes, Hydraulic — 2 reports
  6. Structure:Body:Tailgate:Hinge And Attachments — 1 reports
  7. Steering:Electric Power Assist System — 1 reports
  8. Engine And Engine Cooling:Cooling System — 1 reports
  9. Electronic Stability Control:Automatic (Asc) — 1 reports
  10. Electrical System:Ignition:Switch — 1 reports

What to do

  1. Find your 17-character VIN on the driver's door jamb or the base of the windscreen.
  2. Check it against NHTSA's official lookup at nhtsa.gov/recalls — the authoritative record for your exact car.
  3. Book the repair with any franchised dealer. Safety recall work is free, with no time limit and regardless of who owns the car now.

Other model years

2002 · 2003 (2) · 2004 (2) · 2005 (1) · 2007 (5) · 2008 (4) · 2009 (5) · 2010 (3) · 2011 (4) · 2012 (3) · 2013 (3)

Numbers in brackets are open recall campaigns for that year.

Questions

Does an open recall mean the car is unsafe to drive?

Not usually. NHTSA issues a "do not drive" or "park outside" advisory when a defect is dangerous enough to keep you out of the car — those are flagged Critical above. Everything else should be repaired promptly but is not an immediate stop-driving order.

Do I pay for recall repairs?

No. Federal law requires the manufacturer to fix a safety recall free of charge, including parts and labour, whether or not you are the original owner.

Why are there complaints but no recalls?

Complaints are unverified reports filed by owners. They can prompt an investigation, but many never become recalls — either the fault isn't safety-related or it isn't widespread.

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