CadillacEscalade ESV2016Overview/cadillac/escalade-esv/2016/base/
4WD platform

2016 Cadillac Escalade ESV

Factory specifications, fluid capacities, torque values, EPA fuel economy and the federal safety record for the 2016 Escalade ESV.

Body SUVTransmission Automatic 8-spd

The 2016 Cadillac Escalade ESV is a 4WD SUV equipped with an 8-speed automatic transmission, an EPA rating of 15/22/17 mpg, and a requirement of 8.5 quarts of 0W-20 engine oil. Within the model's 2003-2026 history, this year recorded 102 owner complaints and four recalls, with the engine serving as the top complaint area. This volume of issues places the 2016 model between the 2007 peak of 268 complaints and the 2013 low of two.

Model year202620252024202320222021202020192016

Quick specs

Fluid capacities, tune-up values and fuel economy at a glance.

Engine oil capacity8.5 qtOEM · verified
Engine oil type0W-20OEM · verified
EPA fuel economy15/22/17 mpgEPA · verified

Fitment & sizes

Replacement part sizes and factory part numbers — battery, bulbs, filters and belts.

From the factory this vehicle uses a BCI 48 · 660 CCA battery, OE oil filter 12731742. Each part links to every other vehicle that shares it, so a part you already stock may fit more of your fleet than you'd expect.

Battery groupBCI 48 · 660 CCAOEM · verified
Tire sizeP275/55R20OEM · verified
Wheel / rim9.0 inOEM · verified

OE service part numbers OEM · verified

Engine oil filter12731742
Engine air filter22845992
Spark plug12622441
Battery88866309 alt 88864542
Front wiper blades84613732
Serpentine belt12643517 alt 12658178
Thermostat12620318 alt 12674639
Cabin air filter23281440

Full specifications

Engine, drivetrain, dimensions and economy.

Engine & drivetrain NHTSA vPIC

TransmissionAutomatic 8-spd

Dimensions & weight NHTSA vPIC

Overall length224.4 in
Overall width80.3 in
Overall height74.4 in
Wheelbase129.9 in
Curb weight6041 lb
Track (front / rear)68.9 / 68.5 in
Weight distribution (front / rear)51/49

Ratings & economy EPA / vPIC

EPA city / highway / combined15 / 22 / 17 mpg
DrivetrainRear-Wheel Drive
Recommended fuelRegular Gasoline

Service quick specs OEM factory data

Capacities, torques and tune-up values from the factory service manual.

This engine holds 8.5 qt of 0W-20 engine oil, Synthetic · 75W-90 · GL-5 · 75W-85 in the differential, DOT 3 brake fluid. Torque the oil drain plug to 18.0 ft-lbs. The firing order is 1-8-7-2-6-5-4-3. Note the cylinder-head bolts finish on a torque angle (torque-to-yield) — they stretch permanently and should be replaced, not reused, during any head service.

Lubricants & capacities

Automatic Transmission FluidDOT 3
Brake FluidDOT 3
Differential Gear OilSynthetic · 75W-90 · GL-5 · 75W-85
Differential Gear Oil Capacity2.5-3.6
Engine CoolantDex Cool
Engine Coolant Capacity17.4 qt
Engine Oil0W-20
Engine Oil Capacity8.5 qt

Engine torques

Exhaust Manifold to Cylinder Head Bolts17
Engine Oil Pan Drain Plug18.0 ft-lbs
Oil Pump to Cylinder BLock Bolts/Studs18.0 ft-lbs
Engine Valve Cover Bolts8.85 ft-lbs

Chassis torques

Driveshaft Flange to Transmission18.0 ft-lbs
Steering Track (Rod End) Bolts44.0 ft-lbs
Front Wheel HubInstall a new nut and torque to 188.0 ft-lbs

Ignition

Cylinder Firing Order1-8-7-2-6-5-4-3
Spark Plug ManufacturerAC Delco
Spark Plug Gap.037 - .043 in
Spark Plug Torque15 ft-lbs

Battery & A/C

Standard BCI Group Number48
Standard BCI Cranking Performance660 cca
Optional BCI Group Number48
Optional BCI Cranking Performance730 cca

Service checks

Pressure Test15 psi
Radiator Cap Pressure Relief15 psi
Thermostat Opening Temperature188-206 °F
Key ON Engine OFF (KOEO)55-76
Engine Compression100 min psi

Brakes

Brake Caliper Bolt to Carrier TorqueFront: 77; Rear: 40 /; Front: 74; Rear: 38
Brake Caliper Carrier to Hub Bolt TorqueFront: 169; Rear: 150 /; Front: 170; Rear: 148
ABS Sensor Torque7.5 / NS
Minimum Pad ThicknessFront: 0.080; Rear: 0.080 in
Variation from Parallelism Thickness VariationJD9: .0007; J95: .001
Maximum Rotor Runout.002

Multi-step torque procedures OEM · verified

Camshaft Sprocket and/or Gear Bolt(s) — tightening sequence 1 stages
148.0 ft. lbs., Step 2: 9048 ft. lbs
Connecting Rod (Large End) Bearings — tightening sequence 1 stages
115.0 ft. lbs, Step 2: 8515 ft. lbs
Cylinder Head — tightening sequence 3 stages

Prep Do not reuse bolts. · Bolts 1-10

122.0 ft. lbs.22 ft. lbs
290 degrees90 degrees
370 degrees; Bolts 11-1570 degrees
122.0 ft. lbs22 ft. lbs

Factory maintenance schedule OEM · verified

Normal service, condensed from the factory interval matrix.

Under the factory schedule, replace the engine oil and filter every 7,500 mi; spark plugs every 97,500 mi; coolant at 150,000 mi. The big-interval services (at 150,000 mi for coolant, and the transmission fluid) are the ones owners most often skip — on a lower-mileage example, assume the original fluids are still in it and check them first.

Every 7,500 miAccelerator Pedal (inspect) · Body Latches, Locks & Hinges (lubricate) · Brake Shift Interlock Solenoid (inspect) · Brake System (inspect) · Engine Oil (inspect fluid level) · Engine Oil Life Monitor (inspect)
Every 22,500 miCabin Air Filter (replace)
Every 45,000 miBrake Hydraulic System (drain, refill & bleed) · Engine Air Filter Element (replace) · Fuel Evaporative Emission Control System (inspect)
Every 97,500 miSpark Plug Wires (inspect) · Spark Plugs (replace) · Transfer Case Assembly (drain & refill)
At 150,000 miAccessory Drive Belt (inspect) · Engine Coolant System (drain, flush & refill)

Reliability & federal safety record

Owner-reported issues, recalls, investigations and service bulletins on record with NHTSA — an unfiltered look at what owners actually experience.

The 2016 Escalade ESV sits at the tail end of a significant complaint spike that began in 2015, with 102 complaints matching the prior year's 103, though with substantially fewer recalls (4 versus 9). This represents a stark departure from the relatively trouble-free 2013–2014 period, which recorded only 2 and 0 complaints respectively. The 2016 model's top complaint areas—Engine (20) and Power Train (12)—indicate serious drivetrain concerns, while the 4 crash-related complaints and 3 fire-related complaints add further weight to these issues. By 2017, complaints dropped to 86 and recalls fell to 2, suggesting the worst issues were concentrated in the 2015–2016 window. Given that 2016 bears the complaint burden of the spike without the extensive recall coverage that followed, it represents a less favorable purchase window within this generation compared to the cleaner 2013–2014 models or the improved 2017–2018 examples.

4
Open recalls
NHTSA campaigns
1823
Service bulletins
Manufacturer communications
1
ODI investigations
Office of Defects Investigation
102
Owner complaints
4 involved a crash · 3 a fire
NHTSA crash-test rating federal NCAP · out of 5 stars
Side★★★★★
Rollover★★★★★

Owner complaints filed with NHTSA, by component

All 102 complaints on record, top 8 components.

Engine20
Power Train12
Unknown Or Other10
Electrical System7
Suspension6
Air Bags5
Steering3
Service Brakes3

Source: NHTSA Office of Defects Investigation complaint database.

Recalls NHTSA · verified

Showing 2 of 3 campaigns on record for this vehicle.

16V651000Air Bags:FrontalReported 08/09/2016

General Motors LLC (GM) is recalling certain model year 2015-2017 Chevrolet Silverado 2500 HD, 3500 HD, Tahoe, Suburban, GMC Sierra 2500 HD and 3500 HD, GMC Yukon, GMC Yukon XL, Cadillac Escalade and Cadillac Escalade… Remedy: GM will notify owners, and dealers will reflash the SDM software. Vehicles that have had a previous air bag deployment will have the SDM replaced. These repairs will be performed…

17V437000Air Bags:FrontalReported 10/07/2017

General Motors LLC (GM) is recalling certain model year 2014-2016 Buick Lacrosse and Chevrolet Spark EV, Caprice PPV and SS vehicles, 2014-2017 Buick Encore and Chevrolet Corvette, Silverado 1500 and GMC Sierra 1500… Remedy: GM will notify owners, and dealers will reflash the SDM software. Vehicles that have had a previous air bag deployment will have the SDM replaced. These repairs will be performed…

Technical service bulletins NHTSA · verified

Showing 5 of 1823 bulletins on record with NHTSA.

BulletinDateComponentSummary
PIT3271Q2026-04-01Unknown Or OtherThis preliminary information communicates information about how to determine if a wheel…
PIP61042026-03-09Unknown Or OtherThis Preliminary information communicates the steps on how to save a GDS2 Session Log and…
PIP4902V2026-03-09Unknown Or OtherThis preliminary information advises a dealer on how to email GDS2 session logs into…
PIT64832026-02-04Unknown Or OtherThis preliminary information communicates an issue with aftermarket LED headlights…
PIT6400A2026-01-16Unknown Or OtherThis PI Communications information on an alternative product dealers can use to perform…

Common OBD-II trouble codes

The most common OBD-II codes for this vehicle's emissions system. These are standardized SAE J2012 definitions, not vehicle-specific fault reports.

P0420
Catalyst system efficiency below threshold — Bank 1
P0300
Random / multiple cylinder misfire detected
P0171
System too lean — Bank 1
P0455
Evaporative emission system leak detected — large leak
P0128
Coolant thermostat below regulating temperature
P0442
Evaporative emission system leak detected — small leak

VIN tools

Decode factory build data for a specific vehicle by VIN.

VIN
Decode a VIN to confirm the transmission and build data for a specific Escalade ESV. OEM
Build data
Plant, GVWR class, engine and body data for any 17-character VIN.
Recalls
Check open recall campaigns against a specific vehicle by VIN.

Vehicles with shared specs

Find every vehicle that shares this one's battery, bulbs, oil capacity, platform or parts.

Reference guides

Cross-vehicle references for the kinds of data on this page.

Frequently asked

How much oil does the 2016 Escalade ESV take?

8.5 qt of 0W-20 meeting GM specification Dexos 1 or equivalent., per the factory manual.

Does the 2016 Escalade ESV have open recalls?

NHTSA lists 4 recall campaign(s) for this model year. Check your specific vehicle by VIN.

What gas mileage does the Escalade ESV get?

EPA figures are 15 city / 22 highway / 17 combined mpg.