CadillacEscalade ESV2017Overview/cadillac/escalade-esv/2017/base/
2WD platform

2017 Cadillac Escalade ESV

Factory specifications, fluid capacities, torque values, EPA fuel economy and the federal safety record for the 2017 Escalade ESV.

Body SUVTransmission Automatic 8-spd

The 2017 Cadillac Escalade ESV is a 2WD SUV paired with an 8-speed automatic transmission. This configuration yields an EPA rating of 15/22/17 mpg and requires 8.0 quarts of 0W-20 engine oil. In the context of the model's 2003-2026 history, the 2017 year saw 86 owner complaints—most notably regarding the engine—and two recalls, falling between the 2007 peak of 268 complaints and the 2013 low of two.

Model year202620252024202320222021202020192017

Quick specs

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

Engine oil capacity8.0 qtOEM · verified
Engine oil type0W-20OEM · verified
Lug nut torque140 ft-lbsOEM · 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 94R · 720 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 94R · 720 CCAOEM · verified
Tire sizeP275/55R20OEM · verified
Wheel / rim9.0 inOEM · verified

OE service part numbers OEM · verified

Engine oil filter12731742
Engine air filter23349854
Spark plug12622441
Battery88866124 alt 88864541
Front wiper blades84613732
Serpentine belt12658178 alt 12643517
Thermostat12620318 alt 12674639
Cabin air filter23281440

Diagrams

Power distribution wiring8 sheets

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 8.0 qt of 0W-20 engine oil, Rear: 8.6/ in the differential, DOT 3 brake fluid. Torque lug nuts to 140 ft-lbs, 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 FluidATF
Automatic Transmission Fluid Capacity7.4
Brake FluidDOT 3
Brake FluidDOT 3
Differential Gear OilRear: 8.6/
Engine CoolantDex-Cool
Engine Coolant Capacity17.4
Engine Oil0W-20

Engine torques

Crankshaft Position (CKP) Sensor Bolt(s)18.0 ft-lbs
Camshaft Position (CMP) Sensor Bolt(s)18.0 ft-lbs
Oxygen (O2S) Sensor Bolt(s)31.0 ft-lbs
Knock Sense (KS) Bolt(s)18.0 ft-lbs
Exhaust Manifold to Cylinder Head Bolts17.0 ft-lbs
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
Lug Nuts140 ft-lbs
Steering Track (Rod End) Bolts44.0 ft-lbs
Front Wheel Hub188.0 ft-lbs

Ignition

Cylinder Firing Order1-8-7-2-6-5-4-3
Spark Plug ManufacturerAC Delco
Spark Plug Gap0.037-0.043 in
Spark Plug Torque15.0 ft-lbs

Battery & A/C

Standard BCI Group Number94R
Standard BCI Cranking Performance720 cca

Service checks

Fuel Pump Pressure Minimum46 psi
Fuel Pump Pressure Maximum84 psi
Key ON Engine OFF (KOEO)46-84

Brakes

Minimum Pad Thickness0.080 in
Variation from Parallelism Thickness VariationStamped on rotor
Maximum Rotor Runout0.002

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 2 stages
115.0 ft. lbs.15 ft. lbs
285.0
Crankshaft Pulley and/or Damper Bolts — tightening sequence 3 stages

Prep Install New Bolt: Bolt with flanged head: Step 1: 89.0 ft. lbs.

2360 degrees360 degrees
359.0 ft. lbs.59 ft. lbs
4+ 125 degrees. Bolt with rotating washer: Step 1: 89.0 ft. lbs.125 degrees
2360 degrees360 degrees
359.0 ft. lbs.59 ft. lbs
4+ 200 degrees.200 degrees
Cylinder Head — tightening sequence 3 stages

Prep Do not re-use old bolts.

159.0 ft. lbs.59 ft. lbs
2Internal Hex style head bolts40 degrees
3Except Hex style head bolts60 degrees
Engine Flywheel Bolts — tightening sequence 3 stages
111.0 ft. lbs.11 ft. lbs
222.0 ft. lbs.22 ft. lbs
345.0
Intake Manifold to Engine Bolts — tightening sequence 1 stages
17.4
Main Bearings — tightening sequence 2 stages

Prep Inner bolts

122.0 ft. lbs.22 ft. lbs
2110 degrees; Outer bolts110 degrees
115.0 ft. lbs.15 ft. lbs
280.0 degrees; Side bolts80 degrees
115.0 ft. lbs.15 ft. lbs
260.0 degrees60 degrees

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 miEngine 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 2017 Cadillac Escalade ESV represents a notable inflection point in the generation's reliability trajectory, sitting immediately after the 2015-2016 peak in complaints (103 and 102 respectively) and the elevated recall activity of 2015 (9 recalls). The 2017 model shows meaningful improvement across metrics: complaints fell to 86, recalls dropped to just 2 (the lowest since 2014), investigations ceased entirely (0 versus 1 in the prior two years), and TSBs decreased substantially to 1,549 from 2,516. The top complaint categories—Engine (17), Power Train (11), and Service Brakes (11)—suggest ongoing powertrain and braking concerns, though crash complaints (6) and fire complaints (2) remain relatively low. Compared to 2018-2019, where complaints continue declining to 35 and 32 with only 1-2 recalls, the 2017 sits in a transitional year where early production issues appear addressed but before the model reached its most refined state. This makes the 2017 a strong candidate for purchase—it offers the improved reliability of the post-peak period with the benefit of more comprehensive TSB coverage (1,549 vs. 775-1,217 in subsequent years) while avoiding the elevated complaint volumes of 2015-2016.

2
Open recalls
NHTSA campaigns
1549
Service bulletins
Manufacturer communications
0
ODI investigations
Office of Defects Investigation
86
Owner complaints
6 involved a crash · 2 a fire
NHTSA crash-test rating federal NCAP · out of 5 stars
Overall★★★★
Frontal★★★★★
Side★★★★★
Rollover★★★★★

Owner complaints filed with NHTSA, by component

All 86 complaints on record, top 8 components.

Engine17
Power Train11
Service Brakes11
Unknown Or Other6
Power Train,Vehicle Speed Control,Engine3
Power Train,Engine2
Seats2
Electrical System,Service Brakes,Engine2

Source: NHTSA Office of Defects Investigation complaint database.

Recalls NHTSA · verified

Showing 1 of 1 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…

Technical service bulletins NHTSA · verified

Showing 5 of 1549 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.

Fuse box & wiring diagrams

Interactive fuse-box and wiring references for this vehicle, searchable by circuit.

Reference guides

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

Frequently asked

How much oil does the 2017 Escalade ESV take?

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

Does the 2017 Escalade ESV have open recalls?

NHTSA lists 2 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.