Cadillac Escalade vs Infiniti Qx80

Head-to-head reliability comparison from 2,359real NHTSA consumer complaints. Year-by-year breakdown, shared problems, crash & fire rates.

Infiniti Qx80 wins·02(2 tied)

Which is more reliable, Cadillac Escalade or Infiniti Qx80?

Verdict from 2,359 NHTSA complaints

Infiniti Qx80 wins this comparison overall. Infiniti Qx80 comes out ahead on 2 of 4 reliability metrics — including a 406% lower complaint rate.

Head-to-Head Metrics

Lower is better on every metric. Bar length = relative magnitude. ✓ = winner.

Complaints per 1K vehiclesLower is better
Cadillac Escalade37.1/1K
Infiniti Qx807.3/1K

Infiniti Qx80 wins by 406%

Crash-involvement rateLower is better
Cadillac Escalade6.0%
Infiniti Qx803.5%

Infiniti Qx80 wins by 71%

Fire-involvement rateLower is better
Cadillac Escalade3.60%
Infiniti Qx800.00%

Within 5% — statistical tie

Overall severity scoreLower is better
Cadillac Escalade100.7
Infiniti Qx80102.2

Within 5% — statistical tie

Total complaints
Escalade2,186
Qx80173
US units sold
Escalade615,667
Qx80
Injuries
Escalade173
Qx805
Fatalities
Escalade30
Qx80

NHTSA Crash Test Ratings

Official NCAP star ratings — government crash test data. Most recent rated model year.

Top Safety Pick

Cadillac Escalade

2026 model year
OverallEXCELLENT
5 / 5
Frontal — Driver
Frontal — Passenger
Side — Driver
Side — Passenger
Side Pole
Rollover

Infiniti Qx80

2026 model year
OverallNot rated
Not rated
Frontal — Driver
Frontal — Passenger
Side — Driver
Side — Passenger
Side Pole
Rollover

Source: NHTSA New Car Assessment Program (NCAP). Lower star = higher injury risk in that crash type.

Complaint Volume — Year by Year

Sales-volume data not available for both models — showing raw complaint counts. Higher-volume models will appear higher even when reliability is comparable.

Cadillac Escalade
Infiniti Qx80

Most Reported Problems

Top component complaints for each model. Identical bar lengths = both have the same recurring issue.

Cadillac Escalade
Infiniti Qx80
Engine Problems37919Airbags31716Electrical Faults22623Transmission / Drivetrain1376Brakes9513Fuel System6513

Year-by-Year Head-to-Head

Lower is better. Click either model column to see that year's full breakdown.

YearCadillac EscaladeInfiniti Qx80Better
20142923Qx80
201514028Qx80
201611918Qx80
20177430Qx80
20182711Qx80
20192524tie
20201410Qx80
2021799Qx80
2022913Qx80
20231594Qx80
20251712Qx80

Frequently Asked Questions

Cadillac Escalade vs Infiniti Qx80 — the most common buyer questions, answered from NHTSA data.

Which is more reliable, the Cadillac Escalade or the Infiniti Qx80?

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Infiniti Qx80 wins this comparison overall. Infiniti Qx80 comes out ahead on 2 of 4 reliability metrics — including a 406% lower complaint rate. Source: NHTSA Office of Defects Investigation via VinItel.

Should I buy a Cadillac Escalade or a Infiniti Qx80?

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On reliability data alone, the Infiniti Qx80 is the safer bet — but the actual condition of the specific car matters far more than the model average. Check the VIN of any vehicle you're considering for accident history, title issues, and odometer rollbacks.

What problems do the Cadillac Escalade and Infiniti Qx80 share?

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Top complaints for the Cadillac Escalade: Engine Problems, Airbags, Electrical Faults. Top complaints for the Infiniti Qx80: Electrical Faults, Engine Problems, Airbags. Source: NHTSA via VinItel.

Which has fewer NHTSA complaints, the Cadillac Escalade or the Infiniti Qx80?

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Across all model years, the Cadillac Escalade has 2,186 NHTSA complaints and the Infiniti Qx80 has 173. Normalized for sales volume (complaints per 10,000 vehicles sold), the Infiniti Qx80 has the lower complaint rate. Raw counts can mislead — a 2× more popular model will naturally collect 2× more complaints. Detailed normalized comparison: vinitel.com/stats/nhtsa-complaints/compare/cadillac/escalade/vs/infiniti/qx80

Which is safer in a crash, the Cadillac Escalade or the Infiniti Qx80?

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Crash-involvement rate from NHTSA complaints: Cadillac Escalade 6.0% vs Infiniti Qx80 3.5% — the Infiniti Qx80 has the lower crash rate. NHTSA NCAP star ratings (frontal, side, rollover) for both models are also shown on the comparison page. Note: the per-VIN history matters more than the model average — a salvage-title car of any model carries higher crash exposure than the median.

Does the Cadillac Escalade or the Infiniti Qx80 have more fires?

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Fire-involvement rate based on NHTSA complaints: Cadillac Escalade 3.60% vs Infiniti Qx80 0.00%. The Infiniti Qx80 has the lower reported fire rate. Fire complaints are a relatively rare but important safety signal — they often correlate with electrical-system or fuel-system defects. Check specific recall campaigns at vinitel.com/stats/nhtsa-complaints/cadillac/escalade and vinitel.com/stats/nhtsa-complaints/infiniti/qx80

What years of the Cadillac Escalade are worse than the Infiniti Qx80?

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The comparison page renders a year-by-year head-to-head table — for each model year (where both models have data), it shows complaint count or per-10K rate side by side and marks which model fares better that year. Buyers cross-shopping a specific model year should always check the year-level VinItel pages: vinitel.com/stats/nhtsa-complaints/cadillac/escalade/{year} and vinitel.com/stats/nhtsa-complaints/infiniti/qx80/{year}.

Where does this Cadillac Escalade vs Infiniti Qx80 comparison data come from?

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All complaint, crash, fire, and fatality data comes from the NHTSA Office of Defects Investigation (ODI) consumer-complaint database — the same source insurance regulators and the federal government use. NCAP star ratings come from NHTSA's New Car Assessment Program crash tests. Sales-volume normalization (per 10K sold) uses US annual vehicle sales. Data refreshes every 6 hours. Source: NHTSA via VinItel.

Other head-to-head matchups buyers cross-shopping the Escalade or Qx80 also look at:

Comparison data refreshed 2026-05-04 from NHTSA Office of Defects Investigation.·Source: NHTSA ODI

Picked your model? Now check the actual VIN.

A model average can't see the car you're buying.

Even the Infiniti Qx80 has cars with hidden accidents, salvage titles, and odometer rollbacks. Check the VIN before you buy — full report $4.99 (vs. Carfax $44.99).