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2008 Cadillac Escalade EXT

Factory specifications, fluid capacities, torque values, EPA fuel economy and the federal safety record for the 2008 Escalade EXT.

Body SUVTransmission Automatic 6-spd

The 2008 Cadillac Escalade EXT is an SUV equipped with a 6-speed automatic transmission that yields an EPA-estimated 12 city, 19 highway, and 14 combined mpg, with its engine requiring 6 quarts of 5W-30 API oil for routine maintenance. On the reliability front, this model year carries 167 total owner complaints and 4 recalls, with air bags standing out as the top complaint area. Positioned within the 2002-2013 generation, the 2008 model improves upon the peak 246 complaints of the 2007 model year but falls far short of the 2013 low of just 1 complaint, meaning that while it avoids being the worst offender in the lineage, it still demands cautious consideration due to its documented safety issues.

Model year2013 2012 2011 2010 2009 2008 2007 2006 2005

Quick specs

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

Engine oil capacity6 qtOEM · verified

Engine oil type5W-30 APIOEM · verified

Lug nut torque140 ft-lbsOEM · verified

EPA fuel economy12/19/14 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 · 615 CCA battery, OE oil filter 12690386. Note the factory engine air filter is now discontinued — plan on a superseded or quality aftermarket equivalent, which the part pages below list where known. 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 · 615 CCAOEM · verified

OE service part numbers OEM · verified

Engine oil filter	12690386
Engine air filter	15908916 discontinued
Spark plug	12621258
Battery	88866309 alt 88866116
Front wiper blades	25877402
Serpentine belt	12576447 alt 12626222
Thermostat	89018168 alt 12587397
Cabin air filter	23101674 alt 22759203

Full specifications

Engine, drivetrain, dimensions and economy.

Engine & drivetrain NHTSA vPIC

Transmission

Automatic 6-spd

Dimensions & weight NHTSA vPIC

Overall length	218.1 in
Overall width	79.1 in
Overall height	74.4 in
Wheelbase	129.9 in
Curb weight	5756 lb
Track (front / rear)	68.5 / 67.7 in
Weight distribution (front / rear)	52/48

Ratings & economy EPA / vPIC

EPA city / highway / combined	12 / 19 / 14 mpg
Drivetrain	Rear-Wheel Drive
Recommended fuel	Premium Gasoline

Service quick specs OEM factory data

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

This engine holds 6 qt of 5W-30 API engine oil, SAE 80W 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.

Lubricants & capacities

Automatic Transmission Fluid	ATF
Automatic Transmission Fluid Capacity	6
Brake Fluid	DOT 3
Differential Gear Oil	SAE 80W
Differential Gear Oil Capacity	1.51 qt
Engine Coolant	DEX-COOL OR EQUIVALENT
Engine Oil	5W-30 · API
Engine Oil Capacity	6 qt

Engine torques

Engine Oil Pan Drain Plug	18.0 ft-lbs
Engine Valve Cover Bolts	8.85 ft-lbs
Engine Valve Cover Bolts	9.0 ft-lbs
Engine Valve Cover Bolts	9.0 ft-lbs

Chassis torques

Leaf Spring to Axle (U-bolts)	74.0 ft-lbs
Leaf Spring to Chassis Bracket	148.0 ft-lbs
Leaf Spring to Rear Shackle	70.0 ft-lbs
Leaf Spring Rear Shackle to Chassis Bracket	70.0 ft-lbs
Lug Nuts	140 ft-lbs
Front Wheel Hub	177 ft-lbs
Front Wheel Hub	177 ft-lbs

Ignition

Cylinder Firing Order	1-8-7-2-6-5-4-3
Spark Plug Manufacturer	AC Delco
Spark Plug Gap	0.040 in
Spark Plug Torque	11.0 ft-lbs

Battery & A/C

Refrigerant	R134a
Oil Group	PAG
Oil Type	46
Standard BCI Group Number	48
Standard BCI Cranking Performance	615 cca
Optional BCI Group Number	48
Optional BCI Cranking Performance	730 cca
Standard BCI Group Number	48

Service checks

Pressure Test	15 psi
Radiator Cap Pressure Relief	15 psi
Thermostat Opening Temperature	194-225 °F
Key ON Engine OFF (KOEO)	50-60
RPM	43-45 @ Idle rpm
Engine Oil Pressure	6
Intake Valve Lash	Hydraulic in
Exhaust Valve Lash	Hydraulic in

Brakes

Brake Application	WITH RPO JD9 / WITH RPO JH6
Torque Caliper to Bracket	74 ft-lbs / 28 ft-lbs
Torque to Knuckle	148 ft-lbs
Brake Application	WITH RPO JD9 / WITH RPO JH6
Torque Caliper to Bracket	74 ft-lbs / 28 ft-lbs
Torque to Knuckle	148 ft-lbs
Minimum Pad Thickness	Front: 0.030; Rear: 0.030 specification
Brake Application	WITH RPO JD9 / WITH RPO JH6

Multi-step torque procedures OEM · verified

Intake Manifold to Engine Bolts — tightening sequence 1 stages

3.6 ft. lbs., step 2: 7.4

3.6 ft. lbs

Exhaust Manifold to Cylinder Head Bolts — tightening sequence 1 stages

11 ft. lbs., step 2: 15

11 ft. lbs

Factory maintenance schedule OEM · verified

Normal service, condensed from the factory interval matrix.

Under the factory schedule, replace the spark plugs every 100,000 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 25,000 mi	Exhaust System (Complete) (inspect) · Fuel System (inspect)
Every 50,000 mi	Engine Air Filter Element (replace) · Fuel Evaporative Emission Control System (inspect) · Transfer Case Assembly (drain & refill)
Every 100,000 mi	Spark Plug Wires (inspect) · Spark Plugs (replace) · Transmission Fluid & Filter (replace)
At 150,000 mi	Accessory 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 2008 Cadillac Escalade EXT sits at a peak of owner complaints within the generation, with 167 total complaints—a sharp drop from 2007’s 246 but still far above the 19 recorded in 2006 and the 61 in 2009. The 2008 model also logged three investigations and four recalls, matching the 2007 count for investigations but exceeding most later years. Air bags dominate the complaint profile with 90 reports, and there were eight crash-related and six fire-related complaints, though the data does not specify root causes. The overall trend shows a spike in complaints and investigations in 2007–2008, followed by a decline through 2013, suggesting these two model years are the most problematic of the generation. Given the elevated complaint volume and the air bag focus, the 2008 is not a recommended buy compared to the lower-complaint 2009 or 2010 models.

Open recalls

NHTSA campaigns

1288

Service bulletins

Manufacturer communications

ODI investigations

Office of Defects Investigation

167

Owner complaints

8 involved a crash · 6 a fire

NHTSA crash-test rating federal NCAP · out of 5 stars

Rollover★★★★★

Owner complaints by model year NHTSA · this generation & adjacent

’02 ’03 ’04 ’05 ’06 ’07’08’09 ’10 ’11 ’12 ’13

Owner complaints filed with NHTSA, by component

All 167 complaints on record, top 8 components.

Air Bags90

Unknown Or Other6

Engine6

Electrical System6

Exterior Lighting5

Tires4

Electrical System,Seats4

Vehicle Speed Control3

Source: NHTSA Office of Defects Investigation complaint database.

Recalls NHTSA · verified

Showing 2 of 4 campaigns on record for this vehicle.

21V050000Air Bags:Frontal:Passenger Side:Inflator ModuleReported 05/02/2021

General Motors, LLC (GM) is recalling certain 2007-2011 Cadillac Escalade, Escalade ESV, Escalade EXT, Chevrolet Avalanche, Silverado 1500, Suburban, Tahoe, GMC Sierra 1500, Yukon, Yukon XL, and 2009-2011 Chevrolet… Remedy: GM will notify owners, and dealers will replace the front passenger air bag inflator with an alternate one, free of charge. Interim letters notifying owners of the safety risk…

21V052000Air Bags:Frontal:Passenger Side:Inflator ModuleReported 05/02/2021

General Motors, LLC (GM) is recalling certain 2009 Cadillac Escalade, Escalade ESV, Escalade EXT, Chevrolet Avalanche, Silverado 1500, Silverado 2500, Silverado 3500, Suburban, Tahoe, GMC Sierra 1500, Sierra 2500… Remedy: GM will notify owners, and dealers will replace the front passenger air bag inflator with an alternate one, free of charge. Interim letters notifying owners of the safety risk…

Technical service bulletins NHTSA · verified

Showing 5 of 1288 bulletins on record with NHTSA.

Bulletin	Date	Component	Summary
13598	2025-09-09	Unknown Or Other	New Vehicle Monitoring Programs Section in IVH
PIC5650M	2025-08-06	Unknown Or Other	This Preliminary Information communication provides information to the technician about…
PIP5601C	2025-07-18	Unknown Or Other	This PI communicates the requirement to provide a pico file to receive diagnostic…
PIT5074R	2025-05-30	Unknown Or Other	This Preliminary Information communication provides information to the technician about…
PIT5074R	2025-05-30	Unknown Or Other	This Preliminary Information communication provides information to the technician about…

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 EXT. 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.

Group 48 battery Vehicles taking 6 qt Engine oil filter 12690386 Engine air filter 15908916 Spark plug 12621258 Battery 88866309

Reference guides

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

Vehicle recalls & TSBs OBD-II trouble codes Torque specifications Maintenance schedules Fluid capacities & specs

Frequently asked

How much oil does the 2008 Escalade EXT take?

6 qt of 5W-30 API, per the factory manual.

Does the 2008 Escalade EXT 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 EXT get?

EPA figures are 12 city / 19 highway / 14 combined mpg.