2021 Cadillac CT5

Routine

Owners filed 30 complaints about this vehicle with federal regulators, most often about the electrical system. It has been recalled 4 times.

Most common 2021 Cadillac CT5 problems

11 of the 30 complaints (37%) are about the electrical system.

ComponentReportsCrashesFiresInjuries
Electrical System11
100
Structure › Body · body and frame6
000
Power Train · transmission4
000
Unknown or Other2
000
Air Bags · airbags2
202
Visibility › Sun/Moon Roof Assembly1
000
Tires1
000
Steering1
000
Fuel/Propulsion System · fuel and propulsion system1
000
Engine1
000

4 safety recalls

Part 573 reports
Power Train › Automatic Transmission25V148000
Filed Mar 6, 202590,081 vehiclesGeneral Motors, LLC

Defect. General Motors LLC (GM) is recalling certain 2019-2020 Cadillac CT6, 2020-2021 CT4, CT5, and 2020-2022 Chevrolet Camaro vehicles equipped with a 10-speed transmission. The transmission may become damaged internally and cause the wheels to lock-up.

Risk. Wheel lock-up while driving increases the risk of a crash.

Remedy. Dealers will install transmission control module monitoring software, free of charge. Owner notification letters were mailed April 7, 2025. Owners may contact Cadillac customer service at 1-800-333-4223 or Chevrolet customer service at 1-800-222-1020. GM's number for this recall is N242480630.

Exterior Lighting › Lighting Control Module › Software22V903000
Filed Dec 8, 2022740,108 vehiclesGeneral Motors, LLC

Defect. General Motors, LLC (GM) is recalling certain 2020-2023 Cadillac CT4 and CT5; 2021-2023 Buick Envision; and 2022-2023 Cadillac Escalade and Escalade ESV, Chevrolet Silverado 1500, Suburban, Tahoe, GMC Sierra 1500, Yukon, and Yukon XL vehicles. The daytime running lights (DRLs) may not deactivate when the headlights are on. As such, these vehicles fail to comply with the requirements of Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standard number 108, "Lamps, Reflective Devices, and Associated Equipment."

Risk. DRLs that do not deactivate as intended may result in a glare, reducing visibility, and increasing the risk of a crash.

Remedy. The body control module software will be updated by a dealer, or through an over-the-air (OTA) update, free of charge. Owner notification letters were mailed January 23, 2023. Owners may contact GMC customer service at 1-888-988-7267, Chevrolet customer service at 1-800-222-1020, or Cadillac customer service at 1-800-458-8006. GM's number for this recall is N222386380. This recall expands previous recall number 22V-827.

Air Bags › Side/Window › Curtain21V611000
Filed Aug 5, 202134,157 vehiclesGeneral Motors, LLC

Defect. General Motors, LLC. (GM) is recalling certain 2020-2022 Cadillac CT4 and CT5 vehicles. The roof rail side-curtain air bags may not have been installed correctly, which could result in an improper air bag deployment during a crash.

Risk. Air bags that do not deploy properly can increase the risk of injury in a crash.

Remedy. Dealers will inspect both left and right-side roof rail air bags and reinstall the air bags, as necessary, free of charge. Owner notification letters were mailed on August 30, 2021. Owners may contact Cadillac customer service at 1-800-458-8006. GM's number for this recall is N212342780.

Air Bags › Srs Malfunction Warning Lamp/Light21V421000
Filed Jun 10, 2021285,622 vehiclesGeneral Motors, LLC

Defect. General Motors, LLC (GM) is recalling certain 2021 Buick Envision, Cadillac CT4, CT5, Escalade, Escalade ESV, Chevrolet Tahoe, Corvette, Suburban, GMC Yukon, Yukon XL vehicles. The communications gateway module incorrectly processes a loss of communication with the sensing diagnostic module (SDM), causing the air bag malfunction indicator light to inconsistently illuminate.

Risk. The air bag malfunction indicator light may fail to warn the driver of a problem with the air bag, increasing the risk of injury.

Remedy. The communications gateway module software will be updated by a dealer, or through an over-the-air (OTA) update, free of charge. Owner notification letters were mailed on July 1, 2021. Owners may contact Buick customer service at 1-800-521-7300, Cadillac customer service at 1-800-458-8006, Chevrolet customer service at 1-800-222-1020, or GMC customer service at 1-800-462-8782. GM's number for this recall is N212338110.

All 4 campaigns on file, newest first.

What owners reported

Newest filings
Electrical System
Filed Oct 14, 2026IL

This vehicle is equipped with electronic door handles that are failing widely and prematurely. Essentially the button that actuates the cylinder to allow the door to open fails. This poses a safety risk as you're unable to open the door from the exterior in the event of an emergency. Imagine if you were in a collision that resulted in a fire and you needed to be able to retrieve a young child from the vehicle but the door won't open. This is a lawsuit waiting to happen. Manufacturer doesn't care to address the concern with a recall, but rather offers to repair at an astronomical price tag. The problem appears suddenly with no warning.

Unknown or Other
Filed Sep 25, 2026PA

The Cadillac CT5 door handles are operated via a button instead of a typical pull style handle. The buttons fail regularly meaning you cannot open the specific door(s) where the button has failed. With small children in the car when this fails it poses a severe health and safety risk. There needs to be a recall issued for this well known and documented problem.

Power Train
Filed Sep 24, 2026TX

I am filing a formal safety complaint against General Motors (GM) regarding an unresolved transmission safety hazard on my 2021 Cadillac CT5 550T. This vehicle is included under NHTSA Campaign Number 25V148000 for an internal transmission control valve failure that can cause sudden, dangerous wheel lock-up while driving. My vehicle is currently experiencing an active, catastrophic failure of the transmission valve body. The vehicle has completely lost its reverse gear, shifts harshly, and exhibits Diagnostic Trouble Codes P0776 (Pressure Control Solenoid B Performance/Stuck Off) and P0700 (Transmission Control System Malfunction). These active fault codes and physical mechanical symptoms explicitly confirm a dangerous loss of hydraulic pressure directly resulting from the exact internal valve wear described in the federal recall. General Motors has issued Special Coverage Bulletin N242480631 to extend the warranty coverage on the physical transmission control valve body assembly to 15 years or 150,000 miles to address this exact defect. However, Cadillac Customer Assistance and the local dealership are refusing to pay for the required replacement component. They have denied coverage solely on the grounds that electronic fault code P0747 has not yet been registered by the computer, despite total mechanical failure of the component and a severe safety risk to the vehicle occupants. GM’s reliance on a singular electronic diagnostic code to trigger a safety-critical mechanical co

Unknown or Other
Filed Sep 21, 2026NJ

I have experienced a serious and recurring safety issue with the door handles on my Cadillac CT5 vehicles. The exterior door handles have stopped working, preventing the doors from being opened normally. On one occasion, I was trying to get my child out of the back seat when the rear door handle failed and would not open. Because the child safety lock was engaged, my child was also unable to open the door from the inside. I had to climb through the vehicle and use another door to get my child out. This situation is especially concerning because, in an emergency such as a collision, fire, or other situation requiring immediate evacuation, a malfunctioning door handle combined with the child safety lock could prevent a child from exiting the vehicle and could significantly delay a parent or caregiver from getting them out. I have two Cadillac CT5 vehicles, and this same issue has occurred on both vehicles. I have also been told by Cadillac dealers that the door-handle failure is a known problem. Despite the recurring nature of the issue, I understand that Cadillac has not issued a recall for the door handles. Instead, individual door handles must reportedly be replaced every two to three years, with repair costs ranging from approximately $400 to $1,000 depending on the door. I believe this issue warrants serious attention because it involves a potential safety hazard, particularly when a child is secured in the back seat with the child safety lock engaged. A component that can

Electrical System
Filed Sep 20, 2026TN

The exterior door handles on my 2021 Cadillac CT5 have experienced the same intermittent failure. The handles initially work intermittently and then become unable to release the door. The button on the inside of the door handle doesn't respond when pushed and that is the only way to get in the car without rolling the windows down or using the emergency key. I've seen many other forum posts about this so it seems to be a widespread issue across other models with the same electric door opener mechanism. This creates a serious safety concern for me because occupants may be unable to enter the vehicle normally, and emergency responders may be unable to access occupants through the affected doors. This appears to be a systemic defect affecting multiple CT5 vehicles, rather than an isolated component failure.

Electrical System
Filed Sep 17, 2026NE

Both front doors will no longer open from the outside. The button on the inside of the door handle doesn't respond when pushed and that is the only way to get in the car without rolling the windows down or using the emergency key. I've seen many other forum posts about this so it seems to be a pretty widespread issue across other models with the same electric door opener mechanism.

Electrical System
Filed Sep 17, 2026TX

Doors have routinely stopped opening using the electronic handles to pop open doors. Have taken to dealership to repair, but keep on not working on other doors. All 4 door handles have been replaced and now they're starting to not work again.

Structure › Body
Filed Aug 31, 2026NJ

All four exterior door handles on my 2021 Cadillac CT5 have experienced the same intermittent failure. The handles initially work intermittently and then become unable to release the door. This has occurred on all four doors. This creates a serious safety concern because occupants may be unable to enter or exit the vehicle normally, and emergency responders may be unable to access occupants through the affected doors. This appears to be a systemic defect affecting multiple CT5 vehicles, rather than an isolated component failure.

Power Train
Filed Aug 28, 2026TX

The pump gear on the transmission went out during normal driving with only having 30,000 miles on it. I am told my numerous people that the Gm 10 speeds always have issues with them.

Structure › Body
Filed Aug 8, 2026NY

The door opening mechanism has failed on the drivers outside door handle. It locks and unlocks fine but it will not open. I can use an alternative by the getting the emergency access key out of the fob and popping off the handle and open with that key. Or I can go in thru another door and open it from inside or somehow open all the windows using the fob with some kind of press this and that at the same time, and access inside handle thru the window. This becomes a safety concern because I'm usually alone, and this makes me vulnerable when I have to get into the car. Especially in parking lots and garages or gas stations, or anytime there may be a situation where a quick get out of there may be required. I have been visiting the Cadillac forums and have heard many of this same complaint in the on-line discussions. Many of the complaintants have recommended to report the as a safety concern. There is no warning of this in the systems, nor is there any information coming from Cadillac about resolving this problem in the

Structure › Body
Filed Jul 7, 2026FL

All 4 of my door handles suddenly stopped working and they will start working from time to time. Most of the time it’s 3-4 days where i cant open my door’s from the outside. I have looked into this and have found that MANY other CT5 users have had the same experience where they are unable to open their doors from the outside, most stating that it could be the door actuator. Others stating they have taken their vehicle in and have been quoted up to $4,000 to do the repair on something we shouldn’t have to worry about. Getting into our own vehicles? we shouldn’t have to be worrying about not being able to open our doors because of a faulty door actuator. I believe this should be recalled so no one has to worry about the safety of needing to get into our vehicles quickly or in case a child closes the doors oj themselves and we are unable to open the doors to get the out. Please look into all the complaints about this matter and consider making everybody’s experience a better one and not one where our doors will one day suddenly go out and stop working.

Electrical System
Filed May 18, 2026TX

We own a 2021 Cadillac CT5 that we bought used in 2024 from Sewell Cadillac in Houston, Texas. During our first year of ownership, and while still under warranty, we started having intermittent issues with the rear doors. At times, one or the other rear doors would only open from the inside of the vehicle. My wife mentioned it to the dealer when the car was in for other issues, but because we couldn’t reproduce it at the dealership, nothing came of it. Then in March of this year, both rear doors completely failed. Neither rear door will open from the inside or the outside, and they are still that way today. We took the vehicle back to the dealer, and they performed a software update and sent us a service video. In that video, the technician described the issue as “weird” and not something they had seen before. After a couple of days, the dealer came back and said both rear exterior door handles need to be replaced, with a repair quote of $3,950.49 (for their trouble, they also charged us $265.00 to diagnose the issue). What really shocked me was that, because neither rear door will release from inside or outside, their quote indicates they would have to cut through the interior door panels just to open the doors and perform the repair. The more I researched this, the more it became clear that this problem is not “weird” at all — it appears to be a frequent issue with the CT5, with multiple owners describing similar door-handle failures and forum discussions suggesting it may

Electrical System
Filed Apr 1, 2026OH

The door(s) would not open from the outside. I had the driver side door handle replaced first - took weeks for the part to come in - this was a safety issue because I had to climb through the passenger side to open the driver side door. (the key entry would not work either) After weeks, and me paying for it, the same thing happened to the rear driver side door. I went to open it to get my grandchild out and couldn't. Again this is a safety issue. What if I needed him out in an emergency and I couldn't. I had to walk around and get him out of the car on the other side. Now my passenger door is broke. This is a big concern, which I let the dealership know about, the safety if you can't get someone out of a car or just getting in your car - a person is vulnerable to outside elements/surroundings. The dealership has said this is a very common problem with this make/model. If "very' common it should be recalled. They shouldn't be waiting for something bad to happen prior.

Electrical System
Filed Feb 24, 2026TX

I've had my driver side door handle switch replaced beacuse it was faulty and I could not get into my car through the driver side. Now I am having the same issue with the passanger side. In a case of an emergeny if I can not get into my car I fear for my or my passanger's safety. I fear the quality of the parts are not ment to last. I replaced the driver side handle right before the manufactur warreny ran out then the passanger door stopped working when the warrenty ran out.

Engine
Filed Feb 12, 2026CA

While driving on a very busy highway going downhill when suddenly the vehicle started feeling abnormal like it was going to turn off automatically, heard an abnormal grinding noise coming from the engine the vehicle dropped speed drastically and the check engine light turned on , luckily we were on a part of the road where I merged quickly to the side of the road followed by a sudden engine shut down, the safety of myself and 3 other passengers was very compromised due to nearly being hit by other vehicles coming at a high speed on a main highway when my vehicle suddenly slowed down coming to a shut down due to the engine failure, I attempted to turn the car on again but would not turn on, was not getting any response at all, had to get the car towed, the vehicle did not have other warning lights before the failure, the check engine light came on after the engine failed, the vehicle was taken to an authorized Cadillac dealer where the engine was diagnosed as Engine seized, locked up and will not turn over. I received a Recall regarding Momentary Wheel Lock-Up which leads me to believe that might be related to what happened to my vehicle but did not have 8K dollars for a teardown to further inspect the root cause of my engine failure and definitely did not have over 11K dollars for a new engine/labor cost. The Cadillac dealer was quick to deny the possibility to be related to the recall without even doing a teardown of engine also the dealer denied the option to work on the re

Structure › Body
Filed Feb 5, 2026MI

Exterior driver side door handle will not open the door causing issues with ingress into vehicle.

Electrical System
Filed Jan 16, 2026MA

The passive door locks on the handles to the car do not work. The electronic sensor to unlock the car does not work due to misalignment of the pin that is supposed to press the key. This is a widely known issue on 2020-2021 Cadillac ct5 vehicles. This eventually results in total lockout of the vehicle. I currently have three doors that do not unlock. Please see a link to the issue I reported on Cadillacs form website as well https://www.cadillacforums.com/threads/door-handle-issues.1141023/?nested_view=1#post-18436706

Power Train
Filed Aug 19, 202548,600 milesFL

The contact owns a 2021 Cadillac CT5. The contact stated that while driving approximately 42 MPH – 66 MPH, the vehicle was shaking abnormally. The contact stated that while driving at an undisclosed speed, the vehicle jerked and shuddered while shifting gears. The cause of the failure was not yet determined. The local dealer and manufacturer were notified of the failure. The failure mileage was 48,600.

Fuel/Propulsion System
Filed Aug 12, 2025FL

Car interior smelled like gas when the car is started. but seemed to clear while driving. Found that the Fuel hose between the pipe and the fuel intake was leaking when the car initially started. You could smell the odor when the hood was raised. This is the Pipe and Hose that you need the Fuel clamp removal tool for that is located in the rear center of the engine just in front of the firewall. The leak was about 3 inches from then end where it connected to the engine. Currently I have a temporary repair on it (Fuel coupling) where the hole was. Note, This car is out of warranty. It has been to the dealership (Step One Cadillac in Ft. Walton Beach, FL) for other recalls, but the dealership did not mention any issues.

Electrical System
Filed Aug 12, 2025FL

The exterior door handle latch release switch fails to open the door. This issue happened to all 4 exterior doors. The problem starts with intermittently, then progresses to complete failure. Once it fails, the entire door handle needs to be replaced. If all 4 doors fail, the only way to access the car is with the Emergency Key or if you activated the Remote Window Down. This only works if you have access to the key. If you left your keys in the car, the car would lock (even if running) then your only option is to fiddle with the switch in hopes of activating it or crawl through the trunk (if you're small enough). If an infant or a pet is in the car, then that could lead to problems. Also if you pass out and emergency responders came out, they would have to break the window or pry the door open to gain access, which could pose a life or death situation. This is a well documented issue with this car per the Cadillac Forums. I replaced both the front door handle assemblies to repair the main access to the car. The rear handles are still inoperable. During inspection of the Handle Electronic assembly, it appears that the switch isn't fully seated against the circuit card, which causes the solder connection on the circuit card to fail.

Structure › Body
Filed Aug 10, 2025PA

Beginning of 2025 my drivers side door handle would not open from the outside of the car only the inside . I took it to a certified Cadillac dealer which they had to replace the door handle . Now July 10, 2025 my front passenger side is doing the same thing and I will not have to take my car in to see if they can fix it or it this too will need to be replaced. This causes a hazard of emergency no one would be able to open the door from outside of the vehicle .

Air BagsCrash1 injured
Filed Jul 26, 2025TX

My 2025 Cadillac CT5 was stationary at a red light behind a red truck when a black truck traveling in the opposite direction struck the truck head-on. The red truck was pushed backward into the front of my CT5 with enough force to cause major front-end damage. Despite this, no airbags deployed. I believe the airbag system failed to detect or respond to a valid crash condition and there is a larger safety concern that needs to be reviewed. Police report completed. Insurance has not inspected vehicles yet but it is available to be inspected.

Steering
Filed Jul 7, 2025NJ

Aste): The vehicle has a serious pulling issue while driving, which was not corrected with alignment and poses a safety risk. Additionally, the windshield was scratched by faulty wiper blades that impaired visibility — the dealer later reimbursed me. Lastly, the driver-side running light was not functioning, which creates a hazard and may violate federal lighting safety standards.

Structure › Body
Filed Feb 11, 2025OH

Currently my passenger door and my rear driver side door do not open from the outside. I already had to have my driver side door handle replaced for the same issue, now three out of four of my handles have failed. If an accident were to occur no one would be able to access the passenger or the rear driver passenger from the outside because the doors do not open. Since I can not open the door from the outside I had to remove the child lock from the rear door so my child can exit the vehicle.

Power Train
Filed Jan 15, 2025AL

Service transmission message showed up on dash. Dealer stated after performance test found P17A5 code for shift control. The dealer stated that the gear shift assembly needed to be replaced and if not, that the car could get stuck in gear which I feel is a safety risk. My vehicle only has 37,111 miles on it and I am pretty much the only driver.

Electrical System
Filed Dec 28, 2024MI

Driver Side door handle stops working. Because the door handle operates with a sensor and not a standard pull door handle something is being affected and it will not open door. Causing safety issue and not being able to enter car normally.

Electrical SystemCrash
Filed Aug 1, 2024FL

When approaching a stopping vehicle the brake pedal became extremely hard to press and I could not brake enough to stop and had a collision. Come to find out that the ABS computer and the main ECU weren't communicating correctly which turned off the assisted braking, assisted steering and the AWD.

Visibility › Sun/Moon Roof Assembly
Filed Jul 26, 202435,100 milesMS

The contact owns a 2021 Cadillac CT5. The contact stated while driving at approximately 72 MPH, there was a loud noise inside the cabin. The contact became aware that the sunroof had shattered without impact. The vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired by an independent mechanic or local dealer. The manufacturer was not made aware of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 35,100.

Tires
Filed Jun 27, 2022MO

BOTH PASSENGER SIDE TIRES SPLIT AT THE SEAM PUTTING ME AND MY FAMILY'S SAFETY AT RISK. TIRES NEED TO BE REPLACED IMMEDIATELY CONFIRMED BY DEALERSHIP - BOMMARITO CADILLAC ST. PETERS MISSOURI BOMMARITO CADIALLAC ST. PETERS MISSOURI ALSO INFORMED ME GM HAS INSTRUCTED TO NO LONGER SELL THESE TIRES TO CADILLAC CUSTOMERS. TIRES ARE CURRENTLY STILL ON THE CAR LOCATED AT BOMMARITO CADILLAC. THE CAR HAS NOT BEEN INSPECTED BY ANY OTHER AUTHORITY OTHER THAN THE DEALERSHIP. TIRES ARE MICHELIN 245/40ZR19

Air BagsCrash1 injured
Filed Aug 29, 2021TX

There was no indication that the Automatic Braking System, Air Bags and Seatbelts were not working properly. In August 12, 2021, I was in an auto accident where I rear-ended another dodge car. The air bags did not deploy and Onstar was not notified. I believe I hit the steering wheel. I went to the emergency room and have seem my primary doctor once. I have a follow-up appointment this week for pain in the middle of my breast bone. My issuance company will inspect the car, after GM completes their inspection on Monday, August 27, 2021. USAA Claim # 9-6884308504 GM (ESIS) Claim # 965694 Police Report #

All 30 complaints, reproduced as filed.

Across model years

Worst on record: 2020
YearComplaintsRecallsFiresDeathsAssessment
20266100Routine
202510000Routine
20243001Fatalities reported
202313100Routine
202211200Routine
2021 — this page30400Routine
202039400Routine

Compare every CT5 year →

Reading this record

No unusual pattern of severe incidents in the complaint record.

Complaint counts track how many cars were sold and how long they have been on the road as much as they track quality. A common model from 2013 has had a decade to accumulate reports; a rare one from last year has not. The signal worth weighing is in the severity columns, in whether the same component keeps appearing, and in whether the manufacturer eventually opened a recall for it.

Recall repairs are free for as long as the recall stands. Check whether a specific car still has open work at NHTSA's VIN lookup.

Most recent recall on file: Mar 6, 2025. Source: NHTSA Office of Defects Investigation.