KnownCarProblems2021 Cadillac CT5 Problems and Recalls
Owners filed 30 complaints with NHTSA about the 2021 Cadillac CT5, most often about the electrical (43% of complaints). It is the 2nd most complained-about CT5 model year since 2000 and has 4 recalls.
Most common 2021 Cadillac CT5 problems
Electrical
13 complaints · 43%Body and structure
7 complaints · 23%Parts named most often: body.
Other or unspecified
4 complaints · 13%Transmission
4 complaints · 13%The contact owns a 2021 Cadillac CT5. The contact stated that while driving approximately 42 MPH â 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…
Complaints are owner reports to NHTSA, not verified defects. One complaint can name several components, so shares add up to more than 100%.
2021 Cadillac CT5 recalls
Transmission: automatic transmission
Risk: Wheel lock-up while driving increases the risk of a crash.
Fix: 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.
Full defect summary
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.
Lights: software
Risk: Drls that do not deactivate as intended may result in a glare, reducing visibility, and increasing the risk of a crash.
Fix: 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.
Full defect summary
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."
Air bags: curtain
Risk: Air bags that do not deploy properly can increase the risk of injury in a crash.
Fix: 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.
Full defect summary
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.
Air bags: srs malfunction warning lamp/light
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.
Fix: 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.
Full defect summary
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.
Recall repairs are free at any franchised dealer. Enter your VIN at nhtsa.gov/recalls to see which recalls are still open on your car.
NHTSA defect investigations
Air bag malfunction
Summary
On april 9, 2021, the office of defects investigations (odi) opened pe21-010 to investigate instances of air bag malfunction indicator light (mil) illumination and potential for frontal air bag non-deployment in several vehicles manufactured by general motors (gm). The vehicles included model year (my) 2020 through 2021 ct4 and ct5 passenger cars, sierra and silverado trucks (1500/2500/3500 models), xt4 and my 2021 escalade, suburban, tahoe, yukon suvs.technical service bulletin (tsb) 21-na-005, issued in march 2021, addresses air bag mil illumination with diagnostic trouble codes (dtcs) b0001-1b or b0012-0d. It cites rust particles in the connection terminal interface of the driver air bag
Questions about the 2021 Cadillac CT5
- What are the most common problems with the 2021 Cadillac CT5?
- By NHTSA owner complaints: electrical (13 complaints); body and structure (7 complaints); other or unspecified (4 complaints).
- How many recalls does the 2021 Cadillac CT5 have?
- 4 recalls listed by NHTSA, the latest from March 6, 2025 (transmission). Check your VIN at nhtsa.gov/recalls to see which ones are still open on your car.
- Is the 2021 a bad year for the Cadillac CT5?
- It is the 2nd most complained-about CT5 model year since 2000, with 30 complaints. Complaint counts are not adjusted for how many cars were sold, so popular years collect more of them, and the newest years have had less time to.
Other Cadillac CT5 years
- 2020
- 2021