2020 Cadillac CT5 Problems

Lockhart Cadillac Service Department committed warranty fraud by charging me on multiple occasions for repairs that should have been covered under GM/Cadillac 2025 Transmission Recall & Special Extended Warranties. The transmission has continued to deteriorate. I took the vehicle in on July 1, 2026 for recall service and was told it needed a valve body replacement. However, they are demanding again that I pay for it and refusing to submit it as a recall repair. They have had my vehicle 15 days and refuse to provide written documentation of actual diagnosis, TAC has not been submitted, they have not provided GM/Cadillac or myself with any written documentation as to why it wouldn’t be covered under warranty. They have not submitted the service history of the last 6 service repairs to GM/Cadillac as requested, nor have they offered me a courtesy vehicle or rental car compensation and virtually have left me stranded for 2 weeks.

While driving my 2020 Cadillac CT5 at highway speeds, the vehicle suffered a sudden and dangerous total loss of motive power. The transmission completely failed without warning, creating an immediate, severe safety hazard as I was forced to navigate across multiple active lanes of high-speed highway traffic without acceleration.The vehicle was towed to an authorized Cadillac dealership. The technician's diagnostic inspection confirmed that the internal transmission pump drive gear completely shattered, sending catastrophic metal debris throughout the entire transmission system. The dealership has recommended a total transmission system replacement.This internal pump gear failure is a documented cascade consequence of a manufacturing defect in the Transmission Control Valve Body, which causes severe internal fluid pressure drops. This specific transmission defect is subject to GM Special Coverage Bulletin N242480631 and NHTSA Campaign Number 25V148 / GM Recall N242480630. The defective valve body starved the transmission of pressure, directly destroying the pump gear at highway speeds and putting my life in danger.

The contact owns a 2020 Cadillac CT5. The contact stated that the check engine warning light was illuminated. The contact had noticed an oil leak and that the battery charge was abnormally low. The contact received an alert from OnStar pertaining to the critically low battery. Additionally, the contact noticed that there was an abnormal squishing sound coming from the dashboard, and the contact believed that the sound was coming from an animal that had intruded into the vehicle. The local dealer was contacted, but the vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired. The vehicle was taken to a tire center where all four TPMS sensors were replaced. The failure mileage was approximately 75,000.

The contact’s son owns a 2020 Cadillac CT5. The contact stated that while driving at an undisclosed speed, the check engine warning light illuminated. After a visual inspection, the contact observed that the engine oil was abnormally low. The vehicle was taken to the dealer, who diagnosed a failure with the engine. The contact was informed that the engine needed to be replaced. The vehicle was repaired, but the failure reoccurred. The vehicle was not taken to the dealer or an independent mechanic. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was notified of the failure, a case was opened, and the contact was referred to the NHTSA Hotline for assistance. The failure mileage was 14,466.

My front door latch doesn't work often leaving me locked out of the car. If the car is off I can use the auto roll down feature, but if the car is on i can't. This is a safety issue if I am in danger or my child is in the car.

The electronic exterior door handle on my CT5 has failed and raises a concern of what if there was an accident and nobody was able to open the door if I was unconscious. I believe that having a key access is not enough and there should be a mechanical exterior door handle instead of an electronic handle that fails and is costly to repair.

Electronic door hand on the drivers side completely stopped working, with little warning. This includes the proximity unlock feature and unlocking the car with the fob. If this were to have happened to all four doors at once, it would have been impossible to enter the car without breaking the glass. This is not safe.

Door handle opening mechanism has not been working correctly for over a year. Multiple attempts to open the door will finally work and the door will open. This is a life safety issue that I have taken up with GM multiple times now and they refused to cover the vehicle. When looking online, dozens of other individuals have also complained about this exact issue.

this vehicle has had multiple check engine failures it has been in for service six times in a matter of months. In September I had Service Traction control/StabiliTrack lights come on and the car losses of engine power. I had it serviced again in October for the same issue it was at the dealership for 20 days all they did was clear the code and drove it 38 miles, including the technician driving it home to see if the issue could be duplicated. After the 20th day they advised me to pick up my vehicle and return it when the light were actively on. I expressed to them as well as GM that I felt unsafe driving my vehicle this way as it is a great danger to my safety when the car looses power. I drive up/down a canyon as early as 3am I went from speeds of 80mph drooped down to 20-25mph due to this failure. Today I have another check engine light on the vehicle. I dont feel safe driving this vehicle at all!

There are multiple issues with the electrical / electronics The dealer has never found any data in the systems that shows issues. Driver speedometer screen disappears and will be gone for hours or a trip. Restarting car does not fix. Center console screen that shows camera information disappears and you have no camera. Can be one or multiple trips and restarting car does not fix Dealer says the previous two issues are known but no fix or recall has have been implemented as far as we are are aware. This has been a year approx. Drivers assist package threw the car into a curb creating minor damage to divers side wheels. Cadillac found no issues in recent service. When backing car up it has engaged the parking brake When driving the car it has shifted itself into neutral. The last 3 items the dealer spent weeks going thru the car with Cadillac and found nothing. No parts have ever been replaced in multiple visits The last 3 are huge safety issues

The contact owns a 2020 Cadillac CT5. The contact stated that while the vehicle was parked and using the key fob to open the door, the door on the driver’s side failed to open. The failure was a recurring failure. The dealer was contacted and diagnosed the vehicle with an exterior door handle failure on the driver’s side. The manufacturer was not made aware of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 46,000.

The contact owns a 2020 Cadillac CT5. The contact stated that while the vehicle was parked, the front passenger's side and the front driver's side door latches failed to unlock from the outside. In addition, the front passenger's side door latch failed to unlatch from the inside. The vehicle was taken to the dealer where it was diagnosed with a failed front driver's side door handle, a failed passenger's side door handle, and the front passenger's side door latch. The contact was informed that the front driver's side door handle, the passenger's front door handle, and the front passenger's side door latch needed to be replaced. The vehicle was repaired; however, the failure reoccurred. The contact stated that the door indicator was illuminated. The vehicle was taken to the dealer, where it was diagnosed with a failed front passenger's side door latch and driver's front door latches. The contact was informed that the front driver's side door latch and the front passenger's side door latch needed to be replaced. The vehicle was not repaired. The contact was advised by an online forum to contact the NHTSA Hotline to report the failure. The manufacturer was not made aware of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 70,000.

Two separate issues: One is being sold a vehicle with a Certified vehicle at 12K miles with a defective, faulty transmission which is a manufacturer defect from General Motors. 10-speed automatic transmission 10L90 model. Misrepresentation of a product. False advertisement of a product. Failure to disclose. Gross negligence. Unethical & Illegal business practices. Dealer & manufacturer fraud. Second issue: When Valve body was replaced on the vehicle, the service manager of the dealership test drove the vehicle with me in the passenger seat on the highway. The vehicle was still not shifting or accelerating correctly even after the valve body replacement. The vehicle began to shake, jerk and rumble on the test drive. The vehicle drove worse. The service manager and I took the vehicle back to the dealership and he found that two of the wheels, on the passenger side, are now bent. That is how the bent wheels were discovered. Not from inspection. Previous multipoint inspection and diagnosis shows the wheels were not bent before I brought the car into the dealership for mechanical work. I can attest to the fact that my wheels were not bent before service and this obvious shaking of the car was not previously existent. The dealership denies liability for this issue and is now refusing to replace the wheels after I have offered to pay. Dealership service manager told me it was safe to drive the vehicle with two bent wheels and I strongly disagree with that statement and so has my insurance company. It is very questionable as to why the service manager would make such a statement. The dealership told me to call other GM dealerships to have the wheels replaced. They refused to do the work as well. I am seeking the proper resolution in this situation.

Major safety Concern Faulty valve body and transmission dealership failed to disclose. Service manager drove vehicle with bent wheels. That is how the bent wheels were discovered. Not from inspection. Wheels evidently bent under dealership possession. 2020 Cadillac CT5 Vehicle financed at 12K Miles with certified pre owned, bumper to bumper, and powertrain warranties in February 2024 showed poor driving, shifting, acceleration and abnormal behaviors such as slow and delayed shifting/acceleration, loud shifting, jerking, and strange noises from the vehicle and low power. There were very suspicious mechanical issues wrong with the car in which the dealership told me that there isn’t anything wrong with the car, with the understanding that if anything was ever wrong with the vehicle it has been fixed. I was ensured and promised that the car does not have anything wrong with it and that it goes through inspection and diagnostics, that the vehicle cannot be sold without being tested, fixed of any problems and brought to standard. I brought this to the attention of the salesman, owner, financial advisor, service advisor, service manager. I requested a full buyback and replacement of my 2020 CT5. My dealership let me know that they still want me to pay for the valve body, battery, ambient air temperature sensor and rear parking brake motor. I had to call Cadillac corporate/General Motors to have the valve body covered & rear bumper covered/replaced. I was brought into the dealership office and was told that the buyback and replacement was denied by General Motors even though my car was showing symptoms of a defective valve body ever since I financed the car. These things were being ignored by the dealership service department. Laggy and rough acceleration as well as shifting. Strange vibrations and noises coming from the car. Slow moving and the shifting was very jerky and abnormal. The shifting was also very loud and took long times to shift 1-2, 2-3, 3-4, 4-5 gears.

I have had many issues with Onstar failing. I bought the 2020 Cadillac CT5 AWD 10/2020. It took Onstar over a month to connect to my car to provide AT&T internet plan (via Onstar). On 4/22/21 I was hit in my driver front & wheel, Onstar failed- never contacted us & the airbags did not deploy. I noticed my Onstar light was red. Onstar was repaired during the body shop repair. Soon after I picked up the car (approximately 1 month) the SRS light came on & Onstar turned red again on 7/31/21. Dropped off the car to be repaired 8/13/21. After repair, SRS light came on again on 8/29/21. Then 10/4/21 the entire CUE system malfunctioned, could not use Carplay, Car Internet would not work, & Navigation would not load. 10/30/21 I cranked my car & left keys in car, the doors locked- which it should not have done. My Onstar app could not unlock the car. I called Onstar to unlock the vehicle & was told they were receiving a "busy signal, spinning sign" when trying to reach my car. My car finally shut off after idling for so long, and it unlocked the doors. I dropped off for service again 11/4/21. GM & Onstar both investigated car for the failures following the accident that occurred 4/22/21-both companies said no issue was found. GM downloaded data from wreck data, I received the report and it was missing data.

WHEN THE VEHICLE IS TRAVELING OVER 50 MPH, AND TAKES SWEEPING TURNS / GRADUAL BENDS ON THE HIGHWAY, IT BECOMES APPARENT THAT TURNING RIGHT IS MUCH HARDER THAN TURNING LEFT. THE STEERING WHEEL IS MUCH STIFFER AND FEELS HEAVIER WHEN MAKING RIGHT TURNS AT SPEED, ALMOST LIKE IT'S PERMANENTLY STUCK IN SPORT MODE WHEN THE WHEEL IS TURNED RIGHT. IT IS CONSTANTLY FIGHTING TO GET BACK TO CENTER WHEN TAKING THOSE RIGHT TURNS AT SPEED. LEFT TURNS ARE FINE. ON TWO OCCASIONS, THE WHEEL SUDDENLY AND VIOLENTLY JERKED LEFT, TRYING TO GET BACK TO CENTER AS I WAS IN THE MIDDLE OF A TURN/GRADUAL BEND ON THE HIGHWAY. I ALMOST CRASHED INTO THE MEDIAN, AND THE OTHER TWO TIMES, ALMOST RAN SIDEWAYS INTO THE CARS TO MY LEFT. THE DEALER "CANNOT DUPLICATE" HAS NOT CHECKED ALIGNMENT, OR TAKEN OTHER STEPS TO INVESTIGATE. I BOUGHT THE CAR NEW, AND HAVE OWNED IT FOR LESS THAN TWO WEEKS.

WHEN THE VEHICLE IS TRAVELING OVER 50 MPH, AND TAKES SWEEPING TURNS / GRADUAL BENDS ON THE HIGHWAY, IT BECOMES APPARENT THAT TURNING RIGHT IS MUCH HARDER THAN TURNING LEFT. THE STEERING WHEEL IS MUCH STIFFER AND FEELS HEAVIER WHEN MAKING RIGHT TURNS AT SPEED, ALMOST LIKE IT'S PERMANENTLY STUCK IN SPORT MODE WHEN THE WHEEL IS TURNED RIGHT. IT IS CONSTANTLY FIGHTING TO GET BACK TO CENTER WHEN TAKING THOSE RIGHT TURNS AT SPEED. LEFT TURNS ARE FINE. ON TWO OCCASIONS, THE WHEEL SUDDENLY AND VIOLENTLY JERKED LEFT, TRYING TO GET BACK TO CENTER AS I WAS IN THE MIDDLE OF A TURN/GRADUAL BEND ON THE HIGHWAY. I ALMOST CRASHED INTO THE MEDIAN, AND THE OTHER TWO TIMES, ALMOST RAN SIDEWAYS INTO THE CARS TO MY LEFT. THE DEALER "CANNOT DUPLICATE" HAS NOT CHECKED ALIGNMENT, OR TAKEN OTHER STEPS TO INVESTIGATE. I BOUGHT THE CAR NEW, AND HAVE OWNED IT FOR LESS THAN TWO WEEKS.

Safety Concerns and Defects: I am reporting several safety-related defects in my 2020 Cadillac CT5, which have posed serious risks to me and my family: ⸻ 1. Transmission Pump Failure: •The transmission pump failed, causing loss of power and jerking while driving at highway speeds. This occurred on[XXX] in Georgia with my two small children in the car, putting us at high risk of a crash. •No warning lights appeared, and the failure was diagnosed by the dealer (Hennessey Cadillac). 2. EVAP System Failure (P0451): •A fuel tank pressure sensor malfunctioned, triggering a check engine light shortly after purchase. This affects emissions and presents a fire risk due to potential fuel vapor leaks. •The issue was confirmed by the dealer. 3. Camshaft Solenoid Failure (P0027): •A camshaft solenoid failure was repaired by the dealer, but was not disclosed to me at purchase. •This could have caused engine stalling or hesitation. ⸻ Has the Issue Been Confirmed? •Yes, all issues have been confirmed by the dealership. The vehicle has been returned for repairs, and I can provide diagnostic and repair records. ⸻ Safety Risk and Urgency: The transmission failure almost caused a serious accident on a highway. These defects present imminent safety risks that need investigation. I believe other owners may face similar issues. ⸻ Request for NHTSA Action: Please investigate these defects in the 2020 Cadillac CT5, particularly the transmission pump failure, EVAP system, and engine stalling risks. Thank you for your attention to this matter. INFORMATION REDACTED PURSUANT TO THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT (FOIA), 5 U.S.C. 552(B)(6)

I have had many issues with Onstar failing. I bought the 2020 Cadillac CT5 AWD 10/2020. It took Onstar over a month to connect to my car to provide AT&T internet plan (via Onstar). On 4/22/21 I was hit in my driver front & wheel, Onstar failed- never contacted us & the airbags did not deploy. I noticed my Onstar light was red. Onstar was repaired during the body shop repair. Soon after I picked up the car (approximately 1 month) the SRS light came on & Onstar turned red again on 7/31/21. Dropped off the car to be repaired 8/13/21. After repair, SRS light came on again on 8/29/21. Then 10/4/21 the entire CUE system malfunctioned, could not use Carplay, Car Internet would not work, & Navigation would not load. 10/30/21 I cranked my car & left keys in car, the doors locked- which it should not have done. My Onstar app could not unlock the car. I called Onstar to unlock the vehicle & was told they were receiving a "busy signal, spinning sign" when trying to reach my car. My car finally shut off after idling for so long, and it unlocked the doors. I dropped off for service again 11/4/21. GM & Onstar both investigated car for the failures following the accident that occurred 4/22/21-both companies said no issue was found. GM downloaded data from wreck data, I received the report and it was missing data.