2014 Cadillac Elr Owner Complaints

Component Affected: ELECTRICAL SYSTEM/ AIR BAGS: FRONT: PASSENGER SIDE Description of Safety Defect: The Passenger Presence System (PPS) Module / Occupant Sensor Module failed on my 2014 Cadillac ELR, triggering diagnostic code U0170 ("Lost Communication with Passenger Presence Module") And illuminating the "Service Airbag" warning light on the dashboard. Due to this electronic failure, the vehicles supplemental restraint system (STS) has completely disabled the front passenger-side airbag. In the event of a collision, the passenger airbag will not deploy, creating an immediate and severe safety hazard for any occupant in that seat. This error message appeared while in the dealerships possession for an unrelated issue. The dealership service technician confirmed the faulty module and stated they are not able to complete the repair due to discontinued parts. see attached. General motors (GM) has officially discontinued the vehicle-specific replacement parts (Part #23504892 & #23504893) required to fix this defect. Dealerships are turning owners away because the parts are entirely unavailable nationwide, and standard components from higher-volume GM models are incompatible with the low-production ELR seat configuration. This leaves owners with a permanently disabled safety system and no manufacturer-supported path to repair a critical restraint component. Because this is a widespread, identical failure among 2014 ELR vehicles that results in total airbag deactivation, a federal safety investigation and recall are required to force the manufacturer to produce a batch of functional safety components.

NHTSA ID

11747536

Incident

Dec 30, 2025

The vehicle lost all power while driving; this has occurred four times between August 2024 and November 2024. Without warning, the vehicle loses power, including brakes, steering, lights, warning flashers, doors, etc., all power goes away. This has occurred three times during the day and once at night, creating a hazard for myself and other drivers. The vehicle has been towed to the dealership three times, where it restarts. There are no codes to be found and GM is uncertain of what to do.

NHTSA ID

11628984

Incident

Aug 1, 2024

Loss of power and control: Twice over the past two months, the vehicle has died and lost all power and control functions while in motion. The first episode was while my spouse was driving during the day at about 30 MPH. She reports the vehicle made a loud "pop," and then all power to the vehicle, including steering and braking, was lost. After a few minutes, the car restarted and was towed to the dealership. They found no codes and could not replicate the incident, and GM could not provide them with any suggestions. After a month, the car was returned to us. Two weeks ago, I was driving at night, and except for the "popping" noise, the same thing happened while driving on a dark roadway. The vehicle just died, and I managed to wrestle it to the side of the road with no power steering, no brakes, no hazard lights, nor could I get the doors to open with the electric door release. Again, after being towed, the dealership reported that the car started the next morning, and they found no codes and could not replicate the issue. While the dealership still has the vehicle, we are concerned that driving at highway speeds could be much more dangerous or deadly. In addition, the vehicle dying on a dark road and having no electrical power poses a risk to other drivers if the vehicle cannot be moved off the roadway.

NHTSA ID

11622342

Incident

Oct 14, 2024

Shift to park error message unable to turn off or exit vehicle. This is a hybrid vehicle

NHTSA ID

11463637

Incident

Nov 30, 2021

SHIFTING THE VEHICLE INTO PARK AND ATTEMPTING TO TURN IT OFF BY HITTING THE POWER BUTTON, YIELDS A WARNING ON THE DIC SAYING "ACTION REQUIRED: SHIFT TO PARK", DESPITE THE SHIFT SELECTOR ALREADY BEING IN PARK. THIS PREVENTS THE VEHICLE FROM BEING TURNED OFF. REQUIRES MULTIPLE ATTEMPTS OF TURNING THE VEHICLE ON AND OFF, AND MOVING OF THE SHIFT SELECTOR TO GET THE CAR TO RECOGNIZE THE VEHICLE IS ACTUALLY IN PARK.

NHTSA ID

11372718

Incident

Oct 26, 2020

Mileage

82,000 mi

SERVICE S R S LIGHT STAYS ON NO ACCIDENT IT JUST CAME ON ONE DAY NO ONE WAS SITTING IN THE PASSAGES

NHTSA ID

11362731

Incident

Oct 3, 2020

ALL FOUR ORIGINAL WHEELS AND ONE GM REPLACEMENT WHEEL HAVE ALL CRACKED RANDOMLY OVER THE COURSE OF MY OWNERSHIP OF THE CAR. GM HASN'T OFFERED ANY HELP AND DEALERSHIP PERSONNEL JUST SHRUG AND SAY YEAH THOSE WHEELS HAD PROBLEMS.

NHTSA ID

11360108

Incident

Sep 6, 2020

CADILLAC CUE SYSTEM SCREEN HAS DEVELOPED DEAD SPOTS WITHOUT WARNING. UNABLE TO FIND WORK AROUND TO TURN ON PARTS OF VENTILATION SYSTEM, STEREO, NAVIGATION, AND CHARGING SYSTEMS.

NHTSA ID

11307290

Incident

Jan 15, 2020

Mileage

27,500 mi

THE TOUCHSCREEN IS FAILING. PARTS OF THE SCREEN NO LONGER RESPOND TO TOUCH. THIS AFFECTS THE RADIO, GPS, DEFROSTER, HEAT, AIR CONDITIONING, CAR SYSTEM CONFIGURATION, ETC.

NHTSA ID

11154491

Incident

Nov 5, 2018

Mileage

35,500 mi

WHEN USING THE BRAKES; SMALL BUMPS CAN TRIGGER THE ABS SYSTEM TO INTERVENE UNNECESSARILY, CAUSING THE CAR TO LOSE SIGNIFICANT GROUND WHEN BRAKING, THIS CAN BE CATASTROPHIC EVEN AT LOW SPEEDS. THIS IS AN ISSUE I HAVE EXPERIENCED FIRST HAND IN BOTH THE CADILLAC ELR, AND THE SISTER CAR THE CHEVY VOLT. THIS HAPPENS AT ALL SPEEDS, MOSTLY ON ROADS WITH POTHOLES WHERE THE WHEEL WILL MOMENTARILY LOSE CONTACT WITH THE ROAD. THIS CAN BE RESOLVED IN THE WAY AUDI/VW HAS, THAT INCREASES THE BRAKE PRESSURE ONCE THE ABS SYSTEM IS TRIGGERED TO MAKE UP FOR LOST DISTANCE, THUS REDUCING THE CHANCES OF AN ACCIDENT.

NHTSA ID

11142883

Incident

Oct 25, 2018

Mileage

65,000 mi

MOLD IN AIR CONDITIONING EVAPORATOR GOT ME SICK. TREATMENT BY DEALER SENT ME TO THE HOSPITAL COUGHING & SPITING-UP BLOOD! VERY SICK FROM EXPOSURES. GM TSB 99-01-39-004H CLEARLY SHOWS THIS IS A COMMON PROBLEM. CAR HAS BEEN AT THE DEALER SINCE 3/24/2016 & THEY ARE DENYING CHEMICAL ODOR THAT TWO INSPECTORS HAVE ALREADY VERIFIED. NHTSA HAS DONE NOTHING ABOUT THIS DANGEROUS TSB. WHY? UPDATED 04/03/2017*JS

NHTSA ID

10872485

Incident

Mar 23, 2016

Mileage

11,300 mi

CADILLAC CUE SYSTEM AND CENTER STACK SYSTEM FREEZING AND UNRESPONSIVE. THE CADILLAC ELR'S HVAC, NAVIGATION, AUDIO AND OTHER SYSTEM FUNCTIONS ARE ALL CONTROLLED ONLY BY TOUCH SENSITIVE PANEL EITHER IN THE CUE SCREEN OR BELOW IT. WHEN CUE FREEZES OR LAGS AS IT OFTEN DOES THIS CAUSES A DANGEROUS OCCURRENCE WHERE THE DRIVER MUST DIVERT ATTENTION FROM THE ROAD TO OPERATE THE CAR'S SYSTEM. WHILE ON MY NORMAL COMMUTE THIS MORNING I WENT TO ADJUST MY AIR CONDITIONING WHEN THE SYSTEM FROZE. I WAITED FOR THE SYSTEM TO CATCH UP OR UN-FREEZE AND AS THE SCREEN STARTED TO RESPOND MY DISTANCE SENSOR SOUNDED AND I HAD TO SLAM ON MY BRAKES TO AVOID HITTING A CAR THAT HAD SLOWED IN FRONT OF ME. THE CONSTANT MALFUNCTION OF THIS SLOW OPERATING SYSTEM DIVERTS ENTIRELY TOO MUCH ATTENTION AWAY FROM THE ROAD AND CREATES AN UNSAFE DRIVING EXPERIENCE. THE ALTERNATIVE IS TO NOT ENGAGE WITH AUDIO OR HVAC CONTROLS WHILE DRIVING, WHICH IS NOT THE INTENDED DESIGN OF THE CAR. THE LAGGING CUE SYSTEM HAS PERSONALLY CAUSED DISTRESS AND NERVOUSNESS WHILE DRIVING THIS CAR. I'VE ADDRESSED THESE CONCERNS WITH BOTH CADILLAC EXECUTIVE TEAM AND TWO LOCAL DEALERSHIPS ALL OF WHICH SAY THE SYSTEM FUNCTIONS AS DESIGNED.

NHTSA ID

10865844

Incident

May 19, 2016

Mileage

23,000 mi

SIMILAR TO MY 2014 CHEVROLET VOLT, THE STEERING COLUMN STICKS ON HIGHWAYS AT HIGH SPEEDS, IT FEELS LIKE IT CATCHES ON SOMETHING, WHEN TURNING THE WHEEL TO THE RIGHT. BEHAVIOR SEEMS TO HAPPEN WHEN STEERING WHEEL IS STRAIGHT FOR A TIME, THEN WHEN TURNING THE WHEEL, IT CATCHES. THERE WAS A RECALL FOR THAT EXACT BEHAVIOR IN MY VOLT, WHICH WAS CORRECTED WITH RECALL.

NHTSA ID

10819314

Incident

Jan 2, 2016

Mileage

8,000 mi

I HAD A RESET OF THE GAUGE CLUSTER OCCUR WHILE USING STEERING WHEEL CONTROLS TO SEARCH MUSIC ON SD CARD. ISSUE IS THE SAME AS DISCRIBED AT THIS PAGE - HTTP://WWW.AUTOBLOG.COM/2014/02/26/GM-CHEVY-SILVERADO-GMC-SIERRA-PICKUP-GLITCH-COULD-SPARK-RECALL/ - EXCEPT ON ELR. VEHICLE WAS IN MOTION ABOUT 5 MINUTES AFTER STARTING. ON EV POWER. CONDITIONS DRY, TEMPS IN HIGH 40S. I WAS SLOWING FROM 45 TO A STOP IN TRAFFIC WHEN RESET OCCURRED. WAS A MAJOR DISTRACTION SINCE ALL WARNING LIGHTS CAME ON AT ONCE.

NHTSA ID

10809397

Incident

Dec 10, 2015

Mileage

14,366 mi

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2014 CADILLAC ELR. WHILE DRIVING AT 70 MPH, THE VEHICLE DECELERATED INDEPENDENTLY WITHOUT WARNING. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT DIAGNOSED OR REPAIRED. THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOTIFIED OF THE FAILURE. THE APPROXIMATE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 3,500.

NHTSA ID

10745909

Incident

Jan 1, 2015

Mileage

3,500 mi

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2014 CADILLAC ELR. THE CONTACT STATED THAT WHILE PARKED ON A SLIGHT HILL, THE VEHICLE WAS SHIFTED OUT OF PARK AND STARTED TO DRIFT DOWN THE HIL IN REVERSEL. THE CONTACT STATED THAT BRAKES FAILED TO STOP AND THE VEHICLE CRASHED INTO A TELEPHONE POLE. NO INJURIES WERE SUSTAINED. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO THE DEALER. THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOT MADE AWARE. THE FAILURE MILEAGE ON THE VEHICLE WAS 20. THE VIN WAS NOT MADE AVAILABLE.

NHTSA ID

10652668

Incident

Aug 4, 2014

Mileage

20 mi

I TEST DROVE A NEW ELR AT NIGHT. THE INSIDE REAR VIEW MIRROR IS THE AUTOMATIC DIMMING TYPE. UNLIKE ALMOST ALL SUCH MIRRORS, THE COMPLETE MIRROR DOES NOT DIM. THE CENTER SECTION DIMS, BUT THERE IS AN APPROXIMATELY QUARTER-INCH BAND THAT DOES NOT BETWEEN THE DIMMING SECTION AND THE FRAME. AT NIGHT, WITH A TALLER VEHICLE'S LIGHTS SHINING ON THE MIRROR THIS NON-DIMMING SECTION REFLECTS THEM AT FULL BRIGHTNESS. THIS IS BOTH ANNOYING AND DISTRACTING. I BELIEVE ADDITIONAL CADILLAC VEHICLES, SUCH AS THE XTS, ALSO HAVE THIS DEFECT. *TR

NHTSA ID

10606624

Incident

Jun 25, 2014

Mileage

800 mi