2026 Cadillac Lyriq Problems
Owner-reported complaints filed with NHTSA, grouped by component
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What this page shows
Everything below is an owner-reported complaint submitted to NHTSA about the 2026 Cadillac Lyriq, grouped by the component NHTSA recorded on the report. These are not confirmed defects, and they are not recalls. NHTSA does not verify most reports before publishing them, and a category with more reports in it is not evidence that a part is defective.
Complaints are reports submitted by owners and drivers to NHTSA. They are not verified and do not establish that a defect exists.
Reports by component
Ranked by how many owner reports name each component category
- Brakes225.0%
- Driver assistance225.0%
- Exterior lighting225.0%
- Body & structure112.5%
- Electrical112.5%
Percentages are of component mentions. A single complaint can name more than one component, so these do not sum to the total complaint count.
Each component in detail
What the reports in each category say, in the owners' own words
Brakes
Reports naming service brakes, the antilock braking system, brake hoses, master cylinders or the parking brake.
From owner reports, verbatim
MALFUNCTION: In normal driving mode the stop lamp / brake lights do not shut off after releasing the braking controls. The stop lamps will shut off only after the accelerator pedal is used, or when the vehicle coasts below 10mph. SAFETY: 1) When descending mountain roads the stop lamps remain illuminated for extended periods of time. In some cases the stop lamps remain illuminated for hundreds or thousands of feet after the brake controls have been released. In these situations the vehicle is now coasting downhill and NOT decelerating. In these situations there is no indication / communication provided to the traffic behind me that I am now braking and no longer coasting since the stop lamps have remained on since the previous braking event. 2) In addition, I am unable to communicate to vehicles behind by flashing my stop lamps multiple times by multiple taps on the brake pedal. The first use of the brake controls cause the stop lamps illuminate and they will remain illuminated until I use the accelerator. CONFIRMED: I have communicated with my local Cadillac dealer and they have confirmed this takes place, and they call it a 'feature' of the vehicle. THIS IS NOT: One Pedal Driving. The stop lamps illuminate correctly in this setting. Adaptive Cruise Control. The stop lamps illuminate correctly in this setting. Automatic Collision Avoidance. The stop lamps illuminate correctly in this setting.
**2026 - Cadillac Lyriq One-Pedal Driving and Brake Defect** On November 4, 2026, at approximately 9:30 AM, I was driving my 2026 Cadillac Lyriq using the one-pedal driving feature while going below 20 miles per hour. Suddenly, the vehicle accelerated unexpectedly. I lifted my foot off the accelerator, but the car did not slow down despite the one-pedal driving being enabled. Within a few seconds, various warning lights appeared on the dashboard, including messages such as "One-Pedal Driving Unavailable," "Brake Assist Off," "Auto-Hold Unavailable," and "Steering Assist is Reduced - Drive with Care." Additionally, warnings for "Service Headlamps," as well as red or yellow indicators for "Parking Setting," "ABS," and "Ready," were activated. I made several attempts to apply the brakes, but they did not respond. I even tried to engage the parking brake, which also failed. Fortunately, I was lucky enough not to hit anyone or run over any curbs during this incident. The 2026 Lyriq that I purchased has fewer than 500 miles on it and has been at the dealer service center for over two weeks. This is a significant safety concern, and I believe Cadillac should take immediate action to address this issue.
Too few reports in this category for a page of its own — they appear in the full complaint list.
Driver assistance
Reports naming forward-collision avoidance, lane keeping, back-over prevention, cruise control and related electronic driver-assistance systems.
From owner reports, verbatim
Adaptive Cruise Control (ACC) caused dangerous unintended acceleration. This model of vehicle has an ACC that maintains following distance from a leading vehicle. It will decelerate to a full stop and will resume after a full stop while maintaining a proper following distance when prompted by a brief push on the accelerator. At the beginning of this incident, my ACC was set to about 40 MPH and I was following the car in front of me. At a traffic light, I came to a full stop behind the leading car for 10-15 seconds. At this point, I realized that the left lane turn signal changed to green which would allow me to proceed. Since there was no traffic in that lane, I decided to move from my lane to the open left lane. I turned the steering wheel to go around the car in front of me into the left lane. I then briefly touched the accelerator. The result was that the car accelerated at a high pace. Since my foot on the accelerator initiated the event, it took me a second or so to move my foot to the brake and disable ACC. During the acceleration, I was able to steer into the left lane and make the subsequent left turn without incident. I'm unlikely to make this mistake again. However, I'm pretty certain that this sequence is easily repeatable should you want to test for it. This ACC behavior seems dangerous. I expect that resuming ACC while following a vehicle will result in acceleration. But if the car is pointed in a new direction while it is stopped, it seems inappropriate to allow the ACC to resume by tapping the accelerator. A better ACC behavior would disable the"resume after a full stop" functionally if the wheel is turned more that a few degrees after an ACC controlled full stop.
**2026 - Cadillac Lyriq One-Pedal Driving and Brake Defect** On November 4, 2026, at approximately 9:30 AM, I was driving my 2026 Cadillac Lyriq using the one-pedal driving feature while going below 20 miles per hour. Suddenly, the vehicle accelerated unexpectedly. I lifted my foot off the accelerator, but the car did not slow down despite the one-pedal driving being enabled. Within a few seconds, various warning lights appeared on the dashboard, including messages such as "One-Pedal Driving Unavailable," "Brake Assist Off," "Auto-Hold Unavailable," and "Steering Assist is Reduced - Drive with Care." Additionally, warnings for "Service Headlamps," as well as red or yellow indicators for "Parking Setting," "ABS," and "Ready," were activated. I made several attempts to apply the brakes, but they did not respond. I even tried to engage the parking brake, which also failed. Fortunately, I was lucky enough not to hit anyone or run over any curbs during this incident. The 2026 Lyriq that I purchased has fewer than 500 miles on it and has been at the dealer service center for over two weeks. This is a significant safety concern, and I believe Cadillac should take immediate action to address this issue.
Too few reports in this category for a page of its own — they appear in the full complaint list.
Exterior lighting
Reports naming headlights, tail lights, turn signals and other exterior lighting.
From owner reports, verbatim
MALFUNCTION: In normal driving mode the stop lamp / brake lights do not shut off after releasing the braking controls. The stop lamps will shut off only after the accelerator pedal is used, or when the vehicle coasts below 10mph. SAFETY: 1) When descending mountain roads the stop lamps remain illuminated for extended periods of time. In some cases the stop lamps remain illuminated for hundreds or thousands of feet after the brake controls have been released. In these situations the vehicle is now coasting downhill and NOT decelerating. In these situations there is no indication / communication provided to the traffic behind me that I am now braking and no longer coasting since the stop lamps have remained on since the previous braking event. 2) In addition, I am unable to communicate to vehicles behind by flashing my stop lamps multiple times by multiple taps on the brake pedal. The first use of the brake controls cause the stop lamps illuminate and they will remain illuminated until I use the accelerator. CONFIRMED: I have communicated with my local Cadillac dealer and they have confirmed this takes place, and they call it a 'feature' of the vehicle. THIS IS NOT: One Pedal Driving. The stop lamps illuminate correctly in this setting. Adaptive Cruise Control. The stop lamps illuminate correctly in this setting. Automatic Collision Avoidance. The stop lamps illuminate correctly in this setting.
Driver Side Headlight erratic flicker while parked. Low beam unexpectedly turns on and turns off. Causes eyeball light sensitivity upon approach and could cause epileptic seizures for some. Problem has been replicated by dealer with video evidence provided by me. First attempt to fix was to provide software updates. That did not remedy. The second attempt was a full and complete inspection of all wires and modules which were in tact followed by a full replacement of the headlight assembly. This also did not remedy. The third attempt did not perform any action and to mark the concern as "operating as intended." No warning lamps or other indications except being in front of the vehicle while it occurs.
Too few reports in this category for a page of its own — they appear in the full complaint list.
Body & structure
Reports naming the vehicle structure, frame, body panels, doors, hood and trim.
From owner reports, verbatim
My Cadillac Lyriq 1GYXPZRL1TZ601181 Has dents on the passenger roof rail. There are three dents one above the front door and 2 on the rear door. I discovered the dents on May 17, 2026 and I showed my local dealer on May 18, 2026. I have not been in a hail storm. My dealer said I need to file an insurance claim. Upon further research I have discovered that other owners have reported the same mysterious roof rail dents.
Too few reports in this category for a page of its own — they appear in the full complaint list.
Electrical
Reports naming the electrical system — wiring, battery, charging, control modules, infotainment and electrical accessories.
From owner reports, verbatim
2026 Cadillac LYRIQ experienced multiple complete electrical failures. INCIDENT 1: Vehicle broke down on the road. Waited 3 hours for roadside assistance. Roadside team did not know where to take the vehicle. Owner was taken home and told to call again for a tow. INCIDENT 2: Vehicle towed to Massey Cadillac South Orlando. Owner was told repair would be free. After 6 days with no communication, owner was charged $1,290 for the repair. INCIDENT 3 (CURRENT): After picking up the repaired vehicle, it suffered a complete electrical failure in a Walmart parking lot. Vehicle would not start, doors would not open electronically. Owner contacted MyCadillac app support and was told assistance was unavailable until Monday-Saturday business hours. Owner and family were stranded until 11pm. CURRENT STATUS: Vehicle is currently inoperational in owner's garage. The vehicle has experienced repeated total electrical failures making it unsafe and undrivable. The vehicle is a safety hazard as it can fail at any time without warning, leaving occupants stranded and unable to exit the vehicle.
Too few reports in this category for a page of its own — they appear in the full complaint list.
Higher-selling and older vehicles accumulate more reports. Counts are not failure rates and are not directly comparable between vehicles that sold in very different numbers.
Elsewhere on this vehicle
Data sources
- NHTSA Office of Defects Investigation — owner-reported complaints and the components recorded on them
Data on this page last refreshed .