2021 Cadillac CT5 Problems, Complaints & Recalls
- Compared with other CT5 years
- Far more complaints than other years 2nd of 7 for complaints
- Safety recalls
- 4 recalls: check your VIN
- NHTSA crash rating
- 5 out of 5 stars
Owners have filed 30 complaints with NHTSA about the 2021 Cadillac CT5. That ranks 2nd out of 7 CT5 model years for complaints. The most reported problem area is electrical system (13 complaints, 43%). Complaints mention 3 crashes, 2 injuries. There are 4 safety recalls covering this model year. NHTSA has opened 1 defect investigation involving it.
- 30owner complaints
- 4safety recalls
- 1NHTSA investigations
- 3complaints mentioning a crash
Complaints are unverified owner reports and are not adjusted for sales volume.
Most common 2021 Cadillac CT5 problems
Complaints grouped by the part of the car owners reported, with the median mileage when the problem happened.
| Problem area | Complaints | Share | Median miles | Owners mention most | Typical repair cost |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Electrical System | 13 | 43% | — | — | — |
| Structure | 7 | 23% | — | — | — |
| Power Train | 4 | 13% | 48,600 | — | — |
| Unknown or Other | 4 | 13% | — | — | — |
| Air Bags | 2 | 7% | — | — | — |
| Forward Collision Avoidance | 2 | 7% | — | — | — |
| Engine | 1 | 3% | — | — | — |
| Exterior Lighting | 1 | 3% | — | — | — |
| Fuel/propulsion System | 1 | 3% | — | — | — |
| Seat Belts | 1 | 3% | — | — | — |
| Service Brakes | 1 | 3% | — | — | — |
| Steering | 1 | 3% | — | — | — |
| Tires | 1 | 3% | — | — | — |
| Visibility | 1 | 3% | 35,100 | — | — |
| Visibility/wiper | 1 | 3% | — | — | — |
| Wheels | 1 | 3% | — | — | — |
One complaint can list several problem areas, so shares can add up to more than 100%.
Complaints by year received
2021 Cadillac CT5 recalls (4)
Tap a recall to see the problem, the risk and the fix.
Power train:automatic transmission
Problem: 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.
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.
Exterior lighting:lighting control module:software
Problem: 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.
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.
Air bags:side/window:curtain
Problem: 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.
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.
Air bags:srs malfunction warning lamp/light; electrical system:software
Problem: 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.
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.
To see whether a specific car still has an open recall, enter its VIN on NHTSA's official recall lookup. You can also decode a VIN here.
NHTSA defect investigations
- Air Bag Malfunction (PE21010) — opened Apr 9, 2021, closed Aug 24, 2023.
Recent owner reports
Short excerpts of the latest complaints filed with NHTSA, with personal details removed. Full reports can be searched on NHTSA.gov.
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…
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…
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…
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…
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…
Other Cadillac CT5 years
See all Cadillac CT5 problems by year, every Cadillac model, or the Cadillac VIN decoder.
Similar Cadillac models
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Frequently asked questions
What are the most common problems with the 2021 Cadillac CT5?
Owners most often report electrical system, structure, power train problems. The top one, electrical system, accounts for 13 complaints.
Was there a recall on the 2021 Cadillac CT5?
Yes, 4 safety recalls. Enter your VIN at NHTSA.gov to check whether the repairs were done on your car.
Was the 2021 Cadillac CT5 a good year?
Complaint data can't fully answer that, because counts aren't adjusted for sales. Compared with other CT5 model years, the 2021 has far more complaints than most years, and NHTSA rates it 5 out of 5 stars overall in crash tests. Always get a pre-purchase inspection and check the VIN for open recalls.