Owners have filed 10 complaints
about the 2020 Cadillac CT4 with NHTSA between 2021 and 2026.
The largest single group is the engine & cooling.
Across this model's run it ranks 4 of 4 worst.
The letter says how bad. This says what kind — whether this year drew
an unusual number of complaints, unusually dangerous
ones, or failures that arrived unusually early.
The dashed ring is 50 — the national norm. Further out is worse.
Complaint volume — 42
Against the median year of the Cadillac CT4. 50 means typical for this
model; 100 means roughly double.
Severity — 0
0% of these complaints
involved a crash, fire, injury or death, against a national rate of
9.7%.
Early failure — not reported
Too few complaints recorded a mileage to measure this.
Complaints filed with NHTSA, by model year. Bar colour is the FaultScore grade:
A
B
C
D
F
ungraded
What breaks on a 2020 Cadillac CT4
Every complaint is filed against a part. Follow any row for the complaints about that part alone.
Engine & Cooling
330.0%
Median failure at 45,000 miles
Brakes
220.0%
Transmission & Drivetrain
220.0%
Other & Unspecified
110.0%
Fuel & Propulsion
110.0%
Airbags
110.0%
Median failure at 3,000 miles
NHTSA crash tests
The agency crash-tested this model year itself. These are its own
photographs and star ratings.
Configuration
Overall
Front
Side
Rollover
2020 Cadillac CT4 4 DR AWD
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2020 Cadillac CT4 4 DR RWD
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When owners complained
A spike years after the car went on sale usually means a part wearing
out on schedule across the whole fleet — the kind of pattern no single
owner can see from inside their own car.
Jul 2021peak 4Aug 2026
Recalls on the 2020 Cadillac CT4
A complaint is one owner's allegation. A recall is the point at which
the manufacturer or a regulator agreed the defect is real and dangerous
enough to fix for free — however old the car is.
Canada — Transport Canada
Canada runs its own recall programme, and its campaigns do not
always mirror the American ones.
Recall 20251183,413 units in Canada
Powertrain
Issue: Over time, the transmission control valve could wear and lose pressure. If this happens, the transmission could shift harshly and could cause the wheels to lock up. Note: This recall only affects vehicles equipped with a 10-speed automatic transmission. Safety Risk: Wheels that lock suddenly could cause a loss of control and increase the risk of a crash. Corrective Actions: General Motors will notify owners by mail and advise you to take your vehicle to a dealership to update the transmission control module software to detect excess wear in advance of a wheel lock up. If detected, a service engine light would turn on, a message would display in the instrument panel and the vehicle would be limited to fifth gear.
Recall 2024060273,306 units in Canada
Lights And Instruments
Issue: On certain vehicles, a software problem could cause the lower beam headlamps not to turn on as it becomes dark outside if the multi-function switch is in the "OFF" or "PARKING LAMP" position. This could also cause the daytime running lamps (DRLs) to turn off when the vehicle is moving. As a result, the vehicles may not meet certain requirements of Canadian regulations. Safety Risk: Headlamps and/or DRLs that don't turn on could reduce visibility, make the vehicle less visible to others and increase the risk of a crash. Corrective Actions: General Motors will notify owners by mail and advise you to take your vehicle to a dealership to update the body control module (BCM)software.
Recall 202270085,685 units in Canada
Lights And Instruments
Issue: On certain vehicles, the daytime running lamps (DRLs) may stay on when the headlamps are on. Canadian regulations require the DRLs to turn off when the headlamps are on. Safety Risk: Daytime running lamps that stay on could cause glare for oncoming drivers and increase the risk of a crash. Corrective Action: General Motors will notify owners by mail and instruct you to take your vehicle to a dealership to update the body control module (BCM) software.
Recall 20214882,655 units in Canada
Airbag
Issue: On certain vehicles, the roof-rail airbags may not have been installed correctly. As a result, the airbags may not inflate properly in a crash. Safety Risk: A roof-rail airbag that does not inflate properly could create an increased risk of injury in a crash. Corrective Actions: General Motors will notify owners by mail and instruct you to take your vehicle to a dealer to inspect the roof-rail airbags. If necessary, they will be reinstalled correctly.
Recall 2020452404 units in Canada
Brakes
Issue: On certain vehicles, a sensor in the electronic brake boost system may have a bad connection. Under certain driving conditions, this could cause a loss of brake assist. If this happens, there would be a sudden increase in brake pedal force required to slow or stop the vehicle. Safety Risk: Reduced brake performance can cause extended stopping distances and increase the risk of a crash. Corrective Actions: General Motors will notify owners by mail and instruct you to take your vehicle to a dealer to replace the electronic brake boost module.
In the owners' own words, exactly as filed with NHTSA.
Grand Junction, CO
SERVICE BRAKES
Total brake system failure. Lost almost all brake function nearly causing an accident. June 17, 2026 car was taken to dealership. Electronic Brake Control Module (EBCM), Brake Master Cylinder, Brake Pedal Retainer replacement required. August 7, 2026 received a call from dealer stating that EBCM replacement was faulty or failed. August 26, 2026 Contacted GM to ask for inclusion in recall 20V588000. Was refused inclusion. 70 days out of service and was forced to sell vehicle due to safety concern, extended repair schedule and cost of a vehicle I could not use. Two EBCM replacements and vehicle is still out of service as of August 26, 2026.
NHTSA complaint #11759859 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.
Mickleton, NJ
ENGINE
69,000 mile oil change I was told i needed to spend thousands of dollars on repairing an oil leak b/c my Cam carrier is leaking. Cadillac has a know issue with this repair and refuses to stand behind it's product. Numerous complaints already on forums and yet they charge thousands to fix. A top name brand that can't produce a vehicle past 69000 miles without a major issue. I wanted to make it known about the ongoing issue by Cadillac. So sad.
NHTSA complaint #11759557 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.
Apollo Beach, FL
POWER TRAIN
I had two incidents with the Cadillac CT-4 in February and then again in April of 2026 of driving on I-75 at a highway speed of about 70 MPH when the vehicle suddenly downshifted and the engine revving at at very high RPM. The vehicle slowed down suddenly and it felt for a moment that I could not control the speed. The check engine light was on and the diagnostic indicated a transmission/engineer problem and to take in to service within a day. Both incidents in February and April felt the same. Both times I pulled over to the shoulder to shut the engine. I waited and in February it restarted without the engineer revving high. In April, it still revved high. When I took it to Ed Morse Cadillac in [XXX] in February 28, they indicated that it was a water pump failure and they replaced the water pump. I expressed that it was odd that a water pump could affect the vehicle engineer/transmission like it did when engine overheating is usually a warning of a water pump problem. The Odometer was at 73000 just over the 70000 warranty and Cadillac HQ agreed to pay for the repair. However, I continued to have the transmission problem or check engine light problem. I took it back several more times for the check engine light and even paid for a diagnostic. Ultimately, I had the same sudden downshift high engine rev on May 6th and brought it to the Brandon Cadillac again. This time they gave me a loaner and kept the car for a week and told me it was the transmission and that the core component would need to be replaced. The bill was for $4,449.83 for the repair on May 20, 2026. This time Cadillac HQ would not cover the repair even though there were other Cadiilacs with similar transmission issues. The Caddillac HQ Case Number is #XXX INFORMATION REDACTED PURSUANT TO THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT (FOIA), 5 U.S.C. 552(B)(6)
NHTSA complaint #11752429 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.
Grand Junction, CO
SERVICE BRAKES
The electronic brake control module, break retainer, brake master cylinder and brake valve all failed. I was driving to lunch and coming down a hill when multiple warning lights turned on as I pressed the brakes. I had almost no braking power as I approached a stop sign that lets you enter a highway almost causing me to drive through the stop sign and into cross traffic. I had enough bearings to down shift it and slow it down enough to stop. If I have went through the stop sign, it could have been a fatal accident. The vehicle is at a GM dealership currently with all active codes and faulty equipment. I contacted GM and tried to get some help with this issue and they refuse to help since it is not on the recall list. There is a recall on these exact same parts on the exact same vehicle, GM said its VIN specific. The problem is still current. This vehicle is a major safety risk that obviously should have been included in the recall. There was no warning or no symptoms of this issue until the failure in the moment.
NHTSA complaint #11745985 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.
Muscle Shoals, AL
POWER TRAIN
The vehicle shudders and loses power when accelerating fast. My wife almost got hit when she pulled out in traffic the car stalled out. It is due to the cylinder deactivation (afm).
NHTSA complaint #11742821 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.
Muscle Shoals, AL
ENGINE
The vehicle shudders and loses power when accelerating fast. My wife almost got hit when she pulled out in traffic the car stalled out. It is due to the cylinder deactivation (afm).
NHTSA complaint #11742821 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.
Muscle Shoals, AL
FUEL/PROPULSION SYSTEM
The vehicle shudders and loses power when accelerating fast. My wife almost got hit when she pulled out in traffic the car stalled out. It is due to the cylinder deactivation (afm).
NHTSA complaint #11742821 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.
Nolanville, TX
UNKNOWN OR OTHER
Right rear brake light is out. There is a lot of moisture in the tail light causing the lights to corrode and go out
NHTSA complaint #11664086 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.
at 45,000 milesLansing, MI
ENGINE
The contact owns a 2020 Cadillac CT4. The contact stated while driving 70 MPH, on several occasions, the vehicle failed to accelerate, hesitated, and then stalled. The vehicle was towed on three occasions to the local dealer, who was unable to determine the cause of the failure. There were no DTC codes retrieved. The vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired. The manufacturer was not contacted. The failure mileage was approximately 45,000.
NHTSA complaint #11592549 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.
at 3,000 milesChillicothe, IL
AIR BAGS
The contact owns a 2014 Cadillac CT4. The contact stated that the "Service Safety Restraint System" message was displayed on the instrument panel while driving. The vehicle was taken to the dealer who diagnosed that the air bags needed to be replaced. The vehicle was not repaired due to the parts not yet being available. The manufacturer was not made aware of the failure. The approximate failure mileage was 3,000.
NHTSA complaint #11425658 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.