2021 Cadillac CT5 problems

STRUCTURE:BODY

The door opening mechanism has failed on the drivers outside door handle. It locks and unlocks fine but it will not open. I can use an alternative by the getting the emergency access key out of the fob and popping off the handle and open with that key. Or I can go in thru another door and open it from inside or somehow open all the windows using the fob with some kind of press this and that at the same time, and access inside handle thru the window. This becomes a safety concern because I'm usually alone, and this makes me vulnerable when I have to get into the car. Especially in parking lots and garages or gas stations, or anytime there may be a situation where a quick get out of there may be required. I have been visiting the Cadillac forums and have heard many of this same complaint in the on-line discussions. Many of the complaintants have recommended to report the as a safety concern. There is no warning of this in the systems, nor is there any information coming from Cadillac about resolving this problem in the

NHTSA complaint #11755622 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.

STRUCTURE:BODY

All 4 of my door handles suddenly stopped working and they will start working from time to time. Most of the time it’s 3-4 days where i cant open my door’s from the outside. I have looked into this and have found that MANY other CT5 users have had the same experience where they are unable to open their doors from the outside, most stating that it could be the door actuator. Others stating they have taken their vehicle in and have been quoted up to $4,000 to do the repair on something we shouldn’t have to worry about. Getting into our own vehicles? we shouldn’t have to be worrying about not being able to open our doors because of a faulty door actuator. I believe this should be recalled so no one has to worry about the safety of needing to get into our vehicles quickly or in case a child closes the doors oj themselves and we are unable to open the doors to get the out. Please look into all the complaints about this matter and consider making everybody’s experience a better one and not one where our doors will one day suddenly go out and stop working.

NHTSA complaint #11748689 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.

ELECTRICAL SYSTEM

We own a 2021 Cadillac CT5 that we bought used in 2024 from Sewell Cadillac in Houston, Texas. During our first year of ownership, and while still under warranty, we started having intermittent issues with the rear doors. At times, one or the other rear doors would only open from the inside of the vehicle. My wife mentioned it to the dealer when the car was in for other issues, but because we couldn’t reproduce it at the dealership, nothing came of it. Then in March of this year, both rear doors completely failed. Neither rear door will open from the inside or the outside, and they are still that way today. We took the vehicle back to the dealer, and they performed a software update and sent us a service video. In that video, the technician described the issue as “weird” and not something they had seen before. After a couple of days, the dealer came back and said both rear exterior door handles need to be replaced, with a repair quote of $3,950.49 (for their trouble, they also charged us $265.00 to diagnose the issue). What really shocked me was that, because neither rear door will release from inside or outside, their quote indicates they would have to cut through the interior door panels just to open the doors and perform the repair. The more I researched this, the more it became clear that this problem is not “weird” at all — it appears to be a frequent issue with the CT5, with multiple owners describing similar door-handle failures and forum discussions suggesting it may be a well-known weak point rather than an isolated event. We frequently transport our granddaughter in this vehicle and that can't be accommodated until the issue is resolved with Cadillac. I don't think I can even imagine all of the potential safety implications of this type of failure should this have happened when anyone, much less a child. They would be trapped in the rear seat of the vehicle and possible strapped to a car seat. I can't imagine a better case for a recall, honestly.

NHTSA complaint #11738510 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.

ELECTRICAL SYSTEM

The door(s) would not open from the outside. I had the driver side door handle replaced first - took weeks for the part to come in - this was a safety issue because I had to climb through the passenger side to open the driver side door. (the key entry would not work either) After weeks, and me paying for it, the same thing happened to the rear driver side door. I went to open it to get my grandchild out and couldn't. Again this is a safety issue. What if I needed him out in an emergency and I couldn't. I had to walk around and get him out of the car on the other side. Now my passenger door is broke. This is a big concern, which I let the dealership know about, the safety if you can't get someone out of a car or just getting in your car - a person is vulnerable to outside elements/surroundings. The dealership has said this is a very common problem with this make/model. If "very' common it should be recalled. They shouldn't be waiting for something bad to happen prior.

NHTSA complaint #11728484 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.

ELECTRICAL SYSTEM

I've had my driver side door handle switch replaced beacuse it was faulty and I could not get into my car through the driver side. Now I am having the same issue with the passanger side. In a case of an emergeny if I can not get into my car I fear for my or my passanger's safety. I fear the quality of the parts are not ment to last. I replaced the driver side handle right before the manufactur warreny ran out then the passanger door stopped working when the warrenty ran out.

NHTSA complaint #11720298 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.

WHEELS

While driving on a very busy highway going downhill when suddenly the vehicle started feeling abnormal like it was going to turn off automatically, heard an abnormal grinding noise coming from the engine the vehicle dropped speed drastically and the check engine light turned on , luckily we were on a part of the road where I merged quickly to the side of the road followed by a sudden engine shut down, the safety of myself and 3 other passengers was very compromised due to nearly being hit by other vehicles coming at a high speed on a main highway when my vehicle suddenly slowed down coming to a shut down due to the engine failure, I attempted to turn the car on again but would not turn on, was not getting any response at all, had to get the car towed, the vehicle did not have other warning lights before the failure, the check engine light came on after the engine failed, the vehicle was taken to an authorized Cadillac dealer where the engine was diagnosed as Engine seized, locked up and will not turn over. I received a Recall regarding Momentary Wheel Lock-Up which leads me to believe that might be related to what happened to my vehicle but did not have 8K dollars for a teardown to further inspect the root cause of my engine failure and definitely did not have over 11K dollars for a new engine/labor cost. The Cadillac dealer was quick to deny the possibility to be related to the recall without even doing a teardown of engine also the dealer denied the option to work on the recall repair due to the vehicle being inoperable.

NHTSA complaint #11717706 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.

UNKNOWN OR OTHER

While driving on a very busy highway going downhill when suddenly the vehicle started feeling abnormal like it was going to turn off automatically, heard an abnormal grinding noise coming from the engine the vehicle dropped speed drastically and the check engine light turned on , luckily we were on a part of the road where I merged quickly to the side of the road followed by a sudden engine shut down, the safety of myself and 3 other passengers was very compromised due to nearly being hit by other vehicles coming at a high speed on a main highway when my vehicle suddenly slowed down coming to a shut down due to the engine failure, I attempted to turn the car on again but would not turn on, was not getting any response at all, had to get the car towed, the vehicle did not have other warning lights before the failure, the check engine light came on after the engine failed, the vehicle was taken to an authorized Cadillac dealer where the engine was diagnosed as Engine seized, locked up and will not turn over. I received a Recall regarding Momentary Wheel Lock-Up which leads me to believe that might be related to what happened to my vehicle but did not have 8K dollars for a teardown to further inspect the root cause of my engine failure and definitely did not have over 11K dollars for a new engine/labor cost. The Cadillac dealer was quick to deny the possibility to be related to the recall without even doing a teardown of engine also the dealer denied the option to work on the recall repair due to the vehicle being inoperable.

NHTSA complaint #11717706 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.

ENGINE

While driving on a very busy highway going downhill when suddenly the vehicle started feeling abnormal like it was going to turn off automatically, heard an abnormal grinding noise coming from the engine the vehicle dropped speed drastically and the check engine light turned on , luckily we were on a part of the road where I merged quickly to the side of the road followed by a sudden engine shut down, the safety of myself and 3 other passengers was very compromised due to nearly being hit by other vehicles coming at a high speed on a main highway when my vehicle suddenly slowed down coming to a shut down due to the engine failure, I attempted to turn the car on again but would not turn on, was not getting any response at all, had to get the car towed, the vehicle did not have other warning lights before the failure, the check engine light came on after the engine failed, the vehicle was taken to an authorized Cadillac dealer where the engine was diagnosed as Engine seized, locked up and will not turn over. I received a Recall regarding Momentary Wheel Lock-Up which leads me to believe that might be related to what happened to my vehicle but did not have 8K dollars for a teardown to further inspect the root cause of my engine failure and definitely did not have over 11K dollars for a new engine/labor cost. The Cadillac dealer was quick to deny the possibility to be related to the recall without even doing a teardown of engine also the dealer denied the option to work on the recall repair due to the vehicle being inoperable.

NHTSA complaint #11717706 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.

STRUCTURE:BODY

Exterior driver side door handle will not open the door causing issues with ingress into vehicle.

NHTSA complaint #11715761 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.

ELECTRICAL SYSTEM

The passive door locks on the handles to the car do not work. The electronic sensor to unlock the car does not work due to misalignment of the pin that is supposed to press the key. This is a widely known issue on 2020-2021 Cadillac ct5 vehicles. This eventually results in total lockout of the vehicle. I currently have three doors that do not unlock. Please see a link to the issue I reported on Cadillacs form website as well https://www.cadillacforums.com/threads/door-handle-issues.1141023/?nested_view=1#post-18436706

NHTSA complaint #11711339 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.

POWER TRAIN

The contact owns a 2021 Cadillac CT5. The contact stated that while driving approximately 42 MPH – 66 MPH, the vehicle was shaking abnormally. The contact stated that while driving at an undisclosed speed, the vehicle jerked and shuddered while shifting gears. The cause of the failure was not yet determined. The local dealer and manufacturer were notified of the failure. The failure mileage was 48,600.

NHTSA complaint #11681668 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.

ELECTRICAL SYSTEM

The exterior door handle latch release switch fails to open the door. This issue happened to all 4 exterior doors. The problem starts with intermittently, then progresses to complete failure. Once it fails, the entire door handle needs to be replaced. If all 4 doors fail, the only way to access the car is with the Emergency Key or if you activated the Remote Window Down. This only works if you have access to the key. If you left your keys in the car, the car would lock (even if running) then your only option is to fiddle with the switch in hopes of activating it or crawl through the trunk (if you're small enough). If an infant or a pet is in the car, then that could lead to problems. Also if you pass out and emergency responders came out, they would have to break the window or pry the door open to gain access, which could pose a life or death situation. This is a well documented issue with this car per the Cadillac Forums. I replaced both the front door handle assemblies to repair the main access to the car. The rear handles are still inoperable. During inspection of the Handle Electronic assembly, it appears that the switch isn't fully seated against the circuit card, which causes the solder connection on the circuit card to fail.

NHTSA complaint #11680213 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.

FUEL/PROPULSION SYSTEM

Car interior smelled like gas when the car is started. but seemed to clear while driving. Found that the Fuel hose between the pipe and the fuel intake was leaking when the car initially started. You could smell the odor when the hood was raised. This is the Pipe and Hose that you need the Fuel clamp removal tool for that is located in the rear center of the engine just in front of the firewall. The leak was about 3 inches from then end where it connected to the engine. Currently I have a temporary repair on it (Fuel coupling) where the hole was. Note, This car is out of warranty. It has been to the dealership (Step One Cadillac in Ft. Walton Beach, FL) for other recalls, but the dealership did not mention any issues.

NHTSA complaint #11680204 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.

STRUCTURE:BODY

Beginning of 2025 my drivers side door handle would not open from the outside of the car only the inside . I took it to a certified Cadillac dealer which they had to replace the door handle . Now July 10, 2025 my front passenger side is doing the same thing and I will not have to take my car in to see if they can fix it or it this too will need to be replaced. This causes a hazard of emergency no one would be able to open the door from outside of the vehicle .

NHTSA complaint #11679649 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.

STEERING

aste): The vehicle has a serious pulling issue while driving, which was not corrected with alignment and poses a safety risk. Additionally, the windshield was scratched by faulty wiper blades that impaired visibility — the dealer later reimbursed me. Lastly, the driver-side running light was not functioning, which creates a hazard and may violate federal lighting safety standards.

NHTSA complaint #11671823 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.

EXTERIOR LIGHTING

aste): The vehicle has a serious pulling issue while driving, which was not corrected with alignment and poses a safety risk. Additionally, the windshield was scratched by faulty wiper blades that impaired visibility — the dealer later reimbursed me. Lastly, the driver-side running light was not functioning, which creates a hazard and may violate federal lighting safety standards.

NHTSA complaint #11671823 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.

VISIBILITY/WIPER

aste): The vehicle has a serious pulling issue while driving, which was not corrected with alignment and poses a safety risk. Additionally, the windshield was scratched by faulty wiper blades that impaired visibility — the dealer later reimbursed me. Lastly, the driver-side running light was not functioning, which creates a hazard and may violate federal lighting safety standards.

NHTSA complaint #11671823 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.

STRUCTURE:BODY

Currently my passenger door and my rear driver side door do not open from the outside. I already had to have my driver side door handle replaced for the same issue, now three out of four of my handles have failed. If an accident were to occur no one would be able to access the passenger or the rear driver passenger from the outside because the doors do not open. Since I can not open the door from the outside I had to remove the child lock from the rear door so my child can exit the vehicle.

NHTSA complaint #11641989 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.

POWER TRAIN

Service transmission message showed up on dash. Dealer stated after performance test found P17A5 code for shift control. The dealer stated that the gear shift assembly needed to be replaced and if not, that the car could get stuck in gear which I feel is a safety risk. My vehicle only has 37,111 miles on it and I am pretty much the only driver.

NHTSA complaint #11636164 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.

UNKNOWN OR OTHER

Driver Side door handle stops working. Because the door handle operates with a sensor and not a standard pull door handle something is being affected and it will not open door. Causing safety issue and not being able to enter car normally.

NHTSA complaint #11632837 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.

ELECTRICAL SYSTEM

Driver Side door handle stops working. Because the door handle operates with a sensor and not a standard pull door handle something is being affected and it will not open door. Causing safety issue and not being able to enter car normally.

NHTSA complaint #11632837 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.