On April 8, 2026, my 2020 Cadillac XT5 experienced a sudden and complete engine failure while I was driving. Prior to the failure, there were no warning lights, no overheating indications, no abnormal engine noises, and no performance issues that would have alerted me to a developing problem. Without warning, the engine failed and the vehicle immediately lost power, creating a serious safety hazard. The vehicle became inoperable and had to be towed. Fortunately, I was not traveling on a freeway or in heavy traffic at the time of the failure. Had this occurred at highway speeds or while crossing an intersection, the sudden loss of propulsion could have significantly increased the risk of a crash. This unexpected loss of power increased my risk a potential highway hazard. The vehicle was subsequently inspected and diagnosed by an authorized Cadillac dealership. The dealership determined that the engine suffered an internal mechanical failure, including rod bearing failure and metal contamination throughout the engine. The dealership advised that the engine required complete replacement. The vehicle has been properly maintained and serviced. There was no owner misuse, neglect, overheating event, or other known condition that would explain such a catastrophic failure. The engine failed unexpectedly and without any prior warning to the driver. I am submitting this complaint because a sudden engine failure resulting in immediate loss of power presents a significant safety concern. I believe NHTSA should investigate whether similar failures have occurred in other 2020 Cadillac XT5 vehicles and whether a manufacturing or design defect may exist that could place other drivers at risk.
NHTSA complaint #11750727 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.
I had P0128 Code with a warning message " Steering assist is reduced, drive with care". My local mechanic told I need a new thermostat. I have replaced my thermostat and it cost me 700 dollars out of pocket.
NHTSA complaint #11749125 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.
The contact owns a 2021 Cadillac XT5. The contact stated that while an oil change was being completed, an oil leak was discovered. No warning light was illuminated. The dealer diagnosed the vehicle and determined that the head gasket needed to be replaced. The vehicle was repaired; however, the failure recurred. The vehicle was taken back to the dealer, where it was diagnosed and determined that the head gasket needed to be replaced. The vehicle was repaired; however, the failure persisted. The vehicle was taken back to the dealer, where it was diagnosed with an internal leak in the engine. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was not notified of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 30,000.
NHTSA complaint #11743461 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.
The contact owns a 2020 Cadillac XT5. The contact stated that while driving at an undisclosed speed, the transmission unexpectedly shifted into different gears. The Check Engine warning light was illuminated. The failure persisted while the contact's wife was driving, and the vehicle lost motive power. The vehicle was able to restart and shift into gear. The contact notified Carvana of the failure and was referred to several independent mechanics, who informed the contact that they did not service vehicles purchased from Carvana. The vehicle was taken to the dealer, who determined that the brakes and rotors, front control arms, radiator, unknown sensors, and several other unknown parts needed to be replaced; however, the contact stated that the recommended repairs were not related to the failure. The vehicle was towed to the residence. Carvana was contacted again and referred the contact to the second dealer, Herb Chambers Cadillac of Warwick (1511 Bald Hill Rd, RI-2, Warwick, RI 02886), who determined that the computer was not communicating with the key fob, and the coolant sensor, the air conditioner, and several other unknown parts needed to be replaced; however, the dealer informed the contact that they were unable to file a claim with Carvana to repair the vehicle. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was not made aware of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 68,000.
NHTSA complaint #11742938 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.
Check engine light sensor came on in mid-May which is the result of a faulty thermostat, also triggering a "Steering Assist is Reduced" message on the dashboard which I consider to be a safety issue. This is a known and common problem for this make, year and model and the cost to fix the problem is very expensive. This issue has been reported by many Cadillac owners on their forum. My mechanic confirmed the problem with the thermostat caused the steering assist is reduced message, along with the air conditioning malfunctioning.
NHTSA complaint #11740245 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.
When driving the whole car shakes and the engine makes a loud sound. It doesn't matter if I am going 10 mph or 75 mph the same shaking happens. The engine smells like burnt rubber. Driving feels like jerking not a smooth ride. I have already had the engine oil leak repaired. My car has been in the shop 3x in 2 months for this same problem. The dealership did a transmission systems update which did not help. When driving downhills the RMPS shoot up and get stuck between 3,000-4,000. The dealership could not find any documentation that downhill assist is a feature on this car. The dealership was not able to replicate these issues. I own a 2023 Cadillac XT5 with 30,859 miles on it.
NHTSA complaint #11730360 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.
While driving at highway speeds, I needed to accelerate hard in order to pass another vehicle and while accelerating there was a downshift and increase in RPM. After passing, the RPM remained high even after I took foot off accelerator and it seemed the transmission did not shift back out of lower gear, keeping the car traveling at a high rate of speed, endangering myself and other traffic. Applying the brakes would not cause the engine to slow down and the engine kept working hard and traveling fast, causing strain on the brakes to slow down. I pulled over and initially shifted to neutral, but the engine was still revving high (4000 rpm observed). Then I placed the car in park which did not change the high RPM. Then I shut off engine and let it rest. Then I turned auto back on and all was normal. The problem has not yet been reported to dealer but will occur in coming days. There were no prior symptoms, problems, or warning lights on dash display prior to this occurring.
NHTSA complaint #11727656 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.
The contact owns a 2024 Cadillac XT5. The contact stated that while driving approximately 10 - 15 MPH and depressing the accelerator pedal, the vehicle failed to respond. There was an abnormal vibrating sound coming from the engine. A dealer was contacted. The vehicle was taken to the dealer, where it was diagnosed, and determined that the transmission needed to be replaced. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was notified of the failure, and informed the contact to return the vehicle to the dealer for more diagnostic testing, and a case was opened. The failure mileage was 23,000.
NHTSA complaint #11718637 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.
To Whom It May Concern,I am writing to formally report a safety concern involving my 2018 Cadillac XT5, VIN [XXX] . Recently, my vehicle displayed a “Steering Assist Reduced” message on the dashboard while driving. This warning significantly increases the physical effort required to steer the vehicle, especially at low speeds, and I believe it presents a genuine safety hazard.Upon taking the vehicle to an authorized Cadillac dealership, I was informed that the vehicle had stored diagnostic trouble code P0128 (Engine Coolant Temperature Below Thermostat Regulating Temperature). The dealer explained that a malfunctioning thermostat caused the steering assist reduction message to appear. However, at no point did the vehicle illuminate a Check Engine Light, despite the presence of an emissions‑related fault code.I am concerned for several reasons:A critical engine fault (P0128) did not trigger a Check Engine Light, leaving me unaware of any underlying issue. The vehicle reduced power steering assist as a result of an unrelated thermostat malfunction, creating a sudden and unexpected increase in steering effort. This behavior poses a safety risk, particularly in situations requiring quick steering response or low‑speed maneuvering.Cadillac has issued Service Bulletin 17NA158, which acknowledges that thermostat or coolant‑temperature‑related issues can trigger steering assist warnings. This suggests the manufacturer is aware of the problem, yet no recall or corrective action has been issued.Given that steering assist reduction directly affects vehicle control, I believe this issue warrants investigation. A driver should not lose steering assist because of a thermostat fault, nor should a vehicle fail to illuminate a Check Engine Light when a diagnostic code is present.I respectfully request that NHTSA review this matter to determine whether a safety‑related defect exists in the 2018 Cadillac XT5 and similar GM vehicles. Sumitting this for my mother. INFORMATION REDACTED PURSUANT TO THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT (FOI
NHTSA complaint #11712970 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.
ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING:EXHAUST SYSTEM:EMISSION CONTROL:CATALYTIC CONVERTOR
The contact owns a 2019 Cadillac XT5. The contact stated that while leaving the driveway, there was an abnormal sound coming from the vehicle. The contact stated that while driving at 65 MPH, there was an abnormally loud squeaking sound coming from the vehicle. The check engine warning light was illuminated. The contact thought that the catalytic converter had been stolen. The vehicle was taken to an independent mechanic who determined that the catalytic converter was severed at the connection point and cracked, and removed. The contact stated that coils were damaged, and the thermostat housing was cracked. The vehicle was repaired, but the failure recurred. The local dealer was contacted, who determined that the catalytic converter had been replaced, but the failure persisted. The dealer informed the contact that the parts were on backorder. The manufacturer was not contacted. The failure mileage was approximately 100,000. The VIN was not available.
NHTSA complaint #11709970 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.
The contact owns a 2019 Cadillac XT5. The contact stated that while leaving the driveway, there was an abnormal sound coming from the vehicle. The contact stated that while driving at 65 MPH, there was an abnormally loud squeaking sound coming from the vehicle. The check engine warning light was illuminated. The contact thought that the catalytic converter had been stolen. The vehicle was taken to an independent mechanic who determined that the catalytic converter was severed at the connection point and cracked, and removed. The contact stated that coils were damaged, and the thermostat housing was cracked. The vehicle was repaired, but the failure recurred. The local dealer was contacted, who determined that the catalytic converter had been replaced, but the failure persisted. The dealer informed the contact that the parts were on backorder. The manufacturer was not contacted. The failure mileage was approximately 100,000. The VIN was not available.
NHTSA complaint #11709970 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.
Catalytic Converter on my 2017 XT5 had weld crack Oct 2025. Causing loud noise and exhaust to enter cabin of vehicle. This was the second convertor to do this. In 2023 I had to have the other catalytic convertor on this same vehicle changed out by the Sewell Cadillac dealership for the same problem. That time I only had 50,000 miles on the car so the dealership did it for free (after I found that they had to cover up to 80,000 and they acted like they didn't know that and had quoted me $2000). This time in 2025 I had 80,805 miles so I had to pay $1010 to have it replaced by an outside repair shop. The technician says since we had to have them both replaced and the car is only 8 years old, it is probably a design flaw. He told me to report it. I see another complaint for the same thing and I see they did a recall on some from California vehicles for something with the catalytic convertor and a recall on some in 2022 and 2023 vehicles for an issue with the catalytic convertor. I expected better from GM and Cadillac. I wonder how many other Cadillac XT5 owners have had this problem but haven't known to report it. You should contact the Cadillac dealerships and see how many they have changed out.
NHTSA complaint #11696335 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.
The contact owns a 2018 Cadillac XT5. The contact stated that while driving at an undisclosed speed, the vehicle inadvertently lost motive power. The contact was able to coast to the shoulder of the roadway, where the vehicle failed to restart. While attempting to restart the vehicle, the vehicle required several attempts before restarting. After the vehicle was restarted, the vehicle returned to normal functionality, but the failure became a regular occurrence, prompting the contact to discontinue driving the vehicle. No warning lights were illuminated. The vehicle was taken to an independent mechanic, who was unable to determine the cause of the failure. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was notified of the failure but provided no assistance. The contact was advised to take the vehicle to the dealer for assistance. The failure mileage was 40,000.
NHTSA complaint #11696390 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.
When braking — both at low speeds and when slowing from highway speeds (40+ mph) — vehicle feels like engine revs and is still pushing against the brakes. Requires very firm pedal pressure to hold car in place; if brake pressure is eased, vehicle surges forward until it finally settles after several seconds. Concern is intermittent but repeatable. I had a near collision on 10/3/2025 due to this issue. I have been in constant contact with the dealership on this, including the service manager, as well as Cadillac Care. The dealership has test driven the vehicle several times and has been unable to replicate the problem. However, I do have an audio recording of the engine’s idle speed at various points during one incident.
NHTSA complaint #11691365 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.
An issue is pipe cracking at the left catalytic converter mounting flange weld, causing exhaust noise, odor, and potential emission system failure. It just cost $2013.00 to have fixed.
NHTSA complaint #11684477 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.
purchased 2024 XT5 brand new less than 6,000 miles SES light on..dealer states part failure w/transmission snap ring-traded vehicle for 2025 XT5. At 5,464 miles SES light comes on-another internal transmission part failure this time control valve body needed to be replaced. The control valve body is currently being recalled in the Cadillac CT5 but GM has not acknowledged issues with the control valve body on the XT5. After leaving the dealership after being serviced for a control valve body replacement I was involved in an accident 79 miles later/none of the safety features on this $60,000 vehicle engaged… no emergency braking… no vibration of seat…. no audible or visual alert stating approaching the vehicle to closely-NOTHING!
NHTSA complaint #11666450 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.
Engine thermostat defective, which causes the computer to speed up radiator fans, and causes temperature gauge to read zero. Dealer replaced under warranty at 68,000 miles and same problem reoccurred at 90,000 miles. Common problem on Cadillac XT5’s (all years)
NHTSA complaint #11658849 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.
The contact owns a 2018 Cadillac XT5. The contact stated that while driving at an undisclosed speed, the vehicle stalled with the check engine warning light illuminated. The vehicle was towed to the dealer where it was diagnosed that the engine had failed and needed to be replaced. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was not made aware of the failure. The approximate failure mileage was 86,000.
NHTSA complaint #11650503 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.
The contact owns a 2019 Cadillac XT5. The contact stated that while driving on the highway at 25 MPH, the vehicle lost motive power. There were no warning lights illuminated. The contact was able to coast the vehicle to a stop and park on the side of the highway. The contact waited for a while before restarting the vehicle. The contact continued to drive the vehicle; however, the failure reoccurred. The local dealer was contacted; however, the vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired. The manufacturer was not notified of the failure. The approximate failure mileage was 95,800.
NHTSA complaint #11646345 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.
While driving my vehicle, alert popped up on my dash stating "Steering Assist is Reduced Drive with Care" futhermore after that my Check Engine Light Turned on and my Engine Heater Stayed cold and would not warm up. Vehicle has been inspected by the Cadillac Dealer and they stated it is all due to the Sensor. However Sensor is on backorder and has taken them 3 week to get the part. They stated it is safe to drive even though all those alerts came up, since he said it appears to be stuck open, however they stated if it gets stuck in a closed state then the engine could overhead which would require having the vehicle towed in. They offer a "limited" warranty on this however since I just was past the warranty period they state you have to pay the full price. Warranty is for 85,000 miles and I am barely above it at 87675.
NHTSA complaint #11639690 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.