Owners have filed 276 complaints on the Cadillac XT5, covering 2017–2026. The system named most often is Power Train (49 reports). Worst years by volume: 2017, 2018, 2019; cleanest: 2026, 2025, 2021. 16 reports describe a crash, 3 a fire. On average the car was 3.5 years old when the problem happened.
What breaks on Cadillac XT5
Grouped by the system owners named — percentages are shares of all 276 XT5 complaints. Open any row for the full reports in owners' own words.
Power Train 49 Read
I was stopped by a road crew. There were 3 cars in front of me and as I waited for them to let us through about 10 cars were stopped behind me. I was listening to the radio when I had the weird sensation that I was going backwards instead of being stopped. I looked around, realized I was going backwards and went to…
The contact owns a 2017 cadillac xt5. While the contact's wife was driving at a low rate of speed, the vehicle shut off without warning. After restarting the vehicle, it shut off yet again. After the second restart, the vehicle accelerated independently without warning. The contact's wife attempted multiple times to…
The contact owns a 2017 Cadillac XT5. The contact stated while driving approximately 5 MPH, the engine made a grinding sound, and the vehicle accelerated while the foot was on the brake pedal. The contact did not recall any warning lights on the instrument panel. The contact also had an incident where he accidentally…
Steering 42 Read
The contact owns a 2023 Cadillac XT5. The contact stated that on two occasions while driving at approximately 25 MPH, the steering wheel seized, and the vehicle veered to the side of the road. Additionally, the gear shifter malfunctioned and the light to indicate that the vehicle was parked, was inoperable. The ABS,…
Driving the car normally at night the dashboard lights went to full intensity without driver input, and wouldn't change. A few minutes later the rear windshield wiper started operating and wouldn't stop. Twenty minutes later the car flashed a notification that power steering assist was not functioning, and it became…
Power steering assist has failed on 2 occasions. The first in late jan. 2021, with approx 2000 miles on the odometer, and the second on 30 april 2021. On the first occasion, there was no power steering assist at start-up after stopping for fuel. The second was while driving at approx. 40 mph. The operator was able to…
Electrical System 32 Read
On 10/18/24 I was making a left turn out of my development when a vehicle crashed into the front driver portion of my vehicle. The vehicle was going approximately 40+mph. I was driving approximately 5-10 mph making the turn. I was wearing a seatbelt, hit my head on the drivers door jam/window and immediately…
I was backing out of a parking space in reverse as I have done multiple times and the second I took my foot off the brake pedal to go into reverse, my car shot out at a high speed and hit a parked car on the other side of the street. Not realizing that there was an auto malfunction, I attempted to turn around my car…
The passenger interior side door at the bottom towards the back near the backseat, beginning driver seat caught fire. A small tiny hole began melting, and there was flames coming out of it. Within minutes. My entire car was engulfed in flames when the fire department came they said it seemed like it was fuses that…
Engine 23 Read
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…
Engine problem loss of power intermittently no reverse. They replaced clutch parts seals, piston, rings, plates, and plates. Had Vehicle for about 22 days. Driving home after repairs completed. Cluster display- instrument panel went out. Called Dealer and Cadillac assistance. Says there nothing they can do until…
Engine & Transmission. Do not know if my safety is at risk. Yes, the problem has been duplicated and confirmed by My Cadillac dealer. Vehicle vibrates when engine switches from 6 cylinders to 4 cylinders. The vehicle has been inspected by the dealer. ODI # 11610835
Service Brakes 20 Read
The contact's wife owned a 2019 Cadillac XT5. The contact stated that while the wife was driving at various speeds, the brake pedal would vibrate upon depression without warning. The vehicle was taken to a dealer however the failure was unable to be duplicated. The contact then stated that while his wife was driving…
Brakes failed. Coming to a stop sign on cr 13, brake pedal went to the floor. Brakes did not slow or stop the car at all. Pumped the brakes 3 or 4 times, no braking. Went thru stop sign hitting another vehicle. Air bags did not deploy. Automatic braking system did not activate. Estimates I was 50 yards from the stop…
The contact owns a 2023 Cadillac XT5. The contact stated that the brake pedal would depress to the floorboard without warning. The contact had taken the vehicle to a dealer where a diagnostic was performed. The dealer received various diagnostic codes all related to the brake master cylinder. The contact was given a…
Wheels 9 Read
As I was driving I smelled a burning smell. A few seconds later saw a fire/smoke coming from the front right side of my car. I pulled over and took a look. Confirmed my car was on fire. I called 911 who connected me to the fire department. I then ran to the gas station and got a fire extinguisher. I then used the fire…
Went to Genesis Cadillac for oil change and they recommended the replacement of both my rear toe links. As stated on their service bill Caused by loose rear toe links. GM has been selectively recalling certain makes, models and model years recalling toe link for replacement. Most recently March 10, 2026 Buick Regals…
The tread is separating from the tire in chunks. Never seen this in a 21000 mile factory Michelin tire let alone any other tire before. It exposes the core of the tire which is a safety hazard. Called Michelin and they were only concerned about the warrantee, not the safety
Vehicle Speed Control 8 Read
The contact’s father-in-law owns a 2026 Cadillac XT5. The contact stated that while the owner was driving at an undisclosed speed going uphill, he was blinded by the sunlight and started driving onto the grass. The driver released the accelerator pedal, and within a second, the vehicle started rolling backwards. The…
The contact owns a 2019 Cadillac XT5. The contact stated that the vehicle was parked in a parking lot. The contact then shifted the transmission into drive (D), and the engine revved loudly. The contact slightly depressed the accelerator pedal, and the vehicle experienced unintended acceleration. The steering wheel…
After exiting a car wash (automated)on Monday-7/3/23, I was attempting to stop my vehicle so I could dry the exterior with towels. I was on the car wash property and as I approached an area that was open, I attempted to stop the vehicle, the engine revved very high and the vehicle took off at a very high speed in…
Air Bags 8 Read
I was driving using turn by turn directions and it told me to turn and I turned too soon and hit a telephone pole, front center. The airbags did not deploy and onstar did not recognize crash. I heard nothing from anyone. I called 911 to get the police to come and a wrecker driver. Even though I was wearing my…
My vehicle was struck at approx 35 mph on the driver's side. The striking vehicle did not apply the brakes so the full force of the vehicle hit. The side airbags did not deploy, leaving me with a concussion as my head struck the driver's door window. The vehicle was in motion making a left turn on a green light on a…
The contact owns a 2017 cadillac xt5. The contact stated that while parked, the vehicle accelerated rapidly without warning and crashed into another vehicle. The air bags did not deploy. A police report was filed. There were no injuries sustained. The vehicle was towed to a repair shop. The manufacturer was not made…
XT5 years to avoid — and the clean ones
Complaints per model year. More reports usually means more cars on the road as well as more trouble, so read the crash and fire columns alongside the count.
| Model year | Complaints | Top system | Crashes | Fires |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2026 | Vehicle Speed Control | 1 | — | |
| 2025 | Engine,forward Collision Avoidance | 1 | — | |
| 2024 | Air Bags | 1 | — | |
| 2023 | Back Over Prevention | — | — | |
| 2022 | Air Bags,lane Departure,forward Collision Avoidance | 2 | — | |
| 2021 | Electrical System,back Over Prevention | — | — | |
| 2020 | Back Over Prevention | — | — | |
| 2019 | Air Bags | 3 | 2 | |
| 2018 | Electrical System | 2 | 1 | |
| 2017 | Air Bags,structure | 6 | — |
The same model year, different builds
Every complaint carries the first 11 characters of the VIN — plant, year, body and engine. That is a production series, and complaints are spread across them very unevenly.
| Measure | Value |
|---|---|
| Distinct production series | 165 |
| Average complaints per series | 1.7 |
| Worst single series | 8 complaints |
| Average age at failure | 3.5 years |
A model average of 1.7 hides a worst series at 8. Enter a VIN above to see the numbers for that exact build instead of the model as a whole.
Owners reported these. Find out if yours is one of them.
- Complaints matched to the exact production run, not just the model
- What the car is worth given what tends to fail on it
- The original window sticker and factory options
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How we count
Every figure here comes from complaints owners filed with NHTSA — 1,100,006 of them, covering 1,982 models built between 1981 and 2026.
A complaint is an unverified report: someone wrote down what happened to their car. It is not a confirmed defect and not a recall. What makes the volume useful is the pattern — when thousands of owners of the same build describe the same failure, that is a signal no marketing brochure will give you.
Two things we do that the source does not. First, we compute the age of the car at the moment of failure from the incident date and the model year. Second, we group complaints by the first 11 characters of the VIN — the production series — so a bad plant run does not disappear into a model-wide average.
Frequently asked questions
What are the worst years for the XT5?
By complaint volume, 2017, 2018, 2019 drew the most owner reports. Bear in mind that popular years put more cars on the road, so check the crash and fire columns too.
Which XT5 years are the cleanest?
2026, 2025, 2021 have the fewest complaints on file. For recent years that can simply mean the cars are young.
How many complaints does the Cadillac XT5 have?
276 owner complaints filed with NHTSA, covering 2017–2026. Of those, 16 describe a crash and 3 a fire.
Are these complaints verified?
No. They are unverified reports from owners. NHTSA publishes them as filed and investigates only a fraction. The value is in the pattern, not in any single report.
Can I check complaints for one specific car?
Yes — enter its VIN above. We match the first 11 characters, which identify the plant, year, body and engine, so you get complaints on that exact production series rather than the whole model.