2021 Cadillac Ct5 Safety Report
2021 Cadillac CT5 Safety Report: Key Issues and Common Problems
Safety Decision Cockpit for the 2021 Cadillac Ct5
This page is the hub for deciding what to inspect next on the 2021 Cadillac Ct5. It connects recall campaigns, owner complaint patterns, service bulletins, sibling model years, component issue hubs, and the model buying guide so a shopper or owner can move from a single report into the wider safety graph.
| Signal | Value | What to inspect next |
|---|---|---|
| Recall burden | High (4) | Review campaign numbers, affected components, and dealer remedies below. |
| Owner complaints | Low (17) | Scan complaint narratives for recurring symptoms, mileage, crashes, fires, injuries, and dates. |
| Crash and fire reports | 3 | Treat any crash, fire, injury, or fatality-linked pattern as a priority pre-purchase inspection item. |
| Primary component hub | Electrical System | Compare electrical system issues across vehicles. |
| Cleaner nearby model year | 2024 | Compare against the 2024 Cadillac Ct5 with 2 complaints and 0 recalls. |
| Riskier nearby model year | 2020 | Check the 2020 Cadillac Ct5 before buying across this generation. |
Cadillac Ct5 Year-by-Year Comparison
The safest purchase decision usually comes from comparing neighboring model years, not reading a single page in isolation. The table below uses only validated Cadillac Ct5 years already present in the cleaned NHTSA dataset, so each comparison links to a real vehicle safety report rather than a generated combination.
| Model Year | Complaints | Recalls | Use case |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2022 Cadillac Ct5 | 7 | 2 | Compare as a potentially cleaner alternative. |
| 2020 Cadillac Ct5 | 30 | 4 | Inspect as a potentially higher-complaint year. |
| 2023 Cadillac Ct5 | 10 | 1 | Compare as a potentially cleaner alternative. |
| 2024 Cadillac Ct5 | 2 | 0 | Compare as a potentially cleaner alternative. |
| 2025 Cadillac Ct5 | 7 | 0 | Compare as a potentially cleaner alternative. |
| 2026 Cadillac Ct5 | 2 | 1 | Compare as a potentially cleaner alternative. |
2021 Cadillac Ct5 Complaint Theme Map
Complaint counts become more useful when they are grouped into inspection themes. For the 2021 Cadillac Ct5, these are the component areas with the clearest NHTSA complaint signals. Use each link to jump from this single vehicle into broader component hubs and make-specific issue pages.
Electrical System
3 owner complaints mention this component in the current safety profile.
All Electrical System issues Cadillac onlyStructure
3 owner complaints mention this component in the current safety profile.
All Structure issues Cadillac onlyPower Train
2 owner complaints mention this component in the current safety profile.
All Power Train issues Cadillac onlyWheels,Unknown Or Other,Engine
1 owner complaint mention this component in the current safety profile.
All Wheels,Unknown Or Other,Engine issues Cadillac onlyFuel/Propulsion System
1 owner complaint mention this component in the current safety profile.
All Fuel/Propulsion System issues Cadillac onlyAir Bags
1 owner complaint mention this component in the current safety profile.
All Air Bags issues Cadillac onlyAI Safety Analysis for the 2021 Cadillac Ct5
Reliability Score
The 2021 Cadillac Ct5 receives a reliability score of 5 out of 100 based on analysis of NHTSA complaint data, recall history, crash reports, and safety ratings. This indicates below-average reliability. Significant issues have been reported by owners and should be carefully evaluated before purchase.
NHTSA Safety Ratings for the 2021 Cadillac Ct5
The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) evaluates vehicles through controlled crash tests and assigns star ratings from 1 to 5, with 5 being the safest.
Known Issues for the 2021 Cadillac Ct5
The following issues have been identified from NHTSA complaint data and owner reports for the 2021 Cadillac Ct5:
| Issue | Severity | Frequency | Typical Mileage |
|---|---|---|---|
| Electrical System Faulty door handle switches and lighting control module software issues have been reported, causing inconvenience and potential safety risks. |
Medium | Occasional | 30k-60k miles |
| Transmission Transmission problems, including a P17A5 code, have been reported, affecting vehicle performance and safety. |
Medium | Occasional | 30k-60k miles |
| Exterior Lighting Lighting control module software issues have been reported, leading to abnormal vehicle behavior and potential safety risks. |
Low | Occasional | 30k-60k miles |
| Driver Side Door Handle Driver side door handle switches have failed, causing issues with ingress into the vehicle and inconvenience. |
High | Occasional | 30k-60k miles |
Common Problems Reported by Owners
Based on NHTSA complaint data, the following components account for the majority of reported issues with the 2021 Cadillac Ct5:
Issues with door handle switches and lighting control module software have been reported.
Transmission problems, including a P17A5 code, have been reported.
Lighting control module software issues have been reported.
Driver side door handle switches have failed.
Recall Details for the 2021 Cadillac Ct5
The following 4 recalls have been issued for the 2021 Cadillac Ct5 by NHTSA:
Summary: 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.
Consequence: Wheel lock-up while driving increases the risk of a crash.
Remedy: 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.
Summary: 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."
Consequence: DRLs that do not deactivate as intended may result in a glare, reducing visibility, and increasing the risk of a crash.
Remedy: 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 prev...
Summary: 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.
Consequence: Air bags that do not deploy properly can increase the risk of injury in a crash.
Remedy: 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.
Summary: 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.
Consequence: The air bag malfunction indicator light may fail to warn the driver of a problem with the air bag, increasing the risk of injury.
Remedy: 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 th...
NHTSA Complaint Summaries for the 2021 Cadillac Ct5
Below are complaint narratives filed by owners of the 2021 Cadillac Ct5 with the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration. 3 complaints involved crashes. 2 reported injuries or fatalities.
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 war...
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 ...
Exterior driver side door handle will not open the door causing issues with ingress into vehicle.
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 C...
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...
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...
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...
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 ...
My 2025 Cadillac CT5 was stationary at a red light behind a red truck when a black truck traveling in the opposite direction struck the truck head-on. The red truck was pushed backward into the front of my CT5 with enough force to cause major front-end damage. Despite this, no airbags deployed. I believe the airbag system failed to detect or respond to a valid crash condition and there is a larger...
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.
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...
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.
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.
When approaching a stopping vehicle the brake pedal became extremely hard to press and I could not brake enough to stop and had a collision. Come to find out that the ABS computer and the main ECU weren't communicating correctly which turned off the assisted braking, assisted steering and the AWD.
The contact owns a 2021 Cadillac CT5. The contact stated while driving at approximately 72 MPH, there was a loud noise inside the cabin. The contact became aware that the sunroof had shattered without impact. The vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired by an independent mechanic or local dealer. The manufacturer was not made aware of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 35,100.
BOTH PASSENGER SIDE TIRES SPLIT AT THE SEAM PUTTING ME AND MY FAMILY'S SAFETY AT RISK. TIRES NEED TO BE REPLACED IMMEDIATELY CONFIRMED BY DEALERSHIP - BOMMARITO CADILLAC ST. PETERS MISSOURI BOMMARITO CADIALLAC ST. PETERS MISSOURI ALSO INFORMED ME GM HAS INSTRUCTED TO NO LONGER SELL THESE TIRES TO CADILLAC CUSTOMERS. TIRES ARE CURRENTLY STILL ON THE CAR LOCATED AT BOMMARITO CADILLAC. THE CAR HAS ...
There was no indication that the Automatic Braking System, Air Bags and Seatbelts were not working properly. In August 12, 2021, I was in an auto accident where I rear-ended another dodge car. The air bags did not deploy and Onstar was not notified. I believe I hit the steering wheel. I went to the emergency room and have seem my primary doctor once. I have a follow-up appointment this week f...
NHTSA Defect Investigations for the 2021 Cadillac Ct5
NHTSA defect investigations are higher-signal than ordinary complaints because they indicate the agency opened a formal review of a potential safety defect. Some investigations later connect to recall campaigns; others close without a recall after review.
Component: Air Bags:Frontal:Driver Side:Inflator Module
Opened 2021-04-09 · Closed 2023-08-24
On April 9, 2021, the Office of Defects Investigations (ODI) opened PE21-010 to investigate instances of air bag malfunction indicator light (MIL) illumination and potential for frontal air bag non-deployment in several vehicles manufactured by General Motors (GM). The vehicles included model year (MY) 2020 through 2021 CT4 and CT5 passenger cars, Sierra and Silverado trucks (1500/2500/3500 models), XT4 and MY 2021 Escalade, Suburban, Tahoe, Yukon SUVs.Technical Service Bulletin (TSB) 21-NA-005,...
Frequently Asked Questions About the 2021 Cadillac Ct5
Has the 2021 CADILLAC CT5 been recalled?
Yes, the 2021 CADILLAC CT5 has 4 recalls on record with NHTSA. Each recall addresses a specific safety defect identified by the manufacturer or NHTSA.
How many complaints does the 2021 CADILLAC CT5 have?
The 2021 CADILLAC CT5 has 17 complaints filed with NHTSA. Of these, 3 involved crashes. 2 injuries and 0 deaths have been reported.
What is the safety rating for the 2021 CADILLAC CT5?
The 2021 CADILLAC CT5 received an overall NHTSA safety rating of excellent (5/5). Frontal crash: 5/5. Side crash: 5/5. Rollover: 5/5.
What are the most common problems with the 2021 CADILLAC CT5?
The most commonly reported problems with the 2021 CADILLAC CT5 involve electrical system (3 complaints), structure (3 complaints), power train (2 complaints). Other affected components include wheels,unknown or other,engine, fuel/propulsion system, air bags.
How many crash reports does the 2021 CADILLAC CT5 have?
There are 3 crash reports associated with the 2021 CADILLAC CT5 out of 17 total complaints (17.6% of complaints involved crashes).
How many fire reports does the 2021 CADILLAC CT5 have?
There are no fire reports for the 2021 CADILLAC CT5 in the NHTSA database.
Are there any deaths reported for the 2021 CADILLAC CT5?
No deaths have been reported in NHTSA complaints for the 2021 CADILLAC CT5.
How many injuries are reported for the 2021 CADILLAC CT5?
2 injuries have been reported in NHTSA complaints for the 2021 CADILLAC CT5. These are self-reported by vehicle owners as part of their safety complaints.
Should I buy a 2021 CADILLAC CT5?
Based on NHTSA data, the 2021 CADILLAC CT5 is acceptable with caveats. It has 17 complaints, 4 recalls, and a excellent (5/5) safety rating. Always have a pre-purchase inspection done by a qualified mechanic.
What components fail most on the 2021 CADILLAC CT5?
The components with the most failures on the 2021 CADILLAC CT5 are: 1. ELECTRICAL SYSTEM (3 complaints), 2. STRUCTURE (3 complaints), 3. POWER TRAIN (2 complaints), 4. WHEELS,UNKNOWN OR OTHER,ENGINE (1 complaints), 5. FUEL/PROPULSION SYSTEM (1 complaints). ELECTRICAL SYSTEM is the single most-reported problem area with 3 complaints.
What should I know before buying a 2021 CADILLAC CT5?
Be cautious of electrical system and transmission issues, as they can affect vehicle performance and safety. The 2021 CADILLAC CT5 has 17 NHTSA complaints and 4 recalls on record. NHTSA rates it excellent (5/5).
How reliable is the 2021 CADILLAC CT5?
The 2021 CADILLAC CT5 receives a reliability score of 5/100, indicating below-average reliability. This is based on 17 owner complaints, 4 recalls, and 3 crash/fire reports in the NHTSA database. Key known issues include Electrical System and Transmission.
What are the known issues with the 2021 CADILLAC CT5?
Known issues with the 2021 CADILLAC CT5 include: Electrical System, Transmission, Exterior Lighting, Driver Side Door Handle. These are based on patterns found across 17 NHTSA complaints. 4 of these patterns resulted in formal recalls.
What are the common electrical system issues with the 2021 Cadillac CT5?
Faulty door handle switches and lighting control module software issues have been reported.
Are there any transmission problems with the 2021 Cadillac CT5?
Yes, transmission problems, including a P17A5 code, have been reported.
What should I do if I experience abnormal vehicle behavior while driving?
Check for any recalls or service bulletins related to your vehicle and consult a certified mechanic.
Buyer Advice
Our recommendation: Be cautious of electrical system and transmission issues, as they can affect vehicle performance and safety.
NHTSA Data Summary for 2021 Cadillac Ct5
This safety report is based on a comprehensive analysis of data from the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) for the 2021 Cadillac Ct5. The data includes 17 consumer complaints filed by vehicle owners, 4 manufacturer-initiated safety recalls, 3 reported crashes, 2 reported injuries, and safety rating assessments associated with this vehicle.
The NHTSA has assigned the 2021 Cadillac Ct5 an overall safety rating of 5 out of 5 stars, with a frontal crash rating of 5 stars, a side crash rating of 5 stars, and a rollover rating of 5 stars. These ratings are determined through controlled crash testing conducted by the NHTSA.
All data presented in this report is sourced from public NHTSA databases. Our AI analysis identifies patterns across complaint narratives, correlates them with recall history, and produces the safety assessment above. This analysis is updated as new complaints and recalls are filed with the NHTSA.
Consumers are encouraged to report vehicle safety problems to the NHTSA at nhtsa.gov. If your vehicle is subject to a recall, contact your dealer to schedule the free repair.
Disclaimer: This analysis is AI-generated from NHTSA public data and does not constitute professional automotive or safety advice. Always verify recall status at NHTSA.gov and consult a qualified mechanic.
Analysis last updated: 2026-05-13