Most common 2020 Cadillac CT5 problems
Share of the 39 complaints; one complaint can involve more than one system. "~" is the median mileage when the problem started.
Cadillac CT5 complaints by model year
2020 Cadillac CT5 recalls (4)
Power train › Automatic transmission
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.
Remedy: Dealers will install transmission control module monitoring software, free of charge. Owner notification letters were mailed April 7, 2025.
Exterior lighting › Lighting control module › Software
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.
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.
Air bags › Side/window › Curtain
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.
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.
Service brakes
General Motors LLC (GM) is recalling certain 2020 Chevrolet Corvette and Cadillac CT4, CT5 and XT4, 2021 Chevrolet Trailblazer, and 2020-2021 Buick Encore GX vehicles. Sensor connection contamination in the electronic brake boost system may cause an interruption of communication between the sensor and the brake boost system.
Remedy: GM will notify owners, and dealers will replace the electronic brake boost module, free of charge. The recall began December 9, 2020.
NHTSA defect investigations
Federal safety investigators have looked into a possible defect involving the 2020 Cadillac CT5:
Air Bag Malfunction
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).
What 2020 Cadillac CT5 owners say
Transmission & drivetrain
The contact owns a 2020 Cadillac CT5. The contact stated that while driving approximately 65 MPH, the vehicle unexpectedly stopped without the brake pedal being depressed. The contact stated that the message "Reduced Power" was displayed on the instrument cluster. The contact was able to continue driving; however, the vehicle failed to accelerate above 10 MPH. The contact was able to drive the vehicle off the highway and then to the residence. The contact was able to restart the vehicle and saw several warning lights illuminated on the instrument cluster. The contact was able to clear the codes, and then the vehicle was driven to a dealer. The dealer checked and saw that the VIN was included in NHTSA Campaign Number: 25V148000 (Power Train) and proceeded to reflash the Power Control Module and install the transmission monitoring software. The vehicle was repaired. …
The contact owns a 2020 Cadillac CT5. The contact stated that while driving at various speeds, the vehicle shuddered and experienced hard shifts intermittently. There was no warning light illuminated. The contact stated that the failure progressively worsened, and the vehicle made an abnormally loud sound while driving. The check engine warning light and the traction control warning light were illuminated. The contact stated that after taking the transmission apart, the contact became aware that cheaply made transmission parts had disintegrated, and there were metal shavings in the transmission. The contact determined that the transmission needed to be replaced; however, it was an extensive repair. …
Electrical system
I have had many issues with Onstar failing. I bought the 2020 Cadillac CT5 AWD 10/2020. It took Onstar over a month to connect to my car to provide AT&T internet plan (via Onstar). On 4/22/21 I was hit in my driver front & wheel, Onstar failed- never contacted us & the airbags did not deploy. I noticed my Onstar light was red. Onstar was repaired during the body shop repair. Soon after I picked up the car (approximately 1 month) the SRS light came on & Onstar turned red again on 7/31/21. Dropped off the car to be repaired 8/13/21. After repair, SRS light came on again on 8/29/21. Then 10/4/21 the entire CUE system malfunctioned, could not use Carplay, Car Internet would not work, & Navigation would not load. 10/30/21 I cranked my car & left keys in car, the doors locked- which it should not have done. My Onstar app could not unlock the car. …
The contact owns a 2020 Cadillac CT5. The contact stated that the check engine warning light was illuminated. The contact had noticed an oil leak and that the battery charge was abnormally low. The contact received an alert from OnStar pertaining to the critically low battery. Additionally, the contact noticed that there was an abnormal squishing sound coming from the dashboard, and the contact believed that the sound was coming from an animal that had intruded into the vehicle. The local dealer was contacted, but the vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired. The vehicle was taken to a tire center where all four TPMS sensors were replaced. The failure mileage was approximately 75,000.
Engine & cooling
The contact owns a 2020 Cadillac CT5. The contact stated that while driving approximately 65 MPH, the vehicle unexpectedly stopped without the brake pedal being depressed. The contact stated that the message "Reduced Power" was displayed on the instrument cluster. The contact was able to continue driving; however, the vehicle failed to accelerate above 10 MPH. The contact was able to drive the vehicle off the highway and then to the residence. The contact was able to restart the vehicle and saw several warning lights illuminated on the instrument cluster. The contact was able to clear the codes, and then the vehicle was driven to a dealer. The dealer checked and saw that the VIN was included in NHTSA Campaign Number: 25V148000 (Power Train) and proceeded to reflash the Power Control Module and install the transmission monitoring software. The vehicle was repaired. …
The contact's son owns a 2020 Cadillac CT5. The contact stated that while driving at an undisclosed speed, the check engine warning light illuminated. After a visual inspection, the contact observed that the engine oil was abnormally low. The vehicle was taken to the dealer, who diagnosed a failure with the engine. The contact was informed that the engine needed to be replaced. The vehicle was repaired, but the failure reoccurred. The vehicle was not taken to the dealer or an independent mechanic. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was notified of the failure, a case was opened, and the contact was referred to the NHTSA Hotline for assistance. The failure mileage was 14,466.
2020 Cadillac CT5 engines & fuel economy
| Engine | Transmission | Drive | MPG city / hwy / combined |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2.0L 4-cyl turbo | 10-speed automatic | RWD | 23 / 32 / 26 |
| 2.0L 4-cyl turbo | 10-speed automatic | AWD | 21 / 31 / 25 |
| 3.0L 6-cyl turbo | 10-speed automatic | AWD | 18 / 25 / 21 |
| 3.0L 6-cyl turbo | 10-speed automatic | RWD | 19 / 26 / 21 |
EPA ratings. Class: Midsize car.
Frequently asked questions
Is the 2020 Cadillac CT5 a good car?
There isn't enough complaint history for the CT5 to compare model years reliably. So far owners have filed 39 complaints with NHTSA.
What is the most common problem with the 2020 Cadillac CT5?
The transmission & drivetrain — 15 complaints, 38% of all complaints for this model year. Next are the electrical system (8) and engine & cooling (8).
How many recalls does the 2020 Cadillac CT5 have?
There are 4 recalls for the 2020 Cadillac CT5, the most recent from March 6, 2025 (automatic transmission). Recall repairs are free at any authorized dealer — check whether yours has been done with the VIN recall check.
At what mileage do 2020 Cadillac CT5 problems happen?
The median mileage reported in complaints is about 12,000 miles; 73% of problems with a recorded mileage started before 50,000 miles.
Source: U.S. National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) — owner complaints through October 20, 2026, recalls and defect investigations; fuel economy from the EPA. Complaints are unverified reports and are not proof of a defect. How we rate model years.