Electronic stability control, build quality and engine issues among the top complaints received by the NHTSA from vehicle owners
Luxury sedans might not have as much popularity as they once did, but that hasn’t stopped the 2020 Cadillac CT5 from capturing some of the market share. This particular model is supposed to offer “unrivaled driving pleasure,” which is only partially true. It is unrivaled but doesn’t offer much pleasure due in part to the defective electronic stability control, malfunctioning engine and poorly-built structure.
Owners should have no trouble keeping the CT5 on the road. After all, this expensive model should be equipped with top-notch controls that keep it in its lane. However, that’s not the case.
One NHTSA complaint states, “Vehicle displayed Service Driver Assist Warning which triggered Check Engine Light. Service Bulletin issues N202294740 to update software. Software updated and on way home, Service Driver Assist Warning came back on. Vehicle was in motion on the highway.”
Additionally, there are some steering concerns, which could make it even more difficult to control the Cadillac. Service Bulletin #N202294740 01 Pr states that software updates are also needed to address trouble with the steering feel and communication. If owners wanted to drive a clunker that doesn’t provide a luxury ride, they could save a lot of money with a Chevy instead
| Complaint Category | Number of Complaints |
|---|---|
| Unknown Or Other | |
| Electrical System | |
| Steering | |
| Vehicle Speed Control | |
| Air Bags | |
| Electronic Stability Control | |
| Engine | |
| Lane Departure: Assist | |
| Lane Departure: Warning | |
| Power Train |
Further evidence suggests that the CT5 is just a bucket of bolts, not carefully designed and put together.
One Cars.com customer review states, “Loud noises from the engine, cheap made dashboard, black out window on the side, cheap radio controls.”
It turns out that the major and minor details have all been overlooked when building this model. Even Service Bulletin #N202297690 suggests that the transmission mount snubber is out of position. If this occurs, owners might experience excessive noise and lots of vibration. These noises can serve as a constant reminder to owners about why they should never trust Cadillac manufacturing again. To overcome these noises, it might be best if drivers cranked up the radio and listened to the tunes instead.
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The most important part of any car is the engine, especially when paying a premium price. Yet, this is another component that gets a lot of criticism.
Here another Cars.com review. “I hate the stop and engine shuts off feature. It can be overridden but you have to do it every time you start the car. You get that feeling the car is ‘conking out.’”
Even Cadillac is acknowledging that the engine isn’t operating as it should. Service Bulletin #16NA383 states that the engine might suffer from a no-start, misfire or extended cranking situation. To correct this, Cadillac doesn’t look for a permanent solution. Instead, the automaker claims that owners should only use top tier fuels and a special fuel injection cleaner kit to keep the intake valves decarbonized. Leave it to Cadillac to put the problem back on the customer.
Think you have a lemon? Sit back and let the experts work out your lemon case at no cost to you. The law makes Cadillac pay legal fees. You may be able to get your lemon out of your life. Every year, auto manufacturers buy back, replace or pay cash settlements to thousands of ‘lemon’ owners like you.
Brian Jones spent more than 30 years working as an ASE Certified Master Tech and Parts Specialist at multiple dealerships. Brian has become an authority in the industry, traveling across the country to consult for car dealerships and contributing his expertise as a writer for several major automotive publications. In his spare time, Brian enjoys working on pickup trucks, muscle cars, Jeeps and anything related to motorsports.
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Turbo, problems, waste gate sticks loses power, it’s been in the shop over 10 time for the same steering issues they said it didn’t fall under the lemon law because I purchased it with 2200 miles on it. They told me it was still new and owner was driving it they didn’t want to sell it. I was about to leave when they stopped me as I drove away. They tried to sell me an extended warranty on a car the salesman told me it was like new because it had less than 5000 miles on it now I’m stuck with problems after problems. Now all 4 of my rims are bent along with all the other problems. Car is a clunker.