Build quality, electrical & camera issues among the top complaints received by the NHTSA from vehicle owners
Sometimes customers need a luxury SUV that also offers three rows of seats. The 2020 Cadillac XT6 is supposed to meet the busy family’s needs. The company claims that “safety meets luxury” with this SUV, yet customers are struggling to feel confident behind the wheel. This model suffers from defective air bags, a faulty electrical system, a poorly-built structure, and a malfunction camera that may be a safety risk.
Click on other model year to view more problems: 2022 2023
The most common problems owners of the 2020 Cadillac XT6 are complaining about to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) relate to the electrical system and the camera.
Most complaints about the camera are filed under Back Over Prevention, others under the Electrical System or Unknown or Other. Either way, owners report that it is a safety hazard. Other electrical system complaints are varied and include a failure to show the fuel level in the fuel tank and malfunctioning electronics.
There are also serious issues with the airbags and complaints that the structure of the SUV is sub-standard.
| Complaint Category | Number of Complaints |
|---|---|
| Electrical System | |
| Power Train | |
| Back Over Prevention: Rearview System Braking | |
| Unknown Or Other | |
| Back Over Prevention: Sensing System: Camera | |
| Engine | |
| Forward Collision Avoidance: Automatic Emergency Braking | |
| Air Bags | |
| Back Over Prevention | |
| Back Over Prevention:display Function |
On July 22, 2022, the NHTSA’s Office of Defects Investigation (ODI) instituted a preliminary investigation into the cameras installed in the 2020 Cadillac XT6 and other General Motor Company (GMC) vehicles. This followed 12 complaints from vehicle owners as well as Early Warning Reporting (EWR) Field Reports that allege failures of the rear-view camera (RVC).
The reports span two years and most occur in GMC vehicles with low mileage. They state that the screen for the RVC is black and sometimes has a red triangle with a circle and a line through it.
The ODI report points out that malfunction or failure of the RVC can result in reduced visibility of the area behind the vehicle. This can lead to an increased risk of incidents resulting in injury and/or damage to property while the vehicle is reversing.
The reason for the investigation is “to determine the scope and severity of the potential problem and to fully assess the potential safety-related issues.”
Cameras in the 2021 Cadillac XT5 and 2020-2021 XT6, as well as the GMC Acadia 2020 and 2021 models are included in the investigation.
There is also a technical service bulletin (TSB) from GMC on file with the NHTSA that lists a total of 59 vehicles with potential “rear view camera issues.” The Cadillac XT6 is one of them.
But what do owners have to say? Here are some examples of complaints.
An Owner from Indiana States:
“When (the) SUV is put into reverse, (the) camera only works 50% of the time. Other times (the) screen is black with a red triangle.”
An Owner from Michigan States:
“The back up camera is intermittently non functional when placed in reverse gear. A red triangle and red camera icon appear on the screen with a circle and slash through it. GM has posted a Bulletin #PIC6420, that offers a solution stating that it is likely a connection concern and recommends replacing a coax cable which can be ordered through the WPC. There have been multiple complaints about this serious problem on the Cadillac Owners Forum. I make deliveries to senior citizens homes (Meals on Wheels) with this car and need my backup camera to work. I no longer feel safe driving this car. I have contacted my dealership (Lafontaine Cadillac in Highland, Mi) and they will not accommodate a service appointment and supply a loaner car until July 22, 2022.”
An Owner from California States:
“Backup Camera issues. I have had my 2020 XT6 Cadillac in for service three times. They have not been able to fix the issue. This is an intermittent issue at times and other times it stays off for a long period of time. I have a black screen with a camera with a red circle and slash showing along with a triangle with an exclamation mark in the center of the triangle. These vehicles have multiple blind spots and with a camera not working and the blindspot warning not working it makes this vehicle very unsafe for use. I’ve been told they cannot do anything until I take a picture of the black screen. I am taking possession of the vehicle again and I can send you the repair tickets at a later time.”
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With today’s vehicles, owners want an electrical system that provides comfort, security and safety. Yet, this XT6 fails on this front as well.
Another NHTSA complaint states, “Brand new off dealer lot needed new battery. From that point forward the vehicle’s electronics constantly malfunctioned. The dealer tried everything including working with Cadillac for new parts and suggestions to make the electrical system function normally. After three weeks of work, it still malfunctions and is dangerous to drive.”
One would think that Cadillac wouldn’t allow this situation to continue, but it turns out the company doesn’t know what to do. Service Bulletin #N202301990 is dealing with separate issues, such as trouble with the enhanced automatic emergency braking system. To resolve this issue, the company must replace the front view camera, plus the Active Safety Control Module must be reprogrammed. Are these issues that Cadillac owners really want to deal with? It’s not likely, especially considering how much money is paid to get behind the wheel. It’s not like the driver just paid for a Chevy.
When a family is driving in a vehicle, they want to know that the air bags will work as intended. However, this Cadillac doesn’t provide that peace of mind.
Read this complaint left on the NHTSA website. “July 20, 2019 I leased the vehicle. On July 22, 2019 the vehicle’s dash warning indicated ‘Service Safety Restraint System.’ On July 25, I took the vehicle in for service. On the afternoon of July 26 it was returned to me. The service advisor stated they replaced a part in the driver’s airbag. I drove the vehicle home without an issue. Within the day the issue continued and again a service warning. I made another service appointment and the dealer kept the car. August 5 I was notified they replaced the driver’s airbag and would be driving the vehicle 100 miles prior to returning it to me. August 7, I think they returned the vehicle to me. I was told it was a factory engineering issue and a recall would be issued when a fix was found. The vehicle continues to flash the warning when driven, turning and driving straight.”
It turns out that there is a recall related to the air bag system. NHTSA Campaign Number 20V446000 states that there is a defective diffuser component of the Roof-Rail Air Bag (RRAB) inflator. Because of this poor construction, the roof rail air bag might not deploy as intended. This puts every occupant in danger and leaves people feeling uneasy. It only proves that the SUV might be all luxury, but it completely ignores safety.
One final look takes us to the structure of the XT6. This luxury vehicle is supposed to be made of premium parts, but it only seems to be falling apart.
Read this Edmunds review. “I won’t go into a long story but I took delivery on November 6th 2019. As of today both the right front door and left rear door were misaligned, driver’s door has a noise sounding like rubber on rubber, there is a rattling noise from the sunshade over the second row of seats, the right outside mirror stopped going down (as I had it set) when I put the car in reverse, the satellite radio loses connection and won’t restart.”
However, this isn’t the only problem worth addressing. Service Bulletin #PI0281H discusses how customers need to deal with underbody corrosion on their new luxury SUVs. This isn’t something that should be occurring on any new vehicle, let alone a Cadillac. Yet, that’s what customers are paying for – a solid heap of rusty metal.
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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If a used XT6 is purchased and shows these issues can it be turned in as a lemon?