Cadillac · CT5 · 2021
2021 Cadillac CT5
4
Recalls
18
Complaints
5/5
Safety Rating
The 2021 Cadillac CT5 has 4 recalls and 18 owner-reported complaints on file with NHTSA. Overall safety rating: 5 out of 5 stars. Most reported issue: electrical system (4 reports).
Source: NHTSA Public Records · Updated Apr 28, 2026
Research Context
The 2021 Cadillac CT5 page works best as a research starting point. Complaint totals show how much owner-reported activity exists, while recalls and investigations help show whether any of that activity turned into formal safety action.
Because this is a newer-era vehicle page, it usually helps to compare this year against nearby model years before deciding whether a complaint pattern looks isolated or persistent. On this page, the most prominent complaint area is electrical system with 4 reported complaints.
Best Research Moves
- Use the complaint log to understand what owners were actually reporting instead of relying only on the raw complaint total.
- Review the recall section even if the total is smaller, because a limited number of recalls can still point to meaningful safety actions.
- This page is primarily a complaints-and-recalls research surface, so compare nearby model years before treating the complaint total as a standalone verdict.
Key Takeaways
- The 2021 Cadillac CT5 currently shows 4 NHTSA recalls listed on this page and 18 owner-reported complaints.
- This page currently shows no linked NHTSA investigations.
- This page reflects complaint volume, recall history, and NHTSA test data, but it does not diagnose causes or rank reliability by itself.
- Safety data currently shows 5/5 overall NHTSA safety rating.
- The most frequently reported complaint categories on this page are electrical system (4), structure (3), power train (2).
- Vehicle
- 2021 Cadillac CT5
- Recalls
- 4
- Complaints
- 18
- Safety Rating
- 5/5
How to Interpret This Page
This page combines three types of NHTSA data: recall campaigns (official manufacturer or government actions), owner complaints (unverified consumer reports), and crash test ratings (where available). A vehicle with many complaints is not necessarily less reliable — complaint volume correlates with sales volume and vehicle age. Recalls indicate identified defects, not overall quality. To compare this model year with others, use the year navigation in the sidebar or return to the model overview page.
If you are researching a used vehicle, start with the complaint categories, compare them against the recall list, and then check nearby model years to see whether the same issue profile repeats. That usually produces a better buying or research signal than treating the raw complaint total as a standalone safety ranking.
NHTSA Crash Test Performance
Frontal Crash Test
Side Crash Test
Overall Frontal Rating
Driver and Passenger Assessment
Driver Side
Passenger Side
Overall Side Rating
Side Barrier and Side Pole Tests
Driver Side
Passenger Side
Rollover Resistance
9.5% rollover risk in single-vehicle crash
Safety Features
ESC: StandardForward Collision Warning: StandardLane Departure Warning: Optional
Recall Notices
NHTSANHTSA ID: 25V148000March 06, 2025
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 Status
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.
NHTSA ID: 22V903000December 08, 2022
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. As such, these vehicles fail to comply with the requirements of Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standard number 108, "Lamps, Reflective Devices, and Associated Equipment."
Remedy Status
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 previous recall number 22V-827.
NHTSA ID: 21V611000August 05, 2021
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 Status
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.
NHTSA ID: 21V421000June 10, 2021
AIR BAGS:SRS MALFUNCTION WARNING LAMP/LIGHT
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.
Remedy Status
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 this recall is N212338110.
Owner Complaints
18 totalELECTRICAL SYSTEM
Jan 16, 2026
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 ...
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STRUCTURE
Jan 14, 2026
Exterior driver side door handle will not open the door causing issues with ingress into vehicle.
ELECTRICAL SYSTEM
Jan 1, 2026
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....
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ELECTRICAL SYSTEM
Dec 1, 2025
The door(s) would not open from the outside. I had the driver side door handle replaced first - took weeks for the part to come in - this was a safety issue because I had to climb through the passenger side to open the driver side door. (the key entry would not work either) Aft...
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WHEELS,UNKNOWN OR OTHER,ENGINE
Aug 6, 2025
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 ...
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POWER TRAIN
Jul 30, 2025
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 fa...
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AIR BAGS
CRASH1 injuryJul 25, 2025
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 ai...
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STEERING,EXTERIOR LIGHTING,VISIBILITY/WIPER
Jun 14, 2025
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 runn...
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STRUCTURE
Jan 10, 2025
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...
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POWER TRAIN
Jan 8, 2025
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 vehicl...
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Showing 10 recent complaints from 18 total
View Full Complaint LogCompare Related Vehicles
Why Compare These Pages
The strongest comparison flow is usually: exact vehicle-year page, then nearby years of the same model, then other 2021 Cadillac models. That sequence helps separate one-off year spikes from broader make-wide patterns.
More Cadillac CT5 Years
2022 Cadillac CT5Compare this year against 2021 for complaint and recall shifts.2r7c2020 Cadillac CT5Compare this year against 2021 for complaint and recall shifts.4r31c2023 Cadillac CT5Compare this year against 2021 for complaint and recall shifts.1r11c2024 Cadillac CT5Compare this year against 2021 for complaint and recall shifts.2c2025 Cadillac CT5Compare this year against 2021 for complaint and recall shifts.7c2026 Cadillac CT5Compare this year against 2021 for complaint and recall shifts.1r2c
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2021 Cadillac EscaladeAnother 2021 Cadillac option for same-year comparison.9r69c2021 Cadillac Escalade ESVAnother 2021 Cadillac option for same-year comparison.10r61c2021 Cadillac XT5Another 2021 Cadillac option for same-year comparison.2r21c2021 Cadillac XT6Another 2021 Cadillac option for same-year comparison.2r17c2021 Cadillac CT4Another 2021 Cadillac option for same-year comparison.4r5c2021 Cadillac XT4Another 2021 Cadillac option for same-year comparison.1r2c
Frequently Asked Questions
How many recalls does the 2021 Cadillac CT5 have?
The 2021 Cadillac CT5 has 4 recalls recorded by NHTSA.
How many complaints have been filed for the 2021 Cadillac CT5?
NHTSA has received 18 owner-reported complaints for the 2021 Cadillac CT5.
What is the NHTSA safety rating for the 2021 Cadillac CT5?
The 2021 Cadillac CT5 received an overall safety rating of 5 out of 5 stars from NHTSA.
What are the most common problems with the 2021 Cadillac CT5?
The most commonly reported complaint categories for the 2021 Cadillac CT5 are electrical system (4 reports), structure (3 reports), power train (2 reports).
Does the 2021 Cadillac CT5 have any recalls?
Yes. NHTSA has 4 recalls on record for the 2021 Cadillac CT5. Scroll up to review the published recall summaries, consequences, and remedies. To check for unrepaired recalls on your specific vehicle, use your VIN at nhtsa.gov/recalls.
Check Another Vehicle
Look up recalls and complaints for any year, make, and model.
This page summarizes publicly available data from the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA). Complaint counts reflect reports submitted to NHTSA by vehicle owners and do not by themselves prove defect severity or vehicle safety. Safety ratings may not be available for all vehicle-years. This site is not affiliated with NHTSA or any vehicle manufacturer. For official information, visit the official NHTSA page for this vehicle.