2017 Cadillac XT5 Powertrain & Transmission Problems

I purchased this used car in the end of July 2025. Within the last month the service transmission light came on. Within a 24-hour period, the message changed to, "service transmission unable to shift Soon". Also alarm bells go off when I first start the car and sometimes during driving. The car feels like it drives correctly and smoothly with no shifting issues. Sometimes when that second message and check engine light icon being comes on, there seems to be a third message that is trying to pop up behind it but it does not. It seems like there is a glitch in the system. This was very concerning and scary for me. My research shows me that this has been a chronic problem for my make and model and year of car. I've also heard it can be even time to check and or change the transmission fluid. That needs to be a different message all together without causing alarm that the transmission itself is not functioning properly. I have not driven this for 10 days because many repair shops in dealerships are telling me not to risk it and of course want me to bring this in for a diagnosis. It is costly and hard to discern and trust who to go to for the correct information. The dealership should be responsible for a recall and replacing this sensor or modular so people do not have a cause for alarm if it is something as simple as needing to change the transmission fluid. There is also no dipstick on this vehicle so no local fluid fill station can check this. Many people have complained and are at a loss. I see there is a bulletin on this subject but no recall. Please take action and turn this situation into a recall once and for all to help. The little folks like me stay more safe and better informed about the health and longevity of our vehicles. Thank you for your time in reading this.

I have a 2017 Cadillac xt5 which the transmission is kicking and has a shattering issue car was just over the warranty and was told I have to pay for a replacement car had 70k miles and was told from a mechanic that there was a recall on these cars when I checked my vin the car is not under recall but is presenting the same issue as the ones under recall.. I took it to amoco replace fluid and car still has issue. Iam trying to see my options on how to go about it..

First it was adaptive shifting three days after having it, then it was the thermostat, now it’s needing a new right rear hub assembly but my main concern is the shuttering when I am accelerating. The ride is not smooth. there is a chatter happening when I drive it. It makes me very nervous. I have went to one mechanic to diagnose so far and he said to have the transmission flushed first but it may need the torque converter replaced.

The thermostat is malfunctioning. Vehicle has less than 50,000 miles. Driving vehicle and dash warning" STEERING ASSIST IS REDUCED DRIVE WITH CARE", also the temperature gauge was showing COLD and this was after driving for over 30 minutes. Contacted local dealer and was informed this is a KNOWN problem with the thermostat sticking open. If this had been in the summer the A/C would not have worked. I was informed I could bring in the vehicle to have the codes cleared and the parts would have to be ordered. Due to backlog of parts, it was unknown when the parts would be available. In searching internet there are a significant number of owners who have experienced the same issue. In consulting the mechanic, I use, I was informed this is an issue with the motor in my vehicle. The same motor is in other GMC products, and he has 3 vehicles in his shop with the same issue waiting parts.

When you put the car in gear it jumps. now leaking transmission fluid, and transmission needs to be replaced. This has been ongoing and I explained this numerous times in the past 4 years.

When you put the car in park, reverse, drive it jumps forward or back.

Thermostat gets stuck, gives a steering wheel assist alert. Ac not working and motor sounds like it is in overdrive. Engine temp stays cold.

The contact owns a 2017 Cadillac XT5. The contact stated while driving at various speeds, the vehicle failed to accelerate upon depression of the accelerator pedal. There was no warning light illuminated. The contact stated that the failure mostly occurred while in 4th gear or after a complete stop. The contact had taken the vehicle to the dealer but the dealer has been unable to duplicate the failure. The dealer advised the contact that they had never heard of such failure. The manufacturer was not notified of the failure. The vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired. The failure mileage was approximately 55,000.

The contact owns a 2017 Cadillac XT5. The contact stated that after starting the vehicle the gear shifter would not shift out of the park position. The vehicle was towed to the local dealer who diagnosed that the transmission control module was faulty and needed to be replaced. The vehicle was not yet repaired. The manufacturer was notified of the failure, but no assistance was offered. The failure mileage was 19,000

The contact owns a 2017 Cadillac XT5. The contact stated while driving approximately 5 MPH, the engine made a grinding sound, and the vehicle accelerated while the foot was on the brake pedal. The contact did not recall any warning lights on the instrument panel. The contact also had an incident where he accidentally ran into the garage, and the air bags did not deploy; however, the front passenger side of the vehicle was damaged. The contact did not recall any warning lights on the instrument panel. The local dealer did not diagnose any failure; however, the vehicle was repaired. No injuries and medical reports were necessary. The contact stated the vehicle does not have an emergency brake. The dealer did not diagnose any failure with the vehicle. The manufacturer was not notified of the failure. The approximate failure mileage was 8,000

FOR ABOUT 2 YEARS NOW WE HAVE BEEN RECEIVING A SERVICE TRANSMISSION SOON WARNING FROM OUR 2017 CADILLAC XT5 BUT EVERY TIME WE TAKE IT IN TO CADILLAC THEY STATE THAT THEY CAN'T DUPLICATE THE WARNING. I HAVE PICTURES DOCUMENTING ALMOST EVERY TIME THE MESSAGE HAS COME UP EXCEPT FOR TWO TIME INCLUDING THE MOST RECENT AS I DIDN'T HAVE MY PHONE ON ME AT THE TIME. IT HAS BEEN TO CADILLAC 3 OR 4 TIMES FOR THIS. THE MOST RECENT TIME WE RECEIVED THIS MESSAGE THERE WAS A MESSAGE FOLLOWING THAT STATED YOUR TRANSMISSION WILL NOT BE ABLE TO SHIFT SOON WHILE ON THE XPRESSWAY AND WE WERE DRIVE 65 MPH WITH OUR KIDS IN THE CAR, I WAS NOT ABLE TO GET PICTURES THIS TIME AS MY HUSBAND WAS DRIVING AND I DIDN'T HAVE MY PHONE ON ME. WE HAVE TAKEN IT TO CADILLAC AND THEY SAY THEY CAN'T DUPLICATE THE MESSAGE AND THEY RECEIVED NO CODE WARNINGS. WE HAVE BEEN HEARING STRANGE SOUND DURING GEAR SHIFTS AND THE TRANSMISSION SOUNDS LIKE IT IS WORKING REALLY HARD AROUND THE TIMES WHENEVER WE RECEIVED THESE MESSAGES. THE CAR ALSO HANDLES VERY DIFFERENTLY AND DIFFICULTLY DURING THIS TIME. WE ARE HIGHLY CONCERNED AS THIS COULD CAUSE A MAJOR ACCIDENT IF THE TRANSMISSION DOESN'T SHIFT WHILE DRIVING ESPECIALLY WHILE ON THE HIGHWAY.

VEHICLE IN MOTION ON HIGHWAY, VEHICLE SUDDENLY DIES, GOES DEAD, UNCONTROLLABLE. VEHICLE WILL NOT RESPOND TO ENGINE START BUTTON. WILL NOT RESPOND TO ATTEMPTS TO RESTART, UNABLE TO BRAKE, VEHICLE CONTINUES TO BE UNCONTROLLABLE, ROLLING INTO CROSS TRAFFIC. ALL ELECTRONICS DO NOT RESPOND, UNABLE TO OPEN DOORS TO GET OUT. CAN NOT UNLOCK DOORS ALL ELECTRONICS FLASHING, DOOR LOCKS RAPIDLY CYCLING LOCKED ALL ELECTRONICS UNCONTROLLABLE. UNABLE TO ACTIVATE HAZZARD LIGHTS. ONSTAR SYSTEM DEAD, UNABLE TO CALL FOR HELP. AFTER APPROX. 30 MIN. VEHICLE SUDDENLY WITHOUT WARNING RESTARTS ON IT'S OWN AND BEGINS TO FUNCTION.

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2017 CADILLAC XT5. WHILE THE CONTACT'S WIFE WAS DRIVING AT A LOW RATE OF SPEED, THE VEHICLE SHUT OFF WITHOUT WARNING. AFTER RESTARTING THE VEHICLE, IT SHUT OFF YET AGAIN. AFTER THE SECOND RESTART, THE VEHICLE ACCELERATED INDEPENDENTLY WITHOUT WARNING. THE CONTACT'S WIFE ATTEMPTED MULTIPLE TIMES TO DEPRESS THE BRAKE PEDAL AND SHUT OFF THE VEHICLE USING THE PUSH START FEATURE, BUT WAS UNSUCCESFUL. AS A RESULT, THE CONTACT'S WIFE CRASHED INTO AN EMBANKMENT AT AN UNKNOWN RATE OF SPEED. THE AIR BAGS DEPLOYED UPON IMPACT. A POLICE REPORT WAS FILED. THE CONTACT SUSTAINED MINOR INJURIES, DUE TO THE AIR BAG DEPLOYMENT, TO HER MOUTH AND LEFT ARM. MEDICAL ATTENTION WAS NOT RECEIVED. THE CONTACT HAD THE VEHICLE TOWED TO HIS PROPERTY. IT WAS NOT YET DETERMINED IF THE VEHICLE WAS DESTROYED. THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOT NOTIFIED. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS APPROXIMATELY 33,000.

CAUSE UNKNOWN. WITH THE ENGINE JUST TURNED OFF AND VEHICLE STATIONARY IN A GARAGE, I LEANED INTO THE REAR COMPARTMENT TO RETRIEVE ARTICLES AND THE VEHICLE MOVED FORWARD. ONCE AGAIN L LEANED INTO THE REAR AND IT MOVED FORWARD. I THEN STARTED THE ENGINE, DID NOT PUT IT INTO GEAR, BUT SIMPLY TURNED IT OFF. I LEANED INTO THE REAR AND ONCE AGAIN THE VEHICLE MOVED FORWARD.

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2017 CADILLAC XT5. WHEN THE BRAKE PEDAL WAS DEPRESSED, IT TRAVELED TO THE FLOORBOARD AND THE GEAR SHIFTER WOULD NOT MOVE INTO PARK. ALSO, THE SERVICE ENGINE, SERVICE STABILITRAK, SERVICE TRANSMISSION, AND ENTIRE INSTRUMENT PANEL WARNING INDICATORS WERE ILLUMINATED. THE BATTERY WAS DISCONNECTED AND RECONNECTED AND THE VEHICLE WAS ABLE TO SHIFT INTO PARK; HOWEVER, IT UNINTENTIONALLY WENT BACK INTO DRIVE. THE VEHICLE WAS TOWED TO PLAZA CADILLAC (8893 US-441, LEESBURG, FL 34788, (352) 787-1323) WHERE THE CHASSIS CONTROL, ENGINE, TRANSMISSION, AND RANGE CONTROL MODULES WERE REPROGRAMMED. AFTER THE REPAIR, THE BRAKE PEDAL TRAVELED TO THE FLOORBOARD WHEN PLACING THE GEAR SHIFTER IN PARK. ALSO, WHILE DRIVING 40 MPH, THE VEHICLE STALLED WHILE ROLLING TO A COMPLETE STOP. THE VEHICLE WAS PULLED OVER TO THE SIDE OF THE ROAD WHERE IT WAS RESTARTED AND FUNCTIONED NORMALLY. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN BACK TO THE SAME DEALER WHERE THE FAILURE COULD NOT BE REPLICATED. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT REPAIRED. THE MANUFACTURER WAS MADE AWARE OF THE FAILURES AND INFORMED THE CONTACT THAT OTHER VEHICLES WERE EXPERIENCING THE SAME FAILURE. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 16,000.

CAR IN MOTION FROM REST CAR MISFIRES CAR STALLS. 2 TIMES IN LAST TWO WEEKS TAKEN TO DEALER 11 FEB 2019. NO FAULTS FOUND. SORRY BUT THIS CAR IS BROKEN. HAS HAPPEN BEFORE 4 TIMES

THERE IS A MILD CLUNKING NOISE WHEN THE AUTO STARTS MOVING AND THEN YOU REMOVE FOOT OFF OF GAS PEDAL AND THEN BACK ON GAS PEDAL TO ACCELERATE A SLIGHT CLUNKING NOISE IS OBSERVED. THIS HAPPENS IN CITY DRIVING STOP AND GO CONDITIONS

NEW TOTALLY ELECTRONIC TRANSMISSION FELT STRANGE IN UPSHIFTING AND DOWNSHIFTING IMMEDIATELY AFTER PURCHASING VEHICLE AND WAS REPORTED TO CADILLAC IN THEIR CUSTOMER SATISFACTION SURVEY WITHIN A MONTH OF PURCHASE. AFTER FIVE MONTHS AND 1800 MILES, THE TRANSMISSION FAILED COMPLETELY. PRIOR TO COMPLETE FAILURE, THE DEALER WAS CONTACTED AND ASK ED IF THERE WERE ANY RECALL OR ISSUES WITH THE NEW TRANSMISSION AND HE INDICATED THERE WEREN'T ANY. THE FOLLOWING DAY, THE TRANSMISSION BECAME ERADICT ON AN INTERSTATE AT 70MPH AND WE WERE FORCED TO EXIST AND RETURN HOME ON LOCAL STREETS. THE CAR WOULD ONLY MOVE ABOUT 10MPH WITH THE ENGINE RACING UNTIL WE FINALLY DROVE THE 20 MILES TO OUT HOME. ONSTAR WAS ACTIVATED AND DIAGNOSED A SERIOUS TRANSMISSION ISSUE AND SCHEDULED TOWINT TO THE DEALER. THE CAR WAS TOWED TO THE DEALER ON MARCH 26 AND AS OF APRIL 15 THE CAR HAS NOT BEEN RETURNED TO ME.

MY 2017 XT5 COMPLETELY SHUTDOWN ON MY ON SATURDAY, 10/7. I WAS AT A STOP LIGHT & WHEN I PRESSED THE ACCELERATOR, THE INSTRUMENT CLUSTER HAD A NUMBER OF LIGHTS COME ON & THE VEHICLE WAS VERY HARD TO ACCELERATE. I HAD TO PULL OVER IMMEDIATELY & THEN THE CAR SHUT DOWN. IT WAS COMPLETELY DEAD: THE HAZARD LIGHTS DID NOT WORK (VERY SCARY) & ONSTAR AND THE SOS BUTTON WOULD NOT CONNECT. AFTER ABOUT 5-10 MINUTES, ONSTAR WAS CONNECTED & I WAS TOLD NOT TO DRIVE THE VEHICLE DUE TO ENGINE & TRANSMISSION CODES. THE VEHICLE WAS TOWED THE DEALER BY ROADSIDE. ON MONDAY, THE DEALER PROVIDED ME WITH A LOANER WHILE THE DIAGNOSED THE VEHICLE. ON 10/11, WHEN I WENT TO PICK-UP THE VEHICLE, I WAS TOLD THE ISSUE WAS A 'LOGIC LOCK,' THE CAR WAS DRIVEN FOR 4 MILES & CONSIDERED FIXED. I REFUSED THE CAR AS WE NEED TO KNOW THE ROOT CAUSE. THE DEALER STILL HAS MY CAR AND HAS NOT CONTACTED CADILLAC YET. I AM STILL WAITING TO HEAR FROM THEM AND ALSO HAVE A CASE OPENED WITH CADILLAC CUSTOMER CARE, BUT THEY ARE LESS THAN HELPFUL. THE POOR CUSTOMER SERVICE IS ONE ISSUE, BUT THE GREATER ISSUE IS THE SAFETY OF MY CAR AND THE FACT THAT IT COMPLETELY DIED ON ME AND THE DEALER THINKS CLEARING SOME CODES WILL RESOLVE IT. PLEASE HELP. GOD FORBID THIS HAPPENS TO ME OR SOMEONE ELSE AGAIN. IT IS COMPLETELY UNSAFE.

WHILE DRIVING 30MPH ON CITY STREET ENGINE MADE LOUD ROARING NOISE AND DRAMATICALLY SLOWED ITSELF DOWN TO ALMOST A STOP AS IF I SLAMMED ON BRAKES. I HAD VEHICLE(1715 MILEAGE) TOWED TO DEALERSHIP. THEY KEPT IT 2 DAYS AND TOLD ME NOTHING WAS WRONG. I PICKED UP CAR AND WHILE DRIVING HOME THE ENGINE MADE LOUD NOISE AND DRAMATICALLY SLOWED DOWN ONCE AGAIN. THE NEXT DAY I TOOK MY CAR TO ANOTHER DEALERSHIP HOPING THEY COULD REPAIR VEHICLE. THEY KEPT CAR FOR 14 DAYS AND TOLD ME THEY COULD NOT DUPLICATE CONCERN AND DID NOT REPAIR. SO I PICKED UP CAR HOPING IT WOULD NOT HAPPEN AGAIN. IT DID HAPPEN 3 MORE TIMES. ONE INCIDENT HAPPENED WHILE DRIVING THROUGH INTERSECTION ON CITY STREET ENGINE MADE LOUD ROARING NOISE AND ABRUPTLY SLOWED ITSELF DOWN TO ALMOST A STOP. BUT IN THIS INSTANCE WHEN I STEPPED ON ACCELERATOR TO DRIVE FORWARD TO GET OUT OF INTERSECTION THE CAR WOULD NOT MOVE,IT FROZE . LUCKILY I DID NOT GET HIT IN THE BACK. I WAITED, TURNED CAR OFF, AND THEN TURNED IT ON. I WAS ABLE TO DRIVE HOME. I TOOK CAR BACK TO DEALERSHIP ON 7/19/17 EXPLAINING THE CAR WAS UNSAFE SINCE THESE PROBLEMS ARE ERRATIC AND I COULD GET HIT IN THE BACK WHEN THE VEHICLE SLOWS DOWN TO A STOP IN THE MIDDLE OF TRAFFIC. THEY KEPT CAR FOR 9 DAYS CALLED AND TOLD ME THEY COULD NOT FIND PROBLEM SO THEY WANTED THEIR LOANER BACK. I WAS AFRAID TO DRIVE CAR BACK HOME SO THE DEALER DELIVERED CAR TO MY HOUSE AND TOOK BACK LOANER ON 7/28/17. IT HAS BEEN IN MY GARAGE SINCE THEN SINCE I FEAR FOR MY SAFETY AND MY FAMILY AND WILL NOT DRIVE CAR FEARING I'LL GET HIT WHILE DRIVING IF THE VEHICLE MALFUNCTIONS AGAIN. I NEVER GET A WARNING OF ANY SORT BEFORE IT HAPPENS. AFTER IT HAPPENS AND I TURN THE CAR OFF AND ON AGAIN THE VEHICLE SEEMS PERFECT. BUT I NEVER KNOW WHEN IT WILL BREAK AGAIN SINCE IT IS ERRATIC. IT IS DEFINITELY A SAFETY HAZARD.