Reliable Auto DB

2021 Cadillac CT5 reliability

Is it reliable?

The 2021 Cadillac CT5 has 28 complaints with NHTSA after 6 years, or 1 per year. That is fewer complaints per year than most CT5 years here — under the median of the other years, which is 2. NHTSA has 4 recalls on file, including Automatic transmission, Lighting control module, software, and Curtain.

2020 Cadillac CT5
Photo by Elise240SX, resized from the original. Wikimedia Commons CC BY-SA 4.0
Complaints

28

Per year

1

Recalls

4

Years on the road

6

What owners report

The complaints owners file most often name Electrical system (12 of 28), then Structure (6) and Powertrain (4). The most filings arrived in 2026 (15 of 28). Those filings include 3 that report a crash and 2 that report an injury.

Next to 2020 and 2022

The 2020 CT5 has 39 complaints, 2 per year, and the 2022 has 11 complaints, 2 per year. The 2021 has fewer complaints per year than the 2020. The 2021 has fewer complaints per year than the 2022.

The complaint rate is complaints filed in this year’s first 3 years on the road, divided by however many of those years have passed. Recalls are a separate count. The numbers are for the US-market 2021 Cadillac CT5. How we count. Data as of .

Recalls (4)

Recall powertrain, automatic transmission 2025-03-06 · NHTSA campaign 25V148000
Summary 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. 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.
Recall exterior lighting, lighting control module, software 2022-12-08 · NHTSA campaign 22V903000
Summary 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 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.
Recall air bags, side and window, curtain 2021-08-05 · NHTSA campaign 21V611000
Summary 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. Owners may contact Cadillac customer service at 1-800-458-8006. GM's number for this recall is N212342780.
Recall air bags, SRS malfunction warning light 2021-06-10 · NHTSA campaign 21V421000
Summary 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 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.

Complaints by component (28 total)

Electrical system
12
Structure
6
Powertrain
4
Air bags
2
Forward collision avoidance
2
Engine
1
Exterior lighting
1
Fuel and propulsion system
1
Seat belts
1
Service brakes
1
Steering
1
Tires
1
Visibility
1
Visibility and wipers
1
Wheels
1
Show 7 more Show less
Crash-flagged

3

Fire-flagged

0

Injury reports

2

Death reports

0

Complaints filed per year

12021120223202482025152026
Excerpts from recent NHTSA complaint filings
  • "I am filing a formal safety complaint against General Motors (GM) regarding an unresolved transmission safety hazard on my 2021 Cadillac CT5 550T. This vehicle is included under NHTSA Campaign Number 25V148000 for an…"
    Powertrain · filed 2026-09-24
  • "I have experienced a serious and recurring safety issue with the door handles on my Cadillac CT5 vehicles. The exterior door handles have stopped working, preventing the doors from being opened normally. On one…"
    Electrical system, Unknown or other · filed 2026-09-21
  • "The exterior door handles on my 2021 Cadillac CT5 have experienced the same intermittent failure. The handles initially work intermittently and then become unable to release the door. The button on the inside of the…"
    Electrical system · filed 2026-09-20
  • "Both front doors will no longer open from the outside. The button on the inside of the door handle doesn't respond when pushed and that is the only way to get in the car without rolling the windows down or using the…"
    Electrical system · filed 2026-09-17
  • "Doors have routinely stopped opening using the electronic handles to pop open doors. Have taken to dealership to repair, but keep on not working on other doors. All 4 door handles have been replaced and now they're…"
    Electrical system · filed 2026-09-17

NHTSA crash ratings

Version Overall Front Side Rollover
2021 Cadillac CT5 4 DR AWD 5 stars 5 stars 5 stars 5 stars
2021 Cadillac CT5 4 DR RWD 5 stars 5 stars 5 stars 5 stars

Stars are how this vehicle did in NHTSA crash tests. They are a safety result, separate from the complaint record. Not rated means that test was not run for this version.

Fuel economy

Trim Engine Transmission Drive City Hwy Combined Annual fuel cost
CT5 3L, 6-cyl Automatic (10-speed) Rear-wheel drive 19 28 22 MPG $3650
CT5 2L, 4-cyl Automatic (10-speed) Rear-wheel drive 23 32 26 MPG $3050
CT5 all-wheel drive 2L, 4-cyl Automatic (10-speed) All-wheel drive 21 31 25 MPG $3200
CT5 all-wheel drive 3L, 6-cyl Automatic (10-speed) All-wheel drive 18 26 21 MPG $3800
CT5 V 3L, 6-cyl Automatic (10-speed) Rear-wheel drive 18 27 21 MPG $3800
CT5 V all-wheel drive 3L, 6-cyl Automatic (10-speed) All-wheel drive 18 26 21 MPG $3800

Specs and fitment

First generation, 2020–present
Body styles Sedan
Oil 0W-20 (2.0L turbo or 3.0L turbo V6) , 5.3 qt capacity
Tire size 245/45R18 (base), 245/40R19 (V-Series)

Known issues for this generation

Recall 21V611000 covers certain 2020-2022 Cadillac CT4 and CT5 vehicles where the roof-rail side-curtain air bags may not have been installed correctly, which can cause improper deployment in a crash; dealers inspect and reinstall the left and right roof-rail air bags as needed. Recall 25V148000 covers certain 2020-2021 CT5 vehicles (with CT4, CT6, and Camaro on the same campaign) with a 10-speed transmission that may become damaged internally and lock the wheels; dealers install transmission control module monitoring software. Recall 20V588000 covers certain 2020 CT5 vehicles (with Corvette, CT4, XT4, Trailblazer, and Encore GX) where contamination in the electronic brake-boost sensor connection can interrupt communication and lose brake-boost assist; dealers replace the electronic brake boost module. Recall 22V903000 covers certain 2020-2023 CT5 vehicles (with CT4, Envision, Escalade, Silverado, Tahoe, and related GM models) whose daytime running lights may not deactivate when the headlights are on (FMVSS 108); dealers or an OTA update revise body control module software.

Compare

Previous year 2020 Cadillac CT5 Next year 2022 Cadillac CT5 See every Cadillac CT5 model year →

Frequently asked questions

Is the 2021 Cadillac CT5 reliable?

The 2021 Cadillac CT5 has 28 complaints with NHTSA after 6 years, or 1 per year. That is fewer complaints per year than most CT5 years here — under the median of the other years, which is 2. NHTSA has 4 recalls on file, including Automatic transmission, Lighting control module, software, and Curtain.

What are common problems with a 2021 Cadillac CT5?

The complaints owners file most often name Electrical system (12 of 28), then Structure (6) and Powertrain (4). The most filings arrived in 2026 (15 of 28). Those filings include 3 that report a crash and 2 that report an injury.

Is the 2021 Cadillac CT5 more reliable than the years next to it?

The 2020 CT5 has 39 complaints, 2 per year, and the 2022 has 11 complaints, 2 per year. The 2021 has fewer complaints per year than the 2020. The 2021 has fewer complaints per year than the 2022.

Has the 2021 Cadillac CT5 been recalled?

The 2021 Cadillac CT5 has 4 recalls on file with NHTSA. See the recalls table on this page for dates, components, and remedies.

How many complaints have owners filed about the 2021 Cadillac CT5?

Owners have filed 28 complaints about the 2021 Cadillac CT5 with NHTSA.

What mpg does a 2021 Cadillac CT5 get?

EPA-rated combined fuel economy for the 2021 Cadillac CT5 is 22.7 MPG. See the fuel economy table on this page for city and highway figures by engine and transmission.

What oil does a Cadillac CT5 take?

0W-20 for the 2.0L turbo and 3.0L turbo V6; capacity about 5.3 qt including filter—confirm in the owner’s manual.

Are there air bag recalls on the Cadillac CT5?

Recall 21V611000 covers certain 2020-2022 CT4 and CT5 vehicles for roof-rail side-curtain air bags that may not have been installed correctly.