2021 Cadillac CT5
Recalls, most-reported problems, crash-test ratings, fuel economy and what a 2021 Cadillac CT5 is worth — from official NHTSA and EPA data. 4 on record.
2021 Cadillac CT5 at a glance
Included: that car's specs and build sheet, model-year recall campaigns and a fair price.
2021 Cadillac CT5 recalls 4
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.
Fix: 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.
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 S…
Fix: 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 custom…
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.
Fix: 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.
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.
Fix: 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, Chevrole…
Source: U.S. NHTSA, checked 4 Nov 2026. A campaign covers the model year; to see whether a particular car still needs the repair, check its VIN on NHTSA.gov or ask a franchised dealer.
2021 Cadillac CT5 common problems
The most-reported problem areas across all 29 owner complaints filed with NHTSA — and what to check before you buy.
2021 Cadillac CT5 safety ratings
Rollover risk: 9.5% — NHTSA's estimated chance of rollover in a single-vehicle crash (dynamic test: no tip).
Source: NHTSA 5-Star Safety Ratings (NCAP), tested as the 2021 Cadillac CT5 4 DR AWD. Ratings can differ by body style and drivetrain.
2021 Cadillac CT5 MPG & running costs
Source: U.S. EPA / DOE fueleconomy.gov. The EPA lists 2 versions of this model year; combined is shown as a range and the other figures are averages.
Estimated 5-year cost to own
A rough guide to what running a 2021 Cadillac CT5 costs over five years and 75,000 miles.
How this is estimated: fuel is the U.S. EPA annual cost at 15,000 miles a year. There aren't enough comparable listings to estimate depreciation for this model, so it is left out. Not included: insurance, maintenance, repairs, taxes, registration and finance costs. Treat it as a comparison guide, not a quote.
Dimensions & weight
Manufacturer-reported figures for the 2021 Cadillac CT5 — ranges cover the 4 body / drivetrain versions on record. Source: Transport Canada vehicle specifications via NHTSA.
Investigations & service bulletins
NHTSA defect investigations 1
Air Bag Malfunction Closed
On April 9, 2021, the Office of Defects Investigations (ODI) opened PE21-010 to investigate instances of air bag malfunction indicator light (MIL) illumination and potential for frontal air bag non-deployment in several vehicles manufactured by General Motors (GM). The vehicles included model year (MY) 2020 through 2021 CT4 and CT5 passenger cars, Sierra and Silverado trucks (1500/2500/3500 models), XT4 and MY 2021 E…
NHTSA #PE21010 · Air Bags · opened Apr 2021 · closed Aug 2023An investigation means NHTSA is examining a possible defect — it is not a recall, and many close without one.
Manufacturer service bulletins 800
Technical notes the manufacturer sent to dealers about known issues and fixes. Useful to mention to a mechanic — they are not recalls and repairs may not be covered. Showing the 10 most recent of 800.
This PI provides Diagnostics tips on how the LIN bus works and how to diagnosis it.
Bulletin PIT5698F · Sep 2026This PI advises of a procedure for a Service Door Latch System message with No Related DTCs
Bulletin PIC6555A · Sep 2026This preliminary information advises a dealer on how to email GDS2 session logs into Technical Assistance.
Bulletin PIP4902W · Sep 2026This Preliminary information communicates to dealer to perform a MEC reset for wireless projection issues
Bulletin PIC6551C · Aug 2026PI to help diagnose A/C concern
Bulletin PIT5099J · Jul 2026This Preliminary information communicates an issue with an OTA pending message still displayed after an OTA event and how to reset/clear the message.
Bulletin PIT5966F · Jun 2026Pi created to provide GM dealers with information on gathering information for projection issue
Bulletin PIC6423A · May 2026This Preliminary information communicates to dealer to perform a MEC reset for wireless projection issues
Bulletin PIC6551B · May 2026This Preliminary information communicates an issue with a replace or low FOB battery message
Bulletin PIT6511 · Apr 2026This PI communicates information on a SPS programming issue causing Serial Data Authentication Configuration to fail.
Bulletin PIT6507 · Apr 2026Source: NHTSA Office of Defects Investigation, listed for the CT5 RWD. Model-year data, not specific to one car.
Canadian recalls 5
Transport Canada recall campaigns for the 2021 Cadillac CT5. Relevant if the car was first sold in, or imported from, Canada.
Powertrain
Issue: Over time, the transmission control valve could wear and lose pressure. If this happens, the transmission could shift harshly and could cause the wheels to lock up. Note: This recall only affects vehicles equipped with a 10-speed automatic transmission. Safety Risk: Wheels that lock suddenly could cause a loss of control and increase the risk of a crash. Corrective Actio…
Transport Canada #2025118 · Mar 2025Lights And Instruments
Issue: On certain vehicles, a software problem could cause the lower beam headlamps not to turn on as it becomes dark outside if the multi-function switch is in the "OFF" or "PARKING LAMP" position. This could also cause the daytime running lamps (DRLs) to turn off when the vehicle is moving. As a result, the vehicles may not meet certain requirements of Canadian regulations. S…
Transport Canada #2024060 · Feb 2024Lights And Instruments
Issue: On certain vehicles, the daytime running lamps (DRLs) may stay on when the headlamps are on. Canadian regulations require the DRLs to turn off when the headlamps are on. Safety Risk: Daytime running lamps that stay on could cause glare for oncoming drivers and increase the risk of a crash. Corrective Action: General Motors will notify owners by mail and instruct you to t…
Transport Canada #2022700 · Dec 2022Airbag
Issue: On certain vehicles, the roof-rail airbags may not have been installed correctly. As a result, the airbags may not inflate properly in a crash. Safety Risk: A roof-rail airbag that does not inflate properly could create an increased risk of injury in a crash. Corrective Actions: General Motors will notify owners by mail and instruct you to take your vehicle to a dealer t…
Transport Canada #2021488 · Aug 2021Airbag
Issue: On certain vehicles, a software problem could cause the airbag warning light not to turn on when there is a fault in the airbag system. As a result, a driver might not be alerted of the problem and the airbags may not work properly in a crash. Safety Risk: An airbag system that does not work properly could create an increased risk of injury in a crash. Corrective Actions…
Transport Canada #2021348 · Jun 2021Source: Transport Canada Motor Vehicle Safety Recalls Database.
About the Cadillac CT5
The Cadillac CT5 is a mid-size luxury car manufactured and marketed by General Motors under the Cadillac brand since 2019. It is the replacement for the Cadillac CTS.
From Wikipedia, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0. Describes the model line in general, not this model year specifically.
