The 2021 Cadillac CT5 is associated with 21 official NHTSA owner defect complaints and 4 safety recall campaigns in the federal safety database. The most frequently reported component area is Electrical System, accounting for 5 reports (24% of total complaints). EPA testing covers 6 certified vehicle configurations spanning 2l 4-cyl and 3l 6-cyl configurations. Gasoline and hybrid variants deliver 21 to 26 MPG combined.
Key Data Findings
- • NHTSA Owner Complaints: 21 reports
- • Safety Recall Campaigns: 4 campaigns
- • Top Reported Defect Area: Electrical System (5 / 24%)
- • Safety Incident Signals: 3 crash / 0 fire / 2 injury reports
- • NHTSA Overall Safety Rating: 5 / 5 Stars
- • EPA Efficiency: 21–26 MPG (6 variants)
Data Note: Compiled directly from official NHTSA Office of Defects Investigation (ODI), NHTSA 5-Star Safety Ratings, and EPA FuelEconomy.gov databases.
| Variant | Engine | Drivetrain | Transmission | City | Highway | Combined | EV Range | Est. Annual Fuel Cost |
| CT5 | 2L 4-Cyl | Rear-Wheel Drive | Automatic (S10) | 23 MPG | 32 MPG | 26 MPG | — | $2,900 / yr |
| CT5 AWD | 2L 4-Cyl | All-Wheel Drive | Automatic (S10) | 21 MPG | 31 MPG | 25 MPG | — | $3,050 / yr |
| CT5 | 3L 6-Cyl | Rear-Wheel Drive | Automatic (S10) | 19 MPG | 28 MPG | 22 MPG | — | $3,450 / yr |
| CT5 V | 3L 6-Cyl | Rear-Wheel Drive | Automatic (S10) | 18 MPG | 27 MPG | 21 MPG | — | $3,600 / yr |
| CT5 AWD | 3L 6-Cyl | All-Wheel Drive | Automatic (S10) | 18 MPG | 26 MPG | 21 MPG | — | $3,600 / yr |
| CT5 V AWD | 3L 6-Cyl | All-Wheel Drive | Automatic (S10) | 18 MPG | 26 MPG | 21 MPG | — | $3,600 / yr |
Data Boundary Note: EPA specifications are shown by certified vehicle configuration. NHTSA complaints and recall totals are recorded at the model-year level across all configurations.
| Tested Drivetrain / Cab Variant | Overall Rating | Frontal Crash | Side Crash | Rollover Rating | Rollover Risk |
| 4 DR AWD | | | | | 9.5% |
| 4 DR RWD | | | | | 9.5% |
Active Driver Assistance Systems (NHTSA Recorded): Forward Collision Warning (FCW) is documented as Standard and Lane Departure Warning (LDW) is documented as Optional in official NHTSA records for tested 2021 Cadillac CT5 models.
View complete 2021 Cadillac CT5 crash test & safety breakdown →
Top Reported Problem Categories
Ranked by total consumer complaint submissions recorded by NHTSA
Data Attribution & Context: Complaints are self-reported by vehicle owners to NHTSA and represent unverified consumer submissions. Complaint volume does not equal a statistically controlled failure rate and is not adjusted for total vehicles sold or cumulative mileage driven.
View all 2021 Cadillac CT5 problems & component breakdown (12 categories) →
Affected Component: POWER TRAIN:AUTOMATIC TRANSMISSION
Defect 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.
Free Manufacturer 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.
Affected Component: EXTERIOR LIGHTING:LIGHTING CONTROL MODULE:SOFTWARE
Defect 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."
Free Manufacturer 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.
Affected Component: AIR BAGS:SIDE/WINDOW:CURTAIN
Defect 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.
Free Manufacturer 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.
View all 2021 Cadillac CT5 recalls & campaign history (4 campaigns) →