Consumer Safety Complaints
Search 2,245,377 safety complaints filed by vehicle owners with NHTSA, including 140,173 crashes, 56,794 fires, and 8,580 deaths.
What is a NHTSA consumer complaint?
A consumer complaint is a free-form report filed by a vehicle owner directly to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) describing a safety concern about their vehicle. NHTSA collects these reports through its Vehicle Owner Defect Report (VOQ) system and publishes them publicly. Each complaint includes the affected component, the date and circumstances of the incident, whether the failure caused a crash or fire, and any reported injuries or deaths. The owner's full narrative description is included verbatim, NHTSA does not edit or moderate the descriptions.
The database below contains over 2,245,377 individual complaints. NHTSA's investigators monitor it for clusters of similar reports, when enough owners describe the same failure mode on the same vehicle, NHTSA may open a Preliminary Evaluation that can lead to a recall. Many of the largest recalls in U.S. history, including the Takata airbag recall and the Hyundai/Kia engine fire recalls, started as patterns visible in this complaint database years before they became formal recalls.
How to interpret what you read
A few principles for reading consumer complaints usefully:
- One complaint is anecdote; a hundred similar complaints is data. NHTSA does not investigate the truthfulness of any individual report, that's the job of the Office of Defects Investigation, which looks at the full pattern. When evaluating a vehicle, look for whether multiple owners describe the same chain of events.
- Crash, fire, injury, and death flags are owner-set. They are not verified by NHTSA. They are still useful as a filter, because owners who tick those boxes are typically reporting more serious incidents than those who don't.
- Component categories are NHTSA-assigned, not owner-assigned. NHTSA standardizes the component field so that complaints can be aggregated. The owner narrative often goes into more detail than the component category captures.
- Complaint volume scales with sales volume. A best-selling model will accumulate more raw complaints than a niche model even at the same defect rate. To compare across vehicles, look at complaints per 100,000 units sold, not raw counts.
If you've experienced a defect
File a complaint. NHTSA's investigators rely on this database to detect emerging defects, and useful complaints, specific, concrete, with dates and mileage and clear descriptions of what happened, feed directly into the agency's pattern detection. The form takes about 10 minutes and is at nhtsa.gov/recalls under "Report a Safety Problem." Your complaint becomes part of the same public record that this page is built from. Owners filing detailed VOQs are how recalls get triggered.
Read more from our blog
Showing 21,483 complaints for CADILLAC
CADILLAC
ESCALADE ESV
(2020) - AIR BAGS
Jul 20, 2021
Incident date: Nov 13, 2020
er to case number: Case#9-6698447273v 3136671128 Vera Cadillac case Escalated and I am not getting through. Just want to make sure that I made the effort to each our to dealerships and headquarters to no avail. And if this is really is what is happening, this is what really need to be done properly: per lemon vehicle with extended warranty program, with defective equipment (manufacturer’s defect... Read more
Crash
1 injured
CADILLAC
ESCALADE ESV
(2020) - FUEL/PROPULSION SYSTEM
Jul 20, 2021
Incident date: Nov 13, 2020
er to case number: Case#9-6698447273v 3136671128 Vera Cadillac case Escalated and I am not getting through. Just want to make sure that I made the effort to each our to dealerships and headquarters to no avail. And if this is really is what is happening, this is what really need to be done properly: per lemon vehicle with extended warranty program, with defective equipment (manufacturer’s defect... Read more
Crash
1 injured
CADILLAC
ESCALADE ESV
(2020) - WHEELS
Jul 20, 2021
Incident date: Nov 13, 2020
er to case number: Case#9-6698447273v 3136671128 Vera Cadillac case Escalated and I am not getting through. Just want to make sure that I made the effort to each our to dealerships and headquarters to no avail. And if this is really is what is happening, this is what really need to be done properly: per lemon vehicle with extended warranty program, with defective equipment (manufacturer’s defect... Read more
Crash
1 injured
Incident date: Jul 19, 2021
The contact owns a 2016 Cadillac SRX. The contact stated while driving at various speeds, headlights failed to produce adequate lighting. There was no warning light illuminated. The contact was unable to drive the vehicle at night due to the failure. The vehicle was taken to the local dealer and diagnosed that the headlight assemblies needed to be replaced. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufa... Read more
Incident date: Jul 15, 2021
Seat is adjusting during driving. Moving between presets. Setting position 1 automatically all the way forward. Heat in the seat turning on.
Incident date: Jul 15, 2021
Seat is adjusting during driving. Moving between presets. Setting position 1 automatically all the way forward. Heat in the seat turning on.
Incident date: Jul 15, 2021
Seat is adjusting during driving. Moving between presets. Setting position 1 automatically all the way forward. Heat in the seat turning on.
Incident date: May 1, 2021
The contact owns a 2012 Cadillac SRX. The contact stated that headlights were extremely dim and failed to properly illuminate while driving. There was no warning light illuminated. The contact stated that due to water seeping through the rubber sealant on the headlights, condensation had built up inside the headlight module which had caused the failure. The contact used the hi-beam headlights whil... Read more
Incident date: Feb 6, 2018
My headlight assemblies would get condensation and cause the bulb to become dim or burn out. Had to replace bulbs several times but still difficult to see 20 ft in front of me when driving the dark roads in north west New Jersey. Was told it was a known issue and to drill holes in the back of the headlight, which I did not do since I didn't want to damage the assemblies. The cost to replace both a... Read more
Incident date: Jul 13, 2021
When applying the brakes at a slow speed (>20 mph), the brakes seem “spongy”. The brake pedal seems to require further travel to stop the vehicle. It feels as if air is trapped in the hydraulic system and this does not happen all the time, it is an intermittent problem.
Incident date: May 21, 2021
Cadillac Cue system has stopped working. GM will not replace but is aware of the issues with the faulty system. Screen has been checked by the dealership. They indicate that they are aware of the issues with the system but no recall has been issued. Because this controls many functions of the vehicle, it's safety issue. Consumers should not have to pay the costs to have this issue resolved.
Incident date: Mar 1, 2021
a few months ago I started noticing a loud noise coming from the rear of my vehicle. Then my Service Traction Control light, Service Stabilitrak light, Service Rear Axle light, the Stabilitrak malfunction indicator lamp all come on my display screen. I took my tires to have them rotated and the rear tires were unevenly worn I was told. The other thing that is happening is that my steering wheel... Read more
Incident date: Mar 1, 2021
a few months ago I started noticing a loud noise coming from the rear of my vehicle. Then my Service Traction Control light, Service Stabilitrak light, Service Rear Axle light, the Stabilitrak malfunction indicator lamp all come on my display screen. I took my tires to have them rotated and the rear tires were unevenly worn I was told. The other thing that is happening is that my steering wheel... Read more
Incident date: Mar 1, 2021
a few months ago I started noticing a loud noise coming from the rear of my vehicle. Then my Service Traction Control light, Service Stabilitrak light, Service Rear Axle light, the Stabilitrak malfunction indicator lamp all come on my display screen. I took my tires to have them rotated and the rear tires were unevenly worn I was told. The other thing that is happening is that my steering wheel... Read more
Incident date: Jul 11, 2021
A known issue. “Clutch slow to fill” is a defect of the 8 speed transmission that causes the vehicle to violently buck and surge at low speeds and is dangerous as it makes it unreliable when driving at low speeds since it can randomly lunge forward dangerously. Dealership replaced transmission valve body under warranty and flushed transmission twice but problem remains. Dealership claims it ca... Read more
Incident date: Dec 1, 2020
The contact owns a 2012 Cadillac Escalade. The contact stated that the air bag warning light was illuminated. The contact received notification of NHTSA campaign number: 21V051000 (Air Bags) however, the part to do the recall repair was unavailable. The vehicle was taken to the local dealer who stated that parts were not yet available. The contact stated that the manufacturer had exceeded a reason... Read more
Incident date: Jun 19, 2021
While driving during the last month, the CUE system that controls the heating/cooling controls (among other options) turned itself off. Hence, the air conditioning shut off. This may not seem to be a safety issue, but we were driving back from Topsail Island, NC, to our home in Winchester, VA and it was 97 degrees outside. After several tries, we were able to get it going again, but it continues t... Read more
Incident date: Jun 1, 2021
Ran out of gas after putting gas in the car tried to start it and the ignition got stuck and continued to try to start on its own I had to pull the back to the off position I tried to start it again and it would not start and the lights on the dash And the radio control center did not come on. And car will not even try to start before this the car had been cutting off while driving down the road f... Read more
Incident date: Jun 1, 2021
Ran out of gas after putting gas in the car tried to start it and the ignition got stuck and continued to try to start on its own I had to pull the back to the off position I tried to start it again and it would not start and the lights on the dash And the radio control center did not come on. And car will not even try to start before this the car had been cutting off while driving down the road f... Read more
Incident date: Jan 1, 2019
Since 2019, my headlights began to dim and have gradually worsened. Now they are defective and ineffective. I have had close close calls when trying to drive at night. It is almost impossible to drive at night without high beams. I have been pulled over twice and given warnings about my headlights. It is very hard to navigate driving especially when other drivers can barely see my car. I have dri... Read more
Incident date: Dec 28, 2020
The contact owns a 2007 Cadillac CTS. The contact stated while driving 30 mph, the ignition switch failed, and the steering wheel locked causing the contact to lose control of the vehicle. The vehicle crashed on the driver's side on-ramp. There was no warning light illuminated. The contact and his daughter sustained injuries to the back but did not seek medical assistance. A police report was file... Read more
Crash
2 injured
Incident date: Dec 28, 2020
The contact owns a 2007 Cadillac CTS. The contact stated while driving 30 mph, the ignition switch failed, and the steering wheel locked causing the contact to lose control of the vehicle. The vehicle crashed on the driver's side on-ramp. There was no warning light illuminated. The contact and his daughter sustained injuries to the back but did not seek medical assistance. A police report was file... Read more
Crash
2 injured
Incident date: Jul 6, 2021
Stabilitrak light on
Incident date: Jul 6, 2021
Stabilitrak light on
Incident date: Jun 24, 2021
Cruise control will randomly turn off and will be unavailable for a few days then come back. Engine seized up out of nowhere while driving down the road and nearly caused an accident due to it locking up while moving.
Incident date: Jun 24, 2021
Cruise control will randomly turn off and will be unavailable for a few days then come back. Engine seized up out of nowhere while driving down the road and nearly caused an accident due to it locking up while moving.
Incident date: May 5, 2021
Windshield wipers stopped working while in rain storm. Motor was still running but the wiper transmission was disconnected from motor. My 2 year old grandson was in the car at time of failure. They were able to safely return home. This incident could have caused a serious accident.
Incident date: Jul 1, 2021
Cracked CUE screen dealership states not covered under warranty and requesting $1700.00 to replace. My 2016 CTS has only 28,500 miles and has always been kept in the garage since I purchased it new in 2016. I truly feel GM should being covering the cost of replacement on this system on a vehicle that had a $64,000 price tag.
Incident date: Jun 29, 2021
Steering rack bound up and became extremely difficult to move, causing vehicle to leave roadway. Power assist failed and manual mode would not allow steering to left making it nearly impossible to control direction of vehicle.
Incident date: May 1, 2021
GM Corp/Cadillac issued a recall to the vehicles info center CUE screens. They were deteriorating and potential provide false information on the cars message center. Cadillac replaced t he CUE screen on the 2014 SRX . The same screen that was replaced is now deteriorated to the point, that after 30 minutes of driving, the screen has become inoperative to the touch and not able to display and ... Read more
Incident date: May 1, 2021
GM Corp/Cadillac issued a recall to the vehicles info center CUE screens. They were deteriorating and potential provide false information on the cars message center. Cadillac replaced t he CUE screen on the 2014 SRX . The same screen that was replaced is now deteriorated to the point, that after 30 minutes of driving, the screen has become inoperative to the touch and not able to display and ... Read more
Incident date: Jun 4, 2020
Head Light are very dim. I changed the light bulb to see if that would help but I can't see at night due to the dimness of the head lights
Incident date: Jun 29, 2020
The contact owns a 2015 Cadillac SRX. The contact stated that the headlights were dim while activated. The vehicle was taken to the dealer and diagnosed that the headlight assembly needed to be replaced. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was made aware of the failure. The approximate failure mileage was 100,000.
Incident date: Jun 21, 2021
The contact owns a 2014 Cadillac SRX. The contact stated while driving 55 mph, she felt the vehicle swaying. The contact stated there was no warning light illuminated. The contact continued to drive the vehicle. The local dealer was contacted and made aware of the failure. An appointment was scheduled for June 25, 2021. The contact stated that on June 25, 2021 while driving 55 mph, the rear passen... Read more
Incident date: Jun 26, 2021
On Saturday June 26, 2021 I open the driver door to the vehicle and the passenger seat caught. on fire and burned a hole in the side of the seat .
Fire
CADILLAC
ESCALADE NA
(2021) - FORWARD COLLISION AVOIDANCE: AUTOMATIC EMERGENCY BRAKING
Jun 28, 2021
Incident date: Jun 26, 2021
When driving on the city streets of Chicago I approached a movable bridge which spans the Illinois river. The bridge deck was constructed of steel. As I was about to begin crossing the bridge my car brakes locked up completely, sending the vehicle into a short skid. Fortunately, the car behind me was not tailgating me or I most certainly would have been struck in the back of the vehicle. This ... Read more
CADILLAC
ESCALADE ESV
(2017) - SERVICE BRAKES
Jun 28, 2021
Incident date: Jun 26, 2021
I was travelling down the highway and the brakes failed to respond. I was able to deliver the car to a Cadillac dealer in Holland Michigan. At highway speeds with no breaks I believe my families lives were in danger. We have brought the car into the dealership multiple times for electrical system issues and I believe these unresolved issues have culminated in the failure of the braking system at h... Read more
CADILLAC
ESCALADE NA
(2021) - FORWARD COLLISION AVOIDANCE: ADAPTIVE CRUISE CONTROL
Jun 28, 2021
Incident date: Jun 27, 2021
I recently purchased a 2021 Cadillac Escalade with Supercruise driver assistance system. There have been at least 5 instances where I attempted to turn off the Supercruise function and the system does not allow me to regain control of the vehicle. For example, I will turn off the Supercruise fuction by hitting the Supercruise function on the steering wheel and it will begin to flash red on the s... Read more
CADILLAC
ESCALADE NA
(2021) - LANE DEPARTURE: ASSIST
Jun 28, 2021
Incident date: Jun 27, 2021
I recently purchased a 2021 Cadillac Escalade with Supercruise driver assistance system. There have been at least 5 instances where I attempted to turn off the Supercruise function and the system does not allow me to regain control of the vehicle. For example, I will turn off the Supercruise fuction by hitting the Supercruise function on the steering wheel and it will begin to flash red on the s... Read more
Incident date: May 6, 2021
The computer isn’t telling the alternator to charge the battery so the batteries are being all of the way drained without anything recharging them. Beans new batteries get ruined fast.
Incident date: Jan 13, 2021
The contact owns a 2010 Cadillac DTS. The contact stated that the vehicle was taken to a local dealer for an oil change and he was informed of an oil pan leak coming from a bolt-on undercarriage causing damage to the engine. The dealer offered to repair the oil leak however, the contact declined. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was made aware of the failure. The failure mileage was ... Read more
Incident date: Jun 15, 2020
The contact owns a 2018 Cadillac XT5. The contact stated while driving at various speeds, the vehicle stalled. The contact stated all of the warning lights were illuminated on the control panel. The vehicle was taken to the local dealer on three different occasions where it was diagnosed with nothing needing to be replaced. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer had not been informed of th... Read more
Incident date: Jun 15, 2020
The contact owns a 2018 Cadillac XT5. The contact stated while driving at various speeds, the vehicle stalled. The contact stated all of the warning lights were illuminated on the control panel. The vehicle was taken to the local dealer on three different occasions where it was diagnosed with nothing needing to be replaced. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer had not been informed of th... Read more
Incident date: Jun 3, 2021
Service Ride control and stability control system lights have been flashing the instrument panel cluster on my dash will cut off and not illuminate once it's time to turn the head lights on there is a ticking /clicking noise when first cranked up and as the gas is pushed and when accelerated and when driving over 65 mph the vehicle will start swaying to the point of being uncontrollably.
Incident date: Jun 3, 2021
Service Ride control and stability control system lights have been flashing the instrument panel cluster on my dash will cut off and not illuminate once it's time to turn the head lights on there is a ticking /clicking noise when first cranked up and as the gas is pushed and when accelerated and when driving over 65 mph the vehicle will start swaying to the point of being uncontrollably.
Incident date: Jun 3, 2021
Service Ride control and stability control system lights have been flashing the instrument panel cluster on my dash will cut off and not illuminate once it's time to turn the head lights on there is a ticking /clicking noise when first cranked up and as the gas is pushed and when accelerated and when driving over 65 mph the vehicle will start swaying to the point of being uncontrollably.
Incident date: Jun 16, 2021
The contact owns a 2003 Cadillac Escalade EXT. The contact stated that the air bag light was illuminated. The contact contacted an independent mechanic who informed the contact that the air bag needed replacement but did not diagnose the failure cause. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was made aware of the failure and informed the contact to take the vehicle to the dealer. The failur... Read more
Incident date: May 15, 2021
Front brake vibration, alarming grinding/rubbing/screeching sound each and every time service brakes are applied. Dealer claims this is a known GM problem with no fix available. I have purchased two Cadillacs Xt6 and Xt5 May 2021. Both vehicles have the same problem. Wife will not drive the new Cadillac. Service bulletin published sbout this same problem, December 2020. Still no resolution, June 2... Read more
Incident date: Jun 17, 2021
while driving my vehicle, the rear portion of the sunroof suddenly just exploded, with the glass completely shattering. it sounded like an explosion. There were no exterior causes for this...just a release of pressure that was inherent in the window from manufacturing. there was no other damage to the vehicle. i was on a wooded part of the road, so nobody was around to throw an object, and the... Read more