There are 9 owner-reported electrical system complaints for the 2018 Cadillac XT5in NHTSA's database. These are unverified consumer reports and may not reflect confirmed defects.
The contact owns a 2018 Cadillac XT5. The vehicle was recently purchased, and while driving at an undisclosed speed, the vehicle failed to accelerate as intended while depressing the accelerator pedal. In addition, the vehicle failed to accelerate above 5 MPH with several unknown warning lights illuminated. The dealer was notified and sent a mobile mechanic to the residence to diagnose the vehicle; however, no cause for the failure was found. The vehicle was towed to the dealer, and it was diagnosed that the emission starter module had failed. The dealer reprogrammed the emission starter module. The contact stated that a week after the repairs were performed, while driving at an undisclosed speed, the vehicle sputtered, and the failure persisted. Several unknown warning lights were illuminated. The dealer was notified of the failure. The vehicle was not inspected or diagnosed due to the cost. The contact stated that the failure persisted, and the vehicle failed to start. The vehicle was no longer able to be started. The contact stated that the vehicle was repossessed but was recovered. The vehicle was towed to the residence and had not been driven since. The manufacturer was not notified of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 2,000.
The contact owns a 2018 Cadillac XT5. The contact stated that while driving at slow speeds, the vehicle unintendedly shut off. The vehicle was towed to the local dealer who diagnosed that the body control module (BCM) had failed and needed to be replaced. The contact was informed that BCM failure was caused by internal corrosion to the unit due to condensation leaking from the HVAC water line, which was positioned above the BCM. The vehicle was repaired. The contact stated that the BCM unit was previously replaced due to the same failure. The manufacturer was notified of the failure. The failure mileage was 95,000.
During the two years we have owned this vehicle, it has completely shut down. It usually happens when the vehicle is stopped or coming to a stop. Today 4.17.2023 it happened at 67 mph as I was accelerating to highway speed. The vehicle shut down for 2-3 seconds then restarted. The vehicle decelerated very hard, almost as if it were in a collision.
Driving down the road and my 2018 Cadillac XT5 started on fire for no reason and no engine lights came on. I loss all driving control power steering in the matter of seconds and was trapped in the car waiting for cars to clear so I can run out. The car is with my insurance company the car is now a total loss and I don't think they will investigate. I called GM to make a complaint. The fireman said he had just put a fire out on the same car a week ago. I found out that we have 2 more cars in the Macomb county MI area that caught on fire in the last 3 months same type of car.
Engine thermostat defective, which causes the computer to speed up radiator fans, and causes temperature gauge to read zero. Dealer replaced under warranty at 68,000 miles and same problem reoccurred at 90,000 miles. Common problem on Cadillac XT5’s (all years)
The accelerator on the car started to excel and shift in traffic where I had to pull over. Over the last few months the car has had some electrical issues with the braking and collision alerts going off and the car stopping which the dealer said they couldn't find the problem. Also the brakes since purchasing the vehicle has had to be switched out several times and now the parking brake light is on after being repaired 2 times. This car is definitely unsafe and the dealer insist it is.
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 the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 80,264. Consumer stated vehicle completely shuts off and on without no codes or error messages.
2ND TIME THIS ISSUE OCCURRED. 1ST TIME WAS IN 2019 AND IT TOOK TWO WEEKS FOR THE DEALERSHIP TO FIGURE OUT IT WAS THE BATTERY. WHILE DRIVING THE CAR, THE ELECTRONICS GO CRAZY, THE ENGINE STOPS FOR A SPLIT SECOND, BRAKES ARE LOST FOR A SPLIT SECOND, CRUISE CONTROL TURNS OFF, EVERY POSSIBLE ALARM DISPLAYS ON THE DASH. THE DASH BEEPS, ALL OF THE LIGHTS FLASH, THE SPEED/PRESSURE/TEMPERATURE NEEDLES GO TO 0, THE AIR CONDITION TURNS OFF, ETC. ALL OF THIS OCCURRED WHILE I WAS DRIVING 60MPH ON A HIGHWAY. I QUICKLY PULLED OFF TO THE SIDE OF THE ROAD. SINCE THIS HAS OCCURRED BEFORE, I TOOK OUT MY PHONE AND TURNED ON THE VIDEO. I STARTED DRIVING AGAIN AND THE SAME ISSUES ABOVE STARTED OCCURRING AGAIN. THE VIDEO IS TOO LARGE TO UPLOAD - 90MB. I CAN SEND A ONEDRIVE LINK IF NEEDED. *TR
WHEN BACKING CAR UP, OFTEN TIMES THE YELLOW "GUIDE LINES" APPEAR, OFTEN TIMES DON'T. NOTE MAKES NO DIFFERENCE IF DAYLIGHT OR NIGHT, WEATHER CAR IS CLEAN OR DIRTY (NOT AFFECTED BY BACKUP CAMERA), CLEAR OUT OR RAINING. BRAND NEW IN APRIL 2018, PICKED UP FROM DEALERSHIP, HAS HAPPENED SINCE 1ST WEEK OF OPERATION. TOOK TO DEALERSHIP RECENTLY, COULD NOT FIND ISSUE, SAID NO KNOWN PROBLEMS WITH LIKE CARS.
Complaints are unverified consumer reports submitted to NHTSA. A high complaint count may reflect vehicle popularity, not defect severity. Data sourced from NHTSA public records.
Data synced from NHTSA on Apr 26, 2026