2018 Cadillac XT5 recalls & problems

Safety recalls

Recall repairs are free at any authorised dealer. A recall listed here may already have been fixed on a particular car: enter its 17-character VIN at nhtsa.gov/recalls to see open recalls.

Crash test ratings

NHTSA 5-Star Safety Ratings (New Car Assessment Program). Ratings are comparable only between vehicles of similar size and weight, and ratings from 2011 on use tougher tests than earlier years. Photos: NHTSA.

Fuel economy

EPA estimates from fueleconomy.gov for each engine and transmission sold. Annual cost is the EPA's estimate for 15,000 miles a year at its current fuel and electricity price assumptions. Your results will vary.

What owners report

*Median odometer reading when the problem happened, where owners gave one. One complaint can name several problem areas.

Recent owner complaints

• Power train › Axle assembly

  The contact owns a 2018 Cadillac XT5. The contact stated that during a scheduled routine maintenance, the independent mechanic informed the contact that front driver's side CV axle was fractured and leaking grease and needed to be replaced. However, the part was on a national backorder. The manufacturer was notified of the failure and referred the contact to the NHTSA Hotline to report the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 114,000.

  Oct 20, 2026 · 114,000 miles
• Engine

  Check engine light sensor came on in mid-May which is the result of a faulty thermostat, also triggering a "Steering Assist is Reduced" message on the dashboard which I consider to be a safety issue. This is a known and common problem for this make, year and model and the cost to fix the problem is very expensive. This issue has been reported by many Cadillac owners on their forum. My mechanic confirmed the problem with the thermostat caused the steering assist is reduced message, along with the air conditioning malfunctioning.

  May 15, 2026
• Steering

  Thermostat failure causes steering assist to be reduced. This leaves more difficult steering especially in an emergency situation, thus a safety concern. The vehicle displays a warning: "Steering Assist Is Reduced, Drive with care". An internet search shows this is a well-known problem across all General Motor vehicles. This is also indicated by the technician notes on my repair invoice that a bulletin from the manufacturer has been issued. After restart the warning clears leaving the driver to believe all is well. After a number of miles it reappears.

  May 7, 2026
• Visibility/wiper

  My windshield has a lot of spider and has never been hit with anything. They spread from the bottom up

  Feb 5, 2026
• Service brakes

  While driving at highway speeds, I needed to accelerate hard in order to pass another vehicle and while accelerating there was a downshift and increase in RPM. After passing, the RPM remained high even after I took foot off accelerator and it seemed the transmission did not shift back out of lower gear, keeping the car traveling at a high rate of speed, endangering myself and other traffic. Applying the brakes would not cause the engine to slow down and the engine kept working hard and traveling fast, causing strain on the brakes to slow down. I pulled over and initially shifted to neutral, but the engine was still revving high (4000 rpm observed). Then I placed the car in park which did…

  Mar 28, 2026
• Electrical system

  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…

  Oct 15, 2025 · 2,000 miles
• Steering

  To Whom It May Concern,I am writing to formally report a safety concern involving my 2018 Cadillac XT5, VIN [XXX] . Recently, my vehicle displayed a “Steering Assist Reduced” message on the dashboard while driving. This warning significantly increases the physical effort required to steer the vehicle, especially at low speeds, and I believe it presents a genuine safety hazard.Upon taking the vehicle to an authorized Cadillac dealership, I was informed that the vehicle had stored diagnostic trouble code P0128 (Engine Coolant Temperature Below Thermostat Regulating Temperature). The dealer explained that a malfunctioning thermostat caused the steering assist reduction message to appear.…

  Jan 19, 2026
• Service brakes

  Brakes failure. Approaching a busy intersection and facing a red light, I slowed and prepared to stop the vehicle. Nothing happened with regard to braking; instead, the engine seemed to rev up as it continued through the red-lighted intersection with 2 lanes of busy cross traffic from both directions. That there was not a collision is a miracle. I also noticed some flashing displays on the display screen, though hard to take time to read them while avoiding a crash and still trying to stop the car, but I believe they referenced "parking assist." My husband came and drove the car to the dealership (about 3 mi.), and during that drive, there was no braking issue but a Parking Assist readout…

  Dec 9, 2025

Owner complaints are submitted to NHTSA by the public and are not verified. Shown as filed (NHTSA removes personal details); long reports are shortened.