Cadillac’s new midsize SUV, the XT5, seems like it is on a good roll as far as problems and complaints go. In contrast to new releases by competitors, the number of complaints and recalls on this Caddy has fallen to zero in its second running model year as per NHTSA from 1 and 70, the same time last year. As far as we would like to believe this, the reality is often different, as the unofficial forums and consumer platforms have been witnessing an increasing number of complaints about this SUV. It seems like the electrical and structural issues haven’t gotten any better with the updated model year of this vehicle as per the owners. So, do these questionable build and refinement levels on this so-called premium SUV with a base price of $39,995 affect its appeal over competitors like the Buick Envision, the Infiniti QX50, and the Volvo XC60? Well, this article will help you decide and also briefly explain what all niggles to expect as an owner.
2018 Cadillac XT5 User Complaints and Problems
Cadillac’s new midsize SUV, the XT5, seems like it is on a good roll as far as problems and complaints go. In contrast to new releases by competitors, the number of complaints and recalls on this Caddy has fallen to zero in its second running model year as per NHTSA from 1 and 70, the same time last year. As far as we would like to believe this, the reality is often different, as the unofficial forums and consumer platforms have been witnessing an increasing number of complaints about this SUV. It seems like the electrical and structural issues haven’t gotten any better with the updated model year of this vehicle as per the owners. So, do these questionable build and refinement levels on this so-called premium SUV with a base price of $39,995 affect its appeal over competitors like the Buick Envision, the Infiniti QX50, and the Volvo XC60? Well, this article will help you decide and also briefly explain what all niggles to expect as an owner.
Mechanical Complaints
- Transmission- The 8-speed automatic transmission on the 2018 Cadillac XT5 does suffer from occasional jerks, failure to engage a gear, and hesitation while accelerating. Owners complaining about the dash displaying “service transmission- unable to shift soon” warning on vehicles with mileages as low as 9,000-miles. The automaker has released two separate TCM software updates for this issue but some owners still complain about the issue recurring after a while. Transmission fluid replacement also does not seem to bring any improvement to these issues.
- Engine- Not as common as the transmission problem already mentioned here, but owners complain about the SUV occasionally accelerating itself with no throttle input. The issue was identified to be a faulty throttle position sensor in the ride-by-wire system. Replacing the unit does solve the issue.
Electric System complaints
- Wireless charging pad- Trims equipped with the wireless charging pad do not charge or detect certain phones. Even though the issue was traced to be a software glitch on the charging module, the update seemed short-lived as the issues persist for some users intermittently.
- Infotainment- The radio/ navigation system on the Cadillac XT5 is subjected to a variety of software bugs. Owners complain about the system not turning on when the vehicle is switched on. Random self-restarts while driving is also a pretty common occurrence for this system. Even though the system received over-the-air updates, the issues occur intermittently for some users.
Structural Complaints
- Sunroof- Sunroof glass panel cracking and exploding has been a widespread complaint on the 2018 Cadillac XT5. Owners complain about the dealer denying them a warranty replacement for the damaged part in suspicion of physical damage which might have caused the failure.
- Fuel filler- The 2018 Cadillac XT5 that has been equipped with a capeless fuel filler cuts off the fuel pump before the tank gas tank gets completely filled. This is the single most common complaint registered complaint against this SUV as per consumer forums. Even though the automaker was made aware of this issue, they dismissed it as a normal characteristic of cap-less fillers for emission control purposes. The only known fix is to re-insert the nozzle into the gas filler, which in most cases should fill the tank to the brim.
- Rear hatch- Certain batches of the 2018 Cadillac XT5 are complained to have consistent creaking and rattling noise from the rear hatch area. The automaker had released a service bulletin 18-NA-318 on this issue, which involved the disassembly and proper reassembly of the rear hatch, which did resolve the issue for most users.
2018 Cadillac XT5 Recalls
There are no recalls for the 2018 Cadillac XT5 yet.
Should you buy a used 2018 Cadillac XT5?
Even though NHTSA has no official counts of complaints on the Cadillac XT5, it is far from what we could classify as trouble-free. Unofficial vehicle forums and platforms have bought out a variety of issues with the vehicle that pops up with mileage. As with any other new launches, the XT5 is susceptible to a variety of complaints ranging from minor electronic glitches to fit/finish issues with the actual vehicle structure. This effectively does not make this midsize SUV a bad buy by any means, but there are certain things to look out for when getting one. So if you are planning to buy a used XT5, make sure that it has a straight service record backing it up so that you don’t find yourselves in trouble with it later.
