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EnginePart report

2018 Cadillac XT5 Engine Problems

Complaints
15about this part
Share
23%of 66 total for the year
Median mileage
40,000miles
Trend
RisingComplaints filed in the last 3 full calendar years are at least 25% higher than in the 3 years before.

NHTSA recorded 15 complaints about the engine of the 2018 Cadillac XT5, 23% of the 66 complaints for this model year. Where a mileage was given, the median is 40,000 miles. 1 a fire, according to the filers.

Example complaints

Selected from NHTSA records; personal details are removed. They are consumer reports, not findings.

“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.”

NHTSA complaint #11740245, filed 2026-05

“When driving the car on Jul 20, the check engine light came on. It went off upon arriving home. We had it checked at our local NAPA Auto Care and they did an Electronic Engine Control Test. The garage did not clear Trouble Codes and advised us to take the car to a dealer. Upon driving the car on Jul 30, the check engine light came on once again. In May 2020, when we had our car in for service, at Sutliff, in State College, PA, they took care of the Engine Control, software issue. …”

NHTSA complaint #11535612, filed 2023-07

“I received a Steering Assist is Reduced message and the cooling fan ramped up to full speed. In contacting Cadillac, it seems that it is a below temperature error for the thermostat. Unsure what the thermostat has to do with steering. Also in researching this, this is a wide spread issue and needs to be a recall. My XT5 has 48000 miles on it and the powertrain warranty expired 3 months ago. I believe this should be a recall and should be repaired by the manufacture as it could cause a safety issue while driving.”

NHTSA complaint #11621891, filed 2024-10

“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. …”

NHTSA complaint #11727656, filed 2026-03

“I was driving on the freeway, came to a stop as traffic increased, then the car shut off m. I had no power, could not get out of the vehicle, no hazards, no tail lights, nothing. I had a complete panic attack, I thought I was going to die. I called OnStar from my cell, they could even locate me. After 30 mins, calling 911, texting the representative from the dealership in which I purchased the car, it turned back on. Either the car was shut off with a signal or there is a serious hazardous issue that needs to be addressed.”

NHTSA complaint #11555562, filed 2023-11

Related service bulletins

Engine: other model years

YearComplaintsShare of year
2025233%
2024220%
2023425%
2021315%
2020417%
2019618%
20181523%
20172419%

Other parts of the 2018 Cadillac XT5

Electrical system
14 complaints
Other or unknown
12 complaints
Steering
12 complaints
Transmission and drivetrain
11 complaints
Brakes
8 complaints
Vehicle speed control
4 complaints
Visibility (wipers, defrost, mirrors)
4 complaints
Body and structure
3 complaints
Exterior lighting
2 complaints
Seats
2 complaints
Suspension
2 complaints
Tires
2 complaints

← All problems reported for the 2018 Cadillac XT5

About this data. Data from NHTSA (ODI) complaints, recalls, TSBs and investigations, updated Oct 27, 2026. Complaints are unverified consumer reports and may be duplicated or inaccurate.

To check a specific vehicle for open recalls, use its VIN at nhtsa.gov/recalls. Methodology