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 2023-11Related service bulletins
- 11026017Jun 5, 2025This service bulletin provides information on replacing the intake manifold when the engine is replaced after severe internal engine damage.
- 11024485May 15, 2025The service bulletin advises the tech of a normal transmission shift condition and the delay in throttle response when the throttle plate is opened rapidly and advises the…
- 11020254May 7, 2025This service bulletin provides information to dealership personnel for new vehicles with less than 1,000 miles that may not pass California smog inspection or smog inspection in…
- 11019503Apr 18, 2025This warranty administration bulletin provides policy information on vehicles outside of a California Emissions State who move to and register their vehicle in a California…
- 11017443Apr 2, 2025This service bulletin provides a repair procedure to correct a customer concern of a Malfunction Indicator Lamp (MIL) Illuminated - DTC P3055 Set.
- 11017263Mar 25, 2025This bulletin advises the technician to flush the cooling system multiple times if oil has been found in the cooling system and replace the parts that may be contaminated due to…
- 11016942Mar 4, 2025This bulletin advises the technician to flush the cooling system multiple times if oil has been found in the cooling system and replace the parts that may be contaminated due to…
- 11014230Jan 31, 2025This bulletin advises the dealers to maintain the vehicle stock on hand by doing a full inspection on the vehicles before being sold (prepping) to the customer.
- 11014233Jan 30, 2025This service bulletin provides service information to technicians on guidelines to replace Oil Cooler, Oil Cooler Lines and Oil Tank if the engine was replaced where large…
- 11013069Jan 9, 2025This bulletin provides information on identifying Non-GM Engine Calibrations for Gasoline Engines using the Tech 2 or GDS 2.
Engine: other model years
Other parts of the 2018 Cadillac XT5
14 complaintsOther or unknown
12 complaintsSteering
12 complaintsTransmission and drivetrain
11 complaintsBrakes
8 complaintsVehicle speed control
4 complaintsVisibility (wipers, defrost, mirrors)
4 complaintsBody and structure
3 complaintsExterior lighting
2 complaintsSeats
2 complaintsSuspension
2 complaintsTires
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