Owners have filed 19 complaints with NHTSA about this car, most about the steering, transmission, and engine. The 9 checks below target those problems, in the order you would do them at the car.
2020Tick items off on your phone at the car, or print it. Ticks stay on this device.
0/9 checked
2020 Cadillac XT5: inspection sheet
Before you go, or before you touch the car0/2
Ask the seller not to warm the car up first0/2
At least 20 minutes, with some highway0/5
These checks are specific to this model year. For tires, body panels, fluids, and the other basics every used car needs, use the general inspection guide.
These years share the 2020's design and most of its parts, so their problems are the ones to look for on this car too.
Worth adding to your 2020 checks
Worth adding to your 2020 checks
Worth adding to your 2020 checks
EPA figures for each version of the 2020 Cadillac XT5. Use them to confirm you are looking at the version that was advertised, and as a yardstick on the test drive.
| Version | Drive | EPA rating |
|---|---|---|
| 2.0L 4-cyl | AWD, FWD | 23–24 mpg |
| 3.6L 6-cyl | AWD, FWD | 20–21 mpg |
NHTSA complaints for the 2020 Cadillac XT5, grouped by the part owners named. Open a row to read what goes wrong.
Power steering assist cuts out, leaving the wheel very heavy and hard to turn. It happens at startup after a short stop and also while moving, at low speed or around 40 mph, so loss of control is the main risk. Restarting after several minutes or leaving the car overnight often brings assist back. Dealers frequently find no stored codes, though one found a steering module software update. Some cases come with wider electrical faults, such as stuck dash lights, a runaway rear wiper, dead turn signals, and a speedometer reading zero. A cracked gear shifter and a thermostat code are also filed here.
Transmissions shudder, hesitate, slip, or clunk into a hard shift, and at highway speed some suddenly behave as if in neutral and force the driver to coast to the shoulder. One dealer found metal inside a failed unit. Other reports describe a reduced engine power warning with high revs and very little speed, plus noises with no cause found. Radiator leaks show up around 30,000 miles. The gear shifter knob can fracture, leaving the driver unable to select park, reverse, or drive. Dealers sometimes cannot find a fault or replace a sensor without fixing it.
Stalling without warning is the main complaint. The motor quits while driving, sometimes on a busy city street, and restarts only after several tries. Stalls have shown up in under 2000 miles. Dealers struggle to reproduce them, and cars have sat at the dealer for weeks without a repair. Other reports describe the transmission failing while driving, with the car slowing sharply or stopping on the freeway as the check engine light comes on. Repeat failures after transmission replacement are reported. Both problems create a real crash risk in traffic.
Excerpts from complaints XT5 owners filed with NHTSA, as written. Listen for the same symptoms on your test drive.
Faulty termostat which creates reduce steering error code PO128, tempeture indicator is not listed on the dash board, engine RPMs are increased. This problem has increased for now the engine check light is highlighted.
Filed with NHTSA, January 2025
Complaints for this year next to the average for the other model years, area by area.
The 2020 ranks fourth for owner complaints among 7 XT5 years, close to the average of the others. Newer years have had less time to collect complaints, so compare like with like.
Redesigns and mid-cycle updates change what can go wrong.
The 2020 is the fourth model year of the XT5's first generation (2017–2023).
It is also the first year of a mid-cycle update.
What changed for 2020
Recall repairs are free at any Cadillac dealer, but the seller may never have had them done. Check each campaign number against the VIN.
General Motors, LLC (GM) is recalling certain 2020-2021 Cadillac XT5, XT6, and GMC Acadia vehicles equipped with the optional Surround Vision feature. The rearview camera coaxial cable connectors may have been crimped improperly, causing the rearview camera to fail or function intermittently.
Risk: An inoperative rearview camera can reduce the driver's rear visibility, increasing the risk of a crash.
Fix: Dealers will replace the coaxial cables, free of charge. Owner notification letters were mailed January 18, 2023. Owners may contact Cadillac customer service at 1-800-458-8006 or GMC customer service at 1-800-462-8782. GM's number for this recall is N222378380.
General Motors LLC (GM) is recalling certain 2020 Buick Enclave, Cadillac XT4, XT5, Escalade, Escalade ESV, Chevrolet Suburban, Tahoe, Traverse, GMC Yukon, Yukon XL, 2018-2021 Chevrolet Express, GMC Savana, 2019-2020 Chevrolet Blazer, Silverado 1500, GMC Acadia, Sierra 1500, and certain Continental tires sold to the aftermarket for various model year 2018-2021 vehicles. The affected tires were cured for too long during production.
Risk: Over cured tires may develop a break in the sidewall resulting in sudden air loss or a belt edge separation which could lead to a tread/belt loss. Either condition can cause a loss of vehicle control, increasing the risk of a crash.
Fix: GM will notify owners, and dealers will inspect the tires, replacing them as necessary, free of charge. The recall began March 22, 2021. Owners may contact GMC customer service at 1-888-988-7267, Buick customer service at 1-866-608-8080, Chevrolet customer service at 1-800-222-1020 or Cadillac customer service at 1-800-458-8006. GM's number for this recall is N212329050.
General Motors LLC (GM) is recalling certain 2020 Buick Enclave, Cadillac XT5, GMC Acadia and Chevrolet Traverse vehicles and 2020-2021 Chevrolet Silverado 1500, GMC Sierra 1500 vehicles. The vehicles may have been manufactured with Continental tires that were overcured.
Risk: Overcured tires may experience a carcass break in the sidewall resulting in a sudden air loss or could develop a belt edge separation which could lead to partial or full tread/belt loss. Either condition increases the risk of a crash.
Fix: GM will notify owners, and dealers will inspect vehicles and replace tires that have DOT number and production mold number combinations identified by Continental, free of charge. The recall began December 17, 2020. Owners may contact GMC customer service at 1-888-988-7267, Buick customer service at 1-866-608-8080, Chevrolet customer service at 1-800-222-1020 or Cadillac customer service at 1-800-458-8006. GM's number for this recall is N202319030.
General Motors LLC (GM) is recalling certain 2020 Buick Enclave, Cadillac XT5, Cadillac XT6, Chevrolet Traverse, and GMC Acadia vehicles. The fuel pump's jet nozzle may have a plastic burr remaining from the manufacturing process, possibly causing a blocked nozzle and an insufficient fuel supply to the engine.
Risk: Insufficient fuel supply can result in an engine stall without warning, increasing the risk of a crash.
Fix: GM will notify owners, and dealers will replace the fuel pump module. The recall began November 16, 2020. Owners may contact GMC customer service at 1-888-988-7267, Buick Customer service at 1-866-608-8080, Chevrolet customer service at 1-800-222-1020 or Cadillac customer service at 1-800-458-8006. GM's number for this recall is N202314760.
General Motors, LLC. (GM) is recalling certain 2020 Buick Enclave, Cadillac XT5 and XT6, Chevrolet Blazer, Silverado 1500, 2500 and 3500 and Traverse and GMC Acadia and Sierra 1500, 2500 and 3500 vehicles. The diffuser component of the Roof-Rail Air Bag (RRAB) inflator may not have been properly crimped to the inflator and could separate from the inflator during air bag deployment.
Risk: If the diffuser separates from the inflator during deployment, RRAB performance may be degraded, increasing the risk of injury in a crash.
Fix: GM will notify owners, and dealers will replace the suspect RRAB modules, free of charge. The recall began September 3, 2020. Owners may contact Chevrolet customer service at 1-800-630-2438, Cadillac customer service at 1-800-333-4223, or Buick customer service at 1-800-521-7300. GM's number for this recall is N202305380.
Cars shoppers compare with the Cadillac XT5, with their own 2020 checklists.
2020 owner complaints, side by side
