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Cadillac · Midsize Sedan

2021 Cadillac CT5

Gas

Midsize Cars
6 EPA-rated configurations
Data refreshed 2026-10-26

Safety Signal

72 / 100 from the NHTSA recall record

Recalls1 critical 4

Complaints3 crash · 2 injured reported 30

Crash ratingNHTSA overall 5★

Fuel economybest combined, EPA 26 mpg

2026 2025 2024 2023 2022 2021 2020

The 2021 Cadillac CT5 is sold in the U.S. as a gas midsize sedan with 6 EPA-rated configurations. The most efficient version, the CT5, is EPA-rated at 26 mpg combined. NHTSA lists 4 recall campaigns for this model year, 1 rated critical, which gives it a Safety Signal grade of C. Owners have filed 30 complaints, most often about the electrical system. NHTSA crash-tested it at 5 stars overall.

Cadillac CT5 — photograph via Wikimedia Commons — Cadillac CT5 · Photo: Elise240SX · CC BY-SA 4.0 · Wikimedia Commons

Specs & fuel economy

Source: EPA fueleconomy.gov

Configuration	Powertrain	Drive	Engine / motor	City	Hwy	Comb	Annual fuel*
CT5	Gas	RWD	2.0L 4-cyl turbo	23	32	26	$3,150
CT5 AWD	Gas	AWD	2.0L 4-cyl turbo	21	31	25	$3,300
CT5	Gas	RWD	3.0L 6-cyl turbo	19	28	22	$3,750
CT5 AWD	Gas	AWD	3.0L 6-cyl turbo	18	26	21	$3,900
CT5 V	Gas	RWD	3.0L 6-cyl turbo	18	27	21	$3,900
CT5 V AWD	Gas	AWD	3.0L 6-cyl turbo	18	26	21	$3,900

*EPA estimate at 15,000 miles/year at EPA reference fuel and electricity prices. fueleconomy.gov record ids: 43257, 43258, 43253, 43255, 43254, 43256.

Emissions & certification

Source: EPA emission certificates

Configuration	Smog rating	Emission standard	Where it can be sold new	SmartWay
CT5, CT5 AWD	6 / 10	California LEV-III ULEV50 / Federal Tier 3 Bin 50	All 50 states (federal, all altitudes); California and states following California standards	—
CT5, CT5 AWD, CT5 V, CT5 V AWD	5 / 10	California LEV-III ULEV70 / Federal Tier 3 Bin 70	All 50 states (federal, all altitudes); California and states following California standards	—

Certified for all fifty states, so it can be registered new anywhere in the U.S.

The smog rating scores tailpipe pollutants other than greenhouse gases, 1 (worst) to 10 (best), and is comparable only within a model year. The standard is the federal bin or California tier the configuration was certified to. Both come from the EPA certificate behind the window sticker.

Specifications filed with NHTSA

Source: NHTSA vPIC

Dimensions Exterior

Body style	Sedan/Saloon
Doors	4
GVWR class	Class 1: 6,000 lb or less (2,722 kg or less)

Engine Basics

Cylinders	4
Displacement	2 L
Engine configuration	In-Line

Fuel Economy

Fuel	Gasoline

Seating

Seat rows	2
Seating capacity	5 seats

Transmission

Drivetrain	RWD/Rear-Wheel Drive
Transmission	Automatic
Transmission speeds	10

Driver assistance

Standard: Anti-lock brakes, Backup camera, Blind-spot monitoring, Forward collision warning, Parking assist, Rear cross-traffic alert

Optional: Adaptive cruise control, Automatic emergency braking, Lane departure warning, Lane keeping assist

Filed by the manufacturer with NHTSA under the federal vehicle-identification rule and decoded from the VIN pattern — not a manufacturer press kit, so it describes the configurations we could identify rather than every trim (seen: Luxury, Premium Luxury, Sport, V-Series). Figures for the trim you are looking at may differ.

Dimensions & weight

Source: Transport Canada

Length	193.7 in
Width (body, without mirrors)	74.0 in
Height	57.1 in
Wheelbase	116.1 in
Track, front	63.0 in
Track, rear	63.8 in
Curb weight	3,660–4,145 lb
Weight distribution, front/rear	51/49 to 53/47

Measured by Transport Canada for its Canadian Vehicle Specifications database, which covers the North American versions of each model — here 4 configurations: 4-door Sedan AWD, 4-door Sedan RWD, V-Series 4-door Sedan AWD, V-Series 4-door Sedan RWD. Where a range is shown, those versions differ. Width is the body without mirrors, which is why it can read narrower than a brochure figure. Before we used it we checked it against the US manufacturer press kits we hold (27 Sep 2026): wheelbase agreed within 1% on every vehicle we could compare, length on 98%, and the curb weight fell inside the manufacturer's range on 96%. Source dataset. Contains information licensed under the Open Government Licence – Canada. Licence.

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Recalls (4)

Source: NHTSA recall database

!critical

Power Train

N242480630

90,081 vehicles 71% reported repaired

Problem General Motors LLC (GM) is recalling certain 2019-2020 Cadillac CT6, 2020-2021 CT4, CT5, and 2020-2022 Chevrolet Camaro vehicles equipped with a 10-speed transmission. The transmission may become damaged internally and cause the wheels to lock-up. Risk Wheel lock-up while driving increases the risk of a crash. Fix Dealers will install transmission control module monitoring software, free of charge. Owner notification letters were mailed April 7, 2025. Owners may contact Cadillac customer service at 1-800-333-4223 or Chevrolet customer service at 1-800-222-1020. GM's number for this recall is N242480630.

Filed with NHTSADefect report PDF Owner letter PDF Remedy instructions PDF

NHTSA campaign 25V148000 reported Mar 6, 2025 General Motors, LLC the full filing, and every vehicle covered →

○minor

Exterior Lighting

N222386380

740,108 vehicles 98% reported repaired

Problem General Motors, LLC (GM) is recalling certain 2020-2023 Cadillac CT4 and CT5; 2021-2023 Buick Envision; and 2022-2023 Cadillac Escalade and Escalade ESV, Chevrolet Silverado 1500, Suburban, Tahoe, GMC Sierra 1500, Yukon, and Yukon XL vehicles. The daytime running lights (DRLs) may not deactivate when the headlights are on. As such, these vehicles fail to comply with the requirements of Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standard number 108, "Lamps, Reflective Devices, and Associated Equipment." Risk DRLs that do not deactivate as intended may result in a glare, reducing visibility, and increasing the risk of a crash. Fix The body control module software will be updated by a dealer, or through an over-the-air (OTA) update, free of charge. Owner notification letters were mailed January 23, 2023. Owners may contact GMC customer service at 1-888-988-7267, Chevrolet customer service at 1-800-222-1020, or Cadillac customer service at 1-800-458-8006. GM's number for this recall is N222386380. This recall expands previous recall number 22V-827.

Filed with NHTSAOwner letter PDF Remedy instructions PDF

NHTSA campaign 22V903000 reported Dec 8, 2022 General Motors, LLC the full filing, and every vehicle covered →

▲high

Air Bags

N212342780

34,157 vehicles 99% reported repaired

Problem General Motors, LLC. (GM) is recalling certain 2020-2022 Cadillac CT4 and CT5 vehicles. The roof rail side-curtain air bags may not have been installed correctly, which could result in an improper air bag deployment during a crash. Risk Air bags that do not deploy properly can increase the risk of injury in a crash. Fix Dealers will inspect both left and right-side roof rail air bags and reinstall the air bags, as necessary, free of charge. Owner notification letters were mailed on August 30, 2021. Owners may contact Cadillac customer service at 1-800-458-8006. GM's number for this recall is N212342780.

Filed with NHTSAOwner letter PDF

NHTSA campaign 21V611000 reported Aug 5, 2021 General Motors, LLC the full filing, and every vehicle covered →

●moderate

Electrical System

N212338110

285,622 vehicles 99% reported repaired

Problem General Motors, LLC (GM) is recalling certain 2021 Buick Envision, Cadillac CT4, CT5, Escalade, Escalade ESV, Chevrolet Tahoe, Corvette, Suburban, GMC Yukon, Yukon XL vehicles. The communications gateway module incorrectly processes a loss of communication with the sensing diagnostic module (SDM), causing the air bag malfunction indicator light to inconsistently illuminate. Risk The air bag malfunction indicator light may fail to warn the driver of a problem with the air bag, increasing the risk of injury. Fix The communications gateway module software will be updated by a dealer, or through an over-the-air (OTA) update, free of charge. Owner notification letters were mailed on July 1, 2021. Owners may contact Buick customer service at 1-800-521-7300, Cadillac customer service at 1-800-458-8006, Chevrolet customer service at 1-800-222-1020, or GMC customer service at 1-800-462-8782. GM's number for this recall is N212338110.

Filed with NHTSAOwner letter PDF

NHTSA campaign 21V421000 reported Jun 10, 2021 General Motors, LLC the full filing, and every vehicle covered →

These are vehicle campaigns — the ones the automaker filed against this model. NHTSA also records equipment recalls, filed by a parts maker against a component (a tyre, a child seat, an aftermarket part), and those are not listed here or counted above. nhtsa.gov/recalls shows both for a VIN.

NHTSA defect investigations

Air Bags:Srs Malfunction Warning Lamp/Light — Air Bag Malfunction closed

On April 9, 2021, the Office of Defects Investigations (ODI) opened PE21-010 to investigate instances of air bag malfunction indicator light (MIL) illumination and potential for frontal air bag non-deployment in several vehicles manufactured by General Motors (GM). The vehicles included model year (MY) 2020 through 2021 CT4 and CT5 passenger cars, Sierra and Silverado trucks (1500/2500/3500 models), XT4 and MY 2021 Escalade, Suburban, Tahoe, Yukon SUVs. Technical Service Bulletin (TSB) 21-NA-005, issued in March 2021, addresses air bag MIL illumination with diagnostic trouble codes (DTCs) B0001-1B or B0012-0D. It cites rust particles in the connection terminal interface of the driver air bag

Opened Apr 9, 2021 · closed Aug 24, 2023 · action PE21010 · the investigation’s page →

Whether any of this applies to one specific CT5

A campaign covers a build range, not a model year, so two identical-looking cars from 2021 can differ. Both of these check a VIN against the manufacturer’s own list, free, in about ten seconds. Cadillac publishes its own lookup because federal rule 49 CFR 573.15 requires it to, and to keep it current to within seven days.

NHTSA VIN check →Cadillac’s own VIN lookup →

Hear about a recall before the letter does

The manufacturer’s letter is the last step of a recall: it has up to 60 days after filing to mail owners, at the address on the registration. We email you the day NHTSA posts a recall on the 2021 Cadillac CT5, with what to do next. Nothing else, ever — no newsletter, no marketing, one-click unsubscribe in every message.

Owner complaints

Source: NHTSA complaint database

30complaints filed

3 involved a crash · 0 a fire · 2 injuries · 0 deaths reported

26 per 10,000 built · Cadillac reported 11,448 CT5 built (its Early Warning production report to NHTSA)

Filed per year: 2021: 1 · 2022: 1 · 2024: 3 · 2025: 8 · 2026: 17

Most-cited components

Electrical System 13

Structure 7

Unspecified 4

Power Train 4

Air Bags 2

Forward Collision Avoidance 2

In owners' own words

Filed with NHTSA by the people who own these cars, one per problem area. Quoted as written, with anything identifying removed.

Both front doors will no longer open from the outside. The button on the inside of the door handle doesn't respond when pushed and that is the only way to get in the car without rolling the windows down or using the emergency key.

Electrical System Sep 17, 2026 NHTSA owner report · ODI 11764894

All four exterior door handles on my 2021 Cadillac CT5 have experienced the same intermittent failure. The handles initially work intermittently and then become unable to release the door. This has occurred on all four doors.

Structure Aug 31, 2026 NHTSA owner report · ODI 11761126

The pump gear on the transmission went out during normal driving with only having 30,000 miles on it. I am told my numerous people that the Gm 10 speeds always have issues with them

Power Train Aug 28, 2026 NHTSA owner report · ODI 11760237

While driving on a very busy highway going downhill when suddenly the vehicle started feeling abnormal like it was going to turn off automatically, heard an abnormal grinding noise coming from the engine the vehicle dropped speed drastically and the check engine light turned on , luckily we were on a part of the road where I merged…

Engine Feb 12, 2026 NHTSA owner report · ODI 11717706

Car interior smelled like gas when the car is started. but seemed to clear while driving. Found that the Fuel hose between the pipe and the fuel intake was leaking when the car initially started. You could smell the odor when the hood was raised.

Fuel/Propulsion System Aug 12, 2025 NHTSA owner report · ODI 11680204

My 2025 Cadillac CT5 was stationary at a red light behind a red truck when a black truck traveling in the opposite direction struck the truck head-on. The red truck was pushed backward into the front of my CT5 with enough force to cause major front-end damage. Despite this, no airbags deployed.

Air Bags Jul 26, 2025 NHTSA owner report · ODI 11676354

Complaint counts are raw owner reports to NHTSA, not verified defects, and scale with how many were sold. Use them to spot patterns, not to rank.

Reported by Cadillac itself: 5 death-or-injury claims on this model year in its quarterly Early Warning reports to NHTSA (49 CFR 579.21): 7 injured, as claimed, not verified — about 44 per 100,000 built. Every CT5 model year, by year and system → Dated and by system, they are exhibit F of the defect dossier.

Crash ratings

Source: NHTSA NCAP

Configuration	Overall	Frontal	Side	Rollover	Rollover risk
4 DR AWD	★★★★★	★★★★★	★★★★★	★★★★★	10%
4 DR RWD	★★★★★	★★★★★	★★★★★	★★★★★	10%
4 DR AWD	not rated	not rated	★★★★★	★★★★★	10%
4 DR RWD	not rated	not rated	★★★★★	★★★★★	10%

NHTSA New Car Assessment Program. Standard driver-assist: forward collision warning, automatic emergency braking.

Driver-assist crash reports (1)

Source: NHTSA Standing General Order 2021-01

1report filed

1 no injury reported

Dec 2021 to Dec 2021 · 1 with an air bag deployment · 0 towed

What was engaged, and what was hit

System named: Level 2 (1)

Crash partner: Animal 1

Filed by: General Motors, LLC

Incident	System	Struck	Injury alleged	State	Speed	Report
Dec 2021	Level 2 · Level 2	Animal	no injury reported	WI	—	540-1947

From the manufacturer’s own filing

The reporting entity’s narrative as NHTSA published it, with anything identifying removed and nothing added. A narrative is a notice, written before the entity had verified what happened.

This single-vehicle crash involved a 2021 model year Cadillac CT5 V vehicle hitting a deer. GM's current understanding of the crash is based on OnStar telematics data and the driver's statements after the crash to an OnStar representative.

General Motors, LLC report 540-1947 Dec 2021 NHTSA SGO filing

A report under the General Order is a notice the manufacturer or operator must file within days of hearing of a crash in which a Level 2 driver-assist or automated-driving system was engaged within 30 seconds of impact. It is filed before anything is verified, and entities with telematics hear of far more crashes than entities that rely on complaints, so counts say as much about the reporting as about the car and are not comparable across makes. Nothing is normalised by fleet size. Every report on file, by make and year → · NHTSA’s page and files

Service bulletins & campaigns

Source: NHTSA manufacturer communications

Extended coverage on file 6 filings by the manufacturer with NHTSA naming this model year

15 years or 150,000 miles, whichever comes first · GM service campaign N242480631-04Certain vehicles listed above, may have a condition where the transmission control valve has worn, resulting in a gradual loss of pressure within the valve.
15 years or 150,000 miles, whichever comes first · GM warranty extension N242480631-03Certain vehicles listed above, may have a condition where the transmission control valve has worn, resulting in a gradual loss of pressure within the valve.
15 years or 150,000 miles, whichever comes first · GM service campaign N242480631-02Certain vehicles listed above, may have a condition where the transmission control valve has worn, resulting in a gradual loss of pressure within the valve.
15 years or 150,000 miles, whichever comes first · GM service campaign N242480631Certain vehicles listed above, may have a condition where the transmission control valve has worn, resulting in a gradual loss of pressure within the valve.
Term not in NHTSA’s summary · GM warranty extension 22-NA-244This warranty administration service bulletin provides information about GM Accessories - Dealer-Installed, Repaired or Replaced During Warranty Coverage Period.
15 years or 150,000 miles, whichever comes first · GM warranty extension N242441120Certain vehicles, equipped with a 2.0 gasoline engine (RPO LSY), may have a condition that could cause the evaporative emissions purge pump to fail.

The term and the vehicles it covers are the manufacturer’s, as NHTSA’s summary of each filing states them; a dealer checks one particular car by its VIN. Every GM warranty extension (33) → · Every warranty extension on file, all makes →

Communicationsfiled with NHTSA 800

Most recentmanufacturer date 2026-09-26

Kindsas classified by NHTSA 783 service bulletins, 13 service campaigns, 3 warranty extensions

Most often about: Equipment, Electrical System, Engine, Unknown Or Other, Power Train.

PIT5698F Service bulletin
2026-09-26 · Unknown Or Other
This PI provides Diagnostics tips on how the LIN bus works and how to diagnosis it.
PIC6555A Service bulletin
2026-09-08 · Unknown Or Other
This PI advises of a procedure for a Service Door Latch System message with No Related DTCs
PIP4902W Service bulletin
2026-09-04 · Unknown Or Other
This preliminary information advises a dealer on how to email GDS2 session logs into Technical Assistance.
PIC6551C Service bulletin
2026-08-20 · Unknown Or Other
This Preliminary information communicates to dealer to perform a MEC reset for wireless projection issues
PIT5099J Service bulletin
2026-07-21 · Unknown Or Other
PI to help diagnose A/C concern
PIT5966F Service bulletin
2026-06-23 · Unknown Or Other
This Preliminary information communicates an issue with an OTA pending message still displayed after an OTA event and how to reset/clear the message.
PIC6423A Service bulletin
2026-05-11 · Unknown Or Other
Pi created to provide GM dealers with information on gathering information for projection issue
PIC6551B Service bulletin
2026-05-11 · Unknown Or Other
This Preliminary information communicates to dealer to perform a MEC reset for wireless projection issues

A service bulletin is the manufacturer telling its dealers how to diagnose or repair a known condition. It is not a recall, not a finding that the vehicle is defective, and the work is not automatically free — though a bulletin is often what a dealer works from when you describe a symptom, so quoting the document number can save a diagnosis. The count is every communication filed; the list shows the most recent, one entry per campaign, because a single campaign is usually filed as several documents on the same day. The summaries are NHTSA's; the full documents come from the manufacturer.

Diagnostic trouble codes on file

Source: NHTSA manufacturer communications and complaints

Codes documented against this model year in the federal record. A code appearing here does not mean this vehicle will set it — it means the code is part of this nameplate-year's documented history.

Code	What it means	Most often filed under	Where it appears
P04FB P04FB on Cadillac →	Manufacturer-defined — the meaning is set by the automaker, not the standard.	Unknown Or Other	10 bulletins
P0300 P0300 on Cadillac →	Misfire detected, but not isolated to one cylinder.	Engine · Ignition coils →	8 bulletins
P0747 P0747 on Cadillac →	Manufacturer-defined — the meaning is set by the automaker, not the standard.	Power Train	4 bulletins · 1 owner report
B3055 B3055 on Cadillac →	Manufacturer-defined — the meaning is set by the automaker, not the standard.	Power Train	4 bulletins
B3060 B3060 on Cadillac →	Manufacturer-defined — the meaning is set by the automaker, not the standard.	Power Train	4 bulletins
B3935 B3935 on Cadillac →	Manufacturer-defined — the meaning is set by the automaker, not the standard.	Power Train	4 bulletins
P0308 P0308 on Cadillac →	Cylinder 8 is misfiring.	Engine · Ignition coils →	4 bulletins
P050D P050D on Cadillac →	Manufacturer-defined — the meaning is set by the automaker, not the standard.	Engine	4 bulletins
P2714 P2714 on Cadillac →	Manufacturer-defined — the meaning is set by the automaker, not the standard.	Power Train	4 bulletins
P2B85	Manufacturer-defined — the meaning is set by the automaker, not the standard.	Air Bags	4 bulletins
B1038	Manufacturer-defined — the meaning is set by the automaker, not the standard.	Electrical System · Battery →	3 bulletins
P0016 P0016 on Cadillac →	The crankshaft and camshaft are not where they should be relative to each other — timing, chain or phaser.	Equipment	3 bulletins

Generic codes (the second character is 0 or 2) mean the same thing on every vehicle sold in the United States. Manufacturer-specific codes (1 or 3) mean whatever the automaker assigned, and no honest source can define them for you — which is why the ones here carry the evidence instead of a definition. A code is a link when enough separate federal documents name it across the catalogue to be worth a page of its own; the rest are listed here, where the vehicle is the context that makes them mean something.

At the New York inspection station

Source: New York State DMV

New York inspections 5.1%

failed emissions

412 initial inspections of 406 vehicles.

Measure	The 2021 CT5	Every 2021 vehicle	Behind it
Failed the emissions check	5.1%	1.9%	410
Failed the safety inspection	1.2%	1.5%	412
Air-bag warning lamp stayed lit	0.24%	0.19%	412
Miles driven a year	7,785	10,343	odometer at inspection
Average odometer	41,457	54,681	odometer at inspection

New York’s emissions test on these model years is an on-board diagnostics check: it fails a car whose check-engine light is on or whose self-tests have not finished. First inspections only, so a car that failed and came back is counted once; private and special plates, not taxis, livery or commercial plates. A rate appears only where at least 200 inspections stand behind it. “Every 2021 vehicle” is every 2021 model-year car, SUV and pickup inspected in the same window, all makes. This is the state’s record of test results, not a reliability score by itself. Source: New York State Department of Motor Vehicles, Vehicle Inspections (data.ny.gov, Open NY terms).

CT5 by model year

all years, side by side →

Year Safety Recalls Complaints

2026 A 1 6 26 mpg 2025 A 0 10 26 mpg 2024 A 0 2 27 mpg 2023 A 1 13 27 mpg 2022 B 2 11 27 mpg 2021 this page C 4 30 26 mpg 2020 C 4 39 26 mpg

Common questions about the 2021 CT5

Source: EPA, NHTSA and manufacturer press kits

Does the 2021 Cadillac CT5 have any recalls?

NHTSA has posted 4 recall campaigns for the 2021 Cadillac CT5, 1 of them rated critical. The most serious on file is 25V148000, covering Power Train. Check your own VIN at nhtsa.gov/recalls; a recall applies to specific build ranges, not every car.

How safe is the 2021 Cadillac CT5?

NHTSA gave the 2021 Cadillac CT5 5 stars overall in its New Car Assessment Program tests — 5-star frontal crash, 5-star side crash, 5-star rollover. WhichTrim also grades it C (72/100) on its recall record, which is a different question from crash protection.

What is the fuel economy of the 2021 Cadillac CT5?

Across the 6 EPA-rated configurations of the 2021 Cadillac CT5, the best EPA combined figure is 26 mpg. Figures are the EPA's own, per configuration, and every one is listed above.

What are the dimensions of the 2021 Cadillac CT5?

Transport Canada measured it at 193.7 in long, 74.0 in wide (body, without mirrors), 57.1 in tall, on a 116.1 in wheelbase. Curb weight: 3,660–4,145 lb depending on configuration. Those are its measurements of the North American versions; every figure is in the table above.

What do owners complain about on the 2021 Cadillac CT5?

Owners have filed 30 complaints with NHTSA about the 2021 Cadillac CT5, most often about electrical system, structure, unspecified. Of those, 3 involved a crash, 2 reported injuries. Complaints are unverified owner reports, so treat the pattern as a signal and the individual report as an anecdote.

How clean is the 2021 Cadillac CT5?

The EPA smog rating for the 2021 Cadillac CT5 runs 5 to 6 out of 10 across its configurations. That score covers tailpipe pollutants other than greenhouse gases, and it only compares vehicles within the same model year. It is certified for all fifty states, so it can be registered new anywhere in the U.S. Its configurations were certified to different standards — California LEV-III ULEV50, California LEV-III ULEV70, Federal Tier 3 Bin 50, Federal Tier 3 Bin 70 — which the table above lists per configuration.

Are there service bulletins for the 2021 Cadillac CT5?

The manufacturer has filed 800 service bulletins and related communications with NHTSA for the 2021 Cadillac CT5, most often covering equipment, electrical system, engine. The most recent is dated 2026-09-26. A bulletin is not a recall: it is the repair procedure a manufacturer sends its dealers for a condition it knows about, and the work is not automatically paid for. It is still worth knowing — if the symptom matches, quoting the bulletin number at the service desk can save a diagnosis. The document numbers and summaries are listed above.

How does the 2021 Cadillac CT5 do at state inspection?

In New York’s inspection lanes over the 12 months to Oct 10, 2026, the 2021 Cadillac CT5 failed the emissions check on 5.1% of first inspections — higher than the 1.9% for every 2021 model-year vehicle inspected; and the safety inspection on 1.2% (every 2021 vehicle: 1.5%). The figures are New York State DMV’s own inspection records, first inspections only, and the table above sets each one against every vehicle of the same model year.

What we hold, and what an empty row means

Paid vehicle-history reports will not tell you the difference between “nothing happened to this car” and “we never received that record” — both of the big two say as much in their own help pages. Most of what is on this page comes from complete federal registers, so we can tell you which is which, row by row.

Data	Held	Source	What it covers — or what empty means
Fuel economy & configurations	6 configurations	EPA certification records	Every configuration the EPA certified for sale, with its own test figures.
Emission certificates	6 configurations	EPA emission certificates	Smog rating, standard and the sales area that decides where the car can be sold new.
Recalls	4	NHTSA recall campaigns	A complete federal register: every campaign covering this model year, with severity and advisory flags.
Owner complaints	30	NHTSA complaint database	Also complete, but unverified: these are reports owners filed, not findings. Counts scale with how many were sold.
Crash ratings	4 tested	NHTSA NCAP	Only the configurations NHTSA chose to crash-test, which is never all of them.
Service bulletins	800	NHTSA manufacturer communications	Everything the manufacturer told its dealers about a defect or malfunction, short of a recall.
Investigations	1	NHTSA Office of Defects Investigation	Open and closed defect investigations, with the agency's own narrative.
Driver-assist crash reports	1	NHTSA Standing General Order 2021-01	Crashes the manufacturer or operator reported with a Level 2 or automated-driving system engaged. Notices, filed before verification; not comparable across makes.
Specifications filed with NHTSA	12 fields	NHTSA vPIC, decoded from VIN patterns	What the manufacturer filed under the federal VIN rule — a configuration, not the full trim ladder.
Measured dimensions	7 fields	Transport Canada, Canadian Vehicle Specifications	Length, width, height, wheelbase, track and curb weight, measured on the North American versions.
Trims, pricing & equipment	none	Manufacturer press kit	We have not transcribed a press kit for this model year yet. This is our gap, not the manufacturer's — the one row here where an empty cell means we are behind.

Rebuilt nightly; this page was generated 2026-10-26. Every figure above is traceable to the source named beside it, and the JSON for this page carries the same values with their identifiers.

Sources & method

Safety Signal starts every model-year at 100 and subtracts points per open NHTSA recall campaign by severity: critical 15 (fire risk, park-outside or do-not-drive advisories), high 8 (brakes, steering, airbags, loss of drive power, structure, battery), moderate 6, minor 3 (software, labels, lighting fixed by an update). The most serious recall counts in full and each further one counts 85% of the one before, because a vehicle sold in millions is recalled more often than a rare one without being more dangerous — and because a flat subtraction bottomed the scale out, scoring a vehicle with 22 recalls within a point of one with six. A ≥ 90, B ≥ 80, C ≥ 70, D ≥ 60, otherwise F. Read it as what it counts: recall campaigns on the federal record, weighted by severity. The damping reduces the sales bias by roughly 40% but does not remove it: like our complaint counts, this is not normalized by how many were sold, so a best-seller still scores somewhat worse than an obscure model with the same real risk. NHTSA crash ratings, do-not-drive and park-outside advisories, and the crash, fire, injury and death counts in owner complaints are reported separately on every page and never blended into the letter — a vehicle can hold five stars and a poor letter at once, and where that happens we say so rather than leave you to notice. Because the scale subtracts from a clean sheet, a model year too new to have been recalled, complained about or bulletined scores full marks on an empty record; we label those grades provisional rather than present them as earned.

EPA figures come from fueleconomy.gov vehicle records. Recalls, complaints, investigations and crash ratings come from NHTSA's public flat files, refreshed nightly.

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