2017 Cadillac CTS Problems: 4 Known Issues

On the 2016-2018 Cadillac CTS, on certain 2016-2018 Cadillac CTS vehicles, electric power-steering assist may fail and require greater steering effort, especially at low speeds.

On the 2014-2019 Cadillac CTS, the Cadillac User Experience (CUE) capacitive touchscreen fitted to CTS models from 2013 onward suffers separation of the bonded layers behind the glass. The screen develops a spiderweb of hairline cracks radiating from the edges, then stops responding to touch or begins registering phantom presses that change radio stations and climate settings on their own. Because CUE controls climate, audio and phone with no redundant hard buttons, a failed screen disables a large part of the car's controls. GM issued its first dealer bulletin on delamination in December 2014 and multiple preliminary information bulletins followed (PIC6055 and revisions). GM never issued a recall or a reimbursement campaign, and a class-action lawsuit over the defective screens was filed in 2019.

On the 2016-2019 Cadillac CTS, third-generation CTS models with the 8L45 (2.0T and some 3.6L) or 8L90 eight-speed automatic develop a pronounced shudder or vibration at steady cruising speeds, typically between 25 and 80 mph, when the torque converter clutch is partially applied. GM determined the root cause was the original factory-fill automatic transmission fluid, which is hygroscopic; absorbed moisture changes the fluid's friction characteristics, glazes the TCC friction material and produces a slip-stick judder that owners describe as driving over rumble strips. GM addressed it with service bulletin 18-NA-355, which covers 8L45 and 8L90 transmissions in 2016-2019 CTS among other models. Drivers often mistake it for an engine misfire or an out-of-balance driveshaft.

On the 2014-2019 Cadillac CTS 2.0L I4 turbo LTG, the 2.0L LTG turbocharged four in the third-generation CTS is direct-injected, so no fuel ever washes across the back of the intake valves. Oil vapor drawn in through the PCV system bakes onto the valve stems and seats and builds a hard carbon crust that chokes airflow. The result appears gradually as a rough or lumpy cold idle, a stumble under light throttle, misfire codes and a measurable loss of power and fuel economy - typically becoming noticeable somewhere past 60,000-80,000 miles, sooner on cars driven in short trips. Owners on Cadillac Owners Forum also report oil pooling in the intake plenum at the PCV connection, which accelerates the deposit rate. This is a direct-injection design characteristic, not a defect covered by any recall, and it is specific to the DI engines - it should not be conflated with the V6 timing chain story.