2023 Cadillac XT4 Problems: 6 Known Issues

On the 2023-2025 Cadillac XT4, the forward collision / automatic emergency braking system on later XT4s misreads the road and commands a hard, unrequested brake application at speeds from parking-lot crawl up to 70 mph. Owners describe the vehicle slamming to a near stop on open highway with nothing ahead, at green-light launches through intersections, and during reversing. The false triggers are frequently blamed on the front camera and radar interpretation of overpasses, shadows, signage, and cresting roads. Dealers commonly cannot duplicate the event, so vehicles are returned unrepaired, and the practical owner workaround is disabling the feature. The rear-end-collision exposure created by unprovoked full braking makes this a serious safety concern rather than a nuisance.

On the 2021-2025 Cadillac XT4 LSY 2.0T, the fuel pump power control module (FPCM), mounted under the vehicle near the fuel tank on 9-speed 2.0T LSY XT4s, fails internally and stops commanding the in-tank pump. The failure is typically abrupt with no preceding driveability symptoms: the engine cuts out at speed or refuses to restart after a normal shutdown, and the vehicle cranks but will not fire. Owners report repeat failures on the same vehicle. GM opened a fuel pump control module recall (campaign N252516900) covering a subset of build ranges, but NHTSA complaints show owners with out-of-scope VINs experiencing identical failures, and the pattern spans 2021 through 2025 build years.

On the 2019-2025 Cadillac XT4 2.0T LSY, the XT4 uses the 2.0T LSY engine which is an evolution of the LTG found in the ATS/CTS. The LSY has improved reliability but shares some issues including PCV system problems and turbo coolant line leaks. The turbo coolant lines can develop leaks at the connections, causing coolant loss and potential turbo damage from overheating. The PCV valve/cover can fail causing oil consumption. These issues typically appear between 40,000-80,000 miles.

On the 2019-2025 Cadillac XT4 2.0L Turbo, the 2.0L turbocharged engine in the XT4 consumes oil at a higher-than-expected rate, with some owners reporting a quart consumed every 2,000-3,000 miles. GM has not published a specific root cause for the XT4, but its engine oil consumption bulletin 01-06-01-011 (revisions N and O list the XT4) gives dealers guidelines and diagnostic/repair steps for oil consumption concerns.

On the 2019-2024 Cadillac XT4 LSY 2.0T, two related 9T50 nine-speed complaints that are distinct from the coolant-contamination shudder: first, a clutch-like pop or jerk in first through third gear while decelerating, present from new on some vehicles; second, the transmission never selects 9th gear in normal automatic operation - owners can only reach 9th by using the paddle shifter or by dropping into manual mode and flicking back to auto. Dealers cite GM bulletin 21-NA-181, which characterizes reduced top-gear usage as normal efficiency-driven shift scheduling, but owners report the same vehicle holding 9th once manually commanded, which points to shift-scheduling calibration behavior rather than a hardware fault. A reprogram and relearn alone frequently does not change it.

On the 2020-2025 Cadillac XT4, a loud high-pitched squeal comes from the front brakes at low speed, most reliably on the first few stops of the morning and when backing out of a garage, then disappears for the rest of the drive cycle. Inspection consistently finds the pads have plenty of material left and the wear sensors are not contacting, so this is a friction-material and anti-noise-hardware resonance issue rather than worn brakes. GM addressed the condition for 2020 model-year XT4s built through February 19, 2020 in bulletin 20-NA-002 (new-design front pad P/N 42790921), but owners of later XT4s report the identical noise and are told the bulletin does not apply to their model year, leaving them without a covered repair.