mobile-menu-icon
GM Authority

Cadillac CTS V-Sport Recalled Over Rear Differential Issue

The 2014-2015 model year Cadillac CTS V-Sport has been recalled in both the United States and Canada due to an issue with the vehicle’s rear axle roll pins.

The problem: according to filings with the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) and Transport Canada, the rear differential roll pins in the 2014-2015 Cadillac CTS V-Sport may be prone to fracturing or breaking. The CTS V-Sport comes standard with General Motors‘ electronic rear differential.

2015 Cadillac CTS V-Sport

The hazards: if the rear axle roll pins fracture while the vehicle is in motion, the rear wheels may lock up, which can increase the risk of a crash.

Affected vehicles:

  • 2014 Cadillac CTS V-Sport
  • 2015 Cadillac CTS V-Sport

Number of affected vehicles: a total of 2,866 units are affected in the United States. Only 109 vehicles in Canada are affected by this recall.

Affected components: rear axle differential, differential roll pins.

The fix: this recall will require fairly major repairs to the vehicle, with dealers instructed to replace the entire rear axle differential. This will be done at no cost to the owner.

Owners should: wait for GM to contact them, at which point they will likely be instructed to make an appointment with their dealer. If owners are unsure whether or not their vehicle is affected, they can visit my.gm.com/recalls and type in their VIN to see any open recalls or other actions that may be active on their vehicle.

Contacts:

  • NHTSA Campaign Number: 20V038000
  • Transport Canada Recall Number: 2020020
  • GM Recall Number: N192279370
  • NHTSA Toll Free: 1-888-327-4236
  • NHTSA (TTY): 1-800-424-9153

Subscribe to GM Authority for more Cadillac CTS news, Cadillac news, GM recall news and around-the-clock GM news coverage.

Sam loves to write and has a passion for auto racing, karting and performance driving of all types.

Subscribe to GM Authority

For around-the-clock GM news coverage

We'll send you one email per day with the latest GM news. It's totally free.

Comments

  1. This is a bit of a scary one. “rear wheels may lock up”.

    Reply
  2. Our 2014 ATS has an extended fix known faulty part, of the automatic – manual shift switch may downshift two gears without warning !!
    The rear wheels won’t lock up, but a downshift of two gears on ice will be fun !
    GM will not fix it unless the switch fails before some high mile number.

    O well, just another Cadillac – GM known faulty part !!
    I still can’t figure out why Cadillac is always at the low end of customer satisfaction surveys !

    Reply
    1. At the low end or dead last. That goes for sales too. My 7 yr old Lexus has had nothing but oil changes.

      Reply
      1. Yeah techprodigee,
        There is nothing I can say to rebut you !

        Cadillac is just horrible, horrible, in the last 7 years. Too many problems to even list !
        And to top that off, the GM customer support is simply horrible !
        I’m just a GM person and that’s it, however no longer a silent one !
        GM customer support is just HORRIBLE !!!
        I could live with a problem from time to time, but to be treated like $hit by a customer service person, is just cream on the top !

        My last two Cadillacs though, A 2004 CTS and a 2005 SRX, both lasted over 10 years and 140,000+ miles and nothing but a transfer-case chain in the AWD SRX at 80,000 miles. But our 2014 ATS is a pile of $hit !!

        Reply
        1. lifelong,
          But I have to say that the CT6 in blackwing attire looks a heck of a lot better than anything Lexus makes. My Lexus is nearly bullet proof but I’m certainly not in love with the design or the ones of the current Lexus cars.

          Too bad for Cady, as I could be a customer but I don’t want to be obliged to get intimate with a mechanic to keep it going.

          Reply
          1. You don’t need a Cadillac for that. Just buy something German. ;-{)}}}

            Reply
  3. My 2011 CTS Performance Coupe is the best vehicle I have ever owned. Full disclosure I am a GM retiree from a 33 year career. I have owned or leased over 40 vehicles from GM. To be honest I have had some bad experiences with a few of my GM vehicles during my early years at GM.

    Reply
  4. Just a heads up. This rear differential assembly is supplied by American Axle Manufacturing (AAM). This is a supplier performance/design issue, not a direct Caddilac/GM issue. So don’t be so quick to throw GM under the bus here.

    Reply
    1. Most of the cars come from suppliers so GM isn’t off the hook as you could blame almost everything on suppliers. The quality control is shared between the manufacturer and the OEM so both are at fault. And the OEM is responsible for the final quality control.

      70% of the tech comes from suppliers.

      Reply
    2. Brandon K,

      GM doesn’t necessarily make any parts of failure if that’s the case. Most of the GM in a GM vehicle, is design and assembly. And even the assembly is UAW so in your opinion GM is not to blame for anything then ?

      Well if you are a GM dealership or a GM customer service rep, that explains a lot ! No wonder GM customer support is so horrible, Its not GM’s fault !!

      I think at this point in history most people are aware that GM is not making the ” known faulty parts ” but in most cases the parts used on a GM vehicle ARE designed to a GM spec ! I wonder if after the GM bankruptcy, when so many GM suppliers went under that the suppliers are just off the hook for the quality of the parts they make for GM ? I’m not sure but something is going on that GM refuses to replace a known faulty part if the part manufacturer is footing the cost, and the blame of said faulty part !

      Look at the 3.6 – V6 Timing chain failures, the manufacturer of the timing chains used in those years of known failure, knew the chain would fail early, but it was designed to GM spec ! The newer 3.6 V6 does not have that issue, the chain system is better ! Did GM replace any, They sure did, for some lucky people, but there were a hell of a lot that GM did NOT fix !

      GM is designing these vehicles and the parts that go into them, if ALL the GM known faulty part issues were the fault of the supplier, GM would be suing that supplier for replacement costs. Look at who GM sues over much less than its known faulty parts issues !

      And there IS a RECALL here, so everyone knows there is a serious part problem, and if every one of these gets replaced chances are it was the fault of a supplier because GM DOES NOT REPLACE KNOWN FAULTY PARTS that GM is responsible for, unless the government mandates it unsafe ! Otherwise GM just issues an extended period letter that lets the original owner know that if X part fails in this period of time and you get along with your dealer owner good, it will be replaced ! Otherwise after said period, the next owner is just out of luck when the part fails, even though GM knows the parts are faulty, they sent out the letter stating so !!

      Reply
      1. I will not be taking time to read your rant. So don’t bother replying unless it just makes you feel better about yourself.

        The diff is designed, built, and sold by AAM to GM. According to the recall, the failure of the diff was because of a weak roll pin that could not handle the shear load. AAM has altered the design to increase its safety factor. End of story.
        Also, AAM is non-union by the way.

        Reply
  5. It will make me feel better, so here it goes !

    You have made GREAT points on how a known faulty part SHOULD be taken care of !!

    I would like to take time and say THANKYOU to American Axel Company, for showing GREAT ethics in fixing a problem you knew to be trouble ( known faulty part )

    By fixing your ” known faulty ” part here only affirms you commitment to quality and customer support !!

    You see Brandon K, that is how customer support of known faulty parts is handled !!!

    GM could only learn from the great company that American Axel Company has proven to be !!!

    Reply
    1. The recall was initiated by GM, not AAM. Again, you have shown that you did exactly zero research. It is all listed in the recall notice.

      Reply
      1. Of course it was ” by GM ” its their vehicle !

        Could you show me the cost breakdown of the repair paid for by American Axel Company please.

        There is no way GM voluntarily recalled these and are eating this repair alone !

        Prove it !

        Also, so much for your not reading or replying !

        Don’t you people do anything you say your going to, you have to work for GM is some manner, its just like they do things. tell you one thing and not do it.

        I will read your reply, and I will reply if I am allowed to !

        Reply
        1. I have taken the liberty to skim your most recent reply.
          I am not sure why you are so upset here.

          Here is the link to the Recall Report.
          https://static.nhtsa.gov/odi/rcl/2020/RCLRPT-20V038-6579.PDF

          The safety concern was initiated by a GM employee, was investigated by GM, and was recalled voluntarily by GM. Your proof is listed in the Recall Report, which could have been found with just a little bit of research.

          For the record, I do not and have not worked for General Motors or American Axle Manufacturing.

          Reply
  6. I’m reading comments hear everyone has fair points. My concern is my vsport is a 14 and I love the car. But now I’m afraid to drive it with no fix in site I’m told. I am told there have been cars at dealers for months sitting waiting to be fixed. At this point they don’t want to replace the whole rear end. I have not heard that the roll pins have been redesigned. My wife won’t drive the car now because I won’t let her. This is not a slow car. People that bought this car knew what they were buying and that was for performance. I also have a heavy foot. So now I am worried the rear end will lock up on the highway and kill me or someone else.

    The kicker of all this is I have never been notified of this failure and recall. No letter no nothing. I bought this car as a CPO and from a dealer. It had 7k miles on it. I understand that nothing is perfect but at least notify me of this recall so I don’t do some closed circuit race or something and demolish me and my car. I am highly upset I haven’t been told. I found out from my forum. I don’t think this is right I should have been notified right away just like I make my payments right away and not late.

    I’m just about afraid to drive my car now.

    Reply
    1. Daryl,
      Easy solution. Go to an open parking lot and set it on fire. Then collect the insurance.

      Problem solved.

      That’s how Ruskies take care of issues.

      Reply
  7. I dropped my Vsport off at the Dealer a month ago. Still waiting for the parts to show up! I sure miss the twin turbos 😉

    Reply
    1. Did you ever get it back? I heard some people waited a year before ever getting the diff replaced. My diff is doing the same thing on my 2015 CTS luxury, because its the same diff with different gearing ratio. Same bad rollpin. Cadillac won’t do anything about it though.

      Reply
  8. We have this vehicle and the part did fail. Actually we may have been one of the first ones. The failure cracked the housing open and it started leaking. This happened in 2018. Had the vehicle taken to Cadillac for service. I explained and showed them what happened. The technician looked at it and knew it needed to be replaced. I asked the service representative to have GM contact me as I felt this was a manufacturing defect and safety issue even though it was out of warranty.. Within 24 hours GM customer service support phoned me up and said they were shipping a new differential overnight at no cost. Vehicle ran perfect after the repair. Nothing like the twin turbos. The vehicle has a great look, great technology, and flies.

    Earlier this year we received a recall notice. Took it in and the recall was for replacement of differential. I told it had been replaced. They reviewed with records and GM engineering. They said we are going to replace. Took about a month to get the differential due to COVID issues and lock downs in Michigan.

    Fun vehicle. I wish they still made them as I would order up a new one.

    Reply
  9. I’ve done a ton of research on this and GM/Cadillac really dropped the ball on this recall. I have a 2015 CTS Luxury and my rear differential is doing the same thing at only 80k miles. Turns out every version of the CTS in 2014-2015 recieved the same weak roll pin. The only difference between them was the differential’s gearing. My car is basically a ticking time bomb and there are zero parts available to fix it, and cadillac is doing nothing to help us.

    Reply
  10. 2014 CTS 3.6L with 54,000 miles and my rear differential is history. Amazing that this is not a recall for all 2014-2015 CTS models. Class action suit is in order. Someone will lose their life.

    Reply

Leave a comment

Cancel