Cadillac CT4, Cadillac CT5 Recalled For Momentary Wheel Lock-Up Issue

The 2020 Cadillac CT4, the 2021 Cadillac CT4, the 2020 Cadillac CT5 and the 2021 Cadillac CT5 are all included in a new GM Safety Recall related to a transmission valve defect that can cause momentary wheel lock-up and potential on-road accidents and crashes.

Safety Recall number N242480630 also applies to other Cadillac and Chevy models, but a fix is only available for certain models and model years.

The problem: the issue relates to a defective transmission control valve in certain examples of the GM Hydra-Matic 10-speed automatic transmission used in the affected Cadillac CT4 and Cadillac CT5 model years. This transmission control valve wears excessively over time, causing it to lose pressure. The factory software in the affected CT4 and CT5 units cannot detect this excess wear.

The hazards: wear to the transmission control valve will cause it to gradually lose pressure. The loss of pressure will cause harsh shifting as the wear reaches a critical level. Eventually, the control valve will wear to the point that it may cause the wheels of the affected Cadillac sedan to lock up momentarily while the vehicle is in motion.

Wheel lock-up while driving, especially at speed, can cause loss of control or other sudden problems potentially leading to an accident or crash.

The fix: a remedy is available for certain vehicle models – including the Cadillac CT4 and Cadillac CT5 – but not for others. It consists of dealership service personnel reprogramming the Transmission Control Module software so that it is capable of detecting excessive transmission control valve wear.

Specifically, the new TCM software will detect excess wear of the control valve at roughly 10,000 miles (16,000 kilometers) before wheel lock-up would occur. The software will then limit the transmission to a maximum of fifth gear. Since the lock-up occurs during a downshift from eighth gear to seventh gear, the dangerous condition cannot occur, though the vehicle will be limited to driving in fifth gear at maximum. The instrument panel will display both “Reduced Propulsion” and the “Check Engine” light.

While GM says that no parts are needed for the fix, when the excess wear reaches the point where fifth gear becomes the available ceiling, replacement of the transmission control valve or possibly the transmission itself will be needed to correct the physical valve wear issue.

Affected components: transmission control valve.

Notably, in the Cadillac CT4, the 10-speed automatic transmission is matched to the CT4 Premium Luxury’s optional turbocharged 2.7L I4 L3B engine as well as the L3B engine in the CT4-V. The CT4’s standard turbocharged 2.0L I4 LSY engine is matched to the GM 8-speed automatic transmission. The Cadillac CT4-V Blackwing was introduced for the 2022 model year, meaning that no units are affected.

In the Cadillac CT5, the 10-speed automatic is standard with the turbocharged 2.0L I4 LSY and the twin-turbo 3.0L V6 LGY (optional on the CT5 Premium Luxury trim and standard on the Cadillac CT5-V). The Cadillac CT5-V Blackwing was introduced for the 2022 model year, so the high-performance variant is unaffected by the recall.

Affected vehicles: 

• 2020 Cadillac CT4
• 2021 Cadillac CT4
• 2020 Cadillac CT5
• 2021 Cadillac CT5
• 2019 Cadillac CT6
• 2020 Cadillac CT6
• 2020 Chevy Camaro
• 2021 Chevy Camaro
• 2022 Chevy Camaro

Number of affected vehicles: a total of 2,235 CT4 units and 27,097 CT5 units are affected by the recall. In addition, 10,602 CT6 units and 50,147 Camaro units are involved, for a combined 90,081 vehicles impacted by the recall. There are also 3,413 units across all four nameplates affected by the recall in Canada.

Notably, vehicles affected by this safety recall have been placed on a Stop Delivery order as of March 6^th, 2025. It is a violation of federal law to deliver affected vehicles currently in dealership inventory. Once the fix has been applied (if available for the model), the Stop Delivery order is lifted and the vehicles can once again be delivered, demonstrated and traded as normal.

Owners should: wait for notification from GM to bring their vehicle to the dealership for service, if available. If the owner of a potentially affected CT4 or CT5 sedan wants more information or has other questions, they can call the toll-free Cadillac telephone number below, citing the Safety Recall for identification purposes.

Contacts:

• GM Safety Recall Number: N242480630
• Cadillac Customer Service: 1-800-333-4223