A class action lawsuit has been filed against Cadillac parent, General Motors Company, over issues with Cadillac CUE screens in various models.
The lawsuit – Gruchacz, et al., v. General Motors, LLC – was filed in the U.S. District Court for the District of New Jersey. It alleges that the Cadillac User Experience infotainment screens crack, delaminate, bubble and become unresponsive. The class action suit includes current and former owners and lessees of the following Cadillac vehicles equipped with the CUE infotainment systems:
- 2013-2017 Cadillac ATS
- 2013-2016 Cadillac SRX
- 2013-2017 Cadillac XTS
- 2014-2017 Cadillac CTS
- 2014-2017 Cadillac ELR
- 2014-2017 Cadillac Escalade
The suit explains that plaintiff, Tonya Gruchacz, purchased a new 2014 Cadillac ATS in New Jersey. Within the 4-year/50,000 mile warranty, the Cadillac CUE screen allegedly became unresponsive. After calling the dealership, Gruchacz was allegedly told that the vehicle was no longer covered by the warranty and that it would cost about $1,200 to repair the system.
The CUE screen allegedly appeared cracked or shattered and was still unresponsive to touch in July 2017, so the plaintiff contacted the dealership and was again told that the repairs would cost about $1,200. Gruchacz then brought the ATS to the dealer in March 2018 to perform a recall unrelated to the issue. She told the dealership that the CUE screen appeared shattered and did not respond to touch. The lawsuit states that she was told by dealership staff that they “see this issue all the time… the screen is not cracked, it’s the laminate.” The plaintiff was then quoted $1,053.58 for the repair.
The class action lawsuit also cites a Technical Service Bulletin (TSB) sent to Cadillac dealers in December 2014 and August 2017 citing bubbled, cracked, or delaminated CUE screens. The TSB advised service departments to replace the Integrated Center Stack, which is the vertical center panel that includes the screen in the impacted vehicles. The suit states that the 2014 bulletin makes specific references to existing customer complaints, thereby allegedly proving that GM/Cadillac knew that the systems were defective prior to 2014.
The plaintiff further alleges that Cadillac CUE touchscreens fail when the adhesive film and glass become separated, a condition otherwise known as delamination that results in gaps between the electrode arrays, causing electrical problems. Delamination allegedly stems from flaws in production of the sensing panel or by improper installation of the screens. The separation, the suit claims, allows moisture to enter between the materials and causing a bond-level failure.
“Poor interlayer bonding can also result from improper cleaning and preparation of the glass surface during panel manufacture resulting in delamination,” claims the lawsuit documents. Flawed installation of the panel in which clamping forces on the panel are excessive or of non-uniform nature can also contribute to delamination by generating strains, warping, and deformation in the glass that exceed the adhesive bond force of the interlayer.”
The suit claims that the GM/Cadillac should have known about these CUE screen problems via internal testing and customer complaints. The plaintiff is being represented by Lite DePalma Greenberg and Poulos LoPiccolo.
Source: CarComplaints.com
George Shanks
Re Class action law suit. This is great. I thought I was the only one with this problem. I have a 2016 ATS-V and the Infotainment system has exactly the same problem. I hope this gets the attention of Cadillac. If Cadillac knew about it and kept on selling the thing, that’s fraud. Go Get Them!
feathers
CUE will go down in GM history as a total and complete failure. GM has two options: (1) come up with a permanent solution (which the 2018/19 models may already have) or (2) offer free CUE replacements for the entire lifespan of the vehicle.
Dominic Scroy
I TOTALLY AGREE, BUT, THEY WONT…..NOT SURE IF I WILL EVER BY ANOTHER CADDY.
Linda Smythe
I have a 2016 ELR and my screen is cracking sounds just like what happened above it is still responsive but it’s look and I just called Cadillac yesterday and my warranty expired in December I thought it was five years and it’s four years so it looks like the lawsuit does not cover the 2016
Charles Gharamti
Actually, the 2018-2019 ATS, XTS, and CTS are still using the exact same defective gel based screen design as the 2013-2017 models. They will fail after a few years just like all the prior model years.
Charles Gharamti
The only permanent solution is to replace the terrible gel-center factory screens with a gel-free screen. Cuescreens offers these and its a pretty simple DIY job.
Jerry Phelps
I have owned 5 Cads and have been pleased with them until
cue went out for third time In my present car, Cadillac used to have quality.
George Shanks
I totally agree. My 2016 ATS-V is my second Cadillac. I plan to purchase a CT5-V Blackwing. How can Cadillac be so short sighted and risk losing customers like me over a relatively small problem like this.
I hope the president of GM will be the adult in the room and fix this problem.
Bill Velazquez
Just purchased a new 2019 XT5.
Time will tell if GM have learned their lesson.
Oc harris
Mine repaced under warranty on my 2014 xts.warranty is out now and im just waiting for the screen to die again.stuck with a timebomb
Joe B.
I think the CUE is one of the most elegant designs in car history. If only it was durable and worked as intended. My ’13 has been replaced once under warranty for a failed screen. The voice recognition is a bad joke and the haptic has failed. Now they went in the other direction and the CT5 has a thousand buttons. Give me the clean look of the Cue that works, but it’s too late. It’s reputation is mudd.
Cadillac Lady
I have owned 3 Cadillac ATS’s. A 2013 Sedan, 2015 Coupe and 2018 Coupe. The 2013 had the CUE screen replaced twice for having cells not working (ie radio stations) and for going spastic (flipping screens. The 2018 was because of the cracked or shattered screen. I live in FL and this is from the heat. The fit is so tight in the console that it can’t expand, therefore shattering the screen. As long as you are under manufacturer warranty, the Cadillac Certified Pre-Owned warranty or some extended warranties…..it will be covered. I work at a Cadillac dealership and this has been a problem, especially the earlier models.
Charles Gharamti
Sadly, these gel based screens generally fail right after the warranty expires. You are correct in that heat and sunlight increase the failure rate, however it is due to gel evaporation in the middle layer causing the shattered appearance. Check this video for more information. https://youtu.be/DVlaEKNoOMs
George Shanks
Roger on the Mudd. It may be elegant, but I have never liked touch screens in moving vehicles. I am a retired airline pilot and bumps in the air or bumps in the road make it difficult to put your finger in the right place. Plus you have to take your eyes off of the road and look at the screen. Fortunately the Bluetooth function still works, even with the failed screen so I can listen to YouTube music. I hope to law suit is successful and that justice is served.
Der k
If Cadillac wanted to make sure its customers are happy, just fix the issue before it gets to this point.
Charles Gharamti
Every CUE system ever built suffers from this issue. It’s a design defect. Check the video on our main page to see how the gel turns to powder and cooks out of the screen.
Cuescreens offers gel-free replacement screens that will never fail again, unlike the awful factory screens that will fail in 1-3 years. We have sold over 10k replacements to customers so far.
Dan Nash
just bought a 2016 SRX They are replacing the screen. Is there a replacement head unit that is going to be offered.
William Ryan
Same thing recently happened to my 2013 XTS. So happy to hear of this lawsuit.
marci kearney
Mine freezes (ironically) whenever the system gets too hot. And I live in Las Vegas. It’s usually OK when I start the car in my garage. But even with a window shade, it happens 100% of the time when parked outside. Whatever station I have it on, it freezes and then programs that station over and over again. Overrides other programmed stations. It should be a recall item that Cadillac fixes. I love my car, but this is a big enough annoyance to trade the car in.
marci kearney
How do we add our names to the class action lawsuit? Will they contact us?
Henry Michael Mavrinac
I too am a victim of the poorly designed Cadillac CUE screen.My 2013 SRX was subjected to a -25 below zero temperature last winter. When I went out to my SRX the next morning the upper right corner of the screen was full of microfractures.The dealership informed me that it would be $1,200.00 plus labor(approx.$1,500.00 total) to fix it(I refused).The microfractures have since spread to the entire right-side of the screen(top to bottom).I want in on the lawsuit.
Sonya Parris
My Cadillac que is stuck on a screen glitching constantly and I hate I talked my daughter into buying a Cadillac SRX cause hers is doing the same thing as well. Cadillac dealer act like this is new to them. At least offer to cover the labor to fix it and maybe people won’t mind buying the part to fix your defective part in a luxury vehicle.
John
Wow! Where do I get one of the 2017 ELRs affected by this lawsuit?
Should be interesting to see how this turns out. GM should really just step up and extend the warranty on the screens. I’ve read reports that they’re using refurbished units with the same problem as replacements. Seems like they should also find a different supplier for the replacement screens.
Linda Davis
On 2017 ATS had problem with the Cue. How can I become part of the class action suit?
Robin
My cue is unresponsive as well every once in a while why I’m driving a warning
Sign would come on saying don’t take your eyes of the road you can cause crash etc i previously had driven my car i went to go visit my in laws it’s like 3 minutes away from me so I parked my car wasn’t nothing wrong with my car so after 2 to 3 hours I got in my car started it up the warning sign was on so I went to push ok it’s not responding I’m not driving so why this warning on my cue my car was parked I’m mad you all because I put 20,000 dallors down on my 2015 Cadillac platinum Cadillac I paid it off with in 6 months I just had my car only for 16 months and the want 1700 hundred dallors because the cue has to be replaced and on top of that my moonroof sometimes slide back this is one of the things they had to fix before I took it off the lot and now my material is hanging it’s not rolling up so I have to keep the shade slide back and for that they want 2500 to 3000 dallors
zili wang
IT’S SAME IN CHINA
Charles Gharamti
Yes, all 2013-2019 CUE systems with the Gel based screens will fail over time. Generally 1-3 years in hotter climates, and 3-5 years in colder areas. The heat from sunlight, LCD panel,and the heater all contribute to the gel evaporating away and leaving the spider web appearance. Check this video for more information: https://youtu.be/DVlaEKNoOMs
Maureen
This is insane!! My radio is starting to spider really bad and my back up camera keeps glitching when I’m in reverse. I have a 2014 SRX only 58,000miles and of course it is out of warranty. My dealership quoted me $1300.00 to replace it.
WILLIAM VELAZQUEZ
Join in on the class action suit or better yet the use of a social media plaform to embarrass GM to do the right thing which is to replace all screens free of charge.
Megan Simpson
So glad this is FINALLY being handled. My screen has been cracked and unresponsive for over a year. I’ve been waiting for the recall but I’ll take this too!!
Laura Ramirez
I just purchased a 2017 Cadillac Escalade. And as you test drive it you don’t find everything as a day or two found out the screen does not work the Q screen I noticed when I go and drive on the transmission it a kick like I guess if I’m too close to a car it will hit another car something’s wrong with the transmission
Steve
The screen on my 2016 XTS failed after about 2.5 years. I have a long commute, so the 50k mileage warranty didn’t cover the failure. I just paid $1200 for the dealer to install a remanufactured unit. I get a 1 yr/12,000 mile warranty. Here’s what bugs me: So many screens have failed, there appears to be an active market for all the perfectly good center stack units (sans screen). The dealer didn’t offer me a credit, or offer me the option to take my OEM center stack home. That GM hasn’t admitted they’ve sold cars with bad screens and appear to be happy to let dealer service centers profit from owners’ misery feels like a scam. I look forward to the results of the class action lawsuit, which sure looks like a slam dunk.
Mike Wallace
The class action lawsuit was dismissed with prejudice. GM is leaving customers out to dry. The only true fix is to install a gel-free screen. cuescreens.com Promo code CLASS for everyone reading.
Kathy
Have 2013 ATS. Did notice from the beginning had a hard time pairing up my IPhone, then eventually other Menu items wouldn’t respond. Got on YouTube trying to repair on our own, BIG JOKE. Now to hear this is a big issue. Gets me very upset. If they are so concerned about using the voice response when driving for safety issues, sounds like they need to put a recall out there. Had car for two years and have never been able to use my CD player nor Pandora App or my downloaded music from my phone. Heard it’s over 1200.00 to replace. That’s just not right and for Cadillac wanting to charge. Next purchase will not be a Cadillac.
C. Foley
I have a 2013 Cadillac XTS Luxury Model, as of this date, 2/26/2020 I have 21,532 miles on it. The screen on my Cue system started delaminating around 15,000 miles, which was in 2018. I contacted a Cadillac dealer and was told this happens a lot with the screen on the Cue system but was told there were no recalls and it would cost me around $1300.00 to have it replaced. My car was out of warranty, it was 5 years old. It is now totally delaminated and does not respond to any touch.
Mike Wallace
It doesn’t happen a lot- it happens to every Cadillac sold since 2013. 100% failure rate.
Having the dealer replace it costs $2k and only gets you a couple more years before going through this again.
The only permanent fix is to install a gel free replacement screen, under $130 and a super easy job. cuescreens.com
Bobby hopklns
My 2016 sex screen cracked not working
Landon Cobbs
I would just like to know is there any replacement system that fits my 13 XTS, at this point what is a fixable solution to this on going problem?
Michael Cathey
I know it will cost gm a lot of money to fix this problem but they should do the right thing, bought my 2015 xts in August of 2020. They need to recall these cars
ayla akel
so, what happened to this ? I have bought mine in 2013 december, changed the cue system in 2016. it worked couple of years and stopped working since 2018.. had another issue with the headlights. There was a recall which i have gotten replaced and got reimbursed for it. Same problem started within a year! How do i get General Motors attention to get these fixed??
Mike Wallace
Ayla- this probem affect every Cadillac made after 2013.
Your choices are to pay $1,650 to the dealer and revisit this problem again in 3-5 years, or fix it permanently with an upgraded gel free touch screen and never worry about it again.
Check out cuescreens.com for simple step by step installation videos, and fix the problem for $79
Deb
We own a 2016 SRX and did not get notified of a headlight recall. Was it a certain model year(s)?
Also, now in the process of replacing the CUE screen.
RAY COHEN
I just sue them for triple damages
My attorney friend reviewed the complaint. They knew about the problem. They issued technical bulletins in 2014 and 2017 stating that the cue needs to be replaced
Davida
We really have to pay for an attorney for cadallic to do the right thing? What other options do we have.This will be my third time replacing the cue system.
Mike Wallace
No need to replace the entire cue system. Its a simple low cost fix to replace only the screen at cuescreens.com. If you replace the entire system, you will just have to replace it again in a few year.
RAY COHEN
I sued GM LLC directly for triple damages for consumer fraud. 2 technical svce bulletins were issued. The first one was December 2014
George
I took the easy way out and traded the ATS-V in for a GMC pickup. At least until the CT5-V Blackwing arrives.
[email protected]
It seems like the only way to get Cadillac to do the right thing on a regular basis is to start another CLASS ACTION LAWSUIT. And I recommend filling out a request at TOP CLASS ACTIONS at https://topclassactions.com/start-a-class-action/ And if enough people request a Class Action Lawsuit an Attorney will see the financial benefit and contact you. Or you can just sell your Cadillac and never buy another like me because the last thing you want to do is waste your time trying to talk to their Executive Customer Service as they will not even allow you to speak to their managers so stay away from Victoria at Executive Customer Assistance PH: 855-880-1400 Ext 5911184 Email: [email protected], what a sad joke!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
P.S. I have proof that Sandra and her supervisor Christine at [email protected] worked with a specific dealership in Maryland to give a new CUE system for only 90% of the costs or about $150. Go get the son-of-b… Good Luck!
RAY COHEN
I am suing Cadillac and using many of the arguments in the class action. I am suing for triple damages on the consumer fraud
Mike Wallace
You definitely don’t want to pay to replace the CUE system at a discount from the dealer if they give you that option. You will just have to keep dealing with this every few years. Fix it permanently with an upgraded screen from CUESCREENS.COM and never worry about it again, for less than the cost of a dealer diagnostic.
edward ferry
I have same problem with my 2016 xts. 39000 miles. dealear ship says 1250 to replace.
Mike Wallace
No need to pay that much. Cuescreens.com and it’s fixed permanently
RAY COHEN
I sued GM for triple damages through an attorney. The claim includes a breach of the stated and implied warranties as well as several other bases. I am also suing for attorney fees.
Ed
Did you win and what attorney did you use
Stan Thurman
I was able to fix my ats-v with the Dorman screen.. although other vendors are available on Amazon who sell screens for less than 90$
Alaric
you can by a new cue touch screen on Amazon,the kixfwpy brand is professional.
Alaric
My 2014 CTS also had the problem,but I had solved it perfectly. you can also try it, it help me save $1500, just search Kixfwpy cue touch screen on Amazon.Hope the advice can help you.