The 2024 Consumer Reports reliability report ranked Cadillac second to last for dependability, with only Rivian being ranked reliable by the study.
While Cadillac ranked very low in the study overall, scoring a mere 27 points out of 100, some individual models offered by the luxury marque performed significantly better, and others performed worse.
This factor was highlighted by Consumer Reports auto testing director Jake Fisher, who observed that “while brand rankings can guide you to the showroom, it is critical to also look at reliability for specific models before making a purchase decision.” In fact, while Cadillac’s score placed it at 21st out of 22 automakers, the Cadillac XT5 scored 48 out of 100, equaling the reliability of many European and some Asian models.
Surprisingly unreliable among the marque’s models was the popular Cadillac Lyriq. Owners rated the the electric luxury crossover at an exceptionally low level of reliability of just 5 out of 100. Among the problems reported by Lyriq owners were battery issues, undependable climate control and electronics, and unreliable electrical accessories.
EVs still tended to be far more unreliable than ICE vehicles, the latter benefiting from mature technologies tested over generations, likely explaining the Lyriq’s low rating. Electric vehicles experienced 42 percent more problems than ICE vehicles, though this is a strong improvement from the 2023 figure of 79 percent more problems.
Plug-in hybrids (PHEVs), which are absent from Cadillac’s lineup, fared even worse, with 70 percent more problems than ICE vehicles. However, this figure is once again far better than it was in 2023, when reliability issues with PHEVs were 146 percent more frequent.
Cadillac, at 27 out of 100, scored slightly less reliable than average for American automakers, which saw a typical rating of 38/100 points. European vehicles averaged 48/100 and Asian automakers achieved 57/100, with 80 percent of the most reliable vehicles coming from the Far East.
To determine the scores in its reliability report, Consumer Reports gathered information on 20 potential problem areas and feedback from more than 300,000 vehicle owners.
