Cadillac LYRIQ years to avoid

How we rated the best and worst Cadillac LYRIQ years

The first-generation LYRIQ (2023-2025) shows a pattern of electrical, software, charging, and build-quality issues, with the 2023 and 2024 model years carrying the most concentrated complaint activity. To build these ratings, we cross-referenced NHTSA complaints and recalls, CarComplaints.com owner reports, Consumer Reports reliability surveys, and owner threads on CadillacForums.com and Reddit’s r/CadillacLyriq. CarComplaints ranks problem severity by repair cost and mileage-at-failure (its PainRank system), while NHTSA reflects raw complaint volume filed by owners - the two often point to different model years as “worst,” and this guide attributes each finding to its correct source. Our years to avoid methodology cross-references complaint volume, recall count, and severity signals rather than treating any single source as definitive.

Every Cadillac LYRIQ model year ranked

The LYRIQ launched for the 2023 model year, so there are only three retail model years to assess - the rankings below reflect that short but data-rich record.

Most common Cadillac LYRIQ problems

Most LYRIQ complaints center on software and electronics, not the Ultium battery pack itself - the number-one complaint category is the Google-based infotainment system, the digital cluster, and the communication between those modules. Below are the five recurring failure categories found across 2023-2025 NHTSA filings and owner reports, ordered most-serious first.

1. Instrument cluster and display blanking while driving

The driver video display may intermittently go blank while the vehicle is in motion, causing loss of the instrument panel, rear-vision camera, and other federally regulated features, which increases the risk of a crash. Owners and testers report frozen screens, laggy menus, random reboots, and connection issues with CarPlay and Android Auto.

The recall for this defect - NHTSA campaign 25V-356 - affects approximately 41,376 vehicles across certain 2023 and 2024 Cadillac LYRIQ models. GM provides a free software update for the video display control module as the remedy. An earlier, separate display campaign covered 2023 LYRIQ specifically: a recall affecting certain 2023 LYRIQ vehicles where a software error in the driver video display control module could cause the instrument panel to go blank.

GM also issued TSB 24-NA-155 covering 2023 LYRIQ vehicles, addressing software-related issues and releasing a new radio software update (version W38E-174.4.1-M170-SQBR5-180.4) with general robustness and stability enhancements. As a buyer, confirm that any 2023 or 2024 LYRIQ you consider has had recall 25V-356 completed and that the infotainment software is on the current build before you drive off the lot.

2. ABS unexpectedly releasing brake pressure

NHTSA recall 24V-589 covers certain 2023-2024 Cadillac LYRIQ all-wheel-drive vehicles, where the ABS may activate unexpectedly and release brake pressure in the service brake system, increasing the risk of a crash. The remedy is an electronic brake control module software update, delivered over-the-air or free of charge at a dealer.

Potentially 21,469 2023-2024 LYRIQ vehicles are covered by this recall. Owner accounts filed with NHTSA describe the car slowing abruptly at highway speeds or resisting braking in parking lots - scenarios that led to at least one owner-reported collision. The most common NHTSA braking complaints on the 2024 LYRIQ relate to forward collision avoidance, backover prevention, and brake failure.

If you’re shopping a 2023 or 2024 AWD LYRIQ, the pre-purchase VIN check on the NHTSA recall database should specifically confirm 24V-589 is closed. Software-only fixes are quick, but an uncompleted ABS campaign is a reason to walk away until the dealer closes it.

3. Electrical system faults and no-drive conditions

NHTSA recall 24V-320 covers the rear drive units of 2024 LYRIQ vehicles, where the electric motors may have insufficiently insulated wires that can contact each other, resulting in a loss of drive power. A separate 2023 traction battery recall - NHTSA campaign 23V-367 - covers 2023 Cadillac LYRIQ vehicles where certain connections within the high-voltage battery pack may be out of position or incorrectly welded, which can cause a loss of drive power.

The 2024 LYRIQ has 6 recalls and 106 owner complaints on file, with severity signals including 16 crash-related complaints and 2 fire-related complaints; the most commonly reported problem areas are Electrical System (30 complaints), Exterior Lighting (17), and Service Brakes (12). EV-specific no-start and no-drive events are among the hardest for Cadillac service departments to diagnose quickly, given low technician familiarity with the Ultium platform.

4. Charging failures and battery system warnings

Charging difficulties have been a notable concern, with some owners experiencing failure to charge both at home and at public stations. There are scattered reports of LYRIQs with abnormal range loss, faults in battery cooling components, or repeated electrical-system warnings that ultimately trace back to high-voltage hardware.

Many owners report over 95% of original battery capacity through the first 20,000-30,000 miles, which is in line with other modern EVs, and Cadillac backs the high-voltage battery with an 8-year/100,000-mile warranty in the U.S. - important coverage for second owners. This warranty applies to used buyers as well, so confirm the original in-service date to calculate how much coverage remains. Charging-session dropouts - where the car stops accepting charge mid-session without error codes - are among the harder problems to reproduce at a dealership, so ask any seller for documented service history on this specifically.

5. Build quality and exterior lighting

Power liftgates that won’t open, jewel drawers that won’t stay closed, misbehaving door handles, and sticky gloveboxes add up to a slightly unfinished feeling for a luxury flagship. The 2024 LYRIQ received a “Poor” IIHS rating for its LED projector headlights, which produce excessive glare from the low beams.

The LYRIQ missed IIHS Top Safety Pick status because, while it scored well across crashworthiness categories, the headlights did not pass the rating threshold needed for the award. IIHS explicitly noted that the Cadillac LYRIQ was disqualified from the Top Safety Pick award due to its Poor headlight rating. Buyers doing much night driving on unlit roads should factor this in, and owners on CadillacForums.com have also noted drooping headlights as a physical quality complaint on early builds.

Which Cadillac LYRIQ years should you avoid?

The Cadillac LYRIQ years to avoid are 2023 and 2024. The 2023 LYRIQ has 7 recalls on file - the most of any LYRIQ model year - while the 2024 has 6 recalls and 106 owner complaints, the highest raw NHTSA complaint volume of any LYRIQ year. CarComplaints identifies the 2024 as the most-reported year by owner-filed complaints, while NHTSA data confirms the 2023 carries the largest recall count - two different measurements pointing at the same two-year window as the generation’s weakest stretch.

Worst Cadillac LYRIQ years: 2023, 2024

First-generation Cadillac LYRIQ (2023-2024)

Across 2023-2025 model years, early 2023 builds saw the highest concentration of serious bugs: blacked-out screens, random warning messages, charging failures, and multiple service visits. The 2023 LYRIQ has 7 recalls and 24 NHTSA owner complaints, with severity signals including 2 crash-related complaints; the most commonly reported problem areas are Exterior Lighting (9 complaints), Electrical System (4), and Back Over Prevention (2).

The 2024 LYRIQ has 6 recalls and 106 owner complaints, with 16 crash-related and 2 fire-related severity signals; the top problem categories are Electrical System (30), Exterior Lighting (17), and Service Brakes (12). The 2024 model experienced the highest complaint rate of 37.3 per 10,000 sold. Buyers considering either year on the used market should budget time for confirmed recall completion at a Cadillac dealer before taking delivery.

What are the best Cadillac LYRIQ years to buy?

The best Cadillac LYRIQ year to buy is 2025. The 2025 LYRIQ has 3 recalls and just 13 NHTSA owner complaints on file, with the most commonly reported problem areas being Electrical System (4), Fuel Propulsion System (2), and Unknown/Other (2). That is a fraction of the 2024’s complaint load.

Most reliable Cadillac LYRIQ years: 2025

2025 Cadillac LYRIQ

The 2025 LYRIQ received an overall 5-star safety rating from NHTSA, with 5 stars across frontal crash, side crash, and rollover categories. Consumer Reports shows the 2025 has been recalled 3 times by NHTSA - compared to 6 times for the 2024 - and those 2025-specific recalls are narrower in scope (a head restraint owner’s manual correction and a battery bolt inspection rather than the broad display and braking software campaigns that hit earlier cars).

With a first-generation EV like the LYRIQ, later build dates - especially late-2024 and 2025 - tend to have more software fixes and running hardware changes already built in. Owners on CadillacForums.com and Reddit’s r/CadillacLyriq report smoother ownership once early software patches are applied, and the 2025 benefits from those lessons without buyers having to be the test subjects.

Cadillac LYRIQ submodel years to avoid

The LYRIQ line includes one performance submodel, the LYRIQ-V, which is assessed here on its own production record rather than the standard LYRIQ’s data.

Cadillac LYRIQ-V years to avoid

The LYRIQ-V is mechanically distinct from the standard LYRIQ in one key way: it uses a dual-motor all-wheel-drive Ultium powertrain tuned for higher output - sources indicate approximately 500 horsepower - compared to the base rear-wheel-drive or standard AWD variants. The LYRIQ-V was introduced for the 2024 model year.

There are essentially no retail-owner complaints or production issues reported for very early build dates of the LYRIQ platform, and the LYRIQ-V has only recently reached the used market in any volume. As of mid-2026, no LYRIQ-V model year has accumulated enough independent NHTSA complaint data to flag a specific year as distinctly worse than another within the submodel alone. The ABS braking recall (24V-589) covered 2023-2024 AWD models, which includes LYRIQ-V configurations - so any 2024 LYRIQ-V should have that recall confirmed closed via VIN check before purchase.

Issues affecting the Cadillac LYRIQ broadly - display faults, charging behavior, driver-assist dropouts - affect the vehicle regardless of variant. If you’re considering a 2024 LYRIQ-V, apply the same checklist as for the standard 2024 AWD car. Pre-purchase checks specific to the LYRIQ-V:

• Confirm recall 24V-589 (ABS brake software) is closed on the VIN - this directly applies to AWD models
• Test adaptive cruise, one-pedal driving, and Super Cruise on a pre-purchase drive
• Ask for service records showing software update history, particularly any display or brake module campaigns

Cadillac LYRIQ pre-purchase checklist

Before buying any used LYRIQ, run through these model-specific steps:

• Run the VIN through NHTSA’s recall tool: Confirm every open recall is closed, particularly display campaign 25V-356 and ABS campaign 24V-589 on 2023-2024 cars. Recall coverage varies by build date, so the VIN check is the only definitive way to know which campaigns apply to that specific vehicle.
• On 2023 and 2024 cars, test the instrument cluster: With the car running and moving, cycle through all display views, the backup camera, and the speedometer. Any blanking, flickering, or reboot during the test drive is a sign the display recall may be incomplete.
• Verify the ABS software update on any 2023-2024 AWD LYRIQ: Ask the dealer or seller for a service record confirming the brake control module was updated. Recall 24V-589 is remedied by an OTA or dealer software update - confirm the status before any brake-heavy test drive.
• Check high-voltage battery bolt status on 2025 models: GM recalled certain 2025 LYRIQ vehicles because the bolts attaching the high-voltage battery to the interior floor may be missing or loose, which increases fire risk in a crash. Confirm this recall is resolved.
• Confirm the 8-year/100,000-mile battery warranty transfer: Cadillac backs the high-voltage battery with an 8-year/100,000-mile warranty in the U.S. Get the original in-service date in writing and calculate remaining coverage before purchase.
• Ask for documented charging history: Any LYRIQ that spent extended time at a dealer for charging faults or drive-power loss should have a clear, resolved service record. Repeated visits for the same charging symptom are a warning.
• Test the driver-assist systems: Adaptive cruise, lane centering, and collision-avoidance can drop out unexpectedly, sometimes with loud chimes and warning messages. Test each system on the pre-purchase drive, and decline any car that shows active fault messages.
• Verify headlight aim on 2023-2024 cars: Physical headlight droop has been reported on early builds; have a technician confirm proper aim as part of any pre-purchase inspection.

Better alternatives to consider

If the LYRIQ years in your budget land on the avoid list, consider these alternatives instead:

• Cadillac XT5 - a proven gas-powered Cadillac luxury SUV with a longer production history and more predictable used-market reliability data
• Cadillac Escalade - a larger Cadillac option with a deeper model-year pool and clearer year-by-year reliability patterns
• Tesla Model Y - the volume electric midsize SUV benchmark, with a multi-year production run and a wider base of used-market data across model years
• BMW iX - a competing premium electric SUV with its own reliability record worth comparing year-by-year before committing