Cadillac Lyriq Problems: Display, Braking, and the California Lemon Law

The Cadillac Lyriq is the brand's flagship electric SUV, and a lot of the ownership experience runs through its screens and software. That is also where several of its problems have shown up. If your Lyriq keeps going back for the same electronic or braking issue, it is worth knowing which defects have been recalled and how California's Lemon Law treats an electric vehicle. This is general information, not advice about your specific vehicle.

The driver display recall (25V356)

GM issued recall 25V356 for certain 2023-2024 Lyriq vehicles in which the driver video display can intermittently fail. If the display goes blank while driving, the instrument panel, the rear-view camera image and other federally required functions become unavailable, which GM's filing says increases the risk of a crash. Most incidents involved vehicles whose video display control module had not been updated to the current software, and the remedy is a software update performed by a dealer or delivered over the air.

The low-speed braking recall (24V589)

A separate recall, 24V589, covers 2023-2024 Lyriq all-wheel-drive vehicles. During certain braking events on dry surfaces below 25 mph, the anti-lock braking system can falsely activate and keep releasing brake pressure, which can reduce stopping performance or leave the brakes temporarily inoperative. GM's remedy updates the software in the electronic brake control module. A braking defect at low speed is precisely the kind of problem that matters in parking lots, driveways and stop-and-go traffic.

Pedestrian warning sound and other software issues

Some 2023 Lyriq vehicles also received incorrectly calibrated body control module software that could prevent the car from emitting the pedestrian-warning sound required for quiet electric vehicles. Owners have separately reported infotainment freezes and reboots on the Lyriq's large curved display, charging interruptions and occasional drive-unit faults. Individually these can feel minor; together, and repeated, they can add up to a vehicle that does not work the way it should.

When a software-defined car keeps getting fixes

Modern EVs are often described as software on wheels, and over-the-air updates are convenient. But an update that is supposed to fix a safety defect is still a repair attempt. If the same problem keeps returning after multiple software fixes, or the vehicle sits at the dealer waiting on a part or a module, those attempts and those days count under the Lemon Law just as a mechanical repair would.

How California's Lemon Law applies to the Lyriq

Under California's Song-Beverly Consumer Warranty Act, a Lyriq may qualify if a substantial, warranty-covered defect cannot be fixed after a reasonable number of attempts, or if the vehicle has been out of service for 30 or more cumulative days for warranty repairs. Electric vehicles are fully covered; a defect in the display, the braking system, the software or the high-voltage drivetrain is treated like any other substantial defect. A recall is not automatically a lemon, but it is the manufacturer acknowledging the defect, and the repair days count toward your total.

Cadillac and the AB 1755 filing deadline

General Motors has opted into California's AB 1755 procedures, which can shorten the filing window: generally within one year of your warranty's expiration, and no later than six years from the vehicle's original delivery date. If your Lyriq's problems are ongoing, acting promptly protects your rights.

What to do if your Lyriq is affected

• Check your VIN at NHTSA.gov to see whether 25V356, 24V589 or any other campaign is open on your vehicle.
• Keep records of every service visit and every software update installed to address a problem.
• Note each day the vehicle is unavailable while waiting on a fix, part or module.
• Save your purchase or lease agreement and any recall notices from Cadillac or GM.
• Speak with a California lemon law attorney if the same defect keeps returning after repairs.