Brakes get exactly one job, and a software glitch has been caught slipping out for a coffee break. This Cadillac EV recall covers 67,380 electric vehicles because a flaw can briefly cut your braking at low speeds, according to GM Authority’s report on the NHTSA filing, which carries campaign number 26V717.
If you drive a Cadillac Lyriq, Vistiq or Celestiq, read this before your next trip to the grocery store.
The good news is that the fix costs you nothing. The less good news is that this is not the first time GM has had to fix the Lyriq’s brakes. Here are five things to know about the GM brake recall.
1. First, check whether your vehicle is on the list.
The recall covers four models. That means 2023–2027 Cadillac Lyriq, 2026–2027 Cadillac Vistiq, 2025–2026 Cadillac Celestiq and 2024–2027 Chevrolet Blazer EV. Only versions with performance all-wheel drive are included, so rear-wheel-drive Lyriqs are out.
By the numbers, Jalopnik counts 44,585 Lyriqs, and rollingout lists 18,802 Vistiqs and just 82 hand-built Celestiqs. The Blazer EV makes up the rest.
Not sure about yours? Punch your VIN into nhtsa.gov.
2. The Cadillac Lyriq recall is a software problem, not a total brake failure.
Let’s keep this accurate. GM says the brake system control module can misread wheel movement and briefly lose braking.
The trigger is a very specific stack of events. You brake lightly at low speed in a sharp turn, you hit a bump or dip (think the lip at the end of a driveway), and then you quickly release and reapply the pedal. In GM’s own wording, a momentary release and reapplication “may cause the software’s slip calculation to misinterpret wheel movement.”
Normal braking returns on the next press. Brief, yes. Harmless, no. GM says it raises crash risk.
3. So far, the real-world damage looks minor.
GM points to 24 potentially related complaints between February 2024 and June 2026. Twenty involved minor crashes, and two involved allegations of minor injuries. That is not a flood, but it is not nothing either.
The problem surfaced when a 2024 Lyriq bumped a garage at low speed, and a GM technical expert flagged it through the company’s Speak Up for Safety program in April.
4. Here’s the thing: you’ve heard this story before.
In 2024, GM recalled 21,469 all-wheel-drive Lyriqs over a related braking issue, where the anti-lock system could unexpectedly release brake pressure. Even so, GM now says vehicles that got that earlier fix, or were built with it, can still be hit by this problem. According to rollingout, that earlier recall was the Lyriq’s fifth since September 2022.
A luxury EV that keeps coming back for recalls is a trust problem, and Cadillac is selling trust right now. (It is also still busy selling cars people love, like the last few CT4-V Blackwings left on the lot.)
KBB reports the new software update covers both the new issue and the older anti-lock one. That should be the last stop. We’ll see.
5. What you have to do, and what to watch.
The remedy is a free software update, either over the air or at a dealer. Dealers have been notified, and owner letters are expected to go out December 14.
One catch: KBB says the fix is not yet available for 2023–2024 Lyriqs, and GM Authority reports a stop-delivery order on those units. If you want answers sooner, call Cadillac at 1-800-333-4223 or the NHTSA hotline at 1-888-327-4236.
As for your wallet, the documented cost to owners is zero, since the repair is free. We found no sourced figures on resale value, so beware of anyone who claims to know.
GM also recalled 12,715 Chevrolet Express and GMC Savana vans the same day, for a loose nut that could cause loss of steering control, bringing the total to 80,095 vehicles. It was a rough day at the Detroit shop.
For context on where GM’s electric lineup sits in the market, see our look at the best-selling EVs in the US.
So the question for GM is simple: does this software fix finally stick? A third swing at the same brakes would be tough to explain.
