The somewhat uninspiringly-named Lyriq has been hit with a probe from the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration. According to the Office of Defects Investigation, the federal agency is aware of multiple field reports from owners alleging a hard brake pedal and a loss of brake boost assistance.
Said reports further allege a warning message popping up while driving or at startup, informing the driver of a brake system-related failure. ODI shared these reports with General Motors. The Detroit-based automaker told the watchdog that a spindle inside the electronic brake control module may fracture during an anti-lock braking system event, therefore explaining the loss of brake assist.
Additionally, suspect vehicles may experience a partial loss of anti-lock braking system functionality and a degree of speed limitation. How did General Motors remedy this problem? The biggest automaker of the Detroit Big Three introduced a new material clean break point back in May 2023, and General Motors also developed over-the-air software for cycling the brake booster at startup.
In case of a spindle going kaput during startup cycling, a warning message will inform the customer to have the zero-emission crossover inspected at an authorized dealership. It should be noted that GM didn't conduct the software update in the form of a recall, nor did General Motors file any recall documentation with the NHTSA for the Lyriq crossovers manufactured through May 2023.
The reason why the Office of Defects Investigation opened preliminary evaluation PE24011 into the 2023 model year Cadillac Lyriq is to fully assess the potential safety issues, determine the scope of the problem, and severity. The worst-case scenario for the largest American automaker of them all would be for GM to recall 3,322 electric crossovers.
Photo: Cadillac
Twinned with the Acura ZDX, Honda Prologue, and Chevrolet Blazer EV on GM's BEV3 platform, the Cadillac Lyriq is the company's first series-production vehicle based on said platform. BEV3 is a skateboard architecture that replaces the BEV2 of the Chevrolet Bolt EV and Bolt EUV, whereas EV1 underpinned the low-volume General Motors EV1.
Manufacturing in the United States and China, the Lyriq is considered a mid-size crossover. Rear-wheel drive by default and all-wheel drive by choice, Lyriq uses a 102-kWh battery. Backed by an eight-year limited warranty, said high-voltage battery enables a driving range of up to 314 miles (505 kilometers) for the single-motor version or 307 miles (494 kilometers) with two drive units.
Seriously good numbers for such a heavy vehicle, and the acceleration to 60 miles per hour (97 kilometers per hour) isn't shabby either. Cadillac quotes 5.7 and 4.7 seconds, respectively, or 4.4 seconds for the dual-motor AWD setup with the Velocity Package over-the-air software upgrade.
Nicely equipped from the outset, the Lyriq is on the pricey side of electric sport utility vehicles. Cadillac advertises it at $58,590, including the $1,395 destination charge. At press time, customers are presented with three grades: Tech, Luxury, and Sport. The Lyriq V-Series might drop by the end of 2024 for model year 2025, with unconfirmed info suggesting 550 ponies and 650 lb-ft (881 Nm).
After a 1:43 scale model of a Ferrari 250 GTO sparked Mircea's interest for cars when he was a kid, an early internship at Top Gear sealed his career path. He's most interested in muscle cars and American trucks, but he takes a passing interest in quirky kei cars as well. Full profile
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