GM recalls most of its Cadillac Lyriq EVs due to braking issue

General Motors is recalling nearly all of its all-electric Cadillac Lyriq SUVs because of problems with the braking system that could result in a crash.

While the recall covers 2023 and 2024 all-wheel drive Lyriqs, it amounts to 21,469 vehicles. Since its launch, GM has sold a total of 22,370 Lyriqs in the United States, according to GM sales reports.

The news comes after GM finally got its Lyriq production on track after years of trickling the cars to dealers and customers who had ordered them. In 2022, the year GM launched the Lyriq, it delivered just 122. At the time, Cadillac spokesman Michael Albano said, "we deliberately ramped up Cadillac Lyriq production slowly and methodically ... to ensure quality for our customers."

Last year, as thousands of customers who had ordered the cars waited for them, GM said it had some issues with the software on the vehicles and blamed supply-chain problems along with challenges making its battery modules for the slow delivery to market. But GM had fixed all of that by year-end and reported second-quarter Lyriq sales this year up a whopping 441% to 7,294. Through the first half of this year, GM delivered 13,094 Lyriqs.

'The condition occurs in very rare circumstances'

According to a letter to GM from the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration posted on NHTSA's website dated Monday, GM is recalling "certain 2023-2024 Cadillac Lyriq all-wheel drive vehicles" because "the anti-lock brake system may activate unexpectedly and release brake pressure in the vehicle's service brake system," wrote Alex Ansley, NHTSA chief of the recall management division in the Office of Defects Investigation.

According to the letter on NHTSA's website, a release of brake pressure can cause a loss of the ability to brake the vehicle, which could lead to a crash.

GM spokesman Bill Grotz said fewer than 500 of the 21,469 being recalled are 2023 models and that GM dealers already have the remedy and have started the fix for customer vehicles, free of charge.

"We've identified a fix for the issues, which will be delivered to the majority of impacted vehicles using wireless over-the-air technology later this month," Grotz told the Free Press. "The condition occurs in very rare circumstances at low speeds, and safety and satisfication of our customers are our highest priorities."

2 reports of minor accidents prompted GM examination

The problem will not affect GM's production of 2024 Lyriqs being made at its Spring Hill Assembly plant in Tennessee, Grotz said.

In a safety recall report filed with NHTSA, the report stated that on May 31, 2024, GM opened a product investigation into the possible problem after "extensive engineering analysis and testing determined that two reports of minor accidents resulting from an alleged loss of braking may have been attributable to a software issue in the vehicles’ anti-lock braking system."

The report said GM received reports relating to these vehicles on Feb. 15 and March 12. GM was also made aware of a separate potential complaint not involving an accident on Oct. 14, 2023.

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"GM’s investigation confirmed that the condition can only occur under very rare circumstances: during a false (anti-lock braking system) event on a dry road surface at a speed below 25 mph, a specific series of wheel movements causes the vehicle’s ABS system to continue to command the release of brake pressure in the vehicle’s service brake system," the report stated. "GM is not aware of any injuries or fatalities associated with this condition. On Aug. 1, 2024, GM’s Safety Field Action Decision Authority ... decided to conduct a safety recall. GM provides the software involved with this recall."

Letters notifying owners impacted by this problem are expected to be mailed Sept. 23 or Lyriq owners can call Cadillac's customer service at 800-458-8006, the NHTSA filing stated. GM's number for this recall is N242453471.

Contact Jamie L. LaReau: jlareau@freepress.com. Follow her on Twitter @jlareauan. Read more on General Motors and sign up for our autos newsletter.