Owner complaints, recalls, fuel economy and safety ratings from public NHTSA and EPA data, updated Oct 17, 2026.
Fuel economy
15–26 mpgcombined; city 13–22, highway 20–31; every version of this model year
Five years of fuel
$15,480–$26,830U.S. average; Ohio $14,580–$25,280 at local prices; every version of this model year; fuel only, not other costs of owning it; 15,000 miles a year, at EIA fuel prices for the week of Oct 12, 2026
NHTSA's VIN data lists these trims for the 2026 CT5. A trim's engine and numbers are shown as its own only where EPA names versions after the trim and no other version could be it; "seen with" means a source shows that engine on the trim, not that it was the only one. Recalls and complaints cover the whole model year: whether a recall applies to a car depends on its VIN, on NHTSA's recall lookup.
Owners have filed 6 complaints with NHTSA about the 2026 CT5. These are unverified owner reports, counted by the part of the car they name; one complaint can name several parts. Counts aren't adjusted for how many were sold, so they don't show how reliable a car is.
Complaints by part of the car
Part
Complaints
Crashes
Fires
Injuries
Forward collision avoidance
4
1
0
0
Service brakes
2
2
0
0
Vehicle speed control
2
0
0
0
Electrical system
1
0
0
0
Engine
1
0
0
0
Power train
1
0
0
0
Unknown or other
1
0
0
0
Complaints by model year
Newer years have had less time to collect complaints, and counts aren't adjusted for sales, so a shorter bar doesn't mean a more reliable year.
NHTSA lists 1 recall campaign for the 2026 CT5 over its history. Campaigns are matched by model and year, so each one may apply to a given car, and its repair may already be done: check a VIN on NHTSA's recall lookup for the open recalls on that exact car.
General Motors has decided that certain 2027 Chevrolet Bolt EV, 2025-2026 Cadillac OPTIQ, Chevrolet Colorado, Equinox EV, GMC Canyon, 2026 Buick Enclave, Envision, Cadillac CT5, Escalade, Escalade ESV, Escalade IQ, Escalade IQL, LYRIQ, VISTIQ, Chevrolet Blazer EV, Corvette Convertible, Corvette Coupe, Corvette Convertible E-Ray, Equinox, Silverado 1500, 2500, 3500, Silverado EV, Suburban 1500, Tahoe, Traverse, GMC Acadia, Hummer EV Pickup, Hummer EV SUV, Sierra 1500, 2500, 3500, Sierra EV, Terrain, Yukon, and Yukon XL vehicles. The radio may not have been set to the correct status to download the electronic owner's manual during production. As such, these vehicles fail to comply with the requirements of Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standard number 208, “Occupant Protection.”
Risk: Without an owner's manual to consult, owners may not know how to safely use and operate the vehicle, increasing the risk of injury in a crash.
Remedy: Dealers will reset the vehicle radio, which will facilitate automatic download of the electronic owner’s manual, free of charge. Owner notification letters were mailed April 16, 2026. Owners may contact GM customer service at 1-866-467-9700, Chevrolet customer service at 1-800-222-1020 or Cadillac customer service at 1-800-333-4223. The manufacturer's number for this recall is N252540430. Vehicle Identification Numbers (VINs) involved in this recall became searchable on NHTSA.gov on February 26, 2026.
Carmakers sent NHTSA 112 service bulletins and notices that cover the 2026 CT5, the latest on Oct 8, 2026. They tell dealers how to fix known issues.
The parts they mention most: unknown or other (101), electrical system (4), engine (3), forward collision avoidance (1), fuel/propulsion system (1).
NHTSA hasn't opened a defect investigation that covers this model year.
Maintenance
Oil
The owner's manual gives the oil and how often to change it. We show oil facts only once we've checked them against the manual, and we haven't yet for the 2026 CT5.
EPA class: midsize cars. EPA greenhouse gas score: 2–5 out of 10. Each version EPA tested:
Swipe the table sideways for more columns.
Version
Engine
Transmission
Fuel
City / hwy / comb
CT5 Rear-Wheel Drive
2.0 L, 4 cyl, turbo
Automatic (S10)
Premium Gasoline
22 / 31 / 26
CT5 All-Wheel Drive
2.0 L, 4 cyl, turbo
Automatic (S10)
Premium Gasoline
21 / 30 / 24
CT5 Rear-Wheel Drive
3.0 L, 6 cyl, turbo
Automatic (S10)
Premium Gasoline
19 / 28 / 22
CT5 All-Wheel Drive
3.0 L, 6 cyl, turbo
Automatic (S10)
Premium Gasoline
18 / 27 / 21
CT5 V Rear-Wheel Drive
3.0 L, 6 cyl, turbo
Automatic (S10)
Premium Gasoline
18 / 27 / 21
CT5 V All-Wheel Drive
3.0 L, 6 cyl, turbo
Automatic (S10)
Premium Gasoline
17 / 26 / 20
CT5 V Rear-Wheel Drive
6.2 L, 8 cyl, supercharged
Automatic (S10)
Premium Gasoline
13 / 20 / 15
CT5 V Rear-Wheel Drive
6.2 L, 8 cyl, supercharged
Manual 6-spd
Premium Gasoline
13 / 20 / 15
Sources and dates
U.S. EPA fuel economy data, file of Sep 29, 2026
NHTSA owner complaints, file of Oct 17, 2026
NHTSA recalls, file of Oct 17, 2026
NHTSA manufacturer communications, file of Oct 17, 2026
NHTSA defect investigations, file of Oct 17, 2026
NHTSA 5-Star Safety Ratings, file of Aug 7, 2026
U.S. Energy Information Administration, file of Oct 12, 2026
Fuel cost: EPA mpg with fuel prices for the week of Oct 12, 2026 and electricity prices for Jul 2026. Source: U.S. Energy Information Administration (Oct 2026). Complaints are unverified reports owners filed with NHTSA. About the data