2026 Cadillac VISTIQ
19 kW Charger
Premium Electric SUV · AWD
Based on battery health, build quality, owner data, EPA range, and market pricing
Above average for 2026 EV SUVs (class avg 66 · top 51%)
Personalize this scoreIs a low score bad?
Last scanned 22 days ago
The 2026 Cadillac VISTIQ (19 kW Charger) puts down 300 miles of EPA range, 190 kW fast charging and a 100 kWh battery, and a worth-pursuing score, but only after a hard inspection and a fair price.
Score read
A 66/100 makes this a records-first inspection. Do not let the composite hide this split: software and driver-assist score is 100/100, while build quality score is 49/100. On Reddit, owners keep flagging the same two issues: owner satisfaction and range. Documented completion matters more than the recall count itself.
Price context
This trim started from $77,395 new. Used examples have come down since launch, but pricing varies by miles, condition, and how the model is moving right now; pull a current KBB Fair Purchase, an Edmunds True Market Value, or an active dealer listing for this exact trim, and anchor your offer there. Walk if the seller will not move off new-car-style pricing.
Who this is for
✓ Good for
- ⏱ Daily commuter ≤50 mi/day, predictable charging
- ↦ Road tripper Long trips, needs DC fast network
✗ Avoid if you are a
- $ Bargain hunter Best TCO, reliability + low depreciation
Gotchas
- Serviceable Recall paperwork has to match the exact VIN.
Mitigation Use NHTSA and the automaker lookup, then require repair records instead of a verbal promise.
- Verify Build quality is where the inspection earns its keep (49/100).
Mitigation Inspect alignment, cabin noise, suspension feel, tires, and trim wear more carefully than usual.
- Verify Current market pricing is not confirmed well enough for this trim.
Mitigation Compare KBB, J.D. Power, and live listings for the same trim before treating price as a buying signal.
Pre-purchase inspection
- 1 Run the exact VIN through NHTSA and the automaker recall lookup before discussing price.
- 2 Compare the dashboard range estimate with the EPA 300-mile rating after a full charge.
- 3 Confirm how much of the 8-year/100,000-mile battery warranty remains and whether it transfers.
- 4 If road trips matter, run a short DC fast-charge session and watch whether speed tapers normally.
- 5 Drive rough pavement, check door and hatch alignment, and listen for trim noise before you negotiate.
VIN status first This model has 3 NHTSA recall records. The exact VIN lookup decides whether the car in front of you is clear.
Complaint context This scan found 14 NHTSA complaint records (140 per 10K VINs, high — material safety/build concern). Read the themes below before treating the raw count as the verdict.
Price needs outside confirmation Current market pricing is incomplete, so MSRP should not be used as the deal signal. Compare KBB, J.D. Power, and live listings for this exact trim.
Pricing & Market Value
Score Breakdown
What matters most to you?
Drag the sliders to prioritize what you care about. Your TrimIndex Score recalculates instantly.
Vehicle Specifications
The federal $4,000 used-EV credit ended Sept 30, 2025.
But 10 states still run their own used-EV rebate programs — some up to $5,000. Pick your state to see what's available for this trim.
Source & disclaimer
Dealers make ~$3,575 on the average car loan.
After the price is set, the finance manager runs four plays to rebuild margin. Every buyer without a pre-approval is a target. Here's exactly what they run — and what stops each one.
78% of dealer loans carry a hidden +1.13% markup above what the lender actually charges. You never see it — it's buried in the contract. · CFPB
Dealer must match or beat your lender — they can't add margin invisibly. The markup play is dead on arrival.
Once you answer, they stretch the term to hit your number. Median result: $4K less off the price, 12 more months on the loan. · Industry avg
Financing is done. Only the sale price is on the table — and the dealer knows it.
Back-office F&I profit averages $1,975/vehicle, up 8.5% YoY. These products exist — but dealer markup is 4–10x what you'd pay elsewhere. · Dealership Guy
Dealer GAP runs $500–1K. Your insurer sells the same coverage for $100–250 over 5 years. Now you know.
"Your loan fell through — come re-sign." This pulls your APR up +5% on average. It's legal. It works because you've already driven the car home. · Ctr for Responsible Lending
A lender commitment letter means the deal is final. "Pending dealer approval" doesn't apply. You can't be yo-yo'd.
Margin handed to the dealer's finance department — for nothing.
Takes 2 minutes. No obligation to use it — but you'll walk in with all the leverage.
Pre-approval is a soft credit inquiry — no score impact. FICO treats all auto-loan hard pulls within 14 days as one, so you can still shop rates at the dealer.
NHTSA Recalls (3)
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."
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.
Check VIN status at NHTSA.govGeneral Motors is recalling certain 2026 Cadillac Vistiq electric 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 225, "Child Restraint Anchorage Systems."
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.
Check VIN status at NHTSA.govGeneral Motors (GM) is recalling certain 2026 Cadillac VISTIQ vehicles and 2025 Cadillac LYRIQ vehicles. The bolts attaching the high voltage battery to the interior floor may be missing or loose.
An improperly secured battery may become damaged in a crash, increasing the risk of a fire.
Check VIN status at NHTSA.govNHTSA Complaints (14 total · 140 per 10K US vehicles · high — material safety/build concern)
While driving home from work using SuperCruise, I almost died! Luckily I was paying attention that's why I'm here to give this testimony. I could have been doing this from another realm if my guardian angel wasn't watching over me. So there I was just using my SuperCruise doing 70mph. There was no traffic clear skies mid afternoon. Now I was using Google maps which is integrated into the infotainment system or so I thought. While coming up on an intersection/exit/merger Google maps showed red traffic at that merger (which is probably the reason why I'm still alive); however my car didn't slow down at all in anticipation. So approaching the congestion it was completely stopped cars due to heavy traffic. Remind you up until this section there was practically no traffic. All of a sudden, traffic! My car literally kept going at 70mph not recognizing the stopped cars ahead of me! Luckily for me 1:) Google maps showed me this traffic jam miles before and 2:) I have come to expect the Super Unreliability of SuperCruise so I wanted to see if it will recognize it, or when. It didn't! It kept going FULL SPEED AHEAD into the completely stopped cars. Finally at the last second I stomped on my breaks and guess what happened! My red SuperCruise disengaged lights went off, the seats were vibrating and the most comical of them all, my collision alert lights went off. So the car was telling me I was about to collide with another vehicle after setting me up for said collision! I couldn't believe it! I stopped just in time to avoid this collision thank God, but SuperCruise never disengaged until I hit the brakes and it almost killed me!
While driving home from work using SuperCruise, I almost died! Luckily I was paying attention that's why I'm here to give this testimony. I could have been doing this from another realm if my guardian angel wasn't watching over me. So there I was just using my SuperCruise doing 70mph. There was no traffic clear skies mid afternoon. Now I was using Google maps which is integrated into the infotainment system or so I thought. While coming up on an intersection/exit/merger Google maps showed red traffic at that merger (which is probably the reason why I'm still alive); however my car didn't slow down at all in anticipation. So approaching the congestion it was completely stopped cars due to heavy traffic. Remind you up until this section there was practically no traffic. All of a sudden, traffic! My car literally kept going at 70mph not recognizing the stopped cars ahead of me! Luckily for me 1:) Google maps showed me this traffic jam miles before and 2:) I have come to expect the Super Unreliability of SuperCruise so I wanted to see if it will recognize it, or when. It didn't! It kept going FULL SPEED AHEAD into the completely stopped cars. Finally at the last second I stomped on my breaks and guess what happened! My red SuperCruise disengaged lights went off, the seats were vibrating and the most comical of them all, my collision alert lights went off. So the car was telling me I was about to collide with another vehicle after setting me up for said collision! I couldn't believe it! I stopped just in time to avoid this collision thank God, but SuperCruise never disengaged until I hit the brakes and it almost killed me!
I believe the issue involved Super Cruise, forward collision warning, and automatic emergency braking systems. The vehicle is currently at the dealership and available for inspection. It has been there since 6/22/25 because the brakes and rotors are on backorder. While driving on the highway in the middle lane on a Sunday afternoon, I activated adaptive cruise after the vehicle had been parked for over 2 hours. After driving seven miles, the car suddenly jolted to a stop in the middle lane, as if we had been hit. We hadn’t—but cars were forced to swerve around us at highway speeds. If traffic had been heavier, this could have caused a serious crash. I exited safely to a mall parking lot, where the car began smoking from the brake area and gave multiple warnings, including “Reduce braking to avoid overheating.” The car remained parked, but the messages continued. A tow truck driver later said the brakes appeared to have caught fire because of how charred they were. I have video of the smoke and warning messages. This is a major safety concern. No. The issue has not been reproduced due to the parts being unavailable. The car has remained at the dealer since 6/22/25. Not to my knowledge. Only the dealer has had physical access to the vehicle since the incident. Just before the event, I saw a brief message on the screen, possibly “Auto Collision Not Engaged.” I had used Super Cruise previously without issue. No prior warning signs appeared before this failure.
I believe the issue involved Super Cruise, forward collision warning, and automatic emergency braking systems. The vehicle is currently at the dealership and available for inspection. It has been there since 6/22/25 because the brakes and rotors are on backorder. While driving on the highway in the middle lane on a Sunday afternoon, I activated adaptive cruise after the vehicle had been parked for over 2 hours. After driving seven miles, the car suddenly jolted to a stop in the middle lane, as if we had been hit. We hadn’t—but cars were forced to swerve around us at highway speeds. If traffic had been heavier, this could have caused a serious crash. I exited safely to a mall parking lot, where the car began smoking from the brake area and gave multiple warnings, including “Reduce braking to avoid overheating.” The car remained parked, but the messages continued. A tow truck driver later said the brakes appeared to have caught fire because of how charred they were. I have video of the smoke and warning messages. This is a major safety concern. No. The issue has not been reproduced due to the parts being unavailable. The car has remained at the dealer since 6/22/25. Not to my knowledge. Only the dealer has had physical access to the vehicle since the incident. Just before the event, I saw a brief message on the screen, possibly “Auto Collision Not Engaged.” I had used Super Cruise previously without issue. No prior warning signs appeared before this failure.
4 months at the dealer and they can't figure it out. Also the rear midddle seat bench it's a nightmare to retract or open.i won't recommend this car.
4 months at the dealer and they can't figure it out. Also the rear midddle seat bench it's a nightmare to retract or open.i won't recommend this car.
The dashboard/infotainment screen keeps alerting and going blank. I will be driving and will no longer know how fast I am going, nor if my blinkers work, or have any control of the screen. This will stay like this for seconds to hours. I have taken the vehicle in several times (Invoices from 8/26/26, 9/11/25, 10/21/25) and eventually had the F module replaced. This resulted in the system working for a time. Then on February 20th, 2026 the issue began again while driving. I tried a system reset on the dashboard, which seemed to resolve the issue for a time. The issue again began on 3/14/26 while driving. I again performed a system reset but the problem remains. I am unable to tell how fast I am going or if any of the electronics work. The onstar light is red and I do not get any response from the system controls. I have lots of videos of these issues saved to my phone and reported to Uftring Montgomery in Peoria Illinois
The dashboard/infotainment screen keeps alerting and going blank. I will be driving and will no longer know how fast I am going, nor if my blinkers work, or have any control of the screen. This will stay like this for seconds to hours. I have taken the vehicle in several times (Invoices from 8/26/26, 9/11/25, 10/21/25) and eventually had the F module replaced. This resulted in the system working for a time. Then on February 20th, 2026 the issue began again while driving. I tried a system reset on the dashboard, which seemed to resolve the issue for a time. The issue again began on 3/14/26 while driving. I again performed a system reset but the problem remains. I am unable to tell how fast I am going or if any of the electronics work. The onstar light is red and I do not get any response from the system controls. I have lots of videos of these issues saved to my phone and reported to Uftring Montgomery in Peoria Illinois
Completely lost power because battery ran out, and since Cadillac only provided a digital owner's manual, not a printed one, it could only be accessed if the vehicle had power. We were stranded in an area without cell service and could not consult a manual to determine what to do. Cadillac's own website throws an error when trying to access the digital PDF at https://www.cadillac.com/support/vehicle/manuals-guides. This is a safety issue, not merely convenience.
Completely lost power because battery ran out, and since Cadillac only provided a digital owner's manual, not a printed one, it could only be accessed if the vehicle had power. We were stranded in an area without cell service and could not consult a manual to determine what to do. Cadillac's own website throws an error when trying to access the digital PDF at https://www.cadillac.com/support/vehicle/manuals-guides. This is a safety issue, not merely convenience.
The glare from the dash to the windshield on occasion is so severe that it is impossible to see/avoid a pedestrian or other vehicle close in front of you. This is a major safety issue.
The glare from the dash to the windshield on occasion is so severe that it is impossible to see/avoid a pedestrian or other vehicle close in front of you. This is a major safety issue.
This is the second time the EV charging system has alerted for overheating and inability to charge. The dealer has now had the car for 2 weeks this second time. It was in the shop for 4 days the 1st time when the issue was not fixed. I was in the vehicle with my small child and had no air conditioning as well.
This is the second time the EV charging system has alerted for overheating and inability to charge. The dealer has now had the car for 2 weeks this second time. It was in the shop for 4 days the 1st time when the issue was not fixed. I was in the vehicle with my small child and had no air conditioning as well.
This happens every single time I use SuperCruise when driving back from work. Luckily I caught it the first time it happened so I'm alert now. While hitting a curve to the right to enter a freeway leaving from another freeway, SuperCruise abruptly disengaged going 55mph almost running me into the wall! Yes lights flashed and the seats vibrate but there were no early warning signs and if I hadn't taken control immediately I'll be in a coffin right now. Again it's an on going problem, I'm sure, or I hope somebody has reported this by now but this happens every single time on this curve no matter the time of day or weather conditions. I don't know how this is legal. It's a death trap. There are more problems, however I just found out about this website. This is just my first form.
This happens every single time I use SuperCruise when driving back from work. Luckily I caught it the first time it happened so I'm alert now. While hitting a curve to the right to enter a freeway leaving from another freeway, SuperCruise abruptly disengaged going 55mph almost running me into the wall! Yes lights flashed and the seats vibrate but there were no early warning signs and if I hadn't taken control immediately I'll be in a coffin right now. Again it's an on going problem, I'm sure, or I hope somebody has reported this by now but this happens every single time on this curve no matter the time of day or weather conditions. I don't know how this is legal. It's a death trap. There are more problems, however I just found out about this website. This is just my first form.
Ok this is getting old, I'll leave this one here then I'm done for now. I was driving to work like I always do and came up on this curve on the road. Not an intersection or an off ramp, the road just curved. So I figured SuperCruise right! Before I bought the car everybody on YouTube was raveling about how great it was so me leaving from my old school regular low income cruise control to SuperCruise was a major step. I was doing good in life! Too bad it almost ended that day. So I'm doing the speed limit, like 60 or 65mph second from the far left lane SuperCruise is on, light traffic, hit the curve, not thinking anything about it. Next thing I know the car departs my lane and goes two lanes over! Now I'm on the far right lane! No warnings, no turn signals, no seats vibrating this time. Luckily for me the car in the lane to my right slowed down to get out of the way and there wasn't a car in the lane to the right of him where I ended up. This was before I came to distrust the system so I didn't even anticipate it. Anyways I have since driven that road a couple times and this doesn't always happen. If there's heavy traffic it stays in its lane but if there's traffic it thinks the road is it's so it's hit or miss. Even the car doesn't know that's going on.
Ok this is getting old, I'll leave this one here then I'm done for now. I was driving to work like I always do and came up on this curve on the road. Not an intersection or an off ramp, the road just curved. So I figured SuperCruise right! Before I bought the car everybody on YouTube was raveling about how great it was so me leaving from my old school regular low income cruise control to SuperCruise was a major step. I was doing good in life! Too bad it almost ended that day. So I'm doing the speed limit, like 60 or 65mph second from the far left lane SuperCruise is on, light traffic, hit the curve, not thinking anything about it. Next thing I know the car departs my lane and goes two lanes over! Now I'm on the far right lane! No warnings, no turn signals, no seats vibrating this time. Luckily for me the car in the lane to my right slowed down to get out of the way and there wasn't a car in the lane to the right of him where I ended up. This was before I came to distrust the system so I didn't even anticipate it. Anyways I have since driven that road a couple times and this doesn't always happen. If there's heavy traffic it stays in its lane but if there's traffic it thinks the road is it's so it's hit or miss. Even the car doesn't know that's going on.
The shiny plastic piece behind dash screen & the back of the dash screen itself create a reflection in the windshield through the entire drivers side of the car. It seems both distracting and dangerous as with any amount of sunlight you are essentially always looking through that glare to see the road.
The shiny plastic piece behind dash screen & the back of the dash screen itself create a reflection in the windshield through the entire drivers side of the car. It seems both distracting and dangerous as with any amount of sunlight you are essentially always looking through that glare to see the road.
Light colored grill on dash behind the display reflects sunlight badly onto the windshield and impairs driving vision. Should be a mat-black color. Problem is present on all 2026 Vistiq cars.
Light colored grill on dash behind the display reflects sunlight badly onto the windshield and impairs driving vision. Should be a mat-black color. Problem is present on all 2026 Vistiq cars.
The 2 silver speaker covers (located on each corner) and griddle panel (located behind the steering wheel) on the dashboard. When driving against the sun, The reflections of the covers and panel glare against the windshield and causing the visibilty of driving. Everything should be a clear view on the windshield when driving. Please see phots on the glares on the windshield.
The 2 silver speaker covers (located on each corner) and griddle panel (located behind the steering wheel) on the dashboard. When driving against the sun, The reflections of the covers and panel glare against the windshield and causing the visibilty of driving. Everything should be a clear view on the windshield when driving. Please see phots on the glares on the windshield.
I have observed significant glare from the dashboard reflecting onto the windshield, especially during daylight driving and when sunlight hits at certain angles. The reflection obstructs the driver’s forward visibility, making it difficult to see the road clearly and creating a potential safety hazard. This issue occurs regularly in sunny conditions and has not been resolved by adjusting seating position, cleaning the windshield, or using polarized sunglasses. I believe this glare presents a visibility defect that increases the risk of an accident.
I have observed significant glare from the dashboard reflecting onto the windshield, especially during daylight driving and when sunlight hits at certain angles. The reflection obstructs the driver’s forward visibility, making it difficult to see the road clearly and creating a potential safety hazard. This issue occurs regularly in sunny conditions and has not been resolved by adjusting seating position, cleaning the windshield, or using polarized sunglasses. I believe this glare presents a visibility defect that increases the risk of an accident.
Silver dash covering immediately behind the instrument cluster is highly sun reflective affecting driving vision. The dash material should be black in color.
Silver dash covering immediately behind the instrument cluster is highly sun reflective affecting driving vision. The dash material should be black in color.
What Owners Are Saying
"Switched from Mercedes to Cadillac Picked up a Cadillac Vistiq Platinum a couple of weeks ago. I had a Mercedes EQE AMG SUV before hand. I was shopping for a Lyriq-V since after two Mercedes EQ cars I wanted something else. However the lease terms on the Lyriq-V were horrible. Then I saw the Vistiq and loved it - between the Range Rover / RR Culligan looks and the 615hp powertrain, this car is a winner. Pros of Mercedes \- Much better infotainment system - CarPlay included, larger center screen, zero layer design, a little easier to use (e.g. navigating playlists in CarPlay on a hyper screen is easy, but on a smaller screen in a google app is not so great. I also miss the hyper screen and especially how good the reverse/surround camera is on a Hyperscreen. Mercedes also offers built in rear seat entertainment while Cadillac does not in the Vistiq (have to go to Escalade IQ for that). Trying to search for music or podcasts in the Vistiq is a real pain because it limits scrolling when driving. In the Mercedes this is not an issue because CarPlay handles this much better, and it has a massive screen so you don’t even need to scroll much. \- Better engineering. 10 degree steering vs 3 degree in Cadillac. My AMG version handled better than the Cadillac (but the Cadillac did handle better than the EQS580 IMO). The AMG has more power than the Vistiq. The EQS580 is pretty close. One nice feature of the Vistiq is launch control which the Mercedes only offers on AMG models The Vistiq does have a much better power delivery than the EQS450 and 500 models. Mercedes also"
"I have a 2025 XT4 PL and OTA updates have successfully installed since I took delivery 1/25. Two days ago, I received a message that update is ready to be installed and selected install now. Immediately it said update failed, try again when the vehicle is moved to park again or contact dealer. I drove around the block and shifted to park but didn't get the updated now prompt. I went to settings and updates and the check for updates choice was greyed out and said that update failed. Today after driving home from work, I shifted into park in my driveway and still nothing. Went into settings and updates again and the update 652.20 and install now choice was there. I proceeded to update and it went through with no problems this time. So, I think instead of Parking in my garage, the car needs to be in a clear view for the update to download. Hope this helps those having the same issue. #1· Feb 3, 2026"
Showing 2 of 4 owner excerpts (sorted by sentiment strength)