Cadillac is recalling its brand-new Lyriq electric model, over a problem with the multimedia screen.
Recalls are at an all-time high in the automotive industry, and with the explosion of multimedia technologies, we shouldn’t expect that to change for a while. If there's any good news, it's that many of these recent recalls are not safety related.
That's the case with the new Cadillac Lyriq, the first all-electric model from the General Motors (GM) luxury brand. The recall is accompanied by a stop-sales order as the automaker works to identify a fix for a problem affecting the touchscreen multimedia system. Since the vehicle is so new, only 186 units are affected.
So there's no need to panic here, but it's important to share the news if only to demonstrate the challenge that awaits any manufacturer with new vehicles equipped with new systems.
The problem came to light, so to speak, when employees at GM's Spring Hill, Tennessee plant noticed that the touchscreen on one model was turned off. The automaker says the system occasionally launches software updates while the vehicle is parked, and if someone interrupts the process by opening a door, the screen can go dark.
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Most likely, a simple update will fix the problem. The sales stop order comes because a carmaker can't deliver a vehicle with a screen that doesn't work. That would prevent access to critical functions like the image shown by the rearview camera.
GM opened an investigation on August 19 and expanded it to include field data that found 16 similar incidents with other models. The latest incident was reported on September 14, and Cadillac made the decision to recall the affected Lyriqs the next day. GM will identify Lyriq models with the problem and hold the vehicles at the factory until a solution is found.
The problem could be circumvented by turning the SUV off and on, but that would not permanently fix the situation. A long-term fix will be found and delivered in the form of a software update that will go out over the air after November 7, when Cadillac is scheduled to begin notifying customers.