There is generally nothing very good about Cadillac’s CUE system. Its touch screen infotainment system is riddled with haptic feedback, clunky design, and respectively outdated tech. And now it appears to be the cause of a class-action lawsuit that one 2014 Cadillac ATS owner is pressing against GM.
A NHTSA technical bulletin makes the problem pretty clear. The infotainment screen on certain Cadillac models from 2o13 through 2017 are prone to cracking, bubbling, and delaminating, with the suggestion being a full replacement of the center stack. The bulletin lists the following models as being ones liable for faulty CUE systems:
- 2013-2017 Cadillac ATS
- 2013-2017 Cadillac SRX
- 2013-2017 Cadillac XTS
- 2014-2017 Cadillac CTS Vin A
- 2014-2017 Cadillac ELR
- 2014-2017 Cadillac Escalade
In documents obtained by Jalopnik via PACER, the case—Gruchacz, et al., v. General Motors, LLC—was filed through the U.S. District Court for the District of New Jersey in August of 2019 and alleges that plaintiff Tonya Gruchacz’s CUE system became unresponsive within her four-year/5,000 mile warranty plan.
When she called her dealership, though, she was told that the CUE system was no longer covered by her warranty. As a result, she would have to pay $1,200 to repair the system.
Even after placing another call to the dealership in July 2017, Gruchacz was informed that she would have to pay no matter what. The lawsuit, though, includes a Technical Service Bulletin that Cadillac sent out to its dealerships in both December 2014 and August 2017 that mention a cracked, bubbled, or delaminated CUE system. Gruchacz alleges that this TSB proves Cadillac was aware of the problems with her CUE system was defective when she placed her initial call.
The point is, GM was apparently aware of the problems. It should have addressed them. Because it didn’t, Gruchacz’s car failed long before it really should have.
The court documents also cite a handful of similar experiences from other Cadillac owners that had been found on CadillacForum.com.
Essentially, Gruchacz is suing GM on behalf of all Cadillac owners who are afflicted by the faulty system. She’s asking for monetary compensation as a result of the money she and other Cadillac owners spent on repairs or on buying a whole new car.
We’ll be following the case for further information and will update as necessary.