According to the NHTSA, all Cadillac Vistiq EVs produced so far feature a dangerous defect linked to the folding logic of the rear (third) row seats.
Cadillac admits it has received six reports on the problem so far. Owners of the electric SUV only need to press a single button for the rear seats so start folding down, and the mechanism is programmed to stop as soon as an obstacle is detected.
This sounds just fine, but field tests have shown that the car doesn’t actually restore the upright position of the seat back once it fails to fold down. Instead, the seat freezes in mid-folding position, which may cause injury to anyone trapped inside, like a small child.
All 14,540 examples of the Vistiq shipped so far are now being recalled. Reportedly, the issue isn’t as trivial as to be fixable by a simple software update. Owners will have to visit their nearest service center. Adding frustration to the whole ordeal is the fact that Cadillac doesn’t currently have enough replacement parts in stock, so the recall campaign may take a while to finish.
In the meantime, all Cadillac Vistiq production has been paused in the United States.