Lawsuit Filed Over Cadillac CUE Screens Cracking, Not Working

General Motors has been hit with a class action lawsuit alleging that the CUE navigation/radio touch screen displays in the following vehicles are defective:

The suit claims that drivers have been reporting for years that their screens were bubbling, cracking, and separating and are owed money back from GM.

What’s the Problem Exactly?

According to the lawsuit, the touch screen begins to fail when the system’s glass and adhesive film become separated. This, in turn, can cause a gap between the sensing electrodes, which “critically changes” the systems’ electrical relationships and renders the touch screen unresponsive.

It’s believed the cause of the delamination is poor manufacturing of the sensing panel or flawed installation.

Was There Ever a Recall?

No; however, several service bulletins were sent to dealerships about the touch screen issue – meaning GM knew about the problem, but kept it from consumers, the suit says.

The first bulletin was sent out in December 2014 and informed dealers that reports were surfacing of CUE screens cracking, bubbling and delaminating. GM allegedly told dealers to replace the whole CUE system and continued to sell the cars without telling potential buyers that the screens could crack and become unresponsive. Another service bulletin was issued in August 2017.

Problems Include “Spider Webbing,” Unresponsive Screens, Drivers Say

A number of drivers have complained online about the cracking and delamination of the screens, as well as GM’s alleged refusal to address it. Some of these complaints can be read below [sic throughout]:

I have a 2013 Cadillac ATS. A couple of years after I first bought the car I started to see something on the screen that I thought was a crack. A year after that it spread like crazy overnight and I came out to what looked like a shattered screen. I had talked with the dealership and they ordered a new one and after it came in they replaced it under warranty. That was around 2 years ago, and starting a couple months ago the same thing happened again. Now it is covering almost half my screen. I had stopped into the dealership and when I talked to the man there he asked if I purchased an extended warranty, I said no I hadn't, but the car did have the same issue while it was under warranty and I thought it should be covered…I was told that I should have purchased the extended warranty, without that he can't do anything.”
— drew_351, CadillacForum.com

Just bought my SRX in January with about 56k miles. Been a Cadillac lover my whole life. Owned a '79 Coupe when I was 18. Love my car, but disappointed when screen cracked on a warm day in April. Seems like an obvious defect. Would sure be nice if GM replaced, or, at least, offered help. Touchscreen appears to be about $500 without labor. My car is used, but in great shape. Upsetting.”
— erik3850, CadillacForum.com

Ive had the same issue my cue screen cracked last week of April 2017 I was under my 50k miles but 21 days over the 4 year warranty !!! I have been going back and forth with Cadillac care regarding this DEFECT that cue screens have and still no luck!!!!! Im waiting to hear from a supervisor or Manager because I dont feel I should pay over a thousand dollars to fix something that is a DEFECT on their end....”
— Psilva0912, CadillacForum.com

When it initially cracked we were less than 2,000 miles over our warranty, but the dealership did not want to help us out in any way. We researched and found this is such a common problem that we are surprised it is not a warranty recall. The Cadillac Dealership is willing to repair it, but it is $1,500 for the CUE system because they can't replace just the screen. This does not include the several hours of installation charges on top of that. We are just disappointed that in a brand as quality as Cadillac that they would have such a common problem amongst their product lines with almost absolutely no fair resolution for their loyal client base. At this point we don't know what to do other than swallow a near $2,000 repair cost after installation and sales tax and move on.”
— jcluff154, CadillacForum.com

I had the exact problem [dead spot]. The bottom center was not responsive to anything. You have to bring it to the dealer and they need to change out your screen. That's the only solution. I'm on my third screen. The second on developed spider web cracks in both bottom corners.”
— khs604, CadillacForums.com

Failure of the touch screen can also be a safety issue as the CUE system is designed to provide information regarding navigation and surrounding areas of the vehicle, which is transmitted by the numerous cameras placed on the outside of the car.

How Could a Class Action Lawsuit Help?

A class action lawsuit could help drivers get back the money they spent fixing the cars. A successful case could also force GM to address and rectify the problem.

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