- Cadillac is recalling 29,347 Optiq EVs to fix a problem with their front windows.
- Windows might not spot a foreign object in the final 0.5 inch of travel and reverse.
- It’s only a problem when using the key fob button, is remedied with new software.
Power windows have been around since the 1940s and are now standard on pretty much every new car, Slate Truck excepted. But this week GM was forced to recall nearly 30,000 Cadillacs because they’re replicating some dangerous habits of those early convenience features.
Though the first power windows used hydraulic power, by the 1950s automakers has switched to the electric lifts we now take for granted. But there’s one big difference between modern and classic power windows.
Related: GM Halts Vistiq Shipments Over 3rd-Row Seats That Can Trap A Child
It’s called anti-pinch, and is software designed to detect when there’s an obstruction in the window’s path. When the glass encounters extra resistance, the motor’s load increases, spiking the current and telling it to reverse direction.
Anti-pinch has been legal required on US cars for over 20 years, and it’s saved countless fingers, necks and who knows what else from being crushed in the years since. But on certain 2025-27 Cadillac Optiqs, anti-pinch might not turn up to save the day.
The problem relates specially to use of the express-up function on the electric SUV’s key fob. Press the fob button to roll up the windows and there’s a chance the glass might not stop and reverse if it comes across a hazard in the final 0.5 inches (13 mm) of window travel. This is obviously a worry for drivers with young children, but it’s also illegal, because it contravenes Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standard 118.
GM Says Supplier At Fault
In the NHTSA recall notes GM places the blame squarely on supplier Kwangjin America, who its says set the upper travel range of the anti-pinch software incorrectly. The good news for squeamish readers is that the automaker has no reports of fingers being mangled due to the goof, at least not yet.
Quick Fix, No Wrenches Required
And the remedy is a simple one that doesn’t involve tearing the door down to replace hardware. A simple software update to the Optiq’s Body Control Module on 29,347 cars at a GM dealership should ensure your kids’ mini sausages are safe for years to come. And owners who have signed up for OTA (over-the-air updates) don’t even need to visit a service center.
This week’s recall isn’t the only example of Cadillac caring for Optiq owners’ fingers. GM’s poshest brand is rolling out new infotainment software for the Optiq, Lyriq, Vistiq and CT5-V that gives the screens bigger virtual buttons. The move is a response to customer feedback reporting that the existing touch targets were too easy for fingers to miss, especially on the move.
