Approximately 60 percent of the Cadillac Lyriq’s dash is occupied by screen, by my unscientific estimation. Should the 33-inch display go dark, then, it’s a rather significant problem. General Motors has acknowledged such an issue with the luxury brand’s electric SUV this week.
It’s a software glitch, that can be triggered by opening a door during the car’s boot-up or shut down animation while it is parked, according to GM Authority. That could result in a blank screen, which can only be rectified by power cycling the vehicle. The Lyriq’s extra-wide dash display contains both instrument panel and infotainment functions, so it’s kind of a big deal when it goes out.
Seeing as how GM hasn’t delivered very many Lyriqs yet, this recall is a small one, covering just 186 cars. A stop sale has also been temporarily placed on the model, presumably as GM works to install a software fix on its stock of unsold SUVs.
According to National Highway Traffic Safety Administration data, 16 owners have lodged complaints about this bug. Unfortunately, it’s not one that can be tended to over the air. Lyriq owners will have to bring their vehicles in for service so technicians can install the patch. Notices are due to go out to the relevant parties on November 7.
My Ford Fiesta’s Sync system has an issue where occasionally media simply won’t play for no obvious reason, and turning the car off and on doesn’t always set things right. It’s annoying, but at least I don’t have to rely on that center screen as a backup camera; nor to check how fast I’m going, nor my estimated range. You would’ve hoped that with every automaker becoming increasingly dependent on software and displays, they’d take more care to ensure everything’s reliable. Strangely, the opposite has happened. Cars have become a lot like video games in that way.