Cadillac Forgot a Key Part in Its $18,000 Blackwing Package

Automakers routinely entice buyers to spend more on their cars by offering performance add-ons, a practice especially common with special-edition models. Even when vehicles are engineered and built with top performance in mind from the factory, manufacturers still offer extra components that require an additional investment.

In Cadillac’s case, the CT5-V Blackwing already represents the most extreme version of the sedan, powered by a 668-horsepower supercharged 6.2-liter V8. Yet, as an add-on, buyers can select the Precision Package for extra performance parts. Unfortunately, it appears Cadillac forgot to include a vital component of that package when delivering the cars to some customers.

General Motors (GM) just released a Customer Satisfaction Program bulletin (N262573420). In collaboration with the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA), this bulletin covers a strange mistake on Cadillac’s part. According to the document, certain Cadillac CT5-V Blackwing owners who purchased the Precision Package have missing rear suspension toe links. The document describes the mishap as: “Certain vehicles listed above, equipped with the Precision Package, may be missing the supplementary performance toe links that were to be delivered in the vehicle’s trunk.”

The bulletin also lists the specific parts that were supposed to be included in the package but are missing:

Quantity: 2
Part Name: Link Assembly-RR Suspension
Part No.: 85829248

Quantity: 2
Part Name: Bolt
Part No.: 11611276

Quantity: 2
Part Name: Bolt
Part No.: 11609598

Dealers are advised not to order the missing parts in stock and are told to identify the exact customers affected by this bulletin. Affected customers will be notified about getting the missing parts via a mailing advisory. The document simply lists the fix procedure as putting the missing parts in the trunk of the car. While the document does not list the exact number of affected vehicles, GM believes only a small batch is involved.

Cadillac’s Precision Package is an $18,000 performance-oriented add-on. It was primarily designed as a track-focused chassis upgrade that significantly alters how the CT5-V Blackwing performs and handles on a circuit. It features a reworked, stiffened suspension system; new steering knuckles; the missing rear suspension links; carbon-ceramic brakes; and a digital software retune that changes how the limited-slip differential reacts.