The Cadillac Optiq is GM’s battery-electric crossover, and many owners use the key fob’s express-up feature to seal the cabin after loading groceries or buckling a child into the front seat. Federal safety regulators now say that convenience path can skip a critical step on certain 2025–2027 Optiqs: reversing when something blocks the glass during the last moments of travel.
What changed in the recall notice
General Motors filed campaign 26V612000 with the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) covering 29,347 Cadillac Optiq vehicles. The defect is tied to body control module (BCM) software, not a broken switch or motor. When the front windows are commanded closed with the key fob’s express-up function, they may fail to detect an obstruction and reverse direction. NHTSA classifies that as noncompliance with Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standard (FMVSS) No. 118, which governs power-operated window systems on U.S.-market vehicles.
Recall documents describe the risk in plain terms: a window that keeps rising can pinch a passenger before it retracts. GM’s campaign number for owner inquiries is N262567230. VINs tied to the recall became searchable on NHTSA.gov on September 24, 2026; Cadillac customer service can be reached at 1-800-458-8006.
Where in the stroke the software misbehaves
FMVSS 118 requires automatic reversal when a power window meets resistance during express closing. On affected Optiqs, the filing cites a gap in the final segment of upward travel—roughly the last 13 mm (about half an inch) at the top of the glass—when express-up is triggered from the key fob. Manual switches and other closing paths are not the focus of this campaign, but the remote express-up habit is common enough that NHTSA treated it as a fleet-wide compliance issue rather than an isolated complaint.
Build dates and model years to match against your VIN
The recall spans three model years with different production windows:
- 2025 Optiq: built July 24, 2024 through March 12, 2026 (12,558 units in the filing)
- 2026 Optiq: built June 5, 2025 through May 29, 2026 (10,201 units)
- 2027 Optiq: built March 3, 2026 through September 22, 2026 (6,588 units)
Model year alone does not prove inclusion; the 17-character VIN is the authoritative filter. Enter it in NHTSA’s recall lookup or use CarDiary’s VIN check before you accept delivery of a used Optiq or assume a dealer lot vehicle is already repaired.
Driving and parking habits until the BCM update
Owner notification letters are expected around November 9, 2026, which leaves a window where some vehicles still carry the old software. Until you confirm the remedy on your VIN, treat express-up from the key fob as off limits for the front windows.
- Close glass from the door switches when passengers, pets, or bags are near the opening.
- Keep hands and arms clear of the top edge until the window is fully seated; do not rely on auto-reverse during remote closing.
- Supervise children in the front seats or during curbside loading—the pinch risk is highest when someone assumes the federal reversal logic is active.
- If a window feels sluggish or stops mid-travel even on manual control, document the behavior and contact Cadillac rather than forcing express-up remotely.
How GM plans to fix it
The remedy is a BCM software update at no charge. Cadillac dealers can flash the module in service, and many Optiqs also support over-the-air (OTA) delivery when the vehicle is parked and connected. OTA can be faster than waiting for a bay appointment, but a dealer visit still makes sense if you want a printed repair order for insurance or fleet records. After the update, re-test express-up with a soft object in the window path in a controlled setting—not a finger—to verify reversal behavior.
When you book the BCM flash, noting the appointment and completion date in CarDiary keeps this recall repair alongside your other service history instead of scattered across email and paper mail.
If you are shopping or selling an Optiq this fall
Buyers should ask for proof the 26V612 campaign is closed before funds change hands; an open recall is a negotiable item and a safety disclosure. Sellers advertising “all recalls done” should run their own VIN first, because OTA fixes may not leave a obvious sticker on the windshield. Fleet managers assigning Optiqs to field staff should disable remote express-up in written policy until each VIN shows repaired status in NHTSA’s database.
This article summarizes publicly filed NHTSA documents; always confirm status for your specific vehicle on NHTSA.gov before changing how you operate the windows.
