GM adds head-up display to its reset steps for frozen Cadillac screens

A frozen or black center screen is one of the more common complaints on modern Cadillacs, and General Motors has expanded its dealer guidance to cover the head-up display too. The 11th version of preliminary bulletin PIC6540K, filed with the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration on October 5, 2026, adds the head-up display to the list of screens that can go black or stop responding, and sets out three reset methods that GM says can clear the fault.

Which Cadillacs it covers

The bulletin applies across GM's brands to 2023-2027 vehicles with certain infotainment systems, identified by radio option codes such as IOK, IVD and IVE. In NHTSA's records, the Cadillac models listed are:

• Celestiq, 2024-2026
• CT4, CT5, XT4, XT5 and XT6, 2023-2026
• Escalade and Escalade ESV, 2023-2026
• Escalade IQ, 2025-2027, and Escalade IQL, 2026-2027
• Lyriq, 2023-2027
• Optiq, 2025-2027, and Vistiq, 2026-2027

GM traces the black or frozen screen to software glitches that a restart can clear. The bulletin does not apply to problems with navigation alone, which follow normal diagnosis.

The three reset methods

GM gives technicians a sequence, starting with the least work:

1. Steering wheel reset. On vehicles with the IOK, IVD or IVE radio only, put the vehicle in Park, then press and hold the End Call button on the steering wheel for about 15 to 30 seconds, until the center screen goes black. Release it. After roughly 5 to 15 seconds, the welcome screen appears and the system restarts.
2. Fuse reset. The technician removes the radio fuses for three minutes and reinstalls them, then does the same with the display fuses if needed.
3. Battery reset. The negative battery cable is disconnected and reconnected.

Whichever step brings the screen back, the technician then checks whether a software update is available for the radio. If none of the resets work, the dealer looks for loose connections or wiring faults and then follows standard diagnosis. GM also tells dealers to show owners the steering wheel reset, particularly when that was all it took. The visit is billed to the bumper-to-bumper warranty at half an hour of labor.

How the bulletin has grown

GM first wrote the document in March 2024. It added the 2025 model year in September 2024, the 2026 model year in December 2025 and the 2027 model year in May 2026. The September 28, 2026 revision is the first to name the head-up display, the image projected onto the windshield in front of the driver. Each new model year has joined the list, which suggests the freezes are a recurring software issue rather than a one-time defect.

Owner brief

What it means for owners

• Try the button first. If the center screen freezes, stop somewhere safe, shift into Park and hold the End Call button for up to 30 seconds. GM tells dealers to make sure owners know this reset.
• If nothing happens, your vehicle may have a radio that does not support the steering wheel reset. The fuse and battery steps are written for technicians, so book a dealer visit rather than pulling fuses yourself.
• Drive with care in the meantime. A black center screen may also mean no rear camera image. Use your mirrors and look over your shoulder when reversing until the screen is back.
• Ask about software. After any reset, ask the dealer to check for a radio software update, and accept over-the-air updates when the vehicle offers them.
• Navigation-only faults are different. If the map is wrong but the screen works, mention that it is a navigation problem, since this bulletin does not apply.
• Cost: the reset is covered within Cadillac's four-year, 50,000-mile bumper-to-bumper warranty. Owners of 2023 models may be past that coverage, so ask the dealer to quote before any work beyond a reset.

Dashbird tip

If the screen freezes more than once, log each episode with its date and mileage in the service history in Dashbird, so you can show the dealer a clear pattern rather than a single complaint.