Buyers who chose the 2024 Cadillac Lyriq or the 2024 Honda Prologue as their first electric vehicle faced a rough debut year. Both models earned below-average reliability ratings in the Consumer Reports annual owner survey, joining a growing list of new EVs that have stumbled on software and electronics problems during their initial production runs. Federal safety regulators have also logged recall campaigns for each vehicle, including a Honda software recall covering 65,000 Prologue and Acura ZDX units over blank instrument cluster and rearview camera displays.
Why first-year reliability scores hit Lyriq and Prologue owners hard
The practical fallout is straightforward: owners of these two models reported more problems than the industry average, and some of those problems involved safety-critical displays going dark while driving. Consumer Reports found that many electric models show higher problem rates than comparable gasoline vehicles, with GM’s Ultium-based designs singled out for elevated fault counts. The Lyriq rides on that same Ultium architecture, which GM has positioned as the backbone of its electric lineup. The Prologue, meanwhile, shares its platform with the Acura ZDX and is built by GM under a manufacturing agreement with Honda, meaning both vehicles draw on overlapping supply chains for battery packs, power electronics, and software integration.
One hypothesis worth examining is whether the first-year software and electronics faults in both vehicles trace to shared supplier delays on high-voltage modules rather than design decisions unique to each platform. The available evidence is suggestive but incomplete. Both vehicles experienced software-related recalls in their debut year, and both rely on GM-sourced electric drivetrains. Yet neither GM nor Honda has published a root-cause analysis linking specific supplier bottlenecks to the defects that triggered recalls or drove down survey scores. Without that documentation, the connection between shared suppliers and shared problems stays plausible but unproven.
What is clear is the cost to consumers. Owners dealing with blank screens, software glitches, or other electronic faults face dealer visits, potential loaner-car waits, and the uncertainty of whether an over-the-air update or a physical repair will be needed. For vehicles priced well above $50,000 in most trims, that experience erodes trust in the brand and in EVs more broadly. For first-time EV buyers, repeated service visits can reinforce the perception that battery-electric cars are less mature than gasoline or hybrid options, even when the underlying powertrain is sound and the issues stem mainly from software integration.
Federal recall records and CR survey data behind the scores
The federal paper trail backs up the survey findings. NHTSA maintains an official recall listing for the Lyriq, showing campaign numbers and linking to each manufacturer’s Part 573 Safety Recall Report. A parallel index exists for the Prologue, with NHTSA’s model-specific recall page documenting its own set of campaigns filed with the agency. Each entry connects to the original defect filings submitted by the automaker, creating a public record of what went wrong and when.
The Honda recall that drew the most attention covered 65,000 Prologue and Acura ZDX units. The defect involved software that could cause the instrument cluster and rearview camera displays to go blank, leaving drivers without speed readings or rear visibility. Honda filed the recall with NHTSA, and the fix involved a software update applied either at dealerships or via updated programming. The scope of the campaign, spanning two model lines built on the same platform, suggests the fault sat in shared code or shared electronic control modules rather than in a component unique to one badge.
Consumer Reports compiled its reliability ratings from an annual owner survey covering a wide range of model years and powertrains. The 2024 Lyriq and 2024 Prologue both landed below average, reflecting higher-than-typical counts of reported defects per vehicle. The same survey found that hybrids are currently the most reliable cars on the road, a contrast that puts pure battery-electric newcomers in a difficult light. CR’s data showed that GM Ultium-based models in particular carried higher problem rates, a pattern that extends beyond the Lyriq to other GM electric vehicles built on the same underlying platform.
The combination of federal recall filings and independent survey data creates a two-source confirmation: these vehicles had measurably more trouble than the typical new car. That alignment matters because each dataset captures a different slice of ownership experience. NHTSA recalls reflect safety defects serious enough to require manufacturer action and formal notification, while CR’s survey picks up the full range of owner-reported problems, from minor annoyances like infotainment freezes to major failures that can disable a vehicle.
Gaps in the evidence and what Lyriq and Prologue buyers should watch
Several questions remain open. NHTSA’s recall index pages for both models list campaign IDs and basic summaries but do not always include the full chronology text or detailed defect descriptions in a format that is easy for consumers to scan. The Lyriq recall index has the same limitation as the Prologue’s: owners who want to understand exactly what failed, and why, often need to open individual PDF filings and read through technical language rather than finding a plain-language narrative on the main page. That makes it harder for shoppers to quickly judge how serious a given recall might be.
Consumer Reports has not published the raw microdata or response counts behind its below-average ratings for these two models. The methodology is survey-based and proprietary, and while the organization explains its general approach, outside analysts cannot independently verify how many Lyriq or Prologue owners responded, how problems were categorized, or how weighting was applied across model years and trims. As a result, the public sees the headline score and high-level problem areas but not the granular breakdown that might distinguish, for example, early-build software bugs from later production fixes.
For current and prospective owners, the practical takeaway is to focus on patterns rather than isolated anecdotes. Multiple software-related recalls in the first model year, combined with a below-average reliability score, point to teething issues that may take several years of production and over-the-air updates to fully resolve. Buyers considering a Lyriq or Prologue should ask dealers to confirm that all open recalls and service campaigns have been completed, and they should plan for at least one or two software updates during the first years of ownership.
It is also worth watching how each automaker responds. Transparent communication about known issues, clear timelines for fixes, and robust loaner-car policies can blunt the impact of early reliability problems. Conversely, vague service bulletins or long waits for parts can turn manageable glitches into lasting reputational damage. As more data accumulates from later model years, owners and shoppers will get a clearer picture of whether these first-year stumbles were temporary growing pains or signs of deeper challenges in the shared hardware and software stack that underpins both vehicles.
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*This article was researched with the help of AI, with human editors creating the final content.
