If you own a new Cadillac Optiq and find yourself fighting to open the charge port door, you aren’t alone. It turns out GM has inadvertently designed the ultimate automotive trap: placing a prominent, button-like logo right in the middle of the panel that actually does absolutely nothing. The confusion has gotten so widespread that Cadillac had to issue a rather hilarious formal Technical Service Bulletin to politely tell owners to stop pushing it.
The Problem: Pushing the Wrong Spot
According to Preliminary Information bulletin PIC6620A, which applies to the 2025 and 2026 model year Optiq, Cadillac dealerships have been receiving complaints from customers stating that their charge port door is difficult to open or completely stuck.
The stated cause in the official GM document is wonderfully blunt: “Customer pressing in the wrong location.”
The charge port door on the Optiq features a stylish monochromatic Cadillac crest right in the center. Naturally, humans are conditioned to press the most prominent feature on a flat panel. However, that crest is purely decorative. Pressing it does absolutely nothing, leading frustrated owners to believe their brand-new EV has a broken charging door.
The Official Fix
So, how are you actually supposed to open it? The bulletin instructs dealership technicians to educate customers on the proper technique. To open the charge port door, owners need to press the upper right-hand corner of the door assembly, entirely avoiding the shiny Cadillac shield.
It is a minor quirk, but it perfectly highlights the growing pains of transitioning to modern, flush-fitting EV designs where traditional door handles and latches are increasingly hidden away. Sometimes a button is just a logo, and sometimes you just need to press a random corner of the panel to get to your charger.
Join the Discussion
Have you ever been fooled by a car’s design features, or are you an EV owner who fell for the fake button? Head over to the GM-Trucks.com forums and sound off in our dedicated EV enthusiast forum!
Zane Merva is the Executive Editor of GM-Trucks.com and the President of the New England Motor Press Association (NEMPA). A veteran automotive journalist with over 26 years of experience, Zane is a designated ‘Car Talk’ Expert and has been a contributor to The Boston Globe. He possesses a unique evaluative perspective, having road-tested more than 2,000 vehicles across every major manufacturer. While he is a recognized authority on General Motors truck platforms—including the Silverado, Sierra, and Colorado—his expertise is grounded in decades of deep competitive analysis that few in the industry can match. His commentary has been featured by major OEMs and media outlets, including Hyundai and PR Newswire