Cadillac CTS Problems by Model Year
NHTSA recorded 2,219 consumer complaints across the 17 model years of the Cadillac CTS (2003–2019) that have at least 5 complaints. 2003 has the most, with 313. Across all years, the part named most often is transmission and drivetrain (462 mentions). Pick a model year below to see its parts, mileage, recalls and service bulletins.
All CTS model years
Years with fewer than 5 complaints are not listed. The score compares years of the same model, allowing for the era and for how long each year has collected complaints: 50 is a typical year, lower means fewer complaints. It is not adjusted for sales volume.
| Year | Complaints | Median mi | Recalls | TSBs | Score (50 = typical) | Trend |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2019 | 10 | 59,000 | 0 | 830 | — | Not enough data |
| 2018 | 8 | 9,775 | 2 | 1,089 | — | Not enough data |
| 2017 | 27 | 36,124 | 2 | 1,397 | 0 · Fewer | Rising |
| 2016 | 31 | 20,000 | 4 | 1,577 | 25 · Fewer | Falling |
| 2015 | 49 | 62,500 | 3 | 1,781 | 13 · Fewer | Falling |
| 2014 | 146 | 57,978 | 6 | 2,065 | 76 · More | Falling |
| 2013 | 73 | 26,000 | 2 | 1,657 | 58 · Typical | Stable |
| 2012 | 65 | 43,000 | 2 | 1,555 | 41 · Typical | Falling |
| 2011 | 101 | 40,500 | 2 | 1,515 | 60 · Typical | Falling |
| 2010 | 67 | 56,000 | 3 | 1,447 | 39 · Typical | Rising |
| 2009 | 167 | 65,153 | 5 | 1,248 | 100 · More | Rising |
| 2008 | 175 | 58,260 | 2 | 1,137 | 70 · More | Falling |
| 2007 | 217 | 77,000 | 6 | 879 | Not compared (before 2008) | Falling |
| 2006 | 269 | 65,999 | 6 | 713 | Not compared (before 2008) | Falling |
| 2005 | 277 | 67,581 | 6 | 598 | Not compared (before 2008) | Falling |
| 2004 | 224 | 50,000 | 6 | 457 | Not compared (before 2008) | Stable |
| 2003 | 313 | 72,300 | 4 | 389 | Not compared (before 2008) | Falling |
Parts named most often, all years
Counts add up complaint mentions across the listed years. A complaint can name several parts.
- Transmission and drivetrain462 21%
- Electrical system383 18%
- Air bags378 17%
- Brakes312 14%
- Engine236 11%
- Steering162 7.4%
- Other or unknown134 6.1%
- Suspension119 5.4%
Example complaints
One per model year, chosen for length and detail. Personal details are removed. They are consumer reports, not findings.
2007: “Timing chain has been loosened and possibly ready to break. Service bulletin #11340c was issued and GM/Cadillac never contacted me for the special coverage repair. They are now refusing to assist me. While driving vehicle there was burning rubber smell and car hesitated, failed to accelerate while driving on a busy county road in danville indiana”
NHTSA complaint #11415206, filed 2021-05, 130,000 miles2014: “Bought this car and after buying it, I heard a vibration. First I thought it was the road and then thought it was the tires. I started checking around for tires when it became very noisy so I called the dealer. He first said it was the power train fluid needed changed but later called and said it was the torque converter. This car has less tha 40,000 miles.”
NHTSA complaint #11387518, filed 2021-01, 36,700 miles2010: “I have read many forums with this exact problem. My car will get out of gear when I'm at a stop. It will act as if it was in neutral. There are no codes that tell you what is wrong and so many people have found that the issue is that the automatic transmission clutch goes bad. I only have 88k miles on my car and so many people seam to have the exact se problem as I am.”
NHTSA complaint #11343749, filed 2020-08, 88,123 milesOther Cadillac models
3,265 complaintsCadillac Deville
2,708 complaintsCadillac Escalade
1,723 complaintsCadillac Seville
793 complaintsCadillac Escalade ESV
529 complaintsCadillac DTS
527 complaintsCadillac Catera
463 complaintsCadillac STS
423 complaints
About this data. Data from NHTSA (ODI) complaints, recalls, TSBs and investigations, updated Oct 27, 2026. Complaints are unverified consumer reports and may be duplicated or inaccurate. Methodology