2013 Cadillac XTS Problems

What owners report

Owners of the 2013 Cadillac XTS most often describe a touch screen (CUE) that cracks, stops responding or goes black, and a rear air suspension that suddenly drops the back of the car while driving. Electrical complaints are the largest group, including sudden shutdowns, battery drain and warning lights. Many reports come in between roughly 50,000 and 80,000 miles, with some electrical and suspension reports appearing well beyond that.

1. 1
   Electrical system

   Electrical shutdowns, dead battery and warning lights

   • 47 complaints (46%)
   • median 57,000 mi at 5.1 yrs old (39 state mileage)
   • 1 mention a crash, fire or injury
   • owner-quoted repair $600 (median of 5 quotes)
   • filed 2014–2026

   Owners report the car losing all electrical power, sometimes while driving, with the engine shutting off, the dash going dark and power steering and brakes dropping out until the car is restarted. Others describe repeated dead batteries, intermittent warning lights for stability control and traction, and battery cable or module replacements that did not resolve the problem. Several say the dealer could not find stored codes. Reported from very low mileage up to roughly 130,000 miles, with many between 40,000 and 75,000 miles.

   5 related service bulletins

   What to check: Ask whether the battery and battery cables have been replaced, check for any stored or recurring dash warnings on a test drive, and have the charging system and connections inspected before purchase.

   2 excerpts from owner complaints in NHTSA records

   “The vehicle will suddenly shut down. This happened while driving in traffic. The whole car just stopped. With no control, I was able to pull off the side of highway. The flashers was the only thing working. From time to time it would appear that the battery was dead but it was a new battery. My fear is that the the will do this on the interstate. Also, the glove compartment does not work.”

   NHTSA complaint #11254250, filed 2019-09, 38,000 miles

   “Battery issues. Took vehicle to dealer and they stated vehicle needed new battery since I dont drive it long distance. Battery replaced at no charge. 6 months later same issue. Car wont start battery dead. Took vehicle back to dealer who stated that since I only drive it about 10 miles a day the vehicle drains the battery because of all the electrical components. This is a issue I believe Cadillac is awate of and nneds to fix. …”

   NHTSA complaint #11112967, filed 2018-07, 63,000 miles
2. 2
   Suspension

   Rear air suspension drops or loses level

   • 22 complaints (21%)
   • median 66,350 mi at 6.5 yrs old (18 state mileage)
   • filed 2015–2026

   Complaints describe the rear of the car suddenly dropping, sometimes at highway speed, with a leveling or service-leveling message on the dash. Owners say the air compressor runs and re-raises the car after a restart, or that the ride turns harsh and bouncy when it does not. Dealers are described as replacing the compressor, air lines or a relay, with the problem often returning. Mostly reported between about 20,000 and 106,000 miles, often while driving or shortly after start-up.

   What to check: Look at rear ride height with the car running, listen for the air compressor cycling, and ask for service records on the compressor and air lines.

   2 excerpts from owner complaints in NHTSA records

   “While I was driving rear dropped to ground I almost had accident on busy hwy stoped the car on curb side to look rear was almost on ground wait for 10 minutes start the car it went up but now it happens all the time and dealer doesn't know the cause I sow more than 100 complaine on the same model and year car I am hoping to NHTSA will do something to make GM fixed the problem. It happened last december and still happening”

   NHTSA complaint #11193684, filed 2019-04, 62,000 miles

   “The suspension of the vehicle gives out and a corner of the car will slam to the ground while driving. It can be dangerous when driving on the freeway. Year over year we have had the service leveling system error come up for our vehicle. It is not only expensive but dangerous to drive not knowing when the suspension will give out. Dealerships have made multiple repairs and updates to no avail. Nothing seems to fix the problem.”

   NHTSA complaint #11396005, filed 2021-02, 35,000 miles
3. 3
   Electrical system

   Touch screen (CUE) cracks or goes black

   • 12 complaints (12%)
   • median 74,358 mi at 6.8 yrs old (7 state mileage, few)
   • filed 2017–2024

   Owners describe the center touch screen developing cracks, then becoming unresponsive to touch or going blank, sometimes taking radio, climate, navigation and calls with it. Complaints report the screen being replaced, in some cases more than once, with the same fault returning and repairs quoted around several hundred to over a thousand dollars. Several mention steering-wheel controls or turn signals failing at the same time. Reported from roughly 19,000 to 92,000 miles, typically several years into ownership.

   What to check: Test every area of the screen - touch, radio, climate, navigation - in warm and cold conditions, and ask whether the display unit has already been replaced and whether that work is documented.

   2 excerpts from owner complaints in NHTSA records

   “Code; 6001 cpa cue screen does not respond to touch. I took a look on social media, and this turns out to be a very common occurance with the Cadillac! I feel general motors knew about this malfunction and a recall needs to occur asap. Also the customers that paid to have issue fixed,should be reimbursed as soon as possible! Issue happened while vehicle was moving”

   NHTSA complaint #11052798, filed 2017-12, 22,000 miles

   “The cue screen has gone black for the second time within a year. I initially thought it was a defect with the screen itself the first time around. I took it to prestige Cadillac and had it replaced. Everything worked fine until about 2 weeks ago when it went out again. Not only did the screen go out again, but all the steering wheel controls and my turn signals. I took it to prestige again and they told me it was the radio receiver which costs $800+ to replace. …”

   NHTSA complaint #11299295, filed 2020-01, 92,000 miles
4. 4
   Brakes

   Brake noise and weak brake assist

   • 7 complaints (7%)
   • median 68,000 mi at 5.9 yrs old (7 state mileage, few)
   • filed 2014–2026

   Complaints describe squealing or groaning brakes on first movement, especially in reverse, and in some cases a brake pedal that goes to the floor with reduced stopping power. Owners report brake booster diagnosis and replacement, and some reference the brake-related recall work on this model year. Several also mention brake lights not illuminating when the pedal is pressed. Reported from around 7,000 miles to about 118,000 miles, with brake light reports at low mileage.

   Recall 14V116000Recall 13V220000Recall 14V541000

   What to check: Ask whether the brake booster pump recall work was done, have the brake pedal feel checked for a firm pedal, and confirm the brake lights work when the pedal is pressed.

   2 excerpts from owner complaints in NHTSA records

   “Brakes squeal when vehicle placed in reverse on inital movement after setting all night (interstate battery) battery drained totally dead after 1 year of service on new battery. Car was driven to store, parked, after shopping the car was dead would not crank. Nothing was left on to drain-----mechanic said it was inherant on some vehicles.”

   NHTSA complaint #11142298, filed 2018-10, 63,000 miles

   “In the last two years the car randomly has a complete power failure and loss of power and electrical while driving. Without warning the engine shuts down and all lights, dash panel, power steering, power brakes, etc completely shut down requiring the car to coast to a stop and put into park at which time the car will restart. This has happened approximately 10 times in the last two years. …”

   NHTSA complaint #11122476, filed 2018-08, 130,000 miles
5. 5
   Wheels

   Wheel vibration, bent rims and tire issues

   • 8 complaints (8%)
   • median 32,338 mi at 3.2 yrs old (8 state mileage, few)
   • filed 2014–2019

   Owners describe shimmy and vibration through the steering wheel and front end at speed, with dealers reporting bent or out-of-round rims and, in some cases, sidewall or tread separation on the tires fitted to the car. Complaints mention rim replacement quoted in the thousands of dollars and repeat cases after replacement. Reported between about 15,000 and 43,000 miles.

   2 related service bulletins

   What to check: Drive at highway speed to check for vibration or shimmy, inspect each rim for bends or peeling, and check tire sidewalls for cracks or separation.

   2 excerpts from owner complaints in NHTSA records

   “Took my car in for an alignment and new tires (tires were smooth on the outside after 24k miles), and was told the service could not be performed as all 4 rims were severly out of round. My option was to replace all four rims, about $2300, or have an after market company come to the dealership and repair on site for $600.”

   NHTSA complaint #10788936, filed 2015-11, 24,000 miles

   “My wife and I purchased a new 2013 Cadillac XTS a year ago and have had issues with the vogue tires and rims that came with the car. The tires are vogue m&s 245/40r20 99vxl and we believe they are a major safety problem. A few months ago the front tires had a major vibration issue so I took the car in for service and had it checked out. The dealer stated that I had a bad tire and that I would need to buy another one which I paid $100.00 for. The rims started to peel and the dealer stated that the rims are not under a warranty. …”

   NHTSA complaint #10667826, filed 2014-12, 14,963 miles

Buying note. Have a pre-purchase inspection focus on the touch screen, rear air suspension and charging system, and ask for records of any screen, compressor or battery-cable repairs. Confirm open recalls have been completed, and treat vibration at speed as a reason to inspect rims and tires closely.

Summary written with AI from a sample of 60 NHTSA complaints for this model year (picked at random, with complaints that state a mileage and recent ones taken first), then checked automatically against the source records. Where a problem shows a complaint count, every complaint for this model year was matched with fixed keyword rules (written with AI and tested against the sample), and the mileage, age and repair figures are calculated from those complaints; owners' figures are as stated, not verified. Other counts refer to the sample. The excerpts come from NHTSA's public complaint records and are unverified; capitalisation is normalised, NHTSA staff notes are removed, and shortened text ends with “…”. Something wrong? Request a correction.