Cadillac CTS Years to Avoid, Problems & Recalls

Which Cadillac CTS years should you avoid?

Going by 2,219 owner complaints filed with NHTSA, the Cadillac CTS years to avoid are 2003.

2003313 complaints, 2.1× a typical CTS year, most often about the engine.

Better bets: among years old enough for a low count to mean something, the 2017, 2016 and 2012 drew the fewest complaints without an unusual share of serious ones.

How this is worked out: each year is compared with a typical year of the same model, which takes most of the difference in sales out of it, and its share of serious failures is compared with every other car of the same model year, because older cars were complained about differently. A year needs 25 complaints to be judged at all. Complaints are unverified owner reports. Full method →

Year	Complaints	Recalls	Fires	Crashes	Most reported	Status
2019	10	0	—	—	Unknown or Other	Routine
2018	8	2	—	1	Electrical System	Routine
2017	27	2	—	1	Steering	Routine
2016	31	4	1	—	Electrical System	Routine
2015	49	3	2	2	Power Train	Routine
2014	146	6	—	4	Power Train	Routine
2013	73	2	—	10	Electrical System	Routine
2012	65	2	—	6	Exterior Lighting	Routine
2011	101	2	3	11	Air Bags	Routine
2010	67	3	1	2	Air Bags	Routine
2009	167	5	—	10	Engine	Fatalities reported
2008	175	2	3	12	Electrical System	Routine
2007	217	6	6	26	Air Bags	Above average
2006	269	6	2	23	Air Bags	Fatalities reported
2005	277	6	4	25	Air Bags	Fatalities reported
2004	224	6	1	25	Electrical System	Above average
2003Avoid	313	4	12	29	Electrical System	Above average

Year

Complaints

Relative volume

Recalls

Fires

Crashes

Most reported

Status

2019

—

Unknown or Other

Routine