FaultScore

Worst years for a Cadillac CTS

Owners have filed 3,104 complaints about the Cadillac CTS with NHTSA across model years 2003 to 2019. More of them are about the transmission & drivetrain than anything else.

Avoid

2005 Cadillac CTS

396 complaints — the highest FaultScore of any year, mostly transmission & drivetrain.

Cleanest on record

2019 Cadillac CTS

16 complaints — the lowest FaultScore of the graded years.

Every Cadillac CTS year, graded

The grade compares each year against the rest of this model's own run — never against another car. Click any bar or row to open that year's report.

Complaints filed with NHTSA, by model year. Bar colour is the FaultScore grade: A B C D F ungraded
Year Grade Complaints Crashes Fires Median miles Most reported
2019 A 16 0 0 Engine & Cooling
2018 A 10 1 0 Transmission & Drivetrain
2017 B 33 1 0 35,000 Transmission & Drivetrain
2016 B 47 0 3 17,000 Electrical System
2015 B 65 4 3 42,200 Transmission & Drivetrain
2014 C 198 8 0 56,489 Transmission & Drivetrain
2013 D 106 20 0 25,000 Electrical System
2012 C 81 10 0 32,650 Electrical System
2011 D 148 14 6 37,960 Transmission & Drivetrain
2010 B 101 3 2 55,500 Electrical System
2009 D 222 18 0 61,000 Engine & Cooling
2008 D 252 15 8 65,000 Electrical System
2007 F 314 44 9 79,000 Airbags
2006 F 371 39 3 65,000 Airbags
2005 F 396 45 6 63,100 Transmission & Drivetrain
2004 F 294 33 1 53,751 Transmission & Drivetrain
2003 F 450 46 19 72,150 Engine & Cooling

What breaks on a Cadillac CTS

Across every model year on file. Follow a row for that part's complaints and the year it was worst.

Worst in 2005

Airbags 393 12.7%

Worst in 2006

Electrical System 387 12.5%

Worst in 2003

Engine & Cooling 337 10.9%

Worst in 2003

Brakes 323 10.4%

Worst in 2006

Steering 162 5.2%

Worst in 2003

Suspension 118 3.8%

Worst in 2014

Worst in 2008

Body & Structure 115 3.7%

Worst in 2003

Lights 113 3.6%

Worst in 2003

Worst in 2003

Worst in 2008

Worst in 2003

Tires 48 1.5%

Worst in 2005

Exactly what failed on a Cadillac CTS

The named sub-assemblies behind those complaints, across every model year.

Differential Unit 109 34.0%
Body 50 15.6%
Frontal 30 9.3%
Engine 23 7.2%
Sensor/Control Module 22 6.9%
Automatic Transmission 22 6.9%
Headlights 20 6.2%
Rear 17 5.3%
Driveline 15 4.7%
Seal 13 4.0%

Complaints filed over time

Every complaint about every Cadillac CTS, by the month it reached NHTSA.

May 2002 peak 76 Aug 2026

Cadillac CTS problems by state

Where owners filed from. Heavier states are usually just bigger markets, but a part that fails in heat or salt shows up here first.

Compare the Cadillac CTS

Side by side on complaint history. Remember that raw totals track how many were sold as much as how good they were.