FaultScore

Cadillac CTS body problems

115 of the 3,104 complaints filed about the Cadillac CTS are about the body and structure — 4% of everything owners reported. The worst model year for it is 2003.

115

Complaints

4%

Share of all complaints

7

Crashes

4

Fires

Body & Structure complaints by model year

2003 CTS 22 19.1%

Median failure at 70,000 miles

2004 CTS 18 15.7%

Median failure at 51,750 miles

2005 CTS 7 6.1%

Median failure at 51,000 miles

2006 CTS 4 3.5%

Median failure at 23,400 miles

2007 CTS 8 7.0%

Median failure at 49,600 miles

2008 CTS 15 13.0%

Median failure at 58,350 miles

2009 CTS 9 7.8%

Median failure at 30,333 miles

2010 CTS 8 7.0%

Median failure at 63,000 miles

2011 CTS 9 7.8%

Median failure at 56,000 miles

2012 CTS 5 4.3%

Median failure at 11,000 miles

2013 CTS 2 1.7%
2014 CTS 4 3.5%

Median failure at 45,750 miles

2015 CTS 1 0.9%
2016 CTS 3 2.6%

Median failure at 7,000 miles

What owners said

2011 Cadillac CTS at 153,000 miles Maysville, KY

STRUCTURE:FRAME AND MEMBERS

The contact owns a 2011 Cadillac CTS. The contact stated that upon inspection underneath the frame rail, the contact became aware that there was rust on both sides of the vehicle. The local dealer was contacted; however, the vehicle was not diagnosed because the VIN was not under recall. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was notified of the failure. The approximate failure mileage was 153,000.

NHTSA complaint #11661438 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.

2016 Cadillac CTS at 20,000 miles Fort Lauderdale, FL 1 injured

STRUCTURE:BODY:DOOR:HANDLE:INTERIOR

The contact owns a 2016 Cadillac CTS. The contact stated while the vehicle was parked, the carbon fiber-optic piece on the rear passenger door was fractured. The contact stated the occupant was exiting the rear passenger's door when the occupant was stabbed by the carbon fiber-optic piece. The contact stated that the occupant was stabbed in the back of the right arm. No medical attention was needed. The contact stated that the carbon fiber optic pieces on all four of the door panels and the glove compartment had been replaced several times. The contact stated the glove compartment carbon fiber optic piece was replaced three times. In addition, the contact stated that the carbon fiber optic pieces on each door panel had been replaced twice. The manufacturer was made aware of the failure, and several cases were filed. The failure mileage was approximately 20,000.

NHTSA complaint #11657637 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.

2011 Cadillac CTS at 100,000 miles Chicago, IL

STRUCTURE

The contact owns a 2011 Cadillac CTS. The contact stated that the vehicle was experiencing a water leak. The contact noticed that the front driver's side seat, door arm rest and floor were significantly wet after rainfall. The contact stated that the failure later occurred on the front passenger's side of the vehicle. Additionally, the contact stated that the vehicle was experiencing electrical failures. The contact stated that after turning off the vehicle, the infotainment system, the heating system, the A/C, and the engine failed to turn off. The vehicle was taken to an independent mechanic, where it was diagnosed and determined that the fuse box and wiring needed to be replaced due to the electrical failure. The contact stated that upon disconnecting the battery and removing the fuse, the vehicle turned off. The vehicle was taken to an independent mechanic, where the contact was informed that water was leaking onto the wiring on the floor. The sunroof drain was unclogged; however, the failure persisted. The vehicle remained with the mechanic, where it was undergoing additional water entry tests. The vehicle was not repaired. The dealer and the manufacturer were not notified of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 100,000.

NHTSA complaint #11617576 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.

2013 Cadillac CTS Greensburg, PA

STRUCTURE:BODY

Found a crack along the tab of my subframe along the rear control arm pocket. Searching for solutions and repairs, I found several hundred people who broke the tab while driving on CTSVowners, ctsvforum and various Facebook groups This seems to impact both the base model and V series CTS.

NHTSA complaint #11579082 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.

2013 Cadillac CTS Las Vegas, NV

STRUCTURE:BODY

Cracked subframe. The CTS-V is known for this. Many of the guys on the news groups have the same issue. I had mine welded and replaced the lower control arms as a result.

NHTSA complaint #11563838 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.

2010 Cadillac CTS Chula Vista, CA

STRUCTURE:BODY

Every time it rains, the inside of my vehicle floods through the ceiling and floors. This is a manufacture defect that is outside of my control. This is a safety issue because it causes mold and mildew in the vehicle which is a hazard to inhale. I'm also concerned that the possibility exist for an electrical hazard.

NHTSA complaint #11527117 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.

2008 Cadillac CTS at 150,000 miles Mckeesport, PA

STRUCTURE:BODY

VEHICLE WATER LEAKS THAT POOL ON FLOORBOARD, CAUSING MOLD

NHTSA complaint #11416252 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.

2014 Cadillac CTS Austin, TX

STRUCTURE

REAR DIFFERENTIAL AT RISK OF FAILURE. I CONTACTED CADILLAC CUSTOMER SERVICE AND THEY DID NOT SEE THE RECALL IN THEIR SYSTEM AND ADVISED ME TO CONTACT NHTSA. THEY SAID THAT THE NHTSA DID NOT SHOW A RECALL FOR THAT VEHICLE. THE CONSUMER STATED THE VEHICLE HAD NUMEROUS SAFETY DEFECT REPAIRS. THE CONSUMER REQUESTED THAT THE VEHICLE BE BOUGHT BACK.

NHTSA complaint #11320505 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.

2016 Cadillac CTS at 7,000 miles Kansas City, KS

STRUCTURE:BODY

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2016 CADILLAC CTS. THE CONTACT STATED THAT THE BATTERY BECAME INOPERABLE AND THE VEHICLE FAILED TO START. ALSO, WHILE MAKING A TURN, THE SIGNAL INDICATOR HANDLE FAILED TO ENGAGE IN POSITION. ADDITIONALLY, THE DASHBOARD LEATHER WAS CURLING AND THERE WAS AN ABNORMAL RUMBLING NOISE WHILE REVERSING. THE CONTACT STATED THAT THE POWER STEERING MESSAGE WAS DISPLAYED. THERE WERE NO WARNING INDICATORS ILLUMINATED. THE VEHICLE WAS TOWED TO CONKLIN FANGMAN CADILLAC (3200 MAIN ST, LOT B, KANSAS CITY, MO 64111, (816) 714-7654) WHERE THE BATTERY WAS RECHARGED. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT DIAGNOSED OR REPAIRED. THE MANUFACTURER WAS CONTACTED AND REFERRED THE CONTACT TO THE LOCAL DEALER. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 7,000. THE VIN WAS INVALID.

NHTSA complaint #11265320 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.

2011 Cadillac CTS at 70,000 miles OAK Park, MI Crash

STRUCTURE:BODY

2 PROBLEMS. FIRST, FOR THE RECALL FOR THE KEYCHAIN, CAN THE DEALERSHIP NOT JUST MAIL ME AND GIVE ME THE KEYCHAIN UPON ARRIVAL? MOST DEALERSHIPS SEEM TO INSIST THAT THEY HAVE TO CHECK THE VEHICLE OUT, WHICH MEANS I WOULD HAVE TO LEAVE IT OR WAIT. SECOND, SOMEONE REAR ENDED ME, TOTALING THE VEHICLE (LOS - PERHAPS AS MUCH AS $13,000, AS I DID NOT HAVE COLLISION INSURANCE. I BELIEVE THAT I MIGHT HAVE AVOIDED THE ACCIDENT, BUT HE CAME OUT OF A RIGHT REAR BLIND SPOT. I OFTEN HAD TROUBLE SEEING PEOPLE BACK THERE, AND I BELIEVE THE LARGE RIGHT REAR BLIND SPOT IS A DESIGN DEFECT. I WOULD LIKE TO KNOW IF OTHERS HAVE COMPLAINED ABOUT THE SAME THING. THE VEHICLE WAS IN MOTION, JUST COMING OFF A FREEWAY,ENDING AND CHANGING TO A SURFACE STREET, VERY BUSY ROAD, VERY BUSY TIME OF DAY. I WAS EXITING THE FREEWAY, THE OTHER CAR CUT IN AND WAS GOING STRAIGHT. THANK YOU!

NHTSA complaint #11228273 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.

2010 Cadillac CTS at 110,100 miles Eustis, FL

STRUCTURE:BODY

MY REAR TAIL LIGHTS FOR MY WAGON HAVE SEPARATED FROM THE TOP OF THE CAR DUE TO POOR DESIGN. SPOKE WITH CADILLAC & GM, BOTH REFUSE TO BELIEVE IT'S A DESIGN FLAW ON THE WAGON MODELS. BOTH STATED CAR OUT OF WARRANTY DUE TO MILEAGE/YEAR. ASKED IF THEY COULD TELL ME WHAT WAS USED TO ATTACH LAMPS TO VEHICLE, NEITHER HAS A CLUE. DEALER WANTS $2100 TO REPLACE, BUT NO GUARANTEE THAT IT WON'T HAPPEN AGAIN. SINCE JANUARY 2019, CAR HAS BEEN TO DEALER 3 TIMES FOR CAR NOT STARTING ON 1ST TRY. FIRST TIME, NEGATIVE BATTERY CABLE TIGHTENED, 2ND TIME REPLACED POSITIVE BATTERY CABLE, 3RD TIME DEALER HAS NO IDEA AS TO WHAT IS CAUSING THE ISSUE. ALL LIGHTS ON DASH COME ON, ENGINE DOES NOT TURN OVER WHILE PARKED. IT WILL START ON THE 2ND TRY, SOMETIMES IT HESITATES. DEALER TOLD ME TO CONTINUE TO MONITOR UNTIL VEHICLE BREAKS DOWN.

NHTSA complaint #11208871 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.

2003 Cadillac CTS at 157,000 miles SAN Benito, TX Fire

STRUCTURE:BODY

AT ABOUT APPROXIMATELY 4:22 AM THIS MORNING MY CAR WAS ENGULFED IN FLAMES IN MY DRIVEWAY. I WAS AWAKENED BY MY CADILLAC CTS 2003 CAR ALARM AS THE FLAMES WE'RE VISIBLE THRU MY BEDROOM WINDOW. AT WHICH TIME I RAN OUTSIDE TO TURN ON THE WATER HOSE TO TURN OFF THE FIRE AS MY FAMILY WAS SLEEPING IN THE HOUSE. MY HUSBAND'S CAR WAS RIGHT NEXT TO MY CADI THAT HAD A FULL TANK OF FUEL. I CALLED 911 AND THE FIRE DEPARTMENT ARRIVED TO TURN OFF THE FIRE ON THE CADILLAC CTS 2003. AND FOR MORE THAN TEN MINUTES THE FIRE WAS STILL BLAZING AS THE FIREMEN UNABLE TO CONTROL THE FLAMES. MY CAR IS GONE AS IT BURNED DOWN. PLEASE HELP ME TO UNDERSTAND WHY THIS HAPPENED. I ONLY CARRIED LIABILITY AS THIS WAS ALL I COULD AFFORD. I THANK THE LORD THAT EVEN WHEN WE WERE IN HARM'S WAY, HE JEHOVAH GOD PROTECTED US. ALL THE GLORY TO JESUS CHRIST THAT THEIR WAS NO LOST OF LIFE. MATERIAL THINGS CAN BE REPLACED. I AM GRATEFUL TO GOD FOR HIS MERCY AND GRACE. HE HAS TOTAL CONTROL AND I KNOW THAT HE WAS WITH US. I WAS NOT AWARE THAT THESE CARS HAVE A HISTORY OF CATCHING ON FIRE. I AM GLAD THAT WE WERE NOT ON THE ROAD WHEN THIS HAPPENED. MY MOTHER SUFFERED A STROKE AND THIS COULD OF BEEN MORE DETRIMENTAL BUT GOD DID NOT PERMIT THE HAND OF THE ENEMY TO TOUCH US PHYSICALLY, HALELUJAH TO THE LAMB OF GOD! I AM BLESSED TO BE A CHILD OF GOD! I KNOW THAT HE WILL GIVE US JUSTICE BECAUSE HE DOES NOT FORSAKE HIS CHILDREN AND HE IS A GOD THAT DOES NOT LIE. HE IS GOD EMANUEL! HE IS MY SHALOM!

NHTSA complaint #11186250 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.

2004 Cadillac CTS at 47,500 miles Sanfrancisco, CA

STRUCTURE:BODY:TRUNK LID

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2004 CADILLAC CTS. WHILE ATTEMPTING TO CLOSE THE TRUNK MANUALLY, IT RAPIDLY CLOSED DOWN. THE CONTACT WAS CONCERNED FOR THEIR SAFETY AND STATED THAT IT COULD CAUSE INJURIES. DUE TO THE DISTANCE AND THE CONTACT'S HANDICAP, THE VEHICLE WAS NOT TAKEN TO A DEALER OR AN INDEPENDENT MECHANIC FOR DIAGNOSTIC TESTING. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT DIAGNOSED OR REPAIRED. THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOT NOTIFIED OF THE FAILURE. THE APPROXIMATE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 47,500.

NHTSA complaint #11166544 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.

2008 Cadillac CTS at 150,000 miles Redford, MI

STRUCTURE

THE CAR IS LEAKING WATER INSIDE AND INSIDE THE TRUNK AND IT IS MOLDING, THE CAR IS SOAKED OF WATER ,THIS IS DANGEROUS

NHTSA complaint #11164956 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.

2004 Cadillac CTS at 1 miles LOS Angeles, AP

STRUCTURE:BODY

I GOT THE CAR TOOKEN BUT THEY DONT WANT GAVE IT BACK I DONT NOW THE RESON CAN U GUYS GET IT BK THANK U WITH MY FULL RESPECT GOING OUT TO U N UR WORKERS

NHTSA complaint #11161743 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.

2008 Cadillac CTS Gordonsville, VA

STRUCTURE:BODY

FRONT DOORS ON 2008 CADILLAC CTS4 , ESPECIALLY R.F HAVE BECOME HARDER TO OPEN OVER LAST 2 YEARS. THE R.F DOOR AT TIMES WILL NOT OPEN FROM OUTSIDE LATCH, HAVE TO ENTER CAR FROM L.S. AND OPEN R DOOR FRON INSIDE. THIS IS EXTREMELY DANGEROUS IN CASE OF ACCIDENT OR FIRE.DEALER WANTS $1800.00 TO REPAIR. I HAVE BEEN A GM FAN FOR 60 YEARS AND FROM PREVIOUS EXPERIENCES WITH GM, HAVE

NHTSA complaint #11161731 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.

2008 Cadillac CTS Gordonsville, VA

STRUCTURE:BODY

FINISH UP ON PREVIOUS COMPLAINT CONCERNING FRONT DOOR LATCHES ON 2008 CADILLAC CTS4 THAT WILL NOT ALLOW FRONT DOORS TO OPEN FROM THE OUTER LATCHES SETTING UP A DANGEROUS SITUATION IN CASE OF ACCIDENT OR FIRE. THE DEALER THAT DIAGNOSED THE PROBLEM DIDN'T SEEM TO TAKE IT TO SERIOUS, A MERE $1800.00 SHOULD FIX IT. HOPE YOU PEOPLE REALIZE THE POSSIBLE DANGER INVOLVED HERE. THANKS

NHTSA complaint #11161738 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.

2004 Cadillac CTS Elyria, OH

STRUCTURE:BODY

AS I WAS DRIVING ON THE HIGHWAY, AT 60 MPH, MY SUNROOF, WHICH WAS CLOSED, FLEW OFF OF MY CAR! NO WARNING. NO REASON TO DO SO. IT JUST FLEW RIGHT OFF. THANKFULLY, NO-ONE WAS HURT AND EVERYONE WAS ABLE TO MOVE OUT OF THE WAY. I WAS DRIVING WEST ON 90 RIGHT BEFORE THE LAGRANGE RD/301 EXIT IN OHIO.

NHTSA complaint #11143524 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.

2005 Cadillac CTS at 163,838 miles Cleveland, OH Crash

STRUCTURE:BODY

AS I WAS DRIVING DOWN INTERSTATE I76, MY CAR LOST POWER AND CAUSED ME TO CRASH. THE FRONT DRIVER SIDE OF MY CAR IS COMPLETELY SMASHED.

NHTSA complaint #11129591 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.

2007 Cadillac CTS at 56,000 miles Mcrae, GA

STRUCTURE:FRAME AND MEMBERS:UNDERBODY SHIELDS

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2007 CADILLAC CTS. WHILE DRIVING LOW SPEEDS, THE BRAKE PEDAL WAS DEPRESSED, BUT FAILED TO ENGAGE. THE CONTACT MENTIONED THAT SHE USED THE EMERGENCY BRAKE TO STOP THE VEHICLE. THE CONTACT KEPT DRIVING WITH THE EMERGENCY BRAKE ENGAGED. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO DAVID'S AUTO SALES INC (1804 S PETERSON AVE, DOUGLAS, GA 31535, (912) 384-8570) AND WAS INFORMED THAT THE VEHICLE WAS INVOLVED IN A FLOOD AND HAD HOLES UNDERNEATH THE VEHICLE, WHICH CAUSED DETERIORATION. THE DEALER ALSO INFORMED THE CONTACT THAT THEY COULD NOT ASSIST BECAUSE THE VEHICLE WAS PURCHASED "AS IS'. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT REPAIRED. THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOTIFIED OF THE FAILURE. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS APPROXIMATELY 56,000.

NHTSA complaint #11102590 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.

Other Cadillac CTS problems