Best Cadillac Years to Buy by Model
The best Cadillac years to buy: the 2010 Escalade, 2010 Escalade ESV, 2017 CTS, 2009 SRX, 2016 XTS and 2025 XT5 — the cleanest federal complaint records for each model. Years to skip include the 2010 SRX and 2009 CTS. Based on 6,267 NHTSA owner complaints across 7 Cadillac models, rated model year by model year.
Source: NHTSA owner complaints, recall campaigns & service bulletins · Updated 2026-11-07 · By CarWhere Research · How we rate model years
Best Cadillac years, model by model
| Model | Best years | Years to skip | Years on record |
|---|---|---|---|
| Cadillac Escalade | 201020122013201420182019 | 20082015201620172021202220232024 | 18 (2008–2025) |
| Cadillac Escalade ESV | 2010201220182019 | 202120222023 | 18 (2008–2025) |
| Cadillac CTS | 2017 | 2008200920112014 | 18 (2008–2025) |
| Cadillac SRX | 20082009 | 20102011 | 18 (2008–2025) |
| Cadillac ATS | No standout year yet | 20132014 | 13 (2013–2025) |
| Cadillac XTS | 20162017 | 20132014 | 13 (2013–2025) |
| Cadillac XT5 | 20162025 | 201720182020 | 12 (2015–2026) |
Verdicts are each model’s own, rated against that model’s history; counts behind them are raw federal filings, not adjusted for sales volume.
The cleanest year for each Cadillac model
2010 Cadillac Escalade: 43 NHTSA owner complaints on record · all best-rated years: 2010, 2012, 2013, 2014, 2018 and 2019 · Best Escalade years →
2010 Cadillac Escalade ESV: 42 NHTSA owner complaints on record · all best-rated years: 2010, 2012, 2018 and 2019 · Best Escalade ESV years →
2017 Cadillac CTS: 26 NHTSA owner complaints on record · Best CTS years →
2009 Cadillac SRX: 27 NHTSA owner complaints on record · all best-rated years: 2008 and 2009 · Best SRX years →
2016 Cadillac XTS: 22 NHTSA owner complaints on record · all best-rated years: 2016 and 2017 · Best XTS years →
2025 Cadillac XT5: 0 NHTSA owner complaints on record · all best-rated years: 2016 and 2025 · Best XT5 years →
Years to skip, in detail
Frequently asked questions
What are the best Cadillac years to buy?
By model: Escalade 2010, 2012, 2013, 2014, 2018 and 2019; Escalade ESV 2010, 2012, 2018 and 2019; CTS 2017; SRX 2008 and 2009; XTS 2016 and 2017; XT5 2016 and 2025. Each matches that model's own best-years page, built from NHTSA owner-complaint and recall records.
Which Cadillac years should I skip?
By model: Escalade 2008, 2015, 2016, 2017, 2021, 2022, 2023 and 2024; Escalade ESV 2021, 2022 and 2023; CTS 2008, 2009, 2011 and 2014; SRX 2010 and 2011; ATS 2013 and 2014; XTS 2013 and 2014; XT5 2017, 2018 and 2020. The full breakdown is on the Cadillac years-to-avoid page.
How are the best Cadillac years chosen?
Each model year's NHTSA owner complaints are weighted for severity, converted to a rate per year on the road and compared with the rest of that model's own history; the lowest rates among years with enough road time earn "best". Models not yet scored that way are ranked by combined NHTSA complaint and manufacturer service-bulletin volume. Full method at /research/years-to-avoid/methodology.