Cadillac Cts Years to Avoid
Based on CarWhere's analysis of 855 NHTSA complaints, the Cadillac Cts years to avoid are 2008, 2009, 2011 and 2014 — the worst logged up to 3.2× the model's median severity-weighted complaint rate, driven by drivetrain failures. Updated August 2026.
Source: NHTSA owner complaints & recall campaigns · Data as of August 2026 · How we rate model years
Year-by-year verdict
| Model year | Complaints | Severe | Recalls | Verdict |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2008 | 175 | 104 | 2 | AVOID |
| 2009 | 167 | 111 | 5 | AVOID |
| 2010 | 0 | 0 | 3 | N/A |
| 2011 | 108 | 60 | 2 | AVOID |
| 2012 | 67 | 26 | 2 | CAUTION |
| 2013 | 72 | 35 | 2 | CAUTION |
| 2014 | 144 | 101 | 6 | AVOID |
| 2015 | 47 | 31 | 3 | SOLID |
| 2016 | 31 | 17 | 4 | SOLID |
| 2017 | 26 | 16 | 2 | BEST |
| 2018 | 8 | 4 | 2 | N/A |
| 2019 | 10 | 7 | 0 | N/A |
| 2020 | 0 | 0 | 0 | N/A |
| 2021 | 0 | 0 | 0 | N/A |
| 2022 | 0 | 0 | 0 | N/A |
| 2023 | 0 | 0 | 0 | N/A |
| 2024 | 0 | 0 | 0 | N/A |
| 2025 | 0 | 0 | 0 | N/A |
"Severe" = complaints reporting a crash, fire, injury, or a safety-critical component. Counts are raw federal filings, not adjusted for sales volume; verdicts compare each year against the rest of the Cadillac Cts. Full methodology.
Common Cadillac Cts problems
Across the federal record, the most-reported problem areas on the Cadillac Cts are drivetrain, transmission, electrical. The confirmed and owner-reported issues below include owner mileage and repair-cost ranges where available.
Rear differential metal debris and failure
· Cadillac Cts 2011–2019Corroborated by 23 owner accounts of this failure, within a federal cluster of 152 drivetrain complaints across 2011–2019, typically 15,053–105,188 miles. Owner-reported repair cost $4,200–$6,000.
Transmission shift control cable failure
· Cadillac Cts 2014Corroborated by 3 owner accounts of this failure, within a federal cluster of 84 transmission complaints across 2014, typically 57,874–66,000 miles.
Passenger seat presence sensor failure / airbag inoperable
· Cadillac Cts 2011–2017Corroborated by 7 owner accounts of this failure, within a federal cluster of 58 electrical complaints across 2011–2017.
Why these years stand out
2008 Cadillac Cts: 175 owner complaints on federal record, 104 of them severe, plus 2 recall campaigns — among the highest severity-weighted rates for the Cadillac Cts.
2009 Cadillac Cts: 167 owner complaints on federal record, 111 of them severe, plus 5 recall campaigns — among the highest severity-weighted rates for the Cadillac Cts.
2011 Cadillac Cts: 108 owner complaints on federal record, 60 of them severe, plus 2 recall campaigns — among the highest severity-weighted rates for the Cadillac Cts.
2014 Cadillac Cts: 144 owner complaints on federal record, 101 of them severe, plus 6 recall campaigns — among the highest severity-weighted rates for the Cadillac Cts.
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FAQ
What years of the Cadillac Cts should you avoid?
Based on federal NHTSA complaint and recall data, the Cadillac Cts years to avoid are 2008, 2009, 2011 and 2014 — they carry the model's highest severity-weighted complaint rates, led by drivetrain issues. See the year-by-year table for the full picture. Counts are raw federal filings, not adjusted for sales volume.
What are the best years for the Cadillac Cts?
The 2017 Cadillac Cts shows the cleanest federal records among years with enough time on the road to judge — the lowest severity-weighted complaint rates for the model.
How is the Cadillac Cts verdict calculated?
Each model year's NHTSA owner complaints are weighted for severity (crashes, fires, injuries, and safety-critical components count more), converted to a rate per year on the road, and compared against the rest of the Cadillac Cts's own history, then adjusted for recalls. Full method at /research/years-to-avoid/methodology.
How do I check a specific Cadillac Cts before buying?
Decode the VIN free at carwhere.com/tools/vin-decoder to confirm the exact year and build, then run the $9.99 CarWhere Full VIN Report — it includes the recall, complaint, and service-bulletin record for that exact VIN plus a market price check from verified buyers.
Is the Cadillac Cts reliable?
The Cadillac Cts's reliability depends heavily on the model year. Across 855 NHTSA owner complaints, 2008, 2009, 2011 and 2014 rate "avoid", while 2017 shows the cleanest federal records — see the year-by-year verdicts above. Counts are raw federal filings, not adjusted for sales volume.
What are the most common problems with the Cadillac Cts?
The most-reported problem area for the Cadillac Cts is drivetrain, followed by transmission and electrical. Confirmed failures include rear differential metal debris and failure, transmission shift control cable failure, passenger seat presence sensor failure / airbag inoperable. See the common-problems section above for owner-reported mileage and repair costs where available.
Sources & data notes
All figures are drawn from the U.S. National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA), Office of Defects Investigation — owner-filed complaints and recall campaigns — covering the Cadillac Cts across every model year on record. Retrieved August 2026. Counts are raw federal filings and are not adjusted for the number of vehicles sold or registered; a verdict compares each model year against the rest of the Cadillac Cts, not against other vehicles. Full scoring at the methodology page.
Verify the flagged years in NHTSA's public database:
Verdicts are computed from federal NHTSA complaint and recall records, refreshed monthly. Read the full methodology.