IllustrationOVER 1 YEAR AGO (JULY 2016) I WAS NOTIFIED OF A SAFETY RECALL OF AIRBAG INFLATORS CAN DEGRADE IN HOT HUMID AREAS. I LIVE IN TEXAS WHERE IT'S CURRENTLY OVER 105 DEGREES. THE NOTIFICATION STATES I WILL BE NOTIFIED WHEN PARTS ARE AVAILABLE. NOW I SEE A YEAR LATER THERE IS NO REMEDY FOR THIS PROBLEM.
2013 Cadillac Cts
Owner reports · Recalls · Investigations
Similar to other model years
Owner complaints for the 2013 Cadillac Cts do not stand out strongly from the model-year median of 101.
About this comparison →How this year compares
Owner complaints by model year
Compare all Cts years →Counts vary with age, sales and reporting. They are not failure rates.
What owners reported most
All reported categories
Tap a category to read its complaints. One report may name several components.
When problems were reported
Mileage at the reported incident
250–25K
1425–50K
650–75K
775–100K
2100–150K
0150K+
54 reports with mileage · 19 unknown
NHTSA’s mileage field refers to the reported incident, not necessarily the filing date. This shows report counts, not the likelihood of a failure.
What to inspect
Issues worth paying extra attention to based on owner reports.
- Electrical System. Review the 26 owner reports in this category and discuss these concerns during a pre-purchase inspection. Read reports →
- Power Train. Review the 13 owner reports in this category and discuss these concerns during a pre-purchase inspection. Read reports →
- Air Bags. Review the 11 owner reports in this category and discuss these concerns during a pre-purchase inspection. Read reports →
NHTSA owner reports · September 18, 2026 snapshot.
10 crash reports0 fire reports7 injury reports
What owners actually said
73 reportsTL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2013 CADILLAC CTS. THE CONTACT STATED THAT THE VEHICLE COULD NOT BE SHIFTED INTO REVERSE AND HAD DIFFICULTY STOPPING. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO CAPITOL CADILLAC WHERE IT WAS DIAGNOSED THAT THE TRANSMISSION WAS DEFECTIVE DUE TO A LEAK AND NEEDED TO BE REPLACED. THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOTIFIED OF THE FAILURE AN…
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TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2013 CADILLAC CTS. THE CONTACT STATED THAT THE VEHICLE COULD NOT BE SHIFTED INTO REVERSE AND HAD DIFFICULTY STOPPING. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO CAPITOL CADILLAC WHERE IT WAS DIAGNOSED THAT THE TRANSMISSION WAS DEFECTIVE DUE TO A LEAK AND NEEDED TO BE REPLACED. THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOTIFIED OF THE FAILURE AND INFORMED THE CONTACT THAT THE REMEDY WOULD BE AT HIS EXPENSE. THE CONTACT STATED THAT HE WAS NEVER NOTIFIED BY THE DEALER OF ANY TRANSMISSION ISSUES, EVEN THOUGH THE MANUAL STATED THAT THEY WERE SUPPOSED TO CHECK. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS APPROXIMATELY 93,000.
TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2013 CADILLAC CTS. WHILE THE ACCELERATOR PEDAL WAS DEPRESSED, THE ENGINE STALLED WITHOUT WARNING. THE CONTACT NOTIFIED THE DEALER (VERA CADILLAC IN PEMBROKE PINES, FL 33025 (954) 871-2630), BUT WAS INFORMED THAT NOTHING COULD BE DONE. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT DIAGNOSED OR REPAIRED. THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOT NOTI…
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TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2013 CADILLAC CTS. WHILE THE ACCELERATOR PEDAL WAS DEPRESSED, THE ENGINE STALLED WITHOUT WARNING. THE CONTACT NOTIFIED THE DEALER (VERA CADILLAC IN PEMBROKE PINES, FL 33025 (954) 871-2630), BUT WAS INFORMED THAT NOTHING COULD BE DONE. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT DIAGNOSED OR REPAIRED. THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOT NOTIFIED OF THE FAILURE. THE APPROXIMATE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 22,500.
TWO WHEEL BEARINGS HAD TO BE REPLACED, ONE IN DEC 2016 AND THE OTHER IN FEB 2017. CAR HAS ONLY 42,000 MILES. IS THERE A SERVICE MEMO ABOUT THIS?
SOLENOID THAT COMMUNICATES WITH THE TRANSMISSION AND THE COMPUTER. (THIS WAS CAUSING THE THE STABILITY TRAC TO KICK ON AND SOMETIMES SHUT THE CAR OFF WHILE DRIVING OR SITTING STILL TURNING) THEY ALSO DISCOVERED THAT THE ENTIRE REAR DIFFERENTIAL HAD TO BE REPLACE. THIS IS A 2013 CTS COUPE 69000 MILES WHEN PURCHASED. I CONTACTED…
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SOLENOID THAT COMMUNICATES WITH THE TRANSMISSION AND THE COMPUTER. (THIS WAS CAUSING THE THE STABILITY TRAC TO KICK ON AND SOMETIMES SHUT THE CAR OFF WHILE DRIVING OR SITTING STILL TURNING) THEY ALSO DISCOVERED THAT THE ENTIRE REAR DIFFERENTIAL HAD TO BE REPLACE. THIS IS A 2013 CTS COUPE 69000 MILES WHEN PURCHASED. I CONTACTED GM CORPORATE OFFICE FOR ASSISTANCE. (P0101 ,P0100, U0101, LOST OF COMMUNICATION TO TCM.
AIR BAG LIGHT HAS CAME ON. WHILE VEHICLE WAS IN MOTION DRIVING ON THE HIGHWAY THE PASSENGER REAR WINDOW CAME DOWN ON IT'S OWN AND WOULD NOT ROLL BACK UP. MY CAR ONLY HAVE 60,000 MILES.
WITHIN ONE WEEK OF PURCHASE WE NOTICED THAT THE CAR IS PULLING TO THE LEFT CAUSING A NEW DRIVER TO OVER CORRECT AND DRIFT INTO THE RIGHT LANE. THIS IS EXTREMELY DANGEROUS. DEALER IS REPLACING STEERING COLUMN. 27000 MILES
AS I WAS DRIVING ON A HIGHWAY, MY SUNROOF BLEW COMPLETELY OFF OF MY VEHICLE, HIT AND DAMAGED THE FRONT OF ANOTHER VEHICLE (A SUV) AND FROM THE IMPACT OF THAT HIT, IT WAS STRUCK A MOTORCYCLIST.
GROSS MOLDY ODOR EMANATING FROM THE HVAC SYSTEM CAUSED BY WHAT APPEARS TO BE A DEFECT IN THE SYSTEM WHICH ALLOWS MOISTURE TO CONDENSE ON THE COILS CAUSING MOLD AND BACTERIA TO BE DISPERSED THROUGHOUT THE VEHICLE. GM ATTEMPTS TO ADDRESS THIS EXPANSIVE ISSUE BY ADDING DEODORANT TO THE SYSTEM AND THEN HOPE CONSUMERS WILL GO AWAY.
I HAVE A 2013 CTS CADILLAC AND THE HEADLIGHT ASSEMBLIES FOG UP ON THE INSIDE OF THE ASSEMBLY. THIS HAPPENS WHEN IT RAINS OR IS WET DEALER REPLACED THE HEADLIGHT ASSEMBLIES BUT THESE ARE WORST THAN THE ORIGINALS. DEALER NOW SAYS THIS IS NORMAL THEDEALER REFERS TO A BULLETIN 01-08-42-001J WHICH STATES THAT LIGHTS MIGHT EXHIBIT A F…
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I HAVE A 2013 CTS CADILLAC AND THE HEADLIGHT ASSEMBLIES FOG UP ON THE INSIDE OF THE ASSEMBLY. THIS HAPPENS WHEN IT RAINS OR IS WET DEALER REPLACED THE HEADLIGHT ASSEMBLIES BUT THESE ARE WORST THAN THE ORIGINALS. DEALER NOW SAYS THIS IS NORMAL THEDEALER REFERS TO A BULLETIN 01-08-42-001J WHICH STATES THAT LIGHTS MIGHT EXHIBIT A FINE MIST OR WHITE FOG ON THE INSIDE OF THE LAMP LENS. THE BULLETIN STATES THAT IT REQUIRES 2 TO 6 HOURS TO CLEAR THE LAMP AND WORKS BETTER IF VECHICLE IN MOTION WITH HEADLIGHTS ON. .I'VE HAD THE HEADLIGHTS ON BRIGHT UP TO 2 HOURS AND THE ASSEMBLIES STILL HAVE SOME FOG INSIDE THEM. THIS DECREASES THE EFFECTIVENESS OF THE HEADLIGHTS AND CREATES FUTURE ELECTRICAL PROBELMS BECAUSE OF THE MOISTURE WITHIN THE HEADLIGHT ASSEMBLY. THE FOG SHOWS UP WHEN YOU ARE DRIVING THE VECHICLE WITH THE HEADLIGHTS ON. LAST DATE THIS HAPPENED WAS 1/15/2016. CAR HAS A LITTLE MORE THAN 17000 MILES ON AND WAS BOUGHT NEW. THIS HAD BEEN A CONTINUING PROBLEM THAT HAPPENS IRREGULAR.
Official recalls
214V614000 · Electrical System
Oct 1, 2014
General Motors LLC (GM) is recalling certain model year 2013-2014 Cadillac CTS, Escalade, Escalade ESV, Chevrolet Suburban, Tahoe, GMC Yukon, and Yukon XL, and 2014 Buick Enclave, Chevrolet Express, Impala, Silverado HD, Traverse, GMC Acadia, Savana, and Sierra HD vehicles. In the affected vehicles, the chassis electronic module may be internally contaminated, resulting in an electrical short.
Consequence & remedy
Consequence: If the module experiences an electrical short, the vehicle could stall, increasing the risk of a crash.
Remedy: GM will notify owners, and dealers will replace the chassis electronic module, free of charge. The recall began on December 26, 2014. Owners may contact GM customer service at 1-800-521-7300 (Buick), 1-800-458-006 (Cadillac), 1-800-222-1020 (Chevrolet), and 1-800-462-8782 (GMC). GMs number for this recall is 14515.
14V394000 · Electrical System:ignition
Jul 2, 2014
This defect can affect the safe operation of the airbag system. Until this recall is performed, customers should remove all items from their key rings, leaving only the ignition key. The key fob (if applicable), should also be removed from the key ring. General Motors LLC (GM) notified the agency on July 2, 2014 that they are recalling 554,328 model year 2003-2014 Cadillac CTS vehicles manufactured August 16, 2001, to April 28, 2014, and 2004-2006 Cadillac SRX vehicles manufactured March 20, 2003, to August 11, 2006. In these models, the weight on the key ring and/or road conditions or some other jarring event may cause the ignition switch to move out of the run position, turning off the engine.
Consequence & remedy
Consequence: If the key is not in the run position, the air bags may not deploy if the vehicle is involved in a crash, increasing the risk of injury.
Remedy: GM will notify owners, and dealers will install two key rings and an insert in the key slot or a cover over the key head on all ignition keys, free of charge. The recall began on September 15, 2014. Owners may contact Cadillac customer service at 1-800-458-8006. GM's number for this recall is 14172.
Model-level recall history does not show whether a particular VIN is affected or has received a repair. Check a VIN with NHTSA ↗
NHTSA investigations
0No exact-year investigations in this snapshot.