Cadillac CTS: which model years to avoid
Complaint and recall totals for every Cadillac CTS model year we track, ranked by severity.
| Model year | Complaints | Recalls | Crashes | Fires | Severity | Most-reported system |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2012 | 67 | 2 | 6 | 0 | 131.3 High | EXTERIOR LIGHTING |
| 2013 | 72 | 2 | 10 | 0 | 144.4 High | ELECTRICAL SYSTEM |
| 2014 | 144 | 6 | 4 | 0 | 38.9 Medium | POWER TRAIN |
| 2015 | 47 | 3 | 2 | 2 | 42.6 Medium | POWER TRAIN |
| 2016 | 31 | 4 | 0 | 1 | 45.2 Medium | ELECTRICAL SYSTEM |
| 2017 | 26 | 2 | 1 | 0 | 15.4 Low | POWER TRAIN |
Across 6 model years, the 2013 Cadillac CTS carries the highest severity index (144.4, driven by electrical system), while the 2017 is the cleanest at 15.4.
Source. NHTSA public complaint and recall APIs. Complaint counts are not normalised by units sold; a high-volume seller will attract more filings than a rare trim.