Cadillac CTS: which model years draw the most owner complaints?
2,219 complaints filed with NHTSA about the Cadillac CTS, model years 2003 to 2019. 6 model years stand out for the engine or transmission: 2003 (engine 6.2×); 2005 (transmission 8.2×); 2006 (transmission 4.5×); 2004 (transmission 5.2×). Quietest mature years by complaint count: 2017, 2016, 2015. Counts of unverified owner reports, compared only with other years of the same model; not failure rates.
Complaints by model year
| MODEL YEAR | COMPLAINTS | VS OTHER YEARS | STANDS OUT | RECALLS |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2003 CTS | 313 | engine 6.2× | 4 | |
| 2004 CTS | 224 | transmission 5.2× | 6 | |
| 2005 CTS | 277 | transmission 8.2× | 6 | |
| 2006 CTS | 269 | transmission 4.5× | 6 | |
| 2007 CTS | 217 | — | 6 | |
| 2008 CTS | 175 | — | 2 | |
| 2009 CTS | 168 | engine 5.1× | 5 | |
| 2010 CTSFEW REPORTS | 67 | quiet: 5 of 15 | 3 | |
| 2011 CTSFEW REPORTS | 101 | — | 2 | |
| 2012 CTSFEW REPORTS | 64 | quiet: 4 of 15 | 2 | |
| 2013 CTSFEW REPORTS | 73 | — | 2 | |
| 2014 CTSFEW REPORTS | 146 | transmission 8.4× | 6 | |
| 2015 CTSFEW REPORTS | 49 | quiet: 3 of 15 | 3 | |
| 2016 CTSFEW REPORTS | 31 | quiet: 2 of 15 | 4 | |
| 2017 CTSFEW REPORTS | 27 | quiet: 1 of 15 | 2 | |
| 2018 CTSFEW REPORTS | 8 | — | 2 | |
| 2019 CTSFEW REPORTS | 10 | — | 0 |
"Stands out" = 40 or more complaints naming that system and at least twice the model's quiet (lower-quartile) year, or twice the share seen across every vehicle of that model year. Newer years have had less time on the road. "Quiet" ranks only years with 7+ years on the road and 20+ complaints. NHTSA data through November 2026.
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Other Cadillac models
Cadillac ATS · Cadillac DTS · Cadillac Deville · Cadillac Escalade · Cadillac Escalade ESV · Cadillac Lyriq · Cadillac SRX · Cadillac STS · Cadillac Seville · Cadillac XT5 · Cadillac XTS. All makes and models.
Source: NHTSA public complaints, recalls, service bulletin and investigation databases, data received through November 2026. Complaints are unverified reports from owners, not failure rates: sales volumes are unknown, so a model year is only compared with other years of the same model. Not a diagnosis and not financial advice. PulsCar is not affiliated with NHTSA. Year pages: 2003200420052006200720082009