Cadillac XTS

Where it stands out against its peers

• Electrical system: more complaints than 90% of 2013 cars — 40% of its 103 complaints, where an ordinary 2013 car has 17%.
• Suspension: more complaints than 97% of 2013 cars — 24% of its 103 complaints, where an ordinary 2013 car has 4%.
• Exterior lighting: more complaints than 92% of 2013 cars — 9% of its 103 complaints, where an ordinary 2013 car has 4%.

Same model year only, at least 30 peer cars, zeros included. Every car has a worst part; this shows which, and how far from ordinary it is. A high share means more to check, not a verdict.

Before you buy one

Built from what this car fails on, not from general knowledge of the model.

• SUSPENSION — 20 owners reported this
• ELECTRICAL SYSTEM — 19 owners reported this, 1 involving a fire
• WHEELS — 5 owners reported this
• ELECTRICAL SYSTEM,ENGINE — 4 owners reported this, 1 involving a fire
• ENGINE — 3 owners reported this
• ELECTRICAL SYSTEM,EQUIPMENT — 2 owners reported this
• ELECTRICAL SYSTEM,FORWARD COLLISION AVOIDANCE — 2 owners reported this
• ELECTRICAL SYSTEM,VEHICLE SPEED CONTROL,ENGINE — 2 owners reported this
• EXTERIOR LIGHTING — 2 owners reported this
• SEATS — 2 owners reported this
• SERVICE BRAKES, HYDRAULIC,ELECTRICAL SYSTEM,EXTERIOR LIGHTING — 2 owners reported this
• SUSPENSION,ELECTRICAL SYSTEM — 2 owners reported this
• TIRES — 2 owners reported this
• AIR BAGS — 1 owners reported this
• ELECTRICAL SYSTEM,AIR BAGS — 1 owners reported this
• ELECTRICAL SYSTEM,EXTERIOR LIGHTING — 1 owners reported this
• ELECTRICAL SYSTEM,EXTERIOR LIGHTING,SERVICE BRAKES — 1 owners reported this
• ELECTRICAL SYSTEM,SERVICE BRAKES — 1 owners reported this
• ELECTRICAL SYSTEM,SERVICE BRAKES,ENGINE — 1 owners reported this
• ELECTRICAL SYSTEM,VEHICLE SPEED CONTROL,ELECTRONIC STABILITY CONTROL (ESC) — 1 owners reported this
• ELECTRICAL SYSTEM,VEHICLE SPEED CONTROL,FORWARD COLLISION AVOIDANCE — 1 owners reported this
• EQUIPMENT ADAPTIVE/MOBILITY — 1 owners reported this
• EXTERIOR LIGHTING,SERVICE BRAKES — 1 owners reported this
• EXTERIOR LIGHTING,VISIBILITY — 1 owners reported this
• POWER TRAIN — 1 owners reported this
• SEAT BELTS — 1 owners reported this
• SERVICE BRAKES — 1 owners reported this
• SERVICE BRAKES, HYDRAULIC — 1 owners reported this
• STEERING — 1 owners reported this
• STEERING,SEATS — 1 owners reported this
• STEERING,SUSPENSION,SERVICE BRAKES — 1 owners reported this
• STRUCTURE — 1 owners reported this
• SUSPENSION,AIR BAGS — 1 owners reported this
• TIRES,WHEELS — 1 owners reported this
• VEHICLE SPEED CONTROL,ELECTRONIC STABILITY CONTROL (ESC),ENGINE — 1 owners reported this
• VEHICLE SPEED CONTROL,ENGINE — 1 owners reported this

Crash test

Crash-tested by NHTSA, the American road safety agency.

Specification

Recalls

Filed by the manufacturer with a regulator. A recall is repaired free of charge, whoever owns the car now.

54% of 2019 cars have more recall campaigns than this one, and an ordinary one has 3. More of them means more to check the service record for, not a worse car.

• 12V525000

  In the event of a vehicle crash, the lowered head restraint may increase the occupant's risk of neck injury.

  General Motors will notify owners, and dealers will replace the head restraints, free of charge. The recall began on December 4, 2012. Owners may contact General Motors at 1-800-458-8006.

• 13V220000

  If the brake lamps flash when the vehicle is not slowing, a following driver may not adjust vehicle speed when the vehicle is in fact braking, and the brake lamps are illuminating as intended, increasing the risk of a crash.

  GM will notify owners, and dealers will reprogram the body control module. The recall began on June 13, 2013. Owner's may contact Chevrolet at 1-800-630-2438 or Cadillac at 1-866-982-2339. GM's recall number is 13158.

• 14V116000

  The corrosion of the brake booster pump relay connector may cause a resistive short and melt the connector, increasing the risk of a fire.

  GM will notify owners, and dealers will apply sealant to the connector cavity plugs, re-route the vacuum pump vent hose and replace the front body wiring harnesses as needed, free of charge. The recall began on April 7, 2014. Owners may contact Cadillac at 1-866-982-2339. GM's number for this recall is 14062.

• 14V409000

  If any of the components separate, the vehicle may have a loss of steering, increasing the risk of a crash.

  GM began to notify owners on June 27, 2014, and dealers will inspect the fasteners for correct torque, correcting them as necessary, free of charge. Owners may contact GM customer service at 1-800-521-7300 (Buick), 1-800-458-8006 (Cadillac) or 1-800-222-1020 (Chevrolet). GM's number for this recall is 14378.

• 14V518000

  In manufacturing mode, the vehicle's air bags will not deploy in the event of a crash, increasing the risk of occupant injury.

  GM will notify owners, and dealers are to reprogram the SDM to the correct mode, free of charge. The recall is expected to begin in September 2014. Owners may contact Cadillac customer service at 1-800-458-8006 or Chevrolet customer service at 1-800-222-1020. GM's number for this recall is 14532.

• 14V541000

  Brake pads that remain partially engaged with the rotors may cause excessive brake heat that may result in a fire.

  GM will notify owners, and dealers will update the electronic parking brake software, free of charge. The recall began on October 28, 2014. Owners may contact Chevrolet customer service at 1-800-222-1020, or Cadillac customer service at 1-800-458-8006. GM's number for this recall is 14471.

• 15V666000

  In the event of a crash necessitating deployment of one or both of the side impact air bags, the air bag's inflator may rupture and the air bag may not properly inflate. The rupture could cause metal fragments to strike the vehicle occupants, potentially resulting in serious injury or death. Additionally, if the air bag does not properly inflate, the driver or passenger is at an increased risk of injury.

  GM will notify owners, and dealers will replace the side impact air bag modules, free of charge. The recall began on October 19, 2015. Owners may contact Buick customer service at 1-800-521-7300, Chevrolet customer service at 1-800-222-1020, Cadillac customer service at 1-800-458-8006, or GMC customer service at 1-800-462-8782. GM's number for this recall is 01320.

• 18V576000

  A reduction of braking performance can increase the risk of a crash.

  GM will notify owners, and dealers will bleed the vehicle's brake system, free of charge. The recall began October 11, 2018. Owners may contact Buick customer service at 1-800-521-7300, Cadillac customer service at 1-800-458-8006, Chevrolet customer service at 1-800-222-1020, or GMC customer service at 1-800-462-8782. GM's number for this recall is 18279.

2 more campaigns have been filed against this model. A dealer can check by VIN which apply to one car.

Regulator investigations

Opened by NHTSA's Office of Defects Investigation. An investigation is a question the regulator asked about a possible defect, not a fault it found — most end without a recall.

• Desiccated Air Bag Inflator Rupture

  Engineering analysis, opened September 2021, still open.

What the maker told its dealers

Service bulletins are the manufacturer's own repair guidance to dealers, filed with NHTSA. A bulletin is not a defect finding; the count rises with how many things a maker writes down, not only with how many go wrong.

Cadillac filed 679 bulletins about the 2019 XTS.

• Equipment: 182
• Engine and engine cooling: 97
• Electrical system: 84
• Power train: 43
• Engine: 38
• Equipment adaptive/mobility: 27
• Wheels: 23
• Forward collision avoidance: 13
• Structure: 12
• Tires: 12
• Other: 148

• PI to help diagnose A/C concern · July 2026
• This preliminary information communicates information about how to determine if a wheel and tires size change is available. · April 2026
• This Preliminary information communicates the steps on how to save a GDS2 Session Log and upload to a Technical Assistance Case in CX Connect. · March 2026
• This preliminary information advises a dealer on how to email GDS2 session logs into Technical Assistance. · March 2026
• This Preliminary information communicates to the field on how to diagnosis a GPS issue with the Telematic module with no DTC'ss · March 2026
• This Preliminary information communicates to the field on how to diagnosis a GPS issue with the Telematic module with no DTC's · January 2026
• This preliminary information advises a dealer on how to email GDS2 session logs into Technical Assistance. · January 2026
• This service bulletin provides information on Tire Sidewall Irregularities. · December 2025

671 more.

Grouped by NHTSA's top-level system; a bulletin filed under a sub-heading counts toward its system.