Problems · NHTSA complaints
2013 Cadillac CTS problems
Owners filed 73 complaints about the 2013 Cadillac CTS with NHTSA between Jan 2013 and Sep 2026. The most-cited component is electrical system (26).
Complaints
73
Filed with NHTSA
Crashes
10
Reported by owners
Fires
0
Reported by owners
Injuries
8
People reported injured
Deaths
0
Reported to NHTSA
Complaints by component
One complaint can cite several components
- Electrical system26
- Power train13
- Air bags11
- Steering10
- Suspension7
- Engine7
- Service brakes6
- Electronic stability control (esc)5
- Exterior lighting5
- Seats3
- Structure2
- Vehicle speed control2
- Fuel/propulsion system1
- Wheels1
Complaints are unverified owner reports to NHTSA and are not normalized for sales volume. One complaint can cite several components.
Data from NHTSA Complaints API · synced Nov 10, 2026NHTSA vehicle page
When complaints were filed
Does it get worse with age? Complaints per calendar year filed
5
20
8
6
8
4
8
3
2
2
0
4
2
1
View as table
| Model year | Complaints filed per calendar year |
|---|---|
| 2013 | 5 |
| 2014 | 20 |
| 2015 | 8 |
| 2016 | 6 |
| 2017 | 8 |
| 2018 | 4 |
| 2019 | 8 |
| 2020 | 3 |
| 2021 | 2 |
| 2022 | 2 |
| 2023 | 0 |
| 2024 | 4 |
| 2025 | 2 |
| 2026 | 1 |
Mileage at failure isn’t a structured field in NHTSA complaint data, so we don’t chart it. Some owners mention it in their reports below.
Top problems in owners’ words
Verbatim from NHTSA complaints, newest first
Electrical system
26 reports3 crashes2 related recalls
“My 2013 has only 75k miles on it and all the dash lights flash and the car fails every couple of days. It has a brand new battery but the gauges on the dash continue to dance. I’m not sure what the problem is but it’s a huge safety factor in drivability.”
Power train
13 reports1 crash
“driving to work on very busy highway. The engine light and Service Battery charging system came on, then went to battery saver almost instantly. Radio cut off, heat cutt off and the Car cut off in the middle of the highway before I could safely get over. this caused me to fear for my life as the cars behind me barely had time to stop. a hair probably could not have fit between us. I did eventually safely get off the highway, had the car towed to a service center. There was 14 different codes.(low voltage, engine running lean, low voltage and more. battery was checked and was 95 %, Alternator fine. was told it was the ECM. After looking on google some sites say there is a recall for 2013 cts some say there is not. there are multiple complaints on this issue and it is not safe. I called Cadillac gave my vin number and was told there was not a recall. Cadillac/GMC really need to issue a recall before something tragic happens, as it almost was me. Thank God that it wasn't.”
Air bags
11 reports5 crashes
“I noticed that on the dash a message that service is needed on one of the airbags. I then scheduled appointment to have the problem corrected. I was informed by the dealership’ service department that I need a passenger airbag replacement on the passenger side of the car, and they also informed me that GM no longer manufactures the airbag that I need. I was not given any assistance on how to replace this safety feature in the car, nor was I notified by the manufacturer that airbag was discontinued.”
Steering
10 reports2 crashes
“THE ELECTRICALLY ADJUSTABLE STEERING WHEEL HAS TWO BOLTS THAT HOLD THE UP DOWN BRACKET ON THE STEERING WHEEL. ONE BOLT FELL OUT AND THE OTHER ONE WAS LOOSE. THE LOCKTITE BLUE WAS ONLY ON ONE THREAD. IF YOU CHECK THE NEWS GROUPS IT SEEMS LIKE A COMMON PROBLEM ON THE CTS. I THINK THIS SHOULD BE A RECALL DUE TO THE FACT IF THE OTHER BOLT FELL OUT THE STEERING COLUMN WOULD FLOP AROUND CAUSING THE DRIVER TO LOOSE CONTROL.”
Suspension
7 reports
“I went to get my car checked at the mechanic because the suspension was making noise. I thought it was the struts which I coudnt change because Cadillac does not make the parts any longer. They found my frame is actually cracked and are charging $3k to fix! They told me to not drive it, imagine how scary it would be if it complete cracks while driving! This is a huge safety concern and upon investigating it looks like I’m not the only one having the same issue, this needs to be recalled”
Engine
7 reports
“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.”
Data from NHTSA Complaints API (owner reports, unverified) · synced Nov 10, 2026
Complaints are unverified owner reports to NHTSA and are not normalized for sales volume. One complaint can cite several components.