Research · complaint index
Cadillac CTS years to avoidWhat NHTSA complaint data does and doesn’t say
We compared 17 model years of the Cadillac CTS by owner complaints to NHTSA, adjusted for how long each year has been on the road. No single year stands far above the rest.
Complaints per year on the road
1.0 = typical year for this model
| Year | Complaints | Per year on road | Index | Recalls | Crashes | Signal |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2019 | 10 | 1 | 0.2 | 0 | 0 | Fewest complaints |
| 2018 | 8 | 1 | 0.1 | 2 | 1 | Fewest complaints |
| 2017 | 27 | 3 | 0.4 | 2 | 1 | Fewest complaints |
| 2016 | 31 | 3 | 0.4 | 4 | 0 | Fewest complaints |
| 2015 | 50 | 4 | 0.6 | 3 | 2 | Typical |
| 2014 | 146 | 11 | 1.7 | 6 | 4 | Typical |
| 2013 | 73 | 5 | 0.8 | 2 | 10 | Typical |
| 2012 | 67 | 4 | 0.7 | 2 | 6 | Typical |
| 2011 | 108 | 7 | 1.0 | 2 | 11 | Typical |
| 2010 | 0 | 0 | 0.0 | 3 | 0 | Fewest complaints |
| 2009 | 168 | 9 | 1.4 | 5 | 10 | Typical |
| 2008 | 175 | 9 | 1.4 | 2 | 12 | Typical |
| 2007 | 218 | 11 | 1.6 | 6 | 26 | Typical |
| 2006 | 272 | 13 | 1.9 | 6 | 23 | Typical |
| 2005 | 284 | 13 | 1.9 | 6 | 25 | Typical |
| 2004 | 229 | 10 | 1.5 | 6 | 26 | Typical |
| 2003 | 319 | 13 | 2.0 | 4 | 29 | Typical |
- 201910 complaints · 0 recallsFewest complaints
- 20188 complaints · 2 recallsFewest complaints
- 201727 complaints · 2 recallsFewest complaints
- 201631 complaints · 4 recallsFewest complaints
- 201550 complaints · 3 recallsTypical
- 2014146 complaints · 6 recallsTypical
- 201373 complaints · 2 recallsTypical
- 201267 complaints · 2 recallsTypical
- 2011108 complaints · 2 recallsTypical
- 20100 complaints · 3 recallsFewest complaints
- 2009168 complaints · 5 recallsTypical
- 2008175 complaints · 2 recallsTypical
- 2007218 complaints · 6 recallsTypical
- 2006272 complaints · 6 recallsTypical
- 2005284 complaints · 6 recallsTypical
- 2004229 complaints · 6 recallsTypical
- 2003319 complaints · 4 recallsTypical
Data from NHTSA Complaints & Recalls APIs · synced Nov 10, 2026
Fewest complaints for their age: 2010, 2018, 2019, 2017, 2016.
About this comparison
What Cadillac CTS years have the most complaints?
No Cadillac CTS model year drew more than twice the typical complaint rate among the 17 model years compared. The highest was 2003.
Is this a reliability rating?
No. These are counts of unverified owner complaints to NHTSA. They are not adjusted for how many cars were sold, so a popular year can collect more complaints. Use them to find patterns, then read the reports.
Complaints are unverified owner reports to NHTSA and are not normalized for sales volume. One complaint can cite several components.