What breaks most · 2013 to 2018 model years
Cadillac XTS problems by year
Owners have filed 100 safety complaints with NHTSA about the Cadillac XTS across model years 2013 to 2018. Three years stand out: 2013 for electrical system complaints, 2014 for electrical system complaints and 2015 for electrical system complaints. The quietest years are 2016.
- Years to check closely: 2013, 2014, 2015
- Fewest complaints: 2016
- Complaints on file
- 1002013 to 2018, all trims
- Worst year
- 201358 complaints
- Crashes reported
- 45 fires · 2 injuries · 0 deaths
- Typical failure mileage
- 35kMedian where owners gave mileage
- Recall campaigns
- 13Across the years shown
Complaints by model year
Raw filings with NHTSA, not adjusted for how many were sold.
| Model year | Complaints | Crashes | Recalls | Most-reported component |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 58 | 0 | 5 | Electrical system (19) | |
| 22 | 2 | 4 | Electrical system (8) | |
| 7 | 0 | 3 | Electrical system (3) | |
| 6 | 1 | 0 | Electrical system (2) | |
| 6 | 1 | 0 | Unknown or other (3) | |
| 1 | 0 | 1 | Unknown or other (1) |
What fails on the 2013 Cadillac XTS
| Component | Share of complaints | Filings | Crashes | Parts for this job |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Electrical systemAlternators, starters and ignition | 33% |
19 | 0 | Shop electrical system parts for the 2013 Cadillac XTS |
| SuspensionStruts, springs and control arms | 22% |
13 | 0 | Shop suspension parts for the 2013 Cadillac XTS |
| EngineEngine gaskets and seals | 14% |
8 | 0 | Shop engine parts for the 2013 Cadillac XTS |
| Exterior lightingHeadlights, tail lights and bulbs | 10% |
6 | 0 | Shop exterior lighting parts for the 2013 Cadillac XTS |
| BrakesBrake pads, rotors and calipers | 10% |
6 | 0 | Shop brakes parts for the 2013 Cadillac XTS |
| Wheels | 9% |
5 | 0 | — |
| Unknown or other | 9% |
5 | 0 | — |
| Speed control and throttleThrottle and pedal sensors | 5% |
3 | 0 | Shop speed control and throttle parts for the 2013 Cadillac XTS |
One complaint can name more than one component, so shares add to more than 100%. "Unknown or other" is NHTSA's uncategorized bucket and is shown but never ranked.
In owners' words
Complaint narratives as filed with NHTSA, trimmed for length.
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The cadillac electric cue system screen malfunctions causing the operational system to shut down. This involves the heating, navigation system etc... This has been an ongoing issue with cadillac since 2013. The only way that they will repair the system if it is under warranty.
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Cadillac cue system that controls all functions of the vent, air defrost temp, radio, windows, and many other systems of the auto, does not function or respond to touch on the touch screen, this is a safety problem for vision in bad weather ,this is a constant problem with most cadillac xts autos
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Service side detection system alert in dic. While driving in city, multiple alerts in dash board and intermittent black out of all gages and indictors totally unpredictable, unreliable and unsafe.
How to read this page
Every figure comes from the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration's public complaint database, which holds every safety-related defect complaint filed by owners since 1995. We refresh it monthly and count each complaint once per component it names. Data through September 30, 2026.
NHTSA only accepts safety-related complaints. Rattles, paint, infotainment bugs and other annoyances are under-reported here, so this page is a map of what fails in ways owners consider dangerous, not a full reliability score.
Counts are raw. Use the year-over-year shape and the component mix, not the absolute numbers. Where a component maps to parts we stock, the row links to that category filtered to the year you are viewing. Air bag and seat belt complaints link to the recall checker instead, because those repairs are almost always covered.
Common questions
Which Cadillac XTS years have the most problems?
By NHTSA complaint volume, 2013, 2014, 2015 carry the most filings on the Cadillac XTS. The 2013 alone has 58 complaints, led by electrical system.
What is the most common Cadillac XTS problem?
On the 2013 model year, the most-reported component is electrical system with 19 complaints. The table above lists the top components for every year.
At what mileage do Cadillac XTS problems start?
The median mileage at failure across all Cadillac XTS complaints that include mileage is about 35,000 miles. Older model years skew higher; the per-year figure is in the "at a glance" card.
Are these complaints verified?
No. NHTSA publishes complaints as submitted and does not investigate individual filings. Patterns across hundreds of complaints are meaningful; a single one is not.