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Model file · CadillacUpdated · 16 sources

Selling a dead or damaged Cadillac CTS

The first CTS model year is still the one with the most complaints. NHTSA's file shows 313 owner complaints on the 2003 through October 10, 2026, and the 2003-2007 first generation accounts for 1,316 of all 2,245.

A champagne first-generation Cadillac CTS sedan parked at a curb on gravel, seen from the front and passenger side
Photo: IFCAR · Public domain · Wikimedia Commons
Complaints to NHTSA, 2003-2019
2,245
Year with the most complaints
2003 (313)
First generation, 2003-2007
1,316 complaints
Recall campaigns
29
Body styles
Sedan; coupe (2011-2014); wagon (2010-2014)
Built in
Lansing, Michigan
Replaced by
Cadillac CT5

You can sell a CTS as is, even with the air bag light on, the transmission slipping or the engine not turning over. We buy whole non-running and junk cars. You sell the whole car as it sits, with free pickup anywhere in the US.

CTS complaints and recalls, year by year

Every count is a complaint an owner sent NHTSA on or before October 10, 2026. The last CTS years have had less road time, so their totals are small so far. Recall cells show how many campaigns name each year; a campaign like 14V394, which names 2003 through 2014, lands in many rows.

Model yearComplaintsMost-named componentRecall campaigns
2003313Electrical system (39)4
2004229Power train (46)7
2005284Power train (68)7
2006272Air bags (82)7
2007218Air bags (57)7
2008175Electrical system (33)2
2009167Engine (46)5
201068Air bags (16)3
2011108Air bags (22)2
201267Electrical system (10)2
201373Electrical system (20)2
2014146Power train (75)7
201549Power train (18)4
2016-201976Electrical or power train; none above 8 in a year4, 2, 2, 0

The 2014 row mixes two generations: the third-generation sedan and the last second-generation coupes and wagons.

Three generations, and where the complaints sit

Recall vehicle counts below cover each whole campaign. Where a campaign named other models, it says so.

2003-2007: air bags and the drivetrain

Wikipedia says the first CTS was built in Lansing, Michigan, on GM's rear-drive Sigma platform, with 2.6, 2.8 and 3.2-liter V6s. It came with a 5-speed 5L40-E automatic or a 5- or 6-speed manual. The CTS-V of 2004-2007 used a V8 and needed its own engine cradle.

Air bags lead the 2006 (82 of 272) and 2007 (57 of 218), with 67 more on the 2005. Recall 10V644 replaced the passenger sensing system on 2005-2007 cars, where repeated flexing could damage the seat mat. Power train complaints peak on the 2005, at 68. Recall 07V589 replaced rear axle pinion seals that could leak on 2005-2007 cars, in a campaign of 275,936 vehicles.

Two recalls are worth a look on any first-generation car. 10V105 replaced both front brake hoses on 2003-2007 CTSs registered or first sold in a list of salt-belt states, including Connecticut, Illinois, Iowa, Maine, Maryland and Massachusetts. 06V020 updated engine software on 2005-2006 V6 cars that could stop getting fuel without the low-fuel light or chime coming on.

2008-2014: fewer complaints, more body styles

The second generation moved to the Sigma II platform and added a wagon for 2010 and a coupe for 2011. Wikipedia lists 2.8 and 3.0-liter V6s with a 6-speed 6L50 automatic, and the 2009-2014 CTS-V with a 6L90 automatic or a manual. Complaints fall from 175 on the 2008 to 67 on the 2012. The 2009 stands out, with 46 complaints on the engine.

Recall 11V089 put new jam nuts on the rear toe links of 2009-2010 CTSs, where a wax coating could let them loosen. 10V414 replaced the glove compartment on 2009-2010 all-wheel-drive cars and the CTS-V to meet the crash protection standard.

2014-2019: the transmission spike

The third generation, built on GM's Alpha platform, offered a 2.0-liter turbo four and 3.6-liter V6s, with 6-speed and 8-speed automatics. Wikipedia calls its 2016-2019 CTS-V, with a 640-horsepower supercharged 6.2 V8, the most powerful Cadillac ever produced.

The 2014 has 146 complaints, and 75 are on the power train. Recall 14V338 checked that the shift cable was seated at the transmission and shifter on 2014 CTSs and 2013-2014 ATSs, in a campaign of 90,750 vehicles. Later recalls: 18V595 turned off automatic heated seats on 2014-2016 cars whose seat heating mats could be damaged, and 19V086 replaced the power steering gear on 2016-2018 CTSs, plus some ATS, Camaro and Corvette models, where electric assist could quit.

Fix it or let it go?

Have the repair quoted on paper, then weigh it against what a working CTS like yours sells for. When the two are close, the repair rarely pays back.

  1. Check recalls first at NHTSA's recall lookup. On a 2003-2007 from a salt-belt state, ask about the brake hose recall.
  2. Air bag light on a 2005-2007? It may be the passenger sensing mat under 10V644.
  3. Shifting trouble on a 2014? Ask whether 14V338 was done, then read the bad transmission guide.
  4. Warning lights everywhere? Electrical problems helps you sort out what's worth chasing.

Selling a CTS whole

  1. Note the body style and drive: sedan, coupe or wagon, rear-drive or all-wheel drive, and whether it's a CTS-V.
  2. Get an offer online, or call (877) 421-6008.
  3. Explain where the car is, and whether it moves in Neutral. Pickup is free anywhere in the US.
  4. Leave it whole, wheels and converters included, and mention anything missing.
  5. Pickup: title in hand, photo ID with you. After you sell covers plates and insurance.

No title? See selling with no title. The CTS replaced the Catera and gave way to the CT5. See every Cadillac we cover.

Questions people ask

Which CTS model years have the most NHTSA complaints?
The 2003, the debut year, at 313 in NHTSA's October 10, 2026 file. The 2005 (284), 2006 (272) and 2004 (229) come after it. The 2018 CTS has 8 and the 2019 has 10, but owners of those late cars have had only a short time to write in.
Is there a recall for the CTS passenger air bag sensor?
Yes, on 2005-2007 cars. Recall 10V644 says repeated flexing of the passenger sensing mat in the front passenger seat can damage it, and dealers replace the passenger sensing system. The campaign covers 95,927 vehicles. Your VIN at nhtsa.gov/recalls shows whether yours got it.
Will you buy a CTS with a dead transmission?
Yes. We buy whole non-running and junk cars, and there is free pickup anywhere in the US. Say if your CTS is stuck in Park or rolls in Neutral, and where it's parked.

Sources

Every fact on this page comes from one of these. Checked October 11, 2026.

  1. NHTSA complaints flat file (FLAT_CMPL.zip), Cadillac CTS, downloaded October 10, 2026 nhtsa.gov
  2. NHTSA: Check for recalls by VIN nhtsa.gov
  3. NHTSA recall 03V115: intermediate steering shaft bolt, 2003 nhtsa.gov
  4. NHTSA recall 05V024: sensing and diagnostic module, 2004 nhtsa.gov
  5. NHTSA recall 06V020: V6 fuel supply software, 2005-2006 nhtsa.gov
  6. NHTSA recall 07V589: rear axle pinion seal, 2005-2007 nhtsa.gov
  7. NHTSA recall 10V105: front brake hoses, 2003-2007 nhtsa.gov
  8. NHTSA recall 10V414: glove compartment, 2009-2010 AWD and CTS-V nhtsa.gov
  9. NHTSA recall 10V644: passenger sensing mat, 2005-2007 nhtsa.gov
  10. NHTSA recall 11V089: rear toe link jam nuts, 2009-2010 nhtsa.gov
  11. NHTSA recall 14V253: wiper module, 2014 nhtsa.gov
  12. NHTSA recall 14V338: transmission shift cable, 2014 nhtsa.gov
  13. NHTSA recall 18V595: heated seat mats, 2014-2016 nhtsa.gov
  14. NHTSA recall 19V086: electric power steering, 2016-2018 nhtsa.gov
  15. EPA fuel economy data (model years and versions) fueleconomy.gov
  16. Wikipedia: Cadillac CTS (generations, engines, transmissions, CTS-V) en.wikipedia.org