YearToAvoid

2005 Cadillac CTS Problems, Recalls & Reliability

Verdict

Avoid

Complaint Index

93/100

#2 most-complained of 15 CTS years

Based on NHTSA complaints per model-year, not a reliability rating. Methodology

The 2005 Cadillac CTS has 277 owner complaints and 6 safety recalls on file with NHTSA. Its Complaint Index is 93 out of 100 — #2 highest of 15 CTS model years (verdict: Avoid). The most reported problem area is transmission & powertrain (82 complaints, 30% of the total). Complaints report 25 crashes, 4 fires, 31 injuries, and 2 deaths.

Complaints
277
Recalls
6
Crashes / fires
25 / 4
Injuries / deaths
31 / 2
NHTSA overall rating
Not rated
EPA combined MPG
19
16 city / 24.5 hwy

Top 2005 Cadillac CTS problems

NHTSA owner complaints by component group. Groups with 15+ complaints have their own page.

  1. Transmission & Powertrain82 (30%)
  2. Airbags74 (27%)
  3. Electrical System44 (16%)
  4. Brakes43 (16%)
  5. Engine40 (14%)
  6. Suspension, Wheels & Tires26 (9%)
  7. Fuel System15 (5%)
  8. Steering15 (5%)
  9. Structure & Body14 (5%)
  10. Other12 (4%)
2005 Cadillac CTS complaints: complaints filed per quarter362005 Q12007 Q22009 Q32012 Q12014 Q22016 Q32018 Q42022 Q1
377 complaints filed with NHTSA from 2005 Q1 to 2025 Q4; peak 2006 Q1 (36).

2005 Cadillac CTS recalls

6 NHTSA recall campaigns list this model year.

  1. NHTSA 14V542000Sep 9, 2014Fuel System10,005 vehicles

    Fuel system, gasoline:delivery:fuel pump

    General Motors LLC (GM) is recalling certain model year 2004-2007 Cadillac CTS-V vehicles manufactured October 6, 2003, to March 15, 2007, and 2006-2007 Cadillac STS-V vehicles manufactured June 23, 2005, to March 15, 2007. In the affected vehicles, the electrical terminals of the fuel pump module may overheat resulting in the melting of the flange material.

    Risk: If the flange melts, a hole may be created allowing the fuel pump to leak fuel, causing the vehicle to stall, increasing the risk of a vehicle crash. Additionally, leaking fuel in the presence of an ignition source increases the risk of a fire.

    Remedy: GM will notify owners, and dealers will replace the fuel module and fuel tank jumper harness, free of charge. GM sent out interim notices in late October. The recall began on March 12, 2015. Owners may contact Cadillac customer service at 1-800-458-8006. GM's number for this recall is 14405.

  2. NHTSA 14V394000Jul 2, 2014Electrical System554,328 vehicles

    Electrical system:ignition

    This defect can affect the safe operation of the airbag system. Until this recall is performed, customers should remove all items from their key rings, leaving only the ignition key. The key fob (if applicable), should also be removed from the key ring. General Motors LLC (GM) notified the agency on July 2, 2014 that they are recalling 554,328 model year 2003-2014 Cadillac CTS vehicles manufactured August 16, 2001, to April 28, 2014, and 2004-2006 Cadillac SRX vehicles manufactured March 20, 2003, to August 11, 2006. In these models, the weight on the key ring and/or road conditions or some other jarring event may cause the ignition switch to move out of the run position, turning off the engine.

    Risk: If the key is not in the run position, the air bags may not deploy if the vehicle is involved in a crash, increasing the risk of injury.

    Remedy: GM will notify owners, and dealers will install two key rings and an insert in the key slot or a cover over the key head on all ignition keys, free of charge. The recall began on September 15, 2014. Owners may contact Cadillac customer service at 1-800-458-8006. GM's number for this recall is 14172.

  3. NHTSA 10V644000Dec 17, 2010Airbags95,927 vehicles

    Air bags:frontal:sensor/control module-inactive

    General motors is recalling certain model year 2005-2007 cadillac cts vehicles. Some of these vehicles have a condition in which repeated flexing of the passenger sensing system mat in the front passenger seat may cause the mat to kink, bend, or fold. This flexing can break the connections in the mat. If this occurs, the sensor may not detect the presence of a front seat passenger and will disable the air bag.

    Risk: Non-deployment of the front passenger air bag in the event of a crash necessitating that air bag's deployment may reduce protection of the passenger and increase the risk or severity of injury to them.

    Remedy: Dealers will replace the passenger sensing system free of charge. The safety recall is expected to begin on or about march 15, 2011. Owners may contact cadillac at 1-866-982-2339, chevrolet at 1-800-630-2438, gmc at 1-866-996-9463 and at the owner center at www.gmownercenter.com.

See all 6 recalls for the 2005 Cadillac CTS →

2005 Cadillac CTS fuel economy and fuel cost

City
16 MPG
Highway
24.5 MPG
Combined
19 MPG
Annual fuel cost (EPA)
$3,400
15,000 mi/yr
Fuel
Regular
Current regular gas
$4.32/gal
national avg.

EPA figures; median across configurations of this model year. Estimate your own cost with the fuel cost calculator.

2005 compared with other CTS years

Complaint Index by model year (0 = fewest issues, 100 = most)0255075100’05’06’07’08’09’10’11’12’13’14’15’16’17’18’19
Complaint Index: 0 = fewest issues, 100 = most, relative to other years of this model. Avoid Caution Good Best
YearVerdictIndexComplaintsRecallsMPG
2005Avoid93277619
2006Avoid79269619
2007Avoid86217619

All Cadillac CTS years: best and worst →

Frequently asked questions

Is the 2005 Cadillac CTS a reliable year?
Judged by NHTSA owner complaints and recalls, the 2005 Cadillac CTS ranks #2 of 15 among CTS model years (Complaint Index 93/100, verdict: Avoid). It has 277 complaints and 6 recalls on file. This reflects reported safety-related problems, not an overall reliability rating.
What are the most common problems with the 2005 Cadillac CTS?
The most reported problem areas are transmission & powertrain (82 complaints), airbags (74 complaints), and electrical system (44 complaints). The median mileage at the time of failure in complaints that report it is 67,581 miles.
Does the 2005 Cadillac CTS have any recalls?
Yes — NHTSA lists 6 recall campaigns for the 2005 Cadillac CTS, most recently reported 2014, covering fuel system, electrical system, airbags, and brakes.
What is the fuel economy of the 2005 Cadillac CTS?
EPA rates the 2005 Cadillac CTS at 19 MPG combined (16 city / 24.5 highway), with an estimated annual fuel cost of $3,400. Where several configurations exist, the median is shown.

Sources: NHTSA Office of Defects Investigation complaint and recall databases; U.S. EPA fuel economy data; NHTSA 5-Star Safety Ratings. Complaints are unverified owner reports.

Data updated Sep 24, 2026. Read the methodology and data sources. The Complaint Index is based on NHTSA owner complaints and recalls; it is not a reliability rating.