2013 Cadillac CTS Reliability Data: Problems & Recalls
Caution The 2013 Cadillac CTS has a Complaint Index of 50 and ranks 8th of 15 model years, earning a Caution verdict. NHTSA lists 73 complaints, 2 recalls, and Electrical System as the top problem area with 30 complaints.
Based on NHTSA complaints per model-year, not a reliability rating. Methodology
YearToAvoid Scorecard
- Complaint Index
- 50/100
- #8 of 15 CTS years
- Verdict
- Caution
- vs. other years of this model
- Complaints
- 73
- unique NHTSA reports
- Recalls
- 2
- distinct NHTSA campaigns
- Crashes
- 10
- reported in complaints
- Fires
- 0
- Injuries
- 8
- Top issue
- Electrical System
- NHTSA overall rating
- 5 / 5 ★
- EPA combined MPG
- 21
- 18 city / 26 hwy
- Injuries / deaths
- 8 / 0
Top 2013 Cadillac CTS problems
Share of this year’s NHTSA complaints by component group. Groups with 15+ complaints have their own page.
- Electrical System30 (41%)
- Transmission & Powertrain13 (18%)
- Airbags11 (15%)
- Brakes11 (15%)
- Steering10 (14%)
- Engine9 (12%)
- Suspension, Wheels & Tires8 (11%)
- Other7 (10%)
- Structure & Body5 (7%)
- Fuel System1 (1%)
A complaint can list more than one component, so shares add up to more than 100%. Shares are % of complaints.
What owners report
- Owners describe sudden unintended acceleration while backing out of a driveway or from a stop, sometimes resulting in collisions.
- Brakes reportedly failed to respond during low-speed maneuvers or after being rear-ended, in some cases with the driver's seat collapsing.
- Airbags allegedly failed to deploy in crashes, or deployed while emitting an odd-smelling powder that irritated eyes and breathing.
- Steering has been reported to seize up briefly during reversing, with the vehicle stalling and rolling into obstacles.
- Electrical system failures reportedly coincided with sudden loss of vehicle control, including one case tied to the 14V394000 key fob recall.
- Transmission delays and harsh shifting have been reported alongside complaints of vague or unresponsive steering feel.
2013 Cadillac CTS recalls
2 NHTSA recall campaigns list this model year.
- NHTSA 14V614000Oct 1, 2014Electrical System106,307 vehicles
Electrical system
General Motors LLC (GM) is recalling certain model year 2013-2014 Cadillac CTS, Escalade, Escalade ESV, Chevrolet Suburban, Tahoe, GMC Yukon, and Yukon XL, and 2014 Buick Enclave, Chevrolet Express, Impala, Silverado HD, Traverse, GMC Acadia, Savana, and Sierra HD vehicles. In the affected vehicles, the chassis electronic module may be internally contaminated, resulting in an electrical short.
Risk: If the module experiences an electrical short, the vehicle could stall, increasing the risk of a crash.
Remedy: GM will notify owners, and dealers will replace the chassis electronic module, free of charge. The recall began on December 26, 2014. Owners may contact GM customer service at 1-800-521-7300 (Buick), 1-800-458-006 (Cadillac), 1-800-222-1020 (Chevrolet), and 1-800-462-8782 (GMC). GMÂs number for this recall is 14515.
- 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.
2013 Cadillac CTS fuel economy and fuel cost
- City
- 18 MPG
- Highway
- 26 MPG
- Combined
- 21 MPG
- Annual fuel cost (EPA)
- $3,100
- 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.
2013 compared with other CTS years
Frequently asked questions
- Is the 2013 Cadillac CTS reliable?
- NHTSA data give the 2013 CTS a Complaint Index of 50, a Caution verdict, and a rank of 8th out of 15 model years for this model. It performs better than the highest-complaint years like 2009 (index 100) but worse than newer years like 2016-2019.
- What is the top problem area for the 2013 Cadillac CTS?
- Electrical System complaints lead with 30 reports, making up 41% of all complaints for this year, according to NHTSA.
- Does the 2013 Cadillac CTS have any recalls?
- NHTSA lists 2 recalls for the 2013 CTS: one for a chassis electronic module replacement (14V614000) and one addressing an airbag-related key fob issue (14V394000). Neither is classified as a do-not-drive recall.
- How many complaints does the 2013 Cadillac CTS have?
- NHTSA lists 73 complaints for the 2013 Cadillac CTS, including 10 crashes and 8 injuries, with no reported fires or deaths.
- Which Cadillac CTS years are better than 2013?
- Years 2010, 2012, 2015, 2016, 2017, 2018, and 2019 all carry lower Complaint Index scores and Good or Best verdicts, compared to the 2013 model's Caution rating.