2013 Cadillac XTS Electrical System Problems
Owners filed 46 Electrical System complaints for the 2013 Cadillac XTS, 45% of all 103 complaints for the year, the highest share of any model year listed. Two fires were reported. One recall (13V220000) covers a body control module reprogram.
- Electrical System complaints
- 46
- 45% of 103
- Crashes reported
- 0
- Fires reported
- 2
- Injuries reported
- 0
- Median mileage
- 63,000 mi
- Related recalls
- 1
Typical electrical symptoms owners report
- Vehicle loses engine power, power steering, power brakes, and most electrical functions while driving, sometimes repeatedly, requiring the car to be coasted to a stop and restarted.
- Vehicle sputters or stalls unexpectedly while slowing to a stop, with dealers replacing battery cables to attempt a fix, though the failure recurred.
- Vehicle slows on its own with traction control and check engine lights illuminating, traced by a dealer to the battery and battery control module.
- Turn signal bulbs or circuits fail intermittently, with dealers unable to reproduce the fault during diagnostics.
- Electronic instrument panel and other electrical functions shut down temporarily, sometimes requiring towing, with emergency flashers activating randomly.
- Smoke and flames were reported coming from the dashboard area while driving at low speed, requiring fire department response.
When 2013 Cadillac XTS electrical complaints were filed
First complaint Jul 19, 2012, latest May 1, 2026.
Electrical System recalls for the 2013 Cadillac XTS
- NHTSA 13V220000May 24, 2013Electrical System10,210 vehicles
Exterior lighting:brake lights
General Motors LLC (GM) is recalling certain model year 2013 Cadillac ATS and model year 2013 Cadillac XTS; model year 2014 Chevrolet Impala; and 2013 Chevrolet Sonic vehicles. Originally, in May 2013, GM recalled 1,627 model year 2013 Cadillac ATS and model year 2013 Cadillac XTS; and model year 2014 Chevrolet Impala vehicles. In October 2013, GM informed the agency that it was adding model year 2013 Chevrolet Sonic vehicles to this campaign , representing an additional 8,050 units. The total number of vehicles being recalled is now 9,677. On the affected vehicles, the brake lamps may intermittently flash without the brakes being applied and the cruise control may disengage. Thus, these vehicles fail to conform to the requirements of Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standard (FMVSS) No. 108, "Lamps, reflective devices, and associated equipment."
Risk: If the brake lamps flash when the vehicle is not slowing, a following driver may not adjust vehicle speed when the vehicle is in fact braking, and the brake lamps are illuminating as intended, increasing the risk of a crash.
Remedy: GM will notify owners, and dealers will reprogram the body control module. The recall began on June 13, 2013. Owner's may contact Chevrolet at 1-800-630-2438 or Cadillac at 1-866-982-2339. GM's recall number is 13158.
Electrical System complaints by XTS model year
Raw complaint counts per model year; newer years have had less time to accumulate complaints.
- 201346 (45%)
- 201416 (32%)
- 20155 (36%)
- 20167 (32%)
- 201710 (42%)
- 20181 (14%)
- 20190 (0%)
Frequently asked questions
- Does the 2013 Cadillac XTS have an electrical recall?
- Yes. Recall 13V220000, reported May 24, 2013, covers the body control module. GM notified owners and dealers reprogrammed the module starting June 13, 2013.
- How common are electrical complaints on the 2013 XTS?
- NHTSA lists 46 Electrical System complaints for the 2013 XTS, which is 45% of the 103 total complaints filed for that model year, the largest share among all XTS model years shown.
- At what mileage do electrical problems typically show up?
- The median mileage at failure for Electrical System complaints on the 2013 XTS is 63,000 miles.
- Were there any fires linked to electrical problems?
- NHTSA complaint data lists 2 fires among the sample complaints, including one involving smoke and flames from the dashboard area.