MODELYEARINDEX

Which Cadillac XTS years to avoid

Across 4 scored model years, the 2013 model year carries the highest severity-weighted complaint rates.

Ownership label · Cadillac XTS Full report
D
Grade 2013–2017
2013 vs model median 1.6×
Model median3× median
Suspension 9
Electrical 7
Tires & Wheels 7
Avoid

2013

Best

2015 · 2017

Year by year

Severity-weighted complaints filed in each model year’s first 60 months on the road, so every year is measured over an identical window.

Year Complaint volume vs median Reports Grade
2013
1.60× 51 D
2014
1.22× 29 C
2015
0.39× 11 B
2017
0.78× 24 B

What owners report

The component groups most often named, with one representative report. These are unverified — allegations, not findings.

2013 D 51 reports · median 30,000 mi

  1. Suspension 9

    2013 cadillac xts. Consumer writes in regards to vehicle rear suspension problems. The consumer stated for the third time, the rear suspension had bottom out. owner complaint filed with NHTSA

  2. Electrical 7

    In light of the recent gm's recall for faulty ignition switches, these car have a problem too! It is way to easy to accidentally shut the car off by touching the stop start button on the dash. owner complaint filed with NHTSA

  3. Tires & Wheels 7

    My wife and I purchased a new 2013 cadillac xts a year ago and have had issues with the vogue tires and rims that came with the car. owner complaint filed with NHTSA

1 fire

2014 C 29 reports · median 1,444 mi

  1. Electrical 7

    At 5:15am, 5/29/14, my xts while parked in my residence driveway spontaneously caught fire. The fire emanated from the engine compartment and destroyed the entire front 1/2 of the vehicle. owner complaint filed with NHTSA

  2. Brakes 4

    Short version: while driving approx. 55mph, rear brakes locked up. We pulled over into a parking lot and the brakes were smoking and a small fire appeared on each rear brake. owner complaint filed with NHTSA

  3. Body & Interior 3

    While wearing my dress shoes for church today (size 13) I pivoted my foot from the accelerator toward the brake pedal and encountered a solid object that prevented me from actuating the brakes. owner complaint filed with NHTSA

1 crash · 5 fire · 1 injuries

The best year for the XTS

Ranked by overall score among years with a full 60 months on the road.

2015 is the best-scoring XTS model year with a full 60 months on the road, at 82.7 out of 100 — a score that combines complaint rate, recall campaigns and open investigations.

Yearvs medianReportsGrade
2015 0.39× 11 B
2017 0.78× 24 B
2014 1.22× 29 C

Recalls

8 campaigns on record.

Campaign Component Model years Units affected
14V541000 PARKING BRAKE 2013–2015 205,309
14V116000 SERVICE BRAKES, HYDRAULIC:POWER ASSIST:VACUUM:HOSES, LINES/PIPING, AND FITTINGS 2013, 2014 63,903
12V525000 SEATS:MID/REAR ASSEMBLY 2013 12,626
13V220000 ELECTRICAL SYSTEM 2013 10,210
26V329000 AIR BAGS:FRONTAL:DRIVER SIDE:INFLATOR MODULE 2015 5,014
15V666000 AIR BAGS:SIDE/WINDOW 2015 395
14V409000 STEERING 2014 106
14V518000 AIR BAGS:FRONTAL:SENSOR/CONTROL MODULE-INACTIVE 2013, 2014 5

How long do they last?

Complaint records show when problems get reported, not how long a car survives. Where owners gave an odometer reading, faults on the 2013 were reported at a median of 30,000 miles. Treat that as the point problems start being noticed, not a lifespan.

Common questions

Answered directly from this model’s record.

Which Cadillac XTS years should you avoid?
2013 carry the highest severity-weighted complaint rates of any Cadillac XTS model year measured over an identical 60-month window.
What is the best year for the Cadillac XTS?
2015 is the best-scoring Cadillac XTS model year with a full 60 months on the road, at 82.7 out of 100. The score combines complaint rate, recall campaigns and open investigations.
How many recalls does the Cadillac XTS have?
8 distinct recall campaigns are on record across all scored Cadillac XTS model years. A recall is a matter of record: the manufacturer filed a defect report with NHTSA.

How this was calculated

Every model year is scored over an identical window: complaints filed with NHTSA during the first 60 months after that model year went on sale. Without this, older cars look worse purely because they have had longer to accumulate reports.

Limitations. Complaints are unverified reports submitted voluntarily by owners; they are allegations, not findings, and reporting rates vary between models. Model years with fewer than 60 months on the road are marked provisional and excluded from verdicts. Cross-model comparison is withheld pending production-volume data.

Full methodology · Sources · Data vintage August 9, 2026

Working 2013 XTS
Complaints in window
51
Severity-weighted
67.5
Model median (weighted)
42
vs model median
1.60×
Recall campaigns (weighted)
5
Open investigations
0
Score 47.6 D