Total Complaints
145 filings
CADILLAC XTS · model year
145 NHTSA complaints, and 5 active recalls for this specific cohort.
NHTSA overall rating
5 / 5 ★
New Car Assessment Program
The 2013CADILLACXTS carries 145 consumer safety complaints in NHTSA's Office of Defects Investigation database for this specific model-year cohort. Within that volume, owners reported 0 crashes, 3 fires, 0 injuries, and 0 fatalities. For crash performance, NHTSA's New Car Assessment Program gave this cohort an overall 5/5 rating, with 5/5 front crash, 5/5 side crash, and 4/5 rollover scores derived from standardized barrier and dynamic tests.
Component-level analysis is where model-year complaints become actionable: the top complaint category for the 2013 XTS is electrical system with 40 filings, followed by suspension (24) and unknown or other (13). Concentration in one or two component groups is the classic signature of a systemic defect; a flat distribution usually reflects normal aging, warranty complaints, or isolated build-plant variability. This model year has 5 active recall campaigns, which means the manufacturer is obligated to remedy the covered defect at no charge for the life of the vehicle — the full NHTSA campaign numbers are listed below.
NHTSA currently has 10 investigation files overlapping the 2013 XTS, and 1 remain open. Owners comparing this cohort against neighboring years should pair the counters above with the complaint-by-year trend on the parent model page — a spike in a single year often tracks to a platform refresh, a new transmission supplier, or an updated ECU calibration. Use the related-complaint feed below to read raw owner narratives before deciding whether any pattern here affects your specific use case.
Total Complaints
145 filings
Crashes Reported
0 reports
Source
NHTSA ODI
Federal complaints database
At or below the fleet median complaint volume.
| Component | Count |
|---|---|
| ELECTRICAL SYSTEM | 40 |
| SUSPENSION | 24 |
| UNKNOWN OR OTHER | 13 |
| ENGINE | 12 |
| EXTERIOR LIGHTING | 8 |
| SERVICE BRAKES | 6 |
| VEHICLE SPEED CONTROL | 6 |
| WHEELS | 4 |
| AIR BAGS | 3 |
| STEERING | 3 |
| SEATS | 3 |
| ELECTRONIC STABILITY CONTROL (ESC) | 3 |
| SERVICE BRAKES, HYDRAULIC | 2 |
| WHEELS:RIM | 2 |
| FORWARD COLLISION AVOIDANCE: WARNINGS | 2 |
SEATS:MID/REAR ASSEMBLY
General Motors is recalling certain model year 2013 Cadillac XTS vehicles manufactured from October 12, 2011, through August 30, 2012, for failing to comply with the requirements of Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standard No. 202, "Head Restraints." The rear seat head restraints may not lock in the u
AIR BAGS:FRONTAL:SENSOR/CONTROL MODULE-INACTIVE
General Motors LLC (GM) is recalling certain model year 2013-2014 Cadillac XTS vehicles manufactured April 11, 2013, to June 27, 2013, and 2014 Chevrolet Impala vehicles manufactured May 13, 2013, to November 5, 2013. The affected vehicles may have left the factory with the sensing and diagnostic m
ELECTRICAL SYSTEM
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 2
SERVICE BRAKES, HYDRAULIC:POWER ASSIST:VACUUM:HOSES, LINES/PIPING, AND FITTINGS
General Motors LLC (GM) is recalling certain model year 2013-2014 Cadillac XTS vehicles manufactured February 14, 2012, through March 7, 2014. In the affected vehicles, a cavity plug on the brake booster pump connector may dislodge allowing corrosion of the brake booster pump relay connector.
PARKING BRAKE
General Motors LLC (GM) is recalling certain model year 2013-2015 Cadillac XTS vehicles manufactured February 14, 2012, to August 22, 2014, and 2014-2015 Chevrolet Impala vehicles manufactured November 5, 2012, to September 2, 2014. In the affected vehicles, the electronic parking brake piston actu
The contact owns a 2013 Cadillac XTS. The contact stated that while driving at an undisclosed speed, the rear suspension was bouncing, and the vehicle became difficult to maneuver. The message to "Check Leveling System" was displayed on the instrument panel. The contact researched and became aware of a recall; however, the VIN was not under recall. The vehicle was taken to the residence and the vehicle was self-diagnosed and it was determined that the stabilizer bar had detached. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was notified of the failure and referred the contact to the NHTSA Hotline to report a failure. The failure mileage was approximately 200,000.
Mileage: 200,000
Automatic Headlamp Leveling System malfunction causing safety issues with nighttime driving.
My VIN is not associated with the recall, identified as NHTSA ID 12V525. It affected 12,626 2013 Cadillac XTS vehicles manufactured between October 12, 2011, and August 30, 2012. However, the rear seat headrests in this 2013 Cadillac XTS will not stay in the upright position. SAFETY CONCERN: This could lead to the headrest collapsing during a crash, potentially increasing the risk of injury to rear seat occupant I called my local dealer Red Nolan Cadillac and they informed me that since the VIN is not associated with the recall, they cannot help me with a replacement unless I pay $497 for labor and parts to replace the headrests in the rear of my vehicle. HELP!!! I believe this is a safety issue when someone is in the back seat. It has already been identified as a safety issue. The rear seat headrest mechanism may not engage properly, causing the headrest to not lock in the upright position after being folded forward. REMEDY:The recall involved replacing the affected headrest me
As Iâm driving with cruise set my brake lamps intermittently flashing without breaking and the cruise control potentially disengage. A software glitch in the body controls module. Plus, my passenger light says the dim light it out when itâs not. Iâv had a mechanic replace the light multiple times and he says it something in the wiring.
As Iâm driving with cruise set my brake lamps intermittently flashing without breaking and the cruise control potentially disengage. A software glitch in the body controls module. Plus, my passenger light says the dim light it out when itâs not. Iâv had a mechanic replace the light multiple times and he says it something in the wiring.
As Iâm driving with cruise set my brake lamps intermittently flashing without breaking and the cruise control potentially disengage. A software glitch in the body controls module. Plus, my passenger light says the dim light it out when itâs not. Iâv had a mechanic replace the light multiple times and he says it something in the wiring.
I have replaced my low beam 4 times and itâs still showing the light is out and it is. My cruise control disengaged when Iâm driving above 65 with the cruise set and thereâs no cars in front of me.
I have replaced my low beam 4 times and itâs still showing the light is out and it is. My cruise control disengaged when Iâm driving above 65 with the cruise set and thereâs no cars in front of me.
The contact owns a 2013 Cadillac XTS. The contact stated while driving 25 MPH and attempting to stop, the brake pedal was depressed; however, the vehicle failed to respond as needed with the brake pedal going down to the floorboard. The vehicle was taken to an independent mechanic to be diagnosed. The contact was informed that the brake booster had failed and needed to be replaced. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was notified of the failure. The failure mileage was 118,000.
Mileage: 118,000
The gear is stuck between P and R. I am unable to move the vehicle when this occurred, I have too call AAA.
Cadillac Cue Radio spider web cracked. After doing further research I have found that GM has been aware of the issues and has still yet to do a recall or work with people on replacing them at no cost as the radio screen is something out of the consumer hands. The whole touch screen will go out as Iâve read and not be able to use any radio function or control anything else the radio screen does.
Rear seat head restraint does not lock in upright position. I drive with read head restraint folded down for visibility. When I try to lock in upright position for passengers, brighter head restraint locks upright.
Messageâstalbility track needs serviceâ while driving, speedometer and rpm hands become unstable with lights for traction coming on. Then car shuts down with no acceleration. Have brought to GM service several times and they canât find the problem.
Mileage: 57,868
Messageâstalbility track needs serviceâ while driving, speedometer and rpm hands become unstable with lights for traction coming on. Then car shuts down with no acceleration. Have brought to GM service several times and they canât find the problem.
Mileage: 57,868
Messageâstalbility track needs serviceâ while driving, speedometer and rpm hands become unstable with lights for traction coming on. Then car shuts down with no acceleration. Have brought to GM service several times and they canât find the problem.
Mileage: 57,868
The contact owns a 2013 Cadillac XTS. The contact stated while driving at an undisclosed speed, the hazard lights independently activated, and the CUE touch screen became inoperable. The electrical system failure warning light was illuminated. The contact was able to safely drive the vehicle. The contact stated that the vehicle then lost motive power and was towed to a nearby Pep Boys, where the contact was informed that the vehicle needed to be taken to the dealer for service. The vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired by an independent mechanic or dealer. The manufacturer was not made aware of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 118,000.
Mileage: 118,000
The contact owns a 2013 Cadillac XTS. The contact stated while driving at an undisclosed speed, the hazard lights independently activated, and the CUE touch screen became inoperable. The electrical system failure warning light was illuminated. The contact was able to safely drive the vehicle. The contact stated that the vehicle then lost motive power and was towed to a nearby Pep Boys, where the contact was informed that the vehicle needed to be taken to the dealer for service. The vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired by an independent mechanic or dealer. The manufacturer was not made aware of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 118,000.
Mileage: 118,000
Front right passenger side suspension slams hard on the ground while driving at times. It has occurred multiple times and this can be dangerous while driving. It has been checked out and repaired by replacing them but front right side suspension still slams while driving after a few months. This is an expensive problem as well as dangerous.
The contact owned a 2013 Cadillac XTS. The contact stated that they parked their vehicle and approximately 5-10 minutes afterward the vehicle caught fire. The fire department arrived on the scene and extinguished the fire. A police report was filed. There were two vehicles and a bicycle nearby that caught on fire as a result of the contact's vehicle fire spreading. There were no injuries and medical attention was required. The vehicle was towed and deemed totaled. The manufacturer was made aware of the failure and opened a case regarding the failure. The approximate failure mileage was 120,000.
Mileage: 120,000
The contact owned a 2013 Cadillac XTS. The contact stated that they parked their vehicle and approximately 5-10 minutes afterward the vehicle caught fire. The fire department arrived on the scene and extinguished the fire. A police report was filed. There were two vehicles and a bicycle nearby that caught on fire as a result of the contact's vehicle fire spreading. There were no injuries and medical attention was required. The vehicle was towed and deemed totaled. The manufacturer was made aware of the failure and opened a case regarding the failure. The approximate failure mileage was 120,000.
Mileage: 120,000
Electronic Brake Module Component Failure
Rear-View Camera Failure
Roof Skin Separation While Driving
IEE Passenger Sensing System Mats
REAR DRIVETRAIN COMPONENT FAILURE
Data as of 2025. Sources: NHTSA Office of Defects Investigation (ODI) complaints database, NHTSA recall campaign API, NHTSA NCAP crash-test ratings, and NHTSA FARS for fatality cross-reference.
Read our methodology — how this data is sourced, computed, and verified.