Two years at the same age, so the older one is not punished for having been on the road longer.
2004 vs 2005 Cadillac Cts
NHTSA Consumer Complaints complaints · snapshot 2026-09-07
Share shifts show how a vehicle's problem mix changed. They do not measure reliability, and complaint counts are not normalized for sales volume.
In plain English
A lifetime total makes the 2004 look busier because it has been on the road longer. This page counts reports in the first 264 months for each year, so both years are the same age.
In that window, the 2005 has 22.4% more owner reports than the 2004.
The mix also shifted: Airbags is a larger share of reports on the 2005 (12.9 points). That is a change in what owners named, not a score.
Open both year-pages. Check the VIN at nhtsa.gov. Have a shop inspect Airbags. Do not pick a year from the percentage alone.
First 264 months on market for each model year
Exposure window calculated through Sep 8, 2026
Reports while each year was the same age
▲ 22.4% more reports at the same age
NHTSA Consumer Complaints complaints · snapshot 2026-09-07
What owners named more or less
Bars start at the neutral midpoint. Left means a smaller share; right means a larger share.
View component share data as a table
| Component | 2004 share | 2005 share | Share change |
|---|---|---|---|
| Airbags (AIR BAGS) | 9.1% | 22.0% | ▲ 12.9 pts larger share |
| Body / frame (STRUCTURE) | 7.3% | 1.5% | ▼ 5.8 pts smaller share |
| Brakes (SERVICE BRAKES) | 14.2% | 9.0% | ▼ 5.2 pts smaller share |
| Engine (ENGINE) | 4.6% | 8.6% | ▲ 4.0 pts larger share |
| Electrical (ELECTRICAL SYSTEM) | 12.3% | 8.6% | ▼ 3.8 pts smaller share |
| Transmission / driveline (POWER TRAIN) | 21.5% | 24.3% | ▲ 2.8 pts larger share |
| Cruise / speed control (VEHICLE SPEED CONTROL) | 3.2% | 1.1% | ▼ 2.1 pts smaller share |
| Lights (EXTERIOR LIGHTING) | 3.2% | 1.9% | ▼ 1.3 pts smaller share |
| Wheels (WHEELS) | 2.3% | 1.1% | ▼ 1.2 pts smaller share |
| Glass / wipers / cameras (VISIBILITY) | 1.4% | 2.2% | ▲ 0.9 pts larger share |
| Steering (STEERING) | 4.6% | 3.7% | ▼ 0.8 pts smaller share |
| Suspension (SUSPENSION) | 4.1% | 3.7% | ▼ 0.4 pts smaller share |
| Seat belts (SEAT BELTS) | 1.4% | 1.1% | ▼ 0.3 pts smaller share |
| Tires (TIRES) | 0.9% | 0.8% | ▼ 0.2 pts smaller share |
| Fuel system (FUEL SYSTEM) | 3.7% | 3.7% | ▲ 0.1 pts larger share |
| Unclassified NHTSA leftover | 53.0% | 42.9% | ▼ 10.1 pts smaller share |
NHTSA Safety Recalls recalls · snapshot 2026-09-06
Recall campaigns
Campaign components: Electrical, Fuel system, Brakes, and Steering
Campaign components: Airbags, Electrical, Fuel system, Transmission / driveline, and Brakes
NHTSA Consumer Complaints complaints · snapshot 2026-09-07
Safety signals
- ◆ Fires
- 1 → 4
- ◆ Injuries
- 24 → 31
Frequently asked questions
Which Cadillac Cts year had more problems, 2004 or 2005?
In that window, the 2005 has 22.4% more owner reports than the 2004. Lifetime totals are not used here because the older year has had more time on the road.
Why not just compare lifetime complaint totals?
The older year has had more time to collect reports. This page holds age constant by counting the first 264 months for each year.
Does a larger share of one system mean that year is worse?
No. It means owners named that system more often in the file. Inspect it. YearTell does not publish scores or a list of years to skip.