2005 Cadillac Cts Problems and Recalls (268 Complaints)
The most-reported problem on the 2005 Cadillac Cts is Transmission / driveline (24% of 268 owner reports). There are 6 safety recalls. Check the VIN and inspect Transmission / driveline — this is the NHTSA file, not a score.
NHTSA Office of Defects Investigation Snapshot 2026-09-07 268 complaints · 6 recalls
What problems show up on the 2005 Cadillac Cts?
65 of 268 filings named Transmission / driveline (24% of the file). That is what owners wrote, not a shop diagnosis of the vehicle in the driveway.
Second is Airbags (59 reports).
There are 6 official safety recalls on this year. They were filed about Fuel system, Transmission / driveline, Brakes, Airbags, and Electrical. Check the VIN at nhtsa.gov — a campaign on this page can still be open on a specific truck.
The 2004 has 219 reports on file; this year has 268. Older years collect more reports just by being on the road longer. If you need a fairer comparison, use the equal-time view.
What owners reported
System named most often: Transmission / driveline 65 complaints · 24.3% of the file
Crashes, fires, injuries and deaths in those filings:
- Crashes 25
- Fires 4
- Injuries 31
- Deaths 2
NHTSA Consumer Complaints Snapshot 2026-09-07 Open source record Read our complete data methodology →
Complaint counts reflect self-selected reports and are not normalised for production sales volume. We publish no reliability scores, superlatives, or vehicle rankings.
Which systems owners named
Share of owner complaints filed against each vehicle system. These shares are not adjusted for how many vehicles were sold.
“Unclassified NHTSA leftover” is not a car part. It is a filing bucket and always sits last.
View component data as a table
| System / Component | Complaints | Share of Reports | Safety Reports (Crashes / Fires) |
|---|---|---|---|
| Transmission / driveline (POWER TRAIN) | 65 | 24.3% | 2 crashes · 0 fires |
| Airbags (AIR BAGS) | 59 | 22.0% | 9 crashes · 0 fires |
| Brakes (SERVICE BRAKES) | 24 | 9.0% | 3 crashes · 0 fires |
| Electrical (ELECTRICAL SYSTEM) | 23 | 8.6% | 0 crashes · 1 fires |
| Engine (ENGINE) | 23 | 8.6% | 1 crashes · 2 fires |
| Fuel system (FUEL SYSTEM) | 10 | 3.7% | 1 crashes · 1 fires |
| Steering (STEERING) | 10 | 3.7% | 2 crashes · 0 fires |
| Suspension (SUSPENSION) | 10 | 3.7% | 1 crashes · 0 fires |
| Glass / wipers / cameras (VISIBILITY) | 6 | 2.2% | 0 crashes · 0 fires |
| Unclassified NHTSA leftover | 115 | 42.9% | 11 crashes · 1 fires |
NHTSA Consumer Complaints, NHTSA Safety Recalls, and NHTSA Defect Investigations Snapshot 2026-09-07 Open source record
Complaint counts reflect self-selected reports and are not normalised for production sales volume. We publish no reliability scores, superlatives, or vehicle rankings.
When reports and recalls showed up
When owners filed reports, and when recall campaigns showed up.
- Campaign 07V589000 was reported 981 days after the first earlier complaint mapped to its component.
- Campaign 10V105000 was reported 1,105 days after the first earlier complaint mapped to its component.
- Campaign 10V644000 was reported 1,912 days after the first earlier complaint mapped to its component.
- Campaign 14V394000 was reported 3,381 days after the first earlier complaint mapped to its component.
- Campaign 14V542000 was reported 3,126 days after the first earlier complaint mapped to its component.
View timeline records as a table
| Date | Record type | Count | Record identifier |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2005-Q1 | Owner reports | 2 | |
| 2005-Q2 | Owner reports | 6 | |
| 2005-Q3 | Owner reports | 3 | |
| 2005-Q4 | Owner reports | 5 | |
| 2006-Q1 | Owner reports | 23 | |
| 2006-Q2 | Owner reports | 2 | |
| 2006-Q3 | Owner reports | 3 | |
| 2006-Q4 | Owner reports | 3 | |
| 2007-Q1 | Owner reports | 2 | |
| 2007-Q2 | Owner reports | 2 | |
| 2007-Q3 | Owner reports | 5 | |
| 2007-Q4 | Owner reports | 5 | |
| 2008-Q1 | Owner reports | 3 | |
| 2008-Q2 | Owner reports | 1 | |
| 2008-Q3 | Owner reports | 3 | |
| 2008-Q4 | Owner reports | 1 | |
| 2009-Q1 | Owner reports | 2 | |
| 2009-Q2 | Owner reports | 1 | |
| 2009-Q3 | Owner reports | 2 | |
| 2009-Q4 | Owner reports | 5 | |
| 2010-Q1 | Owner reports | 1 | |
| 2010-Q2 | Owner reports | 5 | |
| 2010-Q3 | Owner reports | 5 | |
| 2010-Q4 | Owner reports | 8 | |
| 2011-Q1 | Owner reports | 12 | |
| 2011-Q2 | Owner reports | 5 | |
| 2011-Q4 | Owner reports | 1 | |
| 2012-Q1 | Owner reports | 4 | |
| 2012-Q2 | Owner reports | 4 | |
| 2012-Q3 | Owner reports | 5 | |
| 2012-Q4 | Owner reports | 4 | |
| 2013-Q1 | Owner reports | 3 | |
| 2013-Q2 | Owner reports | 3 | |
| 2013-Q3 | Owner reports | 3 | |
| 2013-Q4 | Owner reports | 6 | |
| 2014-Q1 | Owner reports | 4 | |
| 2014-Q2 | Owner reports | 3 | |
| 2014-Q3 | Owner reports | 7 | |
| 2014-Q4 | Owner reports | 16 | |
| 2015-Q1 | Owner reports | 5 | |
| 2015-Q2 | Owner reports | 8 | |
| 2015-Q3 | Owner reports | 10 | |
| 2015-Q4 | Owner reports | 5 | |
| 2016-Q1 | Owner reports | 6 | |
| 2016-Q2 | Owner reports | 3 | |
| 2016-Q3 | Owner reports | 5 | |
| 2016-Q4 | Owner reports | 3 | |
| 2017-Q1 | Owner reports | 4 | |
| 2017-Q2 | Owner reports | 3 | |
| 2017-Q3 | Owner reports | 3 | |
| 2017-Q4 | Owner reports | 2 | |
| 2018-Q1 | Owner reports | 5 | |
| 2018-Q2 | Owner reports | 2 | |
| 2018-Q3 | Owner reports | 2 | |
| 2018-Q4 | Owner reports | 1 | |
| 2019-Q1 | Owner reports | 2 | |
| 2019-Q2 | Owner reports | 2 | |
| 2019-Q3 | Owner reports | 5 | |
| 2020-Q1 | Owner reports | 1 | |
| 2020-Q2 | Owner reports | 1 | |
| 2020-Q3 | Owner reports | 2 | |
| 2021-Q1 | Owner reports | 1 | |
| 2021-Q3 | Owner reports | 1 | |
| 2022-Q1 | Owner reports | 1 | |
| 2022-Q2 | Owner reports | 3 | |
| 2023-Q2 | Owner reports | 1 | |
| 2023-Q4 | Owner reports | 1 | |
| 2024-Q4 | Owner reports | 1 | |
| 2025-Q4 | Owner reports | 1 | |
| Recall campaign | 1 | 06V020000 | |
| Recall campaign | 1 | 07V589000 | |
| Recall campaign | 1 | 10V105000 | |
| Recall campaign | 1 | 10V644000 | |
| Recall campaign | 1 | 14V394000 | |
| Recall campaign | 1 | 14V542000 | |
| Defect investigation | 1 | PE07037 | |
| Defect investigation | 1 | EA07017 | |
| Defect investigation | 1 | EQ11001 |
Safety Recalls (6)
Official campaigns. Each one says what could go wrong and what the dealer was told to fix.
In short, these campaigns were filed about Fuel system, Transmission / driveline, Brakes, Airbags, and Electrical.
-
Recall campaign 06V020000
Fuel system
- Report date
- Component:
- Fuel system (FUEL SYSTEM)
- Consequence:
- IF THE ENGINE STOPS RUNNING, THE OPERATOR WILL NOT BE ABLE TO RESTART THE VEHICLE WHICH COULD INCREASE THE RISK OF A CRASH.
- Remedy:
- DEALERS WILL REPROGRAM THE ELECTRONIC CONTROL MODULE (ECM) WITH NEW SOFTWARE FREE OF CHARGE. OWNERS WERE NOTIFIED IN DECEMBER 2005 AND ASKED TO MAINTAIN AT LEAST 1/4 OF A TANK FUEL LEVEL TO AVOID THIS CONDITION UNTIL THE PARTS ARE AVAILABLE. THE PARTS ARE NOW AVAILABLE, OWNER RENOTIFICATION BEGAN ON MARCH 23, 2006. OWNERS MAY CONTACT CADILLAC AT 1-866-982-2339.
-
Recall campaign 07V589000
Transmission / driveline
- Report date
- Component:
- Transmission / driveline (POWER TRAIN)
- Consequence:
- A REAR DIFFERENTIAL FAILURE MAY CAUSE LOSS OF MOTIVE POWER AND POSSIBLY LOSS OF CONTROL INCREASING THE RISK OF A CRASH.
- Remedy:
- DEALERS WILL REPLACE THE PINION SEAL FREE OF CHARGE. THE RECALL BEGAN ON FEBRUARY 1, 2008. OWNERS MAY CONTACT CADILLAC AT 1-800-458-8006 OR HTTP://WWW.CADILLAC.COM; PONTIAC AT 1-800-620-7668 OR HTTP://WWW.PONTIAC.COM; AND SATURN AT 1-800-972-8876 OR HTTP://WWW.SATURN.COM.
-
Recall campaign 10V105000
Brakes
- Report date
- Component:
- Brakes (SERVICE BRAKES)
- Consequence:
- THE BRAKE HOSE-TUBE INTERFACE MAY RUPTURE SUDDENLY WITHOUT PRIOR WARNING AND INCREASE VEHICLE STOPPING DISTANCE MAY OCCUR INCREASING THE RISK OF A CRASH.
- Remedy:
- DEALERS ARE TO REPLACE BOTH FRONT BRAKE HOSE ASSEMBLIES FREE OF CHARGE. THE SAFETY RECALL IS EXPECTED TO BEGIN DURING MAY 2010. OWNERS MAY CONTACT CADILLAC AT 1-866-982-2339 OR AT THE OWNER CENTER AT WWW.GMOWNERCENTER.COM.
-
Recall campaign 10V644000
Airbags
- Report date
- Component:
- Airbags (AIR BAGS)
- Consequence:
- NON-DEPLOYMENT OF THE FRONT PASSENGER AIR BAG IN THE EVENT OF A CRASH NECESSITATING THAT AIR BAG'S DEPLOYMENT MAY REDUCE PROTECTION OF THE PASSENGER AND INCREASE THE RISK OR SEVERITY OF INJURY TO THEM.
- Remedy:
- DEALERS WILL REPLACE THE PASSENGER SENSING SYSTEM FREE OF CHARGE. THE SAFETY RECALL IS EXPECTED TO BEGIN ON OR ABOUT MARCH 15, 2011. OWNERS MAY CONTACT CADILLAC AT 1-866-982-2339, CHEVROLET AT 1-800-630-2438, GMC AT 1-866-996-9463 AND AT THE OWNER CENTER AT WWW.GMOWNERCENTER.COM.
-
Recall campaign 14V394000
Electrical
- Report date
- Component:
- Electrical (ELECTRICAL SYSTEM)
- Consequence:
- 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.
-
Recall campaign 14V542000
Fuel system
- Report date
- Component:
- Fuel system (FUEL SYSTEM)
- Consequence:
- If the flange melts, a hole may be created allowing the fuel pump to leak fuel, causing the vehicle to stall, increasing the risk of a vehicle crash. Additionally, leaking fuel in the presence of an ignition source increases the risk of a fire.
- Remedy:
- GM will notify owners, and dealers will replace the fuel module and fuel tank jumper harness, free of charge. GM sent out interim notices in late October. The recall began on March 12, 2015. Owners may contact Cadillac customer service at 1-800-458-8006. GM's number for this recall is 14405.
Complaint counts reflect self-selected reports and are not normalised for production sales volume. We publish no reliability scores, superlatives, or vehicle rankings.
What owners actually wrote
Short excerpts from the public NHTSA file. Look for the same symptom repeating.
Data: NHTSA Office of Defects Investigation · snapshot 2026-09-07
Showing 8 of 268 complaints · page 1 of 11
CrashFireInjuryDeath
Steering wheel turns but no steering at wheels ,steering wheel just spins
CrashFireInjuryDeath
The contact owns a 2005 Cadillac CTS. The contact stated while driving at an undisclosed speed, the air bag warning light illuminated. The contact stated that failure was intermittent at first but became persistent. The vehicle was taken to an independent mechanic where it was diagnosed with a failed passenger occupant sensor. The contact was informed that the passenger occupant sensor needed to be replaced. The vehicle was not repaired. The contact stated that he was concerned because his fiancée was expecting a child and normally occupied the seat. The manufacturer was made aware of the failure but provided no assistance. The contact referenced an undisclosed recall repair however, the contact was informed that the recall repair had expired. The contact stated that the representative contacted three local dealers and inquired about performing the recall repair; however, all three dealers declined to perform the repair. The failure mileage was approximately 98,000.
CrashFireInjuryDeath
The contact owns a 2005 Cadillac CTS. The contact stated that while driving at various speeds, the brake warning light illuminated on the instrument panel with an abnormal hissing sound while depressing the brake pedal. The vehicle was initially taken to an independent mechanic where brake fluid was added to the reservoir. Despite the repair, the failure persisted. After the contact's third visit to the mechanic, the mechanic discovered severe corrosion along the brake line, which resulted in brake fluid leak from the vehicle. Upon investigation, the contact discovered NHTSA Campaign Number: 15V225000 (Service Brakes, Hydraulic) which the mechanic linked to the failure. The manufacturer was notified of the failure and informed the contact that the vehicle was not included in the recall. The vehicle was not repaired. The failure mileage was approximately 158,000.
CrashFireInjuryDeath
Oil leaks from unknown location. Also make a grinding noise when accelerating.
CrashFireInjuryDeath
Air bag light is on saying the passenger side buckle tensioner not working when there never a accident on this car, Fuel level low illuminates when there is fuel in the tank still, fuel level goes down fast after a short drive when fuel just been put in
CrashFireInjuryDeath
The contact owns a 2005 Cadillac CTS. The contact stated while driving approximately 45 MPH, the SRS warning light illuminated. The vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired. The manufacturer was not notified of the failure. The contact related the failure to NHTSA Campaign Number: 14V394000 (Electrical System). The approximate failure mileage was 118,000.
CrashFireInjuryDeath
The contact owns a 2005 Cadillac CTS. The contact stated that while driving at an undisclosed speed, the air bag warning light illuminated. The vehicle was taken to the dealer where it was diagnosed that an unknown module under the passenger's side front seat needed to be replaced. The vehicle was then taken to an independent mechanic who related the failure to NHTSA Campaign Number: 10V644000 (Air Bags) however, the VIN was not included in the recall. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was made aware of the failure and informed the contact that there was no recall associated with the VIN. The failure mileage was 138,404.
CrashFireInjuryDeath
During normal driving, my service stibilatrak light comes on. While the message is on, the TCS kicks in and it grabs the wheel and stops the car. I've been reared ended once and two barely missed collisions. When the TCS activates, it stops the car completely and the only way to drive the car is to turn it off for a few second and then restart it. That resets the computer and turn the message light off. The TCS or ABS does not come on in the dash, just the stilibatrak message in the message center. Once it's turned off, it does not come on until the next time the TCS activates. I've had several diagnostic tests to check the problem or get a code but there is no code. I've been told that the car is clear of codes. The dealer cannot find a code or the problem. I've spent several hundred dollars on trying to locate the problem. The car, as is, is a death trap. I can't drive it because I don't know when the traction will kick on. I've taken good care of my car, nice bodywork and low milage but it's not safe to drive and no one knows how to fix it, including the dealer. At $200 an hour to try to find the problem is unforeseeable financially on my pension. One option is to junk the car for $200. I can't donate or sale it because it will not pass MD inspection. I can't trade it; I can't afford another car note. I've had this issue for almost a year. This happens every time I drive it, so I had to buy another car which I was not ready to buy. No major damage to report.
Frequently asked questions
What are the most common problems on the 2005 Cadillac Cts?
Owners named Transmission / driveline most often — 65 of 268 reports (24%). That is the NHTSA file, not a diagnosis of every vehicle.
Are there recalls for the 2005 Cadillac Cts?
NHTSA lists 6 safety recall campaigns. They were filed about Fuel system, Transmission / driveline, Brakes, Airbags, and Electrical. Check the VIN at nhtsa.gov; a campaign on this page can still be open on a specific vehicle.
What should I inspect before buying a 2005 Cadillac Cts?
Look up the VIN for open recalls. Have a shop drive it and check the transmission: hard or delayed shifts, burnt-smelling fluid, and 4WD engagement if equipped. Then skim owner filings for the same symptom and take that list to a mechanic.
Does a high complaint count mean I should skip this year?
No. Counts are reports people chose to file and they are not adjusted for sales volume. YearTell does not publish scores or a list of years to skip. Inspect the vehicle.
Estimated Ownership Cost
EPA fuel economy ratings and annual operating cost estimates
Data: US EPA Fuel Economy Guide · snapshot 2026-08-21
Adjacent Model Years
Immediate preceding and succeeding model year records
Complaint counts reflect self-selected reports and are not normalised for production sales volume. We publish no reliability scores, superlatives, or vehicle rankings.
Methodology & Data Integrity
Source: NHTSA ODI / recalls, snapshot 2026-09-07. YearTell is not a government agency.