CSR

Cadillac · NHTSA safety record

2018 Cadillac CTS

Every safety complaint, recall and defect investigation the US government holds on this vehicle.

8

Complaints

1

Crashes

0

Fires

0

Injuries

0

Deaths

Owners of the 2018 Cadillac CTS have filed 8 safety complaints with NHTSA between January 2019 and January 2026. The most complained-about system is the electrical system, named in 3 of them (38%). The typical failure was reported at 9,775 miles, the median across the 2 complaints that gave an odometer reading.

NHTSA has issued 2 recalls covering this vehicle.

Recalls (2)

STEERING:ELECTRIC POWER ASSIST SYSTEM

25V175000 · March 20, 2025

The defect
General Motors LLC (GM) is recalling certain 2016-2018 Cadillac CTS, 2017-2018 Cadillac ATS, Chevrolet Camaro, and Chevrolet Corvette vehicles. The electric power steering (EPS) assist may fail.
The risk
A loss of power steering assist can require greater steering effort, especially at low speeds, increasing the risk of a crash.
The remedy
Dealers will replace the power steering gear assembly, free of charge. Owner notification letters were mailed April 15, 2025. Owners may contact Cadilac customer service at 1-800-333-4223 or Chevrolet customer service at 1-800-222-1020. GM's number for this recall is N252497020.

General Motors, LLC · up to 934 vehicles across all model years covered

STEERING:ELECTRIC POWER ASSIST SYSTEM

19V086000 · February 7, 2019

The defect
General Motors LLC (GM) is recalling certain 2016-2018 Cadillac CTS, and 2017 Cadillac ATS, Chevrolet Camaro, and Chevrolet Corvette vehicles. The electric power steering (EPS) assist system may fail.
The risk
Loss of power steering assist would require a higher steering effort, especially at lower speeds, which may increase the risk of a crash.
The remedy
GM will notify owners, and dealers will replace the power steering gear assembly, free of charge. The recall began June 13, 2019. GM' number for this recall is N182182760.

General Motors LLC · up to 26,772 vehicles across all model years covered

What owners report

Complaints naming each system. One complaint can name several, so these add up to more than 8.

ELECTRICAL SYSTEM 3 38%
POWER TRAIN 3 38%
AIR BAGS 1 13%
ENGINE 1 13%
EXTERIOR LIGHTING 1 13%
UNKNOWN OR OTHER 1 13%

When the complaints arrived

By the year NHTSA received them, which is not the year the failures happened. They peaked in 2025 at 2.

2019 2025 2026
2019 to 2026, the last of them a part year

In owners' own words

Quoted from NHTSA's complaint file. These are unverified accounts by the people who filed them, not findings of fault.

AIR BAGS

crash · towed

The airbag system failed to deploy during a single-vehicle accident in which the car left the service road and struck a tree. The vehicle sustained significant front-end damage. The driver lost consciousness or experienced disorientation and was unable to recall the events leading up to or immediately following the accident. The lack of airbag deployment increased the risk of serious injury, especially due to the vehicle impacting a tree and being lodged several feet off the road in the woods. Although there were no major injuries in this case, the airbag failure presented a serious safety risk and could have resulted in much worse outcomes. No, the airbag failure has not yet been confirmed

NHTSA complaint 11655332, quoted in part. Filed by an owner and not verified by NHTSA or by us.

ELECTRICAL SYSTEM
THE TRANSMISSION "SHUDDERS". It does not happen with any regularity and with no advance warning. It may be electronic or mechanical or both.

NHTSA complaint 11713692. Filed by an owner and not verified by NHTSA or by us.

ELECTRICAL SYSTEM
What component or system failed or malfunctioned, and is it available for inspection upon request? From 2018. The uauto start/stop system has failed 3 times. How was your safety or the safety of others put at risk? These components failing subjects the driver and surroundings to a stalled car that may not start again. Has the problem been reproduced or confirmed by a dealer or independent service center? Yes Has the vehicle or component been inspected by the manufacturer, police, insurance representatives or others? Inspection by vehicle dealer only. Were there any warning lamps, messages or other symptoms of the problem prior to the failure, and when did they first appear? No.

NHTSA complaint 11706788. Filed by an owner and not verified by NHTSA or by us.

UNKNOWN OR OTHER
To Whom It May Concern, I am writing to express my serious concerns regarding a known issue with the 2018 Cadillac CTS that poses a significant safety risk. The LCD/backup display screen in my 2018 Cadillac CTS has cracked on its own, taking up the entire display. This is a well-documented problem that many Cadillac owners have reported to GM, yet the manufacturer refuses to take responsibility or remedy the situation. The cracked display screen severely compromises the vehicle's safety features and functionality, including the backup camera and critical driver information. Driving with a completely shattered display is extremely dangerous and unacceptable. As the manufacturer, GM is fully

NHTSA complaint 11590522, quoted in part. Filed by an owner and not verified by NHTSA or by us.

POWER TRAIN
Rear differential failure confirmed by the dealer at 41,000 miles. Told not to drive it as rear wheels could lock up causing accident. Rear was making load noise 2 days prior to failure with fluid leak upon inspection. Dealer states failure is under warranty but no parts available for 3-6 months.

NHTSA complaint 11486548. Filed by an owner and not verified by NHTSA or by us.

ENGINE

12,300 miles

I WAS DRIVING MY 2018 CADILLAC CTS BETWEEN 50-60MPH AND I LIGHTLY TAPPED ON THE GAS AND THE CAR STARTED SHAKING AND VIBRATING. FELT LIKE IT COULD BE A TRANSMISSION OR A ENGINE MISFIRE. MY CARS TRANSMISSION ALSO SHIFTS VERY VERY ROUGH KINDLY JERKY WHICH CREATES A UNSAFE ENVIRONMENT WHILE IN MOTION. THIS IS A CONSISTENT ISSUE AND WITH MY CAR AND ONLY HAVING 12,000 MILES ON IT I FIND REALLY CONCERNING. THIS VIBRATION ONLY HAPPENS BETWEEN 50-60MPH AND THE ROUGH TRANSMISSION SHIFTING HAPPENS AS I DRIVE IT ALONG WITH VIBRATIONS ARE COMING FROM THE ENGINE WHICH SHAKE MY ENTIRE CAR. ALL SERVICES ARE UP TO DATE. CADILLAC AND GM ARE BOTH NOT SURE OF WHAT THE ISSUE CAN BE EVEN THOUGH THERE IS A

NHTSA complaint 11404668, quoted in part. Filed by an owner and not verified by NHTSA or by us.

Compare

Other years of the Cadillac CTS

Model year Complaints Recalls Deaths
2017 27 2
2016 31 4
2015 46 3
2014 144 6
2013 72 2
2012 65 2
2011 101 2
2010 67 3

Other 2018 Cadillac models

Every Cadillac on this site — 91 vehicles, 198 recall campaigns and 4 open investigation s.

If this is your car and a dealer keeps failing to fix it, your state's lemon law may require the manufacturer to replace it or buy it back. What each state asks for , read from the statutes.

Where these numbers come from

A complaint is one owner's account and has not been verified by NHTSA or by us. A vehicle with more complaints is not necessarily worse: models that sold in larger numbers collect more of them. How this is counted.

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