There are 3 owner-reported engine complaints for the 2012 Cadillac CTSin NHTSA's database. These are unverified consumer reports and may not reflect confirmed defects.
THE CAR BEGAN CUTTING OFF UNEXPECTEDLY WHEN STOPPING. THE MECHANIC TOLD US THE TIMING CHAIN WAS FAULTY. THE CAR BARELY HAS 65,000 MILES ON IT AND HAS PRIMARILY BEEN DRIVEN TO WORK ONLY, AVERAGING 20 MILES A DAY! WE CONTACTED THE COMPANY BUT THEY HAVE NOT RECALLED THE TIMING CHAIN ON THIS PARTICULAR CAR. IT HAS ON OLDER MODELS SO I WANTED TO REPORT TO HAVE THE NEWER MODELS FURTHER RESEARCHED AS WELL. THIS IS A HUGE SAFETY CONCERN AS INTERSECTIONS CAN BE DANGEROUS FOR AN UNPREDICTABLE CAR.
THE CAR IGNITION SWITCH WOULD SOMETIMES AUTOMATIC CUT OFF BY ITSELF. I HAVE NOTIFIED THIS CADILLAC DEALER ABOUT THIS CAR SEVERAL TIMES, EVEN WITH THE ENGINE SOUNDS LIKE IT IS ABOUT TO BLOW UP, I DON'T THINK THEY BELIEVED ME BECAUSE I WAS UPSET ABOUT A CAR THAT THE ENTIRE CAR HAD BEN PAINTED INSIDE AND OUT, MOTOR AND ALL, BUT I QUESTS WHEN SOMETHING HAPPENS , THEN THEY WILL BELIEVE ME. *JS
TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2012 CADILLAC CTS. THE CONTACT STATED THAT WHILE AT A COMPLETE STOP, THE ENGINE WARNING LAMP ILLUMINATED. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO THE DEALER. THE TECHNICIAN DIAGNOSED THAT THE ECM WAS DEFECTIVE AND NEEDED TO BE REPLACED. THE VEHICLE WAS REPAIRED BUT THE FAILURE RECURRED. THE MANUFACTURER WAS MADE AWARE OF THE FAILURE. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 28,837 AND THE CURRENT MILEAGE WAS 30,200. THE CONSUMER STATED WHEN HE ATTEMPTED TO ACCELERATE, THE VEHICLE STALLED. HE ATTEMPTED TO RE-START THE VEHICLE, BUT TO NO AVAIL. THE VEHICLE WAS FLAT-BEDDED TO THE DEALER. THE DEALER REPLACED THE ECM UNIT. HOWEVER, ON MAY 7, 2014, WHILE MAKING A LEFT TURN, THE VEHICLE STALLED AGAIN. WHEN HE TRIED TO RE-START THE VEHICLE, THE ENGINE STARTED TO SHAKE AND VIBRATE. ONCE AGAIN, THE VEHICLE WAS TOWED TO THE DEALER. HOWEVER, THE DEALER WAS UNABLE TO FIND A PROBLEM. UPDATED 06/16/14
Complaints are unverified consumer reports submitted to NHTSA. A high complaint count may reflect vehicle popularity, not defect severity. Data sourced from NHTSA public records.
Data synced from NHTSA on Apr 26, 2026