There are 10 owner-reported powertrain & transmission complaints for the 2013 Cadillac CTSin NHTSA's database. These are unverified consumer reports and may not reflect confirmed defects.
driving to work on very busy highway. The engine light and Service Battery charging system came on, then went to battery saver almost instantly. Radio cut off, heat cutt off and the Car cut off in the middle of the highway before I could safely get over. this caused me to fear for my life as the cars behind me barely had time to stop. a hair probably could not have fit between us. I did eventually safely get off the highway, had the car towed to a service center. There was 14 different codes.(low voltage, engine running lean, low voltage and more. battery was checked and was 95 %, Alternator fine. was told it was the ECM. After looking on google some sites say there is a recall for 2013 cts some say there is not. there are multiple complaints on this issue and it is not safe. I called Cadillac gave my vin number and was told there was not a recall. Cadillac/GMC really need to issue a recall before something tragic happens, as it almost was me. Thank God that it wasn't.
The contact owns a 2013 Cadillac CTS. The contact stated that the transmission fluid was leaking, and the vehicle stalled while driving at various speeds. The vehicle was taken to a local dealer where it was diagnosed and determined that the transmission fluid was significantly low. The transmission was topped off. The contact stated that the vehicle was driven to the residence; however, on arrival the transmission fluid level was abnormally low. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was not made aware of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 31,000.
I PURCHASED MY VEHICLE IN MAY 2016. IN NOVEMBER 2016 I WENT TO DRIVE THE VEHICLE BUT IT WOULD NOT GO INTO GEAR. IT WAS TOWED TO LINDSAY CADILLAC. I WAS TOLD THE DRAFT SHAFT NEEDED TO BE REPLACED. ON JANUARY 18, 2019 AFTER BEING PARKED FOR APPROXIMATELY 15 MINUTES UPON STARTING AND PUTTING IT INTO GEAR I HEARD A CLICKING NOISE. IT WAS TOWED TO CAPITOL CADILLAC WHERE AGAIN I WAS TOLD THERE WAS A PROBLEM WITH THE DRIVE SHAFT. I WAS FURTHER TOLD THAT THE BOLTS WERE SHEARED OFF. THIS IS NO COINCIDENCE THAT I HAD THE SAME ISSUE TWO YEARS LATER AND $841.00 LATER. I AM CONCERNED THAT THIS COULD HAPPEN AGAIN. HOW DO BOLTS GET SHEARED OFF. I WAS TOLD THAT THE DEALERSHIP COULD HAVE USED USED THE WRONG SIZE BOLTS OR THE PARTS COULD HAVE BEEN DEFECTIVE. IN ANY EVENT I AM WITHOUT FAULT AND HAVE A GENUINE CONCERN THAT THIS COULD HAPPEN AGAIN. COULD IT HAPPEN WHILE I AM DRIVING?
TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2013 CADILLAC CTS. THE CONTACT STATED THAT THE VEHICLE COULD NOT BE SHIFTED INTO REVERSE AND HAD DIFFICULTY STOPPING. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO CAPITOL CADILLAC WHERE IT WAS DIAGNOSED THAT THE TRANSMISSION WAS DEFECTIVE DUE TO A LEAK AND NEEDED TO BE REPLACED. THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOTIFIED OF THE FAILURE AND INFORMED THE CONTACT THAT THE REMEDY WOULD BE AT HIS EXPENSE. THE CONTACT STATED THAT HE WAS NEVER NOTIFIED BY THE DEALER OF ANY TRANSMISSION ISSUES, EVEN THOUGH THE MANUAL STATED THAT THEY WERE SUPPOSED TO CHECK. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS APPROXIMATELY 93,000.
SOLENOID THAT COMMUNICATES WITH THE TRANSMISSION AND THE COMPUTER. (THIS WAS CAUSING THE THE STABILITY TRAC TO KICK ON AND SOMETIMES SHUT THE CAR OFF WHILE DRIVING OR SITTING STILL TURNING) THEY ALSO DISCOVERED THAT THE ENTIRE REAR DIFFERENTIAL HAD TO BE REPLACE. THIS IS A 2013 CTS COUPE 69000 MILES WHEN PURCHASED. I CONTACTED GM CORPORATE OFFICE FOR ASSISTANCE. (P0101 ,P0100, U0101, LOST OF COMMUNICATION TO TCM.
THE CAR HESATATES LIKE IT WANTS TO CUT OFF POPPING IN THE FRONT END TROTTLE BODY STABLE LINK THE MOTOR MOUNT WAS BROKE THEY JUST FIXED IT. CANT BELEIVE A 2013 NEEDS THESE THINGS ALREADY HAVE BEEN TO CAD 5 TIMES AND THEY CLAIM THEY CANT FIND THE PROBLEM. IM VERY DISAPPOINTED IN THIS
TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2013 CADILLAC CTS. THE CONTACT WAS CONCERNED OF THE VEHICLE BEING UNABLE TO CHANGE GEARS AND THE POTENTIAL OF THE VEHICLE STALLING INTERMITTENTLY. THE MANUFACTURER WAS UNABLE TO CONFIRM IF THE VEHICLE WAS INCLUDED IN NHTSA CAMPAIGN NUMBER: 14V394000 (ELECTRICAL SYSTEM: IGNITION). THE DEALER WAS NOTIFIED. THE CONTACT HAD NOT EXPERIENCED A FAILURE.
ON 8/9/13 DURING A LANE CHANGE ON THE HIGHWAY UNDER ACCELERATION THE CAR DOWNSHIFTED AND THE RPM WENT HIGH AND THE CAR HAD NO POWER AND SEEMED TO JUST COAST. I LET OFF THE GAS TO LET THE ENGINE RPMS COME BACK DOWN AND I CHECKED THE AUTOMATIC SHIFTER TO MAKE SURE IT WAS STILL IN DRIVE (AND IT WAS). WHEN THE ENGINE RPMS CAME DOWN THE POWER ALSO CAME BACK TO THE WHEELS. I HAVE EXPERIENCED A RANDOM SHUDDER IN THE CAR UNDER LIGHT THROTTLE WHEN THE AUTOMATIC TRANSMISSION IS SHIFTING (SUCH AS IN TRAFFIC) BOTH PRIOR TO AND AFTER THIS EVENT. THE DEALER COULD NOT DUPLICATE THE PROBLEM DURING A TEST DRIVE. ON 5/3/14 I WAS BACKING UP IN A DRIVEWAY UPON STARTING THE CAR AND THERE WERE NO POWER BRAKES. I PRESSED THE BRAKE PEDAL TO THE FLOOR AND DID MANAGE TO STOP THE CAR. ONCE I LIFTED OFF OF THE BRAKE PEDAL THE POWER BRAKES SEEMED TO WORK. THIS IS ANOTHER RANDOMLY OCCURRING PROBLEM WITH THIS CAR. UPON DRIVING THE CAR IMMEDIATELY UPON STARTUP THE POWER BRAKES DO NOT SEEM TO WORK FOR 30 SECONDS TO A MINUTE. I HAVE HAD THIS PROBLEM RANDOMLY BEFORE THIS DATE (I NOTICED IT BEFORE LAST WINTER) BUT IT SEEMS TO BE GETTING WORSE. HOPEFULLY THE DEALER CAN DUPLICATE THIS PROBLEM. ON 5/6/14 I WAS DRIVING ON A SIDE STREET AND LOST ALL ENGINE POWER, POWER STEERING AND POWER BRAKES. THE DEALER TOLD ME THE ENGINE SEIZED UP. THE CAR HAD APPROX. 14,400 MILES ON IT AT THE TIME OF THE 5/6/14 INCIDENT. THE CAR IS AT THE DEALERSHIP NOW FOR REPAIR. *TR UPDATED 12/8/2014*JS
TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2013 CADILLAC CTS. THE CONTACT STATED THAT WHILE DRIVING APPROXIMATELY 70 MPH, THE VEHICLE STALLED WITHOUT WARNING. THE CONTACT MANEUVERED THE VEHICLE TO THE SIDE OF THE ROAD WHERE THE VEHICLE WAS ABLE TO BE RESTARTED. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO A DEALER BUT THE TECHNICIAN COULD NOT DIAGNOSE THE FAILURE. THE VEHICLE HAD NOT BEEN REPAIRED. THE MANUFACTURED WAS MADE AWARE OF THE PROBLEM. THE APPROXIMATE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 400.
EXTREME LOSE STEERING, WAY TO LOSE CANT FEEL THE ROAD, ALSO THE TRANSMISSION IS NOT SHIFTING RIGHT IT HAS A DELAY THEN SHIFTS VERY HARD. THE CAR IS VERY HARD TO DRIVE. *TR
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 25, 2026