There are 2 owner-reported air bags & restraints complaints for the 2013 Cadillac XTSin NHTSA's database. These are unverified consumer reports and may not reflect confirmed defects.
DRIVER'S SIDE SEAT BELT COMPLETELY SEPARATED FROM THE PLACE WHERE IT CONNECTS TO THE ANCHORS IN THE FRAME OF THE CAR. CAR WAS PARKED AND NOT IN MOTION. I WENT TO BUCKLE MY SEAT BELT, AND IT FELL APART. NO KNOWN RECALL FOR THIS ITEM. VEHICLE HAS NEVER BEEN INVOLVED IN A COLLISION. CONCERNED FOR OTHER XTS OWNERS' SAFETY. DEALER IS REPLACING SEAT BELT (AFTER A $100 DEDUCTIBLE).
PASSENGER SIDE AIRBAG WILL NOT ACTIVATE. SHE WEIGHS 115 LBS, IS 5'1". SHE SITS ON 3 INCH MEMORY FOAM CUSHION FOR BACK FOR EIGHT YEARS, NO STRUCTURE, ONLY FOAM. IN EIGHT YEARS SHE HAS USED CUSHION, WE HAVE OWNED 5 CARS AND HAVE RENTED OVER 40 CARS AND SHE HAS NEVER HAD A PROBLEM WITH THE PASSENGER AIRBAG ACTIVATION. CADILLAC SAYS THE SYSTEM IS OK. I ASKED TO TRY ON ANOTHER XTS AND IT STILL DID NOT ACTIVATE. THIS IS A DESIGN PROBLEM. I UNDERSTAND THAT SOME CUSHIONS MIGHT INTERFERE WITH THE AIRBAG SYSTEM, BUT THIS THIN CUSHION DOES NOT. I SHOULD SAY IT WORKS IN CORVETTES AND WORKED IN THE LOANER 2013 CTS CADILLAC. THE SEAT IN THE XTS IS A NEW DESIGN AND I BELIEVE IT IS DEFECTIVE. THE SEAT IS NOT FLAT AND REQUIRES A MUCH HEAVIER PERSON TO ACTIVATE THE AIRBAG. I BELIEVE THIS IS UNSAFE. THE SAFETY ISSUE IS THAT MANY OLDER PEOPLE, SUCH AS WOULD PURCHASE A CADILLAC, DO USE CUSHIONS AND WILL EITHER NOT BE AWARE OF OR WILL IGNORE THE FACT THAT THE PASSENGER AIRBAG WILL NOT WORK. I RETURNED MY CADILLAC (AND LOST $14,000) AS I HAD TO CHOOSE BETWEEN MY WIFE OR THE CAR. I PURCHASED A LEXUS LS460 AND THE AIRBAG WORKED PERFECTLY WITH HER CUSHION. *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 26, 2026