Your vehicle report

2005 Cadillac CTS

The problems owners report. The recalls to check. The evidence behind each.

NHTSA data through October 2026View original NHTSA data Change vehicle

Your vehicle at a glance

Complaint patterns and official recall records, kept distinct.

Owner complaints
277
Received Feb 2005 to Nov 2025
Official recalls listed
6
Naming this model year; check your VIN for applicability
BrakeNews flagged problems
0
Statistical signals, not official defect findings or recalls

Owner reports

Most reported problems

  1. 1
    Airbag warning light stays on35 complaints · 13% of this vehicle’s complaints
  2. 2
    Suspension clunking or rattling noise over bumps17 complaints · 6.1% of this vehicle’s complaints
  3. 3
    Brake pedal sinks due to leaking lines11 complaints · 4.0% of this vehicle’s complaints
See all reported problems

Official NHTSA records

Recalls to check

  • Recall #14V542000General Motors LLC (GM) is recalling certain model year 2004-2007 Cadillac CTS-V vehicles manufactured October 6, 2003, to March 15, 2007, and 2006-2007 Cadillac STS-V vehicles manufactured June 23, 2005, to March 15, 2007. In the affected vehicles, the electrical terminals of the fuel pump module may overheat resulting in the melting of the flange material.
  • Recall #14V394000This defect can affect the safe operation of the airbag system. Until this recall is performed, customers should remove all items from their key rings, leaving only the ignition key. The key fob (if applicable), should also be removed from the key ring. General Motors LLC (GM) notified the agency on July 2, 2014 that they are recalling 554,328 model year 2003-2014 Cadillac CTS vehicles manufactured August 16, 2001, to April 28, 2014, and 2004-2006 Cadillac SRX vehicles manufactured March 20, 2003, to August 11, 2006. In these models, the weight on the key ring and/or road conditions or some other jarring event may cause the ignition switch to move out of the run position, turning off the engine.
View recall details

BrakeNews signals

Flagged complaint patterns

Unusual complaint patterns with no matched recall yet. A flag does not mean a recall will happen.

No problems currently meet BrakeNews’s flagging criteria. This is not a safety rating.

How flags are identified

Complaint counts reflect reports submitted to NHTSA, not failure rates or a reliability ranking. Reported in these complaints: 25 crashes, 4 fires, 31 people injured, 2 deaths.

Explore by system

Where do owners report problems?

Choose an area on the car or a system below to explore the reported problems.

Schematic car with five system shortcutsGeneric side view, with the front on the left. Numbered links explore engine, brakes, steering, electrical, and body complaints. Text controls below provide the same choices.12345FRONTSCHEMATIC VIEW

Illustrative only; not this vehicle’s exact design. Areas represent complaint categories, not confirmed defective parts.

View selected problems

Showing all 17 listed problems by system.

Engine & powertrain

Brakes

Electrical & lights

Airbags, belts & seats

Steering, suspension & tires

2 more problems

Body, doors & glass

Driver assistance

No problems in this category meet this page’s listing criteria. This does not establish that the system is free of problems.

Other

No problems in this category meet this page’s listing criteria. This does not establish that the system is free of problems.

Complaint history

When NHTSA received these reports. Changes in reporting alone do not establish a change in failure rates.

Complaints received about the 2005 Cadillac CTS
34
Show as a table
YearComplaints
200519
200634
200716
20088
200910
201020
201118
201217
201315
201430
201528
201617
201712
201810
20199
20204
20212
20224
20232
20241
20251
2026 (to Oct 2026)0
Total277

Problems owners report

Listed groups have at least 3 complaints. The page includes the 20 largest groups plus any additional flagged groups; some complaints are not assigned to a group.

ProblemComplaintsShareShare ratioStatus
Airbag warning light stays on3513%–
Suspension clunking or rattling noise over bumps176.1%–
Brake pedal sinks due to leaking lines114.0%–NHTSA recall #10V105000
Unintended acceleration despite braking114.0%–
Airbags fail to deploy in crashes103.6%–
Ignition key sticks or will not turn103.6%–NHTSA recall #14V394000
Engine burns excessive oil between changes72.5%–
Tires blow out or tread separates62.2%–
Vehicle catches fire from wiring62.2%–NHTSA recall #14V542000
Frame rusts and corrodes through41.4%–
Headlights dim or fail at night41.4%–
Timing chain fails and destroys engine41.4%–
Anti-lock brakes fail or lock up41.4%–
Passenger airbag sensor wrongly shows off31.1%–NHTSA recall #10V644000
Steering wheel shakes violently at highway speed31.1%–
Steering wanders or pulls at highway speed31.1%–
Power steering cuts out while driving31.1%–

AI groups complaints by meaning; the groups are approximate. Share ratio compares the problem’s share of this vehicle’s complaints with its share on other vehicles over the last 24 months (shown from 3 recent complaints). A 2× ratio means twice the complaint share, not twice the failure risk. Flags mark unusual shares or recent surges after an AI review of the complaint content. “First signal” does not mean the pattern has persisted continuously.How recall estimates are calculated.

Recalls

  • NHTSA recall #14V542000September 9, 201410,005 vehicles affected

    fuel system, gasoline: delivery: fuel pump

    General Motors LLC (GM) is recalling certain model year 2004-2007 Cadillac CTS-V vehicles manufactured October 6, 2003, to March 15, 2007, and 2006-2007 Cadillac STS-V vehicles manufactured June 23, 2005, to March 15, 2007. In the affected vehicles, the electrical terminals of the fuel pump module may overheat resulting in the melting of the flange material.

    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.

  • NHTSA recall #14V394000July 2, 2014554,328 vehicles affected

    electrical system: ignition

    This defect can affect the safe operation of the airbag system. Until this recall is performed, customers should remove all items from their key rings, leaving only the ignition key. The key fob (if applicable), should also be removed from the key ring. General Motors LLC (GM) notified the agency on July 2, 2014 that they are recalling 554,328 model year 2003-2014 Cadillac CTS vehicles manufactured August 16, 2001, to April 28, 2014, and 2004-2006 Cadillac SRX vehicles manufactured March 20, 2003, to August 11, 2006. In these models, the weight on the key ring and/or road conditions or some other jarring event may cause the ignition switch to move out of the run position, turning off the engine.

    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.

  • NHTSA recall #10V644000December 17, 201095,927 vehicles affected

    air bags: frontal: sensor/control module-inactive

    General motors is recalling certain model year 2005-2007 Cadillac Cts vehicles. Some of these vehicles have a condition in which repeated flexing of the passenger sensing system mat in the front passenger seat may cause the mat to kink, bend, or fold. This flexing Can break the connections in the mat. If this occurs, the sensor may not detect the presence of a front seat passenger and will disable the air bag.

    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.

  • NHTSA recall #10V105000March 17, 2010139,131 vehicles affected

    service brakes, hydraulic: foundation components: hoses, lines/piping, and fittings

    General motors has notified NHTSA of a defect in certain model year 2003-2007 Cadillac Cts vehicles currently registered in or originally sold in connecticut, delaware, illinois, indiana, iowa, maine, maryland, massachusetts, michigan, minnesota, missouri, new hampshire, new jersey, new york, ohio, pennsylvania, rhode island, vermont, washington d.c., west virginia and wisconsin. Some of these vehicles have a condition in which the front brake hose fitting at the caliper may corrode due to snow or water, containing road salt or other contaminants, entering and being retained in the routing sleeve. If the fitting corrodes significantly, the brake hose-tube interface may develop a leak.

    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.

  • NHTSA recall #07V589000December 20, 2007275,936 vehicles affected

    power train: axle assembly: axle shaft: seal

    On certain passenger vehicles, the rear axle pinion seal does not meet all of the specifications and may experience a fluid leak.

    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.

  • NHTSA recall #06V020000January 25, 200617,462 vehicles affected

    fuel system, gasoline: delivery

    Certain vehicles equipped with V6 engines may have a condition where fuel is no longer supplied to the engine. This condition occurs without the illumination of the fuel level low indicator light or the warning chime.

    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.

Other model years

About this data

NHTSA complaints and recalls through October 2026. Complaints are counted once each, however many components they name. Original complaints are on NHTSA's page for the 2005 Cadillac CTS.

Problem groups are formed by AI and may be approximate. BrakeNews flags unusual complaint patterns; they are not official defect findings. Investigation reports are written and checked by AI, with no human review. Owner reports do not establish that a defect exists.

Read the methodology and track record · Check current recalls by VIN