Most common 2013 Cadillac XTS problems
Share of the 103 complaints; one complaint can involve more than one system. "~" is the median mileage when the problem started.
Cadillac XTS complaints by model year
Best XTS years: 2019, 2018, 2015. Years to avoid: 2013, 2014. Compare all years →
2013 Cadillac XTS recalls (5)
Parking brake
General Motors LLC (GM) is recalling certain model year 2013-2015 Cadillac XTS vehicles manufactured February 14, 2012, to August 22, 2014, and 2014-2015 Chevrolet Impala vehicles manufactured November 5, 2012, to September 2, 2014.
Remedy: GM will notify owners, and dealers will update the electronic parking brake software, free of charge. The recall began on October 28, 2014.
Air bags › Frontal › Sensor/control module-inactive
General Motors LLC (GM) is recalling certain model year 2013-2014 Cadillac XTS vehicles manufactured April 11, 2013, to June 27, 2013, and 2014 Chevrolet Impala vehicles manufactured May 13, 2013, to November 5, 2013.
Remedy: GM will notify owners, and dealers are to reprogram the SDM to the correct mode, free of charge. The recall is expected to begin in September 2014.
Service brakes, hydraulic › Power assist › Vacuum › Hoses, lines/piping, and fittings
General Motors LLC (GM) is recalling certain model year 2013-2014 Cadillac XTS vehicles manufactured February 14, 2012, through March 7, 2014. In the affected vehicles, a cavity plug on the brake booster pump connector may dislodge allowing corrosion of the brake booster pump relay connector.
Remedy: GM will notify owners, and dealers will apply sealant to the connector cavity plugs, re-route the vacuum pump vent hose and replace the front body wiring harnesses as needed, free of charge.
Exterior lighting › Brake lights
General Motors LLC (GM) is recalling certain model year 2013 Cadillac ATS and model year 2013 Cadillac XTS; model year 2014 Chevrolet Impala; and 2013 Chevrolet Sonic vehicles. Originally, in May 2013, GM recalled 1,627 model year 2013 Cadillac ATS and model year 2013 Cadillac XTS; and model year 2014 Chevrolet Impala vehicles.
Remedy: GM will notify owners, and dealers will reprogram the body control module. The recall began on June 13, 2013. Owner's may contact Chevrolet at 1-800-630-2438 or Cadillac at 1-866-982-2339. GM's recall number is 13158.
Seats › Mid/rear assembly
General Motors is recalling certain model year 2013 Cadillac XTS vehicles manufactured from October 12, 2011, through August 30, 2012, for failing to comply with the requirements of Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standard No.
Remedy: General Motors will notify owners, and dealers will replace the head restraints, free of charge. The recall began on December 4, 2012. Owners may contact General Motors at 1-800-458-8006.
What 2013 Cadillac XTS owners say
Electrical system all 41 →
The contact owned a 2013 Cadillac XTS. The contact stated that they parked their vehicle and approximately 5-10 minutes afterward the vehicle caught fire. The fire department arrived on the scene and extinguished the fire. A police report was filed. There were two vehicles and a bicycle nearby that caught on fire as a result of the contact's vehicle fire spreading. There were no injuries and medical attention was required. The vehicle was towed and deemed totaled. The manufacturer was made aware of the failure and opened a case regarding the failure. The approximate failure mileage was 120,000.
The contact owns a 2013 Cadillac XTS. The contact stated that several codes will intermittently illuminate on the vehicle, such as code 813, which refers to a transmission communication failure; a malfunction with the Instrument or Cluster (IPC); and code 62, which refers to the Body Control Module (recalls 13 and 158). The Power Steering, Drive Carefully, and Suspension warning lights would illuminate. The instrument panel would suddenly black out, or certain monitoring systems, such as the speedometer, would fail. All failures would occur intermittently. The vehicle was taken to a certified mechanic, who informed them that water intrusion into a bulk cluster behind the bumper of the front passenger's wheel, where several wires for different systems of the vehicle are interconnected. The vehicle was drained, dried, and sealed with silicone. The failures persisted. …
Suspension all 25 →
The contact owns a 2013 Cadillac XTS. The contact stated that while driving at an undisclosed speed, the rear suspension was bouncing, and the vehicle became difficult to maneuver. The message to "Check Leveling System" was displayed on the instrument panel. The contact researched and became aware of a recall; however, the VIN was not under recall. The vehicle was taken to the residence and the vehicle was self-diagnosed and it was determined that the stabilizer bar had detached. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was notified of the failure and referred the contact to the NHTSA Hotline to report a failure. The failure mileage was approximately 200,000.
Front right passenger side suspension slams hard on the ground while driving at times. It has occurred multiple times and this can be dangerous while driving. It has been checked out and repaired by replacing them but front right side suspension still slams while driving after a few months. This is an expensive problem as well as dangerous.
Engine & cooling
The contact owned a 2013 Cadillac XTS. The contact stated that they parked their vehicle and approximately 5-10 minutes afterward the vehicle caught fire. The fire department arrived on the scene and extinguished the fire. A police report was filed. There were two vehicles and a bicycle nearby that caught on fire as a result of the contact's vehicle fire spreading. There were no injuries and medical attention was required. The vehicle was towed and deemed totaled. The manufacturer was made aware of the failure and opened a case regarding the failure. The approximate failure mileage was 120,000.
The contact owns a 2013 Cadillac XTS. The contact stated while driving 15 mph, the vehicle stalled. The contact stated no warning light was illuminated. The vehicle was taken to the local dealer where it was diagnosed with nothing needing to be replaced. The vehicle was not repaired. The contact then stated 3 months later, the vehicle stalled again. The vehicle was then taken back to the dealer where it was diagnosed with the radio module needing to be replaced. The vehicle was repaired however, the failure recurred a month later. The contact then took the vehicle back to the dealer where it was diagnosed with the battery needing to be replaced. The vehicle was repaired however, the failure recurred four months later. The contact then took the vehicle back to dealer where it was diagnosed with the radio needing to be replaced. The vehicle was repaired however, the failure persisted. …
2013 Cadillac XTS engines & fuel economy
| Engine | Transmission | Drive | MPG city / hwy / combined |
|---|---|---|---|
| 3.6L 6-cyl | 6-speed automatic | FWD | 17 / 27 / 21 |
| 3.6L 6-cyl | 6-speed automatic | AWD | 17 / 26 / 20 |
EPA ratings. Class: Large car.
Frequently asked questions
Is the 2013 Cadillac XTS a good car?
Based on 103 owner complaints filed with NHTSA, the 2013 XTS rates avoid: 3.6× as many complaints as a typical year of the XTS at the same age. It is one of the XTS years we suggest avoiding. Complaint counts don't account for sales volume or individual maintenance, so have any used car inspected before buying.
What is the most common problem with the 2013 Cadillac XTS?
The electrical system — 41 complaints, 40% of all complaints for this model year. Next are the suspension (25) and engine & cooling (12).
How many recalls does the 2013 Cadillac XTS have?
There are 5 recalls for the 2013 Cadillac XTS, the most recent from September 9, 2014 (parking brake). Recall repairs are free at any authorized dealer — check whether yours has been done with the VIN recall check.
What are the best and worst years of the Cadillac XTS?
The best years by complaints, compared at the same age, are 2019, 2018 and 2015. Years to avoid or approach with caution: 2013 and 2014. See the full Cadillac XTS years comparison.
At what mileage do 2013 Cadillac XTS problems happen?
The median mileage reported in complaints is about 53,000 miles; 45% of problems with a recorded mileage started before 50,000 miles.
Source: U.S. National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) — owner complaints through October 20, 2026, recalls and defect investigations; fuel economy from the EPA. Complaints are unverified reports and are not proof of a defect. How we rate model years.