Electrical complaints by model year
Which parts fail
Components named in complaints (battery, alternator, wiring, ignition, instrument cluster, infotainment).
Mileage when the problem started
What owners report
Numerous problems for a year have been: engine dies while driving, car totally dead with new battery, display partially black randomly or totally black along with radio display black, park assist is turned off. Headlights turn off and on by themselves; The latest is driving up a hill @ 25 mph, the steering wheel jerked hard to the right at 2 different times. Had I not had a solid grip on the wheel, it would have taken down a 500 foot drop and we wouldn't be here today. This last episode is the first time their OBD was able to read anything. It read "no communication to steering, no communication to brakes, radio, dash display" and other no communications. This car is unsafe to drive and should be recalled or taken off the road. It has been to 2 dealerships and so far have not identified anything that gives me faith in the reliability in the vehicle.
Purchased my 2017xt5 9/13/2017. While driving down a main street, I stopped for a light. When the light turned green, the car would not move. Could not turn it off nor could I try to put it in another gear. A kind gentleman, who was behind me, got out of his car and asked if I was okay. I told him the car would not move. He tried. No luck.. I got behind the wheel again and tried to shut it off, again. Eventually, it shut off. I pressed the started again and it rebooted. Very scary... Prayed that I would make it home. Next at, called the dealer. Even afraid to drive it in for fear of it stopping but I was close to home. The dealer kept it for 3 days. Could not find out what was wrong but was told that they could not diagonose it unless it stopped. …
Hazard lights go on automatically while driving. This creates a huge safety issue, especially when driving in high traffic areas as other drivers may mistake Hazard Lights as turn signals. I brought my vehicle in to a Cadillac dealership in December of 2020 to replace the Hazard Light switch. They replaced it with OEM parts, and the issue started happening again in April of 2022. The Hazard Lights will also engage when the vehicle is not running, so this discharges the battery to the point you need to buy a new one. Cadillac needs provide customers with safer Hazard Switches. This is the second time within 2.5 years the Hazard Lights need to be replaced.
Stabilitrak light comes on that also causes the engine light to come on. The vehicle self-accelerate while in park and did again when in drive. Can not tell you how fast the Rpm accelerated due to panic that the vehicle was self-accelerating but it didn't last long. Really quick and it went back to normal idling. Vehicle is scheduled for inspection today 1/20/25 at Classic Cadillac Atlanta. No warnings were given, lights(stabiltrak) just came on. Also the suspension rides very low. It feels like there are no shocks either front or rear.
Forward collision system has not been working properly for the past 3 years the car has been in for service for this problem the last time was March 1st 2023. I nearly had 3 accidents due to the system not working. The last contact was Holman Cadillac I was told by the service manager he would set up appt with the factory service rep and he has not gotten back to me by today's date June 12th 2023. Looking forward to hearing from someone about this problem I feel I am getting the runaround! Thank you [redacted] .
A failure of the self-leveling rear air spring compressor occurred while driving through parking lot. "service rear leveling system" warning was not activated / displayed as published in vehicle owners manual nor did any audible alert sound, notifying driver of any impending problem. As the rear end of the vehicle proceeded to pass over a speed bump at idle speed, the automobile subsequently "bottomed out" leading to significant spine injury. Automobile was un-driveable after incident and was taken to the dealership for repairs via flat bed truck. After suspension compressor was replaced, the automobile continued to have audible creaking in rear suspension while traveling over bumps and dips in the road. Both l and r shocks were replaced after first being inspected and adjusted per GM/Cadillac repair protocol as reported by dealership.
Odometer Fraud. The contact purchased a 2014 Cadillac XTS. After the purchase, the contact discovered that there was a mileage discrepancy. The vehicle was a private sale in July of 2024. At the time of purchase, the mileage was 128,000. The contact stated that while attempting to obtain an extended warranty for the vehicle, the contact was informed that the vehicle had been subjected to odometer fraud. The contact was informed that in 2022, the mileage was documented as 198,000. The contact researched to track the VIN and became aware that before the vehicle was purchased, the previous owner had logged the mileage as 145,000. The contact had not filed a report with any other agencies.
The contact owns a 2014 Cadillac XTS. The contact stated while the vehicle was parked, the hazard lights unintendedly illuminated, and all the doors failed to unlock as needed. There were no warning lights illuminated. The vehicle remained at the residence. The vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired. The manufacturer was not notified of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 40,200.
Frequently asked questions
Which Cadillac XTS years have electrical problems?
By NHTSA complaints, the 2013 (41), 2014 (16), 2017 (10), 2016 (7) and 2015 (5) model years. Electrical complaints make up 40% of all complaints for the 2013.
Is there a recall for Cadillac XTS electrical problems?
No. NHTSA lists no electrical system recall for any Cadillac XTS model year. A widespread problem may still be covered by an extended warranty or a manufacturer service bulletin, so ask a dealer.
At what mileage do Cadillac XTS electrical problems start?
Across all years, half of the complaints with a recorded mileage happened before about 55,000 miles; 50% happened before 50,000 miles.
What part fails most often?
Owners most often name the instrument cluster/panel (1 mentions), followed by the adas › video monitor/screen (1).
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.