2005 Cadillac CTS Problems, Recalls & Reliability
396 owner complaints sit in the federal file for the 2005 Cadillac CTS, alongside 6 recall campaigns and 3 defect investigations. It scores 97/100 on the trouble index — one of the years to avoid for this model. Transmission & drivetrain leads the reports, typically around 29,000 miles.
Avoid this year if you can. The 2005 Cadillac CTS sits at the top of this model's complaint rankings. Quieter picks in the same family: 2010, 2012, 2015–2017.
Avoid
Where 2005 sits among all CTS years
What owners report
“2005 cts v . . . Noticed howling whining noise coming from rear end. Cadillac has replaced two rear differentials in my car and attempted to fix the whining noise three other time and i still have the noise coming from the rear end. My car only has 12,000 miles and needs a third rear differential.”— owner report to NHTSA, 2005 CTS
“Passenger seat sensor would not come on with passenger in seat. Looked up and there was a recall. Called cadillac and was told no recall”— owner report to NHTSA, 2005 CTS
“I cannot unlock the ignition system to remove the key, i believe there is a recall on this model to replace the ignition switch. So what should i do?”— owner report to NHTSA, 2005 CTS
“Electrial problems also engine problems and front light gwent out 3 times burns oil”— owner report to NHTSA, 2005 CTS
“Starting to back out of driveway and when applying brakes they are stiff and barely working and really hard to stop car.”— owner report to NHTSA, 2005 CTS
“As i was driving down interstate i76, my car lost power and caused me to crash. The front driver side of my car is completely smashed.”— owner report to NHTSA, 2005 CTS
Mileage when trouble shows up
Among the 310 reports that include an odometer reading, problems most often appear around 67,791 miles. Half of those reports fall between 23,000 and 100,000 miles — a useful range to weigh against the mileage of the exact car you're looking at.
Recalls (6)
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…
Fix: 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.…
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.…
Fix: 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.…
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…
Fix: 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…
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,…
Fix: 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…
ON CERTAIN PASSENGER VEHICLES, THE REAR AXLE PINION SEAL DOES NOT MEET ALL OF THE SPECIFICATIONS AND MAY EXPERIENCE A FLUID LEAK.
Fix: 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…
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.
Fix: 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…
Federal defect investigations
Led to recall campaign 07V589000.
Technical service bulletins
624 manufacturer communications — service bulletins, the biggest share on electrical and engine — are on file for the 2005 Cadillac CTS. A TSB is factory repair guidance, not a recall — the repair is not automatically free.
Complaint history for this model year
When owners filed their reports — a long tail means problems kept surfacing for years.
Questions buyers ask
Is the 2005 Cadillac CTS reliable?
The 2005 Cadillac CTS drew 396 complaints in federal safety records — one of the years to avoid for this model. Its trouble index is 97/100, scored against the model's worst year (2003).
What are the most common 2005 Cadillac CTS problems?
The top reported problems for the 2005 Cadillac CTS are transmission & drivetrain (89 complaints), airbags (75), and electrical (45).
At what mileage do 2005 Cadillac CTS problems show up?
Owners most often report 2005 Cadillac CTS problems around 67,791 miles. Half of all reports that include an odometer reading fall between 23,000 and 100,000 miles.
Does the 2005 Cadillac CTS have recalls?
6 recall campaigns apply to the 2005 Cadillac CTS. Recall repairs are free at any franchised dealer.
Every number on this page is a count of records in the federal complaint, recall, and investigation files published by NHTSA's Office of Defects Investigation. Check any specific vehicle's open recalls by VIN at nhtsa.gov/recalls.