2012 Cadillac CTS reliability

Is it reliable?

The 2012 Cadillac CTS has 67 complaints with NHTSA after 15 years, or 6 per year. That is more complaints per year than most CTS years here — over the median of the other years, which is 2. NHTSA has 2 recalls on file, including Ignition and Vacuum.

2012 Cadillac CTS
Photo by MercurySable99, resized from the original. Wikimedia Commons CC BY-SA 4.0
Complaints

67

Per year

6

Recalls

2

Years on the road

15

What owners report

The complaints owners file most often name Electrical system (10 of 67), then Exterior lighting (10) and Service brakes (7). Those filings include 6 that report a crash and 6 that report an injury.

Next to 2013

The 2013 CTS has 73 complaints, 11 per year. The 2012 has fewer complaints per year than the 2013.

The complaint rate is complaints filed in this year’s first 3 years on the road, divided by however many of those years have passed. Recalls are a separate count. The numbers are for the US-market 2012 Cadillac CTS. How we count. Data as of .

Recalls (2)

Recall electrical system, ignition 2014-07-02 · NHTSA campaign 14V394000
Summary 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.
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.
Recall hydraulic brakes, power assist, vacuum 2011-11-02 · NHTSA campaign 11V536000
Summary GM IS RECALLING CERTAIN MODEL YEAR 2012 CADILLAC CTS VEHICLES MANUFACTURED FROM OCTOBER 21, 2011, THROUGH OCTOBER 26, 2011. THESE VEHICLES MAY HAVE A CONDITION IN WHICH THE POWER VACUUM BRAKE BOOST PUSHROD RETENTION NUT MAY NOT BE TORQUED TO THE PROPER SPECIFICATION. IF THE NUT IS NOT TORQUED TO THE PROPER SPECIFICATION, THE NUT COULD LOOSEN AND ALLOW THE PUSHROD TO SEPARATE FROM THE BRAKE PEDAL.
Remedy CADILLAC DEALERS WILL INSPECT THE POWER VACUUM BRAKE BOOST PUSHROD RETENTION NUT, AND IF NECESSARY, TORQUE THE NUT TO THE PROPER SPECIFICATION. THIS SERVICE WILL BE PERFORMED FREE OF CHARGE. THE SAFETY RECALL BEGAN ON NOVEMBER 1, 2011. OWNERS MAY CONTACT CADILLAC AT 1-800-458-8006.

Complaints by component (67 total)

Electrical system
10
Exterior lighting
10
Service brakes
7
Suspension
7
Air bags
6
Engine
6
Speed control
6
Structure
5
Powertrain
4
Steering
4
Traction control
2
Visibility
2
Wheels
2
Air brakes
1
Electronic stability control (ESC)
1
Fuel and propulsion system
1
Hydraulic brakes
1
Seat belts
1
Seats
1
Show 11 more Show less
Crash-flagged

6

Fire-flagged

0

Injury reports

6

Death reports

0

Complaints filed per year

3201222013132014820153201682017520189201952020220214202222023120241202512026
Excerpts from recent NHTSA complaint filings
  • "Front subframe crack around lower control arm bushing area. Common problem that’s going to end up killing someone when it completely separates"
    Suspension · filed 2026-01-14
  • ""service air bag" light is illuminated. Deal states the replacement part is out of production. Apparently, this is a relative common problem with this vehicle. The illumination of the warning light indicates the air bag…"
    Air bags · filed 2025-01-11
  • "A combination of the lower control arm alignment adjustment bolt, it is just a slot and standard bolt. The alignment becomes loose over time and begins to work side to side in the slot, so retightening the bolt is the…"
    Steering, Suspension · filed 2024-09-18
  • "There have been a collection of other Vin numbers for this year make and model for the symptoms I have been experiencing since taking ownership in 2019. The vehicle will stall while running and randomly disable ALL…"
    Speed control, Unknown or other, Service brakes · filed 2023-06-03
  • "The contact owns a 2012 Cadillac CTS. The contact stated that while driving at various speeds, the brake pedal was depressed and the AWD inadvertently deactivated, causing the vehicle to lose motive power. The service…"
    Hydraulic brakes · filed 2023-05-11

NHTSA crash ratings

Version Overall Front Side Rollover
2012 Cadillac CTS 2 DR AWD Not rated Not rated Not rated Not rated
2012 Cadillac CTS 2 DR RWD Not rated Not rated Not rated Not rated
2012 Cadillac CTS 4 DR AWD 5 stars 5 stars 5 stars 4 stars
2012 Cadillac CTS 4 DR RWD 5 stars 5 stars 5 stars 4 stars
2012 Cadillac CTS SW AWD 5 stars 5 stars 5 stars 4 stars
2012 Cadillac CTS SW RWD 5 stars 5 stars 5 stars 4 stars

Stars are how this vehicle did in NHTSA crash tests. They are a safety result, separate from the complaint record. Not rated means that test was not run for this version.

Fuel economy

Trim Engine Transmission Drive City Hwy Combined Annual fuel cost
CTS 3.6L, 6-cyl Manual 6-speed Rear-wheel drive 16 26 19 MPG $3400
CTS 6.2L, 8-cyl Automatic (6-speed) Rear-wheel drive 12 18 14 MPG $5700
CTS 3L, 6-cyl Automatic (6-speed) Rear-wheel drive 18 27 21 MPG $3100
CTS 3.6L, 6-cyl Automatic (6-speed) Rear-wheel drive 18 27 21 MPG $3100
CTS 6.2L, 8-cyl Manual 6-speed Rear-wheel drive 14 19 16 MPG $5000
CTS all-wheel drive 3L, 6-cyl Automatic (6-speed) All-wheel drive 18 26 21 MPG $3100
CTS all-wheel drive 3.6L, 6-cyl Automatic (6-speed) All-wheel drive 18 26 21 MPG $3100
CTS Wagon 6.2L, 8-cyl Automatic (6-speed) Rear-wheel drive 12 18 14 MPG $5700
CTS Wagon 3.6L, 6-cyl Automatic (6-speed) Rear-wheel drive 18 26 21 MPG $3100
CTS Wagon 3L, 6-cyl Automatic (6-speed) Rear-wheel drive 18 27 21 MPG $3100
CTS Wagon 6.2L, 8-cyl Manual 6-speed Rear-wheel drive 14 19 16 MPG $5000
CTS Wagon all-wheel drive 3L, 6-cyl Automatic (6-speed) All-wheel drive 18 26 21 MPG $3100
CTS Wagon all-wheel drive 3.6L, 6-cyl Automatic (6-speed) All-wheel drive 18 26 21 MPG $3100

Specs and fitment

2nd generation, 2012–2013
Body styles Sedan, Coupe, Wagon
Oil 5W-30 (all temps); 0W-30 below -29°C , 6 qt capacity
Tire size 235/55R17, 235/50R18, 245/45R19 (sedan/wagon); coupe/V staggered fronts 235/50R18–255/40R19 front / 235/55R17, 235/50R18, 245/45R19 (sedan/wagon); coupe/V staggered rears 265/45R18–285/35R19 rear

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Frequently asked questions

Is the 2012 Cadillac CTS reliable?

The 2012 Cadillac CTS has 67 complaints with NHTSA after 15 years, or 6 per year. That is more complaints per year than most CTS years here — over the median of the other years, which is 2. NHTSA has 2 recalls on file, including Ignition and Vacuum.

What are common problems with a 2012 Cadillac CTS?

The complaints owners file most often name Electrical system (10 of 67), then Exterior lighting (10) and Service brakes (7). Those filings include 6 that report a crash and 6 that report an injury.

Is the 2012 Cadillac CTS more reliable than the years next to it?

The 2013 CTS has 73 complaints, 11 per year. The 2012 has fewer complaints per year than the 2013.

Has the 2012 Cadillac CTS been recalled?

The 2012 Cadillac CTS has 2 recalls on file with NHTSA. See the recalls table on this page for dates, components, and remedies.

How many complaints have owners filed about the 2012 Cadillac CTS?

Owners have filed 67 complaints about the 2012 Cadillac CTS with NHTSA.

What mpg does a 2012 Cadillac CTS get?

EPA-rated combined fuel economy for the 2012 Cadillac CTS is 19 MPG. See the fuel economy table on this page for city and highway figures by engine and transmission.

What oil does a Cadillac CTS take?

US notes list 5W-30 for all temperatures, with 0W-30 as an alternative below -29°C (about 6.0 qt with filter).

Does recall 19V-086 cover the Cadillac CTS?

It covers certain 2016-2018 CTS vehicles (and ATS/Camaro/Corvette years named in the campaign): electric power steering assist may fail; dealers replace the EPS assembly as directed.

What generation is a 2015 Cadillac CTS?

3rd generation (2014-2019). Model years 2012-2013 are 2nd generation in this catalog.