2018 Cadillac CTS reliability

Is it reliable?

The 2018 Cadillac CTS has 8 complaints with NHTSA after 9 years, or 1 per year. That is the fewest complaints per year among the 8 CTS years on this site. NHTSA has 2 recalls on file, including Electric power steering.

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

Complaints

Per year

Recalls

Years on the road

What owners report

The complaints owners file most often name Electrical system (3 of 8), then Powertrain (3) and Air bags (1). Those filings include 1 that reports a crash.

Next to 2017 and 2019

The 2017 CTS has 27 complaints, 3 per year, and the 2019 has 10 complaints, 1 per year. The 2018 has fewer complaints per year than the 2017. The 2018 has fewer complaints per year than the 2019.

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 2018 Cadillac CTS. How we count. Data as of 2026-10-16.

Recalls (2)

Recall Electric power steering 2025-03-20 · NHTSA campaign 25V175000

Summary General Motors LLC (GM) is recalling certain 2016-2018 Cadillac CTS, 2017-2018 Cadillac ATS, Chevrolet Camaro, and Chevrolet Corvette vehicles. The electric power steering (EPS) assist may fail.

Remedy Dealers will replace the power steering gear assembly, free of charge. Owner notification letters were mailed April 15, 2025. Owners may contact Cadilac customer service at 1-800-333-4223 or Chevrolet customer service at 1-800-222-1020. GM's number for this recall is N252497020.

Recall Electric power steering 2019-02-07 · NHTSA campaign 19V086000

Summary General Motors LLC (GM) is recalling certain 2016-2018 Cadillac CTS, and 2017 Cadillac ATS, Chevrolet Camaro, and Chevrolet Corvette vehicles. The electric power steering (EPS) assist system may fail.

Remedy GM will notify owners, and dealers will replace the power steering gear assembly, free of charge. The recall began June 13, 2019. GM' number for this recall is N182182760.

Complaints by component (8 total)

Electrical system

Powertrain

Air bags

Engine

Exterior lighting

Crash-flagged

Fire-flagged

Injury reports

Death reports

Complaints filed per year

Excerpts from recent NHTSA complaint filings

"THE TRANSMISSION "SHUDDERS". It does not happen with any regularity and with no advance warning. It may be electronic or mechanical or both."
Powertrain, Electrical system · filed 2026-01-27
"What component or system failed or malfunctioned, and is it available for inspection upon request? From 2018. The uauto start/stop system has failed 3 times. How was your safety or the safety of others put at risk?…"
Electrical system · filed 2025-12-23
"The airbag system failed to deploy during a single-vehicle accident in which the car left the service road and struck a tree. The vehicle sustained significant front-end damage. The driver lost consciousness or…"
Air bags · filed 2025-04-17
"To Whom It May Concern, I am writing to express my serious concerns regarding a known issue with the 2018 Cadillac CTS that poses a significant safety risk. The LCD/backup display screen in my 2018 Cadillac CTS has…"
Unknown or other · filed 2024-05-24
"Rear differential failure confirmed by the dealer at 41,000 miles. Told not to drive it as rear wheels could lock up causing accident. Rear was making load noise 2 days prior to failure with fluid leak upon inspection.…"
Powertrain · filed 2022-09-26

NHTSA crash ratings

Version	Overall	Front	Side	Rollover
2018 Cadillac CTS 4 DR AWD	5 stars	5 stars	5 stars	5 stars
2018 Cadillac CTS 4 DR RWD	5 stars	5 stars	5 stars	5 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	2L, 4-cyl	Automatic (8-speed)	Rear-wheel drive	22	30	25 MPG	$3200
CTS	3.6L, 6-cyl	Automatic (8-speed)	Rear-wheel drive	16	24	19 MPG	$4200
CTS	3.6L, 6-cyl	Automatic (8-speed)	Rear-wheel drive	20	30	24 MPG	$2700
CTS all-wheel drive	3.6L, 6-cyl	Automatic (8-speed)	All-wheel drive	19	27	22 MPG	$2950
CTS all-wheel drive	2L, 4-cyl	Automatic (8-speed)	All-wheel drive	21	29	24 MPG	$3300

Specs and fitment

3rd generation, 2014–2019

Body styles Sedan

Oil 5W-30 (all temps); 0W-30 below -29°C , 6 qt capacity

Tire size 245/45R17, 245/40R18, 255/35R19 (trim dependent)

Known issues for this generation

Recall 19V-086 covers certain 2016-2018 Cadillac CTS vehicles (and ATS/Camaro/Corvette years named in the campaign): the electric power steering assist system may fail, requiring higher steering effort especially at low speeds. Dealers replace the power steering gear assembly. Recall 25V-175 covers certain 2016-2018 CTS vehicles among other GM models for the same EPS assist failure mode; dealers replace the power steering gear assembly.

Compare

Previous year 2017 Cadillac CTS Next year 2019 Cadillac CTS See every Cadillac CTS model year →

Frequently asked questions

Is the 2018 Cadillac CTS reliable?

What are common problems with a 2018 Cadillac CTS?

The complaints owners file most often name Electrical system (3 of 8), then Powertrain (3) and Air bags (1). Those filings include 1 that reports a crash.

Is the 2018 Cadillac CTS more reliable than the years next to it?

The 2017 CTS has 27 complaints, 3 per year, and the 2019 has 10 complaints, 1 per year. The 2018 has fewer complaints per year than the 2017. The 2018 has fewer complaints per year than the 2019.

Has the 2018 Cadillac CTS been recalled?

The 2018 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 2018 Cadillac CTS?

Owners have filed 8 complaints about the 2018 Cadillac CTS with NHTSA.

What mpg does a 2018 Cadillac CTS get?

EPA-rated combined fuel economy for the 2018 Cadillac CTS is 22.8 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.