Reliable Auto DB

2013 Cadillac XTS reliability

Is it reliable?

Owners have filed 103 complaints with NHTSA about the 2013 Cadillac XTS over 14 years — 6 per year. That is the most complaints per year among the 7 XTS years on this site. NHTSA has 5 recalls on file, including Parking brake, Inactive sensor control module, and Hoses and fittings.

2013 Cadillac XTS
Photo by Oleg Yunakov, resized from the original. Wikimedia Commons CC BY-SA 4.0
Complaints

103

Per year

6

Recalls

5

Years on the road

14

What owners report

The complaints owners file most often name Electrical system (41 of 103), then Suspension (25) and Engine (12). Those filings include 2 that report a fire.

Next to 2014

The 2014 XTS has 50 complaints, 4 per year. The 2013 has more complaints per year than the 2014.

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 2013 Cadillac XTS. How we count. Data as of .

Recalls (5)

Recall Parking brake 2014-09-09 · NHTSA campaign 14V541000
Summary 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. In the affected vehicles, the electronic parking brake piston actuation arm may not fully retract causing the brake pads to stay partially engaged.
Remedy GM will notify owners, and dealers will update the electronic parking brake software, free of charge. The recall began on October 28, 2014. Owners may contact Chevrolet customer service at 1-800-222-1020, or Cadillac customer service at 1-800-458-8006. GM's number for this recall is 14471.
Recall air bags, frontal, inactive sensor control module 2014-08-28 · NHTSA campaign 14V518000
Summary 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. The affected vehicles may have left the factory with the sensing and diagnostic module (SDM) set to "manufacturing mode."
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. Owners may contact Cadillac customer service at 1-800-458-8006 or Chevrolet customer service at 1-800-222-1020. GM's number for this recall is 14532.
Recall hydraulic brakes, power assist, vacuum, hoses and fittings 2014-03-17 · NHTSA campaign 14V116000
Summary 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. The recall began on April 7, 2014. Owners may contact Cadillac at 1-866-982-2339. GM's number for this recall is 14062.
Recall Electrical system 2013-05-24 · NHTSA campaign 13V220000
Summary 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. In October 2013, GM informed the agency that it was adding model year 2013 Chevrolet Sonic vehicles to this campaign , representing an additional 8,050 units. The total number of vehicles being recalled is now 9,677. On the affected vehicles, the brake lamps may intermittently flash without the brakes being applied and the cruise control may disengage. Thus, these vehicles fail to conform to the requirements of Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standard (FMVSS) No. 108, "Lamps, reflective devices, and associated equipment."
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.
Recall seats, middle or rear assembly 2012-10-31 · NHTSA campaign 12V525000
Summary 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. 202, "Head Restraints." The rear seat head restraints may not lock in the upright position after being folded forward. If the head restriant is at its lowest position and it falls forward, it will not meet the height required by the standard.
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.

Complaints by component (103 total)

Electrical system
41
Suspension
25
Engine
12
Exterior lighting
9
Service brakes
6
Speed control
6
Wheels
6
Seats
4
Air bags
3
Electronic stability control (ESC)
3
Forward collision avoidance
3
Hydraulic brakes
3
Steering
3
Tires
3
Equipment
2
Adaptive and mobility equipment
1
Powertrain
1
Seat belts
1
Structure
1
Visibility
1
Show 12 more Show less
Crash-flagged

0

Fire-flagged

2

Injury reports

0

Death reports

0

Complaints filed per year

120122201382014820151220161020171320181520191020201020211202242023320244202522026
Excerpts from recent NHTSA complaint filings
  • "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…"
    Hydraulic brakes, Electrical system, Exterior lighting · filed 2026-05-01
  • "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"…"
    Suspension · filed 2026-02-09
  • "Automatic Headlamp Leveling System malfunction causing safety issues with nighttime driving."
    Exterior lighting · filed 2025-12-08
  • "My VIN is not associated with the recall, identified as NHTSA ID 12V525. It affected 12,626 2013 Cadillac XTS vehicles manufactured between October 12, 2011, and August 30, 2012. However, the rear seat headrests in this…"
    Unknown or other · filed 2025-04-25
  • "As I’m driving with cruise set my brake lamps intermittently flashing without breaking and the cruise control potentially disengage. A software glitch in the body controls module. Plus, my passenger light says the dim…"
    Electrical system, Forward collision avoidance · filed 2025-02-28

NHTSA crash ratings

Version Overall Front Side Rollover
2013 Cadillac XTS 4 DR AWD 5 stars 5 stars 5 stars 4 stars
2013 Cadillac XTS 4 DR FWD 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
XTS 3.6L, 6-cyl Automatic (6-speed) Front-wheel drive 17 27 21 MPG $3100
XTS all-wheel drive 3.6L, 6-cyl Automatic (6-speed) All-wheel drive 17 26 20 MPG $3250
XTS Hearse 3.6L, 6-cyl Automatic (6-speed) Front-wheel drive 15 21 17 MPG $3800
XTS Limo 3.6L, 6-cyl Automatic (6-speed) Front-wheel drive 15 21 17 MPG $3800

Specs and fitment

1st generation, 2013–2019
Body styles Sedan
Oil 5W-30 (0W-30 below -29°C) , 6 qt capacity
Tire size 235/55R18, 245/45R19, 245/40R20 (trim dependent)

Known issues for this generation

Recall 14V-541 covers certain 2013-2015 Cadillac XTS vehicles: dealers update the electronic parking brake software. Recall 18V-576 covers certain 2018-2019 Cadillac XTS and XTS Professional vehicles, and also many other GM models: rear brake caliper pistons may have insufficient coating, potentially reducing rear brake performance; dealers bleed the brake system. Recall 26V-329 covers certain 2015 Cadillac XTS vehicles among other Cadillacs: the front-driver air bag inflator may rupture during deployment; dealers replace the front-driver air bag module.

Compare

Next year 2014 Cadillac XTS See every Cadillac XTS model year →

Frequently asked questions

Is the 2013 Cadillac XTS reliable?

Owners have filed 103 complaints with NHTSA about the 2013 Cadillac XTS over 14 years — 6 per year. That is the most complaints per year among the 7 XTS years on this site. NHTSA has 5 recalls on file, including Parking brake, Inactive sensor control module, and Hoses and fittings.

What are common problems with a 2013 Cadillac XTS?

The complaints owners file most often name Electrical system (41 of 103), then Suspension (25) and Engine (12). Those filings include 2 that report a fire.

Is the 2013 Cadillac XTS more reliable than the years next to it?

The 2014 XTS has 50 complaints, 4 per year. The 2013 has more complaints per year than the 2014.

Has the 2013 Cadillac XTS been recalled?

The 2013 Cadillac XTS has 5 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 2013 Cadillac XTS?

Owners have filed 103 complaints about the 2013 Cadillac XTS with NHTSA.

What mpg does a 2013 Cadillac XTS get?

EPA-rated combined fuel economy for the 2013 Cadillac XTS is 18.8 MPG. See the fuel economy table on this page for city and highway figures by engine and transmission.

What oil does a Cadillac XTS take?

5W-30 (0W-30 below -29°C); capacity is about 6 quarts with filter.

What does recall 14V-541 cover on the XTS?

Certain 2013-2015 XTS vehicles: dealers update the electronic parking brake software.

What tire sizes did the XTS use?

235/55R18, 245/45R19, or 245/40R20 depending on trim.