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#BS-2004-CADCTS-65762004 Cadillac Cts
Based on reports from 294 owners and 6 recalls for this exact model.
Preliminary Verdict
Red Flag
Based on 294 complaints, 33 crashes, 1 fires, and 6 recalls.
Top reported problems
rear bezel cover fell off
4 complaints β’ Severity 7.5/10
stretched timing belt
2 complaints β’ Severity 10/10
broken engine rod
1 complaints β’ Severity 10/10
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Mechanic Inspection Checklist
34 owners reported electrical issues β failures commonly reported around 54K miles.
Failure Timeline by Mileage
Peak failure range: 0β30K miles (77 reports) β’ Median: 54K miles
30,000-Mile Cost Projection
Best Case
Most Likely
Worst Case
Top cost driver: Electrical (34 reports).
Also in your report
Owner Intelligence
AI-synthesized themes from real complaints
Buyer Lot Checklist
Questions, test drive checks, walk-away triggers
Negotiation Talking Points
Data-backed dollar deductions
Buy / Skip Verdict
Final recommendation with conditions
Where the complaints fall
2004 Cadillac Cts: Known Issues & Problem Areas
Electrical Issues
Electrical complaints account for 12% of all reports filed for the 2004 Cadillac Cts, with 34 owners filing complaints with NHTSA. The median mileage at time of complaint is 53,751 miles, suggesting issues tend to surface around the 54K-mile mark.
Brakes Issues
Brakes complaints account for 11% of all reports filed for the 2004 Cadillac Cts, with 33 owners filing complaints with NHTSA. Owners should pay attention to brakes-related symptoms during test drives and pre-purchase inspections.
Power Train:driveline:differential Unit Issues
Power Train:driveline:differential Unit complaints account for 11% of all reports filed for the 2004 Cadillac Cts, with 32 owners filing complaints with NHTSA. Owners should pay attention to power train:driveline:differential unit-related symptoms during test drives and pre-purchase inspections.
Airbags Issues
Airbags complaints account for 6% of all reports filed for the 2004 Cadillac Cts, with 18 owners filing complaints with NHTSA. Owners should pay attention to airbags-related symptoms during test drives and pre-purchase inspections.
Data sourced from NHTSA owner complaints and community reports. The full report analyzes severity, repair costs, and failure patterns for each category.
Complaint trend by year
Complaints filed with NHTSA by year for the 2004 Cadillac Cts. Recent trend: increasing.



Don't negotiate blind β know what this car costs to own
Repair costs β’ Negotiation scripts β’ Mechanic checklist β’ Buy/skip verdict
Recall History (6 recalls)
SEATS
CERTAIN PASSENGER AND SPORT UTILITY VEHICLES FAIL TO COMPLY WITH THE REQUIREMENTS OF FEDERAL MOTOR VEHICLE SAFETY STANDARD NO. 207, "SEATING SYSTEMS." ONE OR BOTH FRONT ANCHOR TABS FOR THE FRONT BUCKET SEATS ARE NOT ENGAGED IN THE FLOOR PAN REINFORCEMENT SLOTS. A SEAT WITH ONLY ONE TAB ENGAGED OR NEITHER ENGAGED WOULD NOT MEET THE STATIC REARWARD LOADING TEST REQUIREMENTS OF THE STANDARD.
STEERING:LINKAGES
ON CERTAIN PASSENGER VEHICLES INVOLVED IN THIS CAMPAIGN, THE LOWER CONTROL ARM BALL STUD NUT/WASHER ASSEMBLIES WITH WASHERS WERE MADE OF THE WRONG MATERIAL. THE WASHERS MAY FRACTURE AND BECOME LOOSE OR FALL AWAY FROM THE VEHICLE, REDUCING CLAMP LOAD. SEPARATION OF THE CONTROL ARM BALL STUD AND STEERING KNUCKLE, DUE TO DISENGAGEMENT OF THE TAPERED ATTACHMENT AND RETAINING NUT, IS POSSIBLE.
AIR BAGS
ON CERTAIN PASSENGER VEHICLES, AN INTERACTION BETWEEN THE SENSING AND DIAGNOSTIC MODULE AND VEHICLE'S ELECTRICAL SYSTEM MAY CAUSE THE DRIVER'S FRONTAL AIR BAG AND/OR ROOF-MOUNTED SIDE IMPACT AIR BAG TO DEPLOY WHEN THE IGNITION KEY IS TURNED TO THE "ON" POSITION.
SERVICE BRAKES, HYDRAULIC:FOUNDATION COMPONENTS:HOSES, LINES/PIPING, AND FITTINGS
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, NEW HAMPSHIRE, NEW JERSEY, NEW YORK, OHIO, PENNSYLVANIA, RHODE ISLAND, VERMONT, WASHINGTON D.C., WEST VIRGINIA AND WISCONSIN. SOME OF THESE VEHICLES HAVE A CONDITION IN WHICH THE FRONT BRAKE HOSE FITTING AT THE CALIPER MAY CORRODE DUE TO SNOW OR WATER, CONTAINING ROAD SALT OR OTHER CONTAMINANTS, ENTERING AND BEING RETAINED IN THE ROUTING SLEEVE. IF THE FITTING CORRODES SIGNIFICANTLY, THE BRAKE HOSE-TUBE INTERFACE MAY DEVELOP A LEAK.
ELECTRICAL SYSTEM:IGNITION
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.
+ 1 more recall in the full report
Recall severity analysis & seller scripts
The full report rates each recall's severity and gives you scripts for asking the seller about recall completion.
The worst model year for the Cadillac Cts is the 2009 β worth knowing if you're cross-shopping years. The biggest problem area is engine.
2004 Cadillac Cts vs. Class Average (Midsize Cars)
This vehicle
294
Class avg
266
Complaint volume is roughly in line with other midsize cars vehicles from 2004.
Complaint counts correlate with sales volume β popular vehicles naturally generate more reports. The full report normalizes for this.
About this data
NHTSA Complaints
Federal database of owner-filed safety complaints. 294 records for this vehicle.
NHTSA Recalls
Manufacturer-issued safety recalls. 6 recalls found for this vehicle.
Repair Cost Data
Real-world repair costs from owner reports and independent databases.
Other Cadillac Cts Model Years
View all Cadillac Cts years β2004 Cadillac Cts: Frequently Asked Questions
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Get the Full 2004 Cadillac Cts Report
10 sections of AI analysis based on 294 owner reports. Know before you buy.