Cadillac CT5: Years to Avoid and Best Years to Buy
Cadillac CT5: 6 model years scored from 92 NHTSA owner complaints and 11 recall campaigns. Worst year 2020, best year 2021.
Cadillac CT5: which years to avoid
Across 6 scored model years the Cadillac CT5 ranges from 72/100 in 2020 to 92/100 in 2024 — a 20-point spread, so which year you buy matters. The weakest year’s complaints concentrate in Power Train (15 of them).
Safest years: 2020, 2021, 2022, 2023, 2024, 2025 — scored 70 or better.
Scored from NHTSA complaints per year of exposure and recall campaigns. How the score works · every car’s years to avoid.
Year-by-year data table
Best year in our data: 2021 (score 80). Worst: 2020 (score 72, BUY).
| Year | Score | Verdict | Running cost / yr | NHTSA complaints | Recalls |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2025 | 83 | BUY | $4,132 | 8 | 0 |
| 2024 | 92 | BUY | $4,189 | 2 | 0 |
| 2023 | 88 | BUY | $3,736 | 12 | 1 |
| 2022 | 88 | BUY | $4,448 | 10 | 2 |
| 2021 | 80 | BUY | $4,620 | 21 | 4 |
| 2020 | 72 | BUY | $4,404 | 39 | 4 |
Running cost is fuel or energy plus the maintenance band midpoint for that car at its age today, re-priced to your country. Purchase price, insurance and depreciation are not included.
Photographs and every generation of the CT5, through the years →
CT5 sub-models & family
Variants & trims on record
Body, powertrain and trim variants of the CT5 on the federal record. Variants folded into this nameplate are counted in this page's data; the rest have too thin a record for a page of their own yet.
What goes wrong on the Cadillac CT5
Across every CT5 model year in our index, owners report these component groups most often. The cost beside each one is the representative repair for that group at a US independent shop, re-priced to your country.
- Power Train22 complaints across all CT5 years · typical job: Transmission service or clutch-pack repair$1,290–$4,040
- Electrical System18 complaints across all CT5 years · typical job: Alternator, battery-drain or body-module diagnosis and replacement$540–$1,310
- Unknown Or Other16 complaints across all CT5 years · typical job: Diagnosis and mixed repair$360–$940
- Structure15 complaints across all CT5 years · typical job: Body, subframe or corrosion repair$1,070–$2,920
- Engine9 complaints across all CT5 years · typical job: Cooling-system or timing-drive repair$1,040–$2,220
- Air Bags6 complaints across all CT5 years · typical job: Airbag module, clockspring or sensor replacement$600–$1,700
Flat-rate labour hours x local shop rate plus a parts band. An estimate of what this class of failure costs, not a quote. Formula.
FAQ
What are the best Cadillac CT5 years to buy?
2020, 2021, 2022, 2023, 2024, 2025 all score 70 or better. The strongest is the 2024 at 92/100, on 2 complaints and 0 recall campaigns.
Which Cadillac CT5 years should I avoid?
The 2020 is the weakest year we score, at 72/100 (BUY), on 39 complaints and 4 recalls. Check the year-by-year table above before committing to any particular car.
What is the most common Cadillac CT5 problem?
22 of the complaints filed against the CT5 across all its model years sit in the Power Train group — more than any other component.
Compare with
Sources: NHTSA, EPA · Methodology · Updated 2026-10-04