2014 Cadillac CTS: True Cost, Problems & Verdict
146 NHTSA owner complaints · 6 recalls · data-computed verdict. No opinions — public data only.
Owner complaints: 146 filed with NHTSA
Complaints per year on the road: 12.17
What owners say
Verbatim reports filed with the United States safety regulator (NHTSA) by owners of this exact model year. Public record.
The contact owns a 2014 Cadillac CTS. The contact stated that the rear axle, rear differential, and another undisclosed warning light were illuminated. The vehicle was taken to the local dealer to be repaired under NHTSA Campaign Number: 20V038000 (Power Train). The vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired. The manufacturer was contacted, but no assistance was provided. The failure mileage was approximately 99,000.
The contact owns a 2014 Cadillac CTS. The contact stated that while driving at an undisclosed speed, the message "Caution - Pull Over Immediately - Turn off Engine and Wait to Restart Vehicle" was displayed on the instrument panel. The contact pulled over and followed the instructions, and the vehicle returned to normal operation. The contact could not pull over in time, and the steering wheel seized, and the vehicle…
On April 30,2026 I was pulling into a parking space and the gear shifter wouldn't go in to park with my foot the brake and the gear shifter wouldn't go in to park with my foot the brake and the gear shifter wouldn't go in to park . The tow truck driver who finally responded was able to lift the rear of the car up to see what was wrong with my car and I was placing it in the back of the he determined the cable for thr…
Recalls: 6 campaigns (2 severe)
| Campaign | Component | Summary |
|---|---|---|
| 14V614000 | Electrical System | General Motors LLC (GM) is recalling certain model year 2013-2014 Cadillac CTS, Escalade, Escalade ESV, Chevrolet Suburban, Tahoe, GMC Yukon, and Yukon XL, and 2014 Buick Enclave, Chevrolet Express, Impala, Silverado HD, Traverse, GMC Acadia, Savana, and Sierra HD vehicles. In the affected vehicles, the chassis electronic module may be internally… |
| 14V394000 | 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. |
| 18V595000 | Seats:Front Assembly:Seat Heater/Cooler | General Motors LLC (GM) is recalling certain 2014-2016 Cadillac CTS vehicles, equipped with heated front seats. The flexible heating mats in the front seats may be damaged over time, resulting in the seat heaters producing excessive heat. |
| 14V253000 | Visibility:Windshield Wiper/Washer:Motor | General Motors LLC (GM) is recalling certain model year 2014 Cadillac CTS vehicles manufactured June 10, 2013, through February 26, 2014. If the vehicle is turned off with wiper functionality left on and the wipers then become restricted, such as when covered in ice or snow, and the vehicle's battery goes dead and needs to be jump started, upon being jump… |
| 14V338000 | Power Train:Automatic Transmission | General Motors LLC (GM) is recalling certain model year 2013-2014 Cadillac ATS vehicles manufactured April 23, 2012, to March 20, 2014, and 2014 Cadillac CTS vehicles manufactured June 10, 2013, to March 20, 2014. In the affected vehicles, the transmission shift cable may detach from either the bracket on the transmission shifter or the bracket on the… |
| 14V446000 | Seats | General Motors LLC (GM) is recalling certain model year 2013-2014 Buick Encore and Cadillac ATS; 2014 Cadillac CTS, ELR, Chevrolet Caprice and SS vehicles; and 2014-2015 Chevrolet Silverado and GMC Sierra Trucks. Due to an incomplete weld on the seat hook bracket assembly, the front seats in the affected vehicles may not stay secured in place during a high… |
What it costs to buy — and what owning it really takes
Class-level estimates, priced as a mid-size premium car of its model year, re-priced to your country. Not a quote, not a valuation of one specific car — condition, mileage and options move it. How these are computed.
What it costs to run
EPA combined 21 MPG · estimated annual fuel cost $2,950
Re-priced automatically from your country's retail fuel, electricity and parts indices — change country in the bar at the top. Estimates; see methodology.
What this car's problems cost to fix
Ranked by the components owners of this exact model year actually complain about. Each figure is flat-rate labour hours x the local shop rate plus a parts band — an estimate of what this kind of failure costs, not a quote, and not a prediction that this car will need it. Formula.
- Power Train84 complaints · typical job: Transmission service or clutch-pack repair (7.0 h labour + parts)$1,290–$4,040
- Suspension17 complaints · typical job: Struts, springs and control-arm bushings, one axle (4.0 h labour + parts)$780–$1,580
- Steering13 complaints · typical job: Electric power-steering rack or column motor replacement (5.0 h labour + parts)$1,020–$2,500
- Electrical System13 complaints · typical job: Alternator, battery-drain or body-module diagnosis and replacement (3.0 h labour + parts)$540–$1,310
- Unknown Or Other13 complaints · typical job: Diagnosis and mixed repair (2.0 h labour + parts)$360–$940
- Engine9 complaints · typical job: Cooling-system or timing-drive repair (6.0 h labour + parts)$1,040–$2,220
Other Cadillac CTS years
FAQ
What is the most common problem with the 2014 Cadillac CTS?
The most-reported issue in NHTSA complaint data is Power Train (84 complaints in our indexed sample).
Is the 2014 Cadillac CTS a good used car to buy?
Our data verdict is AVOID with a reliability score of 41/100, computed from 146 NHTSA complaints and 6 recall campaigns. See the verdict card for the top reasons.
How much does it cost to fix the 2014 Cadillac CTS's most common problem?
84 of the NHTSA complaints filed against the 2014 Cadillac CTS sit in the Power Train group — more than any other component on this model year. The representative job there is transmission service or clutch-pack repair: about 7.0 hours of labour plus parts, roughly $1,290–$4,040 at a US independent shop and re-priced to your country at the top of the page. It is an estimate of what this class of failure costs, not a quote for this car.
What does a 2014 Cadillac CTS cost to run per year?
About $5,461 a year in fuel or energy plus the maintenance band — roughly $27,305 over five years, before purchase price, insurance and depreciation. Figures come from available EPA fuel-economy data and industry maintenance averages, and are re-priced to your country.
Does the 2014 Cadillac CTS have recalls?
Yes — NHTSA lists 6 recall campaign(s) for the 2014 Cadillac CTS, 2 of them touching fire, crash or stall risk, the most recent recorded 01/10/2014. Check this car's VIN at nhtsa.gov/recalls before you buy.
Compare with
Other luxury midsizes of about the same age.
What will a 2014 Cadillac CTS really cost YOU per year?
Fuel, maintenance band and depreciation — computed from public data in 10 seconds.
Open the true-cost calculatorData sources
Complaints & recalls: NHTSA ·
Fuel economy: EPA fueleconomy.gov ·
Scoring: our published methodology.
Maintenance bands are industry-average estimates (AAA Your Driving Costs, CarMD index) — labeled estimates, not measurements.
Last updated: 2026-10-04.
Moderate evidence — 146 complaints, 6 recalls on record
- 146 NHTSA complaints on record (12.2/yr of exposure) — worse than a typical year of this model (4.5/yr)
- 6 recall campaigns, 2 touching safety-critical systems