2003 Cadillac CTS Problems, Complaints & Recalls
- Compared with other CTS years
- Far more complaints than other years 1st of 17 for complaints
- Safety recalls
- 4 recalls: check your VIN
- NHTSA crash rating
- Not rated
Owners have filed 313 complaints with NHTSA about the 2003 Cadillac CTS. That is the most of any CTS model year in the database (17 years). The most reported problem area is electrical system (56 complaints, 18%), typically at around 90,000 miles. Complaints mention 29 crashes, 12 fires, 21 injuries. There are 4 safety recalls covering this model year.
- 313owner complaints
- 4safety recalls
- 0NHTSA investigations
- 29complaints mentioning a crash
Complaints are unverified owner reports and are not adjusted for sales volume.
Most common 2003 Cadillac CTS problems
Complaints grouped by the part of the car owners reported, with the median mileage when the problem happened.
| Problem area | Complaints | Share | Median miles | Owners mention most | Typical repair cost |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Electrical System problems | 56 | 18% | 90,000 | — | — |
| Engine and Engine Cooling | 38 | 12% | 66,164 | — | — |
| Exterior Lighting | 37 | 12% | 68,782 | — | — |
| Air Bags | 36 | 12% | 102,000 | — | — |
| Engine | 29 | 9% | 83,397 | — | — |
| Steering | 28 | 9% | 70,500 | — | — |
| Power Train | 25 | 8% | 28,000 | — | — |
| Service Brakes, Hydraulic | 25 | 8% | 74,500 | — | — |
| Vehicle Speed Control | 24 | 8% | 69,000 | — | — |
| Structure | 22 | 7% | 70,000 | — | — |
| Service Brakes | 21 | 7% | 108,000 | — | — |
| Electronic Stability Control (esc) | 20 | 6% | 80,204 | — | — |
| Unknown or Other | 12 | 4% | 38,572 | — | — |
| Suspension | 11 | 4% | 51,000 | — | — |
| Equipment | 10 | 3% | 55,500 | — | — |
| Tires | 8 | 3% | 19,241 | — | — |
| Visibility | 8 | 3% | 68,782 | — | — |
| Fuel System, Gasoline | 6 | 2% | 25,950 | — | — |
| Traction Control System | 4 | 1% | 92,102 | — | — |
| Wheels | 4 | 1% | 116,432 | — | — |
| Fuel/propulsion System | 3 | 1% | 103,000 | — | — |
| Seats | 3 | 1% | 60,500 | — | — |
| Electronic Stability Control | 2 | 1% | 37,500 | — | — |
| Fuel System, Other | 2 | 1% | 79,000 | — | — |
| Service Brakes, Air | 2 | 1% | 26,000 | — | — |
| Back Over Prevention | 1 | 0% | — | — | — |
| Seat Belts | 1 | 0% | 115,000 | — | — |
| Visibility/wiper | 1 | 0% | 130,000 | — | — |
One complaint can list several problem areas, so shares can add up to more than 100%.
Complaints by year received
2003 Cadillac CTS recalls (4)
Tap a recall to see the problem, the risk and the fix.
Electrical system:ignition
Problem: 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.
Risk: If the key is not in the run position, the air bags may not deploy if the vehicle is involved in a crash, increasing the risk of injury.
Fix: GM will notify owners, and dealers will install two key rings and an insert in the key slot or a cover over the key head on all ignition keys, free of charge. The recall began on September 15, 2014. Owners may contact Cadillac customer service at 1-800-458-8006. GM's number for this recall is 14172.
Service brakes, hydraulic:foundation components:hoses, lines/piping, and fittings
Problem: 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.
Risk: The brake hose-tube interface may rupture suddenly without prior warning and increase vehicle stopping distance may occur increasing the risk of a crash.
Fix: Dealers are to replace both front brake hose assemblies free of charge. The safety recall is expected to begin during may 2010. Owners may contact cadillac at 1-866-982-2339 or at the owner center at www.gmownercenter.com.
Equipment:other:owners/service/other manual
Problem: Certain minivans, passenger and sport utility vehicles fail to comply with the requirements of federal motor vehicle safety standard no. 225, "child restraint anchorage system." the owner's manual does not explain the meaning of the location symbols for the child restraint lower universal anchorage system.
Risk: This does not meet the requirements of the standard.
Fix: Owners will be provided with a supplement for their owner's manual. This supplement describes and shows the location symbols for the child restraint anchors that are located in the vehicle and on the child restraint or booster cushion. Owner notification began august 18, 2003. Owners should contact buick at 1-866-608-8080, cadillac at 1-866-982-2339, chevrolet at 1-800-630-2438, gmc at 1-866-996-9463, pontiac at 1-800-620-7668, or oldsmobile at 1-800-630-6537.
Steering
Problem: Some passenger vehicles have a condition in which the intermediate steering shaft bolt may be loose.
Risk: An improperly tightened bolt could loosen, resulting in separation of the upper and lower steering shafts causing a loss of vehicle control. If this happens while the vehicle is moving, a crash could result without prior warning.
Fix: Dealers will inspect for the presence of the intermediate steering shaft bolt and ensure that it is tightened to the proper specification. Owner notification began march 20, 2003. Owners who take their vehicles to an authorized dealer on an agreed upon service date and do not receive the free remedy within a reasonable time should contact cadillac at 1-800-458-8006.
To see whether a specific car still has an open recall, enter its VIN on NHTSA's official recall lookup. You can also decode a VIN here.
Recent owner reports
Short excerpts of the latest complaints filed with NHTSA, with personal details removed. Full reports can be searched on NHTSA.gov.
Everything was really grate no problems. My brakes sounds like there is LOTS of AIR Coming from somewhere. My key ignition sometimes want turn over or easy to come out. Than the car started running hot. I've had it looked at Few times and can't seem to fix the problem. I've even brought a new…
The contact owns a 2003 Cadillac CTS. The contact stated that when driving at various speeds the vehicle would suddenly stalled and the instrument panel would illuminate. The message stating "starting disabled remove key" would display. The contact stated that they would be able to coast and…
The computer isnât telling the alternator to charge the battery so the batteries are being all of the way drained without anything recharging them. Beans new batteries get ruined fast.
The check air bag warning keeps coming on. When brought to dealer to fix they said it was not under recall and it needs to be since others having the same issue. This is a safety issue.
There is a open recall effecting this year & make although my vin says there's no recalls on my cts. I had both front brake hose assemblies fail while driving. Luckily we didn't wreck. I've since had both repaired. Curious as to know why car was not listed with open recall.
Other Cadillac CTS years
| Year | Complaints | Recalls |
|---|---|---|
| 2019 CTS | 10 | 0 |
| 2018 CTS | 8 | 2 |
| 2017 CTS | 27 | 2 |
| 2016 CTS | 31 | 4 |
| 2015 CTS | 48 | 3 |
| 2014 CTS | 146 | 6 |
| 2013 CTS | 73 | 2 |
| 2012 CTS | 65 | 2 |
| 2011 CTS | 101 | 2 |
| 2010 CTS | 67 | 3 |
| 2009 CTS | 167 | 5 |
| 2008 CTS | 175 | 2 |
| 2007 CTS | 217 | 6 |
| 2006 CTS | 269 | 6 |
| 2005 CTS | 277 | 6 |
| 2004 CTS | 224 | 6 |
| 2003 | 313 | 4 |
See all Cadillac CTS problems by year, every Cadillac model, or the Cadillac VIN decoder.
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Frequently asked questions
What are the most common problems with the 2003 Cadillac CTS?
Owners most often report electrical system, engine and engine cooling, exterior lighting problems. The top one, electrical system, accounts for 56 complaints.
Was there a recall on the 2003 Cadillac CTS?
Yes, 4 safety recalls. Enter your VIN at NHTSA.gov to check whether the repairs were done on your car.
Was the 2003 Cadillac CTS a good year?
Complaint data can't fully answer that, because counts aren't adjusted for sales. Compared with other CTS model years, the 2003 has far more complaints than most years. Always get a pre-purchase inspection and check the VIN for open recalls.