2003 Cadillac CTS Electrical System Problems
Owners have filed 56 complaints with NHTSA about electrical system problems on the 2003 Cadillac CTS, 18% of all complaints for this model year. Half of the reports with a mileage happened before 90,000 miles.
- 56electrical system complaints
- 90,000median miles at failure
- 4mention a crash
- 3mention an injury
- 1related recalls
- 40%of reports with a speed happened at 50+ mph
At what mileage do electrical system problems happen?
Based on 39 complaints that reported the odometer reading.
How serious are the reports?
Of 56 complaints, 4 mention a crash, 4 a fire, 3 an injury.
Cadillac CTS electrical system complaints by model year
| Model year | Electrical System complaints | Share of that year | Median miles |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2019 CTS | 1 | 10% | — |
| 2018 CTS | 3 | 38% | 7,250 |
| 2017 CTS | 2 | 7% | 15,000 |
| 2016 CTS | 10 | 32% | 12,000 |
| 2015 CTS | 4 | 8% | 40,000 |
| 2014 CTS | 13 | 9% | 23,962 |
| 2013 CTS | 26 | 36% | 14,000 |
| 2012 CTS | 10 | 15% | 23,700 |
| 2011 CTS | 20 | 20% | 45,000 |
| 2010 CTS | 16 | 24% | 43,250 |
| 2009 CTS | 26 | 16% | 65,153 |
| 2008 CTS | 39 | 22% | 74,000 |
| 2007 CTS | 41 | 19% | 97,112 |
| 2006 CTS | 43 | 16% | 90,802 |
| 2005 CTS | 39 | 14% | 69,008 |
| 2004 CTS | 34 | 15% | 91,438 |
| 2003 CTS | 56 | 18% | 90,000 |
When owners reported it
Related recalls (1)
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.
What owners report
Short excerpts of recent complaints, with personal details removed. Full reports are on NHTSA.gov.
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 car will not start and i have to bypass the ignition with a jumper in the fusebox
Frequently asked questions
Do all 2003 Cadillac CTSs have electrical system problems?
No. NHTSA has 56 owner complaints about electrical system for the 2003 Cadillac CTS (18% of the 313 complaints for this model year). Complaint data shows that the problem is reported, not how many of all cars sold are affected.
Was there a recall on the 2003 Cadillac CTS electrical system?
Yes: 1 safety recall list electrical system. Check your VIN on NHTSA.gov to see whether the fix was done on your car.
At what mileage do electrical system problems start?
The median reported mileage is 90,000 miles: half of the reports with a mileage came before that.
See all 2003 Cadillac CTS problems or electrical system problems across all CTS years.