The contact owns a 2013 Cadillac XTS. The contact stated that several codes will intermittently illuminate on the vehicle, such as code 813, which refers to a transmission communication failure; a malfunction with the Instrument or Cluster (IPC); and code 62, which refers to the Body Control Module (recalls 13 and 158). The Power Steering, Drive Carefully, and Suspension warning lights would illuminate. The instrument panel would suddenly black out, or certain monitoring systems, such as the speedometer, would fail. All failures would occur intermittently. The vehicle was taken to a certified mechanic, who informed them that water intrusion into a bulk cluster behind the bumper of the front passenger's wheel, where several wires for different systems of the vehicle are interconnected. The vehicle was drained, dried, and sealed with silicone. The failures persisted. The contact completed some research and learned of the federal safety agency Campaign Number: 14v116000 (Service Brakes, Hydraulic) online, which they believed could be related to their failure. The dealer was contacted, and it was confirmed that the VIN was not included in any open recalls at the time. The vehicle was not repaired again. The manufacturer was not informed of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 156,000.
The worst 2013 Cadillac XTS problems
Ranked by number of owner complaints. Mileage and cost come from what owners wrote.
- Electrical41
- Suspension25
- Engine12
- Brakes9
- Lights9
Problems by type
Tap a problem to see which part fails, at what mileage and in which other years.
- Electrical41
- Suspension25
- Engine12
- Brakes9
- Lights9
- Acceleration6
- Driver assistance6
- Wheels6
- Seats4
- Airbags3
- Steering3
- Tires3
- Body1
- Seat belts1
- Transmission1
- Visibility1
Recalls 5
Parking brake
- What is wrong
- General Motors LLC (GM) is recalling certain model year 2013-2015 Cadillac XTS vehicles manufactured February 14, 2012, to August 22, 2014, and 2014-2015 Chevrolet Impala vehicles manufactured November 5, 2012, to September 2, 2014. In the affected vehicles, the electronic parking brake piston actuation arm may not fully retract causing the brake pads to stay partially engaged.
- Risk
- Brake pads that remain partially engaged with the rotors may cause excessive brake heat that may result in a fire.
- Remedy
- GM will notify owners, and dealers will update the electronic parking brake software, free of charge. The recall began on October 28, 2014. Owners may contact Chevrolet customer service at 1‑800‑222‑1020, or Cadillac customer service at 1‑800‑458‑8006. GM's number for this recall is 14471.
Recall number 14V541000 · Recall details
Air bags: frontal: sensor/control module-inactive
- What is wrong
- General Motors LLC (GM) is recalling certain model year 2013-2014 Cadillac XTS vehicles manufactured April 11, 2013, to June 27, 2013, and 2014 Chevrolet Impala vehicles manufactured May 13, 2013, to November 5, 2013. The affected vehicles may have left the factory with the sensing and diagnostic module (SDM) set to "manufacturing mode."
- Risk
- In manufacturing mode, the vehicle's air bags will not deploy in the event of a crash, increasing the risk of occupant injury.
- Remedy
- GM will notify owners, and dealers are to reprogram the SDM to the correct mode, free of charge. The recall is expected to begin in September 2014. Owners may contact Cadillac customer service at 1‑800‑458‑8006 or Chevrolet customer service at 1‑800‑222‑1020. GM's number for this recall is 14532.
Recall number 14V518000 · Recall details
Service brakes, hydraulic: power assist: vacuum: hoses, lines/piping, and fittings
- What is wrong
- General Motors LLC (GM) is recalling certain model year 2013-2014 Cadillac XTS vehicles manufactured February 14, 2012, through March 7, 2014. In the affected vehicles, a cavity plug on the brake booster pump connector may dislodge allowing corrosion of the brake booster pump relay connector.
- Risk
- The corrosion of the brake booster pump relay connector may cause a resistive short and melt the connector, increasing the risk of a fire.
- Remedy
- GM will notify owners, and dealers will apply sealant to the connector cavity plugs, re-route the vacuum pump vent hose and replace the front body wiring harnesses as needed, free of charge. The recall began on April 7, 2014. Owners may contact Cadillac at 1‑866‑982‑2339. GM's number for this recall is 14062.
Recall number 14V116000 · Recall details
Exterior lighting: brake lights
- What is wrong
- General Motors LLC (GM) is recalling certain model year 2013 Cadillac ATS and model year 2013 Cadillac XTS; model year 2014 Chevrolet Impala; and 2013 Chevrolet Sonic vehicles. Originally, in May 2013, GM recalled 1,627 model year 2013 Cadillac ATS and model year 2013 Cadillac XTS; and model year 2014 Chevrolet Impala vehicles. In October 2013, GM informed the agency that it was adding model year 2013 Chevrolet Sonic vehicles to this campaign , representing an additional 8,050 units. The total number of vehicles being recalled is now 9,677. On the affected vehicles, the brake lamps may intermittently flash without the brakes being applied and the cruise control may disengage. Thus, these vehicles fail to conform to the requirements of Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standard (FMVSS) No. 108, "Lamps, reflective devices, and associated equipment."
- Risk
- If the brake lamps flash when the vehicle is not slowing, a following driver may not adjust vehicle speed when the vehicle is in fact braking, and the brake lamps are illuminating as intended, increasing the risk of a crash.
- Remedy
- GM will notify owners, and dealers will reprogram the body control module. The recall began on June 13, 2013. Owner's may contact Chevrolet at 1‑800‑630‑2438 or Cadillac at 1‑866‑982‑2339. GM's recall number is 13158.
Recall number 13V220000 · Recall details
Seats: mid/rear assembly
- What is wrong
- General Motors is recalling certain model year 2013 Cadillac XTS vehicles manufactured from October 12, 2011, through August 30, 2012, for failing to comply with the requirements of Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standard No. 202, "Head Restraints." The rear seat head restraints may not lock in the upright position after being folded forward. If the head restriant is at its lowest position and it falls forward, it will not meet the height required by the standard.
- Risk
- In the event of a vehicle crash, the lowered head restraint may increase the occupant's risk of neck injury.
- Remedy
- General Motors will notify owners, and dealers will replace the head restraints, free of charge. The recall began on December 4, 2012. Owners may contact General Motors at 1‑800‑458‑8006.
Recall number 12V525000 · Recall details
Technical service bulletins for the 2013 Cadillac XTS 2,093
Bulletins tell dealers how to fix known problems. A warranty extension means the manufacturer pays for that repair for longer.
- This PI provides Diagnostics tips on how the LIN bus works and how to diagnosis it.
- Unknown or other
- Unknown or other
- Unknown or other
- Unknown or other
- New Vehicle Monitoring Programs Section in IVH
- Unknown or other
- This PI communicates a procedure to clean oil leaking from the rain sensor.
- This service bulletin provides information on Tire Sidewall Irregularities.
- This service bulletin provides information on replacing the intake manifold when the engine is replaced...
2013 Cadillac XTS crash test ratings
Government 5-star crash tests. Higher is safer. Each row is a body style and drivetrain that was tested.
| Version | Overall | Frontal | Side | Rollover |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Cadillac XTS 4 DR AWD | 5 | 5 | 5 | 4 |
| Cadillac XTS 4 DR FWD | 5 | 5 | 5 | 4 |
2013 Cadillac XTS fuel economy
Official EPA estimates in miles per gallon (MPGe for electric). Ranges cover trims that share the same engine.
| Engine | Drive | City | Highway | Combined |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 3.6L 6‑cyl | FWD | 15-17 | 21-27 | 17-21 |
| 3.6L 6‑cyl | AWD | 17 | 26 | 20 |
What 2013 Cadillac XTS owners say
Most recent owner complaints, unedited.
The contact owns a 2013 Cadillac XTS. The contact stated that while driving at an undisclosed speed, the rear suspension was bouncing, and the vehicle became difficult to maneuver. The message to "Check Leveling System" was displayed on the instrument panel. The contact researched and became aware of a recall; however, the VIN was not under recall. The vehicle was taken to the residence and the vehicle was self-diagnosed and it was determined that the stabilizer bar had detached. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was notified of the failure and referred the contact to the federal safety agency Hotline to report a failure. The failure mileage was approximately 200,000.
Automatic Headlamp Leveling System malfunction causing safety issues with nighttime driving.
My VIN is not associated with the recall, identified as the federal safety agency ID 12V525. It affected 12,626 2013 Cadillac XTS vehicles manufactured between October 12, 2011, and August 30, 2012. However, the rear seat headrests in this 2013 Cadillac XTS will not stay in the upright position. SAFETY CONCERN: This could lead to the headrest collapsing during a crash, potentially increasing the risk of injury to rear seat occupant I called my local dealer Red Nolan Cadillac and they informed me that since the VIN is not associated with the recall, they cannot help me with a replacement unless I pay $497 for labor and parts to replace the headrests in the rear of my vehicle. HELP!!! I believe this is a safety issue when someone is in the back seat. It has already been identified as a safety issue. The rear seat headrest mechanism may not engage properly, causing the headrest to not lock in the upright position after being folded forward. REMEDY:The recall involved replacing the affected headrest mechanisms with a revised design.
As I’m driving with cruise set my brake lamps intermittently flashing without breaking and the cruise control potentially disengage. A software glitch in the body controls module. Plus, my passenger light says the dim light it out when it’s not. I’v had a mechanic replace the light multiple times and he says it something in the wiring.
I have replaced my low beam 4 times and it’s still showing the light is out and it is. My cruise control disengaged when I’m driving above 65 with the cruise set and there’s no cars in front of me.
The contact owns a 2013 Cadillac XTS. The contact stated while driving 25 MPH and attempting to stop, the brake pedal was depressed; however, the vehicle failed to respond as needed with the brake pedal going down to the floorboard. The vehicle was taken to an independent mechanic to be diagnosed. The contact was informed that the brake booster had failed and needed to be replaced. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was notified of the failure. The failure mileage was 118,000.
The gear is stuck between P and R. I am unable to move the vehicle when this occurred, I have too call AAA.
Cadillac Cue Radio spider web cracked. After doing further research I have found that GM has been aware of the issues and has still yet to do a recall or work with people on replacing them at no cost as the radio screen is something out of the consumer hands. The whole touch screen will go out as I’ve read and not be able to use any radio function or control anything else the radio screen does.
Message”stalbility track needs service” while driving, speedometer and rpm hands become unstable with lights for traction coming on. Then car shuts down with no acceleration. Have brought to GM service several times and they can’t find the problem.
Compare the 2013 Cadillac XTS
Other model years
Questions about the 2013 Cadillac XTS
Is the 2013 Cadillac XTS reliable?
Owners have filed 103 complaints about the 2013 Cadillac XTS, 4.7 times a typical XTS model year. It is one of the years we flag to avoid.
What is the 2013 Cadillac XTS year score?
The 2013 Cadillac XTS scores 16 out of 100 (poor). The score compares it with the other model years of the Cadillac XTS: 75 is a typical year, 50 means twice the usual complaints, and serious complaints and recalls lower it.
What is the most common problem with the 2013 Cadillac XTS?
Electrical system, with 41 complaints, typically around 68,000 miles. Next is suspension (25).
How many recalls does the 2013 Cadillac XTS have?
5 recalls, covering parking brake, air bags and service brakes, hydraulic.
Is the 2013 Cadillac XTS safe in a crash?
In government crash tests the 2013 Cadillac XTS scored 5 out of 5 stars overall, depending on body style and drivetrain (2 versions tested).
What year does the Cadillac XTS have the most electrical problems?
The Cadillac XTS model years with the most electrical complaints are 2013 (41 complaints), 2014 (16 complaints) and 2017 (10 complaints).
What gas mileage does the 2013 Cadillac XTS get?
Official estimates for the 2013 Cadillac XTS range from 17 to 21 mpg combined. The most efficient version (3.6L 6-cyl, FWD) gets 15-17 city and 21-27 highway.
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