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Selling a junk Cadillac CTS

Any CTS sells for scrap or parts, running or not. Below: what owners report most often for each model year, the recalls on file, and which of those change the offer. Enter your ZIP for a buyer near you.

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What owners report about the Cadillac CTS

NHTSA has 3,109 owner complaints on file for the Cadillac CTS, model years 2003 to 2019, the 140th-most of the 423 models in our data. The most-reported components are transmission and drivetrain (481, 15%), air bags (394, 13%), electrical system (387, 12%). 301 complaints involved a crash, 60 a fire, and 77 say the vehicle had to be towed. The median mileage when the problem was reported is 62,000 miles. The 2003 model year has the most complaints (450). Data as of 2026-10-12.

When the top complaint is transmission and drivetrain, the question for a seller is whether a buyer will resell the car, pull the parts or scrap it. Read our guide to selling a car with a bad transmission: it explains which offers assume the part works and how to describe the car so the price holds at pickup.

Cadillac CTS by model year

YearComplaintsMost reportedCrashFireRecallsMedian miles
2003450Electrical system4619473,000
2004294Transmission and drivetrain331658,000
2005396Transmission and drivetrain456669,000
2006371Air bags393665,999
2007314Air bags449680,000
2008252Electrical system158269,500
2009222Engine180566,010
2010101Air bags32355,500
2011148Transmission and drivetrain146240,250
201281Electrical system100243,000
2013107Electrical system200225,000
2014198Transmission and drivetrain80660,000
201569Transmission and drivetrain43345,600
201647Electrical system03426,500
201733Transmission and drivetrain102—
201810Electrical system102—
201916Other000—

Complaints are owner reports to NHTSA, not confirmed defects. Median miles is the odometer reading owners gave when they reported a problem, shown only where 20 or more reports include it.

Cadillac CTS recalls

NHTSA lists 27 recall campaigns across these model years, most often for air bags (5), steering (4), electrical system (3). Recall repairs are free at a franchised dealer. Before you sell, check your VIN at nhtsa.gov/recalls; a buyer who plans to resell the car will.

  • 2015 model year, air bags (campaign 26V329000, May 2026): General Motors, LLC (GM) is recalling certain 2015 Cadillac Escalade, Escalade ESV, XTS, 2015-2016 Cadillac ATS, CTS, and SRX vehicles. The front-driver air bag inflator may rupture during deployment.
  • 2016 model year, steering (campaign 25V175000, Mar 2025): General Motors LLC (GM) is recalling certain 2016-2018 Cadillac CTS, 2017-2018 Cadillac ATS, Chevrolet Camaro, and Chevrolet Corvette vehicles. The electric power steering (EPS) assist may fail.
  • 2016 model year, steering (campaign 19V086000, Feb 2019): General Motors LLC (GM) is recalling certain 2016-2018 Cadillac CTS, and 2017 Cadillac ATS, Chevrolet Camaro, and Chevrolet Corvette vehicles. The electric power steering (EPS) assist system may fail.
  • 2014 model year, seats (campaign 18V595000, Sep 2018): 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 produci…
  • 2015 model year, brakes (campaign 15V358000, Jun 2015): General Motors LLC (GM) is recalling certain model year 2015 Cadillac ATS and CTS vehicles. The affected vehicles have a bracket between the brake pedal assembly and the rod that actuates the brakes that may fracture dur…

What a Cadillac CTS is worth as a junk car

Buyers price a junk CTS on four things: its weight at today's scrap steel price (the floor), the parts still on it that can be resold, whether it starts and drives, and how far they have to tow it. None of those come from a complaint database, so use this page to describe the car accurately and our junk car value guide to work out a ceiling for the metal. Then get more than one offer.

Guides for selling this car

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Questions people ask

What is a junk Cadillac CTS worth?
What a yard can recover: the car's weight at the current scrap steel price, plus parts it can resell (the catalytic converter, engine, transmission and wheels if they're good), minus towing and processing. The same CTS gets different offers from different buyers, so compare at least two. Our value guide shows the public benchmark.
Will a junkyard buy a Cadillac CTS that doesn't run?
Yes. Junkyards and junk car buyers take cars that don't start, and most arrange the tow. Tell them honestly whether it starts, whether the engine and transmission are still in it, and whether the catalytic converter is on; those are what change the price.
Should I fix an open recall before selling a Cadillac CTS?
Recall repairs are free at a franchised dealer for as long as the car exists. If the car is going for scrap, the repair won't change the scrap price. If a buyer might resell it or pull parts, a completed recall can help. Check your VIN at NHTSA's recall lookup first.
Where do these Cadillac CTS numbers come from?
From the complaint and recall data NHTSA publishes for every make and model, counted by model year on 2026-10-12. A complaint is an owner's report, not a confirmed defect, and the count rises with how many of the model were sold.