Cadillac CT6 Reliability

Owners filed 75 complaints about the CT6: 1.23 per production run against 3.73 for the market, fewer complaints than most cars. The year to avoid is 2017; the cleanest year old enough to judge is 2016.

NHTSA owner complaints · 75 complaints · 2016–2020 · Updated Nov 4, 2026
Quick answer

Half of all complaints arrive by 4 years of age, so 62.7% land after the 4-year basic warranty ends. The system owners report most is Power Train, with 45 complaints, typically at 4.5 years.

Cadillac CT6 years to avoid — and the best ones

FIG.01·Cadillac CT6 — complaint rate by model year
Model yearPer runComplaintsRunsEnough history?
20201.22119yes
20191.151513yes
20181.21210yes
20171.442618yes
201611111yes
ROWS 5·SOURCE NHTSA complaints, grouped by VIN production run

Among the 5 Cadillac CT6 years with enough history, the three to walk away from are 2017, 2020, 2018; the three worth hunting are 2016, 2019, 2018.

When it starts to break

FIG.02·Cadillac CT6 — age at failure
Age at failureComplaintsRunning totalWarranty
0 years1114.7%covered
1 year420%covered
2 years932%covered
3 years437.3%covered
4 years1152%you pay
5 years1166.7%you pay
6 years1384%you pay
7 years388%you pay
8 years493.3%you pay
9 years5100%you pay
ROWS 10·SOURCE NHTSA complaints with incident dates

Basic warranty on this car is 4 years / 50,000 miles. Only 37.3% of reported failures happen inside it — the remaining 62.7% come out of the owner's pocket. Powertrain cover (4 years / 50,000 miles) reaches further, but it only covers the engine and transmission, which account for about 71% of the complaints here.

What actually fails — and at what age

On the Cadillac CT6, the early trouble is Service Brakes and Electrical System — reported at around 2.4 years, so a car still under warranty is the one to check for it. What waits further out is Power Train at 4.5 years — past every basic warranty, and the bill lands on whoever owns the car then.

FIG.03·Cadillac CT6 — what fails and when
SystemComplaintsTypical ageCrashFire
Power Train454.5 yrs——
Engine84.3 yrs——
Service Brakes82.4 yrs1—
Electrical System74 yrs——
Forward Collision Avoidance53 yrs1—
Suspension43.3 yrs1—
Unknown Or Other43 yrs1—
Fuel/propulsion System45 yrs——
ROWS 8·SOURCE NHTSA complaints

What else in this class

6 models share the CT6's vehicle class. Per production run, the Dodge Charger draws 4.56, the Chrysler 300 4.11 and the Kia K5 3.08, against 1.23 for the CT6. That is the fewest complaints of the group.

FIG.05·Cadillac CT6 — rivals in the same class
Same class as the CT6Complaints on recordRecall campaignsYears built
Dodge Charger5,7841331983–2026
Chrysler 3006,171861999–2026
Kia K5486212021–2026
Hyundai Sonata16,2201521989–2026
Chevrolet Impala10,373981981–2026
Lincoln Continental2,687801981–2026
ROWS 6·SOURCE NHTSA complaints and recall campaigns

The table shows totals on record; the rates per production run are in the sentence above.

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Frequently asked questions

Is the Cadillac CT6 reliable?

By complaints per production run it is better than typical: 1.23 against 3.73 for the average car, and fewer than each of the 3 class rivals we compared.

Which CT6 years should you avoid?

By complaints per production run, 2017, 2020, 2018. The cleanest years old enough to judge are 2016, 2019, 2018. Years newer than 6 are left out: complaints keep arriving for years after a car is sold.

When do CT6 problems usually start?

Half of all complaints arrive by 4 years of age. The most reported system is Power Train, typically at 4.5 years, followed by Engine.

Will the warranty cover CT6 problems?

Mostly not: basic cover is 4 years / 50,000 miles, and only 37.3% of reported failures fall inside it. Powertrain cover lasts longer, but engine and transmission make up about 71% of the complaints here.

Is the CT6 more reliable than the Dodge Charger?

Yes: 1.23 complaints per production run for the CT6 against 4.56 for the Dodge Charger.

Complaint records from NHTSA, grouped by VIN production run (characters 1–11). Rates, age-at-failure and warranty coverage computed by ForCar. Model years newer than 6 years are excluded from rankings — complaints accumulate for a decade (how we measure). Last updated Nov 2026. — ForCar Reviewed by , founder of ForCar.
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