AI Damage2004 Cadillac CTS-V: common problems
Owners of the 2004 Cadillac CTS-V filed 5 complaints with NHTSA, most often about service brakes and steering. Details by component below, with sources.
Key figures
- Owner complaints
- 5
- involving a crash
- 1
What fails most often
- 1 Service brakes 80% of all complaints
- 2 Steering 40% of all complaints
- 3 Suspension 40% of all complaints
- 4 Electrical system 20% of all complaints
- 5 Electronic stability control 20% of all complaints
- Service brakes: 4 complaints (80% of all).
- Steering: 2 complaints (40% of all).
- Suspension: 2 complaints (40% of all), 1 of them with a crash reported by the owner.
- Electrical system: 1 complaints (20% of all).
- Electronic stability control: 1 complaints (20% of all).
Symptoms owners describe
How many of the 5 NHTSA complaints mention each symptom (automatic count from complaint text; one complaint can mention several).
Components owners complain about
| Component | Owner complaints | involving a crash | Technical service bulletins (TSB) |
|---|---|---|---|
| Service brakes | 4 | 0 | 0 |
| Steering | 2 | 0 | 0 |
| Suspension | 2 | 1 | 0 |
| Electrical system | 1 | 0 | 0 |
| Electronic stability control | 1 | 0 | 0 |
What owners report
Short excerpts of NHTSA complaints in the original wording. These are owner statements not verified by NHTSA; personal data removed.
I have or had a 2004 cadillac cts-v. It had given me some problems with turning. Several times when I made turns onto another street or even when I took an on ramp onto an interstate, I have lost control of my car.
The contact stated that while driving, and while depressing the brake pedal to come to a complete stop, the brake failed. The contact had to engage the emergency brake to bring the vehicle to a complete stop. In addition, the contact stated that the steering wheel would shake at low and high speeds.
Car won't start neither turn off completely won't turn off leaving lights on the dash board on thus causing the battery to run dead. My traction automatically engage with a warn signal service traction control and brake system.
I took my car in to the dealer to have other recalls handled and was informed my brake hose fittings were rusted and should be replaced. Upon researching the issue I found nhtsa campaign number: 15v225000 / gm recall 15149.
When owners complained
NHTSA complaints by filing year. The peak shows at what age the problems show up most.
Comparison
By complaint count this model year ranks 14,282 of 36,656 model years in the NHTSA data (top 39% most complained about).
On average one model year of the CTS-V has 3 complaints (10 years in the data). This year has 5, above average.
What to check before buying
- Service brakes. Pedal feel, ABS operation, leaks, discs and hoses.
- Steering. Steering play, power assist, rack and tie rods after a wheel impact.
- Suspension. Wheel alignment, control arms, subframe, even tire wear.
- Electrical system. Scan all modules, test the battery and alternator, inspect connectors near the impact zone.
Other years of this model
Questions and answers
What are the most common problems with the 2004 Cadillac CTS-V?
Owner complaints to NHTSA most often mention: service brakes, steering, suspension. Total complaints: 5. The most frequent symptoms in complaint texts: brake failure (20%), won't start (20%), loss of power / limp mode (20%).
How many service bulletins (TSB) were issued for the 2004 Cadillac CTS-V?
NHTSA lists 0 manufacturer service bulletins for this year. A bulletin tells dealers how to diagnose or fix a known issue; it is not a recall.
Should I buy a 2004 Cadillac CTS-V from a US auction?
Owner complaints describe defects, not crash damage. Before bidding, check the components listed above and review the lot photos: VinWind builds a report of visible and hidden damage by VIN.
Other 2004 models
Read also
Sources: public NHTSA data (USA): service bulletins and owner complaints; YouTube: links to videos credited to their authors. Complaints are owner statements not verified by NHTSA, and describe defects rather than crash damage. Data updated 2026-11-05.