Home · 2012 Cadillac Cts-v · Complaints

What 67 owners told NHTSA about the 2012 Cadillac Cts-v

These are the actual owner complaints behind this car’s reliability verdict, filed with the federal government, unedited. They’re unverified reports, not confirmed defects: read them as leads for your pre-purchase inspection, not a diagnosis.

All (67)Crash / fire / injury (7)Electrical system (10)Lights (10)Brakes (8)Suspension (7)Airbags (6)Engine (6)Speed control (6)Body & structure (5)Steering (4)Transmission & drivetrain (4)

4 of 67 complaints match · Transmission & drivetrain · clear filters

Jul 2, 2019Transmission & drivetrainLights

WHILE DRIVING HEARD CLANKING UNDER THE CAR FOR ABOUT 2 BLOCKS THEN STOPED. TOOK IT TO THE DEALER AND FOUND OUT 2 BOLTS HAD BACKED OUT OF THE DRIVE SHAFT AND ONE HAD SHEARED. HAD THE EXACT SAME PROBLEM WITH A 2011 CTS. I HAD PURCHASED A WARRANTY WHEN I BOUGHT THE CAR IN 2018, CAR WAS REPAIRED. I DID NOTIFY CADILLAC. RIGHT FRONT HEADLIGHT HAS MOISTURE. UNDERSTAND CADILLAC USED INFERIOR SEALS PREVIOUSLY. WILL NEED TO REPLACE. LIGHT COST APPROXIMATELY $250.00.

NHTSA ODI 11228889

Jul 1, 2019Transmission & drivetrain

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2012 CADILLAC CTS. WHILE DRIVING 5 MPH, THE CONTACT HEARD AN ABNORMAL SOUND UNDERNEATH THE VEHICLE. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO MOORE CADILLAC (LOCATED AT 25450 PLEASANT VALLEY RD, CHANTILLY, VA 20152, (703) 939-9351) WHERE IT WAS DIAGNOSED THAT TWO DRIVESHAFT BOLTS FRACTURED AND NEEDED TO BE REPLACED. THE VEHICLE WAS REPAIRED. THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOT NOTIFIED OF THE FAILURE. THE APPROXIMATE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 65,318.

NHTSA ODI 11228628

Oct 26, 2018Transmission & drivetrain

BOLTS BACKED OUT OF DRIVE SHAFT

NHTSA ODI 11142901

Nov 2, 2015Transmission & drivetrain

WHILE DRIVING THE VEHICLE I HAVE EXPERIENCED ISSUES WITH THE AUTOMATIC TRANSMISSION ISSUE WHEN THE VEHICLE SHIFTS GEARS. THE CAR WILL VIBRATE WHEN ATTEMPTING TO SHIFT GEARS AND CAUSE ME TO OCCASIONALLY HAVE TO SLOW DOWN OR SPEED UP IN ORDER FOR THE TRANSMISSION TO SHIFT INTO THE NEXT GEAR. THE ISSUE IS REFLECTING IN THE RPM GAUGE, WHICH WHEN THIS PROBLEM OCCURS THE RPMS APPEAR TO BOUNCE UP AND DOWN UNTIL THE GEARS FULLY ENGAGE. I HAVE EXPERIENCED THIS ISSUE WHILE ATTEMPTING TO MERGE ONTO THE HIGHWAY WHERE THE CAR WILL VIBRATE WHILE UPSHIFTING AND I WILL HAVE TO EITHER LET OFF OF THE GAS PEDAL OR PUSH DOWN MORE IN ORDER TO MAKE THE ISSUE STOP. SHIFTING IS FAR FROM SMOOTH IN THIS VEHICLE. ISSUE HAS BEEN OCCURRING SINCE MARCH OF 2015 WHEN I PURCHASED THE VEHICLE. I HAVE ALREADY TAKEN IT TO THE LOCAL DEALER, WHICH I HAVE BEEN TOLD CADILLAC AND GM ARE AWARE, BUT THE DEALER WAS ADVISED NOT TO CONDUCT ANY REPAIRS.

NHTSA ODI 10787838

Working with the data? Download all 67 complaints as CSV · fetched from NHTSA July 25, 2026

How to use these: a complaint is one owner’s report, filed voluntarily and published unverified. Patterns matter more than any single story. If several owners describe the same failure at similar mileage, put that system at the top of your pre-purchase inspection list. Back to the full 2012 Cadillac Cts-v verdict →