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2014 Cadillac Elr

Solid pick. The public record on this car is clean for its age. Inspect it, then negotiate with confidence.

Recalls, complaint breakdown & inspection checklist, all in a shareable PDF

17 owner complaints · 2 recalls · data verified July 27, 2026 · source: NHTSA

Buywillitcar.com

Why buy?

Very few owner complaints for its age and sales volume.

Score breakdown, by factor

Full methodology →

#72 of 554Among the 2014 models with a matured record, the 2014 Cadillac Elr ranks #72, scoring higher than 82% of them. See the 2014 ranking →

Complaint volume100
Severity93
Recall load95
Trend56

Complaints filed per year

Fading = early teething worked out. Climbing = problems aging in.

20142026 YTD

How it crashes

NHTSA’s own crash tests, separate from the reliability score above.

NHTSA crash-tested this model year but didn’t publish an overall star rating for it.

Source: nhtsa.gov/ratings. Star ratings compare vehicles within the same class and size, not across every car on the road.

The road ahead

What breaks on a 2014 Cadillac Elr, plotted where owners report it happening.

030k mi60k mi90k mi120k mi

Also reported (mileage varies): Electrical system (6)

Mileage medians come from owners who mentioned an odometer reading in their NHTSA complaint. Treat them as a rough guide.

Electrical system

35%

6 complaints · 2 in the last 2 years

SHIFTING THE VEHICLE INTO PARK AND ATTEMPTING TO TURN IT OFF BY HITTING THE POWER BUTTON, YIELDS A WARNING ON THE DIC SAYING "ACTION REQUIRED: SHIFT TO PARK", DESPITE …

Read the electrical system complaints →

Fuel system

12%

2 complaints · 1 in the last 2 years

SHIFTING THE VEHICLE INTO PARK AND ATTEMPTING TO TURN IT OFF BY HITTING THE POWER BUTTON, YIELDS A WARNING ON THE DIC SAYING "ACTION REQUIRED: SHIFT TO PARK", DESPITE …

Read the fuel system complaints →

Transmission & drivetrain

12%

2 complaints

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2014 CADILLAC ELR. WHILE DRIVING AT 70 MPH, THE VEHICLE DECELERATED INDEPENDENTLY WITHOUT WARNING. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT DIAGNOSED OR REPAIRED. TH…

Read the transmission & drivetrain complaints →

Brakes

12%

2 complaints

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2014 CADILLAC ELR. THE CONTACT STATED THAT WHILE PARKED ON A SLIGHT HILL, THE VEHICLE WAS SHIFTED OUT OF PARK AND STARTED TO DRIFT DOWN THE HIL …

Read the brakes complaints →

Check it against this car’s mileage

Type the odometer reading on the actual car you’re looking at to see which of these problem areas owners tend to report before it, around it, or after it.

miles

Too few owners named a mileage on this model to place issues against an odometer yet.

Read all 17 owner complaints in their own words → · just the 2 crash/fire/injury reports →

Recalls (2)

Safety recall repairs are free at the brand’s franchised dealers. Before buying, run the VIN at nhtsa.gov/recalls and make the seller show the work was done.

Seats · 14V446000

General Motors LLC (GM) is recalling certain model year 2013-2014 Buick Encore and Cadillac ATS; 2014 Cadillac CTS, ELR, Chevrolet Caprice and SS vehicles; and 2014-2015 Chevrolet Silverado and GMC Sierra Trucks. Due to an incomplete weld on the seat hook bracket assembly, the front seats in the affected vehicles may not stay secured in place during a high load condition such as a crash.

Risk: A seat that does not stay secured increases the risk of occupant injury in a vehicle crash.

Fix: GM will notify owners, and dealers will inspect the seat hook bracket assembly weld and replace the lower seat track, as necessary, free of charge. The recall began on August 15, 2014. Owners may contact GM customer service at 1-800-521-7300 (Buick), 1-800-458-8006 (Cadillac), 1-800-222-1020 (Chevrolet), and 1-800-462-8782 (GMC). GM's number for this recall is 14340.

Electronic Stability Control (esc) · 14V144000

General Motors LLC (GM) is recalling certain model year 2014 Cadillac ELR vehicles not equipped with adaptive cruise control and manufactured September 26, 2013, through February 14, 2014, and equipped without adaptive cruise control. In these vehicles, the electronic stability control (ESC) system software may inhibit certain ESC diagnostics, preventing the system from alerting the driver that the ESC system is partially or fully disabled. As such, these vehicles fail to conform with Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standard (FMVSS) number 126, "Electronic Stability Control Systems."

Risk: If the driver is not alerted to an ESC malfunction they may continue driving with a disabled ESC system which may result in loss of directional control, increasing the risk of a crash.

Fix: GM will notify owners, and dealers will recalibrate the Electronic Brake Control Module (EBCM), free of charge. The recall began on May 20, 2014. Owners may contact Cadillac at 1-800-458-8006. GM's number for this recall is 14087.

Questions to ask the seller

Questions worth asking the seller of this Cadillac before you buy, drawn from its public record:

  1. NHTSA lists 2 recall campaigns for the 2014 Cadillac Elr. Can you run this car's VIN at nhtsa.gov/recalls and confirm each one shows "Remedy Completed"?
  2. Owners of this model report electrical system problems more than anything else. Has this car shown any electrical system symptoms, and are there repair records for it?
  3. Has this car been in any accident or had any structural, airbag, or flood-related repair? Do you have a clean title and a recent history report (Carfax / AutoCheck)?
  4. How many owners has it had, do you have the maintenance records, and why are you selling it?
  5. Are you open to me having an independent mechanic inspect it before we settle on a price?

Before you hand over money

Check the VIN for open recalls

NHTSA’s free lookup shows whether this exact car had its recall remedies completed.

Free NHTSA VIN check

Get a pre-purchase inspection

A $150 to $250 independent inspection of this exact 2014 Cadillac ELR beats every score on the internet, including ours.

What to ask for

Not set on the 2014? See how every Elr model year scores →

Cross-shopping? Compare the 2014 Cadillac Elr against another car →

What owners say

Real owners of this exact model-year, shown separately from the NHTSA score. If they disagree, that’s worth knowing.

See what owners are saying about other cars →

The fine print: this verdict is computed from public NHTSA complaint and recall records for the 2014 Cadillac Elr as a model, not for any individual car. A well-maintained example of an “Avoid” can outlast a neglected “Buy”. Informational only, so always get a professional pre-purchase inspection.