Model year 2018 · Midsize Cars

2018 Cadillac CTS: recalls, fuel economy and safety ratings

EPA rates the 2018 Cadillac CTS at 19–25 mpg combined across 5 versions. NHTSA lists 2 safety recalls and 8 owner complaints for this model year. Its best NHTSA overall crash-test rating is 5 out of 5 stars.

Safety recalls

EPA combined mpg

19–25

NHTSA overall rating

5/5

Recall file dated Oct 28, 2026 · EPA file dated Sep 29, 2026 · updated Oct 28, 2026, 7:36 AM EDT

Check your own car: enter your 17-character VIN at nhtsa.gov/recalls to see open recalls for that exact vehicle, and contact a Cadillac dealer to schedule the repair — safety recall repairs are free. The list below covers the whole model year, so not every recall applies to every car.

2018 Cadillac CTS recalls

NHTSA's recall file lists 2 safety recalls for the 2018 Cadillac CTS, newest first.

Steering: Electric power assist system

NHTSA 25V175000 Reported Mar 20, 2025

Filed by: General Motors, LLC (manufacturer recall no. N252497020)
Units affected: 934 (estimate)
Problem: 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.
Risk: A loss of power steering assist can require greater steering effort, especially at low speeds, increasing the risk of a crash.
Remedy: Dealers will replace the power steering gear assembly, free of charge. Owner notification letters were mailed April 15, 2025. Owners may contact Cadilac customer service at 1-800-333-4223 or Chevrolet customer service at 1-800-222-1020. GM's number for this recall is N252497020.

Full recall record on nhtsa.gov

Steering: Electric power assist system

NHTSA 19V086000 Reported Feb 7, 2019

Filed by: General Motors, LLC (manufacturer recall no. N182182760)
Units affected: 26,772 (estimate)
Problem: 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.
Risk: Loss of power steering assist would require a higher steering effort, especially at lower speeds, which may increase the risk of a crash.
Remedy: GM will notify owners, and dealers will replace the power steering gear assembly, free of charge. The recall began June 13, 2019. GM' number for this recall is N182182760.

Full recall record on nhtsa.gov

Recall summaries are written by NHTSA from manufacturers' defect reports. Dates are when NHTSA received the report.

2018 Cadillac CTS fuel economy by version

EPA city/highway/combined estimates for each engine, transmission and drive combination. Annual fuel cost is EPA's estimate for 15,000 miles a year (55% city, 45% highway) at EPA's current fuel-price assumptions; your cost will vary.

2018 Cadillac CTS EPA fuel economy
Version	Engine	Transmission	Drive	Fuel	City/Hwy/Comb	Fuel cost/yr	CO2 g/mi
CTS	2.0L 4-cyl turbo	Automatic 8-speed	Rear-Wheel Drive	Premium	22/30/25 mpg	$3,300	360
CTS	3.6L 6-cyl turbo	Automatic 8-speed	Rear-Wheel Drive	Premium	16/24/19 mpg	$4,350	488
CTS	3.6L 6-cyl	Automatic 8-speed	Rear-Wheel Drive	Regular	20/30/24 mpg	$2,800	376
CTS AWD	2.0L 4-cyl turbo	Automatic 8-speed	All-Wheel Drive	Premium	21/29/24 mpg	$3,400	368
CTS AWD	3.6L 6-cyl	Automatic 8-speed	All-Wheel Drive	Regular	19/27/22 mpg	$3,050	398

Source: FuelEconomy.gov (U.S. DOE and EPA), file dated Sep 29, 2026. Each version links to its FuelEconomy.gov record.

EPA estimates come from standardized lab tests so cars can be compared fairly; real-world mileage depends on speed, weather, load, tires and driving style.

2018 Cadillac CTS crash-test ratings

NHTSA 5-Star Safety Ratings for the tested versions. More stars mean a lower chance of serious injury in that type of crash. Rollover risk is NHTSA's estimated chance of rolling over in a single-vehicle crash.

2018 Cadillac CTS NHTSA 5-Star Safety Ratings
Tested vehicle	Overall	Frontal	Side	Rollover	Rollover risk	Forward collision warning
2018 Cadillac CTS 4 DR AWD	5 stars	5 stars	5 stars	5 stars	10.1%	Optional
2018 Cadillac CTS 4 DR RWD	5 stars	5 stars	5 stars	5 stars	10.1%	Optional

Source: NHTSA 5-Star Safety Ratings (New Car Assessment Program), checked Oct 26, 2026.

Star ratings compare vehicles of similar size and weight; a frontal rating for a large pickup is not directly comparable with one for a small car.

2018 Cadillac CTS owner complaints

Owners have filed 8 complaints with NHTSA about the 2018 Cadillac CTS, most recently on Jan 27, 2026. 1 mention a crash, 0 a fire, 0 injured people and 0 deaths. These are unverified reports; a complaint is not proof of a defect.

Most-cited components in 2018 Cadillac CTS complaints
Component named in complaints	Mentions
Electrical system	3
Power train	3
Air bags	1
Engine	1
Exterior lighting	1
Unknown or other	1

Source: NHTSA consumer complaint files (complaints received since January 1, 2015). One complaint can name several components.

Had a safety problem with your vehicle? You can report it to NHTSA at nhtsa.gov/report-a-safety-problem.

Other Cadillac CTS model years

Cadillac CTS by model year
Year	Combined	Recalls	Complaints	Overall rating
2019 CTS	16–25 mpg	0	10	5/5
2017 CTS	17–25 mpg	2	27	5/5
2016 CTS	17–25 mpg	4	31	5/5
2015 CTS	14–24 mpg	4	50	5/5

All Cadillac CTS years compared · Decode a VIN

Other 2018 Cadillac models

2018 Cadillac ATS 2018 Cadillac ATS-V 2018 Cadillac CT6 2018 Cadillac CTS-V 2018 Cadillac Escalade 2018 Cadillac XT5 2018 Cadillac XTS 2018 Cadillac XTS Hearse 2018 Cadillac XTS Limo

Sources

Recalls: NHTSA recall flat file (FLAT_RCL_POST_2010), dated Oct 28, 2026, plus a live check of api.nhtsa.gov in your browser.
Complaints: NHTSA consumer complaint flat files (COMPLAINTS_RECEIVED), counts only — we do not republish complaint text.
Crash tests: NHTSA 5-Star Safety Ratings API.
Fuel economy: FuelEconomy.gov vehicles file (U.S. DOE and EPA), dated Sep 29, 2026.
NHTSA, EPA and DOE do not endorse OpenVIN. Vehicle names identify vehicles only; OpenVIN is not affiliated with Cadillac.