Reliability & cost of ownership
Cadillac XLR Reliability & Common Problems
How reliable is the Cadillac XLR? Compare every model year side by side — NHTSA recalls, owner complaints, and crash-test stars where on file — then open the year you're shopping for its AI reliability outlook where NHTSA has enough data.
Cadillac XLR problems by model year
12 recall entries and 80 owner complaints on file across 6 model years, sourced from the federal NHTSA database.
| Year | Recalls | Complaints | NCAP stars | Full report |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2009 XLR | 1 | 1 | No overall rating on file | Recalls & complaints → |
| 2008 XLR | 1 | 3 | No overall rating on file | Recalls & complaints → |
| 2007 XLR | 1 | 2 | No overall rating on file | Recalls & complaints → |
| 2006 XLR | 1 | 9 | No overall rating on file | Recalls & complaints → |
| 2005 XLR | 3 | 31 | No overall rating on file | AI reliability outlook → |
| 2004 XLR | 5 | 34 | No overall rating on file | AI reliability outlook → |
Most-complained-about components
Owner complaints filed with NHTSA against the Cadillac XLR, grouped by the component each complaint names — the fastest read on where this model gives trouble.
- structure26 complaints
- electrical system8 complaints
- fuel system, gasoline8 complaints
- exterior lighting8 complaints
- fuel/propulsion system7 complaints
- power train7 complaints
- unknown or other5 complaints
- visibility5 complaints