2003 Cadillac CTS

The Cadillac CTS was GM’s big venture back into the realm of the rear-drive sedan that takes up less than 2 parking spaces, and an attempt to make Cadillac something to be proud of once again. The CTS was built on a global rear-wheel drive platform and is like nothing they had made in decades before. Never before.

Now, I’d love to jump on the bandwagon and pick on GM as much as the next mechanic but with this car, there really isn’t much to pick on. It actually looks nice (did I say that out loud?) and rides very nice. Very euro. This is one Cadillac that handles and stops well. That MAY be it’s major shortcoming. These cars eat brakes and tires at an alarming rate. I’ve seen front tires worn beyond usefulness at 9,000 miles. That’s 3 oil changes folks!! I’ve seen brake pads need replacing at that mileage as well. Now, I can’t tell you this for sure but I think there are a few culprits at play here.

The CTS buyer certainly doesn’t fit into the Cadillac buyer demographic of a few years ago. These cars are owned by much younger males predominantly and thus will be driven harder than an STS or Deville. The tires are stickier than most and will wear quicker. The alignment settings are also on the aggressive side to help that handling. Stickier tires and semi-aggressive alignment specs will wear tires out quicker. Also, here in Michigan potholes can knock a car out of alignment just as soon as you leave the shop. How about that brake wear? Kinda the same scenario here. I think these cars are driven more aggressively than Cadillacs of times past. In the case of the brakes, I think GM knows something because I’ve known of more than a few customers that have a set of brake pads replaced under warranty. This is a non-warranted item so this tells me GM is taking responsibility, that’s a good thing. Now, on a used-car purchase expect none of this treatment. Other than the brakes and tires, I have heard of no common issues with these cars. With numerous trim levels and a few engine choices you can be sure to find a car to suit your needs.