Long-Term Test: 2005 Cadillac CTS-V

[srt8man]

Road and Track magazine just published long-term test results for the Cadillac CTS-V:
http://www.roadandtrack.com/article.asp?section_id=4&article_id=4053&page_numb er=2

I was very surprised by the number of problems reported and seriousness of them.

Personally, I wouldn't consider the CTS-V because of the lack of an automatic transmission, which is unacceptable to my wife who does not want a manual. It sounds like quality demons have really ruined the CTS-V. Does anyone on this forum have experience, good or bad, with the CTS-V that they would like to share?

[OoTLink]

It doesn't seem so bad, and the ~$1200 of things that broke well, that stuff's really unfair to complain about because that can happen to anyone with any car. >_>

[srt8man]

Where do you get the ~$1200 price from? It seems the problems they reported would have cost much more than that if it weren't under warranty:

1. Dealer had to service rear end repeatedly (that sounds nasty! )
- limited- slip differential began binding
- rear end developed a strange whine
2. Front anti-roll bar link un-bolted itself twice
3. Rear suspension bushings and a torn differential bushing
4. Faulty trunk latch

They don't even mention how many times the rear end was serviced, but depending on the number of times, I would suspect that alone could add up to over $1200, right?

Ken

Originally Posted by OoTLink

It doesn't seem so bad, and the ~$1200 of things that broke well, that stuff's really unfair to complain about because that can happen to anyone with any car. >_>

[OoTLink]

I was talking about the unforseen stuff, and GM's never been known to make reliable rear ends, lol. Combination of RWD, a really powerful engine, and a GM rear end? Not to mention a probably abusive driver? Hell yeah lol.

[srt8man]

Yeah, I bet those R&T guys really beat the crap out of it. I beat the crap out cars I actually own, so if I got my hands on a CTS-V that I didn't have to pay for, you bet I would beat it up

With talk of a more powerful CTS-V coming in the future, GM better get the rear end problems resolved, if they haven't already.

Originally Posted by OoTLink

I was talking about the unforseen stuff, and GM's never been known to make reliable rear ends, lol. Combination of RWD, a really powerful engine, and a GM rear end? Not to mention a probably abusive driver? Hell yeah lol.

[StealthAuto]

I have had some good seat time in the CTS-V and I have to say it's a very fun car to drive though it consistently has problems. The one we had was in the shop about one week out of each month.

[Northern Rider]

There are a few threads here from former CTS-V owners who switched over to C -SRT8's.

One of the main reasons for switching was the Caddy's weak rear end which liked to tear apart on max acceleration. It appears that GM will not acknowledge the problem or come up with a fix. Rather, they just keep replacing the parts if you are still under warranty.

[II kings 9:20]

Originally Posted by Northern Rider

There are a few threads here from former CTS-V owners who switched over to C -SRT8's.

One of the main reasons for switching was the Caddy's weak rear end which liked to tear apart on max acceleration. It appears that GM will not acknowledge the problem or come up with a fix. Rather, they just keep replacing the parts if you are still under warranty.

Like a lot of companies.

[srt8man]

Thanks for your feedback Northern Rider and StealthAuto. I read on some other forums about the rear end problems with the CTS-V, but it was a real eye opener when I read the report from R&T magazine. I didn't realize the problem was so widespread.

Best regards

[stevesrt8]

Originally Posted by OoTLink

I was talking about the unforseen stuff, and GM's never been known to make reliable rear ends, lol. Combination of RWD, a really powerful engine, and a GM rear end? Not to mention a probably abusive driver? Hell yeah lol.

The new process 10 bolt is nearly unbreakable, and their twelve bolt rearend is a drag racing legend!

Your info is sadly lacking facts. I ran a 78 Firechicken with a built 400 for 4 years (high 12's on street tires) and never had a single issue with my ten bolt posi unit.

Caddies problem comes from trying to use the regular CTS rear which was developed for v-6 power levels. It was an insane move for them to try and keep it in the CTS-V.