2005 Cadillac Xlr
The Verdict
The 2005 Cadillac Xlr has 31 owner complaints filed with NHTSA. The most reported issues are body (17 complaints) and engine (6 complaints). With a Klunk Score of 93/100, it earns a "Smooth Ride" rating. If you're shopping for a Cadillac Xlr, consider the 2009 model year which has 96% fewer complaints.
Safe Bet
The 2009 has 96% fewer complaints
View the 2009 Cadillac Xlr dashboard →
Klunk Score: Smooth Ride
This vehicle year has significantly fewer complaints than average. A reliable choice.
How is this calculated?
The Klunk Score ranks this vehicle year against all others in our database based on total owner complaints filed with NHTSA. 100 = fewest complaints (top tier), 0 = most complained-about. Scores above 60 are better than average; below 40 means more problems than most.
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Under the Hood
Each number is a complaint. Darker = bigger problem.
By Category
By Severity
Worst Problems
Complaints
Brake were dragging I came to a stop .Checked the parking brake. Then after releasing the parking brake. The car wouldn't move until I pushed the traction control button. Drove 1/2 mile stopped and again the brakes were locked up. Call [XXX] Thanx INFORMATION REDACTED PURSUANT TO THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT (FOIA), 5 U.S.C. 552(B)(6)
Driving home and the roof came off. Didn't realize what had happened thought the seal was broken
Will Cadillac do a recall on roof coming off as driving? Cost me $759.00 for the roof and $550.00 for the Vera the Cadillac dealer to install the roof And NO RECALL ON A $120,000.00 DOLLAR CAR I'M MAD AS HELL
My 2005 Cadillac XLR Was Being Towed To Vera Cadillac Dealership And The Roof Flew Off The Car [XXX] Why Was This Not A Recall ? Thank You [XXX] INFORMATION Redacted PURSUANT TO THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT (FOIA), 5 U.S.C. 552(B)(6).
I broke down with a bad shifter cable so I called a tow truck 4 hr later he gets to the car, he puts on the tow truck and takes off for the Vera Cadillac dealer. AND THE ROOF BLUE OFF CAME OFF THE CAR AND BROKE And Cadillac knew they had the problem but NEVER RECALLED THEM NOW WHAT DO I DO ?
TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2005 CADILLAC XLR. THE CONTACT STATED THAT WHILE DRIVING AT AN UNDISCLOSED SPEED, THE SUNROOF DETACHED FROM THE VEHICLE. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO CAPITAL CADILLAC (2210 COBB PKWY SE, SMYRNA, GA 30080) BUT WAS NOT DIAGNOSED. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT REPAIRED. THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOT NOTIFIED OF THE FAILURE. THE APPROXIMATE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 89,000. THE VIN WAS NOT PROVIDED.
TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2005 CADILLAC XLR. WHILE DRIVING MORE THAN 40 MPH, THE CONTACT HEARD A LOUD NOISE WHERE THE WINDSHIELD MET THE ROOF OF THE VEHICLE. THE NOISE WAS SO LOUD THAT THE CONTACT COULD NOT DRIVE ON THE HIGHWAY DUE TO THE DISTRACTION. THE CONTACT WAS CONCERNED THAT THE ROOF WOULD DETACH AND CAUSE A CRASH. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT DIAGNOSED OR REPAIRED. THE DEALER AND MANUFACTURER WERE NOT CONTACTED. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 144,000.
CONVERTIBLE TOP HAS SEPARATED FROM THE FRAME. DID NOT COME COMPLETELY OFF, BUT CANNOT DRIVE CAR WITH TOP UP (CLOSED) AS IT WILL MOST LIKELY DETACH AT HIGHWAY SPEEDS.
CADILLAC XLR ROOF SEPARATION: I WAS DRIVING A 2005 CADILLAC XLR SOUTH OF I-75 WHEN THE ROOF SUDDENLY, AND QUITE UNEXPECTEDLY SEPARATED AT APPROXIMATELY 70 MPH. I WAS DRIVING IN ABSOLUTE TERRIBLE, RAINY WEATHER WHEN THE ROOF SEPARATED. JUST BEFORE THE SEPARATION I HEARD A VERY BRIEF 'ROAD NOISE' SOUND COME FROM JUST ABOVE THE REAR VIEW MIRROR, AT THE ROOF LINE. IT HAD A SIMILAR SOUND TO A WINDOW BEING SLIGHTLY CRACKED AND ALLOWING IN AIR. THE NEXT THING I KNOW, I HEAR A VERY LOUD BANG AND AN ABUNDANCE OF WIND NOISE. I IMMEDIATELY LOOKED IN MY REAR VIEW MIRROR AND SAW A LARGE BLACK OBJECT GOING END-OVER-END ACROSS THE I-75 LANES OF TRAFFIC. THE TERRIBLE WEATHER MAY HAVE BEEN A BLESSING, AS THERE WAS NOBODY CLOSE TO MY VEHICLE AT THE TIME OF THE SEPARATION. DUE TO THE RAIN VEHICLES WERE QUITE SPACED AND TRAVELLING AT, WHAT I CONSIDER, RELATIVELY LOW SPEEDS FOR I-75. I CANNOT IMAGINE THE CARNAGE IF THAT ROOF SKIN WOULD HAVE STRUCK A VEHICLE TRAVELING IN PROXIMITY TO MYSELF. THE CORVETTE, WHICH THE XLR IS BASED OFF, HAD A VERY SIMILAR ISSUE AND WAS RECALLED. WHY HAS THIS NOT BEEN ADDRESSED? SOMEONE IS GOING TO GET SERIOUSLY INJURED OR KILLED.
CAR PARKED IN SHOPPING CENTER PARKING LOT. STARTED CAR, PUT IN DRIVE AND THE CAR WENT INTO REVERSE. PUT BACK IN PARK AND TRIED AGAIN. CAR AGAIN WENT INTO REVERSE WHEN PUT IN DRIVE.
TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2005 CADILLAC XLR. WHILE DRIVING 35 MPH, THE ROOF PANEL DETACHED FROM THE VEHICLE WITHOUT WARNING. THE DEALER (FIELDS CADILLAC JACKSONVILLE, 7999 BLANDING BLVD, JACKSONVILLE, FL 32244) INFORMED THE CONTACT TO SCHEDULE AN APPOINTMENT FOR DIAGNOSTIC TESTING AND REPAIRS. THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOTIFIED AND CASE NUMBER: 8-42070007824 WAS OPENED. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 100,000.
ROOF PANEL IS SEPARATING FROM TOP, FAILURE OF THE GLUE USED TO HOLD THE TOP PANEL ON PANEL MAY FLY OFF AT ANY SPEED
TAKATA RECALL. MYSELF, MY FAMILY, FRIENDS, AND ASSOCIATES HAVE BEEN EXPOSED TO THE TAKATA INFLATOR WHICH COULD HAVE CAUSED SERIOUS PHYSICAL INJURY OR DEATH. IT IS A TICKING TIME BOMB AS I CONTINUE TO DRIVE THE VEHICLE AND GM WILL NOT REPLACE IT.
ROOF FLYING OFF WHILE DRIVING
XLR ROOF FLEW OFF - VERY DANGEROUS SINCE THE ROOF COULD KILL SOMEONE
FUEL GAUGE IS PROBLEMATIC, FUEL GAUGE REPORTS 3/4 WHEN FULL AND NEEDLE POINTS HALFWAY BETWEEN 1/4 AND 1/2 WHEN EMPTY. THE LOW FUEL INDICATOR LIGHT DOES NOT ENGAGE IN THIS CONDITION AND THE DISTANCE TO EMPTY STILL SHOWS ABOUT 200 MILES IN WHICH THE DRIVER WILL HAVE NO IDEA HE IS LOW ON FUEL. MY CAR STALLED DURING RUSH HOUR TRAFFIC ON A EXPRESSWAY AND WAS ALMOST REAR ENDED. THIS HAS HAPPENED ON 2 OCCASIONS AND HAD TO CALL ROAD SIDE ASSISTANCE TO BRING ME FUEL BEFORE I REALIZED WHAT WAS HAPPENING. I RESEARCHED SEVERAL BLOG WEB SITES(XLR.NET) AND FOUND THIS IS A KNOWN ISSUE WITH THIS MODEL OF CAR LISTED UNDER GAS GAUGE ERROR. GM/CADILLAC IS AWARE OF THIS BUT INSTEAD OF RECALLING THEY ARE CHARGING CONSUMERS 1800 TO 2500 TO REPLACE A TANK SENDING UNIT.
THE TURN SIGNAL IN THE LEFT REAR TAIL LAMP ASSEMBLY WHICH IS A SEALED LED BASED SYSTEM IS NOT WORKING. I REACHED OUT TO CADILLAC DEALERS AND THE PART HAS BEEN DISCONTINUED. THIS RENDERS THE VEHICLE UNSAFE AS IT CANNOT BE LEGALLY DRIVEN AND NEITHER CAN IT BE REPAIRED OR RESOLD AS THERE IS NOT A SUBSTITUTE PART. GM USED A SUPPLIER CALLED GUIDE CORPORATION, WHICH HAS WENT OUT OF BUSINESS. I BELIEVE GM SHOULD RECOVER THEIR TOOLS AND MOVE THEM TO ANOTHER SUPPLIER IN ORDER TO RESUME MANUFACTURING OF THIS KEY SAFETY COMPONENT.
TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2005 CADILLAC XLR. WHILE DRIVING APPROXIMATELY 70 MPH, THE VEHICLE LOST POWER. THE VEHICLE WAS TOWED TO THE DEALER WHERE IT WAS DIAGNOSED THAT THE FUEL PUMP MODULE NEEDED TO BE REPLACED. THE VEHICLE WAS REPAIRED; HOWEVER, THE FAILURE RECURRED. THE VIN WAS NOT INCLUDED IN NHTSA CAMPAIGN NUMBER: 11E009000 (FUEL SYSTEM, GASOLINE). THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOTIFIED OF THE FAILURE. THE APPROXIMATE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 63,000. THE VIN WAS NOT AVAILABLE.
BROKEN SHIFT CABLE PARKED THE VEHICLE AS NORMAL. RETURNED TO THE CAR AND STARTED IT. SHIFTED INTO REVERSE TO LEAVE A PARKING SPACE AND THEN TO DRIVE. THE CAR REMAINED IN REVERSE ONLY CAUSING A DANGEROUS SITUATION IN A PARKING LOT. WHEN I THEN SHUT IT OFF, IT WOULD NOT START AS IT BELIEVED IT WAS IN REVERSE. CAR HAD TO BE TOWED AND DEALER CHARGE $600 TO REPLACE THE SHIFTER CABLE. I WENT ONLINE TO THE XLR FORUM AND THERE ARE NUMEROUS COMPLAINTS OVER THIS PART FAILING - LEAVING PEOPLE STRANDED IN HARM'S WAY.
MY CAR STALLED WHILE DRIVING 70 MPH WITHOUT ANY WARNINGS, THIS IS THE SECOND TIME. THE FIRST TIME WAS THREE YEARS AGO I END UP PAYING $2294.25 TO GET IT FIX, AT THE TIME I THOUGHT IT WOULD BE UNDER RECALL, BUT IT WASN'T . NOW THAT IT HAPPEN AGAIN , WHY SHOULD I PAY TO GET IT FIXED. THATS PRETTY BAD TO BE DRIVING AND YOUR FUEL GAUGE IS ON HALF A TANK AND YOUR CAR STALLS IN TRAFFIC. WHY IS IT A RECALL BUT NOT ON MY CAR.?
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