VehicleVerdict

Cadillac XLR years to avoid

The Cadillac XLR years to avoid are 2004, 2005 — each drew complaint volumes well above the model's norm or has an open safety investigation. The 2009 is the cleanest year on record.

108

Total complaints

5

Recall campaigns

2004–2009

Years covered

2

Years to avoid

Complaints by model year

Cadillac XLR NHTSA complaints by model year45 complaints2004: 45 complaints2005: 39 complaints2006: 15 complaints2007: 2 complaints2008: 6 complaints2009: 1 complaints
Cadillac XLR NHTSA complaints by model year. Red bars are years to avoid.

XLR years to avoid

YearWhyComplaints
2004High complaint rate45
2005High complaint rate39

Every XLR year

YearComplaintsRecalls
200911
200861
200721
2006151
2005avoid393
2004avoid455

Common questions

What are the worst Cadillac XLR years?

Based on NHTSA complaint rates and open investigations, the XLR years to avoid are 2004, 2005. The cleanest year on record is 2009.

What is the best year for the Cadillac XLR?

By complaint volume, 2009 has the cleanest NHTSA record among XLR years with enough data to compare.

How many recalls does the Cadillac XLR have?

Across all model years, the XLR has 5 distinct NHTSA recall campaigns and 108 consumer complaints on file.

Based on NHTSA ODI data through June 2026. Complaints are consumer-reported and unverified. Updated July 5, 2026.

Compiled by Sharon Ben-Moshe, Founder.