What's Wrong with the Cadillac XLR?

Owners of this convertible|coupe have sent in 15 complaints, mostly about body / paint problems, followed by the lights and engine issues. It's overall PainRank™ of 5.6 ranks 18th in reliability out of 25 Cadillac models.

Watch Out For These Problems

  • XLR Roof Detatches

    The XLR roadster comes with a retractable roof system that is supposed to give owners the option of riding around with the top down. Unfortunately, a problem with the adhension of the roof means owners may suddenly find themselves riding ar... 

    Last updated on

Where the XLR Breaks the Most

According to owner complaint data over at CarComplaints.com.

The Most Common XLR Complaints

These are the worst complaints — weighing repair cost, failure mileage & other factors. The red bar shows what percentage this problems represents for the vehicle's overall complaints. Why 7? Because showing more just get depressing.

  Count Avg. Mileage Cost
roof separating from frame in the 2004 XLR 3 49,222 $3,500
running lights lenses melted in the 2004 XLR 1 20,505 $3,000
oil leak in the 2006 XLR 1 28,340 $6,000
power steering leak in the 2006 XLR 1 28,340 $1,200
part availability in the 2009 XLR 1 60,000 N/A
battery died in the 2004 XLR 1 29,500 N/A
water pump leaking in the 2006 XLR 1 28,340 N/A

Complaints by Topic

Complaints
body / paint 3
lights 3
engine 2
cooling system 2
suspension 1

Complaints by Year

Complaints
2006 7
2004 7
2009 1

XLR Generations

Generations are groups of model years where the vehicles are continuously produced, using similar engineering and shared features. Generation data isn't always cut-and-dry and is often different for different countries. When in doubt, we use North American generation data.

  1. 1st Generation XLR (2004—2009)

    This generation ranks 26th in reliability out of 37 generations.

    • PainRank™ 5.75
    • Complaints 15

    Active Years

XLR in the News

2020

  • NHTSA Says No Recall Neccessary for Flying XLR Roof Panels

    carcomplaints.com

    The agency tasked with keeping our national highways safe has decided that roofs flying off cars at 65mph doesn't warrant a recall. During their investigation into why XLR roofs are detaching, NHTSA found that the adhesion holding the car's roof panels in place will weaken over a decade or so due to an "unintentional oxide layer" on the magnesium roof frame.

    So they know the problem will eventually occur, but it just takes too long to justify fixing it?

    Published in #investigation on

2019

  • Investigation Looks Into Reports Roofs Flying Off the XLR

    carcomplaints.com

    Multiple complaints about the roof flying off of the 2004-2005 XLR are under investigation by the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA). There’s concern that the adhesive used to secure the roof panels to the frame is degrading over time. Obviously, folks who bought an XLR enjoy driving with the roof down, but the roof off? That’s a different story.

    Published in #investigation on

Recalls, Investigations, and Technical Service Bulletins

XLR Recalls

There are 5 XLR recalls and the following years are involved in the most campaigns.

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Complaints
2004 5
2005 3
2006 1
2007 1
2008 1
2009 1

XLR Investigations

There are 1 XLR investigations and the following years are involved in the most.

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Complaints
2004 1
2005 1

XLR TSBs

There are 855 XLR TSBs and the following years are involved in the most.

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Complaints
2009 635
2008 595
2007 555
2006 486
2004 419
2005 386