Cadillac Elr Reliability by Year

Based on 2M+ real complaints filed with the U.S. National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA)

28 NHTSA complaints (2014–2016).Complaint rate: 91.5 per 1,000 vehicles.

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Should I buy a Cadillac Elr?

Quick answer from 28 NHTSA complaints · 2014–2016

Most Cadillac Elr years show comparable, moderate complaint volumes. No specific year stands out as dramatically worse than its siblings. The most commonly reported issue is electrical faults. Any year within the data range should perform similarly — focus inspection on the individual VIN history rather than avoiding a specific year.

Best years to buy
Most common Cadillac Elr problem: Electrical Faults6 complaints (0.0% crash-involvement rate).

Keep scrolling for year-by-year complaint trends, recall campaigns, and component breakdowns — or click any year above for a full report.

Severity Score
1339.9
Complaints
28
Crash Rate
3.6%
Fire Rate
0.0%
Injuries
1
Fatalities

Which Years to Buy & Avoid

Years auto-clustered by complaint volume relative to this model's median.

Rankings based on raw NHTSA complaint counts. Sales volume data not yet available for this model.

Bottom line: The Cadillac Elr has consistently lower complaint volume in 2016 compared to other years.

Avoid These Years

No years with significant complaint spikes.

Average

2014
~22/yr complaints

Better Years

2016
~6/yr complaints
Looking at a specific Cadillac Elr?

A model's reputation is just the start.

Even within the “good” years, individual cars can have hidden accidents, title issues, or odometer rollbacks. Check the actual VIN before you buy — full history report for $4.99 (vs. Carfax $44.99).

Common Cadillac Elr Problems

Most reported component complaints to NHTSA. Bar length = volume; color = crash-involvement rate.

Show full table
ComponentComplaintsCrash %
Electrical Faults60.0%
Airbags50.0%
Transmission / Drivetrain20.0%
Brakes250.0%
Fuel System20.0%

Year-by-Year Breakdown

Tap any year for full problems & recalls breakdown.

Data Sources & Methodology

Complaints: NHTSA Office of Defects Investigation consumer complaint database (28 records for this model). Public domain data, updated monthly.

Sales data: Not yet available for this model. Complaint counts are shown as raw numbers.

Rate calculation: Complaints per 10,000 vehicles sold = (complaint count / US annual sales) x 10,000. This normalizes for sales volume so high-volume models like Civic or Camry aren't unfairly penalized.

Year classifications: AVOID = 1.5x+ the model's median complaint count. GOOD = 0.6x or below. Years less than 3 years old are marked TOO NEW (insufficient data).

See also: Cadillac Elraccident & safety statistics from our vehicle history database.

Buying a Cadillac Elr?

Check the specific VIN for hidden accidents, title issues, and full vehicle history — just $4.99.

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