2004 Cadillac XLR problems and owner complaints
Explore the records behind recurring owner reports.
Key facts
34 owner complaints analyzed
4 distinct recall campaigns
42,000 mi median reported failure mileage
Scope: 2004 model year. Data snapshot: . 29 complaints include usable failure mileage.
Most common problems
Structure:Body is the most frequently named component, appearing in 8 of 34 complaints (23.5%). A complaint can name multiple components.
| Topic | Matching reports | Share of complaints |
|---|---|---|
| Braking behavior | 7 | 20.6% |
| Fuel system concerns | 4 | 11.8% |
| Electrical and battery issues | 2 | 5.9% |
| Steering behavior | 2 | 5.9% |
| Transmission and shifting | 1 | 2.9% |
| Engine operation | 1 | 2.9% |
Topic matches use published keyword rules. They describe mentions, including negations or comparisons, and do not confirm a diagnosis. Read the matching rules.
Component breakdown
Number of unique complaints naming each component. Top eight shown.
| Category | Count |
|---|---|
| Structure:Body | 8 |
| Electrical System | 3 |
| Electronic Stability Control (Esc) | 3 |
| Exterior Lighting | 3 |
| Fuel System, Gasoline | 3 |
| Fuel/Propulsion System | 3 |
| Power Train | 2 |
| Service Brakes | 2 |
Structure:Body: 8; Electrical System: 3; Electronic Stability Control (Esc): 3; Exterior Lighting: 3; Fuel System, Gasoline: 3; Fuel/Propulsion System: 3; Power Train: 2; Service Brakes: 2
Reported problems by failure mileage
Complaint counts in mileage bands. These are not failure rates per vehicle or mile.
| Category | Count |
|---|---|
| Under 25,000 | 8 |
| 25,000 to 49,999 | 9 |
| 50,000 to 74,999 | 4 |
| 75,000 to 99,999 | 4 |
| 100,000 to 149,999 | 4 |
| 150,000 and above | 0 |
Under 25,000: 8; 25,000 to 49,999: 9; 50,000 to 74,999: 4; 75,000 to 99,999: 4; 100,000 to 149,999: 4; 150,000 and above: 0
25,000 to 49,999 miles has the most reports with usable mileage (9). 5 complaints have missing, zero or invalid mileage.
Complaints over time
Year the complaint was filed, not the vehicle model year or incident year. The snapshot year is partial.
| Category | Count |
|---|---|
| 2004 | 2 |
| 2007 | 1 |
| 2009 | 1 |
| 2010 | 3 |
| 2013 | 3 |
| 2014 | 5 |
| 2015 | 1 |
| 2017 | 3 |
| 2018 | 1 |
| 2019 | 4 |
| 2020 | 1 |
| 2021 | 3 |
| 2022 | 3 |
| 2023 | 1 |
| 2024 | 1 |
| 2026 | 1 |
2004: 2; 2007: 1; 2009: 1; 2010: 3; 2013: 3; 2014: 5; 2015: 1; 2017: 3; 2018: 1; 2019: 4; 2020: 1; 2021: 3; 2022: 3; 2023: 1; 2024: 1; 2026: 1
Pattern summary
Structure:Body leads the component reports. Braking behavior appears in 7 complaint narratives. Fuel system concerns appears in 4 complaint narratives. Electrical and battery issues appears in 2 complaint narratives. Use these patterns to inspect individual reports and prepare questions for a mechanic.
Calculated from recorded counts. An AI narrative has not been published for this selection.
Complaint evidence
Examples provide context, not a representative sample or a verified diagnosis.
Owner report 10210589 · 2007-11-29 (November 29, 2007)
TL*THE CONTACT OWNS A 2004 CADILLAC XLR. WHILE DRIVING 5 MPH, THE VEHICLE ACCELERATED ON ITS OWN TO APPROXIMATELY 55 MPH. THE CONTACT ATTEMPTED TO ENGAGE THE BRAKES, BUT WAS UNSUCCESSFUL. ON NOVEMBER 6, 2006, THE CONTACT'S VEHICLE CRASHED INTO NINE PARKED VEHICLES. ALL OF THE VEHICLES WERE DAMAGED. THERE WERE NO INJURIES. THE VEHICLE WAS TOWED TO THE DEALER AND WAS IN THE REPAIR SHOP FROM NOVEMBER 6, 2006 TO FEBRUARY 23, 2007. THE CONTACT CALLED ONSTAR OVER 50 TIMES DUE TO THE FAILURE. THE DOOR LOCKS HAVE ALSO FAILED AND, ON ONE OCCASIO…
Owner-reported narrative. 10,500 miles reported. Look up ODI 10210589 at NHTSA ↗
Owner report 10342498 · 2010-07-11 (July 11, 2010)
I HAVE A 2004 CADILLAC XLR THAT HAS THE EXACT SAME PROBLEM AS THE 2005-2009 CORVETTES HAVE. THE SERVICE STABILITRAK MESSAGE AND TRACTION CONTROL LIGHT COMES ON AND THE CARS BRAKES LIGHT DO NOT WORK WHEN THIS COMES ON. YOUR CASE NUMBERS FOR THIS ARE PE08056 AND EA09-002 MY CAR PULLED TO THE RIGHT SUDDENLY WHEN THIS MESSAGE CAME ON. ALSO ANOTHER RELATED PROBLEM TO THIS IN BOTH CORVETTES AND XLR'S IS AFTER THIS HAPPENS AND YOU TURN THE ENGINE OFF AND START THE CAR AGAIN IT GIVES A MESSAGE TO PRESS THE BRAKE PEDAL BECAUSE THE CAR HAS PUSH BUTTON …
Owner-reported narrative. 26,000 miles reported. Look up ODI 10342498 at NHTSA ↗
Owner report 10343330 · 2010-07-14 (July 14, 2010)
2004 CADILLAC XLR STRONG FUEL SMELL AFTER FILLING UP GAS TANK. MECHANIC SAID THERE IS A LEAK IN THE CROSSOVER TUBES LEADING TO THE FUEL TANK. *TR
Owner-reported narrative. 39,000 miles reported. Look up ODI 10343330 at NHTSA ↗
Owner report 10701012 · 2015-03-23 (March 23, 2015)
I PURCHASED A PRE-OWNED 2004 XLR FROM THE DEALERSHIP THE CAR STORE IN RIVERSIDE. UPON STORING IT IN MY GARAGE, I FOUND THE NEXT MORNING AN OVERWHELMING GASOLINE SMELL. UPON TAKING IT TO MY LOCAL GM DEALER FOR INSPECTION, I WAS TOLD THAT THE ISSUE WAS NO LONGER COVERED BY EXTENDED PROTECTION BY CADILLAC AS IT ENDED AFTER A 10 YEAR PERIOD IN JANUARY OF 2014. THIS IS A KNOWN DEFECT WITH THE DESIGN OF THE FUEL TANK SYSTEM AND IS NOT A RECALL ITEM WHICH IS EXTRAORDINARILY DANGEROUS AND SHOULD BE DEALT WITH AT NOT COST TO THE OWNER OF THE VEHICLE …
Owner-reported narrative. 86,845 miles reported. Look up ODI 10701012 at NHTSA ↗
Owner report 10557973 · 2013-12-31 (December 31, 2013)
PARKED IN A PARKING LOT & PLACED IT IN PARK. UPON RETURNING I STARTED THE CAR & PLACED IT IN DRIVE. I TOOK FOOT OFF BRAKE & CAR MOVED REARWARD. PUT CAR IN NEUTRAL & CAR MOVED REARWARD. I TRIED ALL GEARS INCLUDING PARK & CAR MOVED REARWARD, TURNED CAR OFF. CAR WOULD NOT RESTART BECAUSE IT WAS NOT IN PARK. BECAUSE CAR WAS NOT IN PARK ALL ELECTRICAL ACCESSORIES WOULD NOT TURN OFF & BATTERY WENT DEAD, DOORS OR WINDOWS WOULD NOT OPEN BECAUSE ALL ARE OPERATED ELECTRICALLY. FORTUNATELY THE BATTERY DIED ON ROUTE TO DEALERSHIP ON TOW TRUCK. THE SHIFT CA…
Owner-reported narrative. 42,500 miles reported. Look up ODI 10557973 at NHTSA ↗
Owner report 10574399 · 2014-03-24 (March 24, 2014)
TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2004 CADILLAC XLR. THE CONTACT STATED THAT THE STEERING WHEEL WOULD EMIT AN ABNORMAL NOISE WHEN TURNED IN EITHER DIRECTION. ALSO, THE CONTACT WAS TRAVELING APPROXIMATELY 40 MPH WHEN THE STABILITY CONTROL WARNING LIGHT ILLUMINATED. THE CONTACT APPLIED THE BRAKES FOR A TRAFFIC STOP AND THE BRAKES SEIZED, CAUSING THE CONTACT TO CRASH INTO THE PASSENGER'S SIDE OF ANOTHER VEHICLE. THE ABS TRACTION CONTROL WARNING LIGHT ALSO ILLUMINATED AFTER THE FAILURE OCCURRED. THERE WERE NO INJURIES AND A POLICE REPORT WAS FILED OF THE IN…
Owner-reported narrative. 110,000 miles reported. Look up ODI 10574399 at NHTSA ↗
Owner report 10598697 · 2014-06-16 (June 16, 2014)
MY 2004 CADILLAC XLR APPLIED THE FRONT LEFT BRAKE ONLY AND ILLUMINATED THE STABILITY CONTROL LIGHT CAUSING A BRIEF AND SEVERE SWERVE FOR ABOUT 1 SECOND. I PULLED OVER AND SHUT THE CAR OFF AND RESTARTED. EVERYTHING WAS FINE FOR ABOUT 4 MONTHS WHEN IT DID IT AGAIN, LUCKILY NO ONE IN MY PATH OF TRAVEL. MOST RECENTLY IT DID IT AGAIN ABOUT ONE MONTH AGO , SAME WHEEL, SAME SPEED. I AM VERY MECHANICALLY INCLINED AND PERFORMED A THOROUGH INSPECTION AND I CANNOT FIND ANYTHING WRONG. I AM NOT THE ONLY ONE HAVING THIS VERY UNSAFE PROBLEM WITH A PRETTY EXP…
Owner-reported narrative. 17,000 miles reported. Look up ODI 10598697 at NHTSA ↗
Owner report 10289939 · 2009-10-27 (October 27, 2009)
A PRONOUNCED ODOR OF GASOLINE AND APPEARANCE OF AN ERROR MESSAGE STATING "CHECK GAS CAP" LED ME TO BRING THE VEHICLE, A 2004 CADILLAC XLR, TO THE DEALER FOR SERVICE. THE DEALER DETERMINED THAT A CROSSOVER PIPE BETWEEN THE TWO GASOLINE TANKS WAS LEAKING. REPLACEMENT OF THE CROSSOVER PIPE (AT A COST OF $2295.14) DID NOT CURE THE PROBLEM. WHEN THE SAME ERROR MESSAGE RECURRED THE FOLLOWING DAY, I RETURNED THE VEHICLE TO THE DEALER. I WAS INFORMED THAT THE FEED PIPE LEADING FROM THE GAS CAP TO THE GASOLINE TANK WAS LEAKING AT ITS INLET. REPLACE…
Owner-reported narrative. 19,112 miles reported. Look up ODI 10289939 at NHTSA ↗
Owner report 10641923 · 2014-10-07 (October 7, 2014)
FUEL SENDING UNIT KEEPS FAILING CAN'T TELL HOW MUCH FUEL IS IN TANK. HAD FIRST ONE REPLACED AT COST OF AROUND $2300.00 REPLACEMENT LASTED AROUND 18 MONTHS THEN IT FAILED . NEVER KNOW WHEN WHOLE UNIT WILL SHUT DOWN AND LEAVE ME VULNERABLE TO A REAR END OR STALL. *TR
Owner-reported narrative. Look up ODI 10641923 at NHTSA ↗