When you’re in the market for a new or used Cadillac, you’ll eventually wonder what a Cadillac generally costs in terms of maintenance. In this blog, we’ve done our absolute best to give you a complete rundown of the costs and what you can expect for different models and model years. Let’s start with a quick answer:
Cadillacs are relatively expensive cars to maintain, with an average annual maintenance cost of $783 per year. This is far above the $646 average for all car brands. This is because Cadillac is a luxury brand; they predominantly make their cars in the USA, and the cars are very sizeable. Compared to brands like Lincoln, Mercedes-Benz, and BMW, Cadillacs are more affordable.
However, that certainly doesn’t tell the whole story. Below, we’ll start by looking at the annual maintenance cost of the most popular models and their corresponding model years. Furthermore, We’ll look at the eight most common service points and discuss what a Cadillac costs you in this regard. We’ll also compare the annual maintenance cost of a Cadillac to 23 other car brands and discuss why a Cadillac is considered cheap or expensive in maintenance. Read on!
How Expensive Are Cadillac Models To Maintain?
First of all, we think it’s essential to have a good overview of what individual Cadillac models cost in terms of maintenance. This is because it’s almost impossible to talk about the annual maintenance cost in a meaningful way if you don’t discuss the differences between the models.
In the table below, we’ve compiled data from Repairpal and Caredge about the annual maintenance cost of a particular type and model year of Cadillac. Specific models of Cadillac, such as the most recent CT and XT models, haven’t been on the market for that long; therefore, we also included older models such as the CTS and XTS.
When we look at the table below, we see that Cadillacs, especially the ones that are 5-years or older, do seem to have quite significant maintenance costs.
The Escalade is by far the most expensive Cadillac to maintain, with many model years costing more than $1,000 in maintenance per year. However, all other model years also seem to cross the $700 mark easily.
Year | CT4 | CT5 | CT6 | XT4 | XT5 | Escalade | CTS | ATS | XTS |
2021 | $324 | $330 | x | $401 | $341 | $ 492 | x | x | x |
2020 | $376 | $382 | $451 | $472 | $393 | $ 563 | x | x | x |
2019 | x | x | $535 | $585 | $477 | $ 677 | x | x | x |
2018 | x | x | $669 | x | $611 | $ 857 | x | x | x |
2017 | x | x | $780 | x | $722 | $1,102 | $787 | $819 | $725 |
2016 | x | x | $955 | x | x | $ 993 | $836 | $777 | $927 |
2015 | x | x | x | x | x | $1,235 | $811 | $837 | $939 |
2014 | x | x | x | x | x | $1,041 | $864 | $724 | $891 |
2013 | x | x | x | x | x | $1,094 | $710 | $699 | $857 |
2012 | x | x | x | x | x | $ 930 | $635 | x | x |
2011 | x | x | x | x | x | $ 949 | $619 | x | x |
2010 | x | x | x | x | x | $ 832 | $576 | x | x |
2009 | x | x | x | x | x | $ 811 | $632 | x | x |
2008 | x | x | x | x | x | $ 734 | $599 | x | x |
2007 | x | x | x | x | x | $ 594 | $459 | x | x |
We’ll dive deeper into why Cadillacs seem so expensive to maintain. However, we do want to clarify one factor already. That is the fact that Cadillac, in general, manufactures full-sized cars. The larger the car, the more you’ll end up spending on maintenance. This is because parts are larger and need to carry more weight, which results in increased wear and tear, resulting in higher maintenance costs. That’s one of the reasons why the Escalade is such a high-maintenance car.
Also read:
- How Many Miles Can A Cadillac SRX Last? (Answered)
- How Many Miles Can A Cadillac CTS Last? (Answered)
- The Expected Mileage Of A Cadillac Escalade
Are Parts And Service Expensive For A Cadillac?
Oil Change
An oil change on a Cadillac will generally cost you between $105 – $152. On average, an oil change costs $40 – $60 for conventional oil and $60 – 120 for full synthetic oil for a car. Therefore, Cadillacs are slightly more expensive, but they do indeed require synthetic oil.
Brake Pads
Replacing the brake pads on a Cadillac costs between $207 – $523 per axle. Especially the ATS seem to be costly, with a brake pad replacement costing around $500. All other Cadillacs end up between $200 – $300 per axle. On average, brake pad replacement costs between $150 – $300 per axle. Therefore, most Cadillacs have a standard price for this maintenance task.
Filters
Replacing filters is also a task you’ll encounter from time to time. The fuel filter is generally the most expensive filter to replace. Replacing a fuel filter in a Cadillac will cost between $69 – $133. Replacing a cabin air filter is $56 – $101 and replacing an air filter is $48 – $92.
Typically, replacing a fuel filter costs between $80 – $150. This means replacing the fuel filter on a Cadillac is slightly more affordable than usual. Replacing a cabin air filter costs typically between $60 – $80, meaning Cadillacs are about average. Replacing the air filter costs usually $50 – $70, which means once again, Cadillacs are about average or slightly more expensive.
Battery
The average price to replace a Cadillac battery is between $180 – $350. The Cadillac Escalade is the most expensive car to have the battery replaced. The battery for an Escalade costs between $180 – $280, and labor costs between $50 – $70.
On average, replacing a car battery costs between $120 – $240. This means that Cadillacs are more expensive than average to replace the battery. However, this is mainly because of the sizeable cars, which means they need larger batteries.
Timing Belt/Chain
Another replacement that you’ll come across when owning a car is a timing belt replacement. Timing belts need to be replaced around the 100,000 miles mark. However, replacing the timing belt on a Cadillac will cost $900 – $1,000.
On average, replacing a timing belt will cost between $500 and $1,000 for standard cars. Therefore, Cadillacs are in the upper range of the price spectrum.
Tire Rotation And Replacement
Replacing a set of tires on a Cadillac will cost $293 – $761. The Cadillac ATS is the cheapest car to have the tires replaced, with an average of $300 for the set. The Escalade is the most expensive, mainly due to its size. The tires alone already cost $600 – $700 per set for standard tires.
On average, a single tire costs $50 on the low end for sedans and smaller cars, whereas it can cost up to $500 per tire for SUVs and trucks that require a premium tire. Cadillacs are, therefore in the upper range of this spectrum.
Spark Plugs
Replacing a set of spark plugs costs between $145 – $430 per set for a Cadillac. The cost of replacing a set of spark plugs is around $150 for an ATS, whereas it costs around $400 for the Cadillac XT5. All other models fall between this range, including the Escalade.
On average, it costs $75 – $250 to replace a set of spark plugs. This means that it’s more expensive to change spark plugs on a Cadillac.
Headlight Bulbs
On average, it costs between $191 – $540 to replace a set of headlight bulbs on a Cadillac. ATS is the most expensive car to replace headlight bulbs, costing between $380 – $540 per set. XT5 is the cheapest car to replace headlight bulbs, costing between $195 and $230.
On average, replacing headlight bulbs costs between $100 – $150 for a set. Cadillacs, therefore, have expensive headlight bulbs to replace.
Are Cadillac More Or Less Expensive To Maintain Compared To Other Brands?
Knowing everything we know now, it’s essential to have a final look at Cadillac as a brand. For this, we’ve compiled data of 23 other carmakers. The average annual maintenance costs of each carmaker are in the table below. By comparing all brands to each other, we get a proper understanding of how expensive a brand truly is in maintenance.
What can be seen is that Cadillac ends up on the 20th spot of this list. To clarify, the lower the carmaker is on the list, the more expensive it is. This is a sign that confirms our initial thoughts: Cadillac is a costly brand to maintain compared to other carmakers.
However, we do have to dive a little deeper. It’s fairer to compare Cadillac to similar brands. The reason for this is that Cadillac is a luxury carmaker, which means they naturally have higher maintenance costs.
Cadillac has annual maintenance costs of $783 per year. Competitors like Acura ($501) and Lexus ($551) do significantly better as a brand. A brand like Volvo ($769) performs similarly, and brands like Lincoln ($879), Mercedes ($908), and BMW ($968) perform significantly worse than Cadillac.
We can conclude from this that Cadillac is an expensive luxury car brand if you compare it to the Asian luxury car brands. So, if brands like Acura and Lexus are on your shortlist, they seem to be a more economical decision. However, if you are only interested in American, or European-made luxury cars, then Cadillac does very well and isn’t expensive.
Brand | Average Annual Maintenance Costs |
Honda | $428 |
Toyota | $441 |
Mazda | $462 |
Hyundai | $468 |
Kia | $474 |
Nissan | $500 |
Acura | $501 |
Mitsubishi | $535 |
Lexus | $551 |
Buick | $608 |
Subaru | $617 |
Dodge | $634 |
Jeep | $634 |
Infiniti | $638 |
Chevrolet | $649 |
Volkswagen | $676 |
GMC | $744 |
Volvo | $769 |
Ford | $775 |
Cadillac | $783 |
RAM | $858 |
Lincoln | $879 |
Mercedes | $908 |
BMW | $968 |
Why Are Cadillac So Expensive?
Yes, Cadillacs are expensive if you compare them to all other car brands as a group. However, as we’ve established, they aren’t expensive compared to American or European luxury brands. Nevertheless, it’s good to have a final look at Cadillac and why, when compared to many other car brands, Cadillac is on the upper range of the scale.
Cadillac is so expensive because they’re a luxury car brand that makes their cars in the United States, and their cars are very sizeable. All of this increases the annual maintenance cost of a Cadillac.
Let’s start with the luxury car aspect. Luxury cars are generally more expensive than regular cars. This is because they use more costly materials in terms of interior and exterior and comfort (infotainment system, heated seats, audio system) and safety. This means more parts can fail, and also that fixing it is more expensive and complex.
Furthermore, Cadillac makes their cars almost entirely in the United States. This explains the cost difference between Cadillac, Acura, and Lexus. Acura and Lexus are made by Honda and Toyota, which means they have a large part of their operation in Asia. Asian labor and Asian resources are generally more affordable, which reduces the costs of these cars. Cars designed and made in the USA (Cadillac, Lincoln) or Europe (Volvo, BMW, Mercedes) are more expensive because labor and resources are more expensive.
Finally, Cadillac makes very sizeable cars. The most expensive cars to maintain are SUVs, trucks, and minivans. Cadillac predominantly makes SUVs, but there are also definitely some sedans. However, these sedans are full-size and, as said, they are luxury vehicles which ups the costs once again. Because of their size, Cadillacs need more expensive maintenance.
Sources
Hi! My name is Stefan; I’m the owner and lead writer at TheDriverAdviser.com.
I’m an active writer on this blog myself, as well as a novice car mechanic. For the really technical stuff, I find writers with experience as a mechanic or who have studied mechanical engineering.
Read more about our fantastic team on our about page!