Model year report

2008 Cadillac Xlr: what breaks, and at what mileage

What breaks on the 2008 Cadillac Xlr

Only 6 defect reports have been filed with NHTSA about the 2008 Cadillac Xlr, which is too few to compute mileage percentiles or a risk score. The reports reported other powertrain problem.

When each failure gets reported

Median

Other powertrain problem

43k
Other electrical problem

20k
Other fuel system problem

43k
Other lighting problem

41k
Other driver assistance problem

20k
Other body or interior problem

20k

Tick median reported mileage Solid middle half of reports Faint 10th to 90th percentile Colour how bad the failure is when it happens

How reports accumulate

Share of reports filed by each mileage

Every report with an odometer reading, cumulative, from 0 to 200,000 miles. A curve that climbs early is a car with early problems, whatever its total.

Line share of reports filed by that mileage

Every reported failure mode

Mileage figures are percentiles of owner-reported readings. Click a column to sort.
Failure mode	System	Reports	With reading	25th	Median	75th	Per 1,000	Typical repair	Severity
Other powertrain problem	transmission	1	1	—	43k	—	4.7	$400–$4,500	High
Other electrical problem	electrical	1	1	—	20k	—	4.7	$250–$2,000	Moderate
Other fuel system problem	fuel	1	1	—	43k	—	4.7	$300–$2,200	High
Other lighting problem	lighting	1	1	—	41k	—	4.7	$120–$1,200	Moderate
Other driver assistance problem	adas	1	1	—	20k	—	4.7	$250–$1,800	High
Other body or interior problem	body	1	1	—	20k	—	4.7	$200–$2,000	Moderate

Rate per 1,000 uses a fleet-size estimate derived from recall paperwork for this exact model year. It is a lower bound. Repair costs are typical independent-shop ranges for the failure, not figures from these reports.

What owners wrote

Verbatim from NHTSA complaint narratives, trimmed for length. The odometer reading is the one the owner gave.

Recalls on the 2008 model year

NHTSA has issued 1 recall campaign covering the 2008 Cadillac Xlr, affecting an estimated 212 vehicles. A recall is a different kind of evidence from a complaint: it is the regulator and the manufacturer agreeing that something has to be fixed, and the fix is free for as long as the car exists.

The campaigns cover fuel system, gasoline:delivery:fuel pump. Whether the work was actually done on the car in front of you is a question only the VIN can answer, and the manufacturer or NHTSA will answer it free.

Recalls also distort complaint counts. Publicity about a campaign reminds owners that complaining is possible, so reports for a recalled component often spike after the recall rather than before it.

11E009000

FUEL SYSTEM, GASOLINE:DELIVERY:FUEL PUMP

4,887 vehicles 2011-02-28

Defect: Ti automotive is recalling certain fuel pumps, part numbers tu456 and tu303, sold under various brand names as aftermarket and replacement equipment for the motor vehicles listed above. The defective fuel pump may seize, stopping the fuel flow to the engine creating a stalling condition.
Consequence: A vehicle crash could occur should the engine stall while in use.
Remedy: Ti automotive will notify owners of record and will replace any defective fuel pump with a new or reworked fuel pump free of charge. The safety recall began on february 22, 2011. Owners may contact ti automotive at 1-866-867-3759 or log on to www.recallresponse.com.

Recall work is free at a franchised dealer regardless of the car's age. Check the VIN at nhtsa.gov/recalls before assuming it was done.

Every year of the Cadillac Xlr

Scores compare each year against other cars of the same model year, so a low number on an older car is a real result and not an artefact of age.

Risk score by model year, out of 100

Shorter is better. Years with too few reports to score are shown without a bar rather than as a zero, because no data is not good news.

Within the 2004-2009 generation, 2005 Cadillac Xlr scores best at 61 and 2006 Cadillac Xlr worst at 71.

What the reports on file say

The complaints recorded against the 2008 Cadillac Xlr are other powertrain problem (1 report, around 43k miles), other electrical problem (1 report, around 20k miles), other fuel system problem (1 report, around 43k miles), other lighting problem (1 report, around 41k miles) and other driver assistance problem (1 report, around 20k miles). With a sample this size these are anecdotes rather than a pattern, and they are shown because somebody looking at this exact car would rather see them than nothing.

Why this page is short

A model year needs about 8 reports before percentiles mean anything, and this one does not have them. Complaint volume tracks how many cars were sold and how long they have been on the road, so a thin page usually means a rare car, a new car, or a car whose owners do not file.

Other years of the same model do have enough: 2004, 2005 and 2006. The mechanical parts are often shared across those years, so their pages are the better guide to what this one is likely to do, with the caveat that a shared part is not a shared production line.

Where this comes from. Every figure above is computed from NHTSA owner complaints and recall records for this exact make, model and year. Complaints are voluntary and self-selected, so treat counts as a floor. The methodology page writes out each formula, and the same numbers are available as JSON.

What breaks at my mileage Compare with another car

Source Owner complaints and recall records published by the US National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, model years 1996–2027 Figures rebuilt 20 August 2026 Published by AtWhatMileage How every figure is computed