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Cadillac vs Mercedes Reliability

In our inspections, Mercedes’ average condition stays above the “decent” threshold to around 92k miles, versus 75k for Cadillac.

Based on 67 Cadillacs and 278 Mercedes vehicles. “Decent” means a condition score of 55/100.

vs
Head to head
CadillacMercedes
Cars inspected67278
Average condition54/10062/100
In good shape (60+/100)37%56%
Holds up to (avg dips below decent)~75k mi~92k mi
Repainted or replaced panel69%77%
Structural repair found4%1%
Fault codes recently cleared22%20%

Green = the better number of the pair. Condition reflects the mix of cars that came to us — age, price, model — so treat small gaps as a tie.

How they score
Cadillac
Excellent 15% Good 22% Mediocre 34% Poor 28%
Mercedes
Excellent 27% Good 29% Mediocre 24% Poor 20%
How long do they stay good?
Good cars by mileage
▬ Cadillac▬ Mercedes▬ all cars
0 25 50 75 100 Cadillac, 0–20k mi: 66%, drawn from the nearby bands (9 cars in this band)Cadillac, 20–40k mi: 64%, drawn from the nearby bands (8 cars in this band)Cadillac, 40–60k mi: 48%, drawn from the nearby bands (6 cars in this band)Cadillac, 60–80k mi: 37%, drawn from the nearby bands (12 cars in this band)Cadillac, 80–100k mi: 30%, drawn from the nearby bands (11 cars in this band)Cadillac, 100–120k mi: 13%, drawn from the nearby bands (10 cars in this band) Mercedes, 0–20k mi: 90% in good shape (29 cars)Mercedes, 20–40k mi: 78% in good shape (50 cars)Mercedes, 40–60k mi: 71% in good shape (49 cars)Mercedes, 60–80k mi: 53% in good shape (45 cars)Mercedes, 80–100k mi: 46% in good shape (37 cars)Mercedes, 100–120k mi: 13% in good shape (23 cars)Mercedes, 120–140k mi: 11%, drawn from the nearby bands (17 cars in this band)Mercedes, 140–160k mi: 9%, drawn from the nearby bands (8 cars in this band)Mercedes, 160–180k mi: 8%, drawn from the nearby bands (6 cars in this band) 40k 80k 120k 160k 200k mileage when we inspected it
Good cars by age
▬ Cadillac▬ Mercedes▬ all cars
0 25 50 75 100 Cadillac, 1 years old: 84%, drawn from the nearby bands (5 cars this age)Cadillac, 3 years old: 62%, drawn from the nearby bands (5 cars this age)Cadillac, 4 years old: 50%, drawn from the nearby bands (5 cars this age)Cadillac, 5 years old: 55%, drawn from the nearby bands (5 cars this age)Cadillac, 9 years old: 34%, drawn from the nearby bands (7 cars this age)Cadillac, 10 years old: 14%, drawn from the nearby bands (7 cars this age)Cadillac, 12 years old: 24%, drawn from the nearby bands (6 cars this age) Mercedes, 1 years old: 94%, drawn from the nearby bands (12 cars this age)Mercedes, 2 years old: 92%, drawn from the nearby bands (17 cars this age)Mercedes, 3 years old: 88% in good shape (25 cars)Mercedes, 4 years old: 80% in good shape (25 cars)Mercedes, 5 years old: 68% in good shape (28 cars)Mercedes, 6 years old: 61% in good shape (23 cars)Mercedes, 7 years old: 59% in good shape (22 cars)Mercedes, 8 years old: 51%, drawn from the nearby bands (19 cars this age)Mercedes, 9 years old: 39%, drawn from the nearby bands (19 cars this age)Mercedes, 10 years old: 39%, drawn from the nearby bands (11 cars this age)Mercedes, 11 years old: 31%, drawn from the nearby bands (11 cars this age)Mercedes, 12 years old: 24%, drawn from the nearby bands (14 cars this age)Mercedes, 13 years old: 18%, drawn from the nearby bands (12 cars this age)Mercedes, 14 years old: 19%, drawn from the nearby bands (10 cars this age)Mercedes, 16 years old: 29%, drawn from the nearby bands (5 cars this age) 2y 4y 6y 8y 10y 12y 14y 16y vehicle age when we inspected it

Share in good shape (scoring 60+/100) by mileage and by age when we inspected them (each dot ≥5 cars; a band under 20 cars follows the nearby bands, so a run above the all-cars line stays above it, and a band of 20 or more uses the rate we measured; where a band has too few cars, the line follows the trend between the bands on either side; rolled-back odometers excluded from the mileage curve). Dashed grey = all cars we check.

Most common faults
Cadillac
Fuel trim out of range · Engine
57%
Oil leaks · Engine
52%
Active error codes · Electronic equipment
42%
Tires condition & wear · Brakes and tires
36%
Dirty or low engine oil · Engine
22%
Mercedes
Oil leaks · Engine
64%
Active error codes · Electronic equipment
49%
Tires condition & wear · Brakes and tires
39%
Fuel trim out of range · Engine
36%
Electronic components issues · Engine
19%
Trajectory by generation
Cadillac

Not enough Cadillacs at the 5–10 year checkpoint yet to draw a generation trend.

Mercedes ▲ Newer Mercedes vehicles are holding up better 40% 60% 80% 2012–14: 43% in good shape (age-adjusted; 32 cars, raw 44%) 43 2015–17: 56% in good shape (age-adjusted; 44 cars, raw 57%) 56 2018–20: 61% in good shape (age-adjusted; 34 cars, raw 68%) 61 2009–11 2012–14 2015–17 2018–20 2021+

Share in good shape when inspected at the same age (5–10 years, age-adjusted), by model-year generation; dashed = all-brand average. All brands →

FAQ
?
Which is more reliable, Cadillac or Mercedes?
In our inspections, Mercedes’ average condition stays above the “decent” threshold to around 92k miles, versus 75k for Cadillac.
?
What are the most common problems with used Cadillacs and Mercedes vehicles?
On Cadillacs we flag fuel trim out of range (57%), oil leaks (52%), active error codes (42%). On Mercedes vehicles: oil leaks (64%), active error codes (49%), tires condition & wear (39%).
?
How many Cadillac and Mercedes vehicles have you inspected?
67 Cadillacs and 278 Mercedes vehicles — 345 real pre-purchase inspections. Updated Nov 12, 2026.
?
How long do Cadillac and Mercedes stay in decent condition?
In our data, decent is a 55/100 score. The average Cadillac dips below it around 75k mi; Mercedes around 92k mi. Individual cars vary — get the one you’re buying inspected.
Buying a used Cadillac or Mercedes? Get a pre-purchase inspection before you pay.
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Based on 345 inspections · updated Nov 12, 2026