<?xml version="1.0"?>
<ownershipDocument>

    <schemaVersion>X0306</schemaVersion>

    <documentType>5</documentType>

    <periodOfReport>2013-12-31</periodOfReport>

    <notSubjectToSection16>0</notSubjectToSection16>

    <form3HoldingsReported>0</form3HoldingsReported>

    <form4TransactionsReported>0</form4TransactionsReported>

    <issuer>
        <issuerCik>0001562039</issuerCik>
        <issuerName>CST Brands, Inc.</issuerName>
        <issuerTradingSymbol>cst</issuerTradingSymbol>
    </issuer>

    <reportingOwner>
        <reportingOwnerId>
            <rptOwnerCik>0001448219</rptOwnerCik>
            <rptOwnerName>Bowers Kimberly S.</rptOwnerName>
        </reportingOwnerId>
        <reportingOwnerAddress>
            <rptOwnerStreet1>P.O. BOX 696000</rptOwnerStreet1>
            <rptOwnerStreet2></rptOwnerStreet2>
            <rptOwnerCity>SAN ANTONIO</rptOwnerCity>
            <rptOwnerState>TX</rptOwnerState>
            <rptOwnerZipCode>78269-6000</rptOwnerZipCode>
            <rptOwnerStateDescription></rptOwnerStateDescription>
        </reportingOwnerAddress>
        <reportingOwnerRelationship>
            <isDirector>1</isDirector>
            <isOfficer>1</isOfficer>
            <isTenPercentOwner>0</isTenPercentOwner>
            <isOther>0</isOther>
            <officerTitle>President and CEO</officerTitle>
        </reportingOwnerRelationship>
    </reportingOwner>

    <nonDerivativeTable>
        <nonDerivativeTransaction>
            <securityTitle>
                <value>Common Stock</value>
            </securityTitle>
            <transactionDate>
                <value>2013-05-01</value>
            </transactionDate>
            <transactionCoding>
                <transactionFormType>5</transactionFormType>
                <transactionCode>J</transactionCode>
                <equitySwapInvolved>0</equitySwapInvolved>
            </transactionCoding>
            <transactionTimeliness>
                <value></value>
            </transactionTimeliness>
            <transactionAmounts>
                <transactionShares>
                    <value>19026</value>
                </transactionShares>
                <transactionPricePerShare>
                    <footnoteId id="F1"/>
                </transactionPricePerShare>
                <transactionAcquiredDisposedCode>
                    <value>A</value>
                </transactionAcquiredDisposedCode>
            </transactionAmounts>
            <postTransactionAmounts>
                <sharesOwnedFollowingTransaction>
                    <value>89426</value>
                </sharesOwnedFollowingTransaction>
            </postTransactionAmounts>
            <ownershipNature>
                <directOrIndirectOwnership>
                    <value>D</value>
                </directOrIndirectOwnership>
            </ownershipNature>
        </nonDerivativeTransaction>
    </nonDerivativeTable>

    <footnotes>
        <footnote id="F1">19,026 shares were received by the reporting person as the result of a stock dividend issued by Valero Energy Corporation (&quot;Valero&quot;). One share of the Issuer's common stock was issued for every nine shares of Valero common stock outstanding as of 5:00 p.m. EST on April 19, 2013, the record date for the distribution.</footnote>
    </footnotes>

    <remarks>2. 9,480 shares of common stock owned by the reporting person as of December 31, 2013, were transferred to the reporting person's spouse on February 11, 2014, pursuant to a domestic relations order, and the reporting person no longer claims beneficial ownership of such shares.

3. The Form 4 initially filed by the reporting person on May 8, 2013, erroneously reported the award of 4,233 shares of restricted stock. No such issuance was ever approved or awarded.</remarks>

    <ownerSignature>
        <signatureName>/s/ Cynthia P. Hill, as Attorney-in-Fact for Kimberly S. Bowers</signatureName>
        <signatureDate>2014-02-13</signatureDate>
    </ownerSignature>
</ownershipDocument>
