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2008 Cadillac Cts

Owner reports · Recalls · Investigations

Similar to other model years

Owner complaints for the 2008 Cadillac Cts do not stand out strongly from the model-year median of 101.

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When problems were reported

Mileage at the reported incident

126 reports with mileage · 49 unknown

NHTSA’s mileage field refers to the reported incident, not necessarily the filing date. This shows report counts, not the likelihood of a failure.

What to inspect

Issues worth paying extra attention to based on owner reports.

  • Electrical System. Review the 39 owner reports in this category and discuss these concerns during a pre-purchase inspection. Read reports →
  • Fuel/propulsion System. Review the 23 owner reports in this category and discuss these concerns during a pre-purchase inspection. Read reports →
  • Engine. Review the 22 owner reports in this category and discuss these concerns during a pre-purchase inspection. Read reports →

NHTSA owner reports · September 18, 2026 snapshot.

12 crash reports3 fire reports6 injury reports

Equipment complaints

4 reports
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7,000 miles · Aug 13, 2011
Electrical SystemEquipmentFire

THE CAR HAS HAD 7 BATTERIES REPLACED. IT HAS BEEN TOWED THREE TIMES TO TWO DIFFERENT DEALERSHIPS. WHEN THE FAILURE OCCURS THE DOOR LOCK, THE ENGINE WILL NOT START, LIGHTS WILL NOT WORK, THE CAR IS COMPLETELY DEAD. THE LAST TIME MY WIFE WENT ONE MILE AND THE LIGHTS,RADIO, AIR CONDITIONING AND DOORS LOCKED AND WOULD NOT OPEN. …

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THE CAR HAS HAD 7 BATTERIES REPLACED. IT HAS BEEN TOWED THREE TIMES TO TWO DIFFERENT DEALERSHIPS. WHEN THE FAILURE OCCURS THE DOOR LOCK, THE ENGINE WILL NOT START, LIGHTS WILL NOT WORK, THE CAR IS COMPLETELY DEAD. THE LAST TIME MY WIFE WENT ONE MILE AND THE LIGHTS,RADIO, AIR CONDITIONING AND DOORS LOCKED AND WOULD NOT OPEN. SHE COULD NOT GET THE KEY OUT OF THE IGNITION. THE DOOR WAS OPENED AND THE CAR SAT FOR TWO HOURS. WHEN SHE WENT BACK TO THE CAR EVERYTHING WORKED LIKE NOTHING HAPPENED. SHE DROVE HOME AND THE NEXT MORNING THE BATTERY WAS DEAD. IT WAS TOWED TO THE DEALERSHIP AND THE ODOR OF BURNING WIRING WAS OBVIOUS. ONE WEEK LATER THE DEALER SERVICE DEPARTMENT CALLED TO INFORM ME THAT THE FUSE BLOCK WAS REPLACED AND THE RADIO CAUSED THE PROBLEM. THE CAR WAS LEASED AND I JUST RETURNED IT WITH 17,890 MILES. WE WENT OUT AND PURCHASED ANOTHER CAR WHEN THEY SAID THE WIRING AND FUSE BLOCK WAS BURNT. WE JUST LET IT SIT IN THE DRIVEWAY UNTIL THE LEASE RUN OUT. *TR

NHTSA ODI #10419289

38,000 miles · Feb 21, 2011
Electrical SystemEquipment

CAR SOMETIMES DOESN'T RECOGNIZE BOTH ELECTRONIC KEY-FOBS PREVENTING ME FROM UNLOCKING/LOCKING & STARTING THE CAR BECAUSE. PROBLEM RECURS PERIODICALLY. REPLACED BATTERY BUT PROBLEM KEEPS HAPPENING. DEALER SAYS THEY CANT DUPLICATE PROBLEM. *TR

NHTSA ODI #10383469

11,500 miles · Feb 11, 2010
Equipment

CAR SOMETIMES DOESN'T RECOGNIZE ELECTRONIC KEYFOB PREVENTING ME FROM LOCKING THE IGNITION PRIOR TO EXITING THE CAR. LEAVING THE CAR WITH THE IGNITION UNLOCK IS A VIOLATION OF MANY STATES' MOTOR VEHICLE LAWS. OTHER TIMES CAR WILL NOT LET ME ENTER THE CAR OR START THE CAR BECAUSE IT DOESN'T RECOGNIZE THE ELECTRONIC KEYFOB. PROB…

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CAR SOMETIMES DOESN'T RECOGNIZE ELECTRONIC KEYFOB PREVENTING ME FROM LOCKING THE IGNITION PRIOR TO EXITING THE CAR. LEAVING THE CAR WITH THE IGNITION UNLOCK IS A VIOLATION OF MANY STATES' MOTOR VEHICLE LAWS. OTHER TIMES CAR WILL NOT LET ME ENTER THE CAR OR START THE CAR BECAUSE IT DOESN'T RECOGNIZE THE ELECTRONIC KEYFOB. PROBLEM RECURS PERIODICALLY - SOMETIMES A FEW TIMES A WEEK OTHER TIME OPERATES FINE FOR A MONTH OR MORE. *TR

NHTSA ODI #10308786

Mileage unknown · Oct 12, 2008
Equipment

THIS IS A REQUEST FOR MOTOR VEHICLE ANALYSIS, NATIONWIDE, ON A MONTHLY OR MORE FREQUENT BASIS TO INSURE COMPLIANCE/INSPECTIONS SIMILAR TO THOSE REQUIRE FOR THE COMMERCIAL DRIVER'S LICENSE HOLDER ON THE FOLLOWING AUTOMOTIVE SYSTEMS: (1) ELECTRICAL (2) COOLING (3) STEERING, SUSPENSION (4) TRANSMISSION (5) ENGINE (6) ENGINE (7) ALL…

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THIS IS A REQUEST FOR MOTOR VEHICLE ANALYSIS, NATIONWIDE, ON A MONTHLY OR MORE FREQUENT BASIS TO INSURE COMPLIANCE/INSPECTIONS SIMILAR TO THOSE REQUIRE FOR THE COMMERCIAL DRIVER'S LICENSE HOLDER ON THE FOLLOWING AUTOMOTIVE SYSTEMS: (1) ELECTRICAL (2) COOLING (3) STEERING, SUSPENSION (4) TRANSMISSION (5) ENGINE (6) ENGINE (7) ALL FLUIDS FOR NON-CONTAMINATION (8) BRAKES (9) EXHAUST, EMISSIONS. PLEASE BEGIN THESE INSPECTIONS FOR 1990 - CURRENT YEAR MAKE, MODELS ON THE FOLLOWING: CADILLAC, ROLLS ROYCE, BENTLEY, BMW, MERCEDES BENZ. *TR

NHTSA ODI #10245205

Official recalls

2

14V394000 · Electrical System:ignition

Jul 2, 2014

This defect can affect the safe operation of the airbag system. Until this recall is performed, customers should remove all items from their key rings, leaving only the ignition key. The key fob (if applicable), should also be removed from the key ring. General Motors LLC (GM) notified the agency on July 2, 2014 that they are recalling 554,328 model year 2003-2014 Cadillac CTS vehicles manufactured August 16, 2001, to April 28, 2014, and 2004-2006 Cadillac SRX vehicles manufactured March 20, 2003, to August 11, 2006. In these models, the weight on the key ring and/or road conditions or some other jarring event may cause the ignition switch to move out of the run position, turning off the engine.

Consequence & remedy

Consequence: If the key is not in the run position, the air bags may not deploy if the vehicle is involved in a crash, increasing the risk of injury.

Remedy: GM will notify owners, and dealers will install two key rings and an insert in the key slot or a cover over the key head on all ignition keys, free of charge. The recall began on September 15, 2014. Owners may contact Cadillac customer service at 1-800-458-8006. GM's number for this recall is 14172.

10V240000 · Electrical System

Jun 4, 2010

GM IS RECALLING CERTAIN MODEL YEAR 2006-2009 BUICK, LUCERNE; CADILLAC DTS; HUMMER H2; MODEL YEAR 2008-2009 BUICK ENCLAVE; CADILLAC CTS; MODEL YEAR 2007-2009 CADILLAC ESCALADE, ESCALADE ESV, ESCALADE EXT; CHEVROLET AVALANCHE, SILVERADO, SUBURBAN, TAHOE; GMC ACADIA, SIERRA, YUKON, YUKON XL; SATURN OUTLOOK; AND MODEL YEAR 2009 CHEVROLET TRAVERSE VEHICLES EQUIPPED WITH A HEATED WASHER FLUID SYSTEM (HWFS). A RECALL WAS IMPLEMENTED IN 2008 TO ADD A FUSE TO THE CONTROL CIRCUIT HARNESS TO ADDRESS THE POTENTIAL CONSEQUENCES OF A PRINTED CIRCUIT BOARD (PCB) ELECTRICAL SHORT. HOWEVER, THERE HAVE BEEN NEW REPORTS OF THERMAL INCIDENTS ON HWFS MODULES AFTER THIS IMPROVEMENT WAS INSTALLED. THESE INCIDENTS RESULTED FROM A NEW FAILURE MODE ATTRIBUTED TO THE DEVICE'S THERMAL PROTECTION FEATURE. THE SIGNIFICANCE VARIES FROM MINOR DISTORTION TO CONSIDERABLE MELTING OF THE PLASTIC AROUND THE HWFS FLUID CHAMBER.

Consequence & remedy

Consequence: IT IS POSSIBLE FOR THE HEATED WASHER MODULE TO IGNITE AND A FIRE MAY OCCUR.

Remedy: DEALERS WILL PERMANENTLY DISABLE AND REMOVE THE HEATED WASHER FLUID MODULE. AN UPDATED PAGE FOR THE OWNER MANUAL WILL BE PROVIDED AND INSERTED IN THE OWNER MANUAL TO DOCUMENT THAT THE FEATURE HAS BEEN PERMANENTLY DISABLED AND REMOVED FROM THE VEHICLE. THE SAFETY RECALL BEGAN ON JUNE 11, 2010. OWNERS MAY CONTACT BUICK AT 1-866-608-8080, CADILLAC AT 1-866-982-2339, CHEVROLET AT 1-800-630-2438, SATURN AT 1-800-972-8876, GMC AT 1-866-996-9463 AND HUMMER AT 1-800-732-5493 OR AT THE OWNER CENTER AT WWW.GMOWNERCENTER.COM.

Model-level recall history does not show whether a particular VIN is affected or has received a repair. Check a VIN with NHTSA ↗

NHTSA investigations

0

No exact-year investigations in this snapshot.