What breaks most · 2004 to 2011 model years
Cadillac DTS problems by year
Owners have filed 527 safety complaints with NHTSA about the Cadillac DTS across model years 2004 to 2011. One year stands out: 2006 for exterior lighting complaints. The quietest years are 2004, 2005 and 2009.
- Years to check closely: 2006
- Fewest complaints: 2004, 2005, 2009
- Complaints on file
- 5272004 to 2011, all trims
- Worst year
- 2006255 complaints
- Crashes reported
- 3721 fires · 45 injuries · 0 deaths
- Typical failure mileage
- 69kMedian where owners gave mileage
- Recall campaigns
- 17Across the years shown
Complaints by model year
Raw filings with NHTSA, not adjusted for how many were sold.
| Model year | Complaints | Crashes | Recalls | Most-reported component |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 7 | 1 | 0 | Electrical system (2) | |
| 9 | 0 | 0 | Steering (3) | |
| 255 | 14 | 4 | Exterior lighting (79) | |
| 97 | 8 | 3 | Electrical system (28) | |
| 86 | 6 | 3 | Electrical system (39) | |
| 35 | 1 | 2 | Electrical system (12) | |
| 22 | 3 | 3 | Electrical system (10) | |
| 16 | 4 | 2 | Electrical system (6) |
What fails on the 2006 Cadillac DTS
| Component | Share of complaints | Filings | Crashes | Parts for this job |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Exterior lightingHeadlights, tail lights and bulbs | 31% |
79 | 1 | Shop exterior lighting parts for the 2006 Cadillac DTS |
| Electrical systemAlternators, starters and ignition | 31% |
79 | 1 | Shop electrical system parts for the 2006 Cadillac DTS |
| EngineEngine gaskets and seals | 15% |
38 | 0 | Shop engine parts for the 2006 Cadillac DTS |
| SteeringPower steering pumps, racks and hoses | 13% |
33 | 4 | Shop steering parts for the 2006 Cadillac DTS |
| Speed control and throttleThrottle and pedal sensors | 7% |
17 | 1 | Shop speed control and throttle parts for the 2006 Cadillac DTS |
| Seats | 5% |
12 | 0 | — |
| Air bags | 5% |
12 | 11 | Check recalls for air bags on NHTSA.gov |
| Tires | 4% |
10 | 2 | — |
One complaint can name more than one component, so shares add to more than 100%. "Unknown or other" is NHTSA's uncategorized bucket and is shown but never ranked.
In owners' words
Complaint narratives as filed with NHTSA, trimmed for length.
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Headlites keep going off at nite while driving i notice plenty of complants why GM needs a recall please follow thu asap
How to read this page
Every figure comes from the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration's public complaint database, which holds every safety-related defect complaint filed by owners since 1995. We refresh it monthly and count each complaint once per component it names. Data through September 6, 2026.
NHTSA only accepts safety-related complaints. Rattles, paint, infotainment bugs and other annoyances are under-reported here, so this page is a map of what fails in ways owners consider dangerous, not a full reliability score.
Counts are raw. Use the year-over-year shape and the component mix, not the absolute numbers. Where a component maps to parts we stock, the row links to that category filtered to the year you are viewing. Air bag and seat belt complaints link to the recall checker instead, because those repairs are almost always covered.
Common questions
Which Cadillac DTS years have the most problems?
By NHTSA complaint volume, 2006 carries the most filings on the Cadillac DTS. The 2006 alone has 255 complaints, led by exterior lighting.
What is the most common Cadillac DTS problem?
On the 2006 model year, the most-reported component is exterior lighting with 79 complaints. The table above lists the top components for every year.
At what mileage do Cadillac DTS problems start?
The median mileage at failure across all Cadillac DTS complaints that include mileage is about 69,000 miles. Older model years skew higher; the per-year figure is in the "at a glance" card.
Are these complaints verified?
No. NHTSA publishes complaints as submitted and does not investigate individual filings. Patterns across hundreds of complaints are meaningful; a single one is not.