2006 Cadillac CTS problems & reliability
269 owner complaints filed with NHTSA for the 2006 Cadillac CTS, alongside 6 safety recall campaigns. Last verified Aug 7, 2026. Complaints are unverified reports submitted by owners to the federal Office of Defects Investigation.
Each complaint is counted once (by NHTSA case number), even when it names several vehicles.
11 complaints report injuries (13 injured, 1 deaths reported).
Federal crash records (FARS 2020–2023): 2006 Cadillac CTS vehicles were involved in 37 fatal crashes with 24 occupant deaths. Involvement counts are not adjusted for how many are on the road and do not imply fault or a vehicle defect.
Most reported problems
| Component | Complaints | Share |
|---|---|---|
| Air Bags | 87 | 32% |
| Power Train | 45 | 17% |
| Electrical System | 43 | 16% |
| Service Brakes | 40 | 15% |
| Engine | 28 | 10% |
| Service Brakes, Hydraulic | 14 | 5% |
| Suspension | 10 | 4% |
| Vehicle Speed Control | 10 | 4% |
| Engine and Engine Cooling | 9 | 3% |
| Exterior Lighting | 7 | 3% |
Component groups as classified by NHTSA. A complaint can name more than one component, so shares may sum to more than 100%.
Common symptoms owners describe
Keyword analysis of complaint narratives; one complaint can describe several symptoms.
Mileage when problems occurred
Half of the failures with a reported odometer reading occurred by 67,000 miles (middle 50% between 40,500 and 100,000 miles), based on 223 complaints that included mileage.
Complaints by incident year
What owners report
“Engine burns 1quart of oil, 100 miles. Brakes went to floor, brake lines had holes at 69,000 miles. Driver rear axel leaks. 2006 Cadillac CTS is a lemon!! Money Pit !!!”
Engine · filed Jun 1, 2026
“The air bad light on passenger side and on the review mirror it passenger airbag bag off that a safety issue it won’t work if in a accident need to be recalled”
Air Bags · filed Apr 4, 2026
“The contact owns a 2006 Cadillac CTS. The contact stated that while driving with the cruise control set to 75 MPH, the vehicle was shuddering, and the engine was misfiring. The vehicle was taken to an independent mechanic who determined that the computer was not communicating with the vehicle. The vehicle was taken to…”
Engine · filed May 28, 2025
Verbatim excerpts from complaints filed with NHTSA. Reports are not independently verified.
Federal defect investigations
- IEE Passenger Sensing System Mats
Investigation EQ11001 · opened Feb 7, 2011 · closed Jul 19, 2011
- REAR DRIVETRAIN COMPONENT FAILURE
Engineering Analysis EA07017 · opened Dec 7, 2007 · closed Jul 16, 2008
- FAILURE OF THE REAR DIFFERENTIAL
Preliminary Evaluation PE07037 · opened Jul 17, 2007 · closed Dec 27, 2007 · led to recall 07V589000
Technical service bulletins
714 manufacturer communications (TSBs, service campaigns, warranty extensions) are on file with NHTSA for the 2006 Cadillac CTS. The 10 most recent:
This PI communicates the requirement to provide a pico file to receive diagnostic assistance from TAC.
PIP5601C · Service Bulletin/Repair Instructions · issued Jul 18, 2025
This Preliminary Information communication provides information to the technician about the use of J-35616-64B and Mini 50 terminal test probe, replacement terminals, and terminated leads.
PIT5074R · Service Bulletin/Repair Instructions · issued May 30, 2025
This Preliminary Information communication provides information to the technician about the use of J-35616-64B and Mini 50 terminal test probe, replacement terminals, and terminated leads.
PIT5074R · Service Bulletin/Repair Instructions · issued May 30, 2025
This Preliminary Information communication provides information to the technician about the use of J-35616-64B and Mini 50 terminal test probe, replacement terminals, and terminated leads.
PIT5074R · Service Bulletin/Repair Instructions · issued May 30, 2025
This Preliminary Information communication provides information to the technician about vehicles that have a Service Engine Soon Malfunction Indicator Lamp on. Technician will find Diagnostic Trouble Code P2097 or…
PIP4964F · Service Bulletin/Repair Instructions · issued May 29, 2025
This service bulletin provides information for dealers/technicians on OnStar Module 2G Sunset Information.
23-NA-001 · Service Bulletin/Repair Instructions · issued Mar 28, 2025
This Preliminary Information communication provides information to the technician about vehicles that have an unusual noise and is difficult to identify, isolate or pinpoint. Technician should get record a sound clip or…
PIP5358D · Service Bulletin/Repair Instructions · issued Feb 20, 2025
This Preliminary Information communication provides information to the technician about the use of J-35616-64B terminal test probe, replacement terminals, and terminated leads. The J-35616-64B is the latest test probe…
PIT5074Q · Service Bulletin/Repair Instructions · issued Dec 7, 2024
This Preliminary Information communicates to the dealer the process for downloading or updating operating software for the Tire Pressure Monitor, Active Fuel Injector tester, multi media tester, PICO Scope, GR8…
PIP4723J · Service Bulletin/Repair Instructions · issued Oct 25, 2024
This Preliminary Information communication provides information to the technician about vehicles that the Heater-Vent-Air Conditioning blows warm air. Before calling General Motors Technical Assistance Center technician…
PIT5099H · Service Bulletin/Repair Instructions · issued Sep 12, 2024
TSBs are repair guidance manufacturers send to dealers — they are not recalls and repairs are not automatically free. Full documents are available on NHTSA’s site.
Safety recalls
The 2006 Cadillac CTS has 6 NHTSA recall campaigns — recall repairs are free at franchised dealers regardless of the vehicle’s age.
Check whether your specific vehicle is affected
Recall campaigns often cover only certain VIN ranges. Enter your VIN on the official NHTSA site to confirm whether your vehicle is included and whether the repair is still open.
Check VIN on NHTSA →Buying a used 2006 Cadillac CTS?
- · Decode the seller’s VIN with our free VIN decoder to confirm the exact year, engine and trim.
- · Check for unrepaired recalls by VIN on NHTSA’s official lookup — recall repairs are free.
- · Owners most often reported problems around 67,000 miles — budget accordingly if the car is approaching that mileage.