2006 Cadillac Cts Problems and Recalls (267 Complaints)
The most-reported problem on the 2006 Cadillac Cts is Airbags (27% of 267 owner reports). There are 6 safety recalls. Check the VIN and inspect Airbags — this is the NHTSA file, not a score.
NHTSA Office of Defects Investigation Snapshot 2026-09-07 267 complaints · 6 recalls
What problems show up on the 2006 Cadillac Cts?
71 of 267 filings named Airbags (27% of the file). That is what owners wrote, not a shop diagnosis of the vehicle in the driveway.
Second is Brakes (46 reports).
There are 6 official safety recalls on this year. They were filed about Fuel system, Transmission / driveline, Brakes, Airbags, and Electrical. Check the VIN at nhtsa.gov — a campaign on this page can still be open on a specific truck.
The 2005 has 268 reports on file; this year has 267. A smaller lifetime total is not a clean bill of health. If you need a fairer comparison, use the equal-time view.
What owners reported
System named most often: Airbags 71 complaints · 26.6% of the file
Crashes, fires, injuries and deaths in those filings:
- Crashes 23
- Fires 2
- Injuries 13
- Deaths 1
NHTSA Consumer Complaints Snapshot 2026-09-07 Open source record Read our complete data methodology →
Complaint counts reflect self-selected reports and are not normalised for production sales volume. We publish no reliability scores, superlatives, or vehicle rankings.
Which systems owners named
Share of owner complaints filed against each vehicle system. These shares are not adjusted for how many vehicles were sold.
“Unclassified NHTSA leftover” is not a car part. It is a filing bucket and always sits last.
View component data as a table
| System / Component | Complaints | Share of Reports | Safety Reports (Crashes / Fires) |
|---|---|---|---|
| Airbags (AIR BAGS) | 71 | 26.6% | 8 crashes · 0 fires |
| Brakes (SERVICE BRAKES) | 46 | 17.2% | 7 crashes · 0 fires |
| Transmission / driveline (POWER TRAIN) | 39 | 14.6% | 2 crashes · 0 fires |
| Engine (ENGINE) | 29 | 10.9% | 1 crashes · 0 fires |
| Electrical (ELECTRICAL SYSTEM) | 27 | 10.1% | 0 crashes · 2 fires |
| Cruise / speed control (VEHICLE SPEED CONTROL) | 9 | 3.4% | 4 crashes · 0 fires |
| Fuel system (FUEL SYSTEM) | 8 | 3.0% | 0 crashes · 0 fires |
| Suspension (SUSPENSION) | 7 | 2.6% | 0 crashes · 0 fires |
| Lights (EXTERIOR LIGHTING) | 5 | 1.9% | 0 crashes · 0 fires |
| Unclassified NHTSA leftover | 77 | 28.8% | 9 crashes · 1 fires |
NHTSA Consumer Complaints, NHTSA Safety Recalls, and NHTSA Defect Investigations Snapshot 2026-09-07 Open source record
Complaint counts reflect self-selected reports and are not normalised for production sales volume. We publish no reliability scores, superlatives, or vehicle rankings.
When reports and recalls showed up
When owners filed reports, and when recall campaigns showed up.
- Campaign 07V589000 was reported 663 days after the first earlier complaint mapped to its component.
- Campaign 10V105000 was reported 1,205 days after the first earlier complaint mapped to its component.
- Campaign 10V644000 was reported 1,461 days after the first earlier complaint mapped to its component.
- Campaign 14V394000 was reported 2,900 days after the first earlier complaint mapped to its component.
- Campaign 14V542000 was reported 2,435 days after the first earlier complaint mapped to its component.
View timeline records as a table
| Date | Record type | Count | Record identifier |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2006-Q1 | Owner reports | 2 | |
| 2006-Q2 | Owner reports | 2 | |
| 2006-Q3 | Owner reports | 2 | |
| 2006-Q4 | Owner reports | 7 | |
| 2007-Q2 | Owner reports | 2 | |
| 2007-Q3 | Owner reports | 3 | |
| 2007-Q4 | Owner reports | 2 | |
| 2008-Q1 | Owner reports | 7 | |
| 2008-Q2 | Owner reports | 3 | |
| 2008-Q3 | Owner reports | 3 | |
| 2008-Q4 | Owner reports | 4 | |
| 2009-Q1 | Owner reports | 1 | |
| 2009-Q2 | Owner reports | 1 | |
| 2009-Q3 | Owner reports | 1 | |
| 2009-Q4 | Owner reports | 4 | |
| 2010-Q1 | Owner reports | 4 | |
| 2010-Q2 | Owner reports | 8 | |
| 2010-Q3 | Owner reports | 3 | |
| 2010-Q4 | Owner reports | 8 | |
| 2011-Q1 | Owner reports | 16 | |
| 2011-Q2 | Owner reports | 5 | |
| 2011-Q3 | Owner reports | 4 | |
| 2011-Q4 | Owner reports | 1 | |
| 2012-Q2 | Owner reports | 2 | |
| 2012-Q3 | Owner reports | 9 | |
| 2012-Q4 | Owner reports | 3 | |
| 2013-Q1 | Owner reports | 2 | |
| 2013-Q2 | Owner reports | 7 | |
| 2013-Q3 | Owner reports | 3 | |
| 2013-Q4 | Owner reports | 4 | |
| 2014-Q1 | Owner reports | 9 | |
| 2014-Q2 | Owner reports | 8 | |
| 2014-Q3 | Owner reports | 16 | |
| 2014-Q4 | Owner reports | 19 | |
| 2015-Q1 | Owner reports | 13 | |
| 2015-Q2 | Owner reports | 6 | |
| 2015-Q3 | Owner reports | 8 | |
| 2015-Q4 | Owner reports | 4 | |
| 2016-Q1 | Owner reports | 6 | |
| 2016-Q2 | Owner reports | 5 | |
| 2016-Q4 | Owner reports | 3 | |
| 2017-Q1 | Owner reports | 5 | |
| 2017-Q2 | Owner reports | 5 | |
| 2017-Q3 | Owner reports | 1 | |
| 2017-Q4 | Owner reports | 1 | |
| 2018-Q1 | Owner reports | 4 | |
| 2018-Q2 | Owner reports | 1 | |
| 2018-Q3 | Owner reports | 2 | |
| 2018-Q4 | Owner reports | 3 | |
| 2019-Q1 | Owner reports | 1 | |
| 2019-Q2 | Owner reports | 4 | |
| 2019-Q3 | Owner reports | 2 | |
| 2019-Q4 | Owner reports | 1 | |
| 2020-Q2 | Owner reports | 1 | |
| 2020-Q3 | Owner reports | 2 | |
| 2020-Q4 | Owner reports | 1 | |
| 2021-Q4 | Owner reports | 2 | |
| 2022-Q1 | Owner reports | 1 | |
| 2022-Q3 | Owner reports | 2 | |
| 2023-Q1 | Owner reports | 1 | |
| 2024-Q1 | Owner reports | 2 | |
| 2024-Q2 | Owner reports | 1 | |
| 2024-Q3 | Owner reports | 1 | |
| 2025-Q2 | Owner reports | 1 | |
| 2026-Q2 | Owner reports | 2 | |
| Recall campaign | 1 | 06V020000 | |
| Recall campaign | 1 | 07V589000 | |
| Recall campaign | 1 | 10V105000 | |
| Recall campaign | 1 | 10V644000 | |
| Recall campaign | 1 | 14V394000 | |
| Recall campaign | 1 | 14V542000 | |
| Defect investigation | 1 | PE07037 | |
| Defect investigation | 1 | EA07017 | |
| Defect investigation | 1 | EQ11001 |
Safety Recalls (6)
Official campaigns. Each one says what could go wrong and what the dealer was told to fix.
In short, these campaigns were filed about Fuel system, Transmission / driveline, Brakes, Airbags, and Electrical.
-
Recall campaign 06V020000
Fuel system
- Report date
- Component:
- Fuel system (FUEL SYSTEM)
- Consequence:
- IF THE ENGINE STOPS RUNNING, THE OPERATOR WILL NOT BE ABLE TO RESTART THE VEHICLE WHICH COULD INCREASE THE RISK OF A CRASH.
- Remedy:
- DEALERS WILL REPROGRAM THE ELECTRONIC CONTROL MODULE (ECM) WITH NEW SOFTWARE FREE OF CHARGE. OWNERS WERE NOTIFIED IN DECEMBER 2005 AND ASKED TO MAINTAIN AT LEAST 1/4 OF A TANK FUEL LEVEL TO AVOID THIS CONDITION UNTIL THE PARTS ARE AVAILABLE. THE PARTS ARE NOW AVAILABLE, OWNER RENOTIFICATION BEGAN ON MARCH 23, 2006. OWNERS MAY CONTACT CADILLAC AT 1-866-982-2339.
-
Recall campaign 07V589000
Transmission / driveline
- Report date
- Component:
- Transmission / driveline (POWER TRAIN)
- Consequence:
- A REAR DIFFERENTIAL FAILURE MAY CAUSE LOSS OF MOTIVE POWER AND POSSIBLY LOSS OF CONTROL INCREASING THE RISK OF A CRASH.
- Remedy:
- DEALERS WILL REPLACE THE PINION SEAL FREE OF CHARGE. THE RECALL BEGAN ON FEBRUARY 1, 2008. OWNERS MAY CONTACT CADILLAC AT 1-800-458-8006 OR HTTP://WWW.CADILLAC.COM; PONTIAC AT 1-800-620-7668 OR HTTP://WWW.PONTIAC.COM; AND SATURN AT 1-800-972-8876 OR HTTP://WWW.SATURN.COM.
-
Recall campaign 10V105000
Brakes
- Report date
- Component:
- Brakes (SERVICE BRAKES)
- Consequence:
- THE BRAKE HOSE-TUBE INTERFACE MAY RUPTURE SUDDENLY WITHOUT PRIOR WARNING AND INCREASE VEHICLE STOPPING DISTANCE MAY OCCUR INCREASING THE RISK OF A CRASH.
- Remedy:
- DEALERS ARE TO REPLACE BOTH FRONT BRAKE HOSE ASSEMBLIES FREE OF CHARGE. THE SAFETY RECALL IS EXPECTED TO BEGIN DURING MAY 2010. OWNERS MAY CONTACT CADILLAC AT 1-866-982-2339 OR AT THE OWNER CENTER AT WWW.GMOWNERCENTER.COM.
-
Recall campaign 10V644000
Airbags
- Report date
- Component:
- Airbags (AIR BAGS)
- Consequence:
- NON-DEPLOYMENT OF THE FRONT PASSENGER AIR BAG IN THE EVENT OF A CRASH NECESSITATING THAT AIR BAG'S DEPLOYMENT MAY REDUCE PROTECTION OF THE PASSENGER AND INCREASE THE RISK OR SEVERITY OF INJURY TO THEM.
- Remedy:
- DEALERS WILL REPLACE THE PASSENGER SENSING SYSTEM FREE OF CHARGE. THE SAFETY RECALL IS EXPECTED TO BEGIN ON OR ABOUT MARCH 15, 2011. OWNERS MAY CONTACT CADILLAC AT 1-866-982-2339, CHEVROLET AT 1-800-630-2438, GMC AT 1-866-996-9463 AND AT THE OWNER CENTER AT WWW.GMOWNERCENTER.COM.
-
Recall campaign 14V394000
Electrical
- Report date
- Component:
- Electrical (ELECTRICAL SYSTEM)
- 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.
-
Recall campaign 14V542000
Fuel system
- Report date
- Component:
- Fuel system (FUEL SYSTEM)
- Consequence:
- If the flange melts, a hole may be created allowing the fuel pump to leak fuel, causing the vehicle to stall, increasing the risk of a vehicle crash. Additionally, leaking fuel in the presence of an ignition source increases the risk of a fire.
- Remedy:
- GM will notify owners, and dealers will replace the fuel module and fuel tank jumper harness, free of charge. GM sent out interim notices in late October. The recall began on March 12, 2015. Owners may contact Cadillac customer service at 1-800-458-8006. GM's number for this recall is 14405.
Complaint counts reflect self-selected reports and are not normalised for production sales volume. We publish no reliability scores, superlatives, or vehicle rankings.
What owners actually wrote
Short excerpts from the public NHTSA file. Look for the same symptom repeating.
Data: NHTSA Office of Defects Investigation · snapshot 2026-09-07
Showing 10 of 267 complaints · page 1 of 11
CrashFireInjuryDeath
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 !!!
CrashFireInjuryDeath
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
CrashFireInjuryDeath
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 the local dealer where it was diagnosed and determined that the computer had malfunctioned. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was called but the phone disconnected. The failure mileage was approximately 181,475.
CrashFireInjuryDeath
Driving out of a driveway with a slight slope, my traction engaged. It has done this 3-4 times in perfect driving weather and I had not swerved or experienced any issue prior to the light illuminated "TRACTION ENGAGED". It is pretty noisy under my car as well and the ride is not smooth and rather bumpy. It has engaged just backing up in a parking lot.
CrashFireInjuryDeath
The contact owns a 2006 Cadillac CTS. The contact stated when the vehicle was started with the key in the ignition, it was difficult to shift from park(P) to reverse(R). The contact stated that once she was able to reverse the vehicle onto the roadway, it was difficult to shift the vehicle into drive(D). The contact turned off and restarted the vehicle and was able to shift into drive(D). The contact stated that while driving at approximately 30 MPH, several unknown warning lights illuminated on the instrument panel. The contact pulled over and turned the vehicle off. While attempting to start the vehicle, it was difficult turning the ignition key. The contact stated that she was unable to remove the key from the ignition. The contact stated that she was only able to jiggle the key enough to turn the vehicle off. The contact called a local dealer and explained the failure. The contact advised the dealer that she had a recall letter from the manufacturer for NHTSA Campaign Number: 14V394000 (Electrical System). The dealer advised the contact that the key that was stuck in the ignition was not part of the recall. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was not informed of the failure. The failure mileage was 173,520.
CrashFireInjuryDeath
Well I am uncertain but we have two 2006 Cadillac cts and both have had multiple transmissions replaced. Multiple differential problems and air bag and wireing problems
CrashFireInjuryDeath
The driver-side tail light lens fell off. I don't know where, but it probably fell off while I was driving, and if so, could have caused an accident. Cadillac does not stock this tail light assembly anymore, so I had to order it online, and then have it installed by a local shop. I am uploading photos of 1) repair invoice 2) new tail light box 3) old tail light (missing lens).
CrashFireInjuryDeath
The contact owns a 2006 Cadillac CTS. The contact stated that while driving in reverse and reversing out of the driveway, the vehicle suddenly experienced unintended acceleration and drove in reverse across a parking lot crashing into two parked vehicles, and hitting a tree before driving across a side road and into a ditch. During the incident, the front driver sustained neck stiffness and the front passenger sustained a bruised right elbow. Neither injury required medical treatment. A police report was taken at the scene. The vehicle was later driven to the home. The cause of the failure was not yet determined. The manufacturer and local dealer were not yet contacted. The failure mileage was 86,500
CrashFireInjuryDeath
Service airbag light on dash is on. No one ever sits in the passenger front seat. The rear view mirror indicates that the passenger seat airbag is off. I dont know how to turn it on just to see if the RVM will indicate an on position. I took the car in for a diagnosis and it it indicated that the PPS Module needs replacement. ($1280.79) Even if I do find out how to turn it on I would be afraid to turn it on if it’s going to explode that’s my problem what should I do
CrashFireInjuryDeath
I am deaf and the “service Air Bag” and the symbol came on several times and I took it to a certified mechanic who spent two days checking. This is the what he said upon diagnosis, “ The part you need for the air bag light has been discontinued not available anymore.” I met him in person and he said the same thing. This is a safety issue. Please help! Thank you!
Frequently asked questions
What are the most common problems on the 2006 Cadillac Cts?
Owners named Airbags most often — 71 of 267 reports (27%). That is the NHTSA file, not a diagnosis of every vehicle.
Are there recalls for the 2006 Cadillac Cts?
NHTSA lists 6 safety recall campaigns. They were filed about Fuel system, Transmission / driveline, Brakes, Airbags, and Electrical. Check the VIN at nhtsa.gov; a campaign on this page can still be open on a specific vehicle.
What should I inspect before buying a 2006 Cadillac Cts?
Look up the VIN for open recalls. Confirm the airbag light behaves normally and that open airbag recalls are closed. Then skim owner filings for the same symptom and take that list to a mechanic.
Does a high complaint count mean I should skip this year?
No. Counts are reports people chose to file and they are not adjusted for sales volume. YearTell does not publish scores or a list of years to skip. Inspect the vehicle.
Estimated Ownership Cost
EPA fuel economy ratings and annual operating cost estimates
Data: US EPA Fuel Economy Guide · snapshot 2026-08-21
Adjacent Model Years
Immediate preceding and succeeding model year records
Complaint counts reflect self-selected reports and are not normalised for production sales volume. We publish no reliability scores, superlatives, or vehicle rankings.
Methodology & Data Integrity
Source: NHTSA ODI / recalls, snapshot 2026-09-07. YearTell is not a government agency.