2008 Cadillac Cts Problems and Recalls (175 Complaints)

The most-reported problem on the 2008 Cadillac Cts is Fuel system (14% of 175 owner reports). There are 2 safety recalls. Check the VIN and inspect Fuel system — this is the NHTSA file, not a score.

NHTSA Office of Defects Investigation Snapshot 2026-09-07 175 complaints · 2 recalls

What problems show up on the 2008 Cadillac Cts?

25 of 175 filings named Fuel system (14% of the file). That is what owners wrote, not a shop diagnosis of the vehicle in the driveway.

Second is Electrical (23 reports).

There are 2 official safety recalls on this year. They were filed about Electrical. Check the VIN at nhtsa.gov — a campaign on this page can still be open on a specific truck.

The 2007 has 216 reports on file; this year has 175. A smaller lifetime total is not a clean bill of health. If you need a fairer comparison, use the equal-time view.

What to check before you buy a 2008 Cadillac Cts

A useful visit to this page takes five minutes. YearTell does not score years and cannot see the vehicle in front of you.

  1. Look up the VIN for open recalls at nhtsa.gov. This year has 2 campaigns on file below.
  2. Fuel system. Check for fuel smell, leaks and whether it starts and idles cleanly.
  3. Electrical. Have a shop scan for stored codes and check battery, charging and any warning lights that stay on.
  4. Engine. Have a shop check for oil consumption, coolant leaks, rough idle and unusual engine noise.
  5. Skim a few owner reports below for Fuel system. Look for the same symptom repeating.
  6. Take that list to a mechanic. Do not turn the complaint total into a score.

What owners reported

System named most often: Fuel system 25 complaints · 14.3% of the file
Crashes, fires, injuries and deaths in those filings:
  • Crashes 12
  • Fires 3
  • Injuries 7
  • Deaths 0
All Cadillac Cts years →
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.

Which systems owners named Fuel system (FUEL SYSTEM) appears in 25 of 175 owner complaints (14.3%) in this vehicle snapshot. Fuel system (FUEL SYSTEM): 25 complaints, 14.3% of reports Fuel system (FUEL SYSTEM) 1 fire reports 25 · 14.3% Electrical (ELECTRICAL SYSTEM): 23 complaints, 13.1% of reports Electrical (ELECTRICAL SYSTEM) 23 · 13.1% Engine (ENGINE): 17 complaints, 9.7% of reports Engine (ENGINE) 17 · 9.7% Brakes (SERVICE BRAKES): 15 complaints, 8.6% of reports Brakes (SERVICE BRAKES) 2 crash reports 15 · 8.6% Transmission / driveline (POWER TRAIN): 13 complaints, 7.4% of reports Transmission / driveline (POWER TRAIN) 13 · 7.4% Cruise / speed control (VEHICLE SPEED CONTROL): 12 complaints, 6.9% of reports Cruise / speed control (VEHICLE SPEED CONTROL) 4 crash reports 12 · 6.9% Steering (STEERING): 10 complaints, 5.7% of reports Steering (STEERING) 10 · 5.7% Body / frame (STRUCTURE): 8 complaints, 4.6% of reports Body / frame (STRUCTURE) 1 crash reports 8 · 4.6% Airbags (AIR BAGS): 7 complaints, 4.0% of reports Airbags (AIR BAGS) 2 crash reports 7 · 4.0% Unclassified NHTSA leftover: 58 complaints, 33.1% of reports Unclassified NHTSA leftover 4 crash reports 2 fire reports 58 · 33.1% 0% 25% 50% 75% 100%

“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)
Fuel system (FUEL SYSTEM) 25 14.3% 0 crashes · 1 fires
Electrical (ELECTRICAL SYSTEM) 23 13.1% 0 crashes · 0 fires
Engine (ENGINE) 17 9.7% 0 crashes · 0 fires
Brakes (SERVICE BRAKES) 15 8.6% 2 crashes · 0 fires
Transmission / driveline (POWER TRAIN) 13 7.4% 0 crashes · 0 fires
Cruise / speed control (VEHICLE SPEED CONTROL) 12 6.9% 4 crashes · 0 fires
Steering (STEERING) 10 5.7% 0 crashes · 0 fires
Body / frame (STRUCTURE) 8 4.6% 1 crashes · 0 fires
Airbags (AIR BAGS) 7 4.0% 2 crashes · 0 fires
Unclassified NHTSA leftover 58 33.1% 4 crashes · 2 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.

When reports and recalls showed up Owner reports in this snapshot begin in Jan 2008; the first recall shown was reported in Jun 2010. 2008-Q1: 4 owner reports 4 2008-Q2: 1 owner reports 1 2008-Q3: 3 owner reports 3 2008-Q4: 6 owner reports 6 2009-Q1: 6 owner reports 6 2009-Q2: 4 owner reports 4 2009-Q4: 4 owner reports 4 2010-Q1: 5 owner reports 5 2010-Q2: 2 owner reports 2 2010-Q3: 1 owner reports 1 2010-Q4: 2 owner reports 2 2011-Q1: 1 owner reports 1 2011-Q3: 3 owner reports 3 2012-Q1: 5 owner reports 5 2012-Q3: 1 owner reports 1 2012-Q4: 4 owner reports 4 2013-Q2: 4 owner reports 4 2013-Q3: 3 owner reports 3 2013-Q4: 1 owner reports 1 2014-Q1: 6 owner reports 6 2014-Q2: 7 owner reports 7 2014-Q3: 7 owner reports 7 2014-Q4: 8 owner reports 8 2015-Q1: 6 owner reports 6 2015-Q2: 4 owner reports 4 2015-Q3: 2 owner reports 2 2015-Q4: 4 owner reports 4 2016-Q2: 5 owner reports 5 2016-Q3: 4 owner reports 4 2016-Q4: 2 owner reports 2 2017-Q1: 4 owner reports 4 2017-Q2: 4 owner reports 4 2017-Q3: 9 owner reports 9 2018-Q1: 4 owner reports 4 2018-Q2: 2 owner reports 2 2018-Q3: 3 owner reports 3 2018-Q4: 6 owner reports 6 2019-Q1: 4 owner reports 4 2019-Q2: 2 owner reports 2 2019-Q3: 1 owner reports 1 2020-Q1: 2 owner reports 2 2020-Q3: 2 owner reports 2 2020-Q4: 1 owner reports 1 2021-Q1: 2 owner reports 2 2021-Q2: 1 owner reports 1 2021-Q3: 1 owner reports 1 2022-Q1: 2 owner reports 2 2022-Q3: 1 owner reports 1 2023-Q1: 1 owner reports 1 2023-Q3: 2 owner reports 2 2024-Q1: 1 owner reports 1 2024-Q3: 1 owner reports 1 2025-Q1: 1 owner reports 1 2025-Q2: 2 owner reports 2 2026-Q2: 1 owner reports 1 Owner reports Jan 2008 Apr 2026 Recall campaign 10V240000 ◆ Recall campaign 10V240000 Recall campaign 14V394000 ◆ Recall campaign 14V394000
  • Campaign 14V394000 was reported 1,903 days after the first earlier complaint mapped to its component.
View timeline records as a table
Date Record type Count Record identifier
2008-Q1 Owner reports 4
2008-Q2 Owner reports 1
2008-Q3 Owner reports 3
2008-Q4 Owner reports 6
2009-Q1 Owner reports 6
2009-Q2 Owner reports 4
2009-Q4 Owner reports 4
2010-Q1 Owner reports 5
2010-Q2 Owner reports 2
2010-Q3 Owner reports 1
2010-Q4 Owner reports 2
2011-Q1 Owner reports 1
2011-Q3 Owner reports 3
2012-Q1 Owner reports 5
2012-Q3 Owner reports 1
2012-Q4 Owner reports 4
2013-Q2 Owner reports 4
2013-Q3 Owner reports 3
2013-Q4 Owner reports 1
2014-Q1 Owner reports 6
2014-Q2 Owner reports 7
2014-Q3 Owner reports 7
2014-Q4 Owner reports 8
2015-Q1 Owner reports 6
2015-Q2 Owner reports 4
2015-Q3 Owner reports 2
2015-Q4 Owner reports 4
2016-Q2 Owner reports 5
2016-Q3 Owner reports 4
2016-Q4 Owner reports 2
2017-Q1 Owner reports 4
2017-Q2 Owner reports 4
2017-Q3 Owner reports 9
2018-Q1 Owner reports 4
2018-Q2 Owner reports 2
2018-Q3 Owner reports 3
2018-Q4 Owner reports 6
2019-Q1 Owner reports 4
2019-Q2 Owner reports 2
2019-Q3 Owner reports 1
2020-Q1 Owner reports 2
2020-Q3 Owner reports 2
2020-Q4 Owner reports 1
2021-Q1 Owner reports 2
2021-Q2 Owner reports 1
2021-Q3 Owner reports 1
2022-Q1 Owner reports 2
2022-Q3 Owner reports 1
2023-Q1 Owner reports 1
2023-Q3 Owner reports 2
2024-Q1 Owner reports 1
2024-Q3 Owner reports 1
2025-Q1 Owner reports 1
2025-Q2 Owner reports 2
2026-Q2 Owner reports 1
Recall campaign 1 10V240000
Recall campaign 1 14V394000
NHTSA Safety Recalls Snapshot 2026-09-06 Open source record

Safety Recalls (2)

Official campaigns. Each one says what could go wrong and what the dealer was told to fix.

In short, these campaigns were filed about Electrical.

  1. Recall campaign 10V240000

    Safety recall 10V240000

    Report date
    Component:
    Not available in the source record
    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.
    View authoritative NHTSA record →

  2. 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.
    View authoritative NHTSA record →
NHTSA Consumer Complaints 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.

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
Safety incident filters
Showing 5 of 175 complaints · page 1 of 7
2026-06-04Airbags (AIR BAGS)
NHTSA ODI 11742002
CrashFireInjuryDeath
Me and my husband were visiting my brother in Vienna, Maryland and we were packing up to leave to go visit my mom and the surrounding area where we live and then go home. After my husband got everything in the car as well as the kids and my dog we were both getting in the car he had gotten in prior to me and shut the door and all of the SRS airbags went off while the car was in park. There were no warning messages on the dashboard. There is no damage to the outside of the car. I had put my claim through my insurance company, and they deemed it mechanical failure.
2025-06-28Unclassified NHTSA leftover
NHTSA ODI 11669877
CrashFireInjuryDeath
I haven't had a problem with my car and my truck. But my main concern is the LED and laser headlights almost every new car and truck that comes equipped with them. Even the aftermarket replacement bulbs and light assemblies, they are way too bright at night. Blindly bright. I have to put my hand in front of my eyes and face to reduce the amount of glare. I feel like these headlights can be a safety hazard to drivers at night.
2025-05-29Electrical (ELECTRICAL SYSTEM)
NHTSA ODI 11663826
CrashFireInjuryDeath
The recall performed on this vehicle were not performed. They played a [XXX] man made him get aThe recall performed on this vehicle we’re not performed. They played a [XXX] man made him get a timing chain for Morris Cadillac. I have several receipts from the vehicle being serviced because of the faulty windshield washer heater system that was supposed to be disabled caused an electrical short in the vehicle because it was not properly sealed water got in the wires and caused the computer to be fried this happened before the car still only has 67,000 miles and they won’t even take it in. The car stopped in the middle of the road almost killing everybody. I’ve had several technicians explain that it’s because of the faulty. Recall that they did not fix that is still exposed. Maybe they had a worker that was fired in 2017. INFORMATION REDACTED PURSUANT TO THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT (FOIA), 5 U.S.C. 552(B)(6)
2025-01-28Unclassified NHTSA leftover
NHTSA ODI 11639210
CrashFireInjuryDeath
Vehicle Purchase Statement – Top Tier Auto I, [XXX] , purchased a vehicle from Top Tier Auto on [XXX]. The vehicle details are as follows: VIN: [XXX] Warranty: 30-day coverage for the transmission and engine After owning the vehicle for only 15 minutes, I entered the freeway, and the car began to shake violently. Shortly after, a gentleman driving behind me alerted me that sparks and fire were falling from beneath the car. I immediately pulled over, just before the engine burst into flames. The Columbus Police Department responded to the scene and had to extinguish the fire. This incident occurred within minutes of purchasing the vehicle, despite the supposed 30-day warranty covering the transmission and engine. INFORMATION REDACTED PURSUANT TO THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT (FOIA), 5 U.S.C. 552(B)(6)
2024-08-22Airbags (AIR BAGS)
NHTSA ODI 11610287
CrashFireInjuryDeath
Airbags did not deploy in a massive front end collision. That failure caused me physical injury which possibly would not have occurred had the airbags deployed. I don’t know how many 2008 Cadillac CTS are on the road at this time but feel it is an important enough matter that should be investígated. This was never recalled. Thank you, [XXX] , [XXX] INFORMATION REDACTED PURSUANT TO THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT (FOIA), 5 U.S.C. 552(B)(6)

Frequently asked questions

What are the most common problems on the 2008 Cadillac Cts?

Owners named Fuel system most often — 25 of 175 reports (14%). That is the NHTSA file, not a diagnosis of every vehicle.

Are there recalls for the 2008 Cadillac Cts?

NHTSA lists 2 safety recall campaigns. They were filed about 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 2008 Cadillac Cts?

Look up the VIN for open recalls. Check for fuel smell, leaks and whether it starts and idles cleanly. 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.

EPA Fuel Economy Database Snapshot 2026-08-21 Open source record

Estimated Ownership Cost

EPA fuel economy ratings and annual operating cost estimates

Data: US EPA Fuel Economy Guide · snapshot 2026-08-21
Supported range: 1,000–60,000 miles per year
Supported range: $1.50–$10.00 per gallon
55% city45% highway
Estimate unavailable

EPA fuel-economy data is unavailable for this vehicle.

No estimate is shown when required EPA values are unavailable.

 Open Ownership Cost Calculator →

Adjacent Model Years

Immediate preceding and succeeding model year records

NHTSA Consumer Complaints 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.

Methodology & Data Integrity

Source: NHTSA ODI / recalls, snapshot 2026-09-07. YearTell is not a government agency.

Read our complete data methodology → Sources