2006 Cadillac Dts Problems and Recalls (253 Complaints)
The most-reported problem on the 2006 Cadillac Dts is Lights (26% of 253 owner reports). There are 4 safety recalls. Check the VIN and inspect Lights — this is the NHTSA file, not a score.
NHTSA Office of Defects Investigation Snapshot 2026-09-07 253 complaints · 4 recalls
What problems show up on the 2006 Cadillac Dts?
67 of 253 filings named Lights (26% of the file). That is what owners wrote, not a shop diagnosis of the vehicle in the driveway.
Second is Electrical (47 reports).
There are 4 official safety recalls on this year. They were filed about Steering and Electrical. Check the VIN at nhtsa.gov — a campaign on this page can still be open on a specific truck.
The previous year is not published here. Use the year list to jump around.
What owners reported
System named most often: Lights 67 complaints · 26.5% of the file
Crashes, fires, injuries and deaths in those filings:
- Crashes 14
- Fires 10
- Injuries 16
- Deaths 0
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) |
|---|---|---|---|
| Lights (EXTERIOR LIGHTING) | 67 | 26.5% | 0 crashes · 0 fires |
| Electrical (ELECTRICAL SYSTEM) | 47 | 18.6% | 1 crashes · 0 fires |
| Engine (ENGINE) | 42 | 16.6% | 0 crashes · 3 fires |
| Steering (STEERING) | 23 | 9.1% | 1 crashes · 1 fires |
| Cruise / speed control (VEHICLE SPEED CONTROL) | 12 | 4.7% | 1 crashes · 0 fires |
| Airbags (AIR BAGS) | 9 | 3.6% | 8 crashes · 0 fires |
| Glass / wipers / cameras (VISIBILITY) | 6 | 2.4% | 1 crashes · 0 fires |
| Tires (TIRES) | 5 | 2.0% | 1 crashes · 0 fires |
| Fuel system (FUEL SYSTEM) | 4 | 1.6% | 0 crashes · 0 fires |
| Unclassified NHTSA leftover | 67 | 26.5% | 5 crashes · 5 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 14V355000 was reported 2,974 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 | 1 | |
| 2006-Q2 | Owner reports | 6 | |
| 2006-Q3 | Owner reports | 2 | |
| 2006-Q4 | Owner reports | 5 | |
| 2007-Q1 | Owner reports | 3 | |
| 2007-Q2 | Owner reports | 3 | |
| 2007-Q3 | Owner reports | 4 | |
| 2007-Q4 | Owner reports | 3 | |
| 2008-Q1 | Owner reports | 1 | |
| 2008-Q2 | Owner reports | 1 | |
| 2008-Q3 | Owner reports | 2 | |
| 2008-Q4 | Owner reports | 1 | |
| 2009-Q1 | Owner reports | 4 | |
| 2009-Q3 | Owner reports | 2 | |
| 2009-Q4 | Owner reports | 2 | |
| 2010-Q1 | Owner reports | 5 | |
| 2010-Q2 | Owner reports | 3 | |
| 2010-Q3 | Owner reports | 7 | |
| 2010-Q4 | Owner reports | 7 | |
| 2011-Q1 | Owner reports | 7 | |
| 2011-Q2 | Owner reports | 4 | |
| 2011-Q3 | Owner reports | 1 | |
| 2011-Q4 | Owner reports | 3 | |
| 2012-Q1 | Owner reports | 3 | |
| 2012-Q2 | Owner reports | 3 | |
| 2012-Q3 | Owner reports | 3 | |
| 2012-Q4 | Owner reports | 3 | |
| 2013-Q1 | Owner reports | 8 | |
| 2013-Q2 | Owner reports | 2 | |
| 2013-Q3 | Owner reports | 2 | |
| 2013-Q4 | Owner reports | 7 | |
| 2014-Q1 | Owner reports | 4 | |
| 2014-Q2 | Owner reports | 13 | |
| 2014-Q3 | Owner reports | 15 | |
| 2014-Q4 | Owner reports | 27 | |
| 2015-Q1 | Owner reports | 10 | |
| 2015-Q2 | Owner reports | 4 | |
| 2015-Q3 | Owner reports | 2 | |
| 2015-Q4 | Owner reports | 7 | |
| 2016-Q1 | Owner reports | 4 | |
| 2016-Q2 | Owner reports | 4 | |
| 2016-Q3 | Owner reports | 2 | |
| 2016-Q4 | Owner reports | 2 | |
| 2017-Q1 | Owner reports | 3 | |
| 2017-Q2 | Owner reports | 2 | |
| 2017-Q3 | Owner reports | 2 | |
| 2017-Q4 | Owner reports | 4 | |
| 2018-Q1 | Owner reports | 5 | |
| 2018-Q3 | Owner reports | 3 | |
| 2018-Q4 | Owner reports | 3 | |
| 2019-Q1 | Owner reports | 1 | |
| 2019-Q2 | Owner reports | 1 | |
| 2019-Q3 | Owner reports | 3 | |
| 2019-Q4 | Owner reports | 2 | |
| 2020-Q1 | Owner reports | 2 | |
| 2020-Q2 | Owner reports | 2 | |
| 2020-Q3 | Owner reports | 2 | |
| 2020-Q4 | Owner reports | 2 | |
| 2021-Q1 | Owner reports | 2 | |
| 2021-Q2 | Owner reports | 2 | |
| 2021-Q3 | Owner reports | 1 | |
| 2021-Q4 | Owner reports | 1 | |
| 2022-Q2 | Owner reports | 1 | |
| 2022-Q3 | Owner reports | 2 | |
| 2022-Q4 | Owner reports | 1 | |
| 2024-Q1 | Owner reports | 3 | |
| 2026-Q3 | Owner reports | 1 | |
| Recall campaign | 1 | 06V105000 | |
| Recall campaign | 1 | 08V441000 | |
| Recall campaign | 1 | 10V240000 | |
| Recall campaign | 1 | 14V355000 | |
| Defect investigation | 1 | EA08010 |
Safety Recalls (4)
Official campaigns. Each one says what could go wrong and what the dealer was told to fix.
In short, these campaigns were filed about Steering and Electrical.
-
Recall campaign 06V105000
Steering
- Report date
- Component:
- Steering (STEERING)
- Consequence:
- IF THIS WERE TO OCCUR, POWER STEERING ASSIST MAY BE LOST AND INCREASED STEERING EFFORT WOULD BE REQUIRED AT LOW SPEEDS. ALSO, IF THE POWER STEERING FLUID WERE TO CONTACT HOT ENGINE PARTS, AN ENGINE COMPARTMENT FIRE COULD OCCUR.
- Remedy:
- DEALERS WILL REPLACE THE POWER STEERING GEAR INLET HOSE. THE RECALL BEGAN ON MARCH 29, 2006. OWNERS MAY CONTACT BUICK AT 1-866-608-8080 OR CADILLAC AT 1-866-982-2339.
-
Recall campaign 08V441000
Safety recall 08V441000
- Report date
- Component:
- Not available in the source record
- Consequence:
- THIS MAY CAUSE OTHER ELECTRICAL FEATURES TO MALFUNCTION, CREATE AN ODOR, OR CAUSE SMOKE INCREASING THE RISK OF A FIRE.
- Remedy:
- DEALERS WILL INSTALL A WIRE HARNESS WITH AN IN-LINE FUSE FREE OF CHARGE. THE RECALL BEGAN ON SEPTEMBER 12, 2008. OWNERS MAY CONTACT BUICK AT 1-866-608-8080; CADILLAC AT 1-800-982-2339 OR HTTP://WWW.CADILLAC.COM; CHEVROLET AT 1-800-630-2438; SATURN AT 1-800-972-8876 OR HTTP://WWW.SATURN.COM, GMC AT 1-866-996-9436; OR HUMMER AT 1-800-732-5493; OR THROUGH THEIR WEBSITE AT HTTP://WWW.GMOWNERCENTER.COM.
-
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.
-
Recall campaign 14V355000
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. Additionally, a key knocked out of the run position will cause loss of engine power, power steering, and power braking, increasing the risk of a vehicle crash.
- 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 23, 2014. Owners may contact General Motors customer service at 1-800-521-7300 (Buick), 1-800-458-8006 (Cadillac), and 1-800-222-1020 (Chevrolet). GM's number for this recall is 14299.
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 8 of 253 complaints · page 1 of 11
CrashFireInjuryDeath
The contact owns a 2006 Cadillac DTS. The contact stated that a recurring power steering failure had occurred at startup, and the steering wheel was firm. The contact stated that upon adding power steering fluid to the power steering reservoir, there was an immediate power steering fluid leak. Additionally, the brakes and check engine warning lights were illuminated on the instrument panel. The contact associated the failure with NHTSA Campaign Number: 06V105000 (Steering). However, after contacting the manufacturer, the contact was informed the vehicle was not under recall. The vehicle was not repaired. The contact was referred to a local dealer for potential assistance from Goodwill. The failure mileage was approximately 192,000.
CrashFireInjuryDeath
While driving at night in July, 2023 on [XXX] , both headlights began to go out intermittently but not simultaneously. Continued driving for approximately 3 hours to final destination. Took to local Cadillac dealer for diagnostics (Invoice [XXX]) and after dialogue with dealer had both assemblies replaced as was informed the electronics have been noted to fail in these assemblies. I replaced both assemblies for approximately $2,950.00 (Invoice [XXX}). As a follow-up, during a recent 5,000 mile trip during February 2024, driving in cold, rain, snow and road spray conditions for days, both headlight assemblies accumulated a significant amount of moisture (see photo) behind the lenses. Cadillac dealer did replace left assembly (drivers side) under parts warranty but not the right side. Both headlight assemblies are operating without incident since replacement, except as noted above on assemblies not sealed against environment/elements. INFORMATION REDACTED PURSUANT TO THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT (FOIA), 5 U.S.C. 552(B)(6)
CrashFireInjuryDeath
Driving at night on I-29 South and headlights went off intermittently but not simultaneously. Headlamps continued intermittent cut-out until reached destination (approx 3 hours later). As a safety issue for driving while dark, had both assemblies replaced at Cadillac dealer for approx $3,950.00. Replacement was Cadillac recommendation as it was stated the electronics do fail in these headlight assemblies. After replacement and as a follow-up, new assemblies were installed and are not sealed against the elements. In February 2024, on a 5,000 mile trip, drove several hours during cold, snowy and raining conditions. Both headlight assemblies had a considerable amount of moisture inside the lens housings (see photo). Cadillac dealer did replace one of the new headlight assemblies due to moisture accumulation in assembly under parts warranty, but not both.
CrashFireInjuryDeath
Suffered chemical burn to my right lower arm after airbag deployed & ruptured in my 2006 Cadillac DTS sedan during a front-impact motor vehicle accident.
CrashFireInjuryDeath
The contact owns a 2006 Cadillac DTS. The contact stated the vehicle failed to start as needed. The vehicle was towed to an independent mechanic however, no failure was found. The vehicle was taken to the dealer and no failure was found. An independent mechanic diagnosed the vehicle and stated there was a button on the radio that was stuck, causing the battery power to be drained. The vehicle was repaired. The manufacturer was not contacted. The failure mileage was 78,000.
CrashFireInjuryDeath
The contact owns a 2006 Cadillac DTS. The contact stated he became aware that oil was leaking underneath the vehicle. The vehicle was taken to the dealer and the oil pan was replaced; however, the failure reoccurred and the oil pan was replaced again. The manufacturer was not contacted. The failure mileage was 132,000.
CrashFireInjuryDeath
The Service Stabilitrak and Service Traction Control error message come on periodically and when on the car seems to run rough. Message shuts off then could hit a bump and comes on again. You never know when it is going to come on and when on it shuts off the traction control and could be dangerous.
CrashFireInjuryDeath
I called OnStar because my car would not start and they sent someone from GM. The guy looked at my car, could not identify the problem, so I got it towed to a repair shop. Ends up, I had to replace the transmission. The repair shop ran electric test on the vehicle and no codes or issues. My dash is now reading service power steering and this is a safety issue that needs to be fixed by the manufacturer.
Frequently asked questions
What are the most common problems on the 2006 Cadillac Dts?
Owners named Lights most often — 67 of 253 reports (26%). That is the NHTSA file, not a diagnosis of every vehicle.
Are there recalls for the 2006 Cadillac Dts?
NHTSA lists 4 safety recall campaigns. They were filed about Steering 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 Dts?
Look up the VIN for open recalls. Walk around the vehicle: headlights, brake lights and turn signals all working. 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.