Highest complaint count among 12 STS model years — the most of any year.
4recalls
139complaints
16crashes
6fires
20injuries
73,000median miles
Owner complaints filed with NHTSA, not verified and not adjusted for sales. Ranking compares this model's own years only.
Does your car have an open recall? Recalls apply to specific vehicles. Only a VIN lookup on NHTSA's official site shows whether yours is affected and still unrepaired.
Problem: General Motors LLC (GM) is recalling certain model year 2004-2007 Cadillac CTS-V vehicles manufactured October 6, 2003, to March 15, 2007, and 2006-2007 Cadillac STS-V vehicles manufactured June 23, 2005, to March 15, 2007. In the affected vehicles, the electrical terminals of the fuel pump module may overheat resulting in the melting of the flange material.
Risk: 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 & notes
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.
Owners may also contact the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration Vehicle Safety Hotline at 1-888-327-4236 (TTY 1-800-424-9153), or go to www.safercar.gov.
Power Train
Dec 20, 2007 · NHTSA campaign 07V589000 · 275,936 vehicles
Problem: On certain passenger vehicles, the rear axle pinion seal does not meet all of the specifications and May experience a fluid leak.
Original NHTSA wording
ON CERTAIN PASSENGER VEHICLES, THE REAR AXLE PINION SEAL DOES NOT MEET ALL OF THE SPECIFICATIONS AND MAY EXPERIENCE A FLUID LEAK.
Risk: A rear differential failure May cause loss of motive power and possibly loss of control increasing the risk of a crash.
Original NHTSA wording
A REAR DIFFERENTIAL FAILURE MAY CAUSE LOSS OF MOTIVE POWER AND POSSIBLY LOSS OF CONTROL INCREASING THE RISK OF A CRASH.
Remedy & notes
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.
Gm recall no. 07204.customers May also contact the national highway traffic safety administration's vehicle safety hotline at 1-888-327-4236 (tty 1-800-424-9153), or go to http://www.safercar.gov.
Fuel System
Jan 25, 2006 · NHTSA campaign 06V020000 · 17,462 vehicles
Problem: Certain vehicles equipped with V6 engines May have a condition where fuel is no longer supplied to the engine. This condition occurs without the illumination of the fuel level low indicator light or the warning chime.
Original NHTSA wording
CERTAIN VEHICLES EQUIPPED WITH V6 ENGINES MAY HAVE A CONDITION WHERE FUEL IS NO LONGER SUPPLIED TO THE ENGINE. THIS CONDITION OCCURS WITHOUT THE ILLUMINATION OF THE FUEL LEVEL LOW INDICATOR LIGHT OR THE WARNING CHIME.
Risk: If the engine stops running, the operator will not be able to restart the vehicle which could increase the risk of a crash.
Original NHTSA wording
IF THE ENGINE STOPS RUNNING, THE OPERATOR WILL NOT BE ABLE TO RESTART THE VEHICLE WHICH COULD INCREASE THE RISK OF A CRASH.
Remedy & notes
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.
Gm recall no. 05111.customers May also contact the national highway traffic safety administration's vehicle safety hotline at 1-888-327-4236 (tty 1-800-424-9153), or go to http://www.safercar.gov.
Vehicle Speed Control
Jan 13, 2006 · NHTSA campaign 06V007000 · 1,327 vehicles
Problem: On certain passenger vehicles equipped with all wheel drive and a 3.6L V6 engine, the torque monitoring functions of the electronic throttle control (etc) are not enabled. These functions can limit engine speed and torque if unusual engine control module (ECM) hardware or software failures occur.
Original NHTSA wording
ON CERTAIN PASSENGER VEHICLES EQUIPPED WITH ALL WHEEL DRIVE AND A 3.6L V6 ENGINE, THE TORQUE MONITORING FUNCTIONS OF THE ELECTRONIC THROTTLE CONTROL (ETC) ARE NOT ENABLED. THESE FUNCTIONS CAN LIMIT ENGINE SPEED AND TORQUE IF UNUSUAL ENGINE CONTROL MODULE (ECM) HARDWARE OR SOFTWARE FAILURES OCCUR.
Risk: Without these functions enabled, a persistent ECM failure could result in a throttle opening greater than commanded by the driver and a crash could occur.
Original NHTSA wording
WITHOUT THESE FUNCTIONS ENABLED, A PERSISTENT ECM FAILURE COULD RESULT IN A THROTTLE OPENING GREATER THAN COMMANDED BY THE DRIVER AND A CRASH COULD OCCUR.
Remedy & notes
Dealers will reprogram the ECM on these vehicles free of charge. The recall began on January 24, 2006. Owners May contact Cadillac at 1-866-982-2339.
Gm recall no. 06502.customers May also contact the national highway traffic safety administration's vehicle safety hotline at 1-888-327-4236 (tty 1-800-424-9153), or go to http://www.safercar.gov.
Recall text as published by NHTSA and the manufacturer.
Owner complaints filed with NHTSA; one complaint can name several areas. Not verified by NHTSA.
Complaints by year filed
NHTSA investigations
FAILURE OF THE REAR DIFFERENTIAL
PE07037 · opened Jul 17, 2007 · closed Dec 27, 2007 · led to recall 07V589000
Summary
ODI EVALUATED TWO DIFFERENT ALLEGED DEFECTS INVOLVING REAR DRIVETRAIN COMPONENTS DURING THIS PRELIMINARY EVALUATION.GM IS CONDUCTING A RECALL TO ADDRESS ONE OF THE DEFECT CONDITIONS AND ODI HAS OPENED AN ENGINEERING ANALYSIS TO CONTINUE ITS INVESTIGATION OF THE OTHER ALLEGED DEFECT. ON DECEMBER 19, 2007, GM SUBMITTED A DEFECT INFORMATION REPORT TO NHTSA CONCERNING DEFECTIVE REAR AXLE PINION SEALS IN APPROXIMATELY 275,936 MODEL YEAR (MY) 2005-07 CADILLAC CTS, STS AND SRX VEHICLES AS WELL AS MY 2006-07 PONTIAC SOLSTICE AND MY 2007 SATURN SKY VEHICLES (RECALL 07V-589).ON STS AND SRX VEHICLES WITH ALL WHEEL DRIVE, THE FRONT AXLE PINION SEAL ALSO DOES NOT MEET ALL OF GM'S SPECIFICATIONS AND MAY EXPERIENCE A FLUID LEAK.GM INDICATED THAT THE SEAL SUPPLIER MADE AN UNAUTHORIZED CHANGE TO THE PINION SEAL MATERIAL.LEAKING PINION SEALS COULD RESULT IN LOSS OF REAR DIFFERENTIAL LUBRICATION WHICH COULD RESULT IN REAR WHEEL LOCK-UP AND LOSS OF VEHICLE CONTROL. ON DECEMBER 7, 2007, ODI OPENED AN ENGINEERING ANALYSIS (EA07-017) TO INVESTIGATE COMPLAINTS OF REAR DRIVETRAIN COMPONENT FAILURE (E.G., FRACTURED REAR DIFFERENTIAL CARRIER HOUSING OR REAR AXLE HALF SHAFTS) WHILE DRIVING IN APPROXIMATELY 7,600 MY 2004 THROUGH 2006 CADILLAC CTS-V VEHICLES.THIS CONDITION MAY RESULT IN A LOSS OF MOTIVE POWER AND VEHICLE DISABLEMENT AND IS NOT ADDRESSED BY RECALL 07V-589.ODI IDENTIFIED 35 COMPLAINTS (16 TO ODI AND 19 TO GM) AND 128 WARRANTY CLAIMS POTENTIALLY RELATED TO THIS CONDITION (SEE EA07-017 OPENIN…
2006 vs. other Cadillac STS years
Owner complaints by model year; the darker bar is the 2006. Click a bar to switch year.
Questions
Does the 2006 Cadillac STS have recalls?
Yes — NHTSA lists 4 recall campaigns covering the 2006 Cadillac STS, the latest from Sep 9, 2014 (fuel system). A recall applies to specific vehicles: enter your VIN at nhtsa.gov/recalls to see whether yours is affected and still open.
What are the most common problems with the 2006 Cadillac STS?
Owner complaints filed with NHTSA most often mention air bags (57), engine (28), electrical system (21). Complaints are consumer reports and are not verified by NHTSA.
Recalls by Model
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