2011 Cadillac CTS problems
Owners have filed 148 complaints with NHTSA about the 2011 Cadillac CTS. Air bags is the most reported problem area, at 16% of complaints. After that come drivetrain & axles (16%) and electrical system (14%).
At a glance
- Complaints
- 148 filed with NHTSA
- Most reported
- Air bags 16% of complaints
- Crashes and fires
- 14 and 6
- Injuries and deaths
- 8 and 0
- Typical mileage
- 38,000 miles 118 complaints with mileage
Source: NHTSA owner complaints
Where the complaints are
Share of this model year's complaints by the part of the car involved. One complaint can name more than one part, so the shares can add up to more than 100%.
When problems show up
View the numbers
| Mileage | Complaints |
|---|---|
| 0k to 20k miles | 31 |
| 20k to 40k miles | 31 |
| 40k to 60k miles | 21 |
| 60k to 80k miles | 16 |
| 80k to 100k miles | 7 |
| 100k to 120k miles | 4 |
| 120k to 140k miles | 1 |
| 140k to 160k miles | 4 |
| 160k to 180k miles | 3 |
| 180k to 200k miles | 0 |
| 200k+ miles | 0 |
What the data shows
Among the 118 complaints that report mileage, the typical (median) problem appeared at about 38,000 miles. For air bags specifically, the median reported mileage is about 73,000 miles (16 complaints with mileage).
Safety-related details: 14 complaints mention a crash; 6 complaints mention a fire; 8 injuries reported.
Looking only at complaints filed within five years of the model year (so older and newer years are comparable), the 2011 ranks 6th most-complained-about out of 15 model years of the Cadillac CTS with enough data (105 complaints in that window). It is also covered by 2 safety recall campaigns.
What owners wrote
A few complaints as filed, shortened and with personal details removed. The first ones are among the most serious reports for this model year; the rest are typical.
Heated seat when turned on caught on fire, burned me & the seat has burned leather. No warnings or lamps came on. It is available for inspection upon request.
Tl* the contact owns a 2011 cadillac cts. The contact stated that while driving, the engine seized and the brakes failed. As a result the car crashed into an embankment. The contact sustained head and chest injuries that required medical attention. The contact received a notification for recall NHTSA campaign number: 14v394000 (electrical system). The vehicle was destroyed. The manufacturer was made aware of the failure. The failure mileage was 40,500.
Tl* the contact owns a 2011 cadillac cts. While driving approximately 60 MPH with the radio in activation, the engine stalled without warning. During the engine failure, the radio remained in operation. The contact was able to restart the engine after two attempts. The vehicle was taken to an authorized dealer for diagnosis where the technician was unable to locate the problem. The manufacturer was notified of the defect. The approximate failure mileage was 1,747.
Tl* the contact owns a 2011 cadillac cts. The contact stated that the timing chain failed and the vehicle made an abnormal banging noise. The noise was a distraction to the contact's driving. Whenever the vehicle was idling in traffic, the engine shook as if it would stall. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was made aware of the failure and stated that they vehicle was out of warranty. The failure mileage was 52,000.