2006 Cadillac DTS: problems, recalls and reliability
4 recalls and 255 owner complaints on record; the weakest area is exterior lighting (27% of complaints); the 2007 and 2008 model years look more trouble-free.
Data updated weekly · 1 new complaint in the last 90 days · latest recall Jun 2014
All counts are reports filed with NHTSA in the United States - US market only, not worldwide totals.
Common problems
Computed from 255 owner complaints filed with NHTSA for this exact model year.
“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.”Owner report · Air Bags · Jan 2024
“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.”Owner report · Engine · Aug 2022
“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.”Owner report · Unknown Or Other · Jun 2022
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“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.”Owner report · Vehicle Speed Control · Mar 2022
“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.”Owner report · Electrical System · Feb 2022
“The contact owns a 2006 Cadillac DTS. The contact stated while inspecting the vehicle, he became aware that the oil pan was leaking. There was no warning light illuminated. The vehicle was taken to an independent mechanic to be diagnosed. The contact was informed that the oil pan needed to be replaced. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was not informed of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 104,000. Consumer stated leak in the oil pan and vehicle is at the dealership.”Owner report · Engine And Engine Cooling · Apr 2021
“Power steer system is defective. I actually looked up several recalls on alldata.com and they're are numerous of recall. These recalls are specifically referring to the power steering system. The recalls are actually safety recalls. I can't seem to get the recalls serviced by any local dealers. This is a safety hazard to the general public.”Owner report · Steering · Jan 2021
“Tl* the contact owns a 2006 cadillac dts. The contact stated the vehicle was leaking engine oil. The vehicle was taken two independent mechanics for inspection and the contact was informed that the engine needed to be removed to locate where the engine oil leak originated from. The contact stated that the vehicle was also taken to an unknown cadillac dealer for a diagnostic test and the contact was informed that engine oil leak would get worse over time. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was not contacted nor informed of the failure. The failure mileage was 93,000. *bf*jb”Owner report · Engine · Oct 2020
“I bought this car, and the steering wheel controls(audio/cruise control) have not worked, prior owner was advised to replace the bcm. Front driver's headlight intermittently goes on and off when driving. The steering wheel switch to adjust the height, angle, and settings for each driver also are not working. Apparently these are known issues. I had similar issues with my 2000 chevy impala, and my 2004 chevy impala ss.”Owner report · Forward Collision Avoidance · Sep 2020
“Parasitic battery drain. After checking alternator, current while removing fuses, current while in 'sleep' mode, and replacing battery three times the car will run for two days, on the third day it will not crank and the battery is totally dead. *tr”Owner report · Electrical System · May 2020
When filing, owners marked a crash in 14 of these complaints and injuries in 16 - self-reported to NHTSA, not verified accident statistics.
Recalls - 4 campaigns
This defect can affect the safe operation of the airbag system. Until this recall is performed, customers should remove all items from their key rings, leaving only the ignition key. The key fob (if applicable), should also be removed from the key ring. General Motors LLC (GM) is recalling certain model year 2005-2009 Buick LaCrosse, 2006-2011 Buick Lucerne, 2000-2005 Cadillac DeVille, 2006-2011 Cadillac DTS, 2006-2014 Chevrolet Impala, and 2006-2007 Chevrolet Monte Carlo vehicles. In the affected vehicles, the weight on the key ring and road conditions or some other jarring event may cause the ignition switch to move out of the run position, turning off the engine.
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.
GM IS RECALLING CERTAIN MODEL YEAR 2006-2009 BUICK, LUCERNE; CADILLAC DTS; HUMMER H2; MODEL YEAR 2008-2009 BUICK ENCLAVE; CADILLAC CTS; MODEL YEAR 2007-2009 CADILLAC ESCALADE, ESCALADE ESV, ESCALADE EXT; CHEVROLET AVALANCHE, SILVERADO, SUBURBAN, TAHOE; GMC ACADIA, SIERRA, YUKON, YUKON XL; SATURN OUTLOOK; AND MODEL YEAR 2009 CHEVROLET TRAVERSE VEHICLES EQUIPPED WITH A HEATED WASHER FLUID SYSTEM (HWFS). A RECALL WAS IMPLEMENTED IN 2008 TO ADD A FUSE TO THE CONTROL CIRCUIT HARNESS TO ADDRESS THE POTENTIAL CONSEQUENCES OF A PRINTED CIRCUIT BOARD (PCB) ELECTRICAL SHORT. HOWEVER, THERE HAVE BEEN NEW REPORTS OF THERMAL INCIDENTS ON HWFS MODULES AFTER THIS IMPROVEMENT WAS INSTALLED. THESE INCIDENTS RESULTED FROM A NEW FAILURE MODE ATTRIBUTED TO THE DEVICE'S THERMAL PROTECTION FEATURE. THE SIGNIFICANCE VARIES FROM MINOR DISTORTION TO CONSIDERABLE MELTING OF THE PLASTIC AROUND THE HWFS FLUID CHAMBER.
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.
GM IS RECALLING 857,735 MY 2006-2008 BUICK LUCERNE; CADILLAC DTS; HUMMER H2; MY 2007-2008 CADILLAC ESCALADE, ESCALADE ESV, ESCALADE EXT; CHEVROLET AVALANCHE, SILVERADO, SUBURBAN, TAHOE; GMC ACADIA, SIERRA, YUKON, YUKON XL, SATURN OUTLOOK; AND MY 2008 BUICK ENCLAVE VEHICLES EQUIPPED WITH A HEATED WIPER WASHER FLUID SYSTEM. A SHORT CIRCUIT ON THE PRINTED CIRCUIT BOARD FOR THE WASHER FLUID HEATER MAY OVERHEAT THE CONTROL-CIRCUIT GROUND WIRE.
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 <A HREF=HTTP://WWW.GMOWNERCENTER.COM>HTTP://WWW.GMOWNERCENTER.COM</A> .
ON CERTAIN VEHICLES EQUIPPED WITH A V8 ENGINE,THE POWER STEERING HOSE CONNECTORS MAY HAVE BEEN INADEQUATELY CRIMPED WHICH COULD RESULT IN A FLUID LEAK.
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.
How other years compare
Check your exact DTS by VIN
Recalls and equipment differ between individual vehicles. Decode your VIN to see what applies to yours.
Open VIN decoderFrequently asked questions
Is the 2006 Cadillac DTS reliable?
NHTSA has 255 owner complaints and 4 recall campaigns on record for the 2006 Cadillac DTS. The most complained-about area is exterior lighting (27% of complaints).
At what mileage do 2006 Cadillac DTS problems usually appear?
Half of the complaints that mention mileage were filed at 68,890 miles or less.
Does the 2006 Cadillac DTS have open recalls?
4 recall campaigns have been issued, the latest concerning electrical system:ignition. Check your specific vehicle by VIN - recall repairs are free at franchised dealers.
Source: NHTSA recall campaigns and owner complaints (public domain). Counts reflect reports on file and are not a defect rate.