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#BS-2008-CADCTS-65762008 Cadillac Cts
Based on reports from 251 owners and 2 recalls for this exact model.
Preliminary Verdict
Red Flag
Based on 251 complaints, 15 crashes, 8 fires, and 2 recalls.
Top reported problems
fuel odor
2 complaints β’ Severity 10/10
car stopped moving
2 complaints β’ Severity 9/10
transmission failure
2 complaints β’ Severity 7/10
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Mechanic Inspection Checklist
38 owners reported electrical issues β failures commonly reported around 65K miles.
Failure Timeline by Mileage
Peak failure range: 0β30K miles (46 reports) β’ Median: 65K miles
30,000-Mile Cost Projection
Best Case
Most Likely
Worst Case
Top cost driver: Electrical (38 reports).
Also in your report
Owner Intelligence
AI-synthesized themes from real complaints
Buyer Lot Checklist
Questions, test drive checks, walk-away triggers
Negotiation Talking Points
Data-backed dollar deductions
Buy / Skip Verdict
Final recommendation with conditions
Where the complaints fall
2008 Cadillac Cts: Known Issues & Problem Areas
Electrical Issues
Electrical complaints account for 15% of all reports filed for the 2008 Cadillac Cts, with 38 owners filing complaints with NHTSA. The median mileage at time of complaint is 65,000 miles, suggesting issues tend to surface around the 65K-mile mark.
Fuel System Issues
Fuel System complaints account for 11% of all reports filed for the 2008 Cadillac Cts, with 28 owners filing complaints with NHTSA. Owners should pay attention to fuel system-related symptoms during test drives and pre-purchase inspections.
Engine Issues
Engine complaints account for 10% of all reports filed for the 2008 Cadillac Cts, with 25 owners filing complaints with NHTSA. Owners should pay attention to engine-related symptoms during test drives and pre-purchase inspections.
Brakes Issues
Brakes complaints account for 9% of all reports filed for the 2008 Cadillac Cts, with 22 owners filing complaints with NHTSA. Owners should pay attention to brakes-related symptoms during test drives and pre-purchase inspections.
Data sourced from NHTSA owner complaints and community reports. The full report analyzes severity, repair costs, and failure patterns for each category.
Complaint trend by year
Complaints filed with NHTSA by year for the 2008 Cadillac Cts. Recent trend: stable.



Don't negotiate blind β know what this car costs to own
Repair costs β’ Negotiation scripts β’ Mechanic checklist β’ Buy/skip verdict
Recall History (2 recalls)
ELECTRICAL SYSTEM
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.
ELECTRICAL SYSTEM:IGNITION
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) notified the agency on July 2, 2014 that they are recalling 554,328 model year 2003-2014 Cadillac CTS vehicles manufactured August 16, 2001, to April 28, 2014, and 2004-2006 Cadillac SRX vehicles manufactured March 20, 2003, to August 11, 2006. In these models, the weight on the key ring and/or road conditions or some other jarring event may cause the ignition switch to move out of the run position, turning off the engine.
Recall severity analysis & seller scripts
The full report rates each recall's severity and gives you scripts for asking the seller about recall completion.
The worst model year for the Cadillac Cts is the 2009 β worth knowing if you're cross-shopping years. The biggest problem area is engine.
2008 Cadillac Cts vs. Class Average (Midsize Cars)
This vehicle
251
Class avg
246
Complaint volume is roughly in line with other midsize cars vehicles from 2008.
Complaint counts correlate with sales volume β popular vehicles naturally generate more reports. The full report normalizes for this.
About this data
NHTSA Complaints
Federal database of owner-filed safety complaints. 251 records for this vehicle.
NHTSA Recalls
Manufacturer-issued safety recalls. 2 recalls found for this vehicle.
Repair Cost Data
Real-world repair costs from owner reports and independent databases.
Other Cadillac Cts Model Years
View all Cadillac Cts years β2008 Cadillac Cts: Frequently Asked Questions
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Get the Full 2008 Cadillac Cts Report
10 sections of AI analysis based on 251 owner reports. Know before you buy.