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#BS-2009-CADCTS-6576

2009 Cadillac Cts

Based on reports from 222 owners and 5 recalls for this exact model.

Complaints
222
Crashes
18
Fires
0
Recalls
5
TSBs
1,246
🟑

Preliminary Verdict

Think Twice

Based on 222 complaints, 18 crashes, 0 fires, and 5 recalls. This is the worst model year for this vehicle.

Top reported problems

1

timing chain failure

7 complaints β€’ Severity 7.7/10

$X,XXX
2

dead transfer case

4 complaints β€’ Severity 10/10

$X,XXX
3

transmission failure

3 complaints β€’ Severity 9.3/10

$X,XXX

Preview: What's in your full report

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Mechanic Inspection Checklist

!Check the EngineHIGH

50 owners reported engine issues β€” failures commonly reported around 61K miles.

!Inspect the ElectricalMED
Look for symptoms of wear and premature failure
+ 6 more items in full checklistUnlock

Failure Timeline by Mileage

47
0–30K
32
30–60K
40
60–90K
35
90–120K
8
120–150K
3
150K+

Peak failure range: 0–30K miles (47 reports) β€’ Median: 61K miles

Full report: which components fail at each mileageUnlock

30,000-Mile Cost Projection

Best Case

$X,XXX

Most Likely

$X,XXX

Worst Case

$X,XXX

Top cost driver: Engine (50 reports).

Includes fuel costs, common repairs, and recall riskUnlock

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

10 sections total in the full reportUnlock all

Where the complaints fall

Engine50 (23%)
Electrical25 (11%)
Drivetrain22 (10%)
Brakes14 (6%)
Airbags13 (6%)
Steering12 (5%)
Other12 (5%)
Speed Control11 (5%)

2009 Cadillac Cts: Known Issues & Problem Areas

Engine Issues

Engine complaints account for 23% of all reports filed for the 2009 Cadillac Cts, with 50 owners filing complaints with NHTSA. The median mileage at time of complaint is 61,000 miles, suggesting issues tend to surface around the 61K-mile mark.

Electrical Issues

Electrical complaints account for 11% of all reports filed for the 2009 Cadillac Cts, with 25 owners filing complaints with NHTSA. Owners should pay attention to electrical-related symptoms during test drives and pre-purchase inspections.

Drivetrain Issues

Drivetrain complaints account for 10% of all reports filed for the 2009 Cadillac Cts, with 22 owners filing complaints with NHTSA. Owners should pay attention to drivetrain-related symptoms during test drives and pre-purchase inspections.

Brakes Issues

Brakes complaints account for 6% of all reports filed for the 2009 Cadillac Cts, with 14 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

10
09
27
10
14
11
2
12
5
13
31
14
22
15
27
16
12
17
20
18
25
19
6
20
5
22
6
23
6
24
4
25

Complaints filed with NHTSA by year for the 2009 Cadillac Cts. Recent trend: decreasing.

Don't negotiate blind β€” know what this car costs to own

Repair costs β€’ Negotiation scripts β€’ Mechanic checklist β€’ Buy/skip verdict

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Recall History (5 recalls)

08V582000Nov 2008

AIR BAGS:FRONTAL

GM IS RECALLING 12,662 MY 2009 CADILLAC CTS VEHICLES FOR FAILING TO CONFORM TO THE REQUIREMENTS OF FEDERAL MOTOR VEHICLE SAFETY STANDARD NO. 208, 'OCCUPANT CRASH PROTECTION.' UNDER CERTAIN CONDITIONS, A SOFTWARE CONDITION WITHIN THE PASSENGER SENSING SYSTEM MAY DISABLE THE FRONT PASSENGER AIR BAG WHEN IT SHOULD BE ENABLED OR ENABLE IT WHEN IT SHOULD BE DISABLED.

10V240000Jun 2010

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.

10V414000Oct 2010

EQUIPMENT

GM IS RECALLING CERTAIN MODEL YEAR 2009-2010 CADILLAC CTS ALL WHEEL DRIVE AND CTS-V VEHICLES FOR FAILING TO COMPLY WITH THE REQUIREMENTS OF FEDERAL MOTOR VEHICLE SAFETY STANDARD NO. 208, "OCCUPANT CRASH PROTECTION."

11V089000Mar 2011

SUSPENSION:REAR

GENERAL MOTORS IS RECALLING CERTAIN MODEL YEAR 2009-2010 CADILLAC CTS VEHICLES. SOME OF THESE VEHICLES HAVE A CONDITION IN WHICH A WAX COATING ON THE REAR SUSPENSION TOE LINK JAM NUTS MAY ALLOW THE NUT(S) TO LOOSEN. IF A NUT SUFFICIENTLY LOOSENS, THE TOE LINK COULD SEPARATE AND THE REAR WHEEL WOULD BE ABLE TO TURN INBOARD OR OUTBOARD. OWNERS MAY HEAR A METALLIC CLANKING NOISE COMING FROM THE REAR OF THE VEHICLE THAT MAY WARN OF A LOOSENING NUT.

14V394000Sep 2014

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.

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This is the worst model year for the Cadillac Cts according to owner complaint data. The biggest problem area is engine.

2009 Cadillac Cts vs. Class Average (Midsize Cars)

This vehicle

222

Class avg

230

Complaint volume is roughly in line with other midsize cars vehicles from 2009.

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. 222 records for this vehicle.

NHTSA Recalls

Manufacturer-issued safety recalls. 5 recalls found for this vehicle.

Repair Cost Data

Real-world repair costs from owner reports and independent databases.

2009 Cadillac Cts: Frequently Asked Questions

What is the most common problem with the 2009 Cadillac Cts?
The most commonly reported issue with the 2009 Cadillac Cts is related to the engine, with 50 complaints filed with NHTSA.
Is the 2009 Cadillac Cts reliable?
The 2009 Cadillac Cts has 222 complaints, 18 crash reports, and 0 fire reports filed with NHTSA. The full report analyzes whether these numbers indicate real risk or are proportional to the vehicle’s popularity.
How much does it cost to fix 2009 Cadillac Cts problems?
Repair costs vary by issue. The full BumperScan report includes detailed repair cost estimates (low/median/high) for every major issue, plus a 30,000-mile total cost of ownership projection.
Does the 2009 Cadillac Cts have any recalls?
Yes, the 2009 Cadillac Cts has 5 recalls on record. The full report includes recall severity analysis and scripts for asking the seller about recall completion.
What mileage do Cadillac Cts problems start?
Based on 165 complaints with mileage data, the median mileage at time of complaint is 61,000 miles. The highest concentration of reported issues occurs in the 0–30K mile range. The full report breaks down exactly which components fail at each mileage bracket.
What’s in the full report?
10 sections of AI analysis: severity-ranked issues, component scores (0-100), 30K-mile cost projection, failure timeline by mileage, recall details with seller scripts, owner sentiment analysis, mechanic checklist, buyer lot checklist, negotiation ammo with dollar figures, and a buy/skip verdict.
How is this different from free NHTSA data?
NHTSA gives you raw complaint text. BumperScan cross-references 2.1M+ complaints with community repair cost data, EPA fuel data, and recall records β€” then uses AI to synthesize it into actionable advice with dollar figures.
How is this different from Carfax?
Carfax is VIN-specific history ($45/report). BumperScan is model-level reliability intelligence β€” what problems this car is known for, what they cost, and whether you should buy it. Complementary, not competing.
What if the report isn’t useful?
100% money-back guarantee. If the report doesn’t help you make a more informed decision, we’ll refund you β€” no questions asked.
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10 sections of AI analysis based on 222 owner reports. Know before you buy.

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