2008 Cadillac CTS Problems, Recalls & Reliability
Verdict
CautionComplaint Index
71/100
#5 most-complained of 15 CTS years
Based on NHTSA complaints per model-year, not a reliability rating. Methodology
The 2008 Cadillac CTS has 175 owner complaints and 2 safety recalls on file with NHTSA. Its Complaint Index is 71 out of 100 — #5 highest of 15 CTS model years (verdict: Caution). The most reported problem area is electrical system (44 complaints, 25% of the total). Complaints report 12 crashes, 3 fires, and 7 injuries.
- Complaints
- 175
- Recalls
- 2
- Crashes / fires
- 12 / 3
- Injuries / deaths
- 7 / 0
- NHTSA overall rating
- Not rated
- EPA combined MPG
- 20
- 17 city / 25.5 hwy
Top 2008 Cadillac CTS problems
NHTSA owner complaints by component group. Groups with 15+ complaints have their own page.
- Electrical System44 (25%)
- Engine43 (25%)
- Brakes28 (16%)
- Fuel System28 (16%)
- Structure & Body22 (13%)
- Other21 (12%)
- Transmission & Powertrain21 (12%)
- Steering13 (7%)
- Airbags12 (7%)
- Suspension, Wheels & Tires6 (3%)
2008 Cadillac CTS recalls
2 NHTSA recall campaigns list this model year.
- NHTSA 14V394000Jul 2, 2014Electrical System554,328 vehicles
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.
Risk: If the key is not in the run position, the air bags may not deploy if the vehicle is involved in a crash, increasing the risk of injury.
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 15, 2014. Owners may contact Cadillac customer service at 1-800-458-8006. GM's number for this recall is 14172.
- NHTSA 10V240000Jun 4, 2010Electrical System1,365,070 vehicles
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.
Risk: It is possible for the heated washer module to ignite and a fire may occur.
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.
2008 Cadillac CTS fuel economy and fuel cost
- City
- 17 MPG
- Highway
- 25.5 MPG
- Combined
- 20 MPG
- Annual fuel cost (EPA)
- $3,250
- 15,000 mi/yr
- Fuel
- Regular
- Current regular gas
- $4.32/gal
- national avg.
EPA figures; median across configurations of this model year. Estimate your own cost with the fuel cost calculator.
2008 compared with other CTS years
Frequently asked questions
- Is the 2008 Cadillac CTS a reliable year?
- Judged by NHTSA owner complaints and recalls, the 2008 Cadillac CTS ranks #5 of 15 among CTS model years (Complaint Index 71/100, verdict: Caution). It has 175 complaints and 2 recalls on file. This reflects reported safety-related problems, not an overall reliability rating.
- What are the most common problems with the 2008 Cadillac CTS?
- The most reported problem areas are electrical system (44 complaints), engine (43 complaints), and brakes (28 complaints). The median mileage at the time of failure in complaints that report it is 58,261 miles.
- Does the 2008 Cadillac CTS have any recalls?
- Yes — NHTSA lists 2 recall campaigns for the 2008 Cadillac CTS, most recently reported 2014, covering electrical system.
- What is the fuel economy of the 2008 Cadillac CTS?
- EPA rates the 2008 Cadillac CTS at 20 MPG combined (17 city / 25.5 highway), with an estimated annual fuel cost of $3,250. Where several configurations exist, the median is shown.