2008 Cadillac CTS Reliability Data: Problems & Recalls
Caution The 2008 Cadillac CTS has 175 NHTSA complaints, a complaint index of 71, and ranks 5th worst of 15 model years, earning a Caution verdict. Electrical System and Engine issues each account for 25% of complaints.
Based on NHTSA complaints per model-year, not a reliability rating. Methodology
YearToAvoid Scorecard
- Complaint Index
- 71/100
- #5 of 15 CTS years
- Verdict
- Caution
- vs. other years of this model
- Complaints
- 175
- unique NHTSA reports
- Recalls
- 2
- distinct NHTSA campaigns
- Crashes
- 12
- reported in complaints
- Fires
- 3
- Injuries
- 7
- Top issue
- Electrical System
- NHTSA overall rating
- Not rated
- EPA combined MPG
- 20
- 17 city / 25.5 hwy
- Injuries / deaths
- 7 / 0
Top 2008 Cadillac CTS problems
Share of this year’s NHTSA 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%)
A complaint can list more than one component, so shares add up to more than 100%. Shares are % of complaints.
What owners report
- Owners report unintended acceleration or forward surging while braking or backing up, sometimes leading to a crash.
- Some describe the stability trac (electronic stability control) light coming on and the vehicle becoming difficult to steer, including one report of a 360-degree spin into a guard rail.
- Electrical failures left one vehicle completely dead multiple times, with door locks, lights, and the engine failing to respond, and the key stuck in the ignition.
- Several drivers report the brake pedal sitting too close to the accelerator, causing both pedals to be pressed at once.
- One owner reported the ABS and stability trac warning lights staying on while the dealer allowed the car to remain in use.
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 reliable?
- NHTSA data shows 175 complaints and a complaint index of 71 for the 2008 CTS, ranking it 5th worst among 15 model years and earning a Caution verdict relative to other CTS years.
- What are the most common problems with the 2008 Cadillac CTS?
- Electrical System and Engine issues each make up 25% of complaints, followed by Brakes and Fuel System at 16% each, based on NHTSA owner complaints.
- Does the 2008 Cadillac CTS have any recalls?
- NHTSA lists 2 recalls for the 2008 CTS, one covering an electrical defect affecting the airbag system tied to the key fob, and one involving a heated washer fluid module.
- How does the 2008 CTS compare to other CTS years?
- The 2008 model's complaint index of 71 is lower than 2005-2009 CTS years (79-100, all rated Avoid) but higher than 2010 and later years, several of which earned Good or Best verdicts.
- What mileage do 2008 CTS problems typically appear at?
- Median mileage at failure across all complaints is 58,260.5 miles, though electrical failures show a higher median of 74,000 miles and engine issues a lower median of 35,000 miles.