YearToAvoid

2008 Cadillac DTS Problems, Recalls & Reliability

Verdict

Avoid

Complaint Index

83/100

#2 most-complained of 7 DTS years

Based on NHTSA complaints per model-year, not a reliability rating. Methodology

The 2008 Cadillac DTS has 86 owner complaints and 3 safety recalls on file with NHTSA. Its Complaint Index is 83 out of 100 — #2 highest of 7 DTS model years (verdict: Avoid). The most reported problem area is electrical system (45 complaints, 52% of the total). Complaints report 6 crashes, 6 fires, and 7 injuries.

Complaints
86
Recalls
3
Crashes / fires
6 / 6
Injuries / deaths
7 / 0
NHTSA overall rating
Not rated
EPA combined MPG
18
15 city / 22.5 hwy

Top 2008 Cadillac DTS problems

NHTSA owner complaints by component group. Groups with 15+ complaints have their own page.

  1. Electrical System45 (52%)
  2. Engine17 (20%)
  3. Fuel System11 (13%)
  4. Airbags6 (7%)
  5. Brakes6 (7%)
  6. Other6 (7%)
  7. Seat Belts6 (7%)
  8. Steering5 (6%)
  9. Structure & Body5 (6%)
  10. Suspension, Wheels & Tires5 (6%)
2008 Cadillac DTS complaints: complaints filed per quarter132008 Q12010 Q32013 Q42015 Q22017 Q22019 Q12021 Q1
118 complaints filed with NHTSA from 2008 Q1 to 2024 Q3; peak 2014 Q3 (13).

2008 Cadillac DTS recalls

3 NHTSA recall campaigns list this model year.

  1. NHTSA 14V355000Jun 23, 2014Electrical System3,141,731 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) 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.

    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. Additionally, a key knocked out of the run position will cause loss of engine power, power steering, and power braking, increasing the risk of a vehicle crash.

    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.

  2. 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.

  3. NHTSA 08V441000Aug 28, 2008Electrical System857,735 vehicles

    Electrical system

    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.

    Risk: This may cause other electrical features to malfunction, create an odor, or cause smoke increasing the risk of a fire.

    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> .

2008 Cadillac DTS fuel economy and fuel cost

City
15 MPG
Highway
22.5 MPG
Combined
18 MPG
Annual fuel cost (EPA)
$3,600
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 DTS years

Complaint Index by model year (0 = fewest issues, 100 = most)02550751002005200620072008200920102011
Complaint Index: 0 = fewest issues, 100 = most, relative to other years of this model. Avoid Caution Good Best
YearVerdictIndexComplaintsRecallsMPG
2006Avoid100255418
2007Caution6797318
2008Avoid8386318
2009Caution5035218
2010Good3322318

All Cadillac DTS years: best and worst →

Frequently asked questions

Is the 2008 Cadillac DTS a reliable year?
Judged by NHTSA owner complaints and recalls, the 2008 Cadillac DTS ranks #2 of 7 among DTS model years (Complaint Index 83/100, verdict: Avoid). It has 86 complaints and 3 recalls on file. This reflects reported safety-related problems, not an overall reliability rating.
What are the most common problems with the 2008 Cadillac DTS?
The most reported problem areas are electrical system (45 complaints), engine (17 complaints), and fuel system (11 complaints). The median mileage at the time of failure in complaints that report it is 85,377 miles.
Does the 2008 Cadillac DTS have any recalls?
Yes — NHTSA lists 3 recall campaigns for the 2008 Cadillac DTS, most recently reported 2014, covering electrical system.
What is the fuel economy of the 2008 Cadillac DTS?
EPA rates the 2008 Cadillac DTS at 18 MPG combined (15 city / 22.5 highway), with an estimated annual fuel cost of $3,600. Where several configurations exist, the median is shown.

Sources: NHTSA Office of Defects Investigation complaint and recall databases; U.S. EPA fuel economy data; NHTSA 5-Star Safety Ratings. Complaints are unverified owner reports.

Data updated Sep 24, 2026. Read the methodology and data sources. The Complaint Index is based on NHTSA owner complaints and recalls; it is not a reliability rating.