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NHTSA recalls, safety ratings, and consumer complaints for the 2011 Cadillac CTS.
| Trim | City | Hwy | Combined | Annual fuel $ |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 3.6L 6 cyl Automatic (S6) | 18 | 27 | 21 | $2,850 |
| 6.2L 8 cyl Automatic (S6) | 12 | 18 | 14 | $4,950 |
| 3.0L 6 cyl Automatic (S6) | 18 | 27 | 21 | $2,850 |
| 6.2L 8 cyl Manual 6-spd | 14 | 19 | 16 | $4,300 |
| 3.6L 6 cyl Manual 6-spd | 16 | 25 | 19 | $3,150 |
| 3.0L 6 cyl Manual 6-spd | 16 | 26 | 19 | $3,150 |
| Overall Rating | Not Rated |
| Frontal Crash | Not Rated |
| Side Crash | Not Rated |
| Rollover |
Component: AIR BAGS
General Motors LLC (GM) is recalling certain model year 2011 Cadillac CTS vehicles manufactured October 18, 2010, to June 2, 2011. In the affected vehicles, vibrations from the drive shaft may cause the vehicle's roll over sensor to command the roof rail air bags to deploy.
Consequence: If the roof rail air bags deploy unexpectedly, there is an increased risk of crash and injury to the occupants.
Remedy: GM will notify owners, and dealers will replace the rear drive shaft assembly, free of charge. General Motors distributed an interim letter to owners on August 27, 2014. Owners may contact Cadillac customer service at 1-800-458-8006. GM's number for this recall is 14233.
Component: 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.
Consequence: 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.
Odometer Fraud. The contact purchased a 2011 Cadillac CTS. The contact stated that while attempting to register the vehicle, it was discovered that there was a mileage discrepancy. The vehicle was a private sale. At the time of purchase, the vehicle mileage was 86,140 and at the time of registration, it was discovered that the mileage was 162,290.
The contact owns a 2011 Cadillac CTS. The contact stated that upon inspection underneath the frame rail, the contact became aware that there was rust on both sides of the vehicle. The local dealer was contacted; however, the vehicle was not diagnosed because the VIN was not under recall. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was notified of the failure. The approximate failure mileage was 153,000.
Water leaking in car like raining in car. The car radio and air conditioner panel wouldn’t turn off . It was draining batter after car would be turned off. Then after that water continues to leak. Took out fuse to stop from draining battery but had to buy new battery. Water continues to leak through car. Now ignition switch unable to turn off car . Unhooking the battery and fuse only way to turn off car. Take car to good year for diagnostics and was told water in car ( this I know cause I see raining in car.) This problem has been on going for a few years with the raining. I being unknowing that this would happen. Unable to give Goodyear 4000 dollars to fix problem with no guarantee it would fix problem. My friend that owns shop had to take seats and to find the water in bottom of car and wiring harness and BCM AND FUSE BOX AS WELL PROGRAMMING NEED TO BE DONE THIS AS WELL IS INFO FROM DIAGNOSIS FROM GOODYEAR. Everytime I get out of car just to turn off I would have to lift hood disconnect fuse and then disconnect battery cable . This in it self is unsafe to have to do. Cadillac was a dream car for me. It has become a nightmare. Cause this had been on going in other Cadillac made between 2008 and 2011 . I as well have videos of water in bottom of car and I have had to have car sealed to stop leaking only solution for now. Car is paid for. I NEED GMC TO JUST KNOW HOW UNFAIR IT IS FIR THEM TO HAVE KNOWLEDGE OF THIS PROBLEM AND PUT THE PUBLIC AT RISK OF DANGER. Hopefully after 2011 GMC fixed this problem in on going CADILLAC CARS . I am JUST DISAPPOINTED IN THE CORPORATIONS DISREGARDED FOR PUBLIC SAFTEY. Once again I always loved CADILLAC. Had an opportunity to have one and it has been a nightmare . Causing anxieties and depression. Cause I didn’t understand what was happening. Thank you .AS WELL I HAVE VIDEOS AND UNABLE TO UPLOAD
The 2011 Cadillac CTS has 2 NHTSA recalls and 108 consumer complaints on file. It received an overall safety rating of Not Rated out of 5 stars in NHTSA crash testing. The high number of complaints suggests potential reliability concerns — review the complaint details above before purchasing. For the most detailed information about a specific vehicle, decode its VIN using our free decoder above.
Enter a specific VIN to get the full report — specs, recalls, safety ratings, complaints, investigations, and technical service bulletins.
| Overall Rating | Not Rated |
| Frontal Crash | Not Rated |
| Side Crash | Not Rated |
| Rollover |
| Overall Rating | Not Rated |
| Frontal Crash | Not Rated |
| Side Crash | Not Rated |
| Rollover | Not Rated |
| Overall Rating | Not Rated |
| Frontal Crash | Not Rated |
| Side Crash | Not Rated |
| Rollover |
| Overall Rating | Not Rated |
| Frontal Crash | Not Rated |
| Side Crash | Not Rated |
| Rollover |
The contact owns a 2011 Cadillac CTS. The contact stated that the vehicle was experiencing a water leak. The contact noticed that the front driver's side seat, door arm rest and floor were significantly wet after rainfall. The contact stated that the failure later occurred on the front passenger's side of the vehicle. Additionally, the contact stated that the vehicle was experiencing electrical failures. The contact stated that after turning off the vehicle, the infotainment system, the heating system, the A/C, and the engine failed to turn off. The vehicle was taken to an independent mechanic, where it was diagnosed and determined that the fuse box and wiring needed to be replaced due to the electrical failure. The contact stated that upon disconnecting the battery and removing the fuse, the vehicle turned off. The vehicle was taken to an independent mechanic, where the contact was informed that water was leaking onto the wiring on the floor. The sunroof drain was unclogged; however, the failure persisted. The vehicle remained with the mechanic, where it was undergoing additional water entry tests. The vehicle was not repaired. The dealer and the manufacturer were not notified of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 100,000.
My air bag light is on. I brought it to the dealer for repair. The dealer told me the airbag is unfixable due to the fact that the "Passenger seat presence sensor is broken and no longer manufactured". I now have a car that is fully functional aside from this issue and it's unsafe to drive. The dealer also refused to buy the car back from me for fair market value.
The contact owns a 2011 Cadillac CTS. The contact stated while driving at an undisclosed speed, the engine started to make an abnormal sound and the vehicle was inadvertently vibrating. The vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired by an independent mechanic or the dealer. The contact related the failure to NHTSA Campaign Number: 14V341000 (Air Bags, Power Train). The manufacturer was not made aware of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 165,000.
Airbag warning
Heated seat when turned on caught on fire, burned me & the seat has burned leather. No warnings or lamps came on. It is available for inspection upon request.
The contact owns a 2011 Cadillac CTS. The contact stated while driving approximately 30 MPH, the vehicle vibrated abnormally. Additionally, the "Service Air Bags" warning light was illuminated. The contact had taken the vehicle to an independent mechanic however, the vehicle was not diagnosed. The contact was advised by the mechanic that the failure could be related to NHTSA Campaign Number: 14V341000 (Air Bags, Power Train). The vehicle had not been repaired. The manufacturer had been informed of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 95,000.
Under previous GM Safety Recall Bulletin 14233, loss of grease from the center constant velocity (CV) joint over time results in vibrations of the propeller shaft that are transferred to the roll over sensor located on the floor above it. The condition was repaired under this recall in 2014, three years after the vehicle was manufactured. It is now 2022, and the same issue has happened again. Now, GM claims that there are no open recalls on the vehicle, yet the manufacturer defect remains and the issue has resurfaced. Being a safety recall, the repair should be covered by GM as stated in the bulletin (14233) regardless if the repair has been completed in the past, as the defect remains a safety issue. The vehicle in reference has 5 bolts sheared and the last remaining bolt fixing the center CV joint to the transmission was about to fall out, caused by the vibration of the CV joint that lost its grease.
The contact owns a 2011 Cadillac CTS. The contact stated that while driving approximately 30 -35 mph, there was a rattling noise detected from the front end of the vehicle. The brake pedal was applied but, failed to respond and crashed into a 2018 Ford. There were no reported injuries or fire. A police report was filed. The vehicle was towed to an independent lot. The local dealer was not contacted. The vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired. The manufacturer was not contacted. The approximate failure mileage was 45,000.
The air bag light comes on intermittently. It has been identified as a problem on several of the CTS and CTS-V forums.
IN 2014 GM ISSUED A RECALL ON THE SUPERSHARGER FOR THE 2010 TO 2015 CADILLAC CTS V AND THE CAMEO ZR1 I DIDN'T RECEIVE ANY NOTICE ABOUT IT. I AM REGISTERED ON THE GM RECALL SITE I JUST FOUND OUT ABOUT THE RECALL NOW I AM HAVING THE ISSUE I CALLED GM AND THERE SAYING MY CAR IS OUT OF MILEAGE BUT IT WASN'T IN 2014 AND I ONLY LET THE DEALER WORK ON IT AND THEY DIDN'T SAY ANYTHING AND WHEN I SPOKE TO GM SHE COULDN'T FIND ANY PROOF THEY NOTIFIED ME ABOUT THE RECALL HOW CAN I GET THEM TO REPAIR MY CAR UNDER THE RECALL LIKE THEY SHOULD HAVE?MY ATTORNEY SAID TRY TO GET YOUR HELP FIRST BECAUSE YOU CAN MAKE THEM COMPLY I WOULD APPRECIATE A SPEEDY RESPONSE TO IF YOU CAN HELP ME THANK YOU.
EVERY TIME THE AUTOMATIC TRANSMISSION IS PUT IN REVERSE AND THE VEHICLE WHEELS TURNED SHARPLY TO RIGHT OR LEFT, SUCH AS IN BACKING- OUT OF A TIGHT PARKING SPACE, THE CAR LABORS TO MOVE BACKWARDS AND BINDING NOISES EMANATE FROM DIFFERENTIAL OR REAR AXLE AREA OF THE CAR. THIS CONDITION LESSENS AND COMPLETELY DISAPPEARS AS THE STEERING WHEEL IS RETURNED TO THE STRAIGHT FORWARD OR STRAIGHT BACK POSITION. I BELIEVE THIS CONDITION HAS EXISTED IN EARLIER MODELS OF MY VEHICLE AND HAS BEEN THE SUBJECT OF A RECALL. THIS MALFUNCTION HAS EXISTED EVER SINCE I PURCHASED THE USED CAR IN JUNE OF 2016. OTHER THAN THE DESCRIBED ISSUE, THE CAR HAS SERVED ME WELL.
WHILE DRIVING ON A WINDY MOUNTAIN ROAD AT APPROX 45 MPH, GOING INTO A SHARP LEFT HAND TURN, THE STEERING WHEEL WOULD NOT TURN ANY FURTHER. IT FELT AS THOUGH THE STEERING HAD GONE OUT COMPLETELY. THIS CAUSED ME TO TRAVEL STRAIGHT INTO AN EMBANKMENT AND LAUNCH INTO THE WOODS. NO INJURIES. AIR BAGS DID NOT DEPLOY. RADIATOR WAS BENT INTO A U SHAPE. NO IDEA WHY NONE OF THE AIRBAGS DIDN'T DEPLOY
Showing 15 of 108 complaints