Which parts fail
Components named in complaints (engine, cooling system, oil leaks, timing chain, exhaust).
Mileage when the problem started
Owner reports
Selected complaints filed with NHTSA by 2006 Cadillac CTS owners, lightly cleaned up (personal details are redacted by NHTSA).
The contact owns a 2006 Cadillac CTS. The contact stated that while driving with the cruise control set to 75 MPH, the vehicle was shuddering, and the engine was misfiring. The vehicle was taken to an independent mechanic who determined that the computer was not communicating with the vehicle. The vehicle was taken to the local dealer where it was diagnosed and determined that the computer had malfunctioned. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was called but the phone disconnected. The failure mileage was approximately 181,475.
Thank these things i feel cadilac should consider fixing due to milage before and after i purchased the cadilac due to the miles before and after purchase. Due to being 100% disabled since 2009, Air bag & safety belt system light comes on when i have onstar diagnose the problem they said it has something to do with my seat belt system on passenger side which mind you isnt used often at all and cadilac will not help with the cost and was told by onstar it needs repairs asap because it could cause air bags to pop out while driving or not come out during a crash. Im afraid some times driving it. In the 7yrs of owning this i maybe put around 40,000 miles on the car its in good condition. Which lead me to the other problem due to miles. …
I was driving the vehicle and was hit from behind and went into a curb. My airbags did not deploy and the car would not restart. The engine completely shut off. The car continue to have problems with the engine and smoking after it was repaired by a GM dealer. We had to turn the car in and file bankruptcy after it stopped working.
While returning from a trip, the engine shut off and all the power in the car was gone, while driving (in motion). We had been driving approximately 1.5hrs. We were going about 65mph, when the radio and ac went off. There was a message that said something about "battery reserve" (?????) I turned the radio and air back on. Immediately after, "service brake assist" message, then entire dashboard (including speedometer) goes dead. Car shuts off and immediately decelerates. Fortunately, we were in the slow lane already and could get out of quickly moving traffic (and the cars behind us could swerve into the other lane to avoid hitting us). On the side of the road, all power was still lost and could not remove the key from ignition. Attempted to "jump off", which restored power to remove the key. But vehicle would not start and ultimately had it towed. …
This vehicle has had thousands of complaints about ECM related problems. Every complaint is the same. The computer causes the temp gauge, fuel gauge to stop working, the tc light & antitheft lights to come on, and the key being stuck in the ignition. It renders the car undriveable because the temp & fuel gauges stop working. I have researched this and there has been the exact same issue with thousands of cars!!! When I contacted Cadillac about this they said I would have to pay hundreds of dollars for a diagnoses fee. I told them that this is obviously a defect with poor design and/or bad parts. I have included just one of many links that owners have had with this model of car. This model needs to be recalled and Cadillac needs to fix this ongoing problem!! …
Tl* the contact owns a 2006 Cadillac CTS. The contact stated that while driving at 73 MPH, the vehicle loss motive power without warning. The contact managed to veer to the shoulder of the road. The contact attempted to restart the vehicle however, the vehicle failed to start. The vehicle was towed to her residence and towed the following day to an independent mechanic to be diagnosed. The contact was informed that the piston rods and crankshaft needed to be replaced. The vehicle was not repaired. The failure recurred. The vehicle was taken to c & c auto (834 e maumee st, angola, in 46703, [phone]) to be diagnosed. The contact was informed that the engine needed to be replaced. The contact's husband replaced the starter however, the engine was not replaced. The manufacturer was notified of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 175,000.
During the winter February 2015 I walked out of my residence, went to start my vehicle & it would not turn over. I accounted the issue as to the weather being below zero temperature. A few days later, when the temperatures were higher the vehicle still would not start. The day before the CTS like not start, I noticed it was driving a little sluggish that evening when I drove to the bank. I just had a tune up done on the vehicle two months prior and never had any problems prior. I arranged for the vehicle to be towed to the holman Cadillac dealer in my area and received the diagnostics report. Upon tear down, they found all four cam shafts okay but crank gear is off 5 teeth due to primary chain tensioner wear which caused slack in chain and allowed gear to jump time. I enclosed the document from them in the complaint.
Tl* the contact owns a 2006 Cadillac CTS. While driving 50 MPH, the speed decreased without warning, as if the brakes had been depressed. The vehicle came to a complete stop without warning. The contact was able to accelerate the vehicle by applying pressure to the accelerator pedal. Furthermore, the check engine light illuminated and the air bag light remained illuminated and flickered continuously. The vehicle was taken to a dealer to be diagnosed. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was not made aware of the issue. The VIN was invalid. The failure mileage was 114,720.
Tl* the contact owns a 2006 Cadillac CTS. The contact noticed a large amount of engine oil leaked onto the ground. The vehicle was taken to an independent mechanic, who replaced the valve cover. The failure persisted after the repair. The vehicle was taken to two other independent mechanics that confirmed the oil pan gasket would need to be replaced. The vehicle was not repaired. In addition, the water pump was replaced on four separate occasions. The manufacturer was not notified of the failure. The approximate failure mileage was 36,500. ...updated 03-10-16
Engine has used one quart of oil every 800 to 1000 miles since I bought it in 2013. No smoking, no leaking. Just disappears and no way to know where it went. Only had 38,000 miles on it and has 85000 miles on it now and still does it. Told by one place that general say it is normal for that car? Don't believe that.. Was almost empty be time I was having problems and checked it. I had put 3000 mile on then and did not expect a oil loss like that. Have kept eye on it not to get that low since.
Engine complaints in other CTS years
Frequently asked questions
How common are engine problems on the 2006 Cadillac CTS?
NHTSA has 37 complaints about the engine & cooling of the 2006 Cadillac CTS, 14% of the model year's 269 complaints. The component named most often is engine (4 mentions).
Is there a recall for 2006 Cadillac CTS engine problems?
No. NHTSA lists no engine & cooling recall for the 2006 Cadillac CTS, though it has 6 recalls for other components. If the problem is widespread, a repair may still be covered by an extended warranty or a manufacturer service bulletin — ask a dealer.
At what mileage do 2006 Cadillac CTS engine problems start?
Half of the complaints with a recorded mileage happened before about 80,000 miles, and 3% before 25,000 miles.
Is it dangerous?
Owners linked 1 crash, 0 fires and 1 injury to engine & cooling problems on this model year. If you notice symptoms, have the car checked before driving further.
Source: U.S. National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) — owner complaints through October 20, 2026, recalls and defect investigations; fuel economy from the EPA. Complaints are unverified reports and are not proof of a defect. How we rate model years.