Which parts fail
Components named in complaints (battery, alternator, wiring, ignition, instrument cluster, infotainment).
Mileage when the problem started
Owner reports
Selected complaints filed with NHTSA by 2009 Cadillac CTS owners, lightly cleaned up (personal details are redacted by NHTSA).
The contact owns a 2009 Cadillac CTS. The contact stated that after refueling, the vehicle was not able to start immediately. The accelerator pedal was pumped to start the vehicle. Additionally, there was an abnormal sound coming from the rear of the vehicle. The contact related the failure to a faulty purge solenoid; however, the vehicle was not diagnosed nor repaired by an independent mechanic or dealer. The manufacturer was made aware of the failure and suggested filing a complaint with NHTSA. The failure mileage was approximately 95,000.
May car just stopped working come to find out water was leaking from my sunroof which I always keep my closed. Found out water in leaking from sunroof to my mom board now mechanic is saying to take to dealership I no its gonna be a lot of money to fix electric issue smh.
Tl* the contact owned a 2009 Cadillac CTS. The contact stated that the vehicle unexpectedly rolled backwards out of the driveway and crashed into a fire hydrant and a tree. Both the driver and passenger doors were bent. There were no injuries. Auto star (4395 buford hwy, peachtree corners, ga 30071, [phone]) towed the vehicle away and declared it destroyed. A police report was not filed. The contact stated that the vehicle was included in NHTSA campaign number: 14V394000 (electrical system). The dealer was suing the contact for the remaining balance owed for the vehicle. The insurance company was not paying the claim because they stated there was a manufacturer defect that caused the failure. The failure mileage was unknown.
While driving on the interstate, during a violent rain storm, my cars check engine light went on and the dic message "reduced engine power message came on" which immediately limited the to approx. 2500 RPM. This action created a totally unsafe driving situation. The reduced power slowed the car immediately, in heavy traffic, in a heavy rain storm , with low visibility. Lucky for myself and my wife, I was able to avoid creating a series of collisions and traversed across three lanes of traffic to the side of the road. By immediately reducing the engine power created a very dangerous scenario that should never, under any circumstance be created.
Tl* the contact owns a 2009 Cadillac CTS. While making a left turn, the contact noticed that the driver's side turn signal failed to function. There were no warning indicators illuminated. The vehicle was taken to cma's colonial auto center (located at 100 myers dr, charlottesville, va 22901, [phone]), but was not diagnosed. The vehicle was taken to an independent mechanic who stated that the computer chip needed to be replaced and reprogrammed. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was notified of the failure. The failure mileage was 35,000.
Tl* the contact owns a 2009 Cadillac CTS. While in park, the contact attempted to turn the vehicle off. The key failed to shift and remained in the on position. As a result, the contact was unable to turn the vehicle off. The vehicle was towed to a dealer who diagnosed that the ignition lock assembly and two keys needed to be replaced. The vehicle was repaired. The VIN was included in NHTSA campaign number: 14V394000 (electrical system). The manufacturer was notified of the failure. The failure mileage was 68,300.
Tl* the contact owns a 2009 Cadillac CTS. While the vehicle was parked, all the doors failed to open automatically. The contact had to manually open the driver side door with the key in order to enter the vehicle. The vehicle was taken to a dealer, who diagnosed that the door mechanism needed to be replaced. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was notified of the failure. The failure mileage was 119,000.
Car shuts off while driving at any speed or just when key is on.what exactly happens first car shuts off just like if someone turned key off.2nd stabitrac light comes on for a few seconds 3rd shuts off cruise and will not let you use it for about 10 minutes 4th lockes doors....if you are stopped and this happens you have to start it manually....if you are driving it will shut off and start up by its self.
The rear doors will not lock or unlock either with the switch or fob. One must crawl from front seat to rear to unlock the doors manually. Passengers cannot enter rear without doing so. Also doors will not lock automatically, nor with switch, leaving children at risk of opening door from inside. The front driver and passenger doors work but both rear door locks have failed.
Service airbag light on in vehicle, diagnosis says it is the passenger presence module. Through research, many others are having the same exact issue. The module needs to be fixed, not just replaced with another faulty module.
Related recalls
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.
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.
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…
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…
Electrical complaints in other CTS years
Frequently asked questions
How common are electrical problems on the 2009 Cadillac CTS?
NHTSA has 26 complaints about the electrical system of the 2009 Cadillac CTS, 16% of the model year's 167 complaints. The component named most often is ignition (1 mentions).
Is there a recall for 2009 Cadillac CTS electrical problems?
Yes — NHTSA recall 14V-394 (ignition, Jul 2, 2014); NHTSA recall 10V-240 (electrical system, Jun 4, 2010). Recall repairs are free at authorized dealers.
At what mileage do 2009 Cadillac CTS electrical problems start?
Half of the complaints with a recorded mileage happened before about 65,000 miles, and 27% before 25,000 miles.
Is it dangerous?
Owners linked 1 crash, 0 fires and 0 injuries to electrical system 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.