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).
My 2009 CTS has 67k miles; however, on 02/24/2022 it was serviced at Les Stanford Cadillac for "Timing Chain Failure" which cost me $3,371,27. GM published service bulletin #11340C: Special Coverage Adjustment-Timing Chain Wear on 11/5/2012 that was sent to the dealerships explaining that the timing chain could wear prematurely but the document was not shared with the car owners. The make and models listed on the document includes: 2007 GMC Acadia and Saturn Outlook, 2007-2009 Cadillac CTS, SRX, and STS, 2009 Buick Enclave, Chevrolet Traverse, GMC Acadia and Saturn. The special coverage adjustment covers the condition described for a period of 10 years or 120,000 miles, whichever comes first. …
My 2009 has 112,000 miles on it. Over a period of time we started to smell gasoline . Thought it may be simply from putting gas in the car. The smell got stronger. Fortunately we had to have a tire replaced. The tire service owner advised we had a major gas leak and advised us not to drive it far. End result was we had a fuel feed pipe that was leaking. Please know we had been driving our 4 year old nephew and 1 year old niece in the car. Final bill was over $2300. Leaking gas !! How can that not warrant a safety recall? Searching the web for information about others having the same problem I discovered others did. Please go to Cadillac Forums for starters. Please review and advise. More safety issues for the CTS involved a seat belt that was worn down and a passenger front door that would not open from either the inside or outside. Cell [redacted] Email [redacted]
The check engine light illuminated and dealer diagnosed problem code as p0008 pertaining to the timing chain. I was then told that the timing chain was stretched and needed to be replaced for a cost of approximately $2200. Vehicle is well-cared for and has 83,800 miles on it. According to other complaints made to NHTSA, a number of people have experienced premature timing chain wear with this make/model. I called GM to inquire about a special coverage adjustment bulletin, issued 11/5/12, #11340c, pertaining to 2009 Cadillac CTS and other vehicles with premature timing chain wear. …
Regarding TSB 11340 (NHTSA reference- 10043857), which states, "if premature wear of the timing chain occurs on your 2007 model year GMC acadia; Saturn outlook; 2007-2009 model year Cadillac CTS, srx, sts; 2009 model year Buick enclave; Chevrolet traverse; GMC acadia; or Saturn outlook vehicle, equipped with a 2.8l/3.6l v6 engine, within 10 years of the date your vehicle was originally placed in service or 120,000 miles (193,000 km), whichever occurs first, the condition will be repaired for you at no charge" our 2009 Cadillac CTS with ~94,000 miles has been diagnosed with this failure; however, general motors refuses to make the repairs stated in the TSB at no charge in accordance with the TSB. My experience dealing with Cadillac over the past 2 days indicates that Cadillac had no intention of making the repairs that they have informed the NHTSA were appropriate. …
Regarding TSB 11340 (NHTSA reference- 10043857), which states, "if premature wear of the timing chain occurs on your 2007 model year GMC acadia; Saturn outlook; 2007-2009 model year Cadillac CTS, srx, sts; 2009 model year Buick enclave; Chevrolet traverse; GMC acadia; or Saturn outlook vehicle, equipped with a 2.8l/3.6l v6 engine, within 10 years of the date your vehicle was originally placed in service or 120,000 miles (193,000 km), whichever occurs first, the condition will be repaired for you at no charge" our 2009 Cadillac CTS with ~100,839 miles has been diagnosed with this failure, and caused my motor to lock up. Our timing chanin was already fixed under warranty once prior, this will make it a second repair but now our complete engine has failed; however, general motors refuses to make the repairs stated in the TSB at no charge in accordance with the TSB. …
Took my car in because the engine kept running when car is off. ( I could only here it when in the garage. Third time this happened. They replaced water pump 2 years in a row. This year the same thing happened. They said it was the thermostat housing. They replaced it but did not test drive it. I put it on the freeway and got a burning smell with black smoke and a noise. Took it back the next day because they were closed. He would not take my car back to see what the problem was. He told me he did not know anything about cars. He just work the desk. He said if you here a noise bring it back. Several days later I heard a noise but it did not sound like the same noise. Sound like it was coming from the back passenger side. They supposedly replaced the thermostat housing and a hose or something. …
My 2009 Cadillac CTS showed a check engine light. Took to a mechanic who pulled codes p0008, p0017, p0018 which are all related to timing chain failure. I became aware of tbs bulletin 11340c ' special coverage adjustment ' timing chain wear which was extended to include 2009 Cadillac CTS with less than 120K miles (my car has 107250) I made an appointment with local Cadillac dealer who informed me that Cadillac is only covering vehicles with certain VIN's in which mine is not included. They state that the problem was corrected later in the model year with an improved timing chain. Clearly this is not the case. This is a $2000 repair that Cadillac clearly states covers vehicles of the model year but then they don't cover it after looking up your VIN. Here is a link to the service bulletin. …
Check engine light came on in May 2014 at 58,000 miles. My timing chain wore out prematurely. GM had a recall through July 2013 for this issue (TSB #10287 2007-09 CTS and special coverage adjustment 11340c) that repaired and extended warranty to 10 years from date of original purchase on affected vehicles. I was told my vehicle was not covered under recall. In May 2014, I paid the dealership $1,800 to install a new timing chain kit. In September 2014, check engine light came on again at 80,000 miles and same issue occurred requiring a new timing chain kit after only 22,000 miles on last timing chain kit. GM and dealership refuse to cover the entire cost of replacing timing chain and deny there is a manufacturer's defect. I disagree and have discussed my issue with two independent mechanics who also disagree. …
I was driving on interstate when the check engine light came on. After having the vehicle diagnosed it was determined to be failure of the timing chain. If the timing chain had broke while operating the vehicle it could have caused a major accident resulting in injury. Cadillac has known about the issue with timing chain failure. They issued tbs bulletin 11340c special coverage adjustment for timing chain wear and extended it to include 2009 CTS vehicles under 120.000 miles. When asked about the bulletin Cadillac informed me that only certain VIN's are covered under that special bulletin. I believe that Cadillac is being deceptive in their dealings and all VIN numbers with timing chain wear should be repaired at their expense.the information concerning the possibility of timing chain wear was never disclosed by the salesman or the dealership at the time of purchase. …
Tl* the contact owns a 2009 Cadillac CTS. The contact stated that there had been multiple failures with the vehicle ever since it was purchased. The vehicle was taken back and forth several times to mcelwain motor car company Chevrolet (812 beaver ave, ellwood city, pa 16117, [phone]) due to the wheels, wheel bearings, and brake system corroding. The contact had not utilized the emergency brake out of fear that it May not work when needed. Also, the service engine indicator illuminated the last time the dealer dropped off the vehicle. An independent mechanic stated that there were two diagnostic trouble codes for the timing chain. The manufacturer refused to honor TSB: 11340c (special coverage adjustment timing wear) even though the vehicle had less than 120,000 miles. The manufacturer indicated that the dealer May need to replace the timing chain and to have the vehicle repaired. …
Engine complaints in other CTS years
Frequently asked questions
How common are engine problems on the 2009 Cadillac CTS?
NHTSA has 50 complaints about the engine & cooling of the 2009 Cadillac CTS, 30% of the model year's 167 complaints.
Is there a recall for 2009 Cadillac CTS engine problems?
No. NHTSA lists no engine & cooling recall for the 2009 Cadillac CTS, though it has 5 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 2009 Cadillac CTS engine problems start?
Half of the complaints with a recorded mileage happened before about 88,000 miles, and 5% before 25,000 miles.
Is it dangerous?
Owners linked 0 crashes, 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.