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 2006 Cadillac STS owners, lightly cleaned up (personal details are redacted by NHTSA).
Air bag light constantly stays on, along with the check engine light. Seat belt chime constantly rings with the seat belt connected. Gas low notification light does not come on until on empty. No heated seats. I think the ECM needs to be reset.sun roof goes up but not slides open. Passenger side door won't open.automatic car starter doesn't work. 2 years ago, my son in law, started this car in below zero temp and it started on fire. He put it out and restarted it and it was OK. Something makes noise occasionally for no apparent reason.
Traveling 81 north in northeast pennsylvania, rounding turn car stalled. I lost complete control of the vehicle which caused me to slam into a guard rail and the car went down an embankment and into a boulder. Air bags never deployed. Passenger and I were severely injured and had to be pulled out of the vehicle. Although we were both buckled in, the seatbelts flew off upon impact. This car should be recalled, it is very dangerous and should not be on the road (its a death trap).
4/14 - car was shutting off intermittently, pulled over in hotel parking lot and a gentlemen came up to car to tell me that it was smoking, got out and there was a fire at the rear of the car. Ran into hotel and got fire extinguisher to put it out, had towed to repair shop. There determined that the terminal on the top of the fuel pump over heated and melted a hole in the top of the pump, causing fuel to leak out and catch fire -$6000 worth of damage, only used parts available to fix car. 8/14 recall was released about fuel module and harness. 6/15 - called dealer about unrelated issue (door lock), VIN# was ran and was told parts were available to fix recall. I mentioned I did not receive the letter that parts were available and was told dealer had to order them, 4 days later parts came in and work was scheduled. Car was there for 10 days "having trouble getting parts". …
This problem started over a year ago and I have had it to the dealer twice and they can no find the problem because there are no codes in the car. While driving the car it shuts down and you lose everthing lights, turn singles, hazards,the dash goes totaly out and the engine stops the best you can do it to pull it over to the side of the road and hope you don't get hit. I have had this happen it town driving and on the highway so it has nothing to do with speed. I have loaned my car to other people and it has happened to them so it is not the driver. I will happen and you pull over put the car in park and it starts right up and you can continue driving and it May happen a mile up the road or it May not happen for a week or a month later and still no codes.
Tl* the contact owns a 2006 Cadillac STS. The contact stated that the vehicle experienced an abnormal noise from the engine compartment. The vehicle was taken to an independent mechanic where it was diagnosed that the timing chain was defective and needed to be replaced. The vehicle was repaired. The vehicle also experienced a loss of power. The vehicle was able to be restarted after being shifted into neutral. The vehicle was taken to the dealer where it was diagnosed that the auto start was defective and needed to be replaced. The vehicle was repaired; however, the failure recurred. The manufacturer was notified of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 60,000.
I am a mechanic and have worked on numerous vehicles recently that are model 2006 Cadillac STS. Safer car.gov needs to make engineers aware that this car is a death trap. GM should have this vehicle added to the ignition recall list. It makes no sense to me a mechanic that GM has models cts and dts but not the STS on the recall list, especially since they are all the same car. It's not like the cars have a different ignition , they all come ofd the same assembly line and stamped a different model name for various pricing points and target markets. Please don't ignore my message as this is a very vital topic.
Tl* the contact owns a 2006 Cadillac STS. While driving at 10 MPH, there was a abnormal clicking noise of the locks unlocking and locking coming from the front passenger side door. In addition, then the front passenger side door opened while the contact was driving and the door ajar warning light illuminated. The failure occurred several times. The vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired. The manufacturer was not made aware of the failure. The failure mileage was 147,000. Updated 4/27/15 updated 9/22/2017
My car has been diagnosed as having 'extended crank'. My local Chevy dealer made approximately fifteen attempts at fixing it to no avail. I'm told it's the check valve, but I have not had that done because all attempts by the dealer didn't work; e.g., new computer (and removed), battery (and removed), fuel pump, etc. Very frustrating and I feel it's a matter of health and safety because the car almost never starts on the first attempt, and sounds like it's a dead battery.
Tl* the contact owns a 2006 Cadillac STS. The contact stated that while accelerating, the vehicle jerked forward and stopped after reaching 35 MPH. In addition, the contact stated that the vehicle failed to start without warning. The vehicle was taken to an independent mechanic. The technician informed the contact that the vehicle was operating as designed. The manufacturer was notified of the failure. The failure mileage was 111,000.
Tl* the contact owns a 2006 Cadillac STS. While driving 30 MPH, the vehicle anti-theft system and the brakes seized without warning causing the vehicle to stall. The failure recurred several times. The vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired. The manufacturer was notified of the failure. The VIN was not available. The failure mileage was 119,000.
Electrical complaints in other STS years
Frequently asked questions
How common are electrical problems on the 2006 Cadillac STS?
NHTSA has 21 complaints about the electrical system of the 2006 Cadillac STS, 15% of the model year's 139 complaints. The component named most often is ignition (1 mentions).
Is there a recall for 2006 Cadillac STS electrical problems?
No. NHTSA lists no electrical system recall for the 2006 Cadillac STS, though it has 4 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 STS electrical problems start?
Half of the complaints with a recorded mileage happened before about 85,000 miles, and 10% before 25,000 miles.
Is it dangerous?
Owners linked 1 crash, 3 fires and 2 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.