Cadillac CTS Engine Problems by Year
By CarWhere Research · Updated
Some, but not unusually many. 130 of the 859 owner complaints filed with NHTSA for the 2008–2019 Cadillac CTS (15.1%) name the engine, near the 19.4% median share across the 152 models we track. We have no published sales figures for this model, so there is no per-1,000 rate. The worst years are 2009, 2008 and 2011.
Engine complaints
130
Filed with NHTSA, 2008–2019 models
Per 1,000 sold
No sales data
Not computed without a published sales figure
Share of all complaints
15.1%
of 859 complaints for this model
Engine recalls
0
NHTSA campaigns, all years
Cadillac CTS engine complaints by model year
Owner complaints filed with NHTSA whose component list includes Engine and Engine Cooling. Worst years are highlighted.
| Model year | Engine complaints | Share of all complaints | Crash / fire / injury | Engine recalls | Engine TSBs* |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2008WORST | 29 | 16.6% | 2 | — | 246 |
| 2009WORST | 51 | 30.4% | 1 | — | 272 |
| 2010 | 0 | 0% | 0 | — | 341 |
| 2011WORST | 15 | 13.9% | 2 | — | 338 |
| 2012 | 6 | 9% | 0 | — | 343 |
| 2013 | 7 | 9.7% | 0 | — | 355 |
| 2014 | 8 | 5.6% | 0 | — | 433 |
| 2015 | 5 | 10.6% | 0 | — | 371 |
| 2016 | 4 | 12.9% | 0 | — | 404 |
| 2017 | 1 | 3.8% | 0 | — | 364 |
| 2018 | 1 | 12.5% | 0 | — | 287 |
| 2019 | 3 | 25% | 0 | — | 247 |
- Older model years have had more time on the road to collect complaints, so compare neighboring years, not 2010 against 2024.
- Crash / fire / injury = complaints where the owner reported a crash, a fire or an injury.
- *Technical service bulletins in the year's leading TSB categories that name the engine.
Common Cadillac CTS engine problems owners describe
We searched the narratives of all 130 engine complaints for symptom keywords. One complaint can mention several, so the shares don't add up to 100%.
Cadillac CTS years to avoid for the engine
2009 Cadillac CTS
51 engine complaints (30.4% of the year's 168). Most often described: timing chain or belt.
2008 Cadillac CTS
29 engine complaints (16.6% of the year's 175). Most often described: misfire or check-engine light.
2011 Cadillac CTS
15 engine complaints (13.9% of the year's 108). Most often described: stalling or shutting off while driving.
Worst years are those with at least 10 engine complaints and at least 1.5 times the model's median year. For every year's overall verdict, including other systems, see the Cadillac CTS years to avoid.
Related research
Frequently asked questions
Does the 2009 Cadillac CTS have engine problems?
Yes, it is one of the worst years. Owners filed 51 engine complaints with NHTSA for the 2009 Cadillac CTS, 30.4% of all 168 complaints for that year. The most common description is "timing chain or belt" (38 complaints). 1 of those complaints report a crash, fire or injury.
Does the 2008 Cadillac CTS have engine problems?
Yes, it is one of the worst years. Owners filed 29 engine complaints with NHTSA for the 2008 Cadillac CTS, 16.6% of all 175 complaints for that year. The most common description is "misfire or check-engine light" (9 complaints). 2 of those complaints report a crash, fire or injury.
Does the 2011 Cadillac CTS have engine problems?
Yes, it is one of the worst years. Owners filed 15 engine complaints with NHTSA for the 2011 Cadillac CTS, 13.9% of all 108 complaints for that year. The most common description is "stalling or shutting off while driving" (5 complaints). 2 of those complaints report a crash, fire or injury.
Which Cadillac CTS years have the most engine complaints?
2009 (51), 2008 (29) and 2011 (15), by owner complaints filed with NHTSA that name the engine. Raw counts favor older and higher-selling years, so treat them as a signal, not a rate.
What are the most common Cadillac CTS engine problems?
In the 130 engine complaints, owners most often describe timing chain or belt (38.5%), misfire or check-engine light (28.5%) and stalling or shutting off while driving (16.2%). One complaint can mention several symptoms.
Is this a engine failure rate?
No. These are complaints owners chose to file with NHTSA. Many failures are never reported, and one complaint is not a confirmed defect. Without sales figures, a high count can simply mean a high-selling model.
How we count
Counts are unique owner complaints (by NHTSA ODI number) filed with NHTSA for each Cadillac CTS model year, from NHTSA's public complaints data fetched July 2026 to November 2026. A complaint counts as a engine complaint when NHTSA's component list for it includes Engine and Engine Cooling.
Per 1,000 sold divides complaints by published U.S. calendar-year sales for that year. A year needs at least 5,000 sales to get a rate, and a model needs at least 3 such years for its overall rate. The comparison median covers every model with at least 50 engine complaints that clears those floors.
These are complaint rates, not failure rates. Owners report some problems more than others, and a complaint is not a confirmed defect.
Sources
- NHTSA complaints by vehicle (owner complaints API) — National Highway Traffic Safety Administration
- NHTSA recalls by vehicle — National Highway Traffic Safety Administration
- Report a vehicle safety problem — National Highway Traffic Safety Administration