The Lemon IndexCadillac DTS reliability.
Is it reliable? Mostly. A bit over half as many complaints as the average car.
Better than average · 2006–2008
What owners say on YouTube
2006–2011 DTS · 200 most-watched videos
Owners praise
Owners complain about
Fixes owners look up most
Before you buy, watch
Top 5 Problems Cadillac DTS Sedan 1st Generation 2006-20111A Auto: Repair Tips & Secrets Only Mechanics Know · 278K views
2007 CADILLAC DTS 4.6L (LD8), CRUISE CONTROL PROBLEMS (VERY EASY)PAULY'S AUTO · 9K views
2011 Cadillac DTS Hearse (Halloween Special) Start Up, Exhaust, and In Depth ReviewSaabkyle04 · 448K viewsPraise and complaints: the share of each generation's most-watched videos that mention a topic with a praise or trouble word next to it, in the title or what's said. YouTube rank: how positive owners and reviewers sound, compared with every car of the same model year. It measures tone, not failure rates. Videos belong to their creators; we link to them.
Looking at a 2008 or newer? Those are too new for a full complaint score (any score shown is partial, in gray), but YouTube owners like the 2010 best.
Fewest complaints
2007.
Only 2 Cadillac DTS years have enough complaints and sales to score, too few for best and worst lists. 2007 drew a bit under half as many complaints as the average car.
Every year. Lower is better. Tap a year for its full report.
Newest year first. Red = worse than average, gray = about average or too few complaints to score. #1, #2… = that year's YouTube rank among the 4 Cadillac DTS years with enough videos (#1 = the year owners and reviewers talk about most positively). It is not a reliability rank.
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<iframe src="https://lemonindex.com/embed/cars/cadillac-dts/" title="Cadillac DTS reliability by model year (The Lemon Index)" width="100%" height="261" style="border:0;max-width:720px" loading="lazy"></iframe><p style="font-size:13px;margin:4px 0 0">Data: <a href="https://lemonindex.com/cars/cadillac-dts/">Lemon Index</a> (Cadillac DTS reliability by year)</p>Scores before 2010 are rough: fewer owners filed complaints back then.
YouTube rank: we read 199 YouTube videos about the Cadillac DTS, 2006 to 2011, and ranked every year by how much they praise it vs. how much they talk about problems. YouTube's favorite: 2006. Old cars rank lower partly because most of their videos are repair and restoration videos. A gray dot means not enough data yet: under 10 videos, or a new year with no owner complaints to compare.
Compare the Cadillac DTS.
Opens the compare tool with both cars, every year side by side. Compare with any car →
Quick answers.
Is the Cadillac DTS reliable?
Mostly. It draws a bit over half as many complaints as the average car, but YouTube owners complain about it more than about most cars its age. Fewest complaints: 2007.
Is the Cadillac DTS a good car?
Yes, it draws fewer complaints than the average car, by owner complaints to the government per car sold (2006-2008: Lemon Index 61; 100 is average). Some years are much better than others: 2007 drew the fewest complaints and 2006 the most.
What are the best Cadillac DTS years to buy?
Only 2 Cadillac DTS years have enough data to score, so we don't list best years. 2007 drew the fewest complaints (a bit under half as many complaints as the average car).
What Cadillac DTS years should you stay away from?
Only 2 Cadillac DTS years have enough data to score, too few to single out years to avoid.
How many recalls does the Cadillac DTS have?
17 safety recalls across the 6 model years we track. Most: 2006 (4), 2007 (3), 2008 (3). Each year's page lists them.
What are the most common Cadillac DTS problems?
Across every year, owners' complaints to the government name electrical, lights and speed control most. Some years are much worse than others: see the chart above.
Every year in one table
| Year | Index | Compared with average | Complaints | Top complaint | Recalls | Crash test | MPG |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2006 | 82 | somewhat fewer complaints than the average car | 42 | speed control (24%) | 4 | — | 18 |
| 2007 | 44 | a bit under half as many complaints as the average car | 20 | service brakes, hydraulic (20%) | 3 | — | 18 |
| 2008 | – | too few complaints to score | 16 | electrical (38%) | 3 | — | 18 |
| 2009 | – | complaints only, too few sold to score | 8 | seats (50%) | 2 | — | 18 |
| 2010 | – | complaints only, too few sold to score | 6 | seats (50%) | 3 | — | 18 |
| 2011 | – | complaints only, too few sold to score | 8 | electrical (50%) | 2 | — | 18 |
The Lemon Index counts owner complaints filed with the U.S. government (NHTSA) in a car's first 3 years, per car sold, against the average car of the same model years (100 = average, lower is better). It measures complaints, not crash safety. U.S. sales source: goodcarbadcar.net. How it works
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Updated · Free to use with credit: Source: The Lemon Index (lemonindex.com)
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