2008 Cadillac CTS Electrical System Problems

NHTSA component category: ELECTRICAL SYSTEM · data through 07/12/2026

38Electrical System complaints

21.7%Of all 175 complaints

#1Most-reported category

Source: U.S. NHTSA complaint data. Complaints are unverified reports from vehicle owners — a complaint is not a confirmed defect.

How electrical system ranks on this vehicle

ELECTRICAL SYSTEM38 · 21.7%

FUEL/PROPULSION SYSTEM23 · 13.1%

ENGINE22 · 12.6%

Unspecified / other17 · 9.7%

POWER TRAIN16 · 9.1%

Share of the 175 complaints citing each category; one complaint can cite several. Full breakdown on the 2008 Cadillac CTS overview page.

What owners report

“THE D/S DOOR WILL NOT UNLOCK OR OPEN FROM THE OUTSIDE. READ NUMEROUS COMPLAINTS ON SAME ISSUE AND NO RECALL ISSUED”NHTSA complaint 10871446 — filed 05/30/2016

“INTERMITTENTLY, THE DOOR LOCKS DO NOT LOCK/UNLOCK WITH THE REMOTE. THE SAFETY CONCERN IS INGRESS/EGRESS FROM THE VEHICLE.”NHTSA complaint 10745719 — filed 08/03/2015

“THERE IS A WATER LEAK OCCURRING FROM THE SUNROOF. THE SUNROOF DRAINS CONTINUOUSLY GET CLOGGED. IN RESULT, THE INTERIOR OF THE CAR GETS EXTREMELY WET…”NHTSA complaint 10714712 — filed 05/05/2015

Excerpts are shortened and scrubbed of personal details; they are individual, unverified reports.

Electrical System complaints by year filed

Frequently asked questions

Does the 2008 Cadillac CTS have electrical system problems?

Electrical System is the most-reported problem area on the 2008 Cadillac CTS: 38 of 175 complaints on file (21.7%). Complaints are unverified owner reports, not confirmed defects.

How many complaints does the 2008 Cadillac CTS have in total?

175 complaints were on file with NHTSA as of 07/12/2026. Across all categories, 12 involved a crash, 3 involved a fire, 7 reported injuries, and none reported deaths.

What does NHTSA's electrical system category include?

NHTSA assigns each complaint to standard component categories; this page reports the ELECTRICAL SYSTEM category exactly as NHTSA defines and records it.

About this data — Complaint figures on this page are consumer reports submitted to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA), a U.S. government agency. NHTSA does not verify individual complaints; a complaint is not proof that a defect exists, and counts reflect what owners chose to report, not confirmed failure rates. Recall information comes from official NHTSA safety recall campaigns; recall repairs are free at authorized dealers. Always check your specific vehicle by VIN at nhtsa.gov/recalls. CarModelProblems.com is an independent site and is not affiliated with NHTSA or any vehicle manufacturer. Data through 07/12/2026.