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2006 Cadillac DTSProblems, recalls & complaints

NHTSA has logged 255 owner complaints about the 2006 Cadillac DTS, most often about the exterior lighting. It is covered by 4 safety recalls, and for recall 14V-355 the manufacturer reports only 62% of affected cars repaired.

2006 Cadillac DTS
28
CarFlaw IndexYear to avoid2.6× the DTS median · #1 of 6 years by complaints
Safety recalls4Lowest repair rate 62%Owner complaints25535 with a crash, fire or injuryTypical failure mileage60kExterior lighting, median miles

Source: NHTSA complaints, recalls, investigations and manufacturer recall reports, through July 23, 2026. Updated daily. Photo: Kevauto, CC BY-SA 4.0.

Complaints by system

Where the 2006 Cadillac DTS has problems

255 complaints grouped by the system owners reported.

Box size = number of complaints naming that system. Darker = larger share. One complaint can name more than one system.
Complaints by system
SystemComplaintsCrash, fire or injury
Exterior lighting791
Electrical system796
Engine383
Steering335
Vehicle speed control171
Air bags1211
Seats125
Tires103
Engine and engine cooling90
18 other systems539

Source: NHTSA Office of Defects Investigation. Complaints are submitted by the public and are not verified by NHTSA.

4 recalls

2006 Cadillac DTS recalls and how many were fixed

Each ring shows the share of affected cars repaired, from the manufacturer’s latest quarterly report to NHTSA. Recall repairs are free at authorized dealers.

62%repaired · 2016 Q2

Electrical system: ignition

Recall 14V-355 · Jun 23, 2014 · 3,141,731 vehicles · 1,943,372 repaired

Risk. If the key is not in the run position, the air bags may not deploy if the vehicle is involved in a crash, increasing the risk of injury.

Problem, fix and repair progress →

–no report yet

Electrical system

Recall 08V-441 · Aug 28, 2008 · 857,735 vehicles

Risk. THIS MAY CAUSE OTHER ELECTRICAL FEATURES TO MALFUNCTION, CREATE AN ODOR, OR CAUSE SMOKE INCREASING THE RISK OF A FIRE.

Problem, fix and repair progress →

–no report yet

Hydraulic power assist: hose, piping, and connections

Recall 06V-105 · Apr 5, 2006 · 12,862 vehicles

Risk. IF THIS WERE TO OCCUR, POWER STEERING ASSIST MAY BE LOST AND INCREASED STEERING EFFORT WOULD BE REQUIRED AT LOW SPEEDS.

Problem, fix and repair progress →

Recalls apply to specific cars. To see whether a recall is still open on yours, enter the 17-character VIN at nhtsa.gov/recalls or with Cadillac.

Mileage at failure

When do exterior lighting problems start?

60kmiles, median

Based on the odometer reading in 66 exterior lighting complaints. 86% were reported before 100,000 miles.

median0k50k100k150k200k+
10under 30k miles57under 100k miles9100k miles or more
Owner-reported costs

What owners say repairs cost

Dollar amounts owners wrote in their complaints when describing a repair or a quote. These are not price estimates; a system is shown only when at least 8 owners mentioned a cost.

Exterior lighting

9 owners mentioned a cost

$2,000median

Middle half: $900 – $2,950

If a problem is covered by a recall, the dealer fixes it for free. Some manufacturers also reimburse owners who paid for a repair before a recall was announced.

Best & worst years

2006 vs. every other DTS year

Bars show complaints per model year. Colors show the CarFlaw verdict: complaints weighted for crashes, fires and injuries, adjusted for years on the road and compared with the DTS median. How we score

'05'06'07'08'09'10'11
  • Avoid
  • Caution
  • Solid
  • Best
  • Not rated
NHTSA crash tests

2006 Cadillac DTS safety ratings

2006 Cadillac DTS 4-DR w/SAB in NHTSA's New Car Assessment Program. Photos are from NHTSA's crash tests.

2006 Cadillac DTS frontal crash test, NHTSA
Frontal crashNot rated
2006 Cadillac DTS side barrier test, NHTSA
Side barrierNot rated
  • Stability control: Optional
  • Forward collision warning: No
  • Lane departure warning: No
1 investigation

NHTSA defect investigations

Federal investigations that included the 2006 Cadillac DTS, and the recalls they led to.

  1. NON-CRASH ENGINE COMPARTMENT FIRESEA08010 · closed Sep 8, 2008
    Led to recall 08V-441
In owners' words

What DTS owners report

Recent exterior lighting complaints filed with NHTSA, shortened. Personal details are removed.

While driving at night in July, 2023 on [XXX], both headlights began to go out intermittently but not simultaneously. Continued driving for approximately 3 hours to final destination. Took to local Cadillac dealer for diagnostics (Invoice [XXX]) and after dialogue with dealer had both assemblies…
Complaint 11577865 · Mar 17, 2024
Driving at night on I-29 South and headlights went off intermittently but not simultaneously. Headlamps continued intermittent cut-out until reached destination (approx 3 hours later). As a safety issue for driving while dark, had both assemblies replaced at Cadillac dealer for approx $3,950.00.…
Complaint 11577860 · Mar 17, 2024
I BOUGHT THIS CAR, AND THE STEERING WHEEL CONTROLS(AUDIO/CRUISE CONTROL) HAVE NOT WORKED, PRIOR OWNER WAS ADVISED TO REPLACE THE BCM. FRONT DRIVER'S HEADLIGHT INTERMITTENTLY GOES ON AND OFF WHEN DRIVING. THE STEERING WHEEL SWITCH TO ADJUST THE HEIGHT, ANGLE, AND SETTINGS FOR EACH DRIVER ALSO ARE…
Complaint 11398595 · Mar 1, 2021 · 58,000 miles

Own a 2006 DTS?

Decode your VIN to see the recalls for your exact car, then confirm open recalls with NHTSA.