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2006 Cadillac STSProblems, recalls & complaints

NHTSA has logged 139 owner complaints about the 2006 Cadillac STS, most often about the air bags. It is covered by 4 safety recalls, and for recall 14V-542 the manufacturer reports only 51% of affected cars repaired.

2006 Cadillac STS
34
CarFlaw IndexUse caution2.0× the STS median · #1 of 8 years by complaints
Safety recalls4Lowest repair rate 51%Owner complaints13935 with a crash, fire or injuryTypical failure mileage70kAir bags, median miles

Source: NHTSA complaints, recalls, investigations and manufacturer recall reports, through December 19, 2023. Updated daily. Photo: No machine-readable author provided. Sfoskett~commonswiki assumed (based on copyright claims)., CC BY-SA 3.0.

Complaints by system

Where the 2006 Cadillac STS has problems

139 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
Air bags5715
Electrical system214
Engine204
Fuel/propulsion system183
Power train131
Engine and engine cooling82
Electronic stability control (ESC)81
Seats61
Vehicle speed control61
14 other systems319

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

4 recalls

2006 Cadillac STS 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.

51%repaired · 2016 Q4

Delivery: fuel pump

Recall 14V-542 · Sep 9, 2014 · 10,005 vehicles · 5,059 repaired

Risk. If the flange melts, a hole may be created allowing the fuel pump to leak fuel, causing the vehicle to stall, increasing the risk of a vehicle crash.

Problem, fix and repair progress →

–no report yet

Axle shaft: seal

Recall 07V-589 · Dec 20, 2007 · 275,936 vehicles

Risk. A REAR DIFFERENTIAL FAILURE MAY CAUSE LOSS OF MOTIVE POWER AND POSSIBLY LOSS OF CONTROL INCREASING THE RISK OF A CRASH.

Problem, fix and repair progress →

–no report yet

Fuel system, gasoline: delivery

Recall 06V-020 · Jan 25, 2006 · 17,462 vehicles

Risk. IF THE ENGINE STOPS RUNNING, THE OPERATOR WILL NOT BE ABLE TO RESTART THE VEHICLE WHICH COULD INCREASE THE RISK OF A CRASH.

Problem, fix and repair progress →

–no report yet

Vehicle speed control

Recall 06V-007 · Jan 13, 2006 · 1,327 vehicles

Risk. WITHOUT THESE FUNCTIONS ENABLED, A PERSISTENT ECM FAILURE COULD RESULT IN A THROTTLE OPENING GREATER THAN COMMANDED BY THE DRIVER AND A CRASH COULD OCCUR.

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 air bags problems start?

70kmiles, median

Based on the odometer reading in 49 air bags complaints. 76% were reported before 100,000 miles.

median0k50k100k150k200k+
7under 30k miles37under 100k miles12100k 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.

Air bags

10 owners mentioned a cost

$950median

Middle half: $858 – $1,000

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 STS 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 STS median. How we score

'99'00'01'02'03'04'05'06'07'08'09'10'11
  • Avoid
  • Caution
  • Solid
  • Best
  • Not rated
NHTSA crash tests

2006 Cadillac STS safety ratings

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

  • Stability control: Standard
  • Forward collision warning: No
  • Lane departure warning: No
1 investigation

NHTSA defect investigations

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

  1. FAILURE OF THE REAR DIFFERENTIALPE07037 · closed Dec 27, 2007
    Led to recall 07V-589
In owners' words

What STS owners report

Recent air bags complaints filed with NHTSA, shortened. Personal details are removed.

I UNDERSTAND THAT 2006 CADILLAC CTS HAS A RECALL FOR AIRBAG PROBLEMS. CADILLAC DOESN'T DENY THAT THE SAME SYSTEM WAS USED IN THE STS. I'VE SEEN SEVERAL COMPLAINTS ABOUT THE SAME PROBLEM. I JUST WONDER WHY THE STS WAS NOT RECALLED. I KNEW THERE WAS NO WARRANTY, AND THAT'S WHY I CONTACTED CADILLAC.…
Complaint 11280319 · Nov 15, 2019 · 35,385 miles
TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2006 CADILLAC STS. THE CONTACT STATED THAT THE AIR BAG WARNING INDICATOR ILLUMINATED AND REMAINED LIT. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO AN INDEPENDENT MECHANIC, BUT THE CAUSE OF THE FAILURE COULD NOT BE DIAGNOSED. THE DEALER WAS NOT CONTACTED. THE MANUFACTURER WAS CONTACTED AND…
Complaint 11067371 · Feb 7, 2018 · 110,000 miles
TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2006 CADILLAC STS. THE CONTACT STATED THAT THE PASSENGER SIDE AIR BAG WARNING INDICATOR ILLUMINATED INTERMITTENTLY. THE DEALER AND MANUFACTURER WERE NOT NOTIFIED. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS APPROXIMATELY 100,000.
Complaint 11058351 · Jan 3, 2018 · 100,000 miles

Own a 2006 STS?

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