10.0

really awful
Crashes / Fires:
0 / 2
Injuries / Deaths:
0 / 0
Average Mileage:
39,986 miles

About These NHTSA Complaints:

This data is from the NHTSA — the US gov't agency tasked with vehicle safety. Complaints are spread across multiple & redundant categories, & are not organized by problem.

So how do you find out what problems are occurring? For this NHTSA complaint data, the only way is to read through the comments below. Any duplicates or errors? It's not us.

2008 Cadillac CTS electrical problems

electrical problem

Find something helpful? Spread the word.
Get notified about new defects, investigations, recalls & lawsuits for the 2008 Cadillac CTS:

Unsubscribe any time. We don't sell/share your email.

2008 Cadillac CTS Owner Comments (Page 2 of 2)

« Read the previous 20 complaints

problem #16

Dec 222014

CTS 6-cyl

  • 84,178 miles

A D V E R T I S E M E N T S

Attempted to start the car while it was parked in the garage, but it would not crank and the dashboard display indicated a problem with the stabilizer. Also, the seats could not be moved, could not place the transmission in neutral, the door would automatically lock, and the lights would flicker off and on. I attempted to use brand new booster cables (positive to positive/negative to negative) at the remote terminals but stopped trying to connect from the charged battery due to sparking as though I was reversing my polar connections; at one point, I saw a flicker of flames and I never started the booster vehicle (12 volt). I had a wrecker attendant to try my booster cables and he attempted to charge with the connection directly to the battery and with the booster car started which created smoke and over heated cables. At the dealership, where the car was taken, I was told the positive cable was useless and the battery had a dead cell. This was very costly. I retrieved my car after about 11 days and parked it directly in the garage. The next day, I attempted to start the car and the same issue surfaced. Had it moved by wrecker again, and I am being told that they jumped the battery and started the car, but had not determine the drain on the battery.

- Killeen, TX, USA

problem #15

Dec 182014

CTS

  • miles
The contact owns a 2008 Cadillac Cts. The contact received a notification of NHTSA campaign number: 14V394000 (electrical system) however, the part to do the repair was unavailable. The contact stated that the manufacturer exceeded a reasonable amount of time for the recall repair. The manufacturer was made aware of the issue. The contact had not experienced a failure.

- Murrells Inlet, SC, USA

problem #14

Dec 022014

CTS 6-cyl

  • Automatic transmission
  • miles
The contact owns a 2008 Cadillac Cts. The contact received a notification for NHTSA campaign id number: 14V394000 (electrical system) and stated that the part needed was unavailable to repair the vehicle. The dealer was unable to inform when the part would become available. The manufacturer was not notified of the issue. The contact had not experienced a failure. Updated 1/7/15

- Port St Lucie, FL, USA

problem #13

Nov 062014

CTS

  • miles

A D V E R T I S E M E N T S

The contact owns a 2008 Cadillac Cts. The contact received a notification for NHTSA campaign number: 14V394000 (electrical system) and stated that the part needed was unavailable to perform the recall repair. The manufacturer was not notified of the issue. The contact had not experienced a failure.

- Union City, TN, USA

problem #12

Nov 052014

CTS

  • miles
The contact owns a 2008 Cadillac Cts. The contact received a notification for NHTSA campaign number: 14V394000 (electrical system). However, the parts needed were unavailable. The dealer was uncertain when the parts would become available. The manufacturer had not been notified of the problem. The contact had not experienced a failure.

- Sterlington, LA, USA

problem #11

Sep 152014

CTS

  • miles
The contact owns a 2008 Cadillac Cts. The contact received a recall notification for NHTSA campaign number: 14V394000 (electrical system); however, the part needed to repair the vehicle was unavailable. The contact stated that the manufacturer exceeded a reasonable amount of time for the recall repair. The manufacturer was notified. The contact had not experienced a failure.

- Connellsville, PA, USA

problem #10

Jun 152014

CTS

  • 72,000 miles

A D V E R T I S E M E N T S

The contact owns a 2008 Cadillac Cts. The contact stated that the vehicle stalled several times intermittently. While traveling on a major highway at an unknown speed, all of the instrument panel indicators illuminated each time the vehicle stalled. The vehicle was able to be restarted after several attempts. The key would also not turn into the on position on several occasions. The windows would roll down on their own on the rear driver and rear passenger side. The vehicle was taken to an authorized dealer more than once, but the dealer was not able to replicate or diagnose the failures. The manufacturer was notified. The vehicle was not repaired. The approximate failure mileage was 72,000.

- Atlanta, GA, USA

problem #9

Sep 012013

CTS

  • miles
For quite some time now I've been experiencing problems with locking/unlocking rear doors. Rear doors will not lock/unlock with keyless entry or front/passenger door pads. I have to manually cling to back to unlock doors. Have purchased several batteries for keyless remote. Due to doors remaining unlocked I cannot auto start vehicle unless I manually lock doors myself. Also computer is not recognizing keyless remote. I have purchased several batteries within the past 8 months. Car always tell me keyless remote not detected. To crank car I have to put keyless remote in middle of console to ignite. Both issues are very annoying and unsafe.

- Milledgeville, GA, USA

problem #8

Sep 282013

CTS 6-cyl

  • 39,806 miles
Total drainage of power battery drained everything comes on but the ignition has no power.

- Channelview, TX, USA

problem #7

Apr 222013

CTS

  • 105,834 miles
There have been multiple electrical problems with the Cts starting with wiring melt down in the front end. Recently, both the driver side and passenger side door latch assembly's went bad resulting in situations where the doors could not be opened from the outside or inside. If there had been an accident, the doors would not have opened and the driver or passenger would not have been able to open them from the inside.

- Chesapeake, VA, USA

problem #6

Jan 242012

CTS 6-cyl

  • 19,000 miles

A D V E R T I S E M E N T S

The contact owns a 2008 Cadillac Cts. The contact stated that the entire center console malfunctioned and all of the electrical components were no longer functional. The contact took the vehicle to the dealer to have the center console replaced. The repair did not remedy the issue. The failure mileage was 19,000.

- Pemberton, NJ, USA

problem #5

Jan 102009

CTS 6-cyl

  • 7,000 miles
The car has had 7 batteries replaced. It has been towed three times to two different dealerships. When the failure occurs the door lock, the engine will not start, lights will not work, the car is completely dead. The last time my wife went one mile and the lights, radio, air conditioning and doors locked and would not open. She could not get the key out of the ignition. The door was opened and the car sat for two hours. When she went back to the car everything worked like nothing happened. She drove home and the next morning the battery was dead. It was towed to the dealership and the odor of burning wiring was obvious. One week later the dealer service department called to inform me that the fuse block was replaced and the radio caused the problem. The car was leased and I just returned it with 17,890 miles. We went out and purchased another car when they said the wiring and fuse block was burnt. We just let it sit in the driveway until the lease run out.

- The Villages, FL, USA

problem #4

Aug 012010

CTS

  • 38,000 miles
Car sometimes doesn't recognize both electronic key-fobs preventing me from unlocking/locking & starting the car because. Problem recurs periodically. Replaced battery but problem keeps happening. Dealer says they cant duplicate problem.

- Palmdale, CA, USA

problem #3

Jun 112010

CTS

  • 25,000 miles
The contact owns a 2008 Cadillac Cts. The contact stated he received notification of NHTSA campaign id number: 10V2400000 (electrical system). The contact was displeased with the remedy associated with the recall. He stated the manufacturer was offering a $100 reimbursement to disconnect the heated washer fluid and the contact stated the component cost much more than $100. The contact believed the remedy to be an unfair reimbursement. The failure and current mileages were approximately 25,000.

- Culloden , WV, USA

problem #2

Jun 102009

CTS 6-cyl

  • Automatic transmission
  • 4,286 miles
6 months ago the contacts 2008 cadilac Cts started jumping forward and stopping. 4 weeks ago the vehicle jerked forward again in traffic and hopped a curb. The vehicle investigated by a cadilac dealer that said nothinig was wrong with the vehicle. Updated 1/14/10 updated 01/15/10.

- Lakeland, FL, USA

problem #1

Apr 162009

CTS

  • 7,800 miles
I own a 2008 Cadillac Cts with AWD. I bought it in December 2007. At around 7000 miles in mid-February 2009 my car would not start. The antitheft device was activated. A roadside assistance technician came out. He said it was a defective battery which he replaced. Three weeks later I tried to start the car & received a dashboard alert that the battery registered low voltage and could not be started. The car was towed to the dealer who worked on it for two days. They told me that "maybe" the computer was being turned on when the car was shut off. Their "maybe" answer made me feel they were just guessing. They told me they had corrected the glitch, charged the battery, told me the battery was fine & that the car should be fine now. Last night, April 15, 2009 at 10:00pm my dashboard alerted me that the battery was too low to start. I called roadside assistance who could not get it started either. On April 16, 2009 at 8:30am I had to have the car towed into the dealership again. The service technician again said my battery must have a defective cell. This is the same battery that they put into the car 6 weeks earlier that they said was "fine". I am now awaiting their "professional" diagnosis. Do you have any other complaints of this type on this vehicle" also do you know if this car can qualify as a lemon under federal & NJ lemon laws"

- Nutley, NJ, USA

Not what you are looking for?