AI Damage2007 Cadillac CTS: common problems
Owners of the 2007 Cadillac CTS filed 217 complaints with NHTSA, most often about air bags and service brakes. Details by component below, with sources.
Key figures
- Owner complaints
- 217
- involving a crash
- 26
What fails most often
- 1 Air bags 29% of all complaints
- 2 Service brakes 27% of all complaints
- 3 Electrical system 19% of all complaints
- 4 Powertrain 15% of all complaints
- 5 Engine 10% of all complaints
- 6 Steering 7% of all complaints
- 7 Engine and cooling 4% of all complaints
- 8 Structure 4% of all complaints
- Air bags: 64 complaints (29% of all), 15 of them with a crash reported by the owner.
- Service brakes: 59 complaints (27% of all), 11 of them with a crash reported by the owner.
- Electrical system: 41 complaints (19% of all), 5 of them with a crash reported by the owner.
- Powertrain: 33 complaints (15% of all), 2 of them with a crash reported by the owner.
- Engine: 22 complaints (10% of all), 1 of them with a crash reported by the owner.
Engines and transmissions
US-market versions per EPA. On the right: how many NHTSA complaints name this engine or transmission type.
- 2.8 L · petrol · 6 cyl
- 3.6 L · petrol · 6 cyl
- 6 L · petrol · 8 cyl
- automatic, 5-speed
- manual, 6-speed
Drive: RWD
Symptoms owners describe
How many of the 217 NHTSA complaints mention each symptom (automatic count from complaint text; one complaint can mention several).
Components owners complain about
| Component | Owner complaints | involving a crash | Technical service bulletins (TSB) |
|---|---|---|---|
| Air bags | 64 | 15 | 0 |
| Service brakes | 59 | 11 | 0 |
| Electrical system | 41 | 5 | 0 |
| Powertrain | 33 | 2 | 0 |
| Engine | 22 | 1 | 0 |
| Steering | 16 | 6 | 0 |
| Engine and cooling | 8 | 0 | 0 |
| Structure | 8 | 0 | 0 |
| Vehicle speed control | 8 | 2 | 0 |
| Fuel/propulsion system | 6 | 0 | 0 |
| Suspension | 6 | 1 | 0 |
| Visibility | 6 | 0 | 0 |
| Exterior lighting | 5 | 0 | 0 |
| Equipment | 4 | 0 | 0 |
What owners report
Short excerpts of NHTSA complaints in the original wording. These are owner statements not verified by NHTSA; personal data removed.
The air bags failed to deploy, and the contact hit the chest and head against the steering wheel. The contact immediately went to the hospital and was provided medical assistance. The contact sustained contusions on the chest and on the head, and the contact sustained bruises on the left and right legs.
The contact stated while driving 30 mph, the ignition switch failed, and the steering wheel locked causing the contact to lose control of the vehicle. The vehicle crashed on the driver's side on-ramp. There was no warning light illuminated.
The contact mentioned that he was not aware of any warning lights illuminated because the failure. A police report was filed. The vehicle was towed to symes cadillac, [address], pasadena, [ZIP], and was diagnosed.
While driving approximately 15 mph, the vehicle independently surged at a high rate of speed while making a left turn to go into the oppposite direction. The contact applied extreme force to the brake pedal, but the vehicle continued at a high rate of speed and crashed into a tree.
In addition, the vehicle experienced a loss of steering and the brake pedal was depressed, but failed to respond. As a result, the contact crashed into a tree. A police report was filed. The contact sustained a neck injury and pain to the right knee and foot that required medical attention.
The contact stated that the air bags failed to deploy. A police report was filed and no injuries were reported. The vehicle was towed to an independent mechanic and the vehicle was serviced under nhtsa campaign number: 10v644000 (air bags) but the remedy failed to repair the vehicle.
The air bags failed to deploy. A police report was filed. The contact sustained a shoulder and neck injury that did not require medical attention. The vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired.
The contact stated that the vehicle accelerated independently and the brakes failed to stop the vehicle. As a result, the vehicle crashed into two different vehicles and landed into a ditch. A police report was filed and two of the occupants sustained injuries.
When owners complained
NHTSA complaints by filing year. The peak shows at what age the problems show up most.
Comparison
By complaint count this model year ranks 1,863 of 36,656 model years in the NHTSA data (top 5% most complained about).
On average one model year of the CTS has 131 complaints (17 years in the data). This year has 217, above average.
What to check before buying
- Air bags. Check the SRS light, stored codes and airbag/curtain status after any impact.
- Service brakes. Pedal feel, ABS operation, leaks, discs and hoses.
- Electrical system. Scan all modules, test the battery and alternator, inspect connectors near the impact zone.
- Powertrain. Shift quality under load, harsh shifts, transmission codes, CV joints.
Other years of this model
- CTS 2003313 sources
- CTS 2004224 sources
- CTS 2005277 sources
- CTS 2006269 sources
- CTS 2008175 sources
- CTS 2009168 sources
- CTS 201067 sources
- CTS 2011101 sources
- CTS 201265 sources
- CTS 201373 sources
- CTS 2014146 sources
- CTS 201549 sources
- CTS 20161,161 sources
- CTS 2017968 sources
- CTS 2018719 sources
- CTS 2019675 sources
Questions and answers
What are the most common problems with the 2007 Cadillac CTS?
Owner complaints to NHTSA most often mention: air bags, service brakes, electrical system. Total complaints: 217. The most frequent symptoms in complaint texts: airbag warning light (17%), warning lights, check engine (15%), brake failure (7%).
How many service bulletins (TSB) were issued for the 2007 Cadillac CTS?
NHTSA lists 0 manufacturer service bulletins for this year. A bulletin tells dealers how to diagnose or fix a known issue; it is not a recall.
Should I buy a 2007 Cadillac CTS from a US auction?
Owner complaints describe defects, not crash damage. Before bidding, check the components listed above and review the lot photos: VinWind builds a report of visible and hidden damage by VIN.
Other 2007 models
Read also
Sources: public NHTSA data (USA): service bulletins and owner complaints; YouTube: links to videos credited to their authors. Complaints are owner statements not verified by NHTSA, and describe defects rather than crash damage. Data updated 2026-11-05.