AI Damage2011 Cadillac CTS: common problems
Owners of the 2011 Cadillac CTS filed 101 complaints with NHTSA, most often about air bags and powertrain. Details by component below, with sources.
Key figures
- Owner complaints
- 101
- involving a crash
- 11
What fails most often
- 1 Air bags 23% of all complaints
- 2 Powertrain 22% of all complaints
- 3 Electrical system 20% of all complaints
- 4 Engine 13% of all complaints
- 5 Steering 11% of all complaints
- 6 Structure 9% of all complaints
- 7 Exterior lighting 8% of all complaints
- 8 Service brakes 6% of all complaints
- Air bags: 23 complaints (23% of all), 5 of them with a crash reported by the owner.
- Powertrain: 22 complaints (22% of all), 1 of them with a crash reported by the owner.
- Electrical system: 20 complaints (20% of all), 1 of them with a crash reported by the owner.
- Engine: 13 complaints (13% of all), 1 of them with a crash reported by the owner.
- Steering: 11 complaints (11% 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.
- 3 L · petrol · 6 cyl
- 3.6 L · petrol · 6 cyl
- 6.2 L · petrol · turbo · 8 cyl
- automatic, 6-speed
- manual, 6-speed
Drive: RWD, AWD
Symptoms owners describe
How many of the 101 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 | 23 | 5 | 0 |
| Powertrain | 22 | 1 | 0 |
| Electrical system | 20 | 1 | 0 |
| Engine | 13 | 1 | 0 |
| Steering | 11 | 1 | 0 |
| Structure | 9 | 1 | 0 |
| Exterior lighting | 8 | 0 | 0 |
| Service brakes | 6 | 2 | 0 |
| Vehicle speed control | 6 | 1 | 0 |
| Seats | 4 | 0 | 0 |
| Tires | 4 | 0 | 0 |
| Electronic stability control | 3 | 0 | 0 |
| Wheels | 3 | 0 | 0 |
| Engine and cooling | 2 | 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 contact stated that while driving approximately 30 -35 mph, there was a rattling noise detected from the front end of the vehicle. The brake pedal was applied but, failed to respond and crashed into a 2018 Ford. There were no reported injuries or fire. A police report was filed.
I believe that I might have avoided the accident, but he came out of a right rear blind spot. I often had trouble seeing people back there, and I believe the large right rear blind spot is a design defect. I would like to know if others have complained about the same thing.
The air bags did not deploy. There were no injuries and a police report was filed. The vehicle was towed to suburban cadillac ([address], troy, [ZIP], [phone]), but the cause of the failure was unable to be determined. The manufacturer was notified and did not assist. The failure mileage was 75,000.
The air bags did not deploy. A police report was filed. There were no injuries sustained. The vehicle was towed to an unknown location. Bentley cadillac in florence, [ZIP] was made aware of the crash and stated that an inspector would inspect the vehicle.
The air bags failed to deploy. The contact was injured and was transported to the hospital by ambulance. The contact did not know if a police report was filed. The vehicle was towed. The vin was unknown. The failure mileage was approximately 31,000.
The contact stated that while driving, the engine seized and the brakes failed. As a result the car crashed into an embankment. The contact sustained head and chest injuries that required medical attention. The contact received a notification for recall nhtsa campaign number: 14v394000 (electrical system).
Tl* the contact owns a 2011 cadillac cts. The contact stated that while attempting to reverse out of a parking space, the vehicle would not go into gear. The contact mentioned that once it did the vehicle lunged forward and crash into the side of a building. No injuries were reported and a police report was not filed.
The contact stated that upon inspection underneath the frame rail, the contact became aware that there was rust on both sides of the vehicle. The local dealer was contacted; however, the vehicle was not diagnosed because the VIN was not under recall. The vehicle was not repaired.
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 3,538 of 36,656 model years in the NHTSA data (top 10% most complained about).
On average one model year of the CTS has 131 complaints (17 years in the data). This year has 101, below average.
What to check before buying
- Air bags. Check the SRS light, stored codes and airbag/curtain status after any impact.
- Powertrain. Shift quality under load, harsh shifts, transmission codes, CV joints.
- Electrical system. Scan all modules, test the battery and alternator, inspect connectors near the impact zone.
- Engine. Cold start, unusual noises, oil leaks and engine codes.
Other years of this model
- CTS 2003313 sources
- CTS 2004224 sources
- CTS 2005277 sources
- CTS 2006269 sources
- CTS 2007217 sources
- CTS 2008175 sources
- CTS 2009168 sources
- CTS 201067 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 2011 Cadillac CTS?
Owner complaints to NHTSA most often mention: air bags, powertrain, electrical system. Total complaints: 101. The most frequent symptoms in complaint texts: warning lights, check engine (9%), vibration (7%), headlights and tail lights (6%).
How many service bulletins (TSB) were issued for the 2011 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 2011 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 2011 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.