AI Damage2004 Cadillac STS: common problems
Owners of the 2004 Cadillac STS filed 7 complaints with NHTSA, most often about air bags and electrical system. Details by component below, with sources.
Key figures
- Owner complaints
- 7
- involving a crash
- 1
What fails most often
- 1 Air bags 14% of all complaints
- 2 Electrical system 14% of all complaints
- 3 Engine and cooling 14% of all complaints
- 4 Equipment 14% of all complaints
- 5 Exterior lighting 14% of all complaints
- 6 Fuel/propulsion system 14% of all complaints
- 7 Fuel system 14% of all complaints
- 8 Service brakes 14% of all complaints
- Air bags: 1 complaints (14% of all), 1 of them with a crash reported by the owner.
- Electrical system: 1 complaints (14% of all).
- Engine and cooling: 1 complaints (14% of all).
- Equipment: 1 complaints (14% of all).
- Exterior lighting: 1 complaints (14% of all).
Symptoms owners describe
How many of the 7 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 | 1 | 1 | 0 |
| Electrical system | 1 | 0 | 0 |
| Engine and cooling | 1 | 0 | 0 |
| Equipment | 1 | 0 | 0 |
| Exterior lighting | 1 | 0 | 0 |
| Fuel/propulsion system | 1 | 0 | 0 |
| Fuel system | 1 | 0 | 0 |
| Service brakes | 1 | 0 | 0 |
| Suspension | 1 | 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.
On 12/5/04 I parked our new (561 miles) 2004 cadillac deville at the covered west palm beach airport parking lot. I left on business and returned to the car at 7:30 pm on thursday, 12/9/04. I got into the driver's side, put the key in the ignition and started the car.
The contact received a recall notice regarding the fuel pump module on the vehicle; however, the manufacturer stated that the part was not available. The contact had not experienced the failure, but the notice stated that the failure could cause a fire.
Tl* the contact owns a 2004 cadillac sts. The contact stated that he heard a loud sound on the rear passenger side. The vehicle was taken to a local repair shop who diagnosed that the shock absorber was defective and needed to be replaced.
The first repair was with the fan motor for the air conditioning, which cost $240. The next major repair was the fuel pump, which cost $600. The brakes are next, but that is expected from a three year old vehicle.
Various dash warning lights kept lighting up, but dealer could find no problem with car. The car is a deville .
I was standing at the back of the vehicle (cadillac srx) and I leaned against the back bumper with my leg, and burned my leg on the tailpipe. I was standing "flush" with the bumper, and it burned my leg because it sticks out too far (about 1/2 inch too far) from the bumper.
Both headlights had blind paths, almost opaque, resulting in extremely reduced visibility during night driving. Thus, obstructing consumer's view while driving. Service manager at the dealership indicated that vehicle was operating as designed by the manufacturer. Called nhtsa and filed a complaint with them.
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 12,538 of 36,656 model years in the NHTSA data (top 34% most complained about).
On average one model year of the STS has 31 complaints (14 years in the data). This year has 7, below average.
What to check before buying
- Air bags. Check the SRS light, stored codes and airbag/curtain status after any impact.
- Electrical system. Scan all modules, test the battery and alternator, inspect connectors near the impact zone.
- Engine and cooling. Radiator and fan after a frontal hit, coolant level and condition, overheating.
- Exterior lighting. Headlamps, leveling, sensors and mounts after a frontal hit.
Other years of this model
Questions and answers
What are the most common problems with the 2004 Cadillac STS?
Owner complaints to NHTSA most often mention: air bags, electrical system, engine and cooling. Total complaints: 7. The most frequent symptoms in complaint texts: fuel system, fuel smell (29%), A/C or heater (14%), headlights and tail lights (14%).
How many service bulletins (TSB) were issued for the 2004 Cadillac STS?
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 2004 Cadillac STS 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 2004 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.