AI Damage2008 Cadillac STS: common problems
Owners of the 2008 Cadillac STS filed 50 complaints with NHTSA, most often about air bags and engine. Details by component below, with sources.
Key figures
- Owner complaints
- 50
- involving a crash
- 6
What fails most often
- 1 Air bags 22% of all complaints
- 2 Engine 18% of all complaints
- 3 Electrical system 16% of all complaints
- 4 Powertrain 12% of all complaints
- 5 Steering 10% of all complaints
- 6 Vehicle speed control 10% of all complaints
- 7 Fuel/propulsion system 8% of all complaints
- 8 Electronic stability control 6% of all complaints
- Air bags: 11 complaints (22% of all), 3 of them with a crash reported by the owner.
- Engine: 9 complaints (18% of all).
- Electrical system: 8 complaints (16% of all), 1 of them with a crash reported by the owner.
- Powertrain: 6 complaints (12% of all).
- Steering: 5 complaints (10% of all).
Engines and transmissions
US-market versions per EPA. On the right: how many NHTSA complaints name this engine or transmission type.
- 3.6 L · petrol · 6 cylnamed in 1 complaints
- 4.4 L · petrol · turbo · 8 cyl
- 4.6 L · petrol · 8 cyl
- automatic, 6-speed
Drive: RWD, AWD
Symptoms owners describe
How many of the 50 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 | 11 | 3 | 0 |
| Engine | 9 | 0 | 0 |
| Electrical system | 8 | 1 | 0 |
| Powertrain | 6 | 0 | 0 |
| Steering | 5 | 0 | 0 |
| Vehicle speed control | 5 | 0 | 0 |
| Fuel/propulsion system | 4 | 0 | 0 |
| Electronic stability control | 3 | 1 | 0 |
| Service brakes | 3 | 1 | 0 |
| Engine and cooling | 2 | 0 | 0 |
| Exterior lighting | 2 | 0 | 0 |
| Latches, locks, linkages | 2 | 0 | 0 |
| Suspension | 2 | 0 | 0 |
| Tires | 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.
My husband backed into a post and it lunched him forward, as far as the brakes weren't working. He enter a building thank god no one was hurt. He was in a parking lot.
The car started on fire in the rear of the vehicle and burned pretty bad. I have to get a new car due to the significant damage resulting from the fire, I'm just happy my kids weren't with me at the time. I have herniated and bulging discs in my cervical and lumbar, which were found by mri.
While the driver was driving down a hill into a garage, the brakes failed. The driver lost control of the vehicle and crashed into the garage wall. The driver frontal air bag did not deploy. The driver was not injured. The vehicle was towed to the dealer. Manufacturer report 696083 was filed.
After spending 38 minutes writing about problems with my auto your defective program erased all my narrative. I suggest you hire one of the several thousand capable people who would like to work to replace the incompetent bungler who created this abomination.
While driving 35 mph, the contact was involved in a head-on crash and the air bags failed to deploy. There were no injuries. The vehicle was towed to the dealer and they stated that only the front end was damaged. The vehicle was repaired.
The contact stated that while driving at various speeds, the Service TPMS (Tire Pressure Monitoring System) sensor message and TPMS warning light was illuminated.
I have only 90,000 miles on my vehicle but I've owned it for over 10 years and now the check engine light is illuminated. [dealer] dealer refuses to extend the warranty.
While driving 65 mph on the highway, the vehicle stalled and the check engine indicator illuminated. The contact went to an independent mechanic where the failure could not be diagnosed; however, they turned off the check engine indicator.
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 5,345 of 36,656 model years in the NHTSA data (top 15% most complained about).
On average one model year of the STS has 31 complaints (14 years in the data). This year has 50, above average.
What to check before buying
- Air bags. Check the SRS light, stored codes and airbag/curtain status after any impact.
- Engine. Cold start, unusual noises, oil leaks and engine codes.
- 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
Questions and answers
What are the most common problems with the 2008 Cadillac STS?
Owner complaints to NHTSA most often mention: air bags, engine, electrical system. Total complaints: 50. The most frequent symptoms in complaint texts: warning lights, check engine (26%), steering or power steering problems (8%), airbag warning light (6%).
How many service bulletins (TSB) were issued for the 2008 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 2008 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 2008 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.