AI Damage2011 Cadillac STS: common problems
Owners of the 2011 Cadillac STS filed 7 complaints with NHTSA, most often about electrical system and service brakes. Details by component below, with sources.
Key figures
- Owner complaints
- 7
- involving a crash
- 1
What fails most often
- 1 Electrical system 43% of all complaints
- 2 Service brakes 29% of all complaints
- 3 Exterior lighting 14% of all complaints
- 4 Seat belts 14% of all complaints
- 5 Steering 14% of all complaints
- 6 Vehicle speed control 14% of all complaints
- Electrical system: 3 complaints (43% of all).
- Service brakes: 2 complaints (29% of all).
- Exterior lighting: 1 complaints (14% of all).
- Seat belts: 1 complaints (14% of all), 1 of them with a crash reported by the owner.
- Steering: 1 complaints (14% 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 cyl
- automatic, 6-speed
Drive: RWD, AWD
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) |
|---|---|---|---|
| Electrical system | 3 | 0 | 0 |
| Service brakes | 2 | 0 | 0 |
| Exterior lighting | 1 | 0 | 0 |
| Seat belts | 1 | 1 | 0 |
| Steering | 1 | 0 | 0 |
| Vehicle speed control | 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.
The front passenger seat belt and shoulder attachment device separated which caused the occupant to move forward into the deployed air bag. The passenger sustained a broken right ankle. The vehicle was completely damaged and towed to a savage facility. The manufacturer was not notified of the problem.
The steering wheel became uncontrollable while idle and can't turn the steering wheel without picking up speed. While stopped you can't turn the steering wheel, it's like trying to turn it while the engine is off.
Recently my wife was leaving for work and all of a sudden I felt the house shake. My wife was reversing out of the driveway when she applied the brakes. The pedal was so hard she could not press the pedal down. To avoid a crash she put the car into drive to keep it from going into the street.
2011 cadillac sts. Consumer writes in regards to cruise control activated on its own. Updated 09/17/15 updated 09/21/15. Updated 09/22/15
In addition, the vehicle stalled. The contact was able to restart the vehicle. The vehicle was towed to a dealer. The technician was unable to diagnose or repair the vehicle. The failure recurred on numerous occasions. The manufacturer was notified of the failure. The failure mileage was 20,000.
When I backed out of my carport and applied my brakes it wouldn't stop. I took it to the dealership and they couldn't make the car do it again. The brakes when I back up still does not stop my car intermittently, until I step on brakes 3 or 4 times. This is frightening.
Dash lights fail to come up upon start - sporadic in march 2013, chronic in november to present back up sensors malfunctioning - january 2014 to present power windows go up and down - sporadic jan 2014 cd/radio volume exceptionally high and then re-adjusts itself headlights turn off when they should be on - 2…
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
- Electrical system. Scan all modules, test the battery and alternator, inspect connectors near the impact zone.
- Service brakes. Pedal feel, ABS operation, leaks, discs and hoses.
- Exterior lighting. Headlamps, leveling, sensors and mounts after a frontal hit.
- Seat belts. Belt pretensioners after airbag deployment, SRS codes.
Other years of this model
Questions and answers
What are the most common problems with the 2011 Cadillac STS?
Owner complaints to NHTSA most often mention: electrical system, service brakes, exterior lighting. Total complaints: 7. The most frequent symptoms in complaint texts: headlights and tail lights (14%), infotainment or screen glitches (14%), seat belts (14%).
How many service bulletins (TSB) were issued for the 2011 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 2011 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 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.