U.S. public vehicle records

2009 Cadillac CTS problems and owner complaints

Explore the records behind recurring owner reports.

Key facts

167 owner complaints analyzed

5 distinct recall campaigns

65,153 mi median reported failure mileage

Scope: 2009 model year. Data snapshot: 2026-09-12 (September 12, 2026). 129 complaints include usable failure mileage.

Owner-reported patterns

Most common problems

Engine is the most frequently named component, appearing in 49 of 167 complaints (29.3%). A complaint can name multiple components.

Recurring terms in complaint narratives
Topic	Matching reports	Share of complaints
Braking behavior	22	13.2%
Steering behavior	17	10.2%
Transmission and shifting	15	9.0%
Electrical and battery issues	9	5.4%
Engine operation	8	4.8%
Fuel system concerns	7	4.2%

Topic matches use published keyword rules. They describe mentions, including negations or comparisons, and do not confirm a diagnosis. Read the matching rules.

Component breakdown

Number of unique complaints naming each component. Top eight shown.

Engine

Electrical System

Power Train

Air Bags

Steering

Vehicle Speed Control

Unknown Or Other

Fuel/Propulsion System

Engine: 49; Electrical System: 25; Power Train: 22; Air Bags: 13; Steering: 12; Vehicle Speed Control: 11; Unknown Or Other: 10; Fuel/Propulsion System: 9

Reported problems by failure mileage

Complaint counts in mileage bands. These are not failure rates per vehicle or mile.

Under 25,000

25,000 to 49,999

50,000 to 74,999

75,000 to 99,999

100,000 to 149,999

150,000 and above

Under 25,000: 32; 25,000 to 49,999: 18; 50,000 to 74,999: 29; 75,000 to 99,999: 26; 100,000 to 149,999: 23; 150,000 and above: 1

Under 25,000 miles has the most reports with usable mileage (32). 38 complaints have missing, zero or invalid mileage.

Complaints over time

Year the complaint was filed, not the vehicle model year or incident year. The snapshot year is partial.

2009

2010

2011

2012

2013

2014

2015

2016

2017

2018

2019

2020

2022

2023

2024

2025

2009: 8; 2010: 19; 2011: 9; 2012: 2; 2013: 4; 2014: 21; 2015: 21; 2016: 22; 2017: 11; 2018: 15; 2019: 17; 2020: 5; 2022: 3; 2023: 5; 2024: 3; 2025: 2

Pattern summary

Engine leads the component reports. Braking behavior appears in 22 complaint narratives. Steering behavior appears in 17 complaint narratives. Transmission and shifting appears in 15 complaint narratives. Use these patterns to inspect individual reports and prepare questions for a mechanic.

Calculated from recorded counts. An AI narrative has not been published for this selection.

Complaint evidence

Examples provide context, not a representative sample or a verified diagnosis.

Owner report 10289628 · 2009-10-26 (October 26, 2009)

2009 CADILLAC CTS HAS BRAKE PROBLEMS. *NJ THE CONSUMER STATED WHEN HE ATTEMPTED TO APPLY THE BRAKES, THE VEHICLE CONTINUED TO ACCELERATE. ON SEVERAL OCCASIONS, THE CONSUMER WENT THROUGH AN INTERSECTION, BECAUSE HE WAS UNABLE TO STOP THE VEHICLE. THE DRIVER SIDE MIRROR VIBRATED OUT OF POSITION. THE DEALER FOUND A CLIP BROKEN INSIDE THE MIRROR HOUSING. *JB

Owner-reported narrative. 1,286 miles reported. Look up ODI 10289628 at NHTSA ↗

Owner report 10299993 · 2010-01-16 (January 16, 2010)

EVER SINCE I TOOK DELIVERY OF MY 2009 CTS THE BRAKES HAVE SQUEALED. CADILLAC DEALER REPLACED BRAKE PADS BUT SAID CADILLAC IS AWARE OF PROBLEM BUT HAS NO REMEDY AS YET. THIS IS OCCURRING ON A DAILY BASIS WITH NO REMEDY OR CONTACT FROM THE DEALER OR CADILLAC WHEN TO EXPECT A FIX. *TR

Owner-reported narrative. 50 miles reported. Look up ODI 10299993 at NHTSA ↗

Owner report 10323183 · 2010-04-06 (April 6, 2010)

2009 CADILLAC CTS *GR THE CONSUMER STATED FROM TIME TO TIME, WHILE WAITING FOR A RED LIGHT TO CHANGE WITH HIS FOOT ON THE BRAKE, THE VEHICLE WOULD SUDDENLY SURGE INTO THE INTERSECTION ALMOST CAUSING AN ACCIDENT OR WHEN PARKING AND SHIFTING FROM REVERSE INTO DRIVE, THE VEHICLE WOULD SUDDENLY SURGE FORWARD. THE CONSUMER HAS TAKEN THE VEHICLE TO THE DEALER SEVERAL TIMES, BUT THEY WERE UNABLE TO DUPLICATE THE PROBLEM. THE CONSUMER ALSO STATED THE STEERING WHEEL LOCKED WHICH MADE IT IMPOSSIBLE FOR HIM TO TURN THE IGNITION ON. ON THREE OCCASIONS, HE…

Owner-reported narrative. Look up ODI 10323183 at NHTSA ↗

Owner report 10329086 · 2010-05-06 (May 6, 2010)

VIBRATION IN STEERING WHEEL, FLOOR AND SEATS. ALSO A THUMPING SOUND COMING FROM TIRES DURING THE FIRST FEW MILES OF DRIVING. AT TIMES THE VIBRATION IS SO BAD YOU CAN SEE THE STEERING WHEEL SHIMMY FROM SIDE TO SIDE. THE DEALERSHIP REPLACED TWO OF THE OEM MICHELIN TIRES WHICH DID NOT RESOLVE THE PROBLEM. THEN THEY FORCE ROAD BALANCED THE TIRES A COUPLE OF TIMES, AGAIN DID NOT RESOLVE THE PROBLEM. DEALERSHIP NOW STATING THEY CANNOT DUPLICATE THE PROBLEM. *TR

Owner-reported narrative. 5,000 miles reported. Look up ODI 10329086 at NHTSA ↗

Owner report 10266317 · 2009-04-21 (April 21, 2009)

WHEN DRIVING A 2009 CADILLAC CTS THE CAR GENERATES A DRONE, BOOM AND VIBRATION. THIS HAPPENS WHEN ACCELERATING TO OR DRIVING AT HIGHWAY SPEEDS. I BOUGHT THE CAR NEW AND THERE HAS BEEN A PROBLEM HAS BEEN WITH THIS CAR SINCE I TOOK DELIVERY FROM THE CADILLAC DEALER. GM HAS ISSUED A SERVICE BULLETIN (#08-07-30-044B) TO INSTALL RUBBER INSULATORS AND REPROGRAM THE TRANSMISSION CONTROL MODULE. THIS "FIX" DID NOT HELP. IT ONLY MOVED THE ONSET OF THE VIBRATION TO A HIGHER RPM/SPEED. WHEN THE VIBRATION OCCURS THE CAR DOES NOT FEEL SAFE. I AM NOT SURE IF…

Owner-reported narrative. 45 miles reported. Look up ODI 10266317 at NHTSA ↗

Owner report 10320888 · 2010-03-17 (March 17, 2010)

LTR FWD FM ON BEHALF OF (NC) RE DEFECTIVE BATTERY OR ELECTRICAL PROBLEM WITH HER CADILLAC PER CADILLAC'S DOCUMENT ID #2220774, #PIC4979B. *TGW 2009 CADILLAC CTS. ON TWO SEPARATE OCCASIONS, THE CONSUMER RETURNED FROM OUT OF TOWN TRIPS TO FIND SHE WAS UNABLE TO GAIN ENTRY TO OR START THE VEHICLE. ON EACH OCCASION, THE VEHICLE REMAINED PARKED IN THE GARAGE OF HER RESIDENCE FOR A PERIOD OF TWO TO THREE WEEKS RESPECTIVELY. EACH INCIDENT REQUIRED ROADSIDE SERVICE TO TRANSPORT THE VEHICLE TO THE DEALERSHIP. THE ROOT CAUSE OF THE MALFUNCTION SEEMED…

Owner-reported narrative. Look up ODI 10320888 at NHTSA ↗

Owner report 10396273 · 2011-04-10 (April 10, 2011)

ELECTRICAL CONNECTOR ON THE FRONT RIGHT HEADLAMP MELTED AND PREVENTED THE USE OF THE HEADLIGHT. SECOND INCIDENT IN 8 MONTHS, WITH THE FIRST OCCURRING ON THE LEFT FRONT HEADLAMP. DEALER BLAMED INCIDENT ON HEAT GENERATED BY THE HALOGEN HEADLAMP.

Owner-reported narrative. 27,248 miles reported. Look up ODI 10396273 at NHTSA ↗

Owner report 10562160 · 2014-01-30 (January 30, 2014)

INDICATOR LIGHT CAME AND HAD A NOTIFICATION THAT A LOSS OF POWER WOULD HAPPEN. JUST BARELY LIMPED HOME. *TR

Owner-reported narrative. 70,000 miles reported. Look up ODI 10562160 at NHTSA ↗

Owner report 10568392 · 2014-03-12 (March 12, 2014)

2009 CADILLAC CTS. CONSUMER WRITES IN REGARDS TO VEHICLE VIBRATION/UNEXPECTED LOSS OF POWER AND TRANSMISSION SHIFTING AND ACCELERATION PROBLEMS. *SMD THE CONSUMER STATED THE VEHICLE BEGAN SHIFTING GEARS ERRATICALLY, VIBRATING AND LACKED POWER. THE CONDITION APPEARED IRREGULAR AND FOR SOME TIME, NO TROUBLE LIGHT APPEARED. ONCE A LIGHT FINALLY APPEARED, THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO A CADILLAC DEALER WHO DETERMINED THAT ALL THE IGNITION COILS ON ONE SIDE OF THE ENGINE WERE DEFECTIVE. THE SERVICE REPRESENTATIVE EXPLAINED THAT WHEN ONE OR MORE IGNITI…

Owner-reported narrative. Look up ODI 10568392 at NHTSA ↗

Owner report 10352577 · 2010-08-29 (August 29, 2010)

CADILLAC CTS, 2009 MODEL YEAR. PLACED THE CAR IN "PARK" AND TRIED TO TURN THE IGNITION OFF. KEY WOULD NOT TURN TO "OFF" POSITION. ENGINE KEPT RUNNING. KEY COULD NOT BE REMOVED FROM THE IGNITION. THE SERVICE TECHNICIAN SAID THAT HE HAS ENCOUNTERED SIMILAR OCCURRENCE WITH MANY 2009, 2010 CTS VEHICLES. MY FATHER DISABLED THE ENGINE BY REMOVING THE FUEL PUMP FUSE LOCATED IN THE REAR TRUNK OF THE VEHICLE. THE CAR WAS TOWED TO A CADILLAC DEALER FOR REPAIR. THIS IS A DANGEROUS CIRCUMSTANCE. IF THERE WERE AN ENGINE FIRE, ONE COULD NOT "TURN-O…

Owner-reported narrative. 17,948 miles reported. Look up ODI 10352577 at NHTSA ↗

Owner report 10781172 · 2015-10-09 (October 9, 2015)

STRONG SMELL OF GASOLINE WAS COMING FROM THE CAR WHILE DRIVING AND WHILE STATIONARY. TOOK CAR TO BE CHECKED OUT AND LEARNED THAT A CRACK AND LEAK WAS IN THE PLASTIC SUPPLY LINE OF THE FUEL PUMP MODULE. THIS CAUSED FUEL TO SPILL AND SETTLE ON TOP OF THE FUEL TANK WHICH CREATED A DANGEROUS CONDITION AND POSSIBLE FIRE.

Owner-reported narrative. 105,000 miles reported. Look up ODI 10781172 at NHTSA ↗