U.S. public vehicle records

2008 Cadillac STS: complaints, problems and recalls

Explore the records behind recurring owner reports.

Key facts

50 owner complaints analyzed

1 distinct recall campaigns

57,500 mi median reported failure mileage

Scope: 2008 model year. Data snapshot: 2026-09-12 (September 12, 2026). 43 complaints include usable failure mileage.

Owner-reported patterns

Most common problems

Air Bags is the most frequently named component, appearing in 9 of 50 complaints (18.0%). A complaint can name multiple components.

Recurring terms in complaint narratives
Topic	Matching reports	Share of complaints
Braking behavior	9	18.0%
Steering behavior	6	12.0%
Engine operation	3	6.0%
Transmission and shifting	2	4.0%
Electrical and battery issues	2	4.0%
Fuel system concerns	1	2.0%

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.

Air Bags

Engine

Electrical System

Power Train

Steering

Fuel/Propulsion System

Unknown Or Other

Electronic Stability Control (Esc)

Air Bags: 9; Engine: 9; Electrical System: 7; Power Train: 5; Steering: 5; Fuel/Propulsion System: 4; Unknown Or Other: 4; Electronic Stability Control (Esc): 3

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: 13; 25,000 to 49,999: 6; 50,000 to 74,999: 4; 75,000 to 99,999: 9; 100,000 to 149,999: 5; 150,000 and above: 6

Under 25,000 miles has the most reports with usable mileage (13). 7 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.

2008

2009

2010

2011

2012

2014

2015

2016

2017

2018

2019

2021

2022

2025

2008: 2; 2009: 5; 2010: 7; 2011: 3; 2012: 1; 2014: 8; 2015: 7; 2016: 4; 2017: 3; 2018: 3; 2019: 4; 2021: 1; 2022: 1; 2025: 1

Pattern summary

Air Bags leads the component reports. Braking behavior appears in 9 complaint narratives. Steering behavior appears in 6 complaint narratives. Engine operation appears in 3 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.

Examples from the source records

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

Owner report 10225053 · 2008-04-10 (April 10, 2008)

2008 CADILLAC SEVILLE WITH SEVERAL PROBLEMS. CONSUMER STATES THAT THESE ARE SOME OF THE PROBLEMS. MOLDINGS WERE NOT INSTALLED, CHECK ENGINE LIGHT ILLUMINATED, CATALYTIC CONVERTER, RPM'S RAN HIGH, AND HAD AN ODD ODOR. *KB THE ENGINE LIGHT ILLUMINATING WAS DUE TO A BAD CATALYTIC CONVERTER. *JB

Owner-reported narrative. Look up ODI 10225053 at NHTSA ↗

Owner report 10248148 · 2008-11-06 (November 6, 2008)

2008 CADILLAC STS AIR BAG INDICATOR LIGHT HAS A MALFUNCTION. *NJ THE CONSUMER STATED WHEN HIS 100LB WIFE SAT IN THE PASSENGER SEAT, THE AIR BAG LIGHT SOMETIMES STAYED ON, BUT MOST TIMES IT WAS OFF. THE DEALER HAS TRIED TO FIX THE PROBLEM 3 TIMES. THE DEALER REPLACED THE ENTIRE SEAT WHICH STILL DID NOT RESOLVE THE PROBLEM. FINALLY, THEY SAID NOTHING WAS WRONG. THE DEALER SENT THE CONSUMER A GM FLYER THAT EXPLAINED THE COMPUTER IN THE VEHICLE MADE THE DECISION AS TO WHEN THE AIR BAG LIGHT SHOULD BE ON. *JB

Owner-reported narrative. Look up ODI 10248148 at NHTSA ↗

Owner report 10262536 · 2009-03-20 (March 20, 2009)

TL*THE CONTACT OWNS A 2008 CADILLAC STS. 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 INFORMED THE DEALER THAT HE WANTED THE VEHICLE INSPECTED TO FIND OUT WHY THE AIR BAGS FAILED. THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOTIFIED. A POLICE REPORT WAS FILED. THE FAILURE AND CURRENT MILEAGES WERE 10,000.

Owner-reported narrative. 10,000 miles reported. Look up ODI 10262536 at NHTSA ↗

Owner report 10289747 · 2009-10-25 (October 25, 2009)

PURCHASED 2008 CADILLAC STS IN DECEMBER 2008, SINCE PURCHASED I HAVE REPLACED 6 RIMS DUE TO CRACKING. DAMAGES HAVE BEEN BECAUSE OF POTHOLES OR SPEED BUMPS, COASTING $900 AT GM. *TR

Owner-reported narrative. 13,459 miles reported. Look up ODI 10289747 at NHTSA ↗

Owner report 10290128 · 2009-10-28 (October 28, 2009)

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2008 CADILLAC STS. WHILE DRIVING APPROXIMATELY BETWEEN 55-60 MPH ON NORMAL ROAD CONDITIONS; THE "ENGINE" WARNING LIGHT ILLUMINATED ON THE INSTRUMENT PANEL. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO AN AUTHORIZED DEALER FOR DIAGNOSTIC TESTING. THE TECHNICIAN WAS UNABLE TO DUPLICATE THE FAILURE. RECENTLY, THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO AN AUTHORIZE DEALER FOR INSPECTION FOR AN IDENTICAL FAILURE. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 3,200. THE CURRENT MILEAGE WAS 3,400. UPDATED12/11/09 *BF UPDATED 12/14/09.*JB

Owner-reported narrative. 3,200 miles reported. Look up ODI 10290128 at NHTSA ↗

Owner report 10294126 · 2009-12-01 (December 1, 2009)

OWN A 2008STS V --ON MAKING A RIGHT TURN FROM A STOP,THE CAR LOST POWER WITH NO ERROR MESSAGES,AND FULL ELECTRICAL POWER.WOULD SURGE TO ABOUT 3 MPH--GOT TO A SPOT WHERE I COULD TURN CAR OFF.STARETED IT UP AND THE CAR WAS FINE.DEALER UNABLE TO DIAGNOSE PROBELM.FEEL ITS UNSAFE TO DRIVE AND AM PUSHING THE DEALER TO CONTACT GM ENGINEERING AND FIND OUT WHAT COULD CAUSE THAT. *TR

Owner-reported narrative. 18,000 miles reported. Look up ODI 10294126 at NHTSA ↗

Owner report 10295247 · 2009-12-10 (December 10, 2009)

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2008 CADILLAC STS. DURING INSPECTION A TECHNICIAN STATED THAT ALL BRAKE PADS AND ROTORS NEEDED TO BE REPLACED. NO REPAIRS WERE MADE. THE CURRENT AND FAILURE MILEAGES WERE 28900.

Owner-reported narrative. 28,900 miles reported. Look up ODI 10295247 at NHTSA ↗

Owner report 10311775 · 2010-02-18 (February 18, 2010)

TL*THE CONTACT OWNS A 2008 CADILLAC STS. THE CONTACT STATED THAT AS HE WAS DRIVING 13 MPH HIS ACCELERATOR PEDAL STUCK TO THE FLOOR AND THE VEHICLE ACCELERATED TO A HIGHER SPEED. THE CONTACT HAD TO USE HIS KILL SWITCH TO TURN TO STOP THE ACCELERATION AND TURN THE VEHICLE OFF. THE CONTACT WAS ABLE TO DRIVE THE VEHICLE HOME AFTER THE FAILURE OCCURRED AND HE NOTIFIED THE MANUFACTURER. HE WAS TOLD THAT THEY WOULD SEND A REPRESENTATIVE TO CHECK INTO THE FAILURE BUT NO ONE HAS CALLED HIM. THERE WAS NO MAINTENANCE PERFORMED ON THE VEHICLE PRIOR TO THE …

Owner-reported narrative. 9,354 miles reported. Look up ODI 10311775 at NHTSA ↗

Recall history

1 distinct campaigns affect this selection. Announcement dates below are different from vehicle model years. A campaign may cover multiple years.

08V108000 · Exterior Lighting

Reported: 2008-03-11 (March 11, 2008)

GM IS RECALLING 4,586 MY 2008 CADILLAC STS AND STS-V PASSENGER VEHICLES FOR FAILING TO CONFORM TO THE REQUIREMENTS OF FEDERAL MOTOR VEHICLE SAFETY STANDARD NO. 138, 'TIRE PRESSURE MONITORING SYSTEMS' (TPMS). THE STANDARD REQUIRES AN INDICATION TO THE DRIVER FOR CERTAIN TPMS MALFUNCTIONS. WHEN THE SYSTEM DETECTS A MALFUNCTION, THE LOW TIRE WARNING LIGHT SHOULD FLASH FOR ABOUT ONE MINUTE AND THEN STAY ON THE REMAINDER OF THE IGNITION CYCLE. A DRIVER INFORMATION CENTER MESSAGE WILL ALSO BE DISPLAYED ON THE INSTRUMENT PANEL.

Consequence: THESE INDICATIONS OF A SYSTEM MALFUNCTION DO NOT WORK. PREMATURE TIRE FAILURE COULD RESULT IN A LOSS OF CONTROL OF THE VEHICLE, INCREASING THE RISK OF A CRASH.

Remedy: DEALERS WILL REPROGRAM THE REMOTE CONTROL DOOR LOCK RECEIVER MODULE FREE OF CHARGE. THE RECALL BEGAN ON MARCH 18, 2008. OWNERS MAY CONTACT CADILLAC AT 1-800-982-2339 OR THROUGH THEIR WEBSITE AT <A HREF=HTTP://WWW.GMOWNERCENTER.COM>HTTP://WWW.GMOWNERCENTER.COM</A> .

NHTSA campaign record ↗