Cadillac Sts Reliability
609 NHTSA complaints (1998–2011). Complaint rate: 926.9 per 1,000 vehicles.
Which Years to Buy & Avoid
Years auto-clustered by complaint volume relative to this model's median.
Bottom line: Avoid the 2005–2008 Cadillac Sts (63 crash-related complaints). The 2010–2011 models had significantly fewer reported issues. Most common issue across all years: AIR BAGS.
Avoid These Years
Average
Better Years
A model's reputation is just the start.
Even within the “good” years, individual cars can have hidden accidents, title issues, or odometer rollbacks. Check the actual VIN before you buy — full history report for $4.99 (vs. Carfax $44.99).
Complaints by Model Year
NHTSA complaint count per model year
Common Cadillac Sts Problems
Most reported component complaints to NHTSA
| Component | Complaints | Crash % |
|---|---|---|
| AIR BAGS | 91 | 17.6% |
| ELECTRICAL SYSTEM | 70 | 7.1% |
| ENGINE | 50 | 8.0% |
| FUEL/PROPULSION SYSTEM | 33 | 0.0% |
| POWER TRAIN | 28 | 10.7% |
| ELECTRONIC STABILITY CONTROL (ESC) | 26 | 11.5% |
| STEERING | 22 | 9.1% |
| VEHICLE SPEED CONTROL | 21 | 38.1% |
| ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING | 17 | 0.0% |
| UNKNOWN OR OTHER | 16 | 0.0% |
Year-by-Year Breakdown
NHTSA complaint count per model year — click any year for full problems & recalls breakdown.
| Year | Generation | Complaints | Crashes | Fires | Details |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1998GOOD | — | 3 | 0 | — | View 1998View→ |
| 1999 | — | 16 | 0 | 1 | View 1999View→ |
| 2000 | — | 15 | 1 | 1 | View 2000View→ |
| 2001 | — | 17 | 0 | — | View 2001View→ |
| 2002 | — | 10 | 0 | — | View 2002View→ |
| 2003 | — | 15 | 1 | — | View 2003View→ |
| 2004GOOD | — | 9 | 1 | — | View 2004View→ |
| 2005AVOID | — | 145 | 20 | 7 | View 2005View→ |
| 2006AVOID | — | 197 | 28 | 14 | View 2006View→ |
| 2007AVOID | — | 67 | 8 | — | View 2007View→ |
| 2008AVOID | — | 77 | 7 | 3 | View 2008View→ |
| 2009 | — | 23 | 7 | — | View 2009View→ |
| 2010GOOD | — | 6 | 0 | — | View 2010View→ |
| 2011GOOD | — | 9 | 1 | — | View 2011View→ |
See also: Cadillac Stsaccident & safety statistics from our vehicle history database.
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