Owner-reported complaints naming the airbag system, filed with NHTSA
Data refreshed
Reports naming the air-bag system — deployment behaviour, inflators, sensors and warning lights. Every record below is an owner-reported complaint about the 2011 Cadillac CTS submitted to NHTSA — not a confirmed defect, not a recall and not a manufacturer bulletin. 23 reports on file name it.
Complaints are reports submitted by owners and drivers to NHTSA. They are not verified and do not establish that a defect exists.
Shown in the owner’s own words, exactly as filed
My air bag light is on. I brought it to the dealer for repair. The dealer told me the airbag is unfixable due to the fact that the "Passenger seat presence sensor is broken and no longer manufactured". I now have a car that is fully functional aside from this issue and it's unsafe to drive. The dealer also refused to buy the car back from me for fair market value.
The contact owns a 2011 Cadillac CTS. The contact stated while driving at an undisclosed speed, the engine started to make an abnormal sound and the vehicle was inadvertently vibrating. The vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired by an independent mechanic or the dealer. The contact related the failure to NHTSA Campaign Number: 14V341000 (Air Bags, Power Train). The manufacturer was not made aware of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 165,000.
Airbag warning
The contact owns a 2011 Cadillac CTS. The contact stated while driving approximately 30 MPH, the vehicle vibrated abnormally. Additionally, the "Service Air Bags" warning light was illuminated. The contact had taken the vehicle to an independent mechanic however, the vehicle was not diagnosed. The contact was advised by the mechanic that the failure could be related to NHTSA Campaign Number: 14V341000 (Air Bags, Power Train). The vehicle had not been repaired. The manufacturer had been informed of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 95,000.
The air bag light comes on intermittently. It has been identified as a problem on several of the CTS and CTS-V forums.
WHILE DRIVING ON A WINDY MOUNTAIN ROAD AT APPROX 45 MPH, GOING INTO A SHARP LEFT HAND TURN, THE STEERING WHEEL WOULD NOT TURN ANY FURTHER. IT FELT AS THOUGH THE STEERING HAD GONE OUT COMPLETELY. THIS CAUSED ME TO TRAVEL STRAIGHT INTO AN EMBANKMENT AND LAUNCH INTO THE WOODS. NO INJURIES. AIR BAGS DID NOT DEPLOY. RADIATOR WAS BENT INTO A U SHAPE. NO IDEA WHY NONE OF THE AIRBAGS DIDN'T DEPLOY
WHEN TAKING TURNS MY 2011 CTS CADILLAC FLASHES THAT MY AIR BAG MUST BE SERVICED. ON THE PASSENGER SEAT.
ON 12-2-19 AT 730AM EASTERN TIME, I WAS INVOLVED IN A 55 MPH SIDE IMPACT CRASH TO THE RIGHT SIDE OF THE VEHICLE BY A SEMI TRUCK ON INTERSTATE 475 NORTH IN TOLEDO, OHIO, MILE MARKER 10, NEAR HOLLAND, OHIO. NO SIDE IMPACT AIRBAGS DEPLOYED. VEHICLE IS IN 100% EXCELLENT MAINTAINED CONDITION. NO FAULT CODES. VEHICLE STRUCTURE MAINTAINED VERY WELL FOR A HIGHWAY SPEED CRASH, HOWEVER, I HAVE A CONCUSSION FROM THE SIDE IMPACT AND NO AIRBAG DEPLOYMENT. CAR WAS TOTALLED BY THE SEMI TRUCK INSURANCE COMPANY THAT STRUCK ME.
THE AIRBAG INDICATOR HAS COME ON. I OWN TWO CADILLAC VEHICLES AND COINCIDENTALLY THE ESCALADE HAS AN AIRBAG RECALL AND, THE SAME INDICATOR LIGHT HAS ILLUMINATED ON BOTH VEHICLES. I AM CONCERNED THAT THIS RECALL IS A POTENTIAL HAZARD. WE LIVE IN FLORIDA WHERE IT'S HOT, SO WE CONSTANTLY DRIVE IN THE SUN. FOR THE RECALL TO BE UNRESOLVED AND NOW BOTH INDICATORS FOR AIRBAGS ARE ILLUMINATED I BELIEVE THAT THIS MAY BE APART OF THIS TAKATA ISSUE. SEE BELOW 1UNREPAIRED RECALLS ASSOCIATED WITH THIS VIN MAY 27,2016 MANUFACTURER RECALL NUMBER2049151 NHTSA RECALL NUMBER16V381 RECALL STATUSRECALL INCOMPLETE, REMEDY NOT YET AVAILABLE SUMMARY TAKATA CORPORATION ('TAKATA') HAS DECIDED THAT A DEFECT WHICH RELATES TO MOTOR VEHICLE SAFETY EXISTS IN CERTAIN 2007-2011 CADILLAC ESCALADE, ESCALADE ESV, ESCALADE EXT, CHEVROLET AVALANCHE, SILVERADO 1500, SUBURBAN, TAHOE, GMC SIERRA 1500, YUKON, YUKON XL, AND 2009-2011 CHEVROLET SILVERADO 2500/3500 AND GMC SIERRA 2500/3500 VEHICLES. THIS IS BASED UPON TAKATA'S DECISION THAT FRONT PASSENGER AIRBAG INFLATORS IT SUPPLIED TO GM ARE DEFECTIVE. GM HAS SUBMITTED TO NHTSA A PETITION FOR INCONSEQUENTIALITY AND NHTSA HAS GRANTED GM UNTIL AUGUST 2017 TO COMPLETE ITS INVESTIGATION AND TO SUBMIT ALL DATA SUPPORTING THE PETITION. IF THE PETITION IS DENIED, GM WILL CONDUCT A RECALL OF THE AIRBAG INFLATORS COVERED BY TAKATA'S DEFECT INFORMATION REPORT. FOR MORE INFORMATION VISIT WWW.REGULATIONS.GOV AND SEARCH FOR DOCKET NO. NHTSA-2016-0124. SAFETY RISK THE PROPELLANT IN SOME TYPES OF TAKATA AIRBAG INFLATORS CAN DEGRADE OVER TIME, ESPECIALLY AFTER LONG TERM EXPOSURE IN HOT AND HUMID REGIONS. IF THE PROPELLANT DEGRADES TO A CERTAIN LEVEL, THE INFLATORS MAY RUPTURE DURING DEPLOYMENT, CAUSING SERIOUS OR FATAL INJURIES.
AIRBAG SENSOR DETECTS PROBLEM WITH PASSAGER AIRBAG.
"CADILLAC RECALL" THE BRAKES DID NOT FUNCTION PROPERLY ON THE VEHICLE. THE BRAKE LIGHT CAME ON AND AT TIMES THE CAR DID NOT IMMEDIATELY STOP WHEN BRAKES WERE PRESSED. AS A RESULT, I COULD NO LONGER DRIVE THE VEHICLE AND HAD TO FIND OTHER MEANS OF TRANSPORTATION. IN ADDITION, RECALLS AND ISSUE WITH THIS CAR HAVE MADE THE NEWS.
TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2011 CADILLAC CTS. WHILE THE CONTACT'S VEHICLE WAS PARKED WITH THE ENGINE RUNNING, A SECOND VEHICLE CRASHED INTO THE CONTACT'S VEHICLE. THE FRONT END OF THE CONTACT'S VEHICLE WAS SEVERELY DAMAGED. THE AIR BAGS DID NOT DEPLOY. THERE WERE NO INJURIES AND A POLICE REPORT WAS FILED. THE VEHICLE WAS TOWED TO SUBURBAN CADILLAC (1810 MAPLELAWN DR, TROY, MI 48084, 248-643-0070), BUT THE CAUSE OF THE FAILURE WAS UNABLE TO BE DETERMINED. THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOTIFIED AND DID NOT ASSIST. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 75,000.
TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2011 CADILLAC CTS. WHILE DRIVING 35 MPH, THE BRAKES MALFUNCTIONED. WHEN THE BRAKE PEDAL WAS DEPRESSED, THE VEHICLE FAILED TO STOP AND REAR ENDED ANOTHER VEHICLE. THE AIR BAGS DID NOT DEPLOY. A POLICE REPORT WAS FILED. THERE WERE NO INJURIES SUSTAINED. THE VEHICLE WAS TOWED TO AN UNKNOWN LOCATION. BENTLEY CADILLAC IN FLORENCE, ALABAMA 35630 WAS MADE AWARE OF THE CRASH AND STATED THAT AN INSPECTOR WOULD INSPECT THE VEHICLE. THE MANUFACTURER WAS MADE AWARE OF THE ISSUE AND STATED THAT THERE WAS NO RECALL FOR THE BRAKES OR THE AIR BAGS. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS APPROXIMATELY 20,000.
THE CAR AIRBAG HARNESS FAILED AND IT WAS REPLACED WITH PART 20973030 . I WAS NOT REIMBURSED FOR THIS FAILURE AND THE CAR HAS LIMITED MILES ON IT. IT APPEARS TO BE A REGULAR PROBLEM WITH THE CTS HARNESS SYSTEM AND SHOULD BE ON THE RECALL LIST WITH OTHER SIMILAR AIRBAG PROBLEMS GENERAL MOTORS CURRENTLY HAS. THANKS [XXX] INFORMATION REDACTED PURSUANT TO THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT (FOIA), 5 U.S.C. 552(B)(6). *TR
TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2011 CADILLAC CTS. WHILE DRIVING APPROXIMATELY 25 TO 30 MPH, THE CONTACT LOST CONTROL OF THE VEHICLE AND CRASHED INTO A POST. THE AIR BAGS FAILED TO DEPLOY. THE CONTACT WAS INJURED AND WAS TRANSPORTED TO THE HOSPITAL BY AMBULANCE. THE CONTACT DID NOT KNOW IF A POLICE REPORT WAS FILED. THE VEHICLE WAS TOWED. THE VIN WAS UNKNOWN. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS APPROXIMATELY 31,000.
TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2011 CADILLAC CTS. WHILE THE VEHICLE WAS STATIONARY, THE PASSENGER PRESENCE SENSING MODULE MALFUNCTIONED AND CAUSED THE "SERVICE AIR BAG" LIGHT TO ILLUMINATE. IT WAS DIAGNOSED THAT THE PASSENGER SIDE AIR BAG MODULE NEEDED TO BE REPLACED. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT REPAIRED. THE MANUFACTURER WAS MADE AWARE OF THE ISSUE. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 48,000.
SERVICE AIR BAG MESSAGE. AFTER DOUBLE CHECKING THE WIRING UNDER PASSENGER SEAT THE WARNING LIGHT WAS OFF BUT THEN CAME BACK ON A FEW MINUTES LATER. RINSE AND REPEATED THE SCENARIO MULTIPLE TIMES. OBVIOUSLY THE SAME PROBLEN FOR WHICH OLDER MODELS WERE RECALLED.
PASSENGER AIR BAG SENSOR IN SEAT, OCCUPANT SENSOR OR PPS, IS FAULTY. CHECK AIR BAG WARNING ALERT REMAINS ON OR IS INTERMITTENT, EVEN IF NO CONTENTS OR PERSON ON PASSENGER SEAT. VERY SIMILAR TO GM RECALL 08373 FOR FIRST GENERATION CADILLAC CTS OCCUPANT SENSOR FOR PASSENGER AIRBAG. IF USING THE SAME DESIGN, AND NOT CORRECTED, THE RECALL SHOULD BE EXTENDED TO THE SECOND GENERATION CTS VEHICLES.
<A HREF="HTTP://DISCOUNTHOARDER.COM/">HTTP://DISCOUNTHOARDER.COM/</A>. *TR
TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2011 CADILLAC CTS. THE CONTACT STATED THAT NHTSA CAMPAIGN NUMBER: 14V341000 (AIR BAGS, POWER TRAIN) EXCEEDED A REASONABLE AMOUNT OF TIME FOR REPAIR. THE DEALER STATED THAT THE PARTS NEEDED WERE UNAVAILABLE FOR REPAIR. THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOT MADE AWARE OF THE DELAY. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT REPAIRED. THE CONTACT HAD NOT EXPERIENCED THE FAILURE.
GM ISSUED RECALL #N140233, NHTSA RECALL #14V341 ON AUG.04, 2014. WE TOOK OUR CAR TO AN AUTHORIZED GM DEALER ON SEPT. 14 AT WHICH TIME THEY ORDERED A REPLACEMENT PART (#34106) WHICH GM HAS YET TO SUPPLY AS OF THIS DATE, NOV. 20, 2014. UPON CHECKING WITH ANOTHER DEALER WE WERE TOLD THEY TOO ARE HAVING TROUBLE GETTING THE NECESSARY PART FROM GM. *TR
HAD JUST ACCELERATED AFTER STOPPING AT RED LIGHT, REACHING APPROX 25MPH WHEN WE HEARD A VERY LOUD GRATING METAL GRINDING SOUND. ALARMED WE IMMEDIATELY STARTED TO PULL OVER WHEN THE SIDE AIRBAGS DEPLOYED. WE WERE ABLE TO GET OUT OF THE FLOW OF TRAFFIC AND ONTO THE SIDE OF THE ROAD. WE WERE DAZED TRYING TO MAKE SENSE OF WHAT HAD HAPPENED. MY HUSBAND WAS THE DRIVER AND HAD RECEIVED A LARGE CUT ON HIS LEFT FOREARM . WE HAD OWNED THIS CTS FOR 10 WEEKS AND HAD NOT AS YET SIGNED UP FOR ONSTAR . WHILE TRYING TO STOP HIS BLEEDING I REALIZED THAT THE BLOW FROM THE AIRBAGS HAD KNOCKED MY GLASSES OFF AND I COULDN'T FIND MY CELL PHONE, I PUSHED THE ONSTAR BUTTON AND GAVE THEM OUR INFORMATION AND THEY COULD NOT HAVE BEEN MORE HELPFUL. AFTER ESTABLISHING THAT WE WERE ON THE SIDE OF THE ROAD AND OUT OF IMMEDIATE DANGER THEY ARRANGED FOR A TOW TRUCK TO TAKE US TO MEDVED CADILLAC. AS THIS WAS A SAT. WE WERE NOT ABLE TO SPEAK WITH THE REPAIR DEPT. UNTIL MON.WE WERE TOLD THAT GM HAD TO GIVE APPROVAL TO REPAIR THE VEHICLE. EIGHTEEN DAYS LATER 6/26 WE PICKED UP THE CAR AND WERE TOLD THAT THE ENTIRE CAR AND ALL SYSTEMS HAD BEEN CHECKED AND THAT IT WAS SAFE. FOUR DAYS LATER 6/30 I WAS DRIVING HOME AND HEARD A CLACKING NOISE. I STOPPED AND LOOKED AT MY TIRES THINKING I HAD A FLAT. PROCEEDED THE FEW BLOCKS TO GET HOME REALLY AFRAID TO GET BACK IN THIS CAR. WE WERE GOING TO TAKE IT BACK TO MEDVED BUT DROVE A FEW BLOCKS FROM HOME AND STOPPED AT A LIGHT. TURNED THE CORNER HEARD A LOUD METAL CLUNK, FELT IT ON THE FLOORBOARD AS WELL. HAD NO ACCELERATION TO SPEAK OF. I TURNED ON THE FLASHERS AND TRIED TO GET OUT OF TRAFFIC. WAS ABLE TO COAST HOME AND CALL ONSTAR. SPOKE TO A GM REP AT THAT TIME AND HE SAID TO HAVE IT TOWED BACK TO MEDVED.THE NEXT DAY 7/2 WE WERE TOLD THAT THE DRIVE SHAFT BOLTS HAD BEEN SHEARED OFF BUT IT WAS REPAIRED. I REFUSED THE CAR. *TR
WAS DRIVING VEHICLE IN SPORTING MANNER WHEN THE SIDE CURTAIN AIR BAGS DEPLOYED AND THE SEAT BELT PRETENSIONERS FIRED. THERE WAS ABSOLUTELY NO ROLL OVER IMMINENT. SAFETY DEVICES WENT OFF COMPLETELY UNNECESSARILY. *TR
Higher-selling and older vehicles accumulate more reports. Counts are not failure rates and are not directly comparable between vehicles that sold in very different numbers.
Categories with enough reports to have a page of their own
Data on this page last refreshed .