2011 Cadillac Sts Problems
Owner-reported complaints filed with NHTSA, grouped by component
Data refreshed
What this page shows
Everything below is an owner-reported complaint submitted to NHTSA about the 2011 Cadillac Sts, grouped by the component NHTSA recorded on the report. These are not confirmed defects, and they are not recalls. NHTSA does not verify most reports before publishing them, and a category with more reports in it is not evidence that a part is defective.
Complaints are reports submitted by owners and drivers to NHTSA. They are not verified and do not establish that a defect exists.
Reports by component
Ranked by how many owner reports name each component category
- Electrical333.3%
- Brakes222.2%
- Driver assistance111.1%
- Exterior lighting111.1%
- Seat belts111.1%
- Steering111.1%
Percentages are of component mentions. A single complaint can name more than one component, so these do not sum to the total complaint count.
Each component in detail
What the reports in each category say, in the owners' own words
Electrical
Reports naming the electrical system — wiring, battery, charging, control modules, infotainment and electrical accessories.
From owner reports, verbatim
WE OWN A 2011 CADILLAC STS. 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. ONCE SHE WAS ABLE TO KEEP THE VEHICLE OUT OF THE STREET SHE PUT THE CAR IN NEUTRAL, BUT THE BRAKES WERE STILL NOT RESPONDING. THATS WHEN OUR HOME BECAME OUR CAR STOPPER. I DROVE THE CAR AFTERWARDS AND THE BRAKE PEDAL WAS STILL HARD AND WOULD NOT HOLD THE CAR FROM MOVING WHEN IT WAS PUT INTO GEAR. I CONTACTED THE LOCAL DEALERSHIP WHO INFORMED ME THAT IT WOULD TAKE AT LEAST 3 TO 4 HOURS LABOR TO DIAGNOSE THE PROBLEM. THAT AT $149.99 PER HOUR. HE ALSO INFORMED ME THAT THEY HAD A VEHICLE IN EARLIER SAYING THE SAME THING AND THEY PRETTY MUCH REPLACED ALL OF THE BRAKING SYSTEM ON THE CAR AT THE COST OF OVER $3900.00. THAT IS CRAZY TO ME SO I WENT THROUGH THE CAR MYSELF. I REPLACED ALL BRAKES AND ROTORS, REPLACED THE BRAKE FLUID AND BLEED THE WHOLE BRAKE SYSTEM. ALL THAT FOR THE NEXT DAY THE SAME THING HAPPENED. I HAVE SINCE TRACED THE ELECTRICAL SIDE AND HAVE FOUND THAT THE VACUUM BRAKE ASSIST FUSE UNDER THE HOOD WAS BLOWN. I HAVE REPLACED THE FUSE BUT AS SOON AS YOU HIT THE BRAKE IT BLOWS THE FUSE AGAIN.
TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2011 CADILLAC STS. WHILE DRIVING AT 40 MPH, ALL THE INSTRUMENT PANEL LIGHTS FAILED TO ILLUMINATE, THE NAVIGATION SYSTEM FAILED TO FUNCTION, AND THE BACK UP SENSORS CHIMED WITHOUT ANY OBJECT BEHIND THE VEHICLE. 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. THE VIN WAS UNAVAILABLE. UPDATED 7/29/15*CN UPDATED 10/17/2017*CN
Too few reports in this category for a page of its own — they appear in the full complaint list.
Brakes
Reports naming service brakes, the antilock braking system, brake hoses, master cylinders or the parking brake.
From owner reports, verbatim
WE OWN A 2011 CADILLAC STS. 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. ONCE SHE WAS ABLE TO KEEP THE VEHICLE OUT OF THE STREET SHE PUT THE CAR IN NEUTRAL, BUT THE BRAKES WERE STILL NOT RESPONDING. THATS WHEN OUR HOME BECAME OUR CAR STOPPER. I DROVE THE CAR AFTERWARDS AND THE BRAKE PEDAL WAS STILL HARD AND WOULD NOT HOLD THE CAR FROM MOVING WHEN IT WAS PUT INTO GEAR. I CONTACTED THE LOCAL DEALERSHIP WHO INFORMED ME THAT IT WOULD TAKE AT LEAST 3 TO 4 HOURS LABOR TO DIAGNOSE THE PROBLEM. THAT AT $149.99 PER HOUR. HE ALSO INFORMED ME THAT THEY HAD A VEHICLE IN EARLIER SAYING THE SAME THING AND THEY PRETTY MUCH REPLACED ALL OF THE BRAKING SYSTEM ON THE CAR AT THE COST OF OVER $3900.00. THAT IS CRAZY TO ME SO I WENT THROUGH THE CAR MYSELF. I REPLACED ALL BRAKES AND ROTORS, REPLACED THE BRAKE FLUID AND BLEED THE WHOLE BRAKE SYSTEM. ALL THAT FOR THE NEXT DAY THE SAME THING HAPPENED. I HAVE SINCE TRACED THE ELECTRICAL SIDE AND HAVE FOUND THAT THE VACUUM BRAKE ASSIST FUSE UNDER THE HOOD WAS BLOWN. I HAVE REPLACED THE FUSE BUT AS SOON AS YOU HIT THE BRAKE IT BLOWS THE FUSE AGAIN.
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. THE DEALERSHIP WOULDN'T EVEN TAKE A LOOK AT MY BRAKES. *TR
Too few reports in this category for a page of its own — they appear in the full complaint list.
Driver assistance
Reports naming forward-collision avoidance, lane keeping, back-over prevention, cruise control and related electronic driver-assistance systems.
From owner reports, verbatim
2011 CADILLAC STS. CONSUMER WRITES IN REGARDS TO CRUISE CONTROL ACTIVATED ON ITS OWN. *SMD UPDATED 09/17/15*LJ UPDATED 09/21/15.*JB UPDATED 09/22/15*JB
Too few reports in this category for a page of its own — they appear in the full complaint list.
Exterior lighting
Reports naming headlights, tail lights, turn signals and other exterior lighting.
From owner reports, verbatim
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 OCCURRENCES - FEBRUARY 2014 2 EMISSION WARNING FROM ONSTAR DENIED BY DEALER - JAN - 03/2014 ALARM COMING THROUGH REAR-VIEW MIRROR ASSEMBLY - VERY, VERY LOUD AND PERSISTENT - FEBRUARY 2014 I REPORTED SEVERAL OCCURRENCES IN 2013. DEALERSHIP SAID THEY COULD NOT DUPLICATE REPORTED CHRONIC OCCURRENCES AGAIN IN NOVEMBER, DECEMBER AND JANUARY AND FEBRUARY - TOLD COULD NOT DIAGNOSE COMPLAINED TO CORPORATE WHO OFFERED TO HAVE CAR DIAGNOSED FOR 99.00; THEN CHARGED ASSIGNED WERE 99.00 PER SYMPTOM - GREAT WAY TO DETER A CUSTOMER TOLD BY CORPORATE THIS PAST WEEK THAT THEY DID NOT SAY THAT AND THAT THE CAR WAS UNFIXABLE. ALSO TOLD I WAS OUT OF WARRANTY AND ANY CHARGES WERE NOW ON ME. CAN'T FIX SOMETHING NO ONE CAN/WILL ACKNOWLEDGE EXISTS IF CONSUMER DOESN'T HAVE THE MONEY TO PURSUE THE MATTER. REFUSAL TO OFFER ANY OTHER SUPPORT FROM CORPORATE. I HAVE SENT IN 3 LETTERS TO CORPORATE. *TR
Too few reports in this category for a page of its own — they appear in the full complaint list.
Seat belts
Reports naming seat belts, buckles, retractors and pretensioners.
From owner reports, verbatim
TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2011 CADILLAC CTS. WHILE TRAVELING APPROXIMATELY 48 MPH, THE DRIVER CRASHED INTO THE FRONT PASSENGER'S SIDE OF ANOTHER VEHICLE. 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 FAILURE MILEAGE WAS UNAVAILABLE. ...UPDATED 01/23/13 *BF....UPDATED 01/30/13 *BF AN INVESTIGATOR WITH THE CALIFORNIA HIGHWAY PATROL SUBMITTED THIS COMPLAINT FORM, NOT THE OWNER OF THE VEHICLE. UPDATED 2/4/2013 *JS UPDATED 2/7/2013 *JS
Too few reports in this category for a page of its own — they appear in the full complaint list.
Steering
Reports naming the steering system — racks, columns, power-steering assist and steering linkage.
From owner reports, verbatim
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.
Too few reports in this category for a page of its own — they appear in the full complaint list.
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.
Elsewhere on this vehicle
Data sources
- NHTSA Office of Defects Investigation — owner-reported complaints and the components recorded on them
Data on this page last refreshed .