While driving loss of brakes due to excessive corrosion and failure of the metal hydraulic brake lines electrical system dash indicator service brake stabilatrak. *tr
2009 Cadillac DTS electrical problems
severe 12 complaints filed with NHTSA · avg repair $850 · see electrical across all vehicles →
Failure mileage
Complaints
12
Recalls
0
Avg fix
$850
1fire
1injury
When does it fail?
Of the 12 electrical complaints filed for the 2009 Cadillac DTS, here's the actual mileage breakdown — failures cluster heaviest at 25,000-50,000 mi.
0-25k
25-50k
50-75k
75-100k
100-125k
125-150k
150k+
Each bar shows the share of total complaints filed at that mileage range. Peak failure window highlighted. Some owners report problems earlier; some make it well past 150,000 miles symptom-free. Maintenance habits and driving conditions shift the curve as much as mileage alone.
What stands out
Electrical accounts for 34% of every owner complaint on file for this vehicle — the dominant problem area across 4 categories tracked.
No new NHTSA electrical complaint has been filed on this vehicle in over 11 years — the issue may be aging out of the active population.
The failure pattern owners describe
Buyer takeaway: The 2009 Cadillac DTS has serious electrical issues: the rear fuse box melts and catches fire, causing engine shutdown even at highway speeds, and the car can spontaneously lock occupants inside with no way to escape. Repair costs are steep and manufacturer recalls have stalled due to parts shortages.
Owners of the 2009 Cadillac DTS report two main electrical problems. The first is the rear fuse box (located under the back seat) overheating, melting, and catching fire—particularly affecting the fuel pump relay. This causes the engine to die without warning while driving, sometimes at highway speeds, and prevents the car from restarting. Owners describe a burning smell, charred relays, and completely melted fuse assemblies. One owner's mechanic had to replace the fuel pump relay three times before giving up. Another owner says the seat clamp compressed the fuse box and shorted it out. Repair costs reach $716 or higher just for the fuse box alone.
The second issue is spontaneous door locking. One owner's car locked itself with the keys inside, keys on the cat carrier, and the driver outside—requiring firefighters to break the rear window. The door lock and unlock buttons, relay, and handles stopped working until the window was broken. This owner's cat died from heat exposure during the 45-minute lockout.
Additional electrical gremlins include seat adjusters that won't move in any gear, parking sensors that malfunction, and brake warning lights tied to corrosion of brake lines. Owners report a recall notification for campaign 14V355000 but say the necessary parts remain unavailable, delaying repairs indefinitely."
Same Cadillac DTS electrical reports on nearby years: 2006 · 2007 · 2008
Failure modes owners describe
Rear fuse box overheating and melting
The rear fuse box located under the back seat overheats, melts, and develops a burning odor. The fuel pump relay charrs and the entire fuse assembly can melt. One owner reports the seat clamp may have compressed the fuse box, shorting it out.
When: At 48,000 miles; 105,000 miles; 130,000 miles. Some occur after overnight parking; others during highway driving.
Symptoms owners cite: Burning odor from rear fuse box; Engine dies without warning while driving or after parking; Engine won't restart; only cranks; Vehicle screens go blank; Fuse box extremely hot to touch
Repairs/costs cited: One owner paid $716 for fuse box and associated costs; fuse box alone exceeded $400. Fuel pump relay replacement attempted three times on one vehicle without resolving the underlying issue. Dealership confirmed fuse boxes were kept in stock.
Recalls/TSBs owners mention: NHTSA campaign 14V355000 (electrical system) issued, but owners report the necessary parts were unavailable, exceeding a reasonable repair timeframe.
Spontaneous door locking with loss of manual controls
Vehicle locks itself even when not locked by owner, trapping occupants. All manual unlock methods fail: door buttons, door unlock relay switch, and door handles become inoperable. One incident required firefighters to break the window; a pet died from heat exposure during a 45-minute lockout.
When: Occurs without warning while owner is outside the vehicle or during normal use.
Symptoms owners cite: Car locks itself despite keys being outside vehicle; Door unlock button does not work; Door handles do not work manually; Door unlock relay switch does not respond; Alarm does not sound when window is broken; Alarm only sounds after window is already broken and multiple key turns
Repairs/costs cited: Previous attempts to find and fix the problem (checked three times before rear passenger side lock was replaced) yielded no diagnosis. Dealership stated it could find no problem with the car. One owner paid $980 per month for a rental car while the vehicle sat at the dealership unrepaired.
Power seat adjustment malfunction
Driver and passenger seat power adjustments fail to move up or down in any gear (drive, neutral, park), leaving occupants in uncomfortable positions.
Symptoms owners cite: Cannot adjust driver seat position; Cannot adjust passenger seat position; Malfunction occurs in all gears
Parking sensor malfunction
Distance sensors malfunction frequently when backing up, likely contributing to parking hazards.
When: When going into reverse
Symptoms owners cite: Distance sensor malfunction; Sensor failures when reversing
Brake line corrosion and loss of brakes
Metal hydraulic brake lines corrode excessively, causing brake failure while driving. Service Brake/StabiliTrak warning light illuminates on dash.
Symptoms owners cite: Loss of brakes while driving; Service Brake StabiliTrak dash indicator illuminates
Synthesized from 12 NHTSA owner complaints — unverified consumer allegations, summarized for patterns. The verbatim filings appear below.
What owners are reporting 8 most recent
Tl* the contact owns a 2009 Cadillac dts. The contact received a notification for NHTSA campaign number: 14v355000 (electrical system). However, the part to do the repair was unavailable. The contact stated that the manufacturer exceeded a reasonable amount of time for the recall repair. The manufacturer was mad aware of the issue. The contact had not experienced a failure.
Tl* the contact owns a 2009 Cadillac dts. While driving various speeds, the vehicle suddenly shut off. On several occasions, the engine could not be restarted. Upon inspection, it was discovered that the rear fuse box located under the backseat was very hot and a burning odor was present. The contact replaced the fuel pump relay and the vehicle operated normally for several days; however, the…
Cant bring driver or passenger seats up or down resulting in uncomfortable driving position in drive, neutral, park, all gears. Distance sensors malfunction frequently when going into reverse.
Fuse box got push on by seat clamp shorted out my fuel pump relay and burnt up my fuse box
The fuel pump relay is burning out and causing the car not to start. I was driving the car and it just stalled out in the road.
2009 Cadillac dts. Consumer writes regarding vehicle recall and defect *tgw the consumer stated she is worried about a future accident that may occur due to the heated washer fluid system being disabled and removed per the recall. *jb
Vehicle failed to start after being parked overnight. Engine would crank but not fire. Dealer found rear fuse assembly to be in a "melted condition"; fuel pump fuse/relay was charred. Entire fuse assembly required replacement. Dealer could find no cause for problem. My main concern is this assembly is located under the rear passenger seat next to the batteries. The power surge that caused…
Had electrical trouble with your 2009 Cadillac DTS?
File a complaint with NHTSA → It's free, official, and how every report above got here — owner filings are the federal safety record this page is built on.
Common questions
How serious is the electrical problem on the 2009 Cadillac DTS?
It's a meaningful issue. 12 complaints have been filed and the failure mode causes operational problems for owners. Repairs average $850.
At what mileage does the electrical typically fail?
Across the 8 complaints that reported odometer mileage, most electrical failures cluster between 48,000 and 108,432 miles, with the median around 72,000. A quarter of owners report trouble before 48,000; a quarter make it past 108,432. Maintenance history matters more than the odometer alone — this is the reported failure window, not a guarantee.
What does it cost to fix?
Independent shops typically charge around $850 for electrical repairs on this vehicle. Dealer pricing tends to run 20-40% higher. The exact figure depends on the specific failure mode, parts availability, and your local labor rates. If you're outside factory warranty, an extended service contract often covers this category.
Are there any recalls related to electrical?
No active recalls currently cover electrical issues on this vehicle. The complaints filed represent owner-reported failures that haven't risen to the level of a manufacturer-issued recall — but they're still worth knowing about before you buy or budget for repairs.
Related
Complaint and recall data sourced from the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA)
public records database. Verify the raw federal record at
nhtsa.gov/vehicle/2009/Cadillac/DTS.
Severity ratings are derived from reported crashes, fires, injuries, and fatalities. Repair cost estimates are
independent-shop national averages and may differ in your area. Some links on this page are affiliate links.