Cadillac DTS reliability by year
3 recalls and 509 owner complaints across 6 model years. Best year to buy: 2010. Year to avoid: 2006.
Worst model years to avoid → — the single year to avoid for every model line we track, ranked side by side.
Years to avoid — and why 1 flagged on the NHTSA record
Cleaner on the data: 2007, 2008, 2009, 2010, 2011 . Still verify the specific vehicle.
At-a-glance: every year color-coded
Each cell shows the last two digits of the model year and its 0–10 reliability score from NHTSA data. Click any year to see the full record. ★ best year · ✕ year to avoid.
Year-by-year reliability 6 model years · newest first
Common trouble spots across the DTS aggregated across 6 model years
Common questions
What's the best year to buy a Cadillac DTS?
Based on NHTSA complaint volume and severity weighting, the 2010 Cadillac DTS scores 8.4/10 — the strongest in the 2006–2011 range. 22 complaints on file, 1 active recall. Reliability scores reflect the federal complaint record, not subjective owner reviews.
Which Cadillac DTS year should I avoid?
The 2006 Cadillac DTS scores 7.2/10 — the weakest in the lineup. 254 owner complaints with NHTSA, 1 active recall. That doesn't mean every 2006 is a problem — it means failure rates run higher than peer model years on the same platform.
Which years of the Cadillac DTS should I avoid?
On the NHTSA complaint and recall record, the model years to be most careful with are 2006 (high-risk ownership — electrical system: 68 complaints, classified severe, failures cluster 48,000–90,000 mi). The cleaner years on the data are 2011, 2010, 2009, 2008, 2007. This is our read of the federal data, not a substitute for a pre-purchase inspection of the specific vehicle.
How many years of the Cadillac DTS are tracked?
6 model years (2006 through 2011) with NHTSA records on file. Total across the lineup: 3 recalls and 509 owner complaints.
What's the most-reported problem on the Cadillac DTS?
electrical is the most-reported category — 155 complaints across 6 model years. Average shop repair runs about $850.