FaultScore

Worst years for a Cadillac STS

Owners have filed 610 complaints about the Cadillac STS with NHTSA across model years 1998 to 2011. More of them are about the airbags than anything else.

Avoid

2005 Cadillac STS

145 complaints — the highest FaultScore of any year, mostly electrical system.

Cleanest on record

2002 Cadillac STS

10 complaints — the lowest FaultScore of the graded years.

Every Cadillac STS year, graded

The grade compares each year against the rest of this model's own run — never against another car. Click any bar or row to open that year's report.

Complaints filed with NHTSA, by model year. Bar colour is the FaultScore grade: A B C D F ungraded
Year Grade Complaints Crashes Fires Median miles Most reported
2011 9 1 0 53,000 Electrical System
2010 6 0 0 53,007 Electrical System
2009 C 24 7 0 77,500 Airbags
2008 D 77 7 3 70,000 Engine & Cooling
2007 D 67 8 0 60,500 Airbags
2006 F 197 28 14 76,663 Airbags
2005 F 145 20 7 60,000 Electrical System
2004 9 1 0 Fuel & Propulsion
2003 B 15 1 0 19,000 Electrical System
2002 A 10 0 0 104,000 Brakes
2001 A 17 0 0 36,200 Steering
2000 C 15 1 1 101,561 Engine & Cooling
1999 A 16 0 1 98,587 Engine & Cooling
1998 3 0 0 Airbags

What breaks on a Cadillac STS

Across every model year on file. Follow a row for that part's complaints and the year it was worst.

Airbags 106 17.4%

Worst in 2006

Worst in 2005

Engine & Cooling 83 13.6%

Worst in 2006

Worst in 2005

Worst in 2006

Brakes 34 5.6%

Worst in 2005

Worst in 2006

Steering 25 4.1%

Worst in 2006

Worst in 2005

Lights 22 3.6%

Worst in 2007

Suspension 17 2.8%

Worst in 2005

Other & Unspecified 16 2.6%

Worst in 2006

Seats 14 2.3%

Worst in 2005

Body & Structure 11 1.8%

Worst in 2005

Exactly what failed on a Cadillac STS

The named sub-assemblies behind those complaints, across every model year.

Engine 9 16.4%
Seal 7 12.7%
12V/24V/48V Battery 6 10.9%
Frontal 6 10.9%
Differential Unit 5 9.1%
Body 5 9.1%
Automatic Transmission 5 9.1%
Sensor/Control Module 4 7.3%
Glass, Side/Rear 4 7.3%
Headlights 4 7.3%

Complaints filed over time

Every complaint about every Cadillac STS, by the month it reached NHTSA.

Nov 2000 peak 16 Apr 2026

Cadillac STS problems by state

Where owners filed from. Heavier states are usually just bigger markets, but a part that fails in heat or salt shows up here first.

Compare the Cadillac STS

Side by side on complaint history. Remember that raw totals track how many were sold as much as how good they were.