2006 Cadillac DTS Exterior Lighting Problems
Owners have filed 79 complaints with NHTSA about exterior lighting problems on the 2006 Cadillac DTS, 31% of all complaints for this model year. Half of the reports with a mileage happened before 62,144 miles. The words owners use most often: “headlights flicker” (13% of reports).
- 79exterior lighting complaints
- 62,144median miles at failure
- 1mention a crash
- 1mention an injury
- 0related recalls
- $1,450typical repair cost reported by owners
- 46%of reports with a speed happened at 50+ mph
What owners describe
Phrases that appear unusually often in these complaints compared with complaints about other cars.
- Headlights flicker: mentioned in 10 of 79 complaints (13%)
- Switch off: mentioned in 8 of 79 complaints (10%)
- Side headlight: mentioned in 6 of 79 complaints (8%)
How much does it cost to fix?
Owners who wrote down what they paid or were quoted put the typical exterior lighting repair on the 2006 Cadillac DTS at $1,450, and half of them between $1,000 and $2,650.
Based on 6 NHTSA complaints about this problem alone that state a repair bill or quote (2009–2015), converted to 2026 dollars with the U.S. consumer price index. These are owners' own figures, not a quote: they include dealer quotes, and owners who file complaints often faced larger repairs, so they can run higher than typical shop prices. Prices vary by shop, region and warranty coverage. How we calculate this.
At what mileage do exterior lighting problems happen?
Based on 66 complaints that reported the odometer reading.
How serious are the reports?
Of 79 complaints, 1 mention a crash, 1 an injury.
Cadillac DTS exterior lighting complaints by model year
When owners reported it
Related recalls (0)
No safety recall lists exterior lighting for the 2006 Cadillac DTS. A pattern of complaints does not always lead to a recall.
What owners report
Short excerpts of recent complaints, with personal details removed. Full reports are on NHTSA.gov.
While driving at night in July, 2023 on [XXX] , both headlights began to go out intermittently but not simultaneously. Continued driving for approximately 3 hours to final destination. Took to local Cadillac dealer for diagnostics (Invoice [XXX]) and after dialogue with dealer had both assemblies…
Driving at night on I-29 South and headlights went off intermittently but not simultaneously. Headlamps continued intermittent cut-out until reached destination (approx 3 hours later). As a safety issue for driving while dark, had both assemblies replaced at Cadillac dealer for approx $3,950.00…
I bought this car, and the steering wheel controls(audio/cruise control) have not worked, prior owner was advised to replace the bcm. Front driver's headlight intermittently goes on and off when driving. The steering wheel switch to adjust the height, angle, and settings for each driver also are…
Frequently asked questions
Do all 2006 Cadillac DTSs have exterior lighting problems?
No. NHTSA has 79 owner complaints about exterior lighting for the 2006 Cadillac DTS (31% of the 255 complaints for this model year). Complaint data shows that the problem is reported, not how many of all cars sold are affected.
Was there a recall on the 2006 Cadillac DTS exterior lighting?
No recall currently lists exterior lighting for this vehicle.
At what mileage do exterior lighting problems start?
The median reported mileage is 62,144 miles: half of the reports with a mileage came before that.
How much does it cost to fix exterior lighting problems on the 2006 Cadillac DTS?
Owners report a typical cost of $1,450 (half paid between $1,000 and $2,650), from 6 complaints that state a repair bill or quote, in 2026 dollars.
What do owners say about exterior lighting problems on the 2006 Cadillac DTS?
The most frequent phrase is “headlights flicker”, in 10 of 79 complaints, followed by “switch off” (8).
Other 2006 Cadillac DTS problems
See all 2006 Cadillac DTS problems or exterior lighting problems across all DTS years.