2006 Cadillac STS Problems, Complaints & Recalls
- Compared with other STS years
- Far more complaints than other years 1st of 14 for complaints
- Safety recalls
- 4 recalls: check your VIN
- NHTSA crash rating
- Not rated
Owners have filed 139 complaints with NHTSA about the 2006 Cadillac STS. That is the most of any STS model year in the database (14 years). The most reported problem area is air bags (57 complaints, 41%), typically at around 72,000 miles. Complaints mention 16 crashes, 6 fires, 20 injuries. There are 4 safety recalls covering this model year. NHTSA has opened 1 defect investigation involving it.
- 139owner complaints
- 4safety recalls
- 1NHTSA investigations
- 16complaints mentioning a crash
Complaints are unverified owner reports and are not adjusted for sales volume.
Most common 2006 Cadillac STS problems
Complaints grouped by the part of the car owners reported, with the median mileage when the problem happened.
| Problem area | Complaints | Share | Median miles | Owners mention most | Typical repair cost |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Air Bags problems | 57 | 41% | 72,000 | “air bag” (56%) | $1,400 |
| Electrical System | 21 | 15% | 83,748 | — | — |
| Engine | 20 | 14% | 77,403 | — | — |
| Fuel/propulsion System | 18 | 13% | 80,071 | — | — |
| Power Train | 13 | 9% | 100,000 | — | — |
| Electronic Stability Control (esc) | 8 | 6% | 65,768 | — | — |
| Engine and Engine Cooling | 8 | 6% | 74,750 | — | — |
| Seats | 6 | 4% | 51,000 | — | — |
| Unknown or Other | 6 | 4% | 112,445 | — | — |
| Vehicle Speed Control | 6 | 4% | 65,000 | — | — |
| Steering | 5 | 4% | 109,750 | — | — |
| Seat Belts | 4 | 3% | 70,000 | — | — |
| Fuel System, Gasoline | 3 | 2% | 109,071 | — | — |
| Latches/locks/linkages | 3 | 2% | 120,000 | — | — |
| Service Brakes | 3 | 2% | 103,723 | — | — |
| Suspension | 3 | 2% | 35,000 | — | — |
| Equipment | 2 | 1% | 6,000 | — | — |
| Tires | 2 | 1% | 22,500 | — | — |
| Equipment Adaptive/mobility | 1 | 1% | — | — | — |
| Service Brakes, Electric | 1 | 1% | 50,799 | — | — |
| Service Brakes, Hydraulic | 1 | 1% | 22,500 | — | — |
| Structure | 1 | 1% | 60,000 | — | — |
| Traction Control System | 1 | 1% | 50,799 | — | — |
| Wheels | 1 | 1% | 33,931 | — | — |
One complaint can list several problem areas, so shares can add up to more than 100%.
Complaints by year received
2006 Cadillac STS recalls (4)
Tap a recall to see the problem, the risk and the fix.
Fuel system, gasoline:delivery:fuel pump
Problem: General Motors LLC (GM) is recalling certain model year 2004-2007 Cadillac CTS-V vehicles manufactured October 6, 2003, to March 15, 2007, and 2006-2007 Cadillac STS-V vehicles manufactured June 23, 2005, to March 15, 2007. In the affected vehicles, the electrical terminals of the fuel pump module may overheat resulting in the melting of the flange material.
Risk: If the flange melts, a hole may be created allowing the fuel pump to leak fuel, causing the vehicle to stall, increasing the risk of a vehicle crash. Additionally, leaking fuel in the presence of an ignition source increases the risk of a fire.
Fix: GM will notify owners, and dealers will replace the fuel module and fuel tank jumper harness, free of charge. GM sent out interim notices in late October. The recall began on March 12, 2015. Owners may contact Cadillac customer service at 1-800-458-8006. GM's number for this recall is 14405.
Power train:axle assembly:axle shaft:seal
Problem: On certain passenger vehicles, the rear axle pinion seal does not meet all of the specifications and may experience a fluid leak.
Risk: A rear differential failure may cause loss of motive power and possibly loss of control increasing the risk of a crash.
Fix: Dealers will replace the pinion seal free of charge. The recall began on february 1, 2008. Owners may contact cadillac at 1-800-458-8006 or http://www.cadillac.com; pontiac at 1-800-620-7668 or http://www.pontiac.com; and saturn at 1-800-972-8876 or http://www.saturn.com.
Fuel system, gasoline:delivery
Problem: Certain vehicles equipped with v6 engines may have a condition where fuel is no longer supplied to the engine. This condition occurs without the illumination of the fuel level low indicator light or the warning chime.
Risk: If the engine stops running, the operator will not be able to restart the vehicle which could increase the risk of a crash.
Fix: Dealers will reprogram the electronic control module (ecm) with new software free of charge. Owners were notified in december 2005 and asked to maintain at least 1/4 of a tank fuel level to avoid this condition until the parts are available. The parts are now available, owner renotification began on march 23, 2006. Owners may contact cadillac at 1-866-982-2339.
Vehicle speed control
Problem: On certain passenger vehicles equipped with all wheel drive and a 3.6l v6 engine, the torque monitoring functions of the electronic throttle control (etc) are not enabled. These functions can limit engine speed and torque if unusual engine control module (ecm) hardware or software failures occur.
Risk: Without these functions enabled, a persistent ecm failure could result in a throttle opening greater than commanded by the driver and a crash could occur.
Fix: Dealers will reprogram the ecm on these vehicles free of charge. The recall began on january 24, 2006. Owners may contact cadillac at 1-866-982-2339.
To see whether a specific car still has an open recall, enter its VIN on NHTSA's official recall lookup. You can also decode a VIN here.
NHTSA defect investigations
- Failure of the rear differential (PE07037) — opened Jul 17, 2007, closed Dec 27, 2007, led to recall 07V589000.
Recent owner reports
Short excerpts of the latest complaints filed with NHTSA, with personal details removed. Full reports can be searched on NHTSA.gov.
The contact owns a 2006 Cadillac STS. The contact stated that while reversing out of the driveway at approximately 2 MPH, the driver's side tie rod fractured into two pieces. The contact stated no warning light was illuminated. The vehicle was taken to an independent mechanic and the tie rod was…
The contact owns a 2006 Cadillac STS. The contact stated while inspecting the vehicle, he noticed fuel dripping from the fuel tank. The contact stated no warning light was illuminated. The vehicle was not taken to a dealer. Upon investigation, the contact associated the failure with NHTSA Campaign…
While driving, the entire panel goes "off" shutting down the car completely. The panel board is completely dark, no electric supply, no gas supply.
Service airbag on the dash / airbag light on
My car has been diagnosed as having 'extended crank'. My local chevy dealer made approximately fifteen attempts at fixing it to no avail. I'm told it's the check valve, but i have not had that done because all attempts by the dealer didn't work; e.g., new computer (and removed), battery (and…
Other Cadillac STS years
| Year | Complaints | Recalls |
|---|---|---|
| 2011 STS | 7 | 0 |
| 2010 STS | 4 | 0 |
| 2009 STS | 15 | 0 |
| 2008 STS | 50 | 1 |
| 2007 STS | 52 | 2 |
| 2006 | 139 | 4 |
| 2005 STS | 101 | 3 |
| 2004 STS | 7 | 0 |
| 2003 STS | 8 | 0 |
| 2002 STS | 7 | 0 |
| 2001 STS | 12 | 0 |
| 2000 STS | 12 | 1 |
| 1999 STS | 13 | 0 |
| 1998 STS | 3 | 0 |
See all Cadillac STS problems by year, every Cadillac model, or the Cadillac VIN decoder.
Similar Cadillac models
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Frequently asked questions
What are the most common problems with the 2006 Cadillac STS?
Owners most often report air bags, electrical system, engine problems. The top one, air bags, accounts for 57 complaints.
Was there a recall on the 2006 Cadillac STS?
Yes, 4 safety recalls. Enter your VIN at NHTSA.gov to check whether the repairs were done on your car.
Was the 2006 Cadillac STS a good year?
Complaint data can't fully answer that, because counts aren't adjusted for sales. Compared with other STS model years, the 2006 has far more complaints than most years. Always get a pre-purchase inspection and check the VIN for open recalls.