Total Complaints
10 filings
CADILLAC DTS · model year
10 NHTSA complaints for this specific cohort.
NHTSA overall rating
Not crash-tested
New Car Assessment Program
The 2005CADILLACDTS carries 10 consumer safety complaints in NHTSA's Office of Defects Investigation database for this specific model-year cohort. Within that volume, owners reported 0 crashes, 0 fires, 2 injuries, and 0 fatalities. No NCAP 5-star crash-test rating is available for this model year in the federal database.
Component-level analysis is where model-year complaints become actionable: the top complaint category for the 2005 DTS is steering with 3 filings, followed by suspension (1) and visibility:power window devices and controls (1). Concentration in one or two component groups is the classic signature of a systemic defect; a flat distribution usually reflects normal aging, warranty complaints, or isolated build-plant variability.
NHTSA currently has 10 investigation files overlapping the 2005 DTS, and 1 remain open. Owners comparing this cohort against neighboring years should pair the counters above with the complaint-by-year trend on the parent model page — a spike in a single year often tracks to a platform refresh, a new transmission supplier, or an updated ECU calibration. Use the related-complaint feed below to read raw owner narratives before deciding whether any pattern here affects your specific use case.
Total Complaints
10 filings
Crashes Reported
0 reports
Source
NHTSA ODI
Federal complaints database
At or below the fleet median complaint volume.
| Component | Count |
|---|---|
| STEERING | 3 |
| SUSPENSION | 1 |
| VISIBILITY:POWER WINDOW DEVICES AND CONTROLS | 1 |
| ELECTRICAL SYSTEM | 1 |
| ENGINE | 1 |
| EXTERIOR LIGHTING | 1 |
| UNKNOWN OR OTHER | 1 |
| AIR BAGS | 1 |
TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2005 CADILLAC DTS. WHILE DRIVING APPROXIMATELY 75 MPH, THE FRONT PASSENGER AIR BAG DEPLOYED WITHOUT WARNING OR IMPACT. A SLIGHT MUSTY ODOR WAS PRESENT DUE TO THE AIR BAG DEPLOYMENT AND ALL THE WARNING INDICATORS ON THE INSTRUMENT PANEL ILLUMINATED. THE CONTACT SUSTAINED INJURIES, WHICH DID NOT REQUIRE MEDICAL ATTENTION. THE CONTACT DROVE TO AN UNKNOWN CADILLAC DEALER LOCATED IN STUART, FL, WHO STATED THAT NOTHING COULD BE DONE ABOUT THE AIR BAG BECAUSE IT WOULD BE A LONG PROCESS. THE CONTACT THEN TOOK THE VEHICLE TO CLAUDE NOLAN CADILLAC (LOCATED ON SOUTHSIDE BLVD, JACKSONVILLE, FL) AND WAS INFORMED TO CONTACT THE MANUFACTURER BECAUSE THEY HAD NEVER SEEN AN AIR BAG DEPLOY WITHOUT A CRASH. THE CONTACT CALLED THE MANUFACTURER AND WAS INFORMED TO TAKE THE VEHICLE BACK TO CLAUDE NOLAN CADILLAC WHERE IT WAS DIAGNOSED THAT THERE WAS DAMAGE TO THE UNDERCARRIAGE AND THAT SOMETHING MUST HAVE SET OFF THE AIR BAG. THE MANUFACTURER WOULD NOT REPAIR THE VEHICLE. THE VEHICLE W
Mileage: 93,000
THE FACTORY INSTALLED OPTIONAL GLASS SUNROOF OF 2005 CADILLAC DEVILLE DTS SPONTANEOUSLY "EXPLODED" AND SHATTERED. BROKEN GLASS RAINED DOWN INSIDE THE VEHICLE AND OVER THE BACK OF THE VEHICLE ON TO THE ROADWAY BEHIND WHILE TRAVELING STRAIGHT OVER A UNCROWDED HIGHWAY AT 62 - 63 MPH APPROXIMATELY AT 6:30 AM ON 6/2/17. SUNROOF WAS CLOSED. THE INTERIOR SUN SHADE WAS OPEN. EXTERIOR TEMPERATURE WAS ABOUT 60F. INTERIOR TEMPERATURE WAS ABOUT 75F. THE CAR HAS APPROXIMATELY 103,500 MILES ON IT. THERE WAS NO PREVIOUS DAMAGE TO SUNROOF OR INDICATIONS OF PRIOR DAMAGE TO THE SUNROOF. THERE WAS NO SOUND OF CRACK LIKE WHEN ROCK HITS THE WINDSHIELD OR SOUND OF OBJECT HITTING THE CAR OR SUNROOF PRIOR TO THE "BANG!" AS THE SUNROOF EXPLODED. TRAFFIC WAS LIGHT ON DIVIDED HIGHWAY AND WERE NO TRUCKS IN AHEAD, OR CARS VERY NEARBY. IT WAS AN UTTERLY UNEVENTFUL AND NON-EXTREME DRIVE IN TERMS OF SPEED, TEMPERATURES, TRAFFIC VOLUME, OR OPERATION. CRUISE CONTROL WAS SET. THE REAR EDGE OF GLASS REMAINING IN THE FRA
Mileage: 103,500
THE FRONT HEAD LIGHTS ON MY 2006 CADILLAC DTS GO OUT AT ALL TIMES. I HAVE TO CONTINUOUSLY CUT OUT AND I HAVE TO TURN THE LIGHT SWITCH OFF AND ON SO I CAN DRIVE AT NIGHT. II PREVIOUSLY OWNED ANOTHER 2006 CADILLAC DTS WITH THE SAME PROBLEMS. I TOOK THE VEHICLE TO A CADILLAC DEALER KRISTAL AUTO MALL IN BROOKLYN, NY AND THEY FIX THE PROBLEM WHICH THEY SAID WAS A FAULTY BALLAST. IT WAS FAULTY ON BOTH HEADLIGHTS. AND NOW IN THE DTS I HAVE, IT IS FAULTY TOO. THERE HAS BEEN A RECALL ON THIS SAME ISSUE IN OTHER GM VEHICLES.
Mileage: 25
TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2005 CADILLAC DTS. THE CONTACT STATED THAT THE VEHICLE FAILED TO START. THE VEHICLE WAS TOWED TO THE DEALER. THE TECHNICIAN WAS UNABLE TO DIAGNOSE THE FAILURE. THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOT MADE AWARE OF THE FAILURE. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT REPAIRED. THE VIN WAS NOT AVAILABLE. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 70,000 AND THE CURRENT MILEAGE WAS UNKNOWN. UPDATED 6/17/14*CN U8PDATED 8/21/2017*CN
Mileage: 70,000
TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2005 CADILLAC DOTS. THE CONTACT STATED THAT WHILE DRIVING AT VARIOUS SPEEDS, THE SPEEDOMETER FAILED TO OPERATE INTERMITTENTLY. THE CONTACT ALSO MENTIONED THAT THE BRAKE LIGHTS AND THE STABILITY CONTROL WARNING LIGHT ILLUMINATED. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO THE DEALER WHERE THE MECHANIC WAS UNABLE TO DETERMINE THE FAILURE. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT REPAIRED. THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOTIFIED. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 200. THE CURRENT MILEAGE WAS 41,000. ..UPDATED 12-30-13 *BF
Mileage: 200
ATTEMPTING TO TURN AT INTERSECTION DURING RAIN STORM STEERING LOCKED FOR 5 TO 10 SECONDS. *TR
Mileage: 59,600
TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2005 CADILLAC DEVILLE DTS. THE CONTACT HEARD A LOUD CRACKING SOUND AND THE FRONT PASSENGER SIDE WINDOW FELL DOWN INDEPENDENTLY. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO A DEALER WHERE THE REGULATOR WAS REPLACED. THE IDENTICAL FAILURE RECURRED ON THE REAR PASSENGER WINDOW. AFTER THE VEHICLE WAS REPAIRED OVER TIME THE FAILURE RECURRED AGAIN ON THE REAR DRIVERS SIDE. THE VEHICLE WAS REPAIRED. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 54,871 AND THE CURRENT MILEAGE WAS 61,757. UPDATED 10/15/12 *CN UPDATED 10/24/2012 *JS
Mileage: 54,871
TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2005 CADILLAC DTS. WHILE DRIVING BETWEEN 60-70 MPH, THE VEHICLE BEGAN TO VIBRATE EXCESSIVELY. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO AN AUTHORIZED DEALER WHO WAS UNABLE TO PROVIDE A REMEDY REPAIR FOR THE ABNORMAL VIBRATION. THE FRONT PASSENGER SIDE RIM AND ALL FOUR TIRES WERE REPLACED; HOWEVER THE FAILURE PERSISTED. THE MANUFACTURER WAS MADE AWARE OF THE PROBLEM. THE APPROXIMATE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 29,000. UPDATED 01/04/12*LJ
Mileage: 29,000
TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2005 CADILLAC DTS. WHILE DRIVING BETWEEN 60-70 MPH, THE VEHICLE BEGAN TO VIBRATE EXCESSIVELY. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO AN AUTHORIZED DEALER WHO WAS UNABLE TO PROVIDE A REMEDY REPAIR FOR THE ABNORMAL VIBRATION. THE FRONT PASSENGER SIDE RIM AND ALL FOUR TIRES WERE REPLACED; HOWEVER THE FAILURE PERSISTED. THE MANUFACTURER WAS MADE AWARE OF THE PROBLEM. THE APPROXIMATE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 29,000. UPDATED 01/04/12*LJ
Mileage: 29,000
WHEN IT RAINS AND WE HIT A PUDDLE OF WATER THE POWER STEERING STOPS WORKING AND THE CAR IS VERY DIFFICULT TO STEER. IT FRIGHTFUL IN HIGH TRAFFIC AREAS AS THERE IS MINIMUM CONTROL. AFTER A FEW MINUTES THE POWER STEERING IS RESTORED. THIS HAVE HAPPENED SEVERAL TIMES. *TR
Mileage: 23,000
Electronic Brake Module Component Failure
Rear-View Camera Failure
Roof Skin Separation While Driving
IEE Passenger Sensing System Mats
REAR DRIVETRAIN COMPONENT FAILURE
Data as of 2025. Sources: NHTSA Office of Defects Investigation (ODI) complaints database, NHTSA recall campaign API, NHTSA NCAP crash-test ratings, and NHTSA FARS for fatality cross-reference.
Read our methodology — how this data is sourced, computed, and verified.