2009 Cadillac DTS recalls and problems

2 recalls and 35 owner complaints on file with NHTSA for the 2009 Cadillac DTS.

2
recalls
35
owner complaints
1
complaints mentioning a crash
1
mentioning a fire

Recalls apply to specific production ranges. To see whether a particular car still has an open recall, enter its VIN at nhtsa.gov/recalls. Repairs for safety recalls are free at authorised dealers.

2009 Cadillac DTS recalls

Electrical system: ignition

NHTSA campaign 14V355000 · reported June 23, 2014 · General Motors LLC · 3,141,731 vehicles potentially affected

The problem
This defect can affect the safe operation of the airbag system. Until this recall is performed, customers should remove all items from their key rings, leaving only the ignition key. The key fob (if applicable), should also be removed from the key ring. General Motors LLC (GM) is recalling certain model year 2005-2009 Buick LaCrosse, 2006-2011 Buick Lucerne, 2000-2005 Cadillac DeVille, 2006-2011 Cadillac DTS, 2006-2014 Chevrolet Impala, and 2006-2007 Chevrolet Monte Carlo vehicles. In the affected vehicles, the weight on the key ring and road conditions or some other jarring event may cause the ignition switch to move out of the run position, turning off the engine.
The risk
If the key is not in the run position, the air bags may not deploy if the vehicle is involved in a crash, increasing the risk of injury. Additionally, a key knocked out of the run position will cause loss of engine power, power steering, and power braking, increasing the risk of a vehicle crash.
The fix
GM will notify owners, and dealers will install two key rings and an insert in the key slot or a cover over the key head on all ignition keys, free of charge. The recall began on September 23, 2014. Owners may contact General Motors customer service at 1-800-521-7300 (Buick), 1-800-458-8006 (Cadillac), and 1-800-222-1020 (Chevrolet). GM's number for this recall is 14299.

Electrical system

NHTSA campaign 10V240000 · reported June 4, 2010 · GENERAL MOTORS CORP. · 1,365,070 vehicles potentially affected

The problem
Gm is recalling certain model year 2006-2009 buick, lucerne; cadillac dts; hummer h2; model year 2008-2009 buick enclave; cadillac cts; model year 2007-2009 cadillac escalade, escalade esv, escalade ext; chevrolet avalanche, silverado, suburban, tahoe; gmc acadia, sierra, yukon, yukon xl; saturn outlook; and model year 2009 chevrolet traverse vehicles equipped with a heated washer fluid system (hwfs). A recall was implemented in 2008 to add a fuse to the control circuit harness to address the potential consequences of a printed circuit board (pcb) electrical short. However, there have been new reports of thermal incidents on hwfs modules after this improvement was installed. These incidents resulted from a new failure mode attributed to the device's thermal protection feature. The significance varies from minor distortion to considerable melting of the plastic around the hwfs fluid chamber.
The risk
It is possible for the heated washer module to ignite and a fire may occur.
The fix
Dealers will permanently disable and remove the heated washer fluid module. An updated page for the owner manual will be provided and inserted in the owner manual to document that the feature has been permanently disabled and removed from the vehicle. The safety recall began on june 11, 2010. Owners may contact buick at 1-866-608-8080, cadillac at 1-866-982-2339, chevrolet at 1-800-630-2438, saturn at 1-800-972-8876, gmc at 1-866-996-9463 and hummer at 1-800-732-5493 or at the owner center at www.gmownercenter.com.

Most reported problems

Areas named in owner complaints to NHTSA. One complaint can name several areas.

What owners report

Recent complaints filed with NHTSA, shortened. These are unverified accounts from owners, not findings.

Sep 23, 2024 · Electrical system

Fuse box got push on by seat clamp shorted out my fuel pump relay and burnt up my fuse box

Feb 23, 2022 · Electrical system · 130,000 miles

The contact owns a 2009 Cadillac DTS. The contact was driving at 55mph on the highway and the vehicle slowed down independently and the screens went blank. The contact pulled over to the shoulder of the road. The vehicle was shut off but would not restart. The contact called the police and the officer called a tow…

Oct 4, 2019 · Service brakes · 40,000 miles

I FILED A COMPLAINT IN 2016 (COMPLAINT NO. 10823262) RELATED CORROSION OF THE REAR BRAKE LINES. THIS COMPLAINT IS SIMILAR BUT RELATED TO CORROSION OF THE FRONT BRAKE LINES IN WHICH I AGAIN HAD A SIMILAR LIFE THREATENING EXPERIENCE. THE ORDINARY "CORRODED" STEEL LINES WERE REPLACED WITH "VINYL COATED" LINES. I NEVER…

Oct 2, 2019 · Electrical system · 42,000 miles

CANT BRING DRIVER OR PASSENGER SEATS UP OR DOWN RESULTING IN UNCOMFORTABLE DRIVING POSITION IN DRIVE, NEUTRAL, PARK, ALL GEARS. DISTANCE SENSORS MALFUNCTION FREQUENTLY WHEN GOING INTO REVERSE.

Mar 11, 2019 · Electronic stability control (ESC) · 10 miles

VEHICLE WOULD NOT START WHEN ATVTRAIN STATION. HAD TO LEAVE OVERNIGHT AND HAD IT TROUBLESHOT IN AM. A FAULTY FUEL PUMP RELAY WAS THE SUPPOSED CAUSE. CHANGED THE RELAY ON A WEDNESDAY MORNING AND CAR WAS GOOD TILL SATURDAY AFTERNOON WHEN IT STALLED OUT IN THE MIDDLE OF ROUTE 9 IN HEAVY TRAFFIC. AT THE TIME MY WIFE AND…

DTS model years compared

YearRecallsComplaintsCrashesFires
2006 42551410
2007 39784
2008 38666
2009 23511
2010 32230
2011 21640

Across all years, the 2006 DTS has the most complaints (255). All Cadillac DTS years →

Questions

Does the 2009 Cadillac DTS have any recalls?
Yes. NHTSA lists 2 recalls for the 2009 Cadillac DTS, the most recent reported on June 23, 2014 (Electrical system: ignition). Check a specific car by its VIN at nhtsa.gov/recalls.
What are the most common problems with the 2009 Cadillac DTS?
Owners have filed 35 complaints with NHTSA. The most frequently reported area is electrical system (12 complaints), followed by service brakes (6).
How many 2009 Cadillac DTS complaints mention a crash or fire?
1 of 35 complaints report a crash and 1 a fire; 3 injuries were reported in total. Complaints are unverified reports from owners.

Source: NHTSA recall and complaint data, updated October 27, 2026. Latest complaint received September 23, 2024.