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Model file · CadillacUpdated · 10 sources

Selling an old or broken Cadillac STS

Air bags lead the STS's complaint file. Of 375 complaints owners filed with NHTSA, 94 name the air bags, and 54 of those are on the 2006 alone. Yet none of the STS's six recall campaigns covers them.

A champagne-gold Cadillac STS sedan with chrome wheels, seen from the front left on a wet parking lot
Photo: IFCAR · Public domain · Wikimedia Commons
Model years (EPA)
2005-2011
Built in
Lansing, Michigan
Platform
GM Sigma, rear- or all-wheel drive
Complaints to NHTSA
375
Complaints naming air bags
94
Year with the most complaints
2006 (139)
Recall campaigns
6

That gap matters if your car has a problem no recall covers. We buy whole non-running and junk cars, so you can sell the whole car as it sits, with free pickup anywhere in the US.

Between the Seville and the XTS

The STS took over from the Seville STS and was followed by the XTS. Wikipedia says GM built it at Lansing Grand River in Michigan, alongside the smaller CTS, on the Sigma platform it shares with the SRX. EPA lists rear-drive and all-wheel-drive versions and the STS-V.

Transmissions were 5-speed and 6-speed automatics. The STS-V, built 2005 to 2009, used a 4.4-liter Northstar LC3 V8 with a 6-speed 6L80. A 3.6-liter LLT V6 was offered for 2010 and 2011.

Complaints by model year

Our count of NHTSA's owner reports, run Oct. 10, 2026. Seven complaints are filed under 2004, the year Wikipedia says production began; EPA's data starts with the 2005.

Model yearComplaintsCrashesFiresInjuredRecallsTop components
200471030One each: exterior lighting, air bags, engine
200510113443Electrical 18, power train 12, air bags 11
2006139166204Air bags 54, electrical 15, engine 13
2007525032Air bags 15, electrical 8, power train 5
2008506221Engine 9, air bags 8, electrical 5
2009154000Air bags 5, stability control 2, brakes 2
201040000One each: lighting, stability control, structure
201171020Electrical 2, brakes 2

A recall covering several years counts in each. Across the file, owners reported 46 crashes, 12 fires and 34 injuries, with no deaths. Late STS years have had less time for reports to come in, though a 2011 has still been around fifteen years.

Known problems, early cars and late cars

2005-2007: 292 of the 375 complaints

The first three years hold almost the whole file. The 2005 leads with electrical complaints, the 2006 with air bags, and the 2006 also reports the most injuries, 20.

Five of the six recalls land here:

  • 06V020, 2005-2006: on some V6 cars, fuel can stop reaching the engine without the low-fuel light or chime. Dealers reprogram the engine computer. The 17,462-vehicle campaign may include other GM models.
  • 06V125, 2005: a rear suspension toe link with a bad weld could separate. Dealers inspect both and replace as needed. Its 23,077 vehicles may include other models.
  • 06V007, 2006: on some all-wheel-drive cars with the 3.6 V6, the throttle's torque monitoring was not switched on. 1,327 vehicles.
  • 07V589, 2005-2007: a pinion seal on the rear axle that might leak. This campaign counts 275,936 vehicles, far more than the STS alone.
  • 14V542, 2006-2007 STS-V: the fuel module and jumper harness are replaced, in a 10,005-vehicle campaign shared with the CTS-V.

2008-2011: a much shorter list

The 2008 drew 50 complaints, with the engine named most at 9. Its one recall, 08V108, names 4,586 2008 STS and STS-V cars that didn't meet the federal tire pressure monitoring standard; dealers reprogram the remote door lock receiver.

From 2009 on, the file thins to 15, 4 and 7 complaints, and no recalls.

Is it worth fixing?

An STS is now 15 to 21 years old. Compare that estimate to what a same-year STS that runs would sell for. When the two are close, the fix isn't worth it.

Selling it whole

  1. Give us your STS's VIN, mileage and what it's doing. Say if it's AWD or an STS-V.
  2. Get an offer online, or call (877) 421-6008.
  3. Tell us where the car is. Street, driveway, garage or a repair shop lot are all fine.
  4. Leave it complete. Wheels and converter stay on; flag any part that's already gone.
  5. When the STS is picked up, sign its title over and show ID. See after you sell for plates and insurance.

No title? Try selling with no title. Other Cadillacs from these years: the DTS, or every Cadillac we cover.

Questions people ask

Why do so many STS complaints mention air bags?
NHTSA's file names the component, not the cause, so the count alone can't say. What it shows is 94 of 375 complaints naming air bags, 54 of them on the 2006. None of the six STS recall campaigns we counted covers the air bags.
Which STS years have recalls?
The 2005 through 2008. The 2005 has 3 campaigns, the 2006 has 4, the 2007 has 2 and the 2008 has 1. The 2009, 2010 and 2011 have none in the NHTSA data.
Does the STS-V have its own recall?
Yes. Recall 14V542 covers 2006-2007 STS-V cars built June 23, 2005 to March 15, 2007, along with some CTS-V cars. Dealers replace the fuel module and fuel tank jumper harness free. Recall 08V108 also names 2008 STS-V cars, for the tire pressure system.
Can I sell an STS that won't start?
Yes. We buy whole non-running and junk cars, with free pickup anywhere in the US. Tell us where the STS sits and if it rolls.

Sources

Every fact on this page comes from one of these. Checked October 11, 2026.

  1. NHTSA complaints flat file (FLAT_CMPL.zip), Cadillac STS, counted as of October 10, 2026 nhtsa.gov
  2. NHTSA: Check for recalls by VIN nhtsa.gov
  3. NHTSA recall 06V007: throttle torque monitoring, 2006 AWD 3.6 V6 nhtsa.gov
  4. NHTSA recall 06V020: fuel delivery software, V6 cars, 2005-2006 nhtsa.gov
  5. NHTSA recall 06V125: rear toe link weld, 2005 nhtsa.gov
  6. NHTSA recall 07V589: rear axle pinion seal, 2005-2007 nhtsa.gov
  7. NHTSA recall 08V108: tire pressure monitoring, 2008 STS and STS-V nhtsa.gov
  8. NHTSA recall 14V542: fuel module, 2006-2007 STS-V nhtsa.gov
  9. EPA fuel economy data: Cadillac STS model years and variants fueleconomy.gov
  10. Wikipedia: Cadillac STS (plant, platform, engines, predecessor and successor) en.wikipedia.org