There are 9 owner-reported air bags & restraints complaints for the 2008 Cadillac DTSin NHTSA's database. These are unverified consumer reports and may not reflect confirmed defects.
AIR BAG DIDN'T DEPLOY AFTER HEAD ON COLLISION TRAVELING 23 MILES PER HOUR, ON A CITY STREET, GOING STRAIGHT. CAR WAS CONSIDERED TOTALED BY USAA.
TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2008 CADILLAC DTS. THE CONTACT STATED THAT WHILE DRIVING APPROXIMATELY 25 MPH, THE STEERING WHEEL SEIZED. THE CONTACT CRASHED INTO CEMENT WALL AS A RESULT. THE AIR BAGS FAILED TO DEPLOY. THE VEHICLE WAS DESTROYED. THE CONTACT WAS NOT INJURED AND A POLICE REPORT WAS NOT FILED. THE VEHICLE WAS TOWED TO A SALVAGE YARD. THE MANUFACTURER WAS MADE AWARE OF THE PROBLEM. THE APPROXIMATE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 111,730. *TR
THE CADILLAC WAS STOPPED IN TRAFFIC ON THE HIGHWAY AND AIRBAGS FAILED TO DEPLOY WHEN REAR ENDED BY SEMI-TRUCK GOING POSSIBLY 40MPH CAUSING THE CADILLAC TO CRASH INTO THE CAR IN FRONT AS WELL. THE CAR WAS TOTAL LOSS, THE SPEED OF SEMI TRUCK IS UNKNOWN BUT SEEING THE CADILLAC WAS TOTAL LOSS AND WITH SERIOUS DAMAGE TO THE FRONT AND BACK OF THE VEHICLE THE AIRBAG SHOULD HAVE GONE OFF AND DID NOT. *TR
TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2008 CADILLAC DTS. THE CONTACT STATED THAT BOTH THE REAR DRIVER AND PASSENGER SIDE LAP-SHOULDER BELTS FAILED TO LATCH. THE CONTACT MENTIONED THAT THE FAILURE WOULD OCCUR INTERMITTENTLY. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT TAKEN TO A DEALER FOR INSPECTION. THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOT MADE AWARE OF THE FAILURE. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT REPAIRED. THE APPROXIMATE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 50,000 AND THE CURRENT MILEAGE WAS 60,000.
THE REAR PASSENGER LAP-SHOULDER BELTS ARE UNUSABLE BECAUSE THE BUCKLES ARE TOO FAR DOWN INTO THE SEAT CREVICE TO GET THE LATCH PLATE INTO THE BUCKLE. THE DEALER HAS TRIED TO PULL THE BUCKLES OUT FURTHER BUT CANNOT. I HAVE LOOKED AT OTHER CADILLAC AND BUICK AUTOS AND THE BUCKLES ARE LOCATED MUCH FURTHER OUT SO THAT THE LATCH PLATE CAN BE EASILY INSERTED INTO THE BUCKLE AS DESCRIBED ON PAGE 1-24 OF THE CADILLAC DTS OWNERS MANUAL. THIS IS A SERIOUS SAFETY PROBLEM BECAUSE THE REAR SEAT PASSENGERS CANNOT USE THE LAP-SHOULDER BELTS. WHAT IS NEEDED IS A LONGER BELT FOR THE BUCKLE END SO THAT THE BUCKLE PROTRUDES MUCH FURTHER OUT OF THE SEAT CREVICE. *TR
LTR FROM SENATOR CARDIN ON BEHALF OF CONSTITUENT RE THE RIGIDNESS OF THE SEAT BELTS IN HER 2008 CADILLAC DTS. *NJ THE CONSUMER STATED THE SEAT BELTS WERE VERY TIGHT TO THE SEAT. THE CONSUMER STATED GM NO LONGER USED THE FLEXIBLE STEM FOR THE SEAT BELTS ON ANY OF THE DTS VEHICLES. *JB
TL*THE CONTACT OWNS A 2008 CADILLAC DTS. WHILE DRIVING BETWEEN 15-20 MPH, THE DRIVER SIDE CURTAIN AIR BAGS SUDDENLY DEPLOYED WITHOUT AN IMPACT. AFTER THE AIR BAGS DEPLOYED, THE LIGHTS ILLUMINATED. THE CONTACT DROVE THE VEHICLE TO HER RESIDENCE AND THEN CALLED THE DEALER. THE DEALER DID NOT WANT TO REPAIR THE FAILURE. THE CONTACT TOOK THE VEHICLE TO ANOTHER DEALER, BUT THEY WOULD NOT ASSIST. THE DEALER FINALLY AGREED TO REPAIR THE VEHICLE, BUT WOULD NOT STATE WHAT CAUSED THE FAILURE. THE CONTACT STATED THAT THIS WAS A SERIOUS SAFETY HAZARD. HIS DAUGHTER AND GRANDSON SUSTAINED TEMPORARY HEARING LOSS AND HEADACHES WHEN THE AIR BAGS DEPLOYED. THE CURRENT AND FAILURE MILEAGES WERE 30,000. UPDATED 11/12/08 *BF UPDATED 11/13/08. *JB
TL*THE CONTACT OWNS A 2008 CADILLAC DTS. THE CONTACT STATED THAT THE DRIVER'S SIDE SEAT BELT WAS DEFECTIVE AND NOT IDENTICAL TO THE PASSENGER SIDE SEAT BELT. THE SEAT BELT ON THE DRIVER'S SIDE IS RIGID AND NOTICEABLY SHORTER THAN THE ONE ON THE PASSENGER SIDE. THE DEALER SENT A SEAT BELT EXTENDER, BUT IT HAS NOT REMEDIED THE ISSUE. THE CURRENT MILEAGE WAS 400 AND FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 275. UPDATED 10/16/08. *LJ UPDATED 10/17/08.*JB
TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2008 CADILLAC DTS. THE CONTACT STATED THAT THE REAR DRIVER AND PASSENGER SIDE SEAT BELTS FAILED TO PROPERLY FIT ACROSS THE CHEST AREA AND WENT ACROSS THE NECK AREA. THE CONTACT STATED THAT THE SHOULDER ANCHOR WAS ADJUSTED TO THE LOWER LEVEL BUT THE SEAT BELT CONTINUED TO LIE ACROSS THE NECK AREA. THE CONTACT WAS CONCERNED THAT IN THE EVENT OF A CRASH, THE SEAT BELT WOULD CAUSE FATAL INJURIES. ALSO, THE CONTACT STATED THAT HER NECK WAS BLISTERED DUE TO THE FAILURE BUT MEDICAL ATTENTION WAS NOT REQUIRED. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT DIAGNOSED OR REPAIRED. THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOTIFIED OF THE FAILURE AND RECOMMENDED THE CONTACT TO PURCHASE SEAT BELT PADS. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 50,000.
Complaints are unverified consumer reports submitted to NHTSA. A high complaint count may reflect vehicle popularity, not defect severity. Data sourced from NHTSA public records.
Data synced from NHTSA on Apr 25, 2026