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Body and structurePart report

2011 Cadillac CTS Body and structure Problems

Complaints
9about this part
Share
9%of 101 total for the year
Median mileage
56,000miles
Trend
Not enough dataFewer than 15 complaints, too few for a reliable trend.

NHTSA recorded 9 complaints about the body and structure of the 2011 Cadillac CTS, 9% of the 101 complaints for this model year. Where a mileage was given, the median is 56,000 miles. 1 of these say a crash was involved, according to the filers.

Fewer than 15 complaints name this part, so treat the figures as a rough indication only.

Example complaints

Selected from NHTSA records; personal details are removed. They are consumer reports, not findings.

“2 problems. First, for the recall for the keychain, can the dealership not just mail me and give me the keychain upon arrival? Most dealerships seem to insist that they have to check the vehicle out, which means I would have to leave it or wait. Second, someone rear ended me, totaling the vehicle (los - perhaps as much as $13,000, as I did not have collision insurance. I believe that I might have avoided the accident, but he came out of a right rear blind spot. I often had trouble seeing people back there, and I believe the large right rear blind spot is a design defect. …”

NHTSA complaint #11228273, filed 2019-06, 70,000 miles

“My husband was driving in our community, about 15 MPH. He made a right hand turn and the control arm snapped in half, the wheel broke off and the frame came crashing to the ground. We have owned the car for less than 3 weeks. Aaa towed the car to the nearest dealership. The dealership refuses to fix the car under the manufacturer's warranty claiming that the car had to have been in an accident. We have neighbors who heard the thud and came to see what happened. There was no accident/collision. We have driven the car a couple hundred miles. This shouldn't have happened. …”

NHTSA complaint #10554920, filed 2013-12, 20,000 miles

“The contact owns a 2011 Cadillac CTS. The contact stated that upon inspection underneath the frame rail, the contact became aware that there was rust on both sides of the vehicle. The local dealer was contacted; however, the vehicle was not diagnosed because the VIN was not under recall. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was notified of the failure. The approximate failure mileage was 153,000.”

NHTSA complaint #11661438, filed 2025-05, 153,000 miles

“The contact owns a 2011 Cadillac CTS. The contact stated that the vehicle was experiencing a water leak. The contact noticed that the front driver's side seat, door arm rest and floor were significantly wet after rainfall. The contact stated that the failure later occurred on the front passenger's side of the vehicle. Additionally, the contact stated that the vehicle was experiencing electrical failures. The contact stated that after turning off the vehicle, the infotainment system, the heating system, the A/C, and the engine failed to turn off. …”

NHTSA complaint #11617576, filed 2024-10, 100,000 miles

“The contact owns a 2011 Cadillac CTS. While the vehicle was in park, the front driver side door failed to open electronically from the inside. The contact had to manually pull a lever to open the door in order to exit the vehicle. The vehicle was taken to a dealer, but the contact was unsure about what part needed to be replaced. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was notified of the failure. The failure mileage was 55,000.”

NHTSA complaint #10860331, filed 2016-04, 55,000 miles

Related service bulletins

Body and structure: other model years

YearComplaintsShare of year
2016310%
201512%
201443%
201323%
201258%
201199%
2010812%
200995%
2008148%
200784%
200641%
200573%
2004178%
2003227%

Other parts of the 2011 Cadillac CTS

Air bags
23 complaints
Transmission and drivetrain
22 complaints
Electrical system
20 complaints
Engine
13 complaints
Steering
11 complaints
Exterior lighting
8 complaints
Brakes
6 complaints
Vehicle speed control
6 complaints
Other or unknown
5 complaints
Seats
4 complaints
Tires
4 complaints
Electronic stability control
3 complaints

← All problems reported for the 2011 Cadillac CTS

About this data. Data from NHTSA (ODI) complaints, recalls, TSBs and investigations, updated Oct 27, 2026. Complaints are unverified consumer reports and may be duplicated or inaccurate.

To check a specific vehicle for open recalls, use its VIN at nhtsa.gov/recalls. Methodology