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Cadillac CTS Engine Problems

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Comments

  • scharley2010scharley2010 Member Posts: 4
    I got rid of my CTS yesterday , I was putting a quart every 1,000 miles , I want never buy a GMC car again ,
  • peterbarkpeterbark Member Posts: 1
    If you have gotten any farther with the lawsuit you were thinking of taking against GM, let me know as I would love to talk with you. I have the same exact 2006 CTS and the oil pan ran dry much the same as yours did and it lead to my engine blowing up on me. There has to be some way we can get this problem recalled and eventually taken care of for us. Reply back as soon as you can.
  • missnmyhondamissnmyhonda Member Posts: 3
    I have not :( but I know from this forum and others, there are lots of people with this exact issue
  • happycaddyhappycaddy Member Posts: 1
    I bought my first 06' second hand with 28,000mi now 35,000 thinking it was the best Caddy built. After reading all these issues not being solved I have questions? I have not had an issue yet, only recalls for this and that. I'm glad I can do some mechanical repairs but not overhauling engines and transmissions. I think there is an error problem for all cars but the management across this country has been in reverse as too quantity first quality second... Its all based on greedy budget of monies. Just look at the water you drink and the GMO food you eat then get cancer for some unknown reason its similar with a plastic-steel car and how we nurture all aspects of life.
    Fingers are crossed with Jesus on the dashboard.
  • elanteeeelanteee Member Posts: 5
    You don't much to worry about quite yet, it will be another 25 - 30 thousand before it will start most of the shananagins, on your quality built caddy. Actually the body chasis and frame are fantastic, you couldn't ask for better! It's the power train!!!! If it wasn't my dream car I might not be so hard on it, but I had high expectations not only with the car but General Motors PPPPPPPLLLLLLLLL. :P
  • cdnpinheadcdnpinhead Member Posts: 5,495
    edited July 2013
    After reading all these issues not being solved I have questions. . .

    As well you should. However, it's worth pointing out that the vast majority of CTS drivers don't endure the dreaded excessive oil consumption engine grenading issue. Those who do post here.

    Keep an eagle eye on your oil level. It's a pain in the [non-permissible content removed] these days, since most engines don't use more than a pint of oil (if that) in 5000 miles. But, we all know that this one can.

    Many people on this board in the early days thought that the oil change monitoring system in the car was an oil level monitor. It is not. There are a few on this board who seem to think that an improperly designed engine is cause for recall. That's not how it works. There needs to be a safety issue involved and my guess is that not enough engines (yet) have packed up in a situation that could be considered safety-related. That, or GM has gone to great pains to show otherwise. Go figure.

    Check your oil every time you fill up, or once a week in the morning before you start the engine. At the first sign of consumption, sell the car.

    That is all.

    Good luck.
    '08 Acura TSX, '17 Subaru Forester
  • billpaulbillpaul Member Posts: 103
    Consumer Reports recently posted a blog about increasing oil consumption of recent cars. This may help put this issue in perspective. I should say that I have been driving cars since the 1960's, and the only car I have ever owned that required added oil between oil changes was an Audi Fox that had defective valve seals. So, I consider the oil consumption discussed here and by CR to be unacceptable.

    http://autos.yahoo.com/news/consumer-reports-sees-oil-vanish-test-cars-140000066- .html
  • danactsdanacts Member Posts: 1
    I love my 2006 CTS but it has gotten to the point where I am running it out of oil all the time. I am thinking of getting another car and would love a newer Cadillac but do not want to go through the same oil headaches. Aside from the oil problem, I love everything else about my car but it is just not worth it. I am wondering if the newer models still have this problem. Any thoughts?
  • jpfjpf Member Posts: 496
    Check out the GMC Acadia forums (engine problems) as the Acadia has the same 3.6 liter engine as the CTS. There have been serious engine problems reported for the Acadia, especially 2007 to 2010 models. It's hard to say whether the more recent models have fewer engine problems. Given the complexity of this engine (e..g. three timing chains), I would not own a CTS unless it's fully covered by a GM warranty. Good luck.
  • scharley2010scharley2010 Member Posts: 4
    My 2005 was doing same thing , 2 weeks ago I got rid of mine , my advice sell it or trade it while you can .
  • cadillacjack1cadillacjack1 Member Posts: 7
    I did a lot of research and found that the oil problem has been reported over every model year on the three point six. One report that might be of interest was a 2013 cts with eighteen thousand miles had oil consumption issues.
    I also read that part of this is due to piston rings that are undersized. This individual had the rings replaced at the dealer cost and the engine still seized on them. Others have reported six thousand dollars in repairs from eighteen thousand miles up to eighty thousand. Unless you can afford the cost and don't mind being left stranded-other reviews tesify to computer problems, no starts-and cutting out while in motion-if you can over look these than the cts might work out for you. :lemon:
  • cadillacjack1cadillacjack1 Member Posts: 7
    Ever since I traded my 2006 CTS I have been looking in car mags-there are always plenty of them for sale..Let me see the car fax. Actualy I've seen all I need to see. The Cts In my review gets a one in a possible five. I rate it only on it's styling. It does look nice, but the performance issues that are easy to research and documented puts this car in the lemon category.
    These posts serve only as a buyer beware. If anyone decides to buy a Cadillac CTS and they do not experiance the problems so many do-then they should post as well. but So far the negative comments outways the positive. :sick:
  • rriddlerriddle Member Posts: 7
    I have a 2011 CTS and have not had any of the oil problems discussed thus far (knock on wood). I did have an earlier post where I had some early problems of the whole car shutting off on me 3 times within six months of owning it. After two visits to Cadillac dealership maintenance it seems to have fixed the problem. My guess is that there was a loose connection or short which caused the problem and the full car inspection and checking every cable solved this issue. Thus far....the engine has run well and no extensive oil use problems....again...knocking on wood. :)
  • gmcustsvcgmcustsvc Member Posts: 4,252
    Hi there,

    Glad to hear that your '11 CTS has treated you well so far and that your dealer helped you through those few minor issues. If there's anything you have questions about, or need assistance with, please let us know.

    Amber N.
    GM Customer Care
  • baberpervezbaberpervez Member Posts: 1
    I'm glad I found these series of posts to give me some peace of mind. Regardless of what some of you may think my purchase, but I happened to buy a used 2005 Cadillac CTS 2.8 from a dealership and was surprised to see the engine light turn a week after my purchase. The engine ran great, didn't feel any abnormalities with the exception of the entire car shaking when you would turn on the air conditioner heater. Pretty easy to confirm as you can turn on the AC/Heating and immediately feel the "kicking" sensation. However since I live in cold-[non-permissible content removed] Canada I didn't really bother with it, even though the car would consume more gas with the heating on than off.

    The problem I faced was three months into the purchase when driving from 0 -60 km/hour. After driving for a few months I had a pretty good "feel" as to what was normal acceleration and started feeling irregular gear shifts and "stuttering" coming from the engine. A shriek would sometimes be heard when accelerating/sounding like an awful acceleration noise.

    Since my Transmission fluid was at 14% and my engine oil was 20% I figured my transmission oil needed changing. The oil percentage was at 95% when I first bought the vehicle and I thought it was going to be a transmission problem. After taking it to Canadian Tire the mechanic told me that the oil level was dangerously low! And that by replacing the oil the issue with acceleration would dissapear. After the service the engine light also dissapeared and would not come back on again.

    I'd like to mention that prior to the service the engine light would either turn off and then turn back on, or would randomly flash occasionally.

    With the oil and transmission oil fully replaced I drove for another 4-5months only to find the "stuttering" happening again along with the acceleration grinding issue happenign again now that the car is at 24% oil life (96% transmission). After restarting the engine the "check engine oil" message came on. SO it makes me conclude that the Cadillac CTS takes much more oil than expected and the % indicator for oil should NOT ever be trusted. Thankfully I know what the problem is with the onscreen diagnostics message and the engine light coming on (it's off now), and I will replace the oil in the morning, but it's a shocker to me that the on-screen diagnostics are simply not accurate.

    Point taken - check your engine oil regularly and change the oil before it reaches 30%.

    As I've only driven for the day to experience this issue, I'm hoping there's no permanent damage. Will keep everyone one posted after the service tomorrow.
  • cdnpinheadcdnpinhead Member Posts: 5,495
    Sell the car.

    Fast.
    '08 Acura TSX, '17 Subaru Forester
  • cady2004cady2004 Member Posts: 13
    AGREE SELL THE CAR !!!

    REALLY REALLY FAST !!
  • cady2004cady2004 Member Posts: 13
    AGREE SELL THE CAR !!!

    REALLY REALLY FAST !!
  • jwilli51jwilli51 Member Posts: 3
    edited August 2013
    This you will not believe!!!
    2007 CTS -NICE veh--Vinyl top, leather seats, pin stripping, alloy wheels gleaming in the Florida sun!!
    Man, what a sight!(Better I had been blind.) !475 miles on odometer.
    Two weeks later, a scratch appeared fully along the right side. First trip to body shop. $!400.00--ins paid
    All was well until June 2011 1330 hrs(1:30 pm). While on a trip to Augusta, Ga, I killed a 200 lb buck with the front of my CTS.( all cosmetic damage and we finished our trip with hood bunged down ) 2nd trip to Body shop. $4400.00---ins paid- no deductable.
    Two weeks later, at 31000 mi, threw timing chain. Oil level was aok. First trip to mechanic.
    Two days later, call confirmed timing chain. Two days later,call confirmed bent valves.
    Four days later, call revealed cracked engine block and that I needed a complete new engine! $9050.00
    Thank God we had a 'Bumper to bumper' warranty!!!
    It ain't over yet!
    Three weeks after getting CTS back, a man backed into the right rear quarter panel in Publix parking lot. 3rd trip to Body Shop. Ins paid $1800.00 --no deductable.
    Now, we're happily driving and enjoying our Black Cloud CTS-----THEN----last Tuesday while on I 75 south bound, a miss began. Got off and stopped for a traffic light 250 ft from my destination. Engine died. 2nd trip to Mech. Two days later, Cadillac informed me that I need to overhaul the engine ($6000+) or install another new one.(9000+?!) 73,346 mi on car (42,000 mi on 2nd engine)
    Service manager(felt sorry for me) gave me the number for Cadillac Cust Care. Related this story to them and at present, I am waiting for a call back to let me know if they will help!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
    Please excuse my pessimism but---------HA HA HA Ha ha

    Happy In Florida! (Although I'm not quite sure why..???)
    Jwilli51

    PS: I have had to put 7 qts of oil in this 36L engine in less than 1500 mi
  • jwilli51jwilli51 Member Posts: 3
    I entered the wrong date of the deer incident--it should be June 2010 NOT June 2011.
    FYI - actual date of first failure was 8/2010. WOW, I get to buy a new engine every 3 yrs!
  • gmcustsvcgmcustsvc Member Posts: 4,252
    Hi jwilli51,

    We see that you've been through quite an ordeal with your Cadillac. If you would like for us to check on the status of your case with Cadillac Customer Service please send us your VIN. If there is anything else we can help with please let us know.

    Amber N.
    GM Customer Care
  • jwilli51jwilli51 Member Posts: 3
    Case # 71-1213091010 vin #1G6DP577970158
    Thank you in advance for your help

    Jess
  • ronyxxxronyxxx Member Posts: 19
    Good luck indeed. Mine burns a quart every 1,800 miles and I never got a reply to my somewhat jaded inquiry.
  • rentbusterrentbuster Member Posts: 1
    They can't diagnose it over the internet AND they can't diagnose it if you bring it to the dealership either, because I fell for that yesterday. They said, 'bring the car in, so we can hook it up to our diagnostics' So I did. GUESS how that went. According to Jeremy at autonation (gm dealer in Port Richey, FL.) they hooked it up, but wouldn't be able to tell me if the cam needed a shim, or the timing belt was gone, or the cylinder had to be replaced. To quote Jeremy, "best case scenario" you're looking at about $400, $500, "worse case scenario" you're looking maybe $2200 or more if the timing belt is worn, but I can't tell until I take the top of the motor off and see what's going on. WOW, thought you told me I had a 'SMART CAR' that would tell you what's going on 'once you got it hooked up REALLY????? 54,000 MILES, AND I COULD BE LOOKING AT THOUSANDS OF DOLLARS IN REPAIRS. Buy a CADILLAC, GM'S finest, and right after 50,000 miles, I have major problems with the motor???I'll bet when they do get your car in, you won't get an answer until they pull the engine apart, and then what will you do when they say it's thousands o dollars, and they've got you by the crank shaft???? "Put it back together" and WHAT WILL THAT COST YOU?????? to put it back the way they found it? The diagnostics is right around $100.00. But, pulling the top of the engine and putting it back???? REALLY??? TO FIND OUT WHAT'S WRONG???? I still owe 7 grand on this car, and it's gonna sit in my driveway. Well, that was my CADILLAC EXPERIENCE" What's yours????
  • grrrbadcargrrrbadcar Member Posts: 2
    Well I have heard a lot of stories about the Caddillac CTS and did not believe them until now I bought my 06 CTS in February 2012 the car only had 38,000 miles on it I heard a little ticking sound coming from the driver side part of the engine and had it looked at the maintance tech said it might have just needed an oil change so I had him do it. which of course did not stop the problem so I had spoke to a couple of friends and family mebers to ask them what they thought and of course no one really new. I kept up on the oil changes and always checked my fluids since I drove this car a lot back and forth between my home and Columbus and the car never gave me a problem just had a light ticking sound. well needless to say August 20th 2013 I was heading back to Columbus and my engine gave up and was done it blew up at my half way point to Columbus so I had my car towed to Germain Cadillac and paid $260.00 in a tow fee and asked them to look at it while I called GM I waited a month just to find out the my car was not going to be covered even though my warrenty ran out of time not mileage and now they are wanting $200.00 for the inspection they did. GM is saying that there was burnt oil and that my car threw a rod and a bearing threw the block I still owe on the car and have not had it long enough to have these kind of problems with it this is crazy I showed them where the car had maintance done on it everytime I traveled and that the oil was changed every 6,000 to 7,000 miles I am now looking to go forward with a class action Lawsuite
  • grrrbadcargrrrbadcar Member Posts: 2
    Don't get a CTS they have lot's of issues and GM will not fix them even if you do what your suppose to do to maintain them. My 07 CTS has become one of the biggest headaches I have ever had.
  • cadillacjack1cadillacjack1 Member Posts: 7
    edited October 2013
    Read all the posts here if you have not already..you have the 2.8-the 3.6 is famous for the engine seizing-due in part to undersize piston rings-which causes the engine to consume five or more quarts every four thousand miles.

    I had the 2006 cts kept it two weeks and turned it back in-engine shaking,check engine light-and number four injector code problem.
    What I learned reading in this forum is that all the 3.6 cts engines-even some 2013 models have extensive repairs...it is not just the engine-it's everything and everything is expensive. Read on and hopefuly you have one of the good ones-is there a good one? I traded mine for a chrysler 2007 sebring and no problems-Ill never buy a Gm product again....
  • madctsmadcts Member Posts: 6
    Haven't posted about my CTS in a while, but this is what I know --

    Back about 10 years ago, they began cutting corners and as we all know the gov had to bail GM out. The rings and pistons in the v6 engine they used in the CTS we're not engineered correctly allowing excess amounts of oil being burned through the rings and into the cylinders. Most engines experienced running through a quart of oil every 1000 miles or so. If you did not religiously check your oil it was only a matter of time before your engine became useless.

    GM said this massive amount of oil consumption was within normal limits. Many people who took road trips of over 5000 fried their engines after checking the oil prior to their trip. They were always told they did not maintain the oil properly.

    I would bet 1000s of people had their engines fried and the we're told it was their own fault because they are incapable of checking the oil in their Cadillacs.

    This is such a coverup!'

    FYI. They replaced the whole top end of my 2008 CTS. And the whole exhaust system as the oil in the exhaust ruined both catalytic converters!! They had my CTS 46 days total!

    You need to find a dealer committed to fighting for you.
  • ronyxxxronyxxx Member Posts: 19
    Sounds pretty typical. You can vent here, but there's no real help here. And if you post anything vaguely threatening the holy GM they will just delete it, or they have the host delete it. I've tried. You see, we can't share email addresses or phone numbers. I've had 30+ GM vehicles but this sight has made me hate them for basically screwing us. Good luck
  • Kirstie_HKirstie_H Administrator Posts: 11,142
    Completely inaccurate. No one from GM has ever asked a host to remove a negative post (or any post), and even if they did, we wouldn't remove it unless it violates our Membership Agreement. Organizing legal action within the forums isn't permitted, and that has nothing to do with GM or any other manufacturer.

    Your best bet for getting any meaningful action is to report, as individuals, your issue to the NHTSA at www.safercar.gov. They're the only agency authorized to investigate vehicle issues, and to ask for a recall if it's warranted.

    MODERATOR /ADMINISTRATOR
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  • cdnpinheadcdnpinhead Member Posts: 5,495
    edited October 2013
    what our host just posted.

    Many of us have posted missives that are anything but complimentary to GM in general and the CTS in particular. I've never seen a post deleted, mine or anyone else's.

    Cite examples. What post done by whom when was later deleted?

    Data talks. You (well, probably you don't) know what walks.
    '08 Acura TSX, '17 Subaru Forester
  • ronyxxxronyxxx Member Posts: 19
    I have had a post deleted. Its okay if we're all just posters here, but go ahead and post your email or phone number and a call to action and see what happens. Edmunds or GM won't let us have each others personal contact info. GM doesn't want a class action and Edmunds doesn't want to alienate a manufacturer.

    The NHTSA, is concerned with safety. A blown motor or timing chain is only unsafe on your wallet and GM's rep. Perhaps EPA would be concerned with all the oil floating around the atmosphere.
  • ronyxxxronyxxx Member Posts: 19
    edited October 2013
    Well probably I do, Canadian Pin Head (I didn't make it up, it's his username)...and no, I don't mean bowling (just since you resorted to cutting me down first). It was my post asking for others to join me in a class action. So tell me why you didn't see my post??? Duh, deleted!!!
  • ronyxxxronyxxx Member Posts: 19
    edited October 2013
    I read about all of your posts about your blown engines and other problems. I worry about mine blowing up, I spend $1500 on a warranty I shouldn't have had to buy. I can't sell the car because I wouldn't screw even a stranger that bad. I've become extremely angry at GM with their head up there ^&*$ protecting there profits at our expense. A quart of oil every 2,000 miles is normal? Seriously? I have to pay $200 for a glorified oil change before they'll check to see if my motor is using oil? Seriously??? Please don't jump on me folks...I'm not the enemy.
  • Kirstie_HKirstie_H Administrator Posts: 11,142
    Yes, it was deleted because it violated our Membership Agreement, to which you agreed when registering for an account. It has nothing to do with GM, or the fact that you were making negative comments about the vehicle and/or GM.

    People who wish to be contacted by email will have their address marked as "public" in their profile, and those will be visible to you. Others who do not wish to have that info available will have it set as "private."

    MODERATOR /ADMINISTRATOR
    Need help navigating? [email protected] - or send a private message by clicking on my name.
    Share your vehicle reviews

  • thomasmccallumthomasmccallum Member Posts: 2
    edited November 2013
    Hello all, new here. I purchased my 2005 CTS 3.6 in august of 2011. After about 6 months the car was skipping on the highway so I brought it in to my local dealership and was told the same thing that I see a lot of you were being told. Due to the fact that the car "uses" oil (which is apparently completely normal) my car was down in oil significantly and caused the timing to go off. The necessary repairs were to cost me $4000, but lucky for me, the dealership said I would only be required to pay $1000, which I did, grudgingly, as the car was barely out of the dealerships used car warranty.

    After that I've made sure to check every 1,000 miles and top off my oil as required. But the problem came back! After another 8 months of constantly topping off my oil, I had misfire codes pop up and I brought it back to my dealer. This time they blamed a faulty ECM, and I payed $500+ for that replacement.

    It's now about a year later, and the skips are back. I'm terrified it's going to be one of these two issues again. I can't wrap my head around how an engine can have this many misfire problems and eat THIS MUCH oil. I find it ridiculous that i'm spending so much money on oil only to have the issue keep popping up. No codes have fired off yet, but it's only a matter of time. I've already called GM customer service and I was basically told I was a lost cause because I purchased the car used, not new. So I'm out of luck.
  • cdnpinheadcdnpinhead Member Posts: 5,495
    the car.

    That is all.
    '08 Acura TSX, '17 Subaru Forester
  • elanteeeelanteee Member Posts: 5
    There a large group in the same club as you, GM only care about the bottom line and nothing else, yes nothing else, oh did say nothing else. All I can say is lets keep the pressure on them, by writting over and over again how they are screwing us 3.6 L owners, especially on a car that is suppose to be "the cream of the crop" "Cadillac" not saying much really, is it ???. A lot of people read these blogs and the message might sink in one day. For some of us, every time these cars needs work our families suffer as we struggle to pay the repair bills or pass up trips because we can't trust our car and don't want to strand our family in the middle of the road !!! We can thank Edmunds for having this site for us to vent on.
  • ronyxxxronyxxx Member Posts: 19
    I love my CTS. I hate Cadillac. I'm probably not a welcome poster here because I let my emotions out. After 30+ GM products (cars+trucks) since the 60's that didn't use a quart of oil every 1800 miles, I'm told, 50 years later, that a quart every 2000 miles is acceptable. Boy, is that progress?? Cadillac is doing an ignore the problem corporate cant afford the problem thing. Sooner or later, our cars will die off and we'll go away. Right on about the go away part. If each of my 30+ GM purchases netted them $2,000 profit each, thats $150k to GM in my lifetime. From now on its going to BMW or Accura or ANYWHERE BUT GM!
  • thomasmccallumthomasmccallum Member Posts: 2
    Update on my situation :

    after hearing the valve knock and having my engine skip on my commute to work, I purchased (for what feels like the hundredth time) 6 quarts of oil from my local napa. I ended up having to put 2.5 quarts into my engine, the stick was bone dry. KEEP IN MIND I added oil last thursday! 1.5 quarts. It's getting out of control. THIS IS NOT NORMAL, GM.
  • benzgasbenzgas Member Posts: 1
    Sarah,

    I think Cadillac has a major problem with oil consumption that should be dealt with. GM seems to be in denial. 20 minutes ago I just finished going over the fluids in my vehicles (2013 Silverado 5.3, 1995 Jeep Wrangler and 2013 CTS Coupe 3.6). The only one that took any oil was the Caddy. At 1,600 miles on the odometer I have put a total of 3 quarts of oil in the CTS since it came off the showroom floor. Yet not one quart in the Silverado in 7,000 mile since it was delivered from the dealer. The Jeep with 135,000 miles on the odometer used 1/2 a quart since its last oil change 4,000 miles ago.

    This may be my last GM car with this kind of product quality. The Caddy was a replacement for a 2006 MB C280 which never used a drop of oil between oil changes. Very disappointed in a $50K+ Cadillac.
  • elanteeeelanteee Member Posts: 5
    I am expecting GM to shut down there Cadillac CTS line. This is ten years of failure for the CTS. I have heard of the same problem with lots of the new CTS's. GM think we are all stupid, when we hear from them "it's normal".
    I have to laugh this is how bright they think we are! I took mine in they said they never heard of that problem ha ha, but leave it with us and we will look into it ha ha, picking it up they told me to bring it back next week because they have a monitor placed on the car to figure out where the oil is going ha ha. They just wanted me to keep paying them to monitor there problem, a real big ha ha. Little did they know I myself have rebuilt 7 or 8 engines and not stupid. I called a week later and said I was bringing in the car for them to check where the oil was going, but I would not be paying for it, it would be on GM's dime. They wouldn't look at it, and what about this monitor that they put on? wouldn't you think that they would want it back big ha ha ha, no where to be found. I couldn't find it, the place I took it to, to change the oil couldn't find it? Can you believe our tax dollars went to these people to bail them out, to give us this. Bull...t and L..s. When I took it for a oil change last week the guy looked at me and said there is something wrong it only shows 5000 km and it has been 2 years since it was here. I replied, yes these cars where not made for driving, they are just made to look at. He looked at me very puzzled.
  • cadillacjack1cadillacjack1 Member Posts: 7
    I only kept my CTS for ten days-after engine lights-and shaky idle-and fourth cylinder failure code. Passenger airbag failure. And reading the horror stories.
    But as for the oil-I once had a Ford Marquis 1970 (apples to oranges I know but hear me out) and It had very high millage. And the oil light would flicker.
    I added then as I always have-lucas oil treatment and I always add motor honey on top of the lucas. I run all my cars with heavy duty oil additives. I've never had any problems. All my engines--I've owned maybe thirty cars have ran like tops--high millage. I Noticed on My cts-it had one hundred fifty thousand miles it was a 2006 three point six-the previous owner had thicker than usual oil in it. I would have went this route-but there are about a dozen other problems that the cts are also known for--I don't have the time to list them all---but maybe try thicker oil-since conventional isn't working(I read it is due to undersize piston rings on top of the overall bad design--but what can you expect it to run like a caddilac?
  • kayaus2kayaus2 Member Posts: 1
    I had a 2006 CTS (or I should say POS) and had numerous problems with it. The biggest problem was how much oil it would use. It would use about a quart every 1000 miles! It didn't leak and it didn't smoke. The catalytic convertors are so efficient they just burn up the oil without producing any noticeable smoke. The dealer said this kind of oil useage was normal. What??? That's ridiculous!!! That's their excuse so they don't have to fix the problem. I wouldn't accept that answer and kept pushing for a fix. I had to go through the whole monitor thing too. Well finally after I'd had enough of getting the runaround and since it was still under warranty (under 50,000 miles), I got them to fix it. You'll never guess what it was. When the motor was first assembled and the rings were put on the pistons, the ring gaps were not staggered. They were all lined up so oil was constantly getting past the rings into the cylinder and getting burned up. They fixed that problem and it was fine after that. Well....that problem was but it was always something with that car. My advice...if your CTS is still under warranty push hard for a fix. If not, trade it in. Preferably to the dealer who sold you the POS. That's what I did! I hope this helps someone. I searched the Internet and could never find any information like this.

    Oh, and I traded my Caddy in on a 2014 Chevy Malibu. I absolutely love it! Good luck and thanks for listening.

    Lori
  • billpaulbillpaul Member Posts: 103
    Dealers are probably pressured by GM to claim that rapid oil consumption is "normal". Otherwise, GM profits may be much reduced if these apparently common engine problems are corrected. Also, it seems most buyers do not research reliability when purchasing a car - so there is no penalty to GM for not solving the problem. Finally, there is no recall of these cars since it is claimed that it is not a safety problem - not that I agree.
  • zebandcozebandco Member Posts: 22
    Let me say this first - my dealer, Ron Craft/Baytown Tx, went for the high road and helped me out. Love Ron Craft - big profs! GM, on the other hand, was nowhere to be seen and I ate a big piece of the turd my STS laid. GM is still nowhere to be seen on this issue. That is all you need to know about Cadillacs. Period.

    I'm with you, kayaus2. If you've got one push hard for a fix. Your other (and best) option is to run the front yard away! Bail out! Extend! I can't tell you how much I loved that car, but it hurt me bad. This whole thing about oil consumption (any oil consumption) being acceptable is, frankly, unacceptable. BS! Who expects to have to check their oil every time they get gas??? Hell, to own one of these POS vehicles you would have to have an oil tanker truck following you to keep the damn thing on the road.

    Signed,

    So Hurt, Never Gonna Get Over It Unless GM Steps Up.

    (But, then again, they don't have to. Do they.)
  • keith721keith721 Member Posts: 1
    78K miles on the engine, timing chains and gears were replaced two years ago under a GM notice before the 5-year drivetrain warranty expired. Recently, the engine has experienced timing advance issues, missing badly and causing valve noise when gently accelerating. My local mechanic observed but could not diagnose the issue. The Service Engine light does not illuminate. The local Cadillac dealership claims there is nothing wrong with the engine and/or they could not reproduce the problem. There is definitely a problem with the engine and it's very unsettling when it occurs. The valve noise is undeniable. All I can do is take my foot off the gas pedal and pray the engine doesn't implode. This is simply unacceptable in a car of this supposed caliber. My '93 Northstar V8 never had these kind of issues, and it went over 200K miles without any engine problems of any kind. At this point, I'm set to drive the CTS with a dealership mechanic tomorrow morning, in an attempt to reproduce/display the issue.
  • bgaytanbgaytan Member Posts: 1
    Is there a recall on the 2006 Cadillac CTS? I bought one a couple of months ago and last month I had the oil changed. A few days ago, less than 30 days after oil change I started hearing a racket of noise from the engine. I dismissed the oil because I just had the oil changed. But curiosity, or I guess a 6th sense made me check the oil and the oil dipstick was practically dry! I had no warning, no indicators, nothing to alert me. I could've messed up the engine. Has anyone else experienced this and if so what does GM say about it?
  • jpfjpf Member Posts: 496

    bgaytan;
    From this forum and the GMC Acadia forum (Acadia uses same 3.6 liter engine as the CTS), unfortunately GM is of little help unless the engine is still under the powertrain warranty. Since your vehicle is a 2006, I assume it is not under warranty. This engine has significant problems with its timing chains (3 in total), and when you're losing oil it means there is insufficient lubrication of the timing chains and the rest of the engine. As a result the chains tend to stretch leading to major engine damage. If I were you I would top up the oil and trade it in as soon as possible. Good luck.

  • enviroman63enviroman63 Member Posts: 1

    I have the same problem with my 06- CTS Eating Oil like every 2-months I have to add 2-Quarts

    • it has been running really rough now and barely has any power when you put it into gear an step on the accelerator it has like a 1/4 of the power. I am ready to park it in front of the Dealership here and make a large Sign saying what a lemon this make a model has been.
    • taking it to a shop tomorrow to see what Codes come up.
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