Problems · by component
2004 Cadillac CTS service brakes problems
25 owner complaints to NHTSA about the 2004 Cadillac CTS cite service brakes, 11% of all 229 complaints for this model year.
Complaints
25
11% of all complaints
Crashes
1
Reported by owners
Fires
0
Reported by owners
Injuries
0
Reported by owners
What owners say about the service brakes
Verbatim from NHTSA complaints, newest first
“MY HUSBAND WAS DRIVING HOME AND THE BRAKES WENT OUT AND HE HAD TO PUMP THEM TO BE ABLE TO STOP. UPON REASEARCHING THE CAMPAIGN NUMBER CAME UP. HIS BRAKE LIGHT CAME AND AND UPON INSPECTING THE BRAKE LINES AND CHECKING THE FLUID IT WAS LOW AND THE LINES APPEAR TO BE CORRODED. CADILLAC STATED THERE IS NOT ACTIVE RECALL.”
“TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2004 CADILLAC CTS. THE CONTACT STATED THAT WHILE DRIVING, AND WHILE DEPRESSING THE BRAKE PEDAL TO COME TO A COMPLETE STOP, THE BRAKE FAILED. THE CONTACT HAD TO ENGAGE THE EMERGENCY BRAKE TO BRING THE VEHICLE TO A COMPLETE STOP. IN ADDITION, THE CONTACT STATED THAT THE STEERING WHEEL WOULD SHAKE AT LOW AND HIGH SPEEDS. THE BRAKE AND ABS WARNING LIGHTS INTERMITTENTLY ILLUMINATED. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO AN INDEPENDENT MECHANIC WHERE IT WAS DIAGNOSED THAT THE LOWER CONTROL ARMS FAILED, THE BALL JOINT WAS CRACKED AND BOTH NEEDED TO BE REPLACED. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT REPAIRED. THE VEHICLE WAS LATER TAKEN TO CENTRAL HOUSTON CADILLAC DEALER (2520 MAIN ST, HOUSTON, TX 77002, (832) 431-5697) BUT WAS NOT DIAGNOSED OR REPAIRED DUE TO THE DIAGNOSTIC AND REPAIR FEES. THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOTIFIED OF THE FAILURE AND OPENED CASE NUMBER: 84781603741. THE APPROXIMATE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 170,000.”
“ON MAY 18TH, 2018 I PURCHASED A 2004 CADILLAC CTS FROM TOP NOTCH AUTO. THE GAS GAUGE, BRAKES, A/C, BLINKERS DASH BUTTONS ALL WERE NOT WORKING. HE SAID TO BRING IT THE NEXT DAY AND THEY WOULD FIX IT ALL. I RAN OUT OF GAS GETTING THERE THE NEXT DAY DUE TO NOT HAVING A WORKING GAS GAUGE. I SPENT THE ENTIRE DAY THERE AND THEY DID NOTHING TO FIX THE CAR. THE NEXT DAY THE COMPUTER (ECM) WENT OUT ON THE CAR AND THE ENGINE LIGHT CAME ON SAYING THE CATALYTIC CONVERTER WAS BAD. I TOOK THE CAR BACK AND ASKED FOR MY MONEY BACK AND THEY SAID NO BUT WOULD FIX IT AND THEY HAD THE CAR FOR OVER TWO WEEKS. THEY SAID EVERYTHING WAS FIXED BUT I NOTICED THE CAR WENT FROM 176000 MILES TO 101000 MILES (ODOMETER ROLLED BACK). I ASKED ABOUT THIS AND HE SAID IT WAS LEGAL AND NECESSARY TO FIX THE CAR. THE DAY AFTER GETTING IT BACK THE SERVICE ENGINE LIGHT CAME ON AGAIN AND THE CAR WOULD NOT GO OVER 20MPH ON THE ROAD. THE CODES READ PO121, PO23 AND THIS TIME IT WAS THE THROTTLE BODY AND WIRING THAT WERE BAD. THE DEALER WOULD NOT PAY FOR IT. I PAID $498 OUT OF POCKET AND ANOTHER 3 DAYS WITHOUT THE CAR. I TOLD HIM THE BRAKES WERE STILL BAD AND THE CAR BARELY STOPS AND PULLS HARD TO THE…”
“KEY GOT STUCK IN IGNITION IN THE START POSITION. CAR WON'T START NEITHER TURN OFF COMPLETELY WON'T TURN OFF LEAVING LIGHTS ON THE DASH BOARD ON THUS CAUSING THE BATTERY TO RUN DEAD. MY TRACTION AUTOMATICALLY ENGAGE WITH A WARN SIGNAL SERVICE TRACTION CONTROL AND BRAKE SYSTEM.”
“MY BRAKING POWER ASSIST FAILS OCCASIONALLY WHEN I AM MAKING A HARD TURN (AS WHEN PARKING), EITHER RIGHT OR LEFT , BUT RECOVERS WHEN I STRAIGHTEN OUT MY STEERING WHEEL. THIS BEGAN AFTER I REPLACED MY FRONT WHEEL ROTORS AND BRAKE PADS AT AROUND120,000 MILES. MY POWER ASSIST UNIT FAILED COMPLETELY AROUND 138.000 MILES, SO I HAD IT AND MY MASTER BRAKE UNIT REPLACED. I CONTINUE TO EXPERIENCE THE SAME BRAKING PROBLEM AS BEFORE.”
“TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2004 CADILLAC CTS. WHILE DRIVING 5 MPH AND DEPRESSING THE BRAKE PEDAL, THE VEHICLE FAILED TO STOP. IN ADDITION, WHILE THE VEHICLE WAS IN REVERSE, THE FAILURE RECURRED NUMEROUS TIMES. THE DEALER REPLACED THE BRAKES, BUT THE FAILURE RECURRED. THE VIN WAS NOT INCLUDED IN NHTSA CAMPAIGN NUMBER: 15V225000 (SERVICE BRAKES, HYDRAULIC). THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOT NOTIFIED OF THE FAILURES. THE APPROXIMATE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 101,000.”
Showing 6 of 25 reports. Read every report on NHTSA.gov.
Data from NHTSA Complaints API (owner reports, unverified) · synced Nov 9, 2026NHTSA vehicle page
Complaints are unverified owner reports to NHTSA and are not normalized for sales volume. One complaint can cite several components.