Used 2006 Cadillac DTS Sedan Consumer Reviews

40000 miles not good

1st off, what a beautiful car, comfy, decent mpg! But, this car was always serviced at a Cadillac dealership, at 38000 miles breaking system complete rebuild, not as good as new ! Then both valve cover gaskets, front seat electronics. At 39000, all seals in lower engine replaced at 40000 mile service! Big expense ! Very nice car, but, are you telling me a Lexus , Mercedes or competitive luxury car would need this?? I no longer trust this car as reliable, but, is pretty. My 4th Cadillac , shame that Cadillac doesn't have reliability for price. Prestige not worth it

A CLASSIC - Beautifully designed & well engineered

The 2000-2011 Devilles and DTS cars were probably the last Cadillacs that were thoughtfully engineered with intuitive ergonomics. The windows are deep and there's plenty of headroom - even in the back seat. The visibility in all directions is excellent. Everything is logically designed - You do NOT need a 200 page user manual to figure out every function and feature the car offers. The big V8 engine is powerful and throaty and will still deliver about 28MPG on the highway at 65mph. The seats are comfortable and well shaped - front and back. The HID headlights and fog lights are the best. There are even cornering lights to show you what you are turning into at night. The ride is smooth but firm. Handling is quick and responsive. I have been trying out newer Cadillac CTS and CT6 models lately and the only thing they are better at is reduced road noise. That's it. Bad driver visibility on the new Caddys is compromised in all directions with narrow windows. The interior space in the rear is not as good - especially the headroom. The rear view mirrors on the new cars are too small and very oddly shaped. The new ones are also very gaudy with those flowing teardrop headlights and oversized bright chrome "pimpmobile" wheels. At 14 years old, my DTS still looks great and drives like new. Big, comfortable and easy to drive. The car has been a pleasure to own and I had planned on turning it over to our 18 year old son but he simply doesn't have the maturity or interest to become a responsible driver so I will be selling to someone else to have and enjoy. UPDATE: I sold the car 5 months ago in October 2020. I miss everything about it.

2006 DTS Review

I truly love my DTS. Its exterior design is great for me. Its interior comfort / design are also very nice. My wife loves the seats and interior layout. I had to take into the dealer two times, once for air noise in the sunroof and once when the windshield washer didn't work. Both were easy fixes, but a car that is less than one year old, shouldnt have problems. ITs gas milage is just OK, I average 22.8 mpg in mixed hwy/city driving. The engine does rock when needed and the ride is smooth and comfortable.

Great Car with Some Exceptions

I just recently purchased 2006 Dts with 60k on it got it for only 12,000. This car was babied all its life. Anyways, It is very comfortable and reliable to drive. The only issue I am having is a slow leak in my front pass tire and the hub/wheel bearing is making my abs/traction lights go nuts while im driving. Other than that the car starts up everytime and drives as smooth as can be. Also my driver headlight flickers on and off. The new dts is more stylish and sleek and the interior is beautiful...if anyone knows why my abs/traction lights go nuts let me know. I replaced the front pads and rotors when I purchased and thats the only repaid I had to do so far!!

DTS Luxury III, Total Comfort at reasonable price

Bought mine gently used with 23,000 miles. Just off lease. Has everything but distronic style cruise. My wife loves the cooled seats and massage. Just had heated windshield fluid option disabled due to recall. Worked well. Got $100 back from GM. I replaced the third brake light on trunk lid. LED's were going out and I discovered issue as I replaced it. The first screw, of seven, was over torqued during manufacture and let water into the led housing. You must replace entire unit. About $125.00. I see lots of DTS's with same issue. New one works well. Only other repair was front wheel hub/bearing. Rough winter/potholes in Ohio. A great car, fantastic ride and the last of the big ones.

Great car but

I have had this car for about 18 months and bought it used. It has needed some repairs but for a 10 year old car what do you expect. Other than 12 mpg fuel economy, but being the performance model with a big V-8 and a 4000 pounds and mostly city driving I guess 12 mpg is not too bad I can not really find anything to complain about with this car. I have the performance model and for a 4000 pound car it has great get up and go. Plenty of room in this car and living in PA it was great in the snow with Michelin tires on it. This having been almost 60,000.00 dollars for this car new you would expect nice things from it. I recently looked at a new Toyota Avalon XLE premium and it still cant compare to this Cadillac. I was going to trade in the Cadillac for a brand new car but can't find one reason why I would want to give up this DTS.

Last of a Dying Breed

If your a true car enthusiast you’ll appreciate the DTS for truly what it is, which is the last true “old school” American luxury cruiser of the modern age along with the now also discontinued Lincoln town car. This Cadillac has the NorthStar V8 and boy have I done my research! I knew that owning this vehicle meant staying strictly up to date with maintenance and no not because of the NorthStar engine but because it begs (needs) to be taken care of in order to keep that same awesome reliability mixed with the unique driving feel. That being said, the NorthStar is a powerful smooth engine that is extremely reliable yet very underrated (06-11 model years) and has only one purpose... To deliver a perfect comfortable ride. Those who claim to have had major problems with the DTS (06-11 model years) just didn’t know how to properly maintain the vehicle & that’s just facts. Keyword, research! Don’t take anyone else’s word for it!

Tetirement

The DTS is very comfortable on long drives. I love the remote start so the car can be cooled down before entering. I'm surprised with the good gas milage. It is better than the Acura RL that we traded in. Also, it burns regular fuel not premium. We like the monthly reminders from OnStar. Any questions after purchase were promtly answered.

It's so nice

I bought my 06 DTS as a program car with 17K on it. I've had it for over 3 years and I absolutely love it. My gas mileage on the highway nears 30 MPG. It's very comfortable and drives like a dream. The cooled seats are a blessing in the New Mexico summers. This is my 4th Caddy and I'll buy more.

Rides like a Caddy

This is my 7th cadillac. A fine American car. I do question if you guys know what trim level your car is. Most of you are Luxury III, or Performance???? I didn't think they made that many with those trims. Might want to check your trim level again. 1sd is a Luxury III There were only 11,146 of those built. Far fewer Performance were built 1se is the performance package. Anyhow it's a great car. Reliable, fast, and smooth. I've owned the car now for 6 years and have put a little over 50k on it without an issue. Japanese/German cars are over rated. If your an American buy something made here. Keep jobs here. Our cars were built by good Americans in Hamtramck Michigan

Wadda car

I drove Cadillacs as demos for years. Finally bought my own 2006 DTS, It did not disappoint at all. I am loving it. The remote start here in AZ cools it down before you drive. Seats that heat/cool and rub your back. The world looks different through this windshield. Road trip!

2006 DTS Potential Buyers Beware

I love the car and the way it handles. You just can't beat the ride of a Cadillac, but...buyer beware. They do not retain their value at all. I was going to trade it in after one year to take advantage of Cadillac's recent incentives and the dealer had the nerve to only offer me $24,000 trade in on a car that I paid $55,000 for. I would never buy another one based on the extremely poor value retention. You'd be better off to look at an Audi or a BMW, something that will maintain it's value more

Cadillac isn't What It Used To Be

I bought this 2006 Cadillac DTS brand new from the dealership. I don't drive much so even though it is a 2006, it only has 38,000. I just took it in because of the vehicle leaking oil. After two visits to the dealership, they determined they would have to take the engine out in order to fix the seal - to the tune of $4,000. When I contacted Cadillac (corporate), they were aware of the problem but refused to do anything about it. According to my research, this is a known problem for model years 2006/2007/2008/2009. This is my ninth Cadillac (new) so you could say that I have been a loyal customer for years. There will not be a 10th Cadillac.

New Caddy Owner...and Luvin It

This is my first Caddy, but I absolutely love driving this. I previously owned a Chrysler Concorde LXi...loved that car. But, I could end up loving this Caddy more. Large trunk is what attracted me, but I took this one for a test drive and WOW. THE MOST comfortable ride I have ever had. It comes with every gadget: Nav, DVD, XM, BOSE sound, dual AC/Heat controls, separate rear temp control, front/rear parking sensors, rain-sense wipers, V8 performance, good hwy gas mileage, exception lighting features, soft leather seats. Luvin It.

Beautiful luxury driving

Very good looking car; get lots of compliments. Comfortable highway drive. Auto dimming of bright lights really nice.

So Far, So Good

Our 2006 Cadillac DTS Luxury is our first Cadillac. We traded in a Buick LeSabre for it. It is WAY better! I read the other reviews to see if I could shed any further light on this car. First, why would anyone buy a car that floats like a boat? One test drive would tell me that. Another review says the DTS is like a sports car. A floating sports car? I like the ride MUCH better than the Buick. The ride is just right! Anyway, drive it before you buy it. Upon exit, the tilt wheel will go all the way up and in, just push the exit button again up to three times (not listed in owners manual). When unlocking the door, the seat will either move or not (personal setting). There IS memory on the tilt wheel. What a car!

Outstanding Luxury Vehicle

I purchased a black DTS after researching new vehicles for about a year. This is a gorgeous vehicle that turns heads everywhere we go. My co-workers who own Lexus, Jaguars, and Acuras are begging to drive it. Although the dealership told me I'm probably one of the youngest DTS buyers they've ever had (I'm 41), a few test drives by us "middle-agers" and the vehicle would sell itself.

Embarrassed

I am embarrassed I like this car do much. Looks great, mileage is surprising, the cooled seats are off the chart. My friends all make fun of me for driving the "old man's car" until they rise in it. I now get stuck driving lots of places. The Cadillac dealership however could learn from the high end imports.

Wow! Mine is great!

I am surprised to read these problems! My DTS is awesome! I have never had nothing but a marvelous ownership! My 06 DTS is so nice. Never had any problems. I did buy it new though. This is my second Caddy. The last was an SLS. It too was a marvelous ride!

more bang for your buck

We bought this car when it was two years old, with 7,358 miles on it; paid 40% of what it sold for new. It's been an excellent highway cruiser ... still gets compliments on it's appearance, comfortable ride and quietness.. The low profile tires make for zippy cornering, but our previous Cadillacs had taller tires that gave an even better ride ... too bad hot-dogging sells vehicles these days ... all the TV ads show cars being driven as if they are toys, expensive macho playthings instead of transportation. Second review, 5,000 miles later: If they made this same car now and added some of the newer safety features I'd buy one right now. But I haven't seen anything that temps me. Eleven years old with almost 68K on it and going strong; just finished a 2100+ mile trip that required snow tires across the Rockies: piece of cake.

Cadillac DTS 2006

I put 126k miles on 2006 DTS and engine failed with cracked engine block. I got breaks done once a year because break pads just wore out. I had to replace tires every 10k miles. Stability track warning light always came on. Continuous problems with arm bars and tire rods. Gas guzzler. Arm rest broke. Overall just a cheaply made care...Not impressed. Glad I bought a Lexus this time. Service at Caddy is bad and fails to compare to Lexus. Never again.

I Actually Just Drove This New 2006 DTS!

I just drove the DTS at a dealer introduction drive in Irvine CA so I know what I am talking about. I was able to test drive this car even though I do not work for any dealer or GM. Cadillac has made many major new improvements with this car that goes way beyond just a re design of the front and rear exterior. The glass is thicker and laminated, with new structureless windshield wipers and many other body improvements to reduce outside noise. The improved suspension absorbs bumps better. This car now drives even smoother than the 2005 Lexus LS430! The DTS interior/exterior looks and feels more luxurious. DTS now competes better with the LS430! It even has new adaptive radar cruise control.

Nice Build

I looked at this car not really intending to buy a Cadillac. I've owned many domestic and foreign cars and rate this as one of the better vehicles I've owned. The build quality is excellent. The motor performs as it should and has a nice exhaust note under acceleration. The Bridgestone tires leave much to be desired however, there are few choices of Mfg. for tires of this size. The Yokahoma Advan S.4 look like a better option. Torque steer is manageable however if your driving becomes to0 spirited I could see where this could get one into trouble. I would like to see better sway bars on this car I think it would greatly improve its handling even though it is very good for a two ton car.

Great Ride

Although you can buy more premium cars with the price you can't beat the Caddy. I am 50 and do not consider this an old man's car. Drives Great quiet and smooth!

2006 DTS Performance Sedan

The DTS is very easy to own and operate requiring minimal maintenance as scheduled. Very good quality car with great performance, ride and features. I love the style as it is an eye turner, many people take a second look as I drive by.

Happy

I had one of the first Northstar engines in 1993 on a Cadillac Eldorado. I was very happy with that engine so I had to get the Performance model in my 2006 DTS. It took me a short while to learn about all the toys such as heated/cooled seats and the massage feature. The Performance model has all the toys but is well worth the purchase just to get the engine. After I sold my 1993 Cadillac I went in 2000 I went with a Lincoln Towncar Cartier Edition. The car was fine but I missed my Cadillac. The DTS rides and drives great and the Performance model is the one to buy. Get the added chrome wheels. It really sets the car off. I am very happy.

Starship of the road

I purchased my 2006 Cadillac DTS Performance model from a used car dealer in upstate N. Y. in January 2017. At the time of purchase, I was retired from an insurance Marketing position for 35 years and had always been provided a company car. What a great car this DTS is! After almost a year of ownership, I can't think of a single thing except mpg to criticize in this vehicle. It has plenty of power, smooth ride, stable breaking and all around fine handling. Not to mention, it is a great looking car from GM.

2006 DTS Luxury III

This behemoth gives the the feeling the passengers must have had on the Titanic as it floated aimlessly on the water highway prior to colliding with an iceberg. What is the problem with GM? They cannot get it right. The looks are ok, but all the accessories are screwed up. Upon exit the tilt wheel will not retreat and tilt upward fully, and when you unlock the doors it returns to driving position, so much for memory. This thing sucks gas like a Cadillac dealer trying to get your money. Wish I had bought the Lexus or Mercedes-Benz. Cadillacs are notorious for poor resale values and now I am stuck with the gas guzzling great white behemoth from GM. Oh, I forgot to mention that the fuel door is accessible to anyone.

Assessing the 2006 Cadillac DTS

I thoroughly enjoy the car in almost every aspect. It has lots of zip and yet is classy. The interior is nicely laid out with plenty of room. The seats are comfortable. I don't use the remote start much, but in the winter it is nice to have. I thoroughly enjoy the XM radio. Like drugs, it is extremely addictive. I cannot live without it now. I have since installed it in my second car and when I replace that, I will get XM radio in the new car.

Great Car

Purchased this vehicle after having a 20002 Cadillac with only 60,000. Really liked the styling. A problem that I continue to have is the tire monitoring system. Had 2 sensors replaced and am having problems again. Just cannot keep the sensors operating properly. Only other problem was the electrical system went dead one day. Overall, a lovely car to drive. I get very good gas mileage (27-29) on long trips. In town, normally 20-21. Love the car.

Great car but with Headlight Issues

The headlights on this vehicle go on and off without doing anything. Either right and left and will leave you with only one light on and maybe no headlights on, and Cadillac dealers don't know the fix. I don't drive the car at night because I'm afraid of not having any headlights. Cannot understand why GM doesn't have a safety recall on this problem. The car came with a 3 month warranty and took it into the Cadillac dealership where I bought it from and they replaced both Headlight Bulbs and both Ballast's at the cost of $1,251.00 and no problem since. This dealership in Merrillville Indiana is by far the best and they sure are honest. The thing I don't understand is why GM never had a recall on this issue as others have the same problem. Been almost a year now and headlights are working great. Had to take back to dealership back in February because of oil leaks in the engine and at the cost of $3150.00 can still smell oil leaking on the exhaust somewhere.. Still covered by dealership warranty. In September of 2019 had to take vehicle in to dealership for check-engine light on at a cost of $500.00 for a O.2 Sensor on right side exhaust. Labor is very expensive for work at a Cadillac dealership for sure and am afraid to go in for any further work.

NOT YOUR GRANDFATHER'S BOAT

Just traded my 04 Deville - which I loved but wanted to upgrade. The 06 DTS is chock full of features and is tuned much differently than the previous model. Feels more Euro and has a throatier exhaust and more road feel. Seats are way more supportive. Solid as a rock though and is still a wonderful example of what makes big American cars different from the rest

worst car ever and service

worst car ever, I'v had my car for 2 years.12 times back in dealer for all kinds of electrical problems, transmission, drive train, suspension was out at 30000 miles and dealership manager said that everything is normal, same was with transmission at 5K miles car was jerking ,the gear change was wery rough, and again I was told by the service manager ,everything is normal, it took 6 trips to the dealer and and 40K miles later to make the dealer look at the problem again and finally figure it out.My advice for potential cadilac DTS buyer: If you are planning to buy the car for driving ,not sitting in a garage, please buy different car , You'll save yourself a lot of nerves,honestly!!!!

DTS great car

Problem with Battery Recharger

My vehicle is 14 months old (5,350 miles) and when driven, it's a dream. However, one day after 11 months of driving, it would not start in mid-town NY. It was then "repaired" by a dealer. One and a half months later, the same thing happened. Again, it was repaired (it took 5 days) by the same dealer. Last night, after midnight (less than 3 months from "Repair Job #2), it wouldn't start again. The motor didn't even turn over. Then, 40 minutes later, it started up! This lack of reliability is insane and is the reason that I'm getting rid of an otherwise great looking/driving automobile.

How to mess up a great car

Without a doubt this is one of the finest autos I have ever driven. But, I cannot understand why so many details were installed hastily just so that they could hurriedly put the car into production. The glove box for instance is no comparison to my old '02. Most of the interior is plastic. This is not what you would expect in a $50,000 car. The consol is about useless. There is no longer a light under the hood. Mine has a heated stearing wheel that does not heat. It has so many buttons to press that after three months I do not know what many of them are for. The easy exit seat is easy exit but not easy entrance. The doors dificult to close. Also, amazingly this car does not have a locking gas door.

Best Caddy I've owned.

The longer I've had this car the more I like it. The only disappointment I have found is the floor mats, which are very cheesy. The car would be even better if it had a 5 or 6 speed transmission.

2006 Cadillac DTS Performance

After owning this car for one week I can truly say that it exceeded my expectations. It performs better than I anticipated, and the ride and luxury are pure Cadillac. The fit and finish are perfect, and the powerful sound of the 4.6 litre engine is great. I have been driving performance luxury cars for years, but this car gives me the room, comfort and the performance combination that I have been searching for. The 18 inch chrome wheel option is a must. The front and rear views of this car are great and the profile gives a nice clean look. I chose light platinum for the exterior and shale interior. The 291 hp matched with the 3.71 differential gives the car a lot of mid range power, 3,000 to 4,000 rpm.

2006 DTS Luxury III

Traded my 2000 DHS for the 2006 DTS Luxury III w/ Navig. Great car. Bose system is fantastic, navigation is nice but limited to larger metro. areas. Cruised Interstate at 31.02 Mpg. Massage seats, rear sunshade and cooled seats are a plus. Fat Big Ride at 28+ mpg. Go get one!

My opinion

It is a real pleasure driving this vehicle. The battery burned out recently and a new one was purchased. It is equipped with OnStar, which had come in handy in several occasions. The sensors make it easy to park in tight places. The low mileage is a result of not taking any long trips.

Cadtastic

I am an owner of a 2004 C5 Corvette and rented a 06 DTS while I traveled to Pennsylvania. I can't believe how much I fell in love with this car! It was really hard giving back the keys at the airport and I even looked back one more time before going into the entrance. I must have looked over at the wife 40 times while driving it and I kept saying "oh man, I love this car...we have to get one". Cadillac definitely has a winner on their hands and I hope one ends up in mine. The ride is smooth yet not to sloppy like the land boats of yesteryear. The power is delivered smootly and with total assurance by the hearty V8 engine. We had two HUGE suitcases and other bags and the trunk swallowed them with ease.

Great experience

I just got back from a trip to Florida and the DTS exceeded my fondest expectations. The ride was great, fuel economy ok (22 mpg overall in 2600 highway miles and 1600 urban miles), and the XM radio simply fantastic. The only criticism was in figuring out the memory seat coordination with the keys. The interior room and trunk space was well appreciated for a 4 week trip. This is my 15th cadillac and I would buy another one in a heart beat.

Disappointed

I waited months for my 2006 Cadillac DTS Luxury. It replaced my 2004 DHS. I have had a new Cadillac every 12-18 months since 1988. I am disappointed with the 2006 DTS. Is Cadillac trying to make the DTS a sport car? Big tires and rims = a poor ride. Here are some other things I don't like: The gas tank is too small. The fule door does not lock remotely. The fuel cap holder is too low on the filler door, allowing the cap to rub against the body. There is no memory on the electric tilt wheel, no pass-to-flash unless headlights are on. The arm rest on the driver's door is too low. Also, what's with the chrome door lock knobs sticking me in the arm? This car has poor workmanship, a gap in the caulk around trunk resulted in trunk well full of water.

Nice Car, but the Exterior Design Needs Help

I started owning Cadillacs in 2000 and loved the exterior design of the DTS models from 2000-2005. I bought a 2006 in anticipation that it would be better, however in my opinion it is worse. It has very shallow cup holders. I have spilled several cups of coffee since owning the car due to this issue. It also is a bit noisy during hard acceleration, but the cruising noise level is fine. It has some torque steer at highway speed when you floor it because it is front wheel drive, which I find annoying. The OnStar system is excellent and the fact that you can use your Verizon cell phone numbers with it is a nice feature.

Will buy again

I bought my DTS Performance with much trepidation after years of Toyotas and Volvos. After almost 4 years with the exception of the brakes and gas mileage I couldn't be happier. Other than a very minor complaints this car has been exceptional! I have read many complaints about the factory tires and after 37,000. miles mine are just fine with regular rotation and correct pressures I believe they will easily reach 60k. I'll be very happy if they greatly improve gas mileage and add a 6 speed transmission. It's my sincere hope that comfort is not sacrificed for handling as I find the DTS handles extremely well with the various electronic handling augments.

I'd buy it again

This is my 4th Caddy and it has more omph that any of the previous 3. Great color -Ice Blue. Got better mileage with the '03 but this still gets 25-27 mpg on the road. Love the extra toys - heated steering wheel, OnStar, etc.

2006 DTS Performance Sedan

Awsome vehicle very comfortable with performance and great handling. The Performance edition with the larger engine gives a little extra punch, the ride is much better with the enhanced suspension and ride package, takes bumps and railroad tracks with ease. Brakes very well stops on a dime while holding the road. Navagation system combined with onstar is easy to use and very accurate. Bose soundsystem with centerpoint sounds awsome especially with XM or a CD in play. I am very comfortable in my driver seat for a long drive thanks to 8 way power seats with memory and the cooling and massage features.

Nice cruiser

The 2006 DTS is a comfortable and reliable vehicle with very adequate power and stability driving mountain roads. Like any vehicle, the highway mileage depends on how aggressively it is driven; highway cruising produces 28 - 29 mpg, whereas romping on it drops the mpg down to 22 - 23. Long haul trips with 400 - 450 miles between fuel and food stops are OK if you can sit that long.

2006 DTS w/Performance Package

As a former Eldorado owner, the size of the DTS took a while to get used to. With the performance package it handles well for a car of its size and it still rides well. It has the best suspension for this car - I've driven both styles. The interior is typical Cadillac high quality. The downside of the interior is the cup holders. They are too shallow to really really hold cups or bottles, especially during turns or braking. I had issues with the original dealership and Cadillac introduced me to another dealer for any required maintenance or warranty work. Cadillac has excellent customer relations. I like the OnStar system. My next car will be an STS-V.

Very Happy with the DTS

I really am enjoying driving this vehicle considering that I have been driving an SUV for so many years. The DTS is extremely comfortable...and I love the XM radio. It is still early but, I think this will be a great car. I have a small complaint...and that is sometimes I sit in the back seat and rest my left arm on the armrest since I recently had shoulder surgery. The seat belts in the back seat are very uncomfortable and rub against my neck when I am sitting there. Also, I think some of the interior trim could be a little more refined and better quality materials. Other than that, the car is most enjoyable.