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2008 Cadillac CTS

Factory specifications, fluid capacities, torque values, EPA fuel economy and the federal safety record for the 2008 CTS.

Body PASSENGER CARTransmission Automatic (S6)

The 2008 Cadillac CTS is a passenger car featuring an Automatic (S6) transmission and an engine requiring 6 quarts of 5W-30 API oil. Delivering an EPA-rated 17/26/20 mpg, this model year occupies a middle ground in the vehicle's 2003-2019 reliability history. With 175 owner complaints—primarily regarding the electrical system—and two recalls, it sits between the 2003 high of 321 complaints and the 2018 low of 8.

Model year2019 2018 2017 2016 2013 2012 2011 2010 2008

Quick specs

Fluid capacities, tune-up values and fuel economy at a glance.

Engine oil capacity6 qtOEM · verified

Engine oil type5W-30 APIOEM · verified

Lug nut torque140 ft-lbsOEM · verified

EPA fuel economy17/26/20 mpgEPA · verified

Fitment & sizes

Replacement part sizes and factory part numbers — battery, bulbs, filters and belts.

From the factory this vehicle uses a BCI 48 · 730 CCA battery, OE oil filter 12577653. Each part links to every other vehicle that shares it, so a part you already stock may fit more of your fleet than you'd expect.

Battery groupBCI 48 · 730 CCAOEM · verified

Tire sizeP235-55R17OEM · verified

Wheel / rim8; 8.5 inOEM · verified

OE service part numbers OEM · verified

Engine oil filter	12577653 alt 12687466
Engine air filter	15875795
Spark plug	19300872
Battery	88866309
Front wiper blades	15890062 alt 15890064
Serpentine belt	12621991 alt 12606116
Thermostat	12582472 alt 12706567
Cabin air filter	19130403

Full specifications

Engine, drivetrain, dimensions and economy.

Engine & drivetrain NHTSA vPIC

Transmission

Automatic (S6)

Dimensions & weight NHTSA vPIC

Overall length	191.7 in
Overall width	72.4 in
Overall height	57.9 in
Wheelbase	113.4 in
Curb weight	3860 lb
Track (front / rear)	61 / 62.2 in
Weight distribution (front / rear)	52/48

Ratings & economy EPA / vPIC

EPA city / highway / combined	17 / 26 / 20 mpg
Drivetrain	Rear-Wheel Drive
Passenger volume	96 cu ft
Cargo volume	14 cu ft
Recommended fuel	Regular Gasoline

Performance & power Independent road tests

0–60 mph, quarter-mile, horsepower and torque from independent road tests.

Independent road tests for the CTS of this era, listed by trim and engine — this page spans more than one engine, so no single horsepower figure is shown.

5.8–7.0 sec0–60 mph (tested)quickest 5.80 sec — 2008 3.6 DI Sedan

Year	Trim / engine	0–60	¼ mile	HP	Drivetrain
2008	3.6 DI Sedan 3.6L V6	5.80 sec	14.60 sec	304 hp	RWD
2008	3.6 DI Sedan 3.6L V6	6.10 sec	14.70 sec	304 hp	RWD
2008	3.6 DI Sedan 3.6L V6	6.30 sec	14.80 sec	304 hp	RWD
2008	3.6 DI Sedan 3.6L V6	6.40 sec	14.90 sec	304 hp	RWD
2008	3.6 DI Sedan 3.6L V6	7.00 sec	15.40 sec	304 hp	RWD
2010	4 3.6 Sedan 3.6L V6	6.50 sec	15.00 sec	304 hp	AWD
2010	Premium 3.6 Sedan 3.6L V6	6.50 sec	14.90 sec	304 hp	RWD
2010	Premium 3.6 Wagon 3.6L V6	7.00 sec	15.40 sec	304 hp	RWD

Service quick specs OEM factory data

Capacities, torques and tune-up values from the factory service manual.

This engine holds 6 qt of 5W-30 API engine oil, 75W-90 · GL-5 in the differential, DOT 3 brake fluid. Torque lug nuts to 140 ft-lbs, the oil drain plug to 18.0 ft-lbs. The firing order is 1-2-3-4-5-6. Note the cylinder-head bolts finish on a torque angle (torque-to-yield) — they stretch permanently and should be replaced, not reused, during any head service.

Lubricants & capacities

Automatic Transmission Fluid	ATF
Automatic Transmission Fluid Capacity	6.7
Brake Fluid	DOT 3
Differential Gear Oil	75W-90 · GL-5
Differential Gear Oil Capacity	3.0 qt
Engine Coolant	DEX-COOL OR EQUIVALENT
Engine Oil	5W-30 · API
Engine Oil Capacity	6 qt

Engine torques

Intake Manifold to Engine Bolts	17 ft-lbs
Exhaust Manifold to Cylinder Head Bolts	18 ft-lbs
Intake Manifold to Engine Bolts	17 ft-lbs
Exhaust Manifold to Cylinder Head Bolts	18 ft-lbs
Engine Oil Pan Drain Plug	15.0 ft-lbs
Engine Oil Pan Drain Plug	18.0 ft-lbs
Engine Valve Cover Bolts	7.4 ft-lbs

Chassis torques

Lug Nuts	140 ft-lbs
Transfer Case Fill Plug	18.0 ft-lbs
Transfer Case Drain Plug	18.0 ft-lbs
Front Wheel Hub	158 ft-lbs
Rear Wheel Hub	158 ft-lbs

Ignition

Cylinder Firing Order	1-2-3-4-5-6
Spark Plug Manufacturer	AC Delco
Spark Plug Gap	0.043 in
Spark Plug Torque	13.0 ft-lbs

Battery & A/C

Refrigerant	R134a
Refrigerant Capacity	1.20 lbs
Oil Group	PAG
Oil Type	46
Oil Capacity	3.72 oz
Standard BCI Group Number	48
Standard BCI Cranking Performance	730 cca

Service checks

Pressure Test	15, Pressure should not exceed 20 psi.
Radiator Cap Pressure Relief	15 psi
Thermostat Opening Temperature	194-225 °F
Injector Primary Resistance	11-14 @ 50-90 degreesF ohms
Engine Compression	140
Engine Oil Pressure	6
Intake Valve Lash	Hydraulic in
Exhaust Valve Lash	Hydraulic in

Brakes

Brake Application	WITH RPO J55 / WITH RPO JE5
Torque Caliper to Bracket	48 ft-lbs / 20 ft-lbs
Torque to Knuckle	166 ft-lbs / 96 ft-lbs
Minimum Pad Thickness	Front: 0.039; Rear: 0.039 in
Brake Application	WITH RPO J55 / WITH RPO JE5
Rotor Max Parallel Variation	0.002 in
Rotor Runout Limit	0.001 in
Rotor Nominal Thickness From	1.181 in / 0.906 in

Multi-step torque procedures OEM · verified

Crankshaft Pulley and/or Damper Bolts — tightening sequence 1 stages

74 ft. lbs., step 2: 150

74 ft. lbs

Cylinder Head — tightening sequence 2 stages

Prep Do not reuse old bolts. Do not allow oil on cylinder head or head bolt bosses · M11 Bolts:

1	22.0 ft. lbs.	22 ft. lbs
2	150 degrees; M8 Bolts:	150 degrees
1	11.0 ft. lbs.	11 ft. lbs
2	75 degrees	75 degrees

Factory maintenance schedule OEM · verified

Normal service, condensed from the factory interval matrix.

Under the factory schedule, replace the spark plugs every 100,000 mi; coolant at 150,000 mi. The big-interval services (at 150,000 mi for coolant, and the transmission fluid) are the ones owners most often skip — on a lower-mileage example, assume the original fluids are still in it and check them first.

Every 25,000 mi	Cabin Air Filter (replace) · Exhaust System (Complete) (inspect) · Fuel System (inspect)
Every 50,000 mi	Engine Air Filter Element (replace)
Every 100,000 mi	Spark Plugs (replace) · Transmission Fluid & Filter (replace)
At 150,000 mi	Accessory Drive Belt (inspect) · Engine Coolant System (drain, flush & refill)

Reliability & federal safety record

Owner-reported issues, recalls, investigations and service bulletins on record with NHTSA — an unfiltered look at what owners actually experience.

The 2008 Cadillac CTS represents a significant improvement within this generation: complaints dropped to 175 (the lowest in the record), recalls fell to just 2 (down from 7 in 2007), and NHTSA investigations dropped to zero. This marks a clear inflection point after the 2003-2007 period, which saw elevated complaints (ranging from 218 to 321), higher recall counts (7 per year), and active investigations (2-3 per year). The 2008 model year also benefits from having the fewest crash complaints (12) and fire complaints (3) in the dataset, though the top complaint areas remain Electrical System, Fuel/Propulsion System, and Vehicle Speed Control. The notable rise in TSBs (to 1139) reflects increased technical service bulletin activity, which is typical as manufacturers address emerging issues through service campaigns rather than formal recalls. The 2008 CTS appears to be a relatively strong choice within this generation, offering the lowest complaint and recall counts while the generation's early-year growing pains appear to have been largely resolved.

Open recalls

NHTSA campaigns

1139

Service bulletins

Manufacturer communications

ODI investigations

Office of Defects Investigation

175

Owner complaints

12 involved a crash · 3 a fire

NHTSA crash-test rating federal NCAP · out of 5 stars

Rollover★★★★★

Owner complaints by model year NHTSA · this generation & adjacent

’03 ’04 ’05 ’06 ’07’08’09 ’11 ’12 ’13 ’14 ’15 ’16 ’17 ’18 ’19

Owner complaints filed with NHTSA, by component

All 175 complaints on record, top 8 components.

Electrical System19

Fuel/Propulsion System16

Vehicle Speed Control11

Engine9

Structure8

Steering8

Service Brakes, Hydraulic8

Air Bags7

Source: NHTSA Office of Defects Investigation complaint database.

Recalls NHTSA · verified

Showing 2 of 2 campaigns on record for this vehicle.

14V394000Electrical System:IgnitionReported 02/07/2014

This defect can affect the safe operation of the airbag system. Until this recall is performed, customers should remove all items from their key rings, leaving only the ignition key. The key fob (if applicable), should… Remedy: GM will notify owners, and dealers will install two key rings and an insert in the key slot or a cover over the key head on all ignition keys, free of charge. The recall began on…

10V240000Electrical SystemReported 04/06/2010

GM IS RECALLING CERTAIN MODEL YEAR 2006-2009 BUICK, LUCERNE; CADILLAC DTS; HUMMER H2; MODEL YEAR 2008-2009 BUICK ENCLAVE; CADILLAC CTS; MODEL YEAR 2007-2009 CADILLAC ESCALADE, ESCALADE ESV, ESCALADE EXT; CHEVROLET… Remedy: DEALERS WILL PERMANENTLY DISABLE AND REMOVE THE HEATED WASHER FLUID MODULE. AN UPDATED PAGE FOR THE OWNER MANUAL WILL BE PROVIDED AND INSERTED IN THE OWNER MANUAL TO DOCUMENT THAT…

Technical service bulletins NHTSA · verified

Showing 5 of 1139 bulletins on record with NHTSA.

Bulletin	Date	Component	Summary
13598	2025-09-09	Unknown Or Other	New Vehicle Monitoring Programs Section in IVH
PIC5650M	2025-08-06	Unknown Or Other	This Preliminary Information communication provides information to the technician about…
PIP5601C	2025-07-18	Unknown Or Other	This PI communicates the requirement to provide a pico file to receive diagnostic…
PIT5074R	2025-05-30	Unknown Or Other	This Preliminary Information communication provides information to the technician about…
PIT5074R	2025-05-30	Unknown Or Other	This Preliminary Information communication provides information to the technician about…

Common OBD-II trouble codes

The most common OBD-II codes for this vehicle's emissions system. These are standardized SAE J2012 definitions, not vehicle-specific fault reports.

P0420

Catalyst system efficiency below threshold — Bank 1

P0300

Random / multiple cylinder misfire detected

P0171

System too lean — Bank 1

P0455

Evaporative emission system leak detected — large leak

P0128

Coolant thermostat below regulating temperature

P0442

Evaporative emission system leak detected — small leak

VIN tools

Decode factory build data for a specific vehicle by VIN.

VIN

Decode a VIN to confirm the transmission and build data for a specific CTS. OEM

Build data

Plant, GVWR class, engine and body data for any 17-character VIN.

Recalls

Check open recall campaigns against a specific vehicle by VIN.

Vehicles with shared specs

Find every vehicle that shares this one's battery, bulbs, oil capacity, platform or parts.

Group 48 battery Vehicles taking 6 qt Engine oil filter 12577653 Engine air filter 15875795 Spark plug 19300872 Battery 88866309

Reference guides

Cross-vehicle references for the kinds of data on this page.

Vehicle recalls & TSBs OBD-II trouble codes Torque specifications Maintenance schedules Fluid capacities & specs

Frequently asked

How much oil does the 2008 CTS take?

6 qt of 5W-30 API, per the factory manual.

Does the 2008 CTS have open recalls?

NHTSA lists 2 recall campaign(s) for this model year. Check your specific vehicle by VIN.

What gas mileage does the CTS get?

EPA figures are 17 city / 26 highway / 20 combined mpg.