2003 Cadillac Cts

PICKED UP VEHICLE FROM SHORT TERM PARKING IN APPROXIMATELY 7 DEGREE WEATHER. AFTER STARTING VEHICLE AND RUNNING FOR APPROXIMATELY 15 MINUTES NOTICE SEVERE POWER LOSS. WITHIN NEXT COUPLE OF MINUTES BLACK SMOKE WITH EXTREME BURNING SMELL FLOODED VEHICLE INTERIOR COMPARTMENT ALSO SMOKE STARTS TO COME FROM UNDER HOOD OF VEHICLE. PULLED INTO SAFE LOCATION FOUND HUGE OIL LEAK ON LEFT SIDE OF ENGINE AROUND VALVE COVER. COULD HAVE POSSIBLY STARTED A FIRE DUE TO HIGHLY COMBUSTIBLE OIL BEING BLOWN ON ENGINE BUT LUCKILY DID NOT CATCH ON FIRE. CHECK ON-LINE FOUND TSB 05-06-01-007A STATING GM KNOWS THIS IS A PROBLEM. "WHEN OPERATING IN EXTREMELY COLD WEATHERCONDITIONS, SOME 2003-2004 VEHICLES WITH 3.2L V6 ENGINE MAY LEAK ENGINE OIL FROM THE CAM/VALVE SEALS, ESPECIALLY FROM THE LEFT SIDE JUST BELOW THE OIL FILL HOLE IN THE CAM/VALVE COVER." THIS IS QUITE A BIT MORE THAN A LEAK SINCE APPROXIMATELY A QUART OF OIL WAS BLOWN ON THE ENGINE IN ONLY A COUPLE MINUTES. IF THE ENGINE WOULD HAVE BEEN HOTTER THERE COULD EASILY HAVE BEEN A FIRE. SINCE THIS IS A KNOW ISSUE WITH A KNOWN CAUSE SHOULDN'T THIS BE TAKEN CARE OF BY GM OR AT LEAST THE SAFETY OF THE DRIVERS AND PASSENGERS SHOULD BE CONSIDERED. THEY HAVE A CORRECTION LISTED IN THEIR TSB THAT LOOKS TO FAIRLY INEXPENSIVE BUT SINCE THIS IS NOT ON A RECALL LIST THE COST FOR REPAIR WILL BE MUCH LARGER DUE TO THE BLOWN OUT GASKETS. IT COULD HAVE BEEN MUCH WORSE IF THE VEHICLE WOULD HAVE CAUGHT FIRE. TO FIX BEFORE THIS HAPPENS TO YOU USE GM PCV HOSE KIT, P/N 55558592 AND OIL FILTER CAP, P/N 12589430. *TR

TL*THE CONTACT OWNS A 2003 CADILLAC CTS. THE SERVICE ENGINE SOON LIGHT ILLUMINATED AND NOW THE ENGINE IS RUNNING HOT. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO THE DEALER AND THEY STATED THAT ANTIFREEZE WAS LEAKING INTO THE ENGINE. THE ENGINE NEEDED TO BE REPLACED AT THE COST OF $7,000. THE VEHICLE IS CURRENTLY PARKED AND HAS NOT BEEN REPAIRED. THE PURCHASE DATE WAS UNKNOWN. THE CURRENT MILEAGE WAS 73,076 AND FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 70,000.

I AM AND HAVE BEEN EXPERIENCING NUMEROUS FAILURES WITH MY VEHICLE. I HAVE CONTACTED GM NUMEROUS TIMES BEGINNING APPROXIMATELY A FEW MONTHS AFTER I PURCHASED THE VEHICLE TO INFORM THEM THAT THE VEHICLE IS DEFECTIVE, ONLY TO BE TOLD MY VEHICLE IS OUT OF WARRANTY, SO THEY REFUSE TO FIX IT OR GIVE MY ONE THAT IS NOT DEFECTIVE. MY VEHICLE IS STILL DEFECTIVE TO THIS DATE. *TR

TL*- THE CONTACT HAS A 2003 CADILLAC CTS WITH A CURRENT AND FAILURE ODOMETER READING OF 71000 MILES. THE CONTACT STATED THAT SHE WAS DRIVING UNDER COLD DRY CONDITIONS AT ABOUT 55 MPH, WHILE EXITING THE FREEWAY SHE NOTICES DARK SMOKE COMING FROM UNDER THE HOOD OF THE VEHICLE. THE CONTACT WAS ABLE TO REACH A PARKING LOT, AND WHEN SHE LIFTED THE HOOD SHE SAW FLAMES. THE FIRE DEPARTMENT CAME OUT AND EXTINGUISHED THE FIRE, BUT WERE UNABLE TO DETERMINE THE CAUSE OF THE FIRE. THE CONTACT HAD THE VEHICLE TOWED TO THE DEALER AND THEY ALSO HAVE BEEN UNABLE TO DETERMINE THE CAUSE.

2003 CADILLAC CTS WITH 45852 MILES - OIL LEAKED FROM THE ENGINE CAM/ VALVE COVER SEALS DUE TO EXTREME COLD WEATHER OPERATIONS. I WAS MERGING ONTO A MAJOR HIGHWAY AND HAD JUST REMOVED MY FOOT FROM THE BRAKE TO THE ACCELERATE WHEN THICK BLACK SMOKE BEGAN POURING THROUGH THE HEATING SYSTEM INTO THE CAR. VISIBILITY WAS OBSTRUCTED AND BREATHING WAS IMPAIRED. WITHIN SECONDS, I WAS FORCED TO EVACUATE THE CAR. SMOKE BEGAN ROLLING OUT FROM BENEATH THE HOOD. I OPENED THE HOOD AND SAW SPARKING AND SMALL FLASH FIRES ALONG THE LEFT SIDE OF THE CAR NEAR THE TIRE. I WAS IN A RURAL AREA IN 20 DEGREE WEATHER AND WAS FORCED TO SLOWLY LIMP THE CAR TO A SAFER AREA TO GET HELP AND CONTACT TOWING SERVICE. AS OF DECEMBER 20TH, MY CAR HAS NOT BEEN REPAIRED AND I AM RECEIVING CONFLICTING INFORMATION BETWEEN CADILLAC AND THE DEALERSHIP. GENERAL MOTORS DOCUMENT ID # 1644918 STATES THAT THEY WERE AWARE OF THIS PROBLEM ON APRIL 7, 2005 AND ALSO STATES THAT TO PREVENT RECURRENCE AN AFTER MARKET PART MUST BE INSTALLED. HOWEVER, THERE HAS NOT BEEN A RECALL AND GENERAL MOTORS/CADILLAC ARE REFUSING TO ASSIST ME IN EITHER HANDLING THE ISSUE AS A WARRANTY OR REPAIRING THE CAR WHICH IS STILL AWAITING PARTS AND SERVICE AT THE DEALERSHIP. THIS IS A SERIOUS CONSUMER SAFETY ISSUE AS IT ONLY OCCURS DURING EXTREME COLD AND COULD POSE SERIOUS HEALTH CONCERNS DUE TO EXPOSURE AS WELL AS TRAFFIC INCIDENTS DUE TO VISIBILITY IMPAIRMENT FROM THE SMOKE. *NM

1. I PURCHASED A USED 2003 CADILLAC CTS IN 2005 WITH 45,000 ORIGINAL MILES FROM A GM DEALERSHIP IN ONTARIO, OREGON. IT WAS REPUTED TO BE IN EXCELLENT MECHANICAL CONDITION BY THE GM MECHANICS. 2. THIS VEHICLE HAS SINCE CUT ENGINE POWER SPONTANEOUSLY SEVERAL TIMES ON THE FREEWAY AND IN TOWN, PRESENTING SUDDEN AND SERIOUS DANGER TO DRIVER, PASSENGER, AND OTHER MOTORISTS AS THE VEHICLE MUST BE STEERED POWERLESS TO THE MEDIAN/SHOULDER. ONCE WE WERE IN THE MIDDLE LANE OF 75 MPH FREEWAY TRAFFIC AND SEVERAL VEHICLES WERE NEARLY INVOLVED IN AN ACCIDENT. 3. GM TECH'S ARE UNABLE TO DIAGNOSE THE PROBLEM AFTER 7-8 ATTEMPTS, SO IT CONTINUES TO RECUR. GM REFUSES TO REPURCHASE THE VEHICLE DESPITE THEIR INABILITY TO DIAGNOSE, ENFORCE THE WARRANTY, AND THE OBVIOUS DANGER TO ALL INVOLVED. THE BETTER BUSINESS BUREAU WOULD NOT ARBITRATE BECAUSE MILEAGE WAS OVER 24,000. I AM CURRENTLY SEEKING LEGAL COUNSEL, BUT FEEL THIS VEHICLE SHOULD NOT BE ON THE ROAD. *NM

DT: VEHICLE LOST POWER WHEN THE CONSUMER HIT THE BRAKES. THE TRANSMISSION JOLTS AND THEN THE ENGINE SHUTS OFF. IT HAS BEEN TO THE DEALER 6 TIMES SINCE JANUARY. THE DEALER TRIED SOMETHING DIFFERENT EVERY TIME SHE TOOK IT IN. MANUFACTURER SAID SHE COULD HAVE A NEW VEHICLE IF SHE PAID FOR IT. SHE WANTED TO GET RID OF THE VEHICLE.*AK THE CHECK ENGINE LIGHT ILLUMINATED. *JB

2003 CADILLAC CTS, NO SEVICE LIGHTS ON, WHEN STOPPED AT LIGHT, SMOKE COMING FROM UNDER THE HOOD, THEN SMOKE INSIDE OF THE CAR. TURNED OFF ENGINE AND ASSISTANCE OPENED THE HOOD, FLAME UNDER HOOD AND SMOKE FROM FIRE NEAR BATTERY. WAS TOLD THAT PVC VALVE BURST UNDER PRESSURE FROM COLD OUTSIDE TEMPERATURES, CAUSED OIL TO SPRAY OVER ENGINE AND UNDER HOOD AND BECAUSE ENGINE WAS HOT FROM USE, CAUSED IT TO IGNITE. ALSO TOLD THAT THIS WAS THE 3-4TH CAR REPORTED LAST WEEK TO ONE DEALERSHIP WITH SAME PROBLEM. NOT SURE WHAT REPAIRS WERE DONE, CAR IS REPAIRED TODAY.*AK