2009 Cadillac Cts

CADILLAC CTS WAS RENTED, OCT 1, 2009, AT 9:00 PM, AT CHARLOTTE AIRPORT. MY HUSBAND WAS DRIVING THE CTS HOME ON JOSH BIRMINGHAM PARKWAY. I WAS BEHIND HIM IN OUR CAR. WE WERE BOTH ON THE RIGHT-HAND SIDE OF THE ROAD, NEAR THE OLD DOWD ROAD OVERPASS. MY HUSBAND SIGNALED ME THAT HE WAS MOVING TO THE SHOULDER TO STOP. I WAS RIGHT BEHIND HIM, ON THE SHOULDER. HE SLOWED TO LESS THAN 5MPH. I SAW HIS BRAKE LIGHTS. BUT, HIS CAR DIDN'T STOP. IT CONTINUED TO ROLL FORWARD AT A WEIRDLY SLOW SPEED. BRAKES? THEN SLOWLY, AT A VERY SLIGHT ANGLE, THE RIGHT TIRE ROLLED OFF THE SHOULDER. THE REAR TIRES FOLLOWED. STEERING? OFF-ROAD, IT CROSSES THE DITCH TO THE RIGHT. HIS LEFT FRONT TIRE HITS AN ALUMINUM BARRICADE. THE END IS BURIED INTO THE GROUND. THE CTS TURNED VIOLENTLY TO THE LEFT. WHEELS STRADDLED THE RAILING, "RIDING" IT. IT LURCHED AS THE UNDERCARRIAGE HIT EACH POST. SPARKS SHOWERED DOWN. ONCE ALL THE TIRES WERE OFF THE GROUND, THE CTS CAME TO A STOP. THE WHEELS WERE STILL TURNING, AS I WALKED UP TO HIS DOOR. MY HUSBAND WAS SLUMPED OVER AND UNRESPONSIVE. HIS SEATBELT WAS ON. AIRBAGS? THEY HAD NOT DEPLOYED. I CALLED 911. 10 MINUTES LATER FIRE, EMT AND POLICE ARRIVED. I WAS IN SHOCK, SO THE POLICE REPORT HAD MAJOR ERRORS. IT CLAIMS THE CAR "ROLLED-OVER." NO! CLAIMS THE CAR LEFT THE ROAD AT 45MPH AND HIT THE BARRICADE. NO! THAT HIS DEATH WAS CAUSED BY AN UNRELATED MEDICAL CONDITION. NO! THE CORONER'S OFFICIAL REPORT CLEARLY STATES THE CAUSE OF DEATH WAS DUE TO "BLUNT FORCE TRAUMA FROM THE ACCIDENT".) THE POLICE OFFICER WHO WROTE THE OFFICIAL REPORT WENT ON VACATION FOR WEEKS. REPORT WAS NEVER CORRECTED BY ME. GM ANALYZED SDM DATA (DEC 2009). THEIR DATE FOR THE ACCIDENT WAS WRONG, NOV 1, 2009. THEY CLAIM THE SDM EXONERATES THE CADILLAC CTS. THEY BLAMED THE ACCIDENT ON OPERATOR ERROR. I KNOW MY HUSBAND WAS AN EXCEPTIONALLY SAFE DRIVER, EXPERT MECHANIC AND AVID CAR ENTHUSIAST FOR 50 YEARS.

WE WERE LEAVING A DINER PARKING LOT IN THE AFTERNOON, WHEN I HAD TO STOP FOR A DELIVERY TRUCK BLOCKING OUR EXIT. WHEN THE TRUCK PULLED FORWARD I LIGHTLY PRESSED THE ACCELERATOR AND THE CAR BEGAN TO SURGE FORWARD AND TO OUR LEFT(MY WIFE WAS IN THE CAR WITH ME). I PRESSED DOWN ON THE BRAKES AND THE CAR CONTINUED FORWARD AND BEGAN TO TURN TO THE RIGHT AND I TRIED TO STEER THE CAR TO THE LEFT BUT THE STEERING DID NOT RESPOND RESULTING IN MY HITTING TWO PARKED CARS. I HAD THE CAR TOWED TO THE CADILLAC DEALER. THE DEALER INDICATED THAT THERE WAS NOTHING WRONG WITH THE CAR AND SUGGESTED THAT THE SURGE WAS CAUSED MY A SECONDARY CAR MAT BUT COULD NOT EXPLAIN THE STEERING PROBLEM. THIS SAME SITUATION OCCURRED DURING OUR SEVERE SNOW STORM LAST WINTER. AT THE TIME I ASSUMED IT WAS DUE TO ICING CONDITIONS ON THE ROAD AND MY DEALER INDICATED THAT THEY HAD RESET THE CAR CODES TO CORRECT ANY ERRORS(STABILITY CONTROL LIGHT STAYED ON)

WITH ABOUT 5,000 MILES OF 09 CADILLAC CTS BRAKES BEGAN TO SQUEAL. AT 8,381 MILES DEALER REPLACED REAR BRAKE PADS AND COMPLETED SERVICE BULLETIN TO ROTORS. WHILE ON VACATION, AT 10,000 MILES BRAKES WENT ALL THE WAY TO THE FLOOR TO STOP VEHICLE. TOOK TO DEALER WHO COULD NOT LOCATE PROBLEM. PROBLEM CONTINUED. WHILE TAKING CAR TO LOCATE DEALER, PROBLEM JUST WENT AWAY. DEALER KEEP CAR FOR 3 DAYS BUT COULD NOT LOCATE THE PROBLEM. 2 WEEKS HAVE PAST AND 1000 MILES AND ALL IS NORMAL. *TR

TL*THE CONTACT OWNS A 2009 CADILLAC CTS. THE CONTACT HEARD A SQUEAKING NOISE IN THE REAR BRAKES IMMEDIATELY AFTER THE VEHICLE WAS PURCHASED. THE CONTACT WAS DRIVING APPROXIMATELY 25 MPH. HE TOOK THE VEHICLE TO THE DEALER WHO RESURFACED THE ROTORS. WITHIN TWO DAYS, THE SQUEALING NOISE RECURRED. HE TOOK THE VEHICLE BACK TO THE DEALER AND NEW ROTORS WERE INSTALLED IN THE REAR. AFTER A WEEK, BOTH THE FRONT AND REAR BRAKES BEGAN MAKING A SQUEALING NOISE. HE CALLED THE DEALER AND WAS TOLD THAT THEY COULD NOT REPAIR IT AGAIN BECAUSE IT HAD NOT BEEN AUTHORIZED BY THE MANUFACTURER. HE HAD NOT SPOKEN WITH THE MANUFACTURER TO-DATE. THE VEHICLE HAD NOT BEEN REPAIRED AT THE TIME OF THE COMPLAINT. THE CURRENT MILEAGE WAS APPROXIMATELY 6,200. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 2.