1992 Cadillac Deville

MITCHELL REPAIR INFORMATION LISTS CAMPAIGN NO: 94V199000 FOR UPPER TRANS AXLE OIL COOLER HOSE PULLING OUT OF THE CRIMPED COUPLING AT TRANS AXLE END OF THE LINE ASSEMBLY. THIS COULD RESULT IN AN ENGINE COMPARTMENT FIRE. MY CAR IS LEAKING IN THAT AREA NOW, SO I CALLED GENERAL MOTORS. THEY SAID THAT THEY WOULD NOT FIX IT. ON NHTSA WEB SITE, THE CAMPAIGN IS NO LONGER LISTED. HOW DO I GET MY UNSAFE CAR REPAIRED.*AK

WHILE DRIVING AT HIGHWAY SPEED THE CAR SUDDENLY LOST ALL POWER, INCLUDING POWER STEERING, POWER BRAKES AND ALL INSTRUMENT PANEL INFORMATION. WHEN THE CAR WAS FINALLY STOPPED, THE DOORS COULD NOT BE UNLOCKED BECAUSE THEY ARE AUTOMATICALLY LOCKED WHEN THE CAR IS PUT INTO DRIVE AND THERE ARE NO DOOR LOCK KNOBS AVAILABLE TO MANUALLY UNLOCK THE CAR FROM THE INSIDE. ALSO, NO WINDOWS COULD BE OPERATED BECAUSE THERE WAS NO ELECTRICAL POWER AVAILABLE TO OPERATE THEM. THE END RESULT WAS THAT PASSENGERS WERE TRAPPED INSIDE THE CAR WITH NO WAY TO GET OUT OTHER THAN BREAKING THE GLASS OF ONE OF THE WINDOWS AND UNLOCKING THE CAR FROM THE OUTSIDE. THERE ARE NO OVERRIDE OPTIONS AVAILABLE FROM WITHIN THE PASSENGER COMPARTMENT FOR THIS PROBLEM. A PERSON WHO IS NOT STRONG ENOUGH TO CONTROL THE CAR ONCE THE POWER STEERING IS LOST (E.G. A SMALL WOMAN, AN ELDERLY PERSON) COULD VERY EASILY HAVE AN ACCIDENT BECAUSE OF THIS DEFECT AND IF THE CAR IS IN AN ACCIDENT RESULTING IN A FIRE, THERE IS NO WAY FOR THE OCCUPANTS TO ESCAPE FROM THE CAR. DIAGNOSIS OF THE PROBLEM REVEALED THE BATTERY CABLES HAD APPARENTLY WORKED LOOSE OR HAD NOT BEEN SUFFICIENTLY TIGHTENED AFTER REPLACEMENT OF A CAM SENSOR AT A LOCAL GM DEALERSHIP A FEW DAYS PRIOR TO THIS EPISODE. THE SUDDEN LOSS OF ALL POWER WHILE DRIVING IS SIGNIFICANTLY DANGEROUS IN THIS VEHICLE AND SERIOUSLY THREATENS THE LIVES OF PASSENGERS AND PUTS THEM IN A VERY HIGH RISK SITUATION. HAD THIS EPISODE HAPPENED ON AN INTERSTATE HIGHWAY IT WOULD HAVE RESULTED IN AN ACCIDENT. THIS DEFECT IS A LIFE THREATENING DESIGN DEFECT AND REQUIRES AN IMMEDIATE PRIORITY FIX BY GM. *NLM

TWO (2) PROBLEMS: IF ENGINE FAILS, FOR ANY REASON, CAR MUST COME TO A COMPLETE STOP, PLACED IN PARK, TO RESTART ENGINE. IN TRAFFIC THIS IS AN EXTREMELY DANGEROUS CONDITION. SECOND, ENGINE QUITS UNDER HARD BRAKING WHEN THERE IS LESS THAN 4 GAL FUEL REMAINING. YES, FUEL FILTER REPLACED. YES, NO WATER IN FUEL SYSTEM. PLEASE ASSIST.8JB

I MENTIONED THIS TO WOODY BARWICK CLAIMS ADJUSTER AND HE STATED THAT THERE WAS NOT ENOUGH DAMAGE TO CAUSE IT TO DEPLOY. THE HIGHWAY PATROL OFFICER WAS SUPRISED IT DID NOT DEPLOY. I WAS TRAVELING AT 60 MPH WHEN I RAN INTO THE BACK OF ANOTHER VEHICLE CAUSING THE ACCIDENT. HIGHWAY PATROL STATED I DID NTO CONTRIBUTE TO THE ACCIDENT. *AK