1998 Cadillac Deville

VEHICLE IS SWAYING/FLOATING, AND BOUNCING DURING OPERATION AT HIGHWAY SPEEDS - WHICH IS CAUSING DIFFICULTY MAINTAINING A STRAIGHT PATH. DEALERSHIP REPLACED FRONT STRUTS, AND ALL OF THE REAR SUSPENSION COMPONENTS, INCLUDING SWAY BARS. VEHICLE WAS STILL EXPERIENCING CONTROL PROBLEMS. PLEASE PROVIDE ANY ADDITIONAL INFORMATION/ATTACHMENTS.*AK

CADILLAC ISSUED A SAFETY RECALL FOR 1998 & 1999 SEDAN DEVILLES IN SEPT. 2000 RELATING TO THE POSSIBLE UNINTENDED ACTIVIATION OF THE DRIVER'S AND PASSENGER SIDE AIR BAGS AND THE RISK OF INJURY OR DEATH AS A RESULT. I PURCHASED A '98 SEDAN DEVILLE ON OCT. 6, 2000 AND THE ETTLESON CADILLAC SALESMAN AT NO TIME TOLD ME THE VEHICLE WAS SUBJECT TO A SAFETY RECALL AND THAT WE MIGHT BE IN DANGER DRIVING THE CAR. UNTIL THE SENSOR MODULES WERE REPLACED. I DROVE 1,200 MILES BACK TO COLORADO AND DID NOT LEARN OF THE DANGER UNTIL TWO WEEKS LATER THROUGH ARTICLES IN THE NEW YORK TIMES AND WALL STREET JOURNAL. WHEN I WROTE THE SALESMAN ASKING WHY HE DID NOT WARN ME HE DECLARED--HARD TO BELIEVE--THAT HE WAS UNAWARE OF ANY SAFETY RECALL. (I WOULD NOT HAVE BOUGHT THE CAR IN THAT CONDITION, OF COURSE, AND HE PROBABLY REALIZED THAT.) WHEN I WROTE ETTLESON'S GENERAL MANAGER, LARRY SMOLINSKI, TO COMPLAIN ABOUT HIS DEALERSHIP SELLING A DEFECTIVE VEHICLE WITHOUT WARNING ME OF THE POSSIBLE DANGER, SMOLINSKI DID NOT BOTHER TO REPLY TO MY LETTER. HOW WOULD A GOVERNMENT AGENCY RESPOND IF WALMART WERE TO SELL TOASTERS THAT WERE A KNOWN FIRE HAZARD AND NOT EVEN WARN ITS CUSTOMERS? IF A RECALL WERE ORDERED FOR A DANGEROUS TOY COULD TOYS R US CONTINUE TO SELL IT? THIS DEALERSHIP SHOULD BE REPRIMANDED BY YOUR AGENCY FOR THIS DANGEROUS PRACTICE. *AK

RIGHT REAR GOODYEAR CONQUEST TIRE, SERIAL NUMBER M6XOEDWR447, EXPLODED DISINTEGRATING THE RIGHT REAR SPLASH GUARD, ESTIMATED DAMAGE $195.00 PLUS $125.00 FOR THE REPLACEMENT TIRE. TIRES WERE NOT ORIGIANAL EQUIPMENT AND PLENTY OF TREADWARE REMAINING. PER THE GOODYEAR MECHANIC, THE FOLLOWING TOOK PLACE WITHIN 10 MILES AND LESS THAN 20 MINUTES: I PICKED UP A NAIL, THREW THE NAIL WHICH ALLOWED THE AIR TO ESCAPE, WHEN THE TIRE PRESSURE BECAME TOO LOW THE TIRE CAME OFF THE RIM AND EXPLODED. I PULLED OVER TO THE SHOULDER OF THE ROAD DUE TO THE EXTREMELY LOUD NOISE THAT OCCURRED WHEN THE TIRE EXPLODED. DESPITE WHAT THE GOODYEAR DEALER OR GOODYEAR CUSTOMER SERVICE SAID IN THEIR REPONSE TO MY E-MAIL, I BELIEVE THERE IS SOMETHING WRONG WITH THIS TIRE AND SHOULD NOT HAVE HAD TO PAY FULL PRICE FOR THE REPLACEMENT. I AM OBTAINING INFORMATION ON FILING A CLAIM AND WILL FILE ONE ONCE IT IS RECEIVED. I HAVE PICTURES OF THE EXPLOSION RESULT. MY OFFICE E-MAIL, ALL LOWERCASE LETTERS IS: WEINGARL@BRAGG.ARMY.MIL. *AK (TIRESIZE: P22560R16)( DOT NUMBER: TIRE SIZE: P22560R16 )

THE TIRES ON THE CAR BEGAN TO LOSE AIR PRESSURE IN A SHORT PERIOD OF TIME - ABOUT EVERY TWO WEEKS SEVERAL OF THE TIRES WOULD LOSE OVER 15 LBS PRESSURE. I WOULD REFILL THE TIRES TO THE PROPER PRESSURE - THAN IN THE MONTH OF MARCH 01 I WAS DRIVING ONA SMOOTH ROAD WHEN THE CAR BEGAN TO FEEL MUSHY - I STIPPED AT A FILLING STATION AND DISCOVERED THE REAR TIRE WAS NEARLY FLAT. I DECIDED TO PURCHASE NEW TIRES AND WENT TO A TIRE SHOP AND AS THEY DISMOUNTED THE TIRE WHICH WAS NEARLY FLAT THE PROBLEM WAS DISCOVERED - SEVERE CORROSION OF THE INNER RIM BETWEEN THE CHROM AND THE STEEL - THE SURFACE WAS SO ROUGH THAT THE TIRE SHOP REFUSED TO INSTALL NEW TIRES ON THE WHEELS AND STATED THAT THEY WERE TOO CORODED TO BE CLEANED. I WENT TO MY CADILLAC DLR TO HAVE THE WARRANTY PERFORMED TO REPLACE THE CORODED RIMS - I LEFT THE CAR FOR THE SERVICE. TE SAME DAY THE SERVICE DEPARTMENT CALLED STATING THE CAR WAS READY AND THAT FOUR NEW RIMS WERE INSTALLED ON THE CAR WITH THE ORIGINAL TIRES. I PICKED THE CAR UP AFTER HOURS AND NOTICED THAT THE WHEELS WERE NOT NEW BUT PERHAPS WERE USED BUT IN GOOD CONDITION. I REVIEWED MY INVOICE FOR THE WARRANTY WORK AND FOUND THAT THE WHEELS WERE NOT REPLACED BUT MERELY CLEANED AND REINSTALLED ON MY CAR. THE CORROSION WILL CONTINUE AND AT SOME POINT WILL DEFLATE MY TIRES - THIS TIME PERHAPS AT A HIGHER SPEED. UT SOME LOST AIR FASTER THAN OTHERS. WHILE DRIVING ON A SMOOTH ROAD I NOTICED. *AI

HEADLIGHT LENSES HAVE FALLEN OUT OF BOTH HEADLIGHTS OF THE SUBJECT VEHICLE. THE LEFT HEADLIGHT ASSEMBLY WAS REPLACED BY MY DEALER, NEAL NORTON CADILLAC, AT MY EXPENSE. WHE THE RIGH LENSE FAILED, THE FAILURE WAS IDENTIFIED BEFORE THE LENS WAS LOST, AND I REATTACHED THE LENSE USING LIQUID NAILS ADHESIVE. THIS REPAIR HAS WORKED THUS FAR, BUT I AM CONCERNED THAT THE LENSE WILL FALL OUT AGAIN. NEITHER MY DEALER, NOR CADILLAC ACKNOWLEDGE THIS TO BE A MANUFACTURING QUALITY AND RELIABILITY ISSUE. THEY HAVE BOTH ARGUED THE HEADLIGHT LENSES ARE TRIM. TO THE CONTRARY, I CONSIDER THE LENSES TO BE AN IMPORTANT ELEMENT IN THE SAFETY OF MY VEHICLE. IF I WERE TO DRIVE THE VEHICLE WITHOUT THE LENSES IN PLACE, I BELIEVE THE HEADLIGHTS WOULD SOON FAIL. THIS WOULD MOST LIKELY HAPPEN WHEN THE VEHICLE WAS BEING DRIVE, ENDANGERING BOTH THOSE WITHIN THE VEHICLE AND OTHERS NEAR THE VEHICLE. I SEE AT LEAST ONE OTHER SUCH FAILURE REPORTED IN YOUR PROBLEM LIST FOR THIS MAKE, MODEL AND YEAR VEHICLE. I BELIEVE THAT AS THE AGE OF THIS FLEET OF VEHICLES INCREASES, YOU WILL SEE MORE SUCH FAILURE AND THAT IT IS ONLY A MATTER OF TIME BEFORE THIS FAILURE RESULTS IN AN INJURY OF DEATH. I BELIEVE A FULL INVESTIGATION IS NEEDED, AND I BELIEVE THAT SUCH AN INVESTIGATION WILL FIND THAT A RECALL IS IN ORDER. I WILL BE HAPPY TO DISCUSS THIS SERIOUS SAFETY PROBLEM IN MORE DETAIL WITH YOUR ORGANIZATION.