2006 Cadillac Sts

TL*THE CONTACT OWNS A 2006 CADILLAC STS. WHILE DRIVING APPROXIMATELY 50 MPH, THE STEERING WHEEL BEGAN TO SHAKE AND FELT LOOSE. THE CONTACT ATTEMPTED TO PULL THE VEHICLE OVER, BUT LOST CONTROL AND DROVE INTO A DITCH. THE FRONTAL AIR BAGS FAILED TO DEPLOY. THE CONTACT SUSTAINED INJURIES TO HER NOSE AND BROKE HER RIGHT ANKLE. THE MANUFACTURER FILED CASE NUMBER 71741801936. A POLICE REPORT WAS FILED. THE VEHICLE WAS TOWED TO A BODY SHOP AND WILL BE REPAIRED. THE CURRENT AND FAILURE MILEAGES WERE 27,000. UPDATED 10/06/09. *LJ UPDATED 10/08/09

TL*THE CONTACT OWNS A 2006 CADILLAC STS. WHILE DRIVING 55 MPH, THE VEHICLE SLID ON BLACK ICE ON THE ROAD AND CRASHED INTO THE SHOULDER LANE, STRIKING THE REAR WHEEL ASSEMBLY OF A SEMI TRACTOR CAB. THE VEHICLE WAS DESTROYED AND THE DRIVER SUSTAINED HEAD TRAUMA, A SKULL FRACTURE, A BROKEN LEFT SHOULDER, MULTIPLE BROKEN RIBS ON BOTH SIDES OF HIS BODY, DISLOCATION OF THE RIGHT SHOULDER, AND CUTS AND BRUISES THROUGHOUT HIS LEGS AND ARMS. NONE OF THE AIR BAGS DEPLOYED. THE CONTACT BELIEVES THAT HAD THE AIR BAGS DEPLOYED, THE INJURIES WOULD NOT HAVE BEEN SO SEVERE. A POLICE REPORT WAS FILED. THE CURRENT AND FAILURE MILEAGES WERE 65,000. UPDATED 02/24/09. *LJ UPDATED 02/24/09. *JB

1. I STARTED MY CAR VIA REMOTE START TO WARM IT UP.. PASSENGER'S AIRBAG WAS REPORTED VIA THE DASH CONTROLS AS NON-FUNCTIONAL AT THAT TIME 2. DROVE 100 YARDS AND THE REAR WINDOW IMPLODED INTO THE VEHICLE SENDING SHARDS OF GLASS ALL OVER THE INTERIOR. IT RESULTED IN MANY SMALL BLOODY CUTS AND SCRATCHES 3. SELLING DEALER WOULD NOT RESPOND TO THE ISSUE. NON-SELLING DEALER TOWED THE CAR FOR REPAIR. *JB

OCTOBER 8, 2006 I WAS INVOLVED IN AN ACCIDENT IN MY 2006 CADILLAC STS WHERE A TRUCK CROSSED THE MEDIAN ON A FOUR LANE HIGHWAY AND HIT MY CAR IN THE SIDE. THE IMPACT WAS SO SEVERE IT BENT THE CENTER POST BETWEEN THE DOORS AND NEEDLESS TO SAY I HAD TO BE CUT OUT OF THE VEHICLE. THE SIDE AIR BAGS DID NOT DEPLOY. A FEW DAYS EARLIER I HAD TAKEN THE CAR TO THE DEALERSHIP WITH MY MOTHER SITTING IN THE FRONT SEAT AND THE SIGN ON THE MIRROR READ "AIRBAG OFF". CADILLAC ASSIGNED A SERVICE REQUEST NUMBER 1-437819043 BUT TO DATE REFUSE TO DISCUSS THIS ISSUE WITH ME. QUESTION: HAS ANYONE ELSE EXPERIENCED A SIMILAR PROBLEM WITH THE AIRBAGS? ARE WE RIDING AROUND WITH THE FALSE IMPRESSION WE ARE PROTECTED?? DECEMBER 7, 2006 I DID HEAR FROM A CADILLAC REPRESENTATIVE TODAY. THE CADILLAC REPRESENTATIVE ADVISED ME MY CAR DID NOT HAVE SIDE AND CURTAIN AIR BAGS AND IT WAS ONLY AVAILABLE AS AN OPTION. I ASKED HIM TO GIVE ME THE OPTION NUMBER. NEEDLESS TO SAY WE GOT INTO AN ARGUMENT AND I TOLD HIM I COULD NOT BELIEVE A REPRESENTATIVE OF CADILLAC WOULD TELL ME SUCH ERRONEOUS INFORMATION. ALL THOSE AIR BAGS ARE STANDARD ON THE STS. APPARENTLY THIS IS A VERY INCOMPETENT GROUP OF PEOPLE AND I HAVE BEEN ASSIGNED TO A ROCK. ANYHOW THEY ARE GOING TO RETRIEVE THE AIRBAG MONITORING BOX IN AN EFFORT TO RECONSTRUCT WHAT HAPPENED. *NM

(1) OUR 2006 CADILLAC STS REPEATEDLY FAILS TO SENSE THE OCCUPANT IN THE PASSENGER SIDE OF THE VEHICLE AND FAILS TO TRIGGER THE PASSENGER-SIDE AIR BAG SENSOR TO ACTIVATE. THIS IS A SAFETY ISSUE. THE ONLY WAY THE SENSOR WILL ACTIVATE IS IF THE PASSENGER SQUIRMS AROUND IN THE SEAT IN AN AWKWARD WAY TO HAVE THE SENSOR SENSE THE OCCUPANT. BUT THIS IS NOT ALWAYS POSSIBLE AND ON TWO OCCASIONS THE PASSENGER AIRBAG SENSOR ACTUALLY SHUT OFF AFTER A REFUELING OPERATION AND RESTARTING THE VEHICLE EVEN THOUGH THE PASSENGER NEVER LEFT THE VEHICLE AND HAD NOT CHANGED POSITION. (2) FAILURE OF THE PASSENGER SENSOR TO SENSE AN OCCUPANT, IF NOT NOTICED BY THE DRIVER, OR PASSENGER AND TAKING ACTION TO ATTEMPT TO RESET IT WOULD CAUSE THE AIR BAG NOT TO DEPLOY IN THE EVENT OF A COLLISION. (3) THE DEALERSHIP TRIED FOR OVER A WEEK TO SOLVE THE PROBLEM, BUT WOULD ONLY SAY THAT THE PROCEDURE TO ACTIVATE THE SENSOR REQUIRES THE PASSENGER TO ENTER AND SIT IN THE VEHICLE IN A CERTAIN CONVOLUTED WAY THAT IS BASICALLY UN-NATURAL AND IMPOSSIBLE FOR CERTAIN PASSENGERS TO ACHIEVE. AFTER REPEATED CALLS TO GM CUSTOMER SERVICE AND RAISING THE ISSUE WITH THE BETTER BUSINESS BUREAU WE WERE TOLD THAT GM ENGINEERS ARE "NOT ALLOWED TO MODIFY THE AIRBAG SENSOR SYSTEM BECAUSE IT WAS SPECIFIED AND CONTROLLED BY THE FEDERAL GOVERNMENT." FURTHER " IT IS AGAINST THE LAW FOR THEM TO ATTEMPT TO FIX THE PROBLEM EVEN THOUGH THEY SYMPATHIZE WITH MY PROBLEM." (4) FROM MY PERSPECTIVE IT APPEARS THAT SOME DESIGN/ENGINEERING CONSTRAINTS HAVE BEEN FORCED ON THE MANUFACTURER BY THE FEDERAL GOVERNMENT WHICH MAKES THIS SITUATION UNTENABLE AND CREATES A SAFETY HAZARD FOR PEOPLE WHO ARE NOT ABLE TO PROPERLY SEAT THEMSELVES IN THE PASSENGER SIDE OF THE VEHICLE. I THINK THE DESIGN SPECS NEED TO BE CHALLENGED AND RECALLS ISSUED TO MAKE THE PASSENGER-SIDE AIRBAG SENSORS PROPERLY SENSE AN OCCUPANT THAT ANY REASONABLE PERSON WOULD EXPECT TO BE PROTECTED BY THE PASSENGER AIRBAG SYSTEM. *NM