1989 Cadillac Deville

CONSUMER WAS DRIVING 55MPH ACCELERATED TO CHANGE LANES IN THE MIDDLE OF RUSH HOUR TRAFFIC. CONSUMER THOUGHT ACCELERATOR GOT STUCK AND HIT THE BRAKE. THEN CONSUMER TRIED TO LIFT THE GAS PEDAL WITH HER FOOT, THINKING IT WAS STUCK AND CAR KEPT ACCELERATING. CAR WAS ALSO PLACED IN NEUTRAL, BUT CONTINUED TO ACCELERATE UP TO 90MPH. CONSUMER TURNED IGNITION OFF, AND PUT EMERGENCY BRAKE WHILE IN THE MIDDLE OF A TURN. THE PLASTIC LOCK IN RETAINER CLIP FELL OFF INTO THE THROTTLE BODY & JAMMED THE THROTTLE OPEN. *AK

THE DATES ARE APPROXIMATE. I BOUGHT MAY 29,1996 AND WAS IN THE SHOP WITHIN TWO WEEKS. THE SERVICE ADVISOR (DICK SMITH I THINK HIS NAME IS) ASSURED ME THAT SCHEDULED MAINTENANCE WOULD ADDRESS THE ENGINE SURGE PROBLEM AND AS I THINK ABOUT IT I AGREED TO IT BECAUSE THAT WAS AT LEAST THE SECOND TIME I WAS IN LINDSAY CADILLAC FOR SERVICE ON THE ENGINE SURGE. I RETURNED A FEW DAYS LATER AS MY SCHEDULED ALLOWED AND RECALL TALKING WITH THE SERVICE MANAGER WHO REFUSED TO ADMIT THAT THE FIRST 3 TIMES I WAS THERE, THOSE CADILLAC "EXPERTS" SHOULD HAVE FIXED IT PROPERLY THE FIRST TIME AND AT THE MOST BEFORE THE 3RD VISIT. OF COURSE "DICK" ASSURED HIS BOSS THAT HE SAID NOTHING OF THE SORT (THAT $495 SHCEDULED MAINTENANCE WOULD ONCE AND FOR ALL SOLVE THE ENGINE SURGE). I CAME SO CLOSE TO REARENDING MAYBE FIVE DIFFERENT PEOPLE DURING THAT WHOLE RUNAROUND PERIOD. FINALLY, WITH MY LIMITED KNOWLEDGE OF VEHICLES, I REDUCED THE IDLE CONTROL SO THE HIGH REVING ENGINE WOULDN'T DO DAMAGE UNTIL I FOUND A SOLUTION TO THIS. AND NOW I COME ACROSS YOUR WEBSITE AND SEE SOME OF THE SAME COMPLAINTS I MADE TO LINDSAY CADILLAC OF ALEXANDRIA, VIRGINIA IN A LIST OF RECALLS AND TSB'S THAT WERE ISSUED 2 YEARS AFTER THEY (LINDSAY) SOLD THIS CAR TO THE PREVIOUS OWNER NAMED TIPTON ACCORDING TO DICK SMITH IN SUMMER OF 1989. OF THE 253 COMPLAINTS ON THE 1989 CADILLAC DEVILLE THAT I FIND IN YOUR COMPLAINTS DATABASE, 29 OF THEM CITE A PROBLEM WITH THE THROTTLE. THAT IS A CONSIDERABLE PERCENTAGE CONSIDERING THAT SILENT SUFFERS (THOSE WHO WON'T MAKE OFFICIAL COMPLAINTS BUT WILL BUY IMPORTS INSTEAD) COULD COUNT FOR A ESTIMATED ADDITIONAL 30%. IT IS NO WONDER THAT IMPORT AUTOMAKERS ADVERTISE LESS THAN "DAMS" (DOMESTIC AUTO MAKER S) DAMS ARE THE SINGLE BEST REASON FOR BUYING UNAMERICAN. NOW, WITH THE SIGNIFICANT % OF REPORTED COMPLAINTS ON THE THROTTLE OF THE 1989 CADILLAC DEVILLE, SHOULDN'T A RECALL BE IN ORDER? REMEMBER THAT A RECALL ON THE 1992 CADILLAC FLEETWOOD INVOLVED THE THROTTLE.

ENGINE RACED OUT OF CONTROL ON STARTUP. DESPITE MY HEARING PROBLEM, I TURNED OFF THE IGNITION BEFORE LEAVING "PARK". IF I HAD PUT THE CAR IN "DRIVE" I WOULD HAVE SMAHED INTO THE PARKED CAR IN FRONT OF ME. THE SERVICE STATION SAID THAT THE IDLE SPEED CONTROL UNIT HAD FAILED. IT WAS JAMMED IN THE FULL THROTTLE POSITION AND COULDN'T BE REPAIRED. *AK