2005 Cadillac Deville

TL*THE CONTACT OWNS A 2005 CADILLAC DEVILLE. WHILE DRIVING 70 MPH, THE TRANSMISSION INTERMITTENTLY FAILS TO SHIFT INTO GEAR. THE BRAKE LIGHT ALSO ILLUMINATES INTERMITTENTLY. THE DEALER TESTED THE COMPUTER THE FIRST TIME. THE SECOND TIME, THEY CLEANED THE TRANSMISSION VALVE BODY AND REPLACED IT THE THIRD TIME. THE FOURTH TIME, THE DEALER REPROGRAMMED THE COMPUTER. THE FIFTH TIME, THE DEALER TEST DROVE THE VEHICLE AND FOUND NO FAILURE. THE SIXTH AND FINAL TIME, THE MANUFACTURER INFORMED THE DEALER NOT TO TAKE ANY ACTION. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 8,000 AND CURRENT MILEAGE WAS 17,000. UPDATED 03-11-08 *BF UPDATED 03/11/08 *TR

DT: THE CONTACT STATED WHILE DRIVING AT NIGHT APPLIED THE RIGHT TURN SIGNAL SWITCH AND EXPERIENCED TOTAL LOSS OF THE EXTERIOR HEADLIGHTS. WHEN DISENGAGING THE TURN SIGNAL SWITCH THE HEADLIGHTS CAME BACK ON. HE TESTED THIS SEVERAL TIMES, AND EACH TIME THAT HE ENGAGED THE TURN SIGNALS THE HEADLIGHTS WENT OUT, BUT WOULD COME BACK ON WHEN THE TURN SIGNAL SWITCH WAS NOT IN USE. HE TOOK THE VEHICLE TO THE DEALER. THE DEALER COULD NOT DUPLICATE THE PROBLEM. *AK 12/27/05. *JB

WITHIN THE LAST TWO MONTHS, WHILE DRIVING AT NIGHT ON A SOMEWHAT CROWDED INTERSTATE, I FOUND MYSELF DRIVING BEHIND A NEWER MODEL OF CADILLAC WITH A NEW TYPE OF TAIL LIGHT/BRAKE LIGHT (POSSIBLY LEDS). MY FOLLOWING DISTANCE WAS ABOUT 30 FEET AT TIMES. THIS NEW TYPE OF LIGHT PROVED TO BE VERY DISTRACTING -- NOT BECAUSE OF ITS NOVELTY BUT BECAUSE OF A "STREAKING" OPTICAL EFFECT CREATED BY THE LIGHTS. I HAVE EXCELLENT NIGHT VISION AND USE GLASSES WHEN I DRIVE. I NEVER HAVE LIGHT-ASSOCIATED VISION PROBLEMS WHEN DRIVING. BUT THE EFFECT CREATED BY THESE CADILLAC TAIL LIGHTS/BRAKE LIGHTS PROVED SO DISTRACTING THAT I WAS UNABLE TO DRIVE IN A NORMAL MANNER. WHEN I WOULD LOOK AT THE TAIL LIGHTS AND THEN LOOK AWAY (TO WATCH OTHER CARS, CHECK MIRRORS, ETC.), SEVERAL VERY BRIGHT RED STREAKS OR BLURS OF LIGHT WOULD "EMERGE" FROM THE CADILLAC TAIL LIGHTS AND FOLLOW WITHIN MY FIELD OF VIEW. THIS SAME DISTRACTING STREAK/BLUR EFFECT WOULD OCCUR WITH EVEN THE SMALLEST MOVEMENT OF MY EYES -- AS I LOOKED FROM CADILLAC TAIL LIGHT TO CADILLAC TRUNK, FOR EXAMPLE. THE EFFECT PROVED SO DISTRACTING THAT I COULD NOT LOOK AT THE CADILLAC AHEAD FOR A WHILE AND HAD TO LET THE CAR MOVE VERY FAR AHEAD OF ME BEFORE I COULD RETURN TO NORMAL DRIVING, EVENTUALLY MANAGING TO CHANGE LANES AND KEEP MY DISTANCE FROM THE CADILLAC. I BRING THIS MATTER TO YOUR ATTENTION BECAUSE I CONSIDER THESE TAIL LIGHTS TO BE A POTENTIAL AND SERIOUS DRIVING HAZARD. THE STREAKING EFFECT CAUSED BY THESE NEW TYPES OF LIGHTS CAN CONFUSE AND DISTRACT DRIVERS. THE STREAK EFFECT, FOR EXAMPLE, MIGHT PROMPT A DRIVER TO IMAGINE SEEING A LIGHT WHERE THERE IS, IN FACT, NO LIGHT -- PERHAPS CAUSING THE DRIVER TO BRAKE SUDDENLY AND UNNECESSARILY. OR, PERHAPS MORE LIKELY, THE ANNOYING STREAK EFFECT COULD FORCE SOME DRIVERS TO ADOPT LESS-THEN-SAFE DRIVING MEASURES TO AVOID LOOKING AT THE LIGHTS. IN EITHER CASE, THESE LIGHTS ARE DISTRACTING AND POTENTIALLY HAZARDOUS. I URGE YOU TO INVESTIGATE THIS MATTER AS A SAFETY ISSUE. THANK YOU. *JB