2005 Cadillac Deville

I BACKED OUT OF MY DRIVEWAY, SHIFTED TO DRIVE, BEGAN DRIVING ON MY STREET AND THE WHEEL CAME OFF AND THE CAR HIT THE GROUND. THE DRIVERS SIDE BALL JOINT BROKE. HAD I BEEN ON THE FREEWAY, THIS WOULD HAVE CAUSED A MULTI-CAR ACCIDENT WITH INJURY AND OR DEATH TO MANY PEOPLE. OEM BALL JOINTS, ESPECIALLY ON AN EXPENSIVE CAR LIKE A CADILLAC DEVILLE, SHOULD HAVE A LIFETIME OR THE SAME LIFE EXPECTANCY AS THE OTHER MAJOR COMPONENTS, INCLUDING THE FRAME. IT IS AN ENGINEERING DEFECT (INFERIOR METAL STRENGTH AND QUALITY) FOR A BALL JOINT ON A CADILLAC TO "BREAK" FOR NO REASON. IT SHOULD BE FORBIDDEN AND PUNITIVE FOR A BALLJOINT ON A CADILLAC TO BREAK BEFORE 300,000 MILES. WHY SHOULD CONSUMERS BE FORCED TO PLAY RUSSIAN ROULETTE WITH THEIR LIVES???? A GOOD QUALITY PRODUCT THAT IS PERMANENTLY LUBED AS IN THE CADILLAC LINE, SHOULD BE RELIABLE FOR THE LIFE OF THE VEHICLE. ANYTHING ELSE IS THE SAME AS ATTEMPTED MURDER AND SHOULD BE FORBIDDEN OR PUNISHED. THE PUBLIC MUST BE PROTECTED FROM THIS TYPE OF SUICIDAL JOURNEY IN A REASONABLY NEW VEHICLE THAT HAS BEEN MAINTAINED. *TR

IN THE PAST MONTH POWER STEERING HAS FAILED IN WET WEATHER 7-8 TIMES. TO DATE THIS HAS HAPPENED WHEN TURNING OFF CITY STREETS, BUT I AM TERRIFIED THAT THIS WILL HAPPEN ON THE INTERSTATE AND I WILL BE UNABLE TO CONTROL THE CAR. THE STEERING RE-ENGAGES WHEN THE IGNITION IS TURNED OFF AND BACK ON. IT ALSO RE-ENGAGES AFTER SEVERAL SECONDS IF THE IGNITION REMAINS ON. WE BOUGHT THE CAR NEW AND THIS PROBLEM JUST STARTED HAPPENING, BUT NOW HAPPENS EVERYTIME IT HAS RAINED. I CONTACTED CADILLAC AND THEY HAVE NO INFORMATION OR RECALLS DESPITE WHAT I FOUND (ON AN INTERNET SEARCH) TO BE A PROBLEM OTHERS HAVE EXPERIENCED ON THIS MODEL FOR YEARS 2003-2005. DOES SOMEONE HAVE TO BE KILLED BEFORE THIS IS ADDRESSED? I TRANSPORT MY YOUNG GRANDCHILDREN DAILY IN WHAT WAS SUPPOSED TO BE A LARGE "SAFE" CAR. THIS IS A VERY DANGEROUS SITUATION. BASICALLY, I FEEL THAT WE CAN NO LONGER SAFELY DRIVE THIS CAR IN WET WEATHER AND WE LIVE IN FLORIDA WHERE WE CAN'T ALWAYS PREDICT IF AND WHEN IT WILL RAIN. *TR

TEMPORARY LOSS OF POWER STEERING WHEN DRIVING THROUGH STANDING WATER PUDDLES. NEARLY IMPOSSIBLE TO STEER FOR ABOUT 10 SECONDS, THEN RETURNS TO NORMAL. DEALER CAN NOT DUPLICATE. REPORTS SPLASH SHIELD INTACT, DRIVE BELT IS NOT DEGRADED AND HAS PROPER TENSION TO POWER STEERING PUMP. BUT PROBLEM STILL EXISTS AND IS A POTENTIAL SAFETY HAZARD. *TR

I HAD DRIVEN THE CAR AND PARKED IT OUTSIDE. WHEN I WENT TO DRIVE THE CAR APPROXIMATELY TWO HOURS LATER, I LOST POWER STEERING FOR A FEW SECONDS WHEN TURNING THE CORNER. THIS FAILURE HAS OCCURRED SEPTEMBER 2009, JANUARY 2010, MARCH 2010 AND MAY 2010 WHEN I HAVE NOTIFIED THE DEALERSHIP SERVICE DEPARTMENT. THE CADILLAC DEALERSHIP REPLACED A PULLEY ON THE RIGHT SIDE IN MARCH 2010 AND WE STILL HAVE THIS ISSUE. IT HAPPENS INADVERTENTLY AND IT SEEMS LIKE AFTER WE HAD RAIN. THE CADILLAC IS GARAGE KEPT. UPDATED 06/29/10*JB *TR

MY 2005 CADILLAC DEVILLE LOOSE STEERING POWER WHEN TURNING FOR ABOUT 20 SECOND TO 1 MINUTE ABOUT 20 TIMES IN 3 YEARS. THIS HAPPENS DURING THE FIRST COUPLE MILES OF DRIVING. CAD DEALER CAN NOT CONFIRM PROBLEM AS IT IS ERRATIC AND ONLY HAPPENS ONCE IN A WHILE. I NOTICED THAT THIS USUALLY HAPPENED WHEN THE WEATHER IS HIGH HUMIDITY AND I PARKED THE CAR OUTSIDE AT NIGHT OR DURING RAINY DAY. *TR

TL*THE CONTACT OWNS A 2005 CADILLAC DEVILLE. WHEN THE CONTACT DROVE INTO AN AREA WITH WATER PUDDLES, THE POWER STEERING LOCKED UP. HE IMMEDIATELY APPLIED THE BRAKES AND SAFELY DROVE TO HIS DESTINATION. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO THE DEALER AND THEY STATED THAT WATER WAS GETTING ONTO THE SERPENTINE BELT AND CAUSING THE FAILURE. THE CONTACT WAS INFORMED THAT THERE WAS NO CURRENT REMEDY TO REPAIR THE FAILURE. HE STATED THAT ANY TIME THERE IS WET WEATHER CONDITIONS AND THE SERPENTINE BELT GETS WET, THE POWER STEERING WILL FAIL. THE MANUFACTURER ADVISED HIM TO CALL NHTSA AND FILE A COMPLAINT. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 32,000 AND CURRENT MILEAGE WAS 40,000. UPDATED 5/5/09 *CN UPDATED 05/06/09.*JB

2005 CADILLAC DEVILLE. THE POWER STEERING HAS GONE OUT THREE TIMES IN THE LAST TWO DAYS. THE WEATHER WAS RAIN OR THE DAY AFTER RAIN. I WENT TO THE CADILLAC DEALER SHIP ON JULY 8 AND TOLD THEM WHAT HAPPENED. AFTER THE CAR WAS CHECKED BY THE DEALER I WAS TOLD THE BELT MAY HAVE BEEN WET FROM THE RAIN. I HAVE DRIVEN THIS CAR FOR THREE YEARS AND NEVER HAD THIS PROBLEM. *TR

TL*THE CONTACT OWNS A 2005 CADILLAC DEVILLE. THE CONTACT STATED THAT THE POWER STEERING FAILS WHEN DRIVING THROUGH ANY AMOUNT OF WATER, INCLUDING SMALL PUDDLES. THE VEHICLE BECOMES HARD TO CONTROL AND THE FAILURE ONLY OCCURS WHILE DRIVING AT ANY SPEED THROUGH WATER. HE TOOK THE VEHICLE TO THE DEALER AND THEY STATED THAT SEVERAL OTHER CUSTOMERS HAVE REPORTED THE SAME FAILURE, HOWEVER, THE DEALER DID NOT DETERMINE THE CAUSE OF FAILURE OR REPAIR THE CONTACTS VEHICLE. THE CURRENT MILEAGE WAS 45,000 AND FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 17,000. UPDATED 10/03/07 *TR