2006 Cadillac Sts

TL*THE CONTACT OWNS A 2006 CADILLAC STS. THE CONTACT STATED THAT THE VEHICLE FAILS TO OPERATE PROPERLY WHILE DRIVING IN SNOW. THE VEHICLE SLIDES AND CAUSES CRASHES BECAUSE THERE IS NO TRACTION. THE CONTACT WAS INVOLVED IN A CRASH , BUT NO POLICE REPORT WAS FILED. THE MANUFACTURER STATED THAT NOTHING COULD BE DONE AND SUGGESTED THE CONTACT PURCHASE NEW TIRES TO ACCOMMODATE THE WEATHER CONDITIONS. THE CURRENT MILEAGE IS 22,000 AND FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 15,000.

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

2006 CADILLAC STS FOUR WHEEL DRIVE V8. THE REAR DIFFERENTIAL LOCK-UP WITHOUT WARNING GOING AT 65 MPH ON I-94 EB FREEWAY AT THE 10 MILE RD EXIT IN MICHIGAN CAUSING THE VEHICLE TO BE OUT OF CONTROL AND SPIN AROUND THREE TIMES IN A CIRCLE FROM THE LEFT LANE TO THE RIGHT LANE ACROSS THE ENTIRE FREEWAY COMING TO A COMPLETE HALT ON THE RIGHT SIDE SHOULDER. THE VEHICLE CAME CLOSE TO UPENDING AND ROLLING OVER. LUCKY THE DRIVER BEHIND THE CADILLAC WAS ABLE TO KEEP CONTROL OF THEIR CAR AND BRING IT TO A STOP WHICH HELPED TH PREVENT ANY ONCOMING VEHICLES TO HIT THE CADILLAC. THE LOCKING UP OF THE DIFFERENTIAL WAS A VIOLENT REACTION CAUSING THE DRIVER TO HAVE NO CONTROL OVER THE VEHICLE BECAUSE THE CAR TURNED OFF. THE DRIVER HAD NO CONTROL OVER THE SPIN. A REPORT WAS FILED WITH THE MICHIGAN STATE POLICE. THE VEHICLE HAD TO BE TOWED TO DON GOOLEY CADILLAC DEALERSHIP IN ST. CLAIR SHORES, MICHIGAN. *NM

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

ALL CARS AND SUVS MANUFACTURED BY GM'S CADILLAC DIVISION HAVE BEEN BUILT WITH INSTRUMENT PANELS (IPS) THAT DO NOT ALLOW THE DRIVER TO KNOW HOW FAST HE IS GOING ABOVE A CERTAIN SPEED WHEN THE SPEEDOMETER HAS BEEN CALIBRATED IN KMH. THE US IS NOW A METRIC COUNTRY AND ALL MEASUREMENT SYSTEMS SHOULD BE IN BOTH ENGLISH AND METRIC CALIBRATION. EVERY OTHER DOMESTIC AND FOREIGN MANUFACTURER IS REQUIRED BY LAW TO HAVE IP SPEEDOMETERS THAT READ IN BOTH SYSTEMS. THESE SPEEDOMETER FACEPLATES HAVE A LARGER MPH READING AND A SMALLER KPH ONE BELOW IT SO THAT DRIVERS ALWAYS KNOW HOW FAST THEY ARE DRIVING ALL THE WAY UP TO THE TOP SPEED OF THE VEHICLES. BUT NOT SO CADILLAC. CADILLAC ONLY HAS ONE NUMERIC READING ON THE SPEEDOMETER FACE. THE SPEEDOMETER FACE THEREFORE READS TO 160 IN THE CASE OF THE CADILLAC SRX FOR EXAMPLE. HOWEVER IF THE DRIVER DECIDES TO SWITCH THE IP TO METRIC HE WILL NOT KNOW HOW FAST HE IS GOING ABOVE 160 KPH WHICH IS 100 MPH. YOU MIGHT SAY SO WHAT SINCE YOU ARE NOT ALLOWED TO LEGALLY DRIVE 100 MPH PLUS IN THE US. PERHAPS, BUT MANY PEOPLE TAKE THEIR CARS TO MEXICO, CANADA AND EUROPE - ALL PLACES WHERE THOSE SPEEDS ARE EITHER TOLERATED OR IN SOME CASES LEGAL. IF CADILLAC CONTINUES TO SELL VEHICLES WITH THIS QUIRK THEY SHOULD ALLOW AS AN OPTION THE ABILITY TO GET THE KPH GRADED SPEEDOMETER (IE THE ONE SOLD IN CANADA, MEXICO, EUROPE, CHINA, JAPAN, AUSTRALIA AND EVERYWHERE ELSE). IT IS A SAFETY ISSUE TO ALWAYS KNOW YOUR CORRECT SPEED IN THE TWO SYSTEMS MANDATED BY US LAW. *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