2009 Cadillac Sts

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2009 CADILLAC STS. WHILE DRIVING APPROXIMATELY 15 MPH, THE TRACTION CONTROL FAILED AND THE ABS WARNING INDICATOR ILLUMINATED. WHEN THE BRAKE PEDAL WAS DEPRESSED, THE VEHICLE CONTINUED MOVING FORWARD. THE CONTACT CRASHED THE FRONT DRIVER'S SIDE OF THE VEHICLE INTO A DITCH. THE AIR BAGS DID NOT DEPLOY. THERE WERE NO INJURIES AND A POLICE REPORT WAS NOT FILED. THE VEHICLE WAS UNABLE TO BE DRIVEN AND WAS TOWED TO RIMROCK CADILLAC GMC (LOCATED AT 840 SHILOH RD, BILLINGS, MT 59106, (406) 651-5000). THE DEALER DIAGNOSED THAT THE TRACTION CONTROL NEEDED TO BE SERVICED. THE VEHICLE WAS REPAIRED. THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOT NOTIFIED OF THE FAILURE. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 70,000.

VEHICLE DETECTS FAULT AND DISPLAYS MESSAGE TO SERVICE STABILITY CONTROL SYSTEM. SPECIFIC PROBLEM NOT YET DIAGNOSED. WITHIN A FEW MOMENTS, THE DISPLAY STATES THAT ENGINE POWER IS REDUCED. THIS CAUSES A VERY UNSAFE CONDITION AS THE VEHICLE SLOWS TO 10-15 MPH. PRESSING GAS PEDAL CAUSES TRANSMISSION TO DOWNSHIFT TO LOWER GEAR SLOWING VEHICLE FURTHER. CANNOT SAFELY MANEUVER IN TRAFFIC, BRAKES REQUIRE MUCH HIGHER PEDAL PRESSURE DUE TO LOW VACUUM BOOST AFTER ENGINE POWER REDUCED. INSUFFICIENT WARNING THAT THIS IS HAPPENING. PROBLEM IS NOT WITH ENGINE OR POWERTRAIN, BUT ENGINE POWER IS CUT (ENGINE RUNS VERY ROUGH AS A RESULT) IN RESPONSE TO DETECTED STABILITY SYSTEM ERROR. ENGINE RUNS FINE IF TURNED OFF AND RESTARTED. NO OVERHEATING, OIL LEVEL IS FINE, GASOLINE IS GOOD, NO EXTERNAL PROBLEMS. AFTER RESTARTING CAR DRIVES FINE INITIALLY, EVENT RECURS WITHIN 1 MILE. VERY DIFFICULT TO TRY TO JUSTIFY THIS KIND OF INTENTIONAL VEHICLE CONTROL BEHAVIOR. EXTREMELY POOR DESIGN THAT CAUSES AN UNSAFE CONDITION WHEN A STABILITY SYSTEM ERROR IS DETECTED.