2003 CADILLAC CTS Complaints

POSSIBLY DUE TO REDUCED BRAKE FLUID LEVELS THE BRAKE PEDAL ON MY 2003 CADILLAC CTS WENT DOWN TO THE FLOOR, AT WHICH POINT THE BRAKE PEDAL ARM BECAME STUCK BEHIND A PLASTIC UNDER DASH TRAY, RESULTING IN REDUCED BRAKE PEDAL TRAVEL AND NO BREAKING. LUCKILY, THIS ISSUE WAS DISCOVERED WHILE AT SLOW SPEEDS (BACKING OUT OF DRIVEWAY), SO THE VEHICLE COULD BE MANUALLY STOPPED. THE BRAKE PEDAL WAS DISLODGED FROM THE OBSTRUCTION, WHICH WAS EASY WHILE THE CAR WAS STOPPED AND THE OPERATOR COULD LEAN UNDER THE DASH AND MOVE THE PEDAL. AT SPEED, IT WOULD HAVE BEEN NEARLY IMPOSSIBLE TO MOVE THE PEDAL. BRAKE SYSTEM WAS BLED AND ADDITIONAL FLUID ADDED TO REDUCE BRAKE PEDAL TRAVEL. PROBLEM HAS NOT RECURRED AS A RESULT. *TR

WHILE DRIVING IN FRAMINGHAM MASSACHUSETTS, THE FRONT BRAKES SUDDENLY FAILED MAKING THE CR VERY HARD TO STOP AND ALMOST CAUSING AN ACCIDENT. A BRAKE SHOP CHECKED THE CAR AND CONFIRMED THAT THE BRAKE HOSE AND BROKEN LOOSE LEAVING ME WITHOUT ANY FRONT BRAKES. IT COST $800 TO REPAIR THE BRAKE SYSTEM AND I FEEL THAT GM SHOULD REFUND ME THAT MONEY AND ALSO CHECK MY CAR TO ENSURE THAT MY BRAKES ARE NOT AT RISK OF FAILING AGAIN. *TR

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2003 CADILLAC CTS. THE CONTACT HAD DRIVEN 20 MILES AT APPROXIMATELY 40 MPH, WHEN SHE ATTEMPED TO BRAKE AND NOTICED THAT THE BRAKE PEDAL WENT TO THE FLOORBOARD. THE VEHICLE WAS TOWED TO THE DEALERSHIP WHERE SHE WAS INFORMED THAT THE BRAKES WERE CORRODED DUE TO SALTY ROAD CONDITIONS. ALTHOUGH SHE HAD RECENTLY HAD THE BRAKE PADS REPLACED. THE ENTIRE BRAKE LINE WAS REPLACED AT THE DEALERSHIP.THE CONTACT HAS NOTICED NO BRAKING FAILURES SINCE THE REPAIR. SHE CALLED THE MANUFACTURER AND WAS TOLD THAT THE VEHICLE WAS NOT INCLUDED IN ANY BRAKE-RELATED RECALLS AND SHE WAS THEREFORE DENIED REIMBURSEMENT. THE CURRENT MILEAGE WAS APPROXIMATELY 104,000. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS APPROXIMATELY 80,000

2003 CADILLAC SAFETY ISSUES: PREMATURE AND RAMPANT FAILURE OF THE EBCM - ELECTRONIC BRAKE CONTROL MODULE. IT IS WIDELY KNOWN THESE MODULES FAIL AND CANNOT BE REBUILT. DEALER COST IS OVER $500 WITH MOST DEALERS CHARGING MORE THAN $750. PREMATURE AND RAMPANT FAILURE OF THE REAR CENTER BRAKE LIGHT. GM EVEN ADMITTED FAILURE OF THE NEON LIGHTS USED FOR THIS APPLICATION AND QUICKLY SWITCHED TO A RELIABLE LIGHT MEDIA. REPLACEMENTS RANGE FROM $250 USED (IF YOU CAN FIND ONE THAT WORKS) TO $500 RETAIL AT GM. BOTH OF THESE UNITS ARE KNOWN HIGH FAILURE ITEMS AND BOTH COST A FORTUNE THROUGH YOUR LOCAL GM DEALER. *TR

TL*THE CONTACT OWNS A 2003 CADILLAC CTS. THE CONTACT WAS DRIVING BETWEEN 65 AND 73 MPH WHEN THE STEERING WHEEL TURNED SHARPLY TO THE LEFT. THE WEATHER WAS NOT A FACTOR. THE STEERING WHEEL BECAME DIFFICULT TO TURN FOR APPROXIMATELY 15 SECONDS. HE WAS ABLE TO DRIVE ONTO THE EMERGENCY LANE. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO THE DEALER FOR DIAGNOSTIC TESTING FOR THE SECOND TIME, AS A RESULT OF POWER STEERING FAILURE. THE DEALER COULD NOT DUPLICATE THE FAILURE ON TWO OCCASIONS. THE APPROXIMATE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 87,000. THE VIN WAS NOT AVAILABLE. THE APPROXIMATE CURRENT MILEAGE WAS 87,000.

TL*THE CONTACT OWNS A 2003 CADILLAC CTS. WHILE DRIVING 60 MPH THE VEHICLE SHUT OFF WITHOUT WARNING. THE FAILURE HAS OCCURRED ON THREE SEPARATE OCCASIONS. THE MANUFACTURER INFORMED THE CONTACT THAT THERE WERE NO RELATED RECALLS AND THAT THE CALL VOLUME HAD NOT ACCUMULATED ENOUGH TO ISSUE A RECALL. THE CONTACT STATED THAT THE MANUFACTURER SHOULD BE RESPONSIBLE FOR THE REPAIRS. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 104,060.

ENGINE OIL LEAKS INTO THE COOLANT SYSTEM THROUGH THE OIL COOLER LOCATED IN UNDER THE INTAKE MANIFOLD. THE COOLANT WILL THEN TURN INTO A THICK SUBSTANCE WHICH DOES NOT EASILY FLOW THROUGH THE COOLANT SYSTEM AND THE CAR ENGINE WILL OVERHEAT. TO CORRECT THE FAILURE THE OIL COOLER NEEDS TO BE REPLACED AS WELL AS ALL RUBBER COOLANT LINES AND THEN THE COOLANT SYSTEM NEEDS TO BE FLUSHED TO REMOVE ALL CONTAMINATED COOLANT. TYPICAL COST IS AROUND 4500 DOLLARS FOR PARTS AND LABOR. THE MILEAGE ON MY CAR WAS 121,000 WHEN THIS HAPPENED BUT FROM READING ON LINE MANY OTHER PEOPLE HAVE HAD THIS SAME PROBLEM WITH MILEAGE FROM 50,000 ON UP. *TR

I OWN A 2003 CTS, APPROX. 1WK AGO THE "ADD BRAKE FLUID" MESSAGE APPEARED ON SCREEN. WHILE COMING BACK TO WORK FROM LUNCH, I PULLED IN THE PARKING LOT AND WHILE APPLYING THE BRAKE NOTICED THAT IT WAS ALMOST COMPLETELY TO THE FLOOR BEFORE STOPPING. I CALLED MY HUSBAND,THAT EVENING HE CHECKED THE FRONT PASSENGER SIDE BRAKE LINE WHICH WHEN SIMPLY TOUCH FELL COMPLETELY OFF. IT WAS CORRODED. HE ORDERED THE REPLACEMENT PIECE WHICH CAME IN ABOUT 4DAYS LATER, ONCE REPLACED, HE CHECKED THE FRONT DRIVER SIDE, WHICH WHEN TOUCHED FELL OFF WITH SAME DIAGNOSIS. HE THEN CHECKED THE BACK BRAKE LINES WHICH HE FOUND WHERE MADE AND PUT TOGETHER ENTIRELY DIFFERENT, THUS THEY WHERE FINE. THIS IS OBVIOUSLY A RECALL SITUATION IN MY OPINION THAT COULD HAVE ENDED TRAGICALLY. *TR

TL*THE CONTACT OWNS A 2003 CADILLAC CTS. WHENEVER THE CONTACT DROVE THE VEHICLE AT ANY SPEED INCLUDING APPROXIMATELY 10 MPH, THE VEHICLE SUDDENLY BEGAN TO STALL AND SHUT OFF WITHOUT NOTICE. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO THE DEALER AND THE CRANK SHAFT SENSOR AND THE ECM COMPUTER WERE REPLACED; HOWEVER, THE FAILURE CONTINUED TO OCCUR. THERE WERE NO PRIOR WARNINGS. THE CURRENT AND FAILURE MILEAGES WERE 88000. UPDATED 2/1/10 *CN THE CAM SENSOR AND CRANKSHAFT POSITION SENSOR WERE DEFECTIVE. UPDATED 02/02/10.*JB

I DRIVE A 2003 CADILLAC CTS. I NOTICED THE BRAKES SEEMED TO NEED REPAIR (NOT RESPONSIVE ENOUGH) AND THE "BRAKE LIGHT" CAME ON. MY CAR HAD APPROX 70000 MILES AND THE BRAKE LINES HAD CORRODED! I HAVE THE BRAKE LINES THAT WERE REMOVED. A CAR WITH 70K MILES SHOULD NOT HAVE CORRODED BRAKELINES. IN ADDITION, IT TOOK ALMOST 2 WEEKS TO GET REPLACEMENT PARTS AND COST $250 TO REPAIR + RENTAL CAR. THIS WAS A REALLY BAD ACCIDENT WAITING TO HAPPEN. *TR