2004 CADILLAC CTS Complaints

MAJOR DIFFERENTIAL PROBLEM ON A 2004 CADILLAC CTS-V. REALLY LOUD "CLUNK" NOISE ON THE CAR DEALERS CLAIM IT'S NORMAL. DIFFERENTIAL IS UNDERRATED FOR THE HORSEPOWER THAT THE CAR OUTPUTS THEREFORE CAUSING PROBLEMS. GM DENIES CLAIMS ON PEOPLE AND CONSUMERS ARE FORCED TO SPEND OVER $3000 ON A PART THAT IS FAULTY AND WILL BREAK AGAIN. *JB

THE REAR END IN MY 2004 CTS BECOMES PREMATURELY UNUSABLE AFTER NORMAL USE. I AM ON MY SECOND REAR END, AND IT TO NOW NEEDS TO BE REPLACED. THREE REAR ENDS WITHIN 21,000 MILES IS PREMATURE AS WELL AS UNACCEPTABLE. *JB

VEHICLE HAS EXCESSIVE WHEEL HOP, CAUSING REAR DIFFERENTIAL FAILURE. I'VE GONE 2 TIMES FOR DIFFERENTIAL BUSHING REPLACEMENTS AND 1 REAR END REPLACED. THE VEHICLE HAS GONE THROUGH A TSB WHICH WAS SUPPOSED TO CORRECT AXLE WHEEL HOP. STILL NO FIX THE VEHICLE STILL WHEEL HOPS. *JB

TWO DIFFERENTIAL FAILURES IN THE FIRST YEAR AND UNDER 10,000 MILES OF OWNERSHIP. CURRENTLY ON THE 3RD DIFFERENTIAL AND IT IS WHINING/LEAKING. HAVE READ SEVERAL REPORTS OF FAILED DIFFERENTIAL'S CAUSING SUBSTANTIAL DAMAGE TO THE VEHICLE ON CTS/SRX PLATFORM VEHICLES. CADILLAC DENIES THERE IS AN ISSUE. DEALERSHIP UNWILLING TO ACCEPT THE DEFECT EITHER. *JB

FAILURE OF A SECOND REAR DIFFERENTIAL I WAS ON THE HIGHWAY DOING 55 MPH IN THE CENTER LANE WHEN THE REAR WENT. THE CAR SHUT DOWN FORCING ME TO PULL TO THE RIGHT IN TRAFFIC WITHOUT POWER. THE CAR HAD TO BE TOWED AS IT WOULD NO LONGER MOVE. *JB

I OWN A 2004 CADILLAC CTS-V. AFTER OWNING THE VEHICLE FOR A FEW MONTHS, WITH APPROXIMATELY 6,000 MILES ON THE CAR, I BEGAN TO EXPERIENCE AN EXTREME WHINING NOISE FROM THE REAR-END OF THE CAR. I TOOK THE CAR TO THE DEALERSHIP AND THEY SAID THE NOISE WAS NORMAL FOR MY VEHICLE. I CONTINUED DRIVING THE VEHICLE AND ABOUT 5 WEEKS AGO I TOOK MY CAR IN FOR EXCESSIVE NOISE COMING FROM THE REAR OF MY CAR. THE DEALERSHIP FOUND THAT THE REAR DIFFERENTIAL UNIT HAD EXCESSIVE PLAY AND NEEDED TO BE REPLACED UNDER WARRANTY. THIS CONCERNED ME SO I DID SOME RESEARCH. MY RESEARCH FOUND THAT MANY, MANY CTS-V OWNERS ARE HAVING THE EXACT SAME PROBLEM AND THAT MY PROBLEM WAS IN NO WAY ISOLATED. I ALSO FOUND THAT THE DIFFERENTIAL UNIT USED IN THE CTS-V IS UNDERRATED AND IS NOT DESIGNED TO HANDLE THE POWER PRODUCED BY THE ENGINE FROM THE FACTORY. I AM CONCERNED THAT A FAILURE IN THE NEAR FUTURE WILL CAUSE SERIOUS INJURY TO SOMEONE IF NO ACTION IS TAKEN. *JB

I PURCHASED THE CAR NEW ON 1/08/05. THE CAR STARTED TO MAKE A HOWLING NOISE AFTER SEVERAL THOUSAND MILES, GM TECH'S INDICATED THAT IT WAS COMING FROM THE REAR DIFFERENTIAL. THE ORIGINAL REAR DIFFERENTIAL WAS REPLACED AT 3220 (7/1/05) MILES DUE TO INTERNAL FAILURE OF DIFFERENTIAL ASSEMBLY. THE HOWLING NOISE OCCURRED AGAIN AT 5.565 ( 12/08/05) MILES. AGAIN, THE REAR DIFFERENTIAL WAS REPLACED AND THE REPAIR ORDER NOTED THAT IT WAS ALSO LEAKING DIFFERENTIAL FLUID. I CONTACTED SEVERAL OTHER OWNERS OF THE SAME TYPE OF CAR AND THEY HAVE THE EXACT SAME PROBLEM. I'M CONCERNED THAT THIS IS A RE-OCCURRING PROBLEM DUE TO A UNDER RATED DIFFERENTIAL. *JB

MANUAL TRANSMISSION WILL NOT SHIFT INTO GEAR HAS CAUSED MANY NEAR ACCIDENTS. GM CLAIMS THAT THIS IS NORMAL AND REFUSES TO FIX THIS. MANY PEOPLE REPORT THIS ISSUE AND GM HAS NOT YET ADDRESSED THIS ON THE CADILLAC CTS-V. IT IS A VERY DANGEROUS CONDITION WHEN I CANNOT SHIFT OR GET INTO GEAR. *JB

DT*: THE CONTACT STATED WHILE IN A STOPPED POSITION THE VEHICLE WAS REAR ENDED AND PUSHED INTO THE VEHICLE AHEAD. THE AIR BAGS DID NOT DEPLOY. ALTHOUGH SEAT BELTS WERE IN USE THERE WERE INJURIES SUSTAINED. A POLICE REPORT WAS FILED AND THE VEHICLE WAS TOWED TO THE DEALER.

DT*: THE CONTACT STATED THE VEHICLE WAS REAR ENDED WHICH CAUSED A FRONT END COLLISION WITH ANOTHER VEHICLE. THE AIR BAGS FAILED TO DEPLOY. THERE WERE INJURIES SUSTAINED, HOWEVER THE SEAT BELTS WERE IN USE. THE VEHICLE WAS TOWED TO THE DEALERSHIP. THERE WAS A RECALL NHTSA # 05V024000 FOR THE AIR BAG SENSOR. *NM