2006 CADILLAC CTS Complaints

RUBBING NOISE IN STEERING COLUMN. SOUNDS LIKE PLASTIC BEING STRESSED WHEN TURNING STEERING WHEEL. VEHICLE HAS BEEN SERVICED ON 3 OCCASIONS (GROMMETS LUBRICATED) AT 2 DIFFERENT CADILLAC DEALERSHIPS AND NOISE HAS NOT BEEN ELIMINATED. WILL BE RETURNING CTS BACK TO DEALER AGAIN IN THE NEXT FEW DAYS. ALSO NOTED POPPING NOISE IN DASH PANEL. NOISE NOTED AS A FLAW IN DESIGN OF VEHICLE BE ONE DEALER UNREPAIRABLE. NOISE DETRACTS FROM PLEASURE OF OWNING A CADILLAC. *TR

2006 CADILLAC CTS REAR DIFFERENTIAL FROZE UP- LOCKING REAR BRAKES WHILE DRIVING. *TR *UPDATED 12/12/07 *BF THE CONSUMER STATED HEARD SOME SQUEALING NOISE IN WHICH HE STATED MIGHT BE THE EMERGENCY BRAKE. THE CONSUMER STATED TOWED TO DEALER AND REAR DIFFERENTIAL ASSEMBLY REPLACED. THE CONSUMER STATED GM TRIED TO RECTIFY THE SITUATION BY OFFERING 12 MONTHS FREE OIL CHANGE AND TIRE ROTATION AND INSPECTION, HOWEVER THE CONSUMER DECLINED. UPDATED 12/12/07 *TR

MY 2006 CADILLAC MY BRAKE ALERT SYSTEM CAME ON. ON 07/09, I TOOK THE CADILLAC CTS (29,462 MILES) TO TRACY CADILLAC EXPLAINED TO TODD IN MAINTENANCE/SERV MY ALERT CAME ON & TO PLEASE LOOK INTO IT. ON JULY 10TH TODD CALLED ME AND STATED THAT IT NEEDS NEW BRAKES & POSSIBLE NEW ROTORS. AT SUCH LOW MILES ON A 18 MONTH OLD CAR I COULD NOT BELIEVE HE WAS TELLING ME THIS, HE SAID THIS THIS IS "NORMAL". AS A CONSUMER I CAN'T BELIEVE THAT NEW BRAKES/ROTORS ARE REQUIRED SO SOON & DON'T CONSIDER THIS "NORMAL WEAR & TEAR". WE PAID FOR A STURDY VEHICLE WITH A GOOD REPUTATION I E-MAILED CADILLAC CORP AND HERE IS A PARTIAL RESPONSE -LET ME KNOW IF YOU WANT THE FULL E-MAIL) (THEIR RESPONSE DATED JULY 24 FROM CUSTOMER RELATIONSHIP SPECIALIST: MEGHAN MACLENNAN) THE FRONT BRAKE PAD LINING USED IN TODAY'S CADILLAC IS FAR DIFFERENT THAN WHAT WAS USED IN THE PAST. BRAKE PADS MANUFACTURED TODAY CONTAIN NO ASBESTOS. MOST VEHICLES MANUFACTURED IN PAST YEARS USED A LINING CONTAINING ASBESTOS. THERE ARE MANY FACTORS BEHIND THE CHANGE IN THE DESIGN OF TODAY'S BRAKING SYSTEMS; FEDERAL GOVERNMENT GUIDELINES, SERVICE LIFE, NOISE LEVEL, STOPPING ABILITY, FADE RESISTANCE AND ENVIRONMENTAL EFFECTS. THEREFORE, AUTOMOBILE MANUFACTURERS HAVE MOVED INTO A NEW ERA IN BRAKE PAD COMPOSITION, BALANCING LONG LASTING METALLIC MATERIALS WITH SOFTER MATERIALS, WHICH OFFSET BRAKE "SQUEAL" INHERENT IN A MORE METALLIC PAD. THIS NEW MATERIAL IS MUCH SAFER TO THE ENVIRONMENT BECAUSE OF THE ELIMINATION OF ASBESTOS, BUT A TRADE OFF MIGHT BE SHORTER PAD LIFE, DEPENDING ON BRAKING USAGE AND CONDITIONS. BRAKE PAD AND LINING REPLACEMENT IS NOT COVERED BY THE MANUFACTURER'S WARRANTY, AND IS CONSIDERED A MAINTENANCE ITEM. ROTOR AND DRUM RESURFACING OR REPLACEMENT IS ALSO NOT COVERED UNDER WARRANTY, UNLESS IT IS A DIRECT RESULT OF A DEFECT IN MATERIALS OR WORKMANSHIP. AT THIS TIME THE DEALERSHIP DOES NOT FEEL THERE IS ANY DEFECT IN THE MATERIALS OR WORKMANSHIP AND IS CONSIDERED NORMAL WEAR AND TEAR. *JB

THE FIRST PROBLEM I ENCOUNTERED WITH THE VEHICLE WAS A BROKEN CLUTCH PEDAL RETURN SPRING THAT HAD FALLEN OUT FROM UNDER THE DASHBOARD AT 8,850 MILES. THIS WAS REPAIRED UNDER WARRANTY. SECOND, I HAD A CADILLAC DEALERSHIP REPLACE THE REAR DIFFERENTIAL UNDER WARRANTY DUE TO A WHINING NOISE AND LEAK PRESENT AT 9,021 MILES. AT THIS TIME I HAD QUESTIONED A CLANK NOISE PRESENT IN THE DRIVELINE WHEN ENGAGING OR DISENGAGING THE CLUTCH. I WAS TOLD THIS IS NORMAL, AND NO PROBLEM WAS PRESENT AT THIS TIME. AT 10,530 MILES, I WAS MAKING A RIGHT TURN FROM A STOP IN FIRST GEAR. I HAD ACCELERATED TO 20MPH AND SHIFTED INTO SECOND GEAR. I BEGAN ACCELERATING IN SECOND GEAR WHEN THE DRIVELINE FAILURE OCCURRED. THE VEHICLE HAD SPUN 270 DEGREES TO THE RIGHT LOOSING CONTROL. THIS CAUSED THE THE VEHICLE TO HIT THE RIGHT SIDE CURB WITH EXTREME FORCE TO THE LEFT REAR WHEEL, DAMAGING THE REAR SUSPENSION AND DIFFERENTIAL. THE VEHICLE PROCEEDED OVER THE CURB WITH ALL FOUR WHEELS AND STOPPED ON A SIDEWALK. THIS ALSO CAUSED CHASSIS AND FRONT SUSPENSION DAMAGE. THE VEHICLE WAS UNABLE TO MOVE AFTER THE ACCIDENT DUE TO THE CLUTCH NOT ENGAGING. THE CLUTCH PEDAL TRAVEL IS NOW ABOUT 3 INCHES TOTAL OFF THE FLOOR, OPPOSED TO THE ORIGINAL 6 INCH TRAVEL EQUAL TO THE HEIGHT OF THE BRAKE PEDAL. AS A RESULT OF THE ACCIDENT THE VEHICLE WAS TOTALED BY THE INSURANCE COMPANY AND SOLD. AT THIS TIME NO ASSISTANCE HAS BEEN GIVEN BY GENERAL MOTORS. *TR

TL*THE CONTACT OWNS A 2006 CADILLAC CTS. WHILE DRIVING 55 MPH, THE CONTACT HEARD A GRINDING NOISE COMING FROM THE VEHICLE. HE PULLED OVER AND THE VEHICLE CAUGHT FIRE. THE VEHICLE WAS DAMAGED. THE CAUSE OF THE FIRE WAS UNDETERMINED. THE VIN WAS UNKNOWN. THE CURRENT AND FAILURE MILEAGES WERE 12,000.

REAR DIFFERENTIAL WHINE AND LEAKAGE - 2006 MODEL, BUILD DATE NOV 2005. THE CAR IS USED FOR FREEWAY COMMUTING ONLY (300 MILES/DAY) AND HAS NEVER BEEN DRIVEN HARD. THE DIFFERENTIAL HAS WHINED SINCE DELIVERY WITH 78 MILES ON THE CAR. THE DIFFERENTIAL FLUID WAS CHANGED AT 2847 MILES WITH REDLINE 75W-90 SYNTHETIC FLUID AND GM 1052358 ADDITIVE, AND SIGNIFICANT METAL POWDER WAS REMOVED FROM THE MAGNETIC DRAIN PLUG AT THE TIME OF CHANGE. ON APRIL 16, AT A LITTLE OVER TWO MONTHS AND 8413 MILES, I TOOK THE CAR BACK TO THE SELLING DEALERSHIP FOR REPAIR, AS THE DIFFERENTIAL HAD BEGUN LEAKING ABOUT APRIL 10 AND ~7200 MILES. THE SERVICE MANAGER, WYMAN ADCOCK, DROVE THE CAR AND REPORTED THAT WHILE HE COULD 'HEAR A SLIGHT WHINE', HE THOUGHT THAT IT WAS NORMAL AND I SHOULD CONTINUE TO DRIVE IT TO SEE IF IT GETS WORSE. I POINTED OUT TO HIM THAT GM HAS HAD PROBLEMS WITH THE DIFFERENTIAL ON THIS CAR SINCE IT'S INTRODUCTION AND THAT ANOTHER CADILLAC DEALER TOLD ME THAT THEY HAD REPLACED SO MANY DIFFERENTIALS IN THESE CARS THAT THEY NOW KEEP ONE IN STOCK. THE SERVICE MANAGER TOLD ME THAT HE HAD NEVER HEARD OF A PROBLEM WITH THESE CARS. I SUGGESTED THAT I SHOULD TAKE IT ANOTHER DEALERSHIP, AND LEFT. *JB

MY NEW CADILLAC CTS (PURCHASED IN 3/06) WAS T-BONED. NO AIR BAGS DEPLOYED...I HAVE BEEN EXPERIENCING MAJOR BACK AND LEG PAINS OF WHICH THE DOCTOR SAID COULD BE RELATED TO FAILURE OF AIR BAG TO DEPLOY. MY CAR WAS FIXED BY A LOCAL CADILLAC DEALERSHIP AND THEY HAVE FAILED REPEATEDLY TO ANSWER OUR CONCERNS. WE CONTACTED CADILLAC AND HAVE HAD NO ONES ATTENTION. *JB

2006 CTS ENGINE RACED AT HIGH SPEEDS WHEN BACKING UP WITHOUT ANY PRESSURE TO THE GAS PEDAL. *TS THE FIRST TIME THE INCIDENT HAPPENED, THERE WAS DAMAGE DONE TO THE DRIVERS SIDE TIRE, HOWEVER THE SECOND INCIDENT RESULTED IN THE VEHICLE RACING DOWN THE DRIVEWAY, ACROSS THE STREET AND INTO A NEIGHBORS HOUSE, WHICH CAUSED CONSIDERABLE DAMAGE TO THE HOUSE AND THE CAR. THE VEHICLE WAS TOTALED. *JB

DT*: THE CONTACT STATED WHILE DRIVING 65 MPH UNDER NORMAL ROAD CONDITIONS, THE REAR TIRES LOCKED. THERE WERE NO WARNINGS PRIOR TO THE INCIDENT. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO THE SERVICE DEALER, WHO DETERMINED THAT THE REAR AXLE FRACTURED.*AK THE REAR PINION SEALS LEAKED WHICH CAUSED THE AXLE TO SEIZE. UPDATED 01/19/07. *JB

DT*: THE CONTACT STATED WHILE APPLYING SLIGHT BRAKE PRESSURE AT 55 MPH IN STOP AND GO TRAFFIC ON THE HIGHWAY, ALL FOUR WHEELS LOCKED, AND THE BRAKE PEDAL WENT ALL THE WAY TO THE FLOORBOARD WITHOUT WARNING. THE CONTACT ATTEMPTED TO DISENGAGE THE BRAKES BY PUMPING THE PEDAL UP AND DOWN. AFTERWARDS, THE VEHICLE OPERATED AT A REDUCED SPEED, AND HESITATED TO ACCELERATE AS THOUGH BRAKE PRESSURE WAS BEING APPLIED. THE DEALER WAS ALERTED.