2009 CADILLAC CTS Complaints

WARNING LIGHT CAME ON.I BROUGHT THE VEHICLE TO MY MECHANIC AND HE SAID THAT THE TIMING CHAIN WAS THE PROBLEM. THE CAR HAS ONLY 61000 MILES ON IT.

I PURCHASED MY VEHICLE IN APRIL OF 2016 AND IT RAN FINE. BUT AS OF LATE I HAVE BEEN EXPERIENCING SOME MAJOR PROBLEMS WITH THE FUNCTIONING OF THE VEHICLE. TO DATE A "SERVICE ALL WHEEL DRIVE" ILLUMINATES ON THE DASH AS WELL AS A "SERVICE STABILITRAK" WHICH CAUSES THE CHECK ENGINE LIGHT TO ILLUMINATE AND THE ENGINE TO REDUCE POWER. I WAS ON A HIGHWAY WHERE THE SPEED LIMIT IS 65 MPH AND THIS OCCURRED WHICH ALMOST COST ME MY LIFE. I CONTACTED MY WARRANTY COMPANY WHICH WAS NO HELP SO I SCHEDULED AN APPOINTMENT AT A CADILLAC DEALER. I HAVE BEEN RESEARCHING THIS ISSUE FOR 2 MONTHS AND HAVE FOUND FORUMS ONLINE WITH CAR OWNERS OF GM VEHICLES EXPERIENCING THE SAME ISSUE. I HAVE SPENT DAYS READING THE OUTCOME BUT NO ONE COULD SAY WHAT CAUSED THE ISSUE OR WHAT WAS FIXED OR CORRECTED. THE ONLY THING EVERYONE AGREED UPON WAS THAT SAID ISSUE SHOULD BE A RECALL TO PROPERLY DIAGNOSE THE PROBLEM. I HAVE AN APPOINTMENT WITH A CADILLAC DEALER IN THE NEXT WEEK BUT FEEL THEY WILL NOT BE OF ANY HELP BUT HAVE NO CHOICE AT THIS POINT.

CHECK ENGINE LIGHT CAME ON IN MAY 2014 AT 58,000 MILES. MY TIMING CHAIN WORE OUT PREMATURELY. GM HAD A RECALL THROUGH JULY 2013 FOR THIS ISSUE (TSB #10287 2007-09 CTS AND SPECIAL COVERAGE ADJUSTMENT 11340C) THAT REPAIRED AND EXTENDED WARRANTY TO 10 YEARS FROM DATE OF ORIGINAL PURCHASE ON AFFECTED VEHICLES. I WAS TOLD MY VEHICLE WAS NOT COVERED UNDER RECALL. IN MAY 2014, I PAID THE DEALERSHIP $1,800 TO INSTALL A NEW TIMING CHAIN KIT. IN SEPTEMBER 2014, CHECK ENGINE LIGHT CAME ON AGAIN AT 80,000 MILES AND SAME ISSUE OCCURRED REQUIRING A NEW TIMING CHAIN KIT AFTER ONLY 22,000 MILES ON LAST TIMING CHAIN KIT. GM AND DEALERSHIP REFUSE TO COVER THE ENTIRE COST OF REPLACING TIMING CHAIN AND DENY THERE IS A MANUFACTURER'S DEFECT. I DISAGREE AND HAVE DISCUSSED MY ISSUE WITH TWO INDEPENDENT MECHANICS WHO ALSO DISAGREE. GM HAS NOT INCLUDED ALL AFFECTED VEHICLES IN ORIGINAL RECALL AND SHOULD DO THE RIGHT THING AND REPAIR THIS DEFECT AT NO COST TO ITS CUSTOMERS. I SHOULD NOT HAVE PAID ANYTHING FOR THE FIRST OR SECOND REPAIR. GM IS PUTTING DRIVERS AT RISK IF TIMING CHAIN BREAKS WHILE OPERATING VEHICLE.

OVER THE PAST TWO YEARS, 4 OF THE 6 CYLINDERS ON THIS AUTOMOBILE HAVE NEEDED COIL REPLACEMENTS ON THE CYLINDERS. I HAVE OWNED SEVERAL GM VEHICLES AND HAVE NOT NEEDED ANY REPAIRS OF THIS NATURE, AND BELIEVE THIS MAY BE A HARDWARE DEFECT. THE EFFECT HAS BEEN INTERMITTENT LOSS OF POWER, PARTICULARLY WHEN ACCELERATING UPHILL AT TRAFFIC SPEEDS (50-55 MPH). THIS FORCES THE DRIVER EITHER TO SLOW OR TO ACCELERATE THROUGH THIS NARROW SPEED BAND.

I HAD A P0008 CHECK ENGINE CODE COME UP ON MY CAR FOR TIMING CHAIN ISSUES. GM ISSUED A SPECIAL EXTENDED WARRANTY FOR 2008-2009 CADILLAC CTS WITH THIS ISSUE, BUT THEY STATED I AM NOT COVERED UNDER THIS WARRANTY, BUT IT IS THE SAME PROBLEM AS THE TSB THEY ISSUED.

WHILE IN MOTION ON A HIGHWAY, THE ALL WHEEL DRIVE OFF, SERVICE STABILITRAK SERVICE, SERVICE TRACTION CONTROL AND SERVICE BRAKE ASSIST DISPLAYED ON THE DASHBOARD. MY BRAKES WERE AFFECTED FOR A WHILE, THEN RETURNED TO NORMAL. AFTER THAT I HAVE THE SAME INTERMITTENTLY.

REGARDING TSB 11340 (NHTSA REFERENCE- 10043857), WHICH STATES, "IF PREMATURE WEAR OF THE TIMING CHAIN OCCURS ON YOUR 2007 MODEL YEAR GMC ACADIA; SATURN OUTLOOK; 2007-2009 MODEL YEAR CADILLAC CTS, SRX, STS; 2009 MODEL YEAR BUICK ENCLAVE; CHEVROLET TRAVERSE; GMC ACADIA; OR SATURN OUTLOOK VEHICLE, EQUIPPED WITH A 2.8L/3.6L V6 ENGINE, WITHIN 10 YEARS OF THE DATE YOUR VEHICLE WAS ORIGINALLY PLACED IN SERVICE OR 120,000 MILES (193,000 KM), WHICHEVER OCCURS FIRST, THE CONDITION WILL BE REPAIRED FOR YOU AT NO CHARGE" OUR 2009 CADILLAC CTS WITH ~100,839 MILES HAS BEEN DIAGNOSED WITH THIS FAILURE, AND CAUSED MY MOTOR TO LOCK UP. OUR TIMING CHANIN WAS ALREADY FIXED UNDER WARRANTY ONCE PRIOR, THIS WILL MAKE IT A SECOND REPAIR BUT NOW OUR COMPLETE ENGINE HAS FAILED; HOWEVER, GENERAL MOTORS REFUSES TO MAKE THE REPAIRS STATED IN THE TSB AT NO CHARGE IN ACCORDANCE WITH THE TSB. MY EXPERIENCE DEALING WITH CADILLAC OVER THE PAST 2 DAYS INDICATES THAT CADILLAC HAD NO INTENTION OF MAKING THE REPAIRS THAT THEY HAVE INFORMED THE NHTSA WERE APPROPRIATE. IT IS MY OBSERVATION THAT GENERAL MOTORS HAD NO INTENTION OF HONORING THE BULLETIN AND ONLY SUBMITTED THE INFORMATION TO THE NHTSA AS A MEANS TO MITIGATE THE NEGATIVE PUBLIC IMAGE FROM THIS ENGINEERING FAILURE. GENERAL MOTORS SHOULD NOT BE PERMITTED TO MANIPULATE PUBLIC TRUST AND ABUSE THE RESOURCES OF THE NHTSA FOR THEIR OWN MARKETING BENEFIT. THIS IS A DECEPTIVE PRACTICE AND THE GOVERNMENT SHOULD REQUIRE THAT THE MANUFACTURER ABIDE BY THE STATED RESOLUTION AND NOT PERMIT THE MANUFACTURER TO ABUSE PUBLIC RESOURCES.

AT 101,000 MILES MY 2009 CADILLAC CTS AWD STARTING TO "THUMP" WHEN SHIFTING FROM REVERSE TO DRIVE OR VICE VERSA. IT ALSO DID IT WHEN COMING TO A STOP. THIS STARTED HAPPENING ON A THURSDAY. I MADE AN APPOINTMENT FOR SERVICE FOR THE FOLLOWING WEDNESDAY AT THE DEALER. ON MY WAY TO THE SERVICE APPOINTMENT, THE TRANSMISSION FAILED ONE MILE FROM THE DEALERSHIP ON A BUSY HIGHWAY. I MANAGED TO SAFELY GET THE VEHICLE OFF THE ROAD WITHOUT CAUSING AN ACCIDENT. I CALLED THE DEALER AND TOLD THEM WHAT HAD HAPPENED. THEY DIDN'T EVEN OFFER TO COME AND GET ME WHEN I COULD SEE THE BUILDING FROM WHERE I BROKE DOWN. I HAD TO CALL A WRECKER TO BRING THEM THE CAR. THEY SAID MY TRANSMISSION WAS RUINED AND IT WOULD COST ME 3995 TO REPAIR IT. NEEDLESS TO SAY, THE CAR WASN'T WORTH THE INVESTMENT. I HAD ONSTAR FOR THE ENTIRE LIFE OF THE VEHICLE. I NEVER RECEIVED ANY DIAGNOSTIC WARNINGS REGARDING MY TRANSMISSION. I ALSO TOOK THE CAR TO THE DEALER FOR REGULAR SERVICE. NEVER WAS I INFORMED THAT MY TRANSMISSION WAS BEGINNING TO FAIL. IN FACT, THE CAR HAD BEEN TO THE DEALER AT 98000 MILES FOR SERVICE. THERE WERE NO WARNINGS AT THAT TIME THAT MY TRANSMISSION WAS FAILING. A TRANSMISSION SHOULD NOT DIE AT 101,000 MILES. THE FACT THAT THE CAR COMPLETELY DIED WHILE DRIVING ON A BUSY HIGHWAY WITHOUT ANY WARNINGS OF AN IMPENDING PROBLEM IS A SAFETY HAZARD. I'M LUCKY TO BE ALIVE. IT APPEARS THAT THIS PROBLEM IS NOT UNIQUE TO MY CAR. THIS SHOULD HAVE BEEN PART OF A RECALL. INSTEAD, I WAS UNEXPECTEDLY FORCED TO GET ANOTHER VEHICLE.

THE DRIVERS SIDE REAR AXLE IS LOOSE AND I HAVE RESEARCHED THAT THIS IS A COOMIN PROBLEM WITH THIS MODEL. EXPENSIVE FOR CONSUMER TO REPLACE THIS PART. DANGEROUS TO DRIVER IF THIS PART BREAKS. CAUSES UNCONTROLLABLE SHAKING, AND LOUD NOISE WHEN STARTING OFF. CADILLAC HAS THE BRIGHT IDEA OF SEALED HUBS AND AXLE BOOTS, MAKES DIAGNOSING THIS PROBLEM DIFFICULT:

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2009 CADILLAC CTS. WHILE DRIVING APPROXIMATELY 30 MPH, AN UNKNOWN WARNING INDICATOR ILLUMINATED. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO THE DEALER WHERE IT WAS DIAGNOSED THAT THE TIMING CHAIN WAS WORN AND NEEDED TO BE REPLACED. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT REPAIRED. THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOTIFIED OF THE FAILURE. THE APPROXIMATE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 52,594.