1996 CADILLAC DEVILLE Complaints

TL*- THE CONTACT HEARD A LOUD POP COME FROM UNDER THE HOOD OF THE 1996 CADILLAC DEVILLE AND ALSO NOTICED SMOKE COMING FROM UNDER THE HOOD. THE CONTACT TURNED THE VEHICLE OFF, AND THEN NOTICED THERE FLAMES WERE COMING FROM UNDER THE HOOD . THE FIRE DEPARTMENT ADVISED THE CONTACT THAT CAUSE OF THE FIRE WAS A PROBLEM WITH THE FUEL. THE VEHICLE CURRENTLY HAD 115000 MILES. THE CONTACT STATED THERE WAS A RECALL 04014 FOR THE FUEL SYSTEM .

VERY DANGEROUS SITUATION OCCURRED WHILE DRIVING ON CITY ROADS WHERE POSTED SPEEDS ARE 35-45 MPH. THE CAR JUST STARTED TO SPEED UP ON ITS OWN AND I COULD NOT GET THE ENGINE TO SLOW DOWN. THE ONLY WAY I COULD AVOID A TRAFFIC ACCIDENT WAS TO RIDE THE BRAKES CONTINUOUSLY. BY THE TIME I GOT HOME THE BRAKES WERE SMOKING AND EXTREMELY OVERHEATED. I ALMOST COULD NOT STOP WITH THE ENGINE RACING AND THE BRAKES WORN OUT. I HAD TO SHUT THE ENGINE DOWN WHILE STILL IN DRIVE, ALMOST RUNNING INTO THE WALL OF MY HOUSE. I AM 70 YEARS OLD AND WAS VERY SCARED. ON EDMUNDS .COM THERE ARE THREE OTHER REPORTED INSTANCES OF THE SAME THING HAPPENING WITH THE SAME MAKE AND MODEL. MY CAR IS UNDRIVEABLE AND I WILL HAVE TO GET IT TOWED FROM MY HOUSE TO THE DEALER FOR IT TO BE CHECKED OUT, PLEASE FOLLOW UP ON THIS AS IT IS A VERY DANGEROUS CONDITION. I WAS VERY CLOSE TO HAVING AN ACCIDENT. *JB

BOUGHT VEHICLE USED FROM AUTO DEALERSHIP. FROM DAY ONE SMELLED OIL FROM UNDER HOOD, SMELLED ENGINE COOLANT LEAK. HAVING TO CONSTANTLY REFILL COOLANT LEVEL. AND COOLANT MIXED ON WITH ENGINE OIL. DEALER "COULD NOT FIND PROBLEM AFTER THREE ATTEMPTS. LATER, 3 OTHER REPAIR SHOPS ALL DIAGNOSED BLOWN HEAD GASKET. ESTIMATED COST OF REPAIRS RANGED FROM $2800.00 TO $5200.00. *JB

DT*: THE CONTACT STATED WHILE DRIVING VARIOUS SPEEDS ON THE HIGHWAY, THE ENGINE STALLED WITHOUT WARNING. THE ENGINE DID NOT RESTART AND WAS TOWED TO AN INDEPENDENT REPAIR SHOP FOR INSPECTION. THE MECHANIC DETERMINED THE FUEL PUMP ASSEMBLY WAS INOPERATIVE AND REVEALED FRAYED, MELTED WIRES. THE FUEL PUMP ASSEMBLY WAS REPLACED.

DT*: THE CONTACT STATED ON APRIL 1ST, 2006 AFTER STOPPING FOR GASOLINE, THE ODOMETER WAS RESET FOR TRIP MILEAGE. AFTERWARDS THE VEHICLE BEGAN TO ACCELERATE CAUSING THE RPM TO INCREASE EVEN WHILE APPLYING BRAKE PRESSURE. THE VEHICLE WAS TURNED OFF. AFTER RESTARTING THE VEHICLE IT CONTINUED TO BE IN THE HIGH ACCELERATION MODE. THE VEHICLE WAS DRIVEN TO THE DEALERSHIP AND IS AWAITING INSPECTION. ADDITIONALLY THE CRUISE CONTROL WAS INOPERABLE ON THE VEHICLE SINCE PURCHASE. *NM

DT: THE CONTACT STATED THE TIRES DID NOT HOLD AIR PROPERLY, AND THERE WERE SMALL CRACKS AROUND THE OUTER SIDEWALLS OF THE TIRES. ALSO, THERE HAS BEEN UNEVEN WEAR PATTERN ON ALL FOUR TIRES. THIS WAS A PROBLEM SINCE PURCHASE OF VEHICLE. THE LOSS OF AIR PRESSURE MADE IT IMPOSSIBLE TO MAINTAIN THE TIRES PROPERLY. THE TIRES WERE TAKEN TO A DEALERSHIP, AND THEY STATED THE UNEVEN WEAR WAS DUE TO THE FRONT END OF THE VEHICLE. ANOTHER MECHANIC STATED THERE WAS NOTHING WRONG WITH THE FRONT END. AT THIS TIME, NO CORRECTIONS WERE MADE TO THE VEHICLE. *AK

DRIVING OUR CAR, '96 CADILLAC DEVILLE, WITH APPROXIMATELY 38,000 MI, TRAVELING NORTH ON THE 15 FWY., APPROACHING VICTORVILLE, CA, OUR SPEED WENT OUT OF CONTROL REPEATEDLY HITTING 90+ MPH. THIS HAPPENED, EVEN THOUGH I SHIFTED THE GEARS DOWN 3,2, THEN 1, AND FLOORED THE BRAKE, THEN THE EMERGENCY BRAKE. ON CUTTING FRONT OF ANOTHER, EXITING THE FREEWAY, UPHILL, COMING TO THE SIGNAL, ON BEAR VALLEY ROAD, WAS ABLE TO TURN LEFT ON A GREEN, THEN THE NEXT SIGNAL GREEN, BUT THEN A RED LIGHT, IT WAS IMPOSSIBLE TO BRING THE CAR TO A STOP. SUDDENLY A GREEN ARROW LET US TURN RIGHT, AND RIGHT IN FRONT OF A TRUCK. CONTINUING NORTH ON A FRONTAGE ROAD, SEEING A PRACTICALLY EMPTY PARKING LOT, ENTERED IT AND THEN SHUT THE ENGINE OFF, FINALLY COMING TO A STOP. CALLING AAA, WE WERE TOLD THERE WERE NO CADILLAC AGENCIES NEAR & WOULD HAVE TO TOW ALL THE WAY TO KENNEDY CADILLAC I N SAN BERNARDINO. HOWEVER, WALKED ACROSS THE PARKING LOT, INTO PENNY'S HAIR SALON, GRACIOUSLY, THE LET US LOOK IN THEIR YELLOW PAGES TO FIND RANCHO MOTOR COMPANY, CHEVROLET, CADILLAC & PONTIAC DEALERSHIP, JUST A FEW MILES AWAY. THE CAR WAS TOWED, AND WE RODE ALONG. WE WARNED EDUARDO, OUR TOWING DRIVER, ABOUT THE RISK IN STARTING THE CAR? AGAIN, ON ARRIVAL AT RANCHO AGENCY, WE WARNED OUR REPRESENTATIVE DEBBIE DEMERS OF THE RISK! THE CAUSE OF THE MOTOR RACING OR "HIGH IDLE" WAS A LOOSE CABLE CAUSING THE THROTTLE TO STAY OPEN RACING THE ENGINE TO UNCONTROLLABLE SPEEDS. IF IT WERE NOT FOR MY BEING A VERY EXPERIENCED DRIVER, WE AND OTHERS AROUND US ON THE 15 FWY. AND/OR BEAR VALLEY RD. WOULD HAVE BEEN GONNERS! HOW CAN IT BE THAT A CABLE CAN SIMPLY COME LOOSE AND CAUSE OUR CAR TO GO FORWARD AT RAMPANT SPEED? HOW IS THAT SUCH A CABLE IS NOT WELDED SECURELY SO THERE IS NO RISK? OUR CAR WAS SERVICED AT JESSOP CADILLAC, IN CATHEDRAL CITY, CA ON JULY 19, 2005 AND AUGUST 9TH HAD A BATTERY REPLACEMENT, AGAIN AT JESSOP? *JB

1996 CADILLAC DEVILLE HAD A CRACKED HEAD GASKET.***NO ANSWER REQUIRED***. *MR THE CRACKED GASKET CAUSED COOLANT TO LEAK FROM THE VEHICLE. *NM

DT: CADILLAC DEVILLE 1996. THE CONTACT STATED THAT THE ELECTRONIC BUTTONS THAT CONTROLLED THE DRIVER'S SEAT, STARTED TO MOVE IN ALL DIFFERENT WAYS, UPWARD, DOWNWARD, AND PUSHED THE CONTACT UP AGAINST THE STEERING WHEEL. WHEN SHE TRIED TO MOVE THE SEAT BACKWARD IT WOULD NOT MOVE. *AK *SC *JB

DT: WHILE DRIVING CALLER TRIES TO SLOW DOWN AND WITHOUT WARNING THE BRAKES LOSE POWER. WHILE AT THE STOP LIGHT IT ACCELERATES, AND SHE HAS TO FIGHT THE CAR TO KEEP IT STOPPED. WHILE IN PARK IT RACES AT 2125 RPMS. HAD CAR TO DEALER 4 TIMES FOR SAME PROBLEM. DEALER SAID IT WAS A CHIP IN COMPUTER. CAR WILL BE TOWED AGAIN TONIGHT. MANUFACTURER HAS NOT BEEN CONTACTED YET. MANUFACTURER WAS CALLED THE LAST TIME THIS HAPPENED. *AK