2006 CADILLAC DTS Complaints

MY 2006 CADILLAC DTS HAS ADAPTIVE CRUISE CONTROL. I HAVE EXPERIENCED 3 EPISODES OF POLICE RADAR INTERFERENCE WITH THIS FEATURE. THE SYMPTOM IS THAT THE CC INDICATES THAT A CAR IS IMMEDIATELY IN FRONT OF THE VEHICLE. IT SOUNDS THE ALARM AND APPLIES THE BRAKES AS STRONGLY AS THE FEATURE ALLOWS. THE WORKAROUND IS TO IMMEDIATELY HIT THE GAS OR KILL THE CC TO GET BACK UP TO SPPED AND AVOID A REAR END COLLISION. I HAD MY DEALER TEST THE UNIT AND VALIDATE THE ALIGNMENT. THE UNIT TESTED ERROR FREE. I HAVE EXPERIENCED THE PROBLEM WITH A FLORIDA STATE POLICE CAR 1 TIME AND HILLSBOUROGH COUNTY POLICE CARS 2 TIMES. I CONTACTED THE COUNTY AND THEY TOOK A FIRM POSITION THAT IT COULDN'T BE THEIR RADAR UNITS. I FRANKLY DON'T CARE WHERE THE PROBLEM IS. IF OTHER PEOPLE ARE EXPERIENCING THIS IT WILL ESCALATE TO A FATALITY INDUCING SITUATION. I MAY ALO TAKE THE PFOBLEM TO THE FCC AS THIS IS OBVIOUSLY A BANDWIDTH PROBLEM ON THE PART OF THE POLICE RADAR UNITS OR THE CADILLAC ADAPTIVE CC MODULE. FIRSY FAILURE OCCURRED WHEN I WAS FOLLOWING A POLICE CRUISER WHO WAS APPROX 200 FEET AHEAD OF ME AND IN THE ADJACENT LANE (THE ONE TO MY RIGHT) THERE WAS NO ONCOMING TRAFFIC AND NO ONE WITHIN 500 FEET TO THE REAR. WITHOUT WARNING MY CAR WENT INTO EMERGENCT STOP AND SPUNDED THE PROXIMITY WARNING. I TAPPED THE ON/OFF SWITCH AND BROUGHT THE CAR UP TO SPEED. IT HAS ALSO FAILED AS I PASS A POLICE CAR THAT IS SITTING PERPENDICULAR TO THE ROAD. THE DURATION IS SHORT AS YOU ARE RAPIDLY PASSING THRU THE RADAR CONE. HOWEVER, I HAD THIS HAPPEN ON THE HOWARD FRANKLIN BRIDGE OVER TAMPA BAY AND THAT IS A TERRIBLE PLACE OF A CAR TO SUDDENLY SLOW DOWN WITH NO APPARANT WARNING. I WOULD VENTURE TO GUESS THAT FEW PEOPLE ACTUALLY USE THIS FEATURE. IT IS A FANTASTIC FUNCTION BUT IT IS SOMEWHAT COMPLEX TO USE AND LEARN HOW TO ANTICIPATE. PLEASE FEEL FREE TO CONTACT ME FOR ADDITIONAL INFORMATION. AGAIN, NO IDEA AS TO WHICH ELEMENT IS A FAULT.

CRUISE CONTROL FAILS TO HOLD SET SPEED AT DOWNGRADES OF 3% OR GREATER. VEHICLE CONTINUES TO INCREASE SPEED, CAUSING UNSAFE DRIVING CONDITION. DRIVER MUST PROVIDE EXCESSIVE BRAKING TO CONTROL VEHICLE SPEED ON DOWNGRADES. *NM

THE STEERING IN THE CONSUMER 2006 CADILLAC DTS WAS SENSITIVE. THE VEHICLE WAS INVOLVED IN A SINGLE CAR ACCIDENT WHEN THE DRIVER OVERCORRECTED TO AVOID COLLIDING WITH ANOTHER VEHICLE. THE VEHICLE HIT TWO GUARDRAILS AND OVERTURNED ONTO IT'S TOP. *NM THE AIR BAGS FAILED TO DEPLOY AND THE SEAT BELTS DID NOT SECURE THE OCCUPANTS DURING THE IMPACT. THE CONSUMER STATED THE PRE-TENSIONERS DID NOT ACTIVATE. *JB THE CONSUMER WAS UNABLE TO UNLOCK THE TRUNK DOOR MANUALLY. UPDATED *JB *NM UPDATED

DT*: THE CONTACT STATED THE VEHICLE'S CONTINENTAL FRONT PASSENGER SIDE TIRE BLEW OUT WHILE TRAVELING 70 MPH. THE TIRE WAS TOO NEW TO HAVE BEEN ROTATED. THE TIRES WERE KEPT AT REGULAR PRESSURE AND THERE WAS NO ABNORMAL BULGING. THE SERVICE DEALER DETERMINED THE TIRE HAD A TEAR IN THE SIDE THAT CAUSED THE BLOWOUT. THIS WAS A CONTINENTAL, SIZE: P235/55R17.

DT*: THE CONTACT STATED WHILE DRIVING 70 MPH ON DRY ASPHALT, THE LEFT FRONT TIRE VIOLENTLY DEFLATED WITHOUT WARNING, SPINNING THE VEHICLE 360 DEGREES. THE VEHICLE WAS THROWN INTO A GUARD RAIL. THERE WAS A POLICE REPORT FILED AT THE SCENE. THE TIRE SIZE WAS P235/55R17.*AK

CADILLAC VEHICLES WITH VERTICAL STRIP LED TAIL LIGHTS ARE HIGHLY DISTRACTING. I CAN SEE THE LIGHTS "BLINK" AS I LOOK AT THEM AND AWAY FROM THEM. MANY OF THE NEWER CADILLAC VEHICLES EXHIBIT THIS SAME PROBLEM. THIS IS BY FAR THE MOST DISTRACTING THING ON THE ROAD TODAY. I BELIEVE THAT I AM IN THE MINORITY AS MY WIFE DOESN'T EVEN NOTICE THEM. BUT I CAN SEE THEM FROM SOME DISTANCE AND IT'S ALL WITHOUT ANY CONCERTED EFFORT TO LOOK AT THEM OR STARE AT THEM. IT'S AS IF SOMEONE HAD A STROBE LIGHT ON! *JB

FAILURE OF CRUISE CONTROL TO MAINTAIN SPEED WITHIN REASONABLE BOUNDARIES ON EVEN MINIMAL DOWNHILL GRADES CREATES UNSAFE CONDITION. *JB

2006 CADILLAC DTS-L3, SUN REFLECTS INTO THE CHROME BEZEL SURROUNDING THE ANALOG JEWEL CLOCK. *KB THE CLOCK IS MOUNTED AT AN ANGLE OF APPROX 45 DEGREES. DEPENDING ON THE TIME OF DAY AND THE DIRECTION OF TRAVEL THE CLOCK ACTS LIKE A MIRROR AND REFLECTS THE BRIGHT SUN FROM THE GLASS AND CHROME INTO THE DRIVER'S EYES. DARK SUNGLASSES PROVIDED LITTLE, IF ANY, RELIEF FROM THE GLARE. THE CONSUMER HAD TO TAPE A PIECE OF CLOTH OVER THE CLOCK TO GET SOME RELIEF. *NM

WE HAVE CONTACTED CADILLAC AND THEY TELL US THERE IS NO FIX FOR THIS PROBLEM. THE DEALER HAS HAD THE CAR FOR TESTING TWO TIMES FOR SEVERAL DAYS. RICH TRETHEWAY, THE HEAD TECHNICIAN AT THE WEAVER DEALERSHIP IN GRASS VALLEY WHO DROVE MY CAR AND THEN EXPLAINED TO US WHAT THE CAR DOES. HERE IS WHAT THE CAR DOES FROM A DRIVING POINT OF VIEW. WHEN GOING DOWN HILL OR TRYING TO SLOW DOWN, WHEN THE CAR REACHES ABOUT 25 MILES PER HOUR OR ABOUT 1000 RPM, IT THEN GIVES ITSELF GAS WHICH CAUSE A FEELING THAT ONE WOULD HAVE IF THE CRUISE CONTROL WAS ON (IT IS NOT). THAT IS; THAT THE CAR SURGES FORWARD GOING UP ABOUT 600 OR 700 RPM. THIS OCCURS WHEN I HAVE SHIFTED THE CAR DOWN TO 1ST OR 2ND. SINCE I LIVE IN AN AREA WITH MANY HILLS THIS HAPPENS EVERY TIME I DRIVE. I SHIFT DOWN TO KEEP THE CAR FROM GOING EXCESSIVELY FAST DOWN THE HILLS. WHEN I AM DRIVING AND WANT TO TAKE A CURVE AT 20 TO 25 MILES PER HOUR, THE CAR MANY TIMES SURGES FORWARD WHILE MY FOOT IS OFF THE THROTTLE; I HAVE TO USE THE BRAKE CONTINUALLY TO GET AROUND THE CURVES AND DOWN HILLS AT A SLOW ENOUGH SPEED TO BE SAFE. THIS SURGING HAPPENED ONCE IN A PARKING LOT AS WE WERE TRYING TO PARK. RICH WAS NOT ABLE TO REPRODUCE THIS PROBLEM, BUT WAS ABLE TO REPRODUCE THE OTHER SURGING PROBLEM. THE CURE FOR THIS IS AS I UNDERSTAND IT FROM RICH AND ONE OF THE OWNERS OF WEAVER IS TO ALWAYS DRIVE IN OVERDRIVE AND USE THE BRAKE INSTEAD OF SHIFTING DOWN. IT ALSO DOES THIS IN OVERDRIVE. I CAN UNDERSTAND THAT IF THERE IS NO MECHANICAL REPAIR THAT GENERAL MOTORS HAS MADE FOR THIS CAR THEN SOMETHING HAS TO BE DONE TO BE HELPFUL TO US. *JB

CAR GAINS EXCESSIVE SPEED ON DOWNHILL SLOPES. 15 MPH ON HILLS THAT OTHER CARS GAIN 3 TO 5 MPH. *JB