2003 CADILLAC ESCALADE Complaints

2003 CADILLAC ESCALADE EXT-SAFETY DEFECT. *MR THE TIRES RUBBED AGAINST THE UNDERCARRIAGE ANY TIME THE WHEELS WERE TURN HARD LEFT OR RIGHT. A REPRESENTATIVE AT THE SALES DEALER SUGGESTED THAT THE PANELS IN THE WHEEL WELL SHOULD HAVE BEEN GRINDED DOWN PRIOR TO DELIVERY. IN REVIEWING THE OWNER MANUAL, THE VEHICLE WAS ONLY DESIGNED FOR 17" WHEELS. 20" WHEELS COULD CAUSE DANGER IN THE INNER WALLS OF THE TIRES AND COULD CAUSE A BLOW OUT. *SC

UPON PULLING OUT OF A CAR WASH THE BRAKE PEDAL WENT TO THE FLOOR WHEN IT WAS DEPRESSED. UPON INSPECTION OF THE VEHICLE BY THE DEALERSHIP, IT WAS DISCOVERED THAT MASTER CYLINDER BROKE IN HALF WHICH WAS CAUSED BY A FAILURE IN MOLDING OF THE METAL, PER THE DEALERSHIP. *AK

STABILIZATION EQUIPMENT MAKES VEHICLE LOOSE ALL POWER FOR 5-10 SECONDS, MAKES A HORRIBLE NOISE AND SLIDES DOWN THE HILL WITHOUT ANY WAY TO CONTROL VEHICLE. I HAVE TEST DRIVEN WITH DEALER ON FOUR SEPARATE OCCASIONS AFTER REPAIRS. DEALER ADVISES A SERIOUS SAFETY HAZARD. GM SAYS THERE IS NO PROBLEM JUST WAIT FOR NEW COMPUTER SOFTWARE PROGRAM TO BE RELEASED. I HAVE ALMOST BEEN IN A COLLISION EACH TIME DRIVING THE VEHICLE GOING HOME DAILY. THE DEALER IS STANDING BY ME BUT IS HAVING PROBLEMS; THE AREA REPRESENTATIVE LARRY MARVIN. THE CAR WAS PURCHASED ON 09/21/03 AND HAS LESS THAN 500 MILES. *LA

THERE EXISTS A DESIGN DEFECT IN THE 2003 CADILLAC ESCALADE THAT RESULTS IN REPEATED ACCIDENTAL ACTIVATION OF THE DRIVER'S SEAT HEATING SYSTEM, MOST CRITICALLY IN THE SUMMER, CREATING A CONSTANT BURN HAZARD. THE DRIVER'S WINDOW CONTROL BUTTON CANNOT BE ACTIVATED WITHOUT FREQUENT AND REPEATED ACCIDENTAL ACTIVATION OF THE SEAT HEATING SYSTEM BECAUSE THE HEATING BUTTONS PHYSICALLY BLOCK ACCESS TO THE WINDOW CONTROLS. TO LOWER THE WINDOW, ONE'S HAND MUST MAKE PHYSICAL CONTACT WITH THE SEAT HEATER ACTIVATION BUTTONS. FOR INSULIN DEPENDENT DIABETICS (SUCH AS MYSELF) AS WELL AS OTHERS WHO MAY HAVE A DEMINISHED ABILITY TO SENSE ABNORMAL HEATING, THIS PRESENTS AN EXTREMELY SERIOUS BURN HARZARD.

THE STATE OF CALIFORNIA ORDERED INSTALLATION OF THE INTERLOCK IGNITION DEVICE (IID) TO PREVENT THE VEHICLE FROM BEING OPERATED BY INTOXICATED DRIVERS. THE DEVICE MALFUNCTIONED, CAUSING THE VEHICLE NOT TO START OR STALL WHILE DRIVING. MANUFACTURED BY GUARDIAN INTERLOCK, MODEL 3050, SERIAL# 13429 & 18832, TRANSPONDER 4.4E. *AK

WHILE DRIVING DOWN THE ROAD SERVICE STABILITY TRACK MESSAGE WOULD APPEAR ON THE DASHBOARD MESSAGE CENTER. THAT WOULD THEN DISABLE THE TRACTION CONTROL SYSTEM. AN AUDIBLE DING-DING WOULD SOUND ABOUT EVERY THIRTY-SECONDS AS YOU WERE DRIVING DOWN THE ROAD. THE BUTTON ON THE DASH WAS INOPERABLE AND WOULD NOT SHUT OFF THE SYSTEM. CADILLAC ADVISED MY DEALER THAT I WOULD HAVE TO WAIT FOR THE 2004 MODELS TO BE RELEASED TO GET THE PROBLEM FIXED. WHEN VEHICLE WAS IN THE SHOP TO BE FIXED IT WAS ALSO FOUND THAT THE ABS MODULE NEEDED TO BE REPLACED BECAUSE THAT WAS NOT FUNCTIONAL. I HAD 50 MILES ON THE VEHICLE WHEN THE PROBLEM WAS FIRST NOTICED. *AK

WHEN EXPOSED TO WATER, WATER ENTERED REAR CARGO AREA OF THE VEHICLE. VEHICLE WAS INSPECTED BY THE DEALER, WHO FOUND THAT THERE WERE PANELS ON THE EXTERIOR THAT SHOULD HAVE PREVENTED WATER FROM ENTERING. BUT THIS WAS A NORMAL PROBLEM FOR THIS VEHICLE. *AK

CONSUMER STATES THAT IT IS HARD TO TELL WHEN TIRE PRESSURE IS LOW DUE TO HEAT THAT HAS FIELDED UP INSIDE THE TIRE, CAUSING THE TIRE WALL TO COLLAPSE. *AK

SUSPENSION SERVICE STABILITY DISABLED DIGITAL WARNING 5 TIMES. ON THE FIRST OCCASION IT ALSO READ REDUCED POWER AND POWERED DOWN FROM 70 TO 35 MPH WITHIN SECONDS WHEN DRIVEN IN FREEWAY TRAFFIC. REMOTE ANALYSIS BY ONSTAR INDICATED MOST RECENTLY AN ABS PROBLEM REQUIRED SERVICE. OTHER FUSE AND WIRE/SHORT PROBLEMS HAVE OCCURRED WITHIN THE DASH. *TT

TURNING SLOWLY TO THE RIGHT AND OVER BUMPY ROAD SURFACES, VEHICLE APPLIES BRAKES ON ITS OWN. *NLM