2019 CADILLAC ESCALADE Complaints

MY PRIMARY CONCERN WHEN SHOPPING FOR THIS VEHICLE WAS SAFETY, SO INSTEAD OF PURCHASING THE COMPARABLE GMC DENALI, I CHOSE THE CADILLAC WITH THE PREMIUM LUXURY TRIM LEVEL. THE CADILLAC WEBSITE ADVERTISED, AND THE AUTONATION CADILLAC WEST PALM BEACH SALESMAN ASSURED ME, THAT THE PREMIUM LUXURY PACKAGE INCLUDED 'LOW SPEED FORWARD AUTOMATIC BRAKING.' THIS SAFETY FEATURE WAS IMPORTANT TO ME AND WAS NOT AVAILABLE ON THE GMC DENALI. AFTER PURCHASING THE VEHICLE, THERE WERE UNRELATED ISSUES WHICH PROMPTED ME TO BRING THE CAR IN FOR SERVICE SEVERAL TIMES. THROUGH THAT PROCESS, I LEARNED THAT MY VEHICLE WAS NOT EQUIPPED WITH 'LOW SPEED AUTOMATIC BRAKING' EVEN THOUGH THE REST OF THE FEATURES OF THE PREMIUM LUXURY TRIM LEVEL APPEAR TO BE INCLUDED. THE SERVICE TECHNICIAN INFORMED ME DURING MY LAST VISIT THAT MY VEHICLE WAS NOT IN FACT EQUIPPED WITH 'LOW SPEED AUTOMATIC BRAKING.' I WRITE YOU THIS LETTER BOTH AS A FRUSTRATED CONSUMER, BUT ALSO AS A CONCERNED CITIZEN. I CAN ONLY WONDER HOW MANY OTHER CUSTOMERS ARE DRIVING AROUND THINKING THEIR VEHICLE IS EQUIPPED WITH 'LOW SPEED AUTOMATIC BRAKING.' I ESCALATED MY CONCERN TO GENERAL MOTORS IN JULY 2019, BUT THEY DENIED MY REQUEST TO INVESTIGATE THIS ISSUE ON JULY 17, 2019. I ALSO CONTACTED THE DEALERSHIP (AUTONATION) BUT HAVE BEEN UNSUCCESSFUL IN RESOLVING THIS AS THEY HAVE BEEN LARGELY UNRESPONSIVE. GENERAL MOTORS AND CADILLAC CONTINUE THEIR DECEPTIVE ADVERTISING TACTICS TO THIS DAY. IF YOU TO VISIT THEIR WEBSITE, YOU WILL FIND THE INCONSISTENCY BETWEEN THE DIFFERENT TRIM LEVELS OF THIS VEHICLE. THE TERMINOLOGY IS DECEPTIVE AND CONFUSING TO THE AVERAGE CONSUMER. THERE IS A SAFETY FEATURE CALLED 'LOW SPEED FORWARD AUTOMATIC BRAKING' AND ONE CALLED 'FORWARD/REVERSE AUTOMATIC BRAKING.' NOT ONLY IS THE DIFFERENCE BETWEEN THESE 2 FEATURES CONFUSING TO A LAY PERSON, BUT MY SALESMAN DIDN'T KNOW THERE WAS A DIFFERENCE. *JS

WHILE ALL ELECTRONIC SAFETY FEATURES WERE ENGAGED, VEHICLE FAILED TO SLOW DOWN PROPERLY, EVEN WITH LAST MINUTE HARD BREAKING BY DRIVER, VEHICLE CRASHED AND REAR ENDED ANOTHER VEHICLE. DASHCAM FOOTAGE AVAILABLE UPON REQUEST.

CAR PURCHASED FEBRUARY 2019 BRAND NEW. WHEN SEAT COOLING, THE BACK OF THE DRIVER AND PASSENGER SEATS HEAT UP IN ALL COOLING MODES FROM HIGH TO LOW. RETURN VENTS ON BACK SIDE OF DRIVER/PASSENGER SEATS BLOW OUT VERY HOT AIR PROVIDING SAFETY CONCERN IF TOUCHED BY PASSENGER. INFRARED THERM. PERSONALLY PURCHASED AND RECORDED A LOG OF SEAT TEMPS FOR OVER A MONTH. RETURN VENTS ON BACK OF BOTH SEATS REACHED A MAXIMUM OF 132FON DRIVERS SIDE AND 129F ON PASSENGER. ON AVERAGE, INFRARED THERM. SHOWED DRIVER/ PASSENGER BACK OF SEATS MEASURING AVG 92-96 DEGREES F. ON OCASSION COOLING SEATS WORK WITH NO ISSUE BUT USUALLY OCCURS 15 MINUTES INTO DRIVING WITH COOL ON. WHEN SEAT COOLING TURNED OFF, SEATS/VENTS COOL OFF. WHEN TURNED BACK ON SEATS/VENTS HEAT UP. CAR SERVICED BY DEALERSHIP THREE TIMES FOR THIS PROBLEM. AFTER NOTIFYING GM CUSTOMER RELATIONS WITH CERTIFIED LETTER, A GM SERVICE ENGINEER WAS SENT TO ASSESS MY CAR ISSUES ON THE THIRD TIME. PER INVOICE 10644 9/24/19, GM SERVICE ENGINEER CONFIRMED THERE WAS AIR BEING TRAPPED IN FOAM OF BACK SEAT CAUSING RETURN AIR VENTS TO HEAT UP. HE MEASURED THE BACK SEATS TO HEAT TO 81F AFTER TWO TEST RUNS ONLY WITH A DIGITAL THERMOMETER. HIS CORRECTION IS REMOVAL OF OPEN CELLED FOAM IN BACK OF DRIVER AND PASSENGER SEATS AND REPOSITIONED THEN REMOVED HOT AIR EXHAUST PORTS ON LF/RF SEAT BACK COOLERS. NOTES COOLING SEATS OPERATE AS DESIGNED. I AM NOT COMFORTABLE WITH REMOVAL OF MANUFACTURERS DESIGN PARTS FOR FUNCTIONING OF CAR. HAVE CONFIRMED OTHER CADILLAC SUV OWNERS HAVE HEATING ISSUES WITH RETURN VENTS IN A 2016 SUV SERVICED BY SAME DEALERSHIP AND PROBLEM STILL OCCURS. ALSO, 2019 ESCALADE ESV LOANER PROVIDED TO ME EXHIBITS EXACT SAME ISSUES AS THOSE REPORTED IN MY CAR WITH HEAT IN BACK OF SEATS AND RETURN VENTS DURING COOLING SEATS ACTIVATED.

THIS COMPLAINT APPLIES TO THE 2017-2019 CADILLAC ESCALADE. THE HEADLIGHTS ON THESE VEHICLES ARE BLINDINGLY BRIGHT -- ENOUGH TO BE A SAFETY HAZARD. THEY ARE WAY TOO BRIGHT IF THEY SHINE DIRECTLY IN YOUR EYES OR SIDE MIRROR WHILE DRIVING A CAR. THEY ARE AN UNUSUAL DESIGN, WITH VERTICALLY STACKED POINTS OF TINY INDIVIDUAL LIGHTS, WHICH I BELIEVE CAUSES THIS PROBLEM. I RECENTLY READ THAT PEDESTRIAN FATALITIES HAVE SIGNIFICANTLY INCREASED LATELY, PARTICULARLY AT NIGHT. I BELIEVE THIS IS DUE TO THE INCREASINGLY BRIGHT SUV HEADLIGHTS, PARTICULARLY ON LUXURY SUV'S. THE ESCALADE IS THE WORST, DUE TO THE UNUSUAL LIGHT DESIGN; BUT OTHERS ARE ALMOST AS BAD. IF THEY SHINE IN YOUR EYES -- FOR EXAMPLE, DRIVING UPHILL AS ONE OF THESE IS COMING DOWN THE HILL IN THE OTHER LANE -- IT IS LITERALLY IMPOSSIBLE TO SEE ANY PEDESTRIAN TO THE SIDES, PARTICULARLY IF THE PERSON IS WEARING BLACK. THIS HAPPENS FREQUENTLY AT ONE BUSY INTERSECTION IN MY TOWN. IF YOU WANT TO REDUCE PEDESTRIAN DEATHS, THERE NEEDS TO BE GREATER REGULATION OF THE BRIGHTNESS OF VEHICLE HEADLIGHTS, PARTICULARLY ON TRUCKS. THANK YOU FOR THE CONSIDERATION OF THESE COMMENTS.[XXX] INFORMATION REDACTED PURSUANT TO THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT (FOIA), 5 U.S.C. 552(B)(6).' *PM

THE HEADLIGHTS ARE FAR TOO BRIGHT. THEY ARE BLINDING AND CAUSE TOO MUCH GLARE. THE HEADLIGHTS CAUSE ME TO HAVE TO LOWER MY MIRRORS. THE TAILLIGHTS ARE ALSO WAY TOO BRIGHT. WHEN I AM STUCK BEHIND THIS CAR, I AM BLINDED AND I AM SO ANGRY. ALL HEADLIGHTS MUST BE A SOFT COLOR THAT IS EASY ON THE EYES OF THE DRIVERS IN FRONT AND BEHIND.